The Extraordinary Journey of Uriel Fox

By John Frederick Zurn

The Extraordinary Journey of Uriel Fox is a collection of stories with themes about social justice, individual morality and miraculous events expressing Uriel's incessant search for purpose and meaning.  The themes often overlap and merge blending into a larger pattern.  Each story's unique setting and action reflects Uriel's personality and desires. Uriel uses his intuition, compassion, and scientific curiousity in his encounters in the physical world and more subtle dimensions. 
He is both a mysterious figure and naïve seeker.  He roams the world helping others, even as he seeks answers.  

• Language: English
• Publisher: Everlasting Light, Yorkville, IL
• Release date: Aug 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223976363

John Frederick Zurn

John Frederick Zurn is a published author of novels, short stories, plays and poetry. He spent his career as an English teacher at traditional schools and as an instructor at developmental training centers, teaching employment readiness skills to mentally challenged teenagers and adults. Now retired, John continues writing and publishing. As an artist and spiritual seeker, he explores the varied promptings of the human spirit. John lives in Illinois with his wife, Donna.

Book preview

Introduction

The Extraordinary Journey of Uriel Fox is a collection of stories with themes about social justice, individual morality and miraculous events in Uriel’s incessant search for purpose and meaning. 

Each story’s setting and action reflect and change Uriel’s personality and refine his desires.  He uses his intuition, compassion, and scientific curiosity in encounters in the physical world and subtle dimensions. 

Uriel is a literal and symbolic character.  He is sometimes a normal person with human weaknesses, at other times oddly inscrutable.  He is complex and courageous; a mysterious figure and naïve seeker. 

Uriel craves adventure, companionship and other worldly encounters to satisfy his hunger for love and acceptance.  While confronting ignorance and aggression during his journeys, these challenges are catalysts for personal revelations about his life and purpose.  He is a man who helps others, even as he attempts to answer his own most basic questions. 

THE INSPIRATION FOR the Uriel Fox character is in the final story – The Stranger on Our Doorstep – a memory of an experience from my early childhood.

The Terminus-Calculator

Before Uriel Fox had started traveling the world searching for his life’s purpose, he lived in a number of boarding houses.  These residences were inexpensive, so he didn’t need a high paying job to support himself.  In his current situation, he had a cordial relationship with, Mrs. Wick, the owner, so he was allowed to roam anywhere he wished in the four story brick house.  In the attic and the basement Fox discovered an extraordinary number of artifacts and papers left by the late Mr. Wick, a mechanical engineer, which he had created in retirement.  Mrs. Wick was certain these rooms, especially the attic, contained engineering drawings about the artifacts and the research data on which they were based.

This privilege of free access proved to be worthwhile because Professor Wick left behind thousands of musty boxes and scientific papers, scattered and stacked everywhere.  The task of sorting and labeling was too overwhelming for the professor’s wife.  She was quite agreeable when Uriel volunteered to organize these rooms.  The mutually beneficial arrangement gave Uriel the opportunity to search for scientific treasures; Mrs. Wick would be gratified that her husband’s work would receive the attention it deserved.  Mrs. Wick’s only condition - Uriel would share valuable discoveries with her.

Originally, exploring the four story house was a way for Uriel to direct his restless energy.  Ultimately, his scientific curiosity and perseverance led him to discover a truly unique artifact. 

In the far corner of the attic, behind an old pine dresser, Uriel found a ripped and sagging shoebox.  Inside the rather ordinary carton, concealed beneath some faded packing material, was an old rotary telephone without a cord or wall mount.  Fox carefully liberated the object from the old box. On the underside of the device was written ‘Terminus-Calculator’.

Fox slumped into a dusty old armchair with the Terminus-Calculator in his lap.  Fox’s mind flashed through a number of possibilities about the purpose of the invention.  Perhaps it is an electronic abacus, or a direct communication line to one specific person.  As Uriel continued musing over the device, he finally decided it must be a left over component from some experiment.  Nevertheless, he carefully hid the device in his room.

Hiding the Terminus-Calculator from Mrs. Wick seemed dishonest; so that night, Fox approached her.  Mrs. Wick, I grabbed a shoebox from the attic with an unusual telephone inside it.  I don’t know if it is valuable.  I plan to determine its workings.

Wonderful!  Mrs. Wick enthusiastically replied.  I’m delighted that you found something of value in that disorganized mess up there.  Just promise me that you’ll tell me if you find anything intriguing about the phone.

Absolutely, Fox replied.

Fox returned to his tiny room and began fidgeting with the Terminus-Calculator.  He started by considering the name more carefully, feeling certain the name was a clue to its function.  The word ‘terminus’ means end or conclusion while ‘calculator’ referred to an instrument involving numbers. 

He assumed that number sequences were key to understanding the inventor’s purpose.  Fox experimented liberally with this unusual machine by using the rotary dial to input various sequences.  He tried dates ordered by year, month and day, then day, month and year.  He used the dial’s letters to identify locations by name – cities, counties, countries, famous places.  Using numbers and letters, he tried license plate numbers.  While Uriel’s choices seemed inspired, after many hours and days none of his attempts created any effect, no evidence of the invention’s intent.  After one particularly tedious day, Uriel tossed the device on the sofa and retired for the night.

The next morning, curiosity unabated, Fox climbed out of bed, ate a quick breakfast, and returned to the Terminus-Calculator puzzle.  Feeling somewhat whimsical, he randomly dialed the local coffeehouse’s phone number.  The moment Uriel dialed the final digit he heard a whirring sound. This was followed by the dissonant noise of a loud groaning as of a door opening.  Suddenly, he was standing outside the coffee shop door several blocks away!

In Uriel’s bewilderment and concern he mentally reviewed the sequence of events. He recognized the connection between dialing the coffee house number and his sudden appearance outside its door.  But how was such an experience possible?  The incident couldn’t be considered time travel because Uriel’s watch indicated the identical time both at the coffee shop and in his room at the boarding house.  Astral projection could be ruled out since his body at the coffee was definitely physical.

The device produced the sensation of overlapping or folding space in such a way that his boarding house reality superimposed on the coffee house.  This experience resembled something like touching two ends of a rope together – each end representing a location.  The Terminus-Calculator had instantly relocated him at the doorway of the exact address of the dialed number; a technological achievement far beyond anything familiar to Uriel Fox.  He was exhilarated that he had begun to discover something about Professor Wick’s machine.

Uriel’s discovery also frightened him.  He had discovered one function of the calculator.  But what did it mean? Could dialing a specific number take him inside a prison?  Underwater? In the middle of a busy street? On an airplane? Could this space folding adversely affect his body and mind?  He was extremely relieved that the device had transported with him!

These fears and uncertainties convinced Uriel to hide the Terminus-Calculator under his jacket, and to walk home instead of dialing his home number.  While Uriel was open-minded and had a good measure of courage, he felt sure his misgivings were justified. He continued considering the device’s almost limitless possibilities. He became more cautious and deliberate in his dealing with the machine.

Eventually, Uriel’s curiosity took over once again. He determined to experiment again with the Terminus-Calculator.  He developed several safety guidelines. 

- First, he would only experiment with telephone numbers he already knew. 

- Second, he would make absolutely sure he dialed the number correctly.

- Third, he would terminate any experiment at the least sign of danger.

- Fourth, he would document and evaluate his progress.

Uriel continued learning all he could about both the inner workings of the Terminus-Calculator and any hidden dangers.  He was eager to identify possible applications, even though he knew he didn’t understand all the machine’s capabilities.

Fox’s first intentional excursion using the Terminus-Calculator occurred several days later. He phoned his friend Alice.  His arrival using Alice’s phone coordinates proved to be exactly correct.  He was just outside her door and without thinking rang the bell.

Alice was an artist and enjoyed philosophy. Over the years, they became good friends.  Alice brewed excellent lemon tea and valued discussions about art, politics and religion.  Their visits were warm and filled with witty exchanges. 

Alice opened the door, smiling to see her close friend. Yet Uriel now was preoccupied with a need to further investigate the captivating invention.  Realizing his blunder, Uriel to conjured up an excuse to leave Alice’s cozy ranch home.  After an abrupt, almost rude farewell, Uriel excused himself.  Using the machine, he conveyed himself back to his boarding house room.

The professor’s device was slowly taking over Uriel’s life, consuming his waking thoughts.  His obsession blossomed when he contacted others using the machine.  He directed his calls to numerous friends’ homes. Then he began arriving at coffee shops, grocery stores, restaurants, and even laundromats.  As the weeks passed, Fox avoided personal contact with fellow house members, isolating himself.  He had trouble sleeping, and forgot to shave and bathe.  Eventually, he began to recognize only individuals who he contacted through the device.  While Fox didn’t notice these changes, others did, like Mrs. Wick.

Uriel, Mrs. Wick exclaimed.  I’m worried about you.  You seem to be avoiding everyone.  Have you been drinking?

Heavens, no! Uriel loudly protested.  I’ve been working hard with your husband’s unfinished projects.

Mrs. Wick was only partially convinced.  She continued, Remember, it’s important to make time for our friends and your daily routines.  Don’t get so buried in the professor’s projects that you don’t come up for air!

Uriel smiled at the uneasy woman. In order to terminate the conversation, Fox acted as if he had an important task to finish in his room.  Thanks for the advice, Mrs. Wick.  I better return to my books in my room.

Uriel’s desire to end the conversation with Mrs. Wick turned out to be only partially a ruse.  While they were chatting, another application for his Terminus-Calculator came to mind.  He wondered if he could launch himself to a specific destination, and then, instead of returning home, he could continue on his travels to more destinations, transporting from place to place and then guide himself home again.  Since the device didn’t involve time travel, he felt it would be possible to return to the same space and time where he began, at least, in theory.

Fox wasn’t entirely confident in his skill to operate the machine in such a complicated manner.  However he always relished a difficult challenge. Uriel came up with an intriguing idea.  Since he knew how to transport his way back to the boarding house, he believed he could dial a random number, and then dial his way home again.

To become familiar with his theory, Fox created a kind of phone tree involving his friends around town.  When he arrived at each destination, he talked with them for a few minutes and then ended his trip by returning home again.  This procedure was only an approximation of his theory, but was useful.  These short stopovers gave him the added confidence in his abilities.  After a few weeks, he contemplated his personally historic visit to unexplored realms with the Terminus-Calculator.

One morning, just after dawn, Uriel formulated a random number sequence with an unknown area code and seven unplanned digits.  Feeling like an ancient explorer, Fox transported first to a place called Slipton.  Uriel had never been to this destination.  The house was completely unknown to him.  The building was rundown, with metallic walls, grimy and unattractive.  Even the front door looked barely serviceable.  The yard was filled with volcanic rocks and no foliage of any kind.  Uriel decided not to approach the disgusting door and waited impatiently to observe what might happen.  With one hand clutching his device, Fox surveyed the neighborhood; as ominous as the building in front of him.  He refocused his attention.

The front door swung open violently. Two hideous creatures stepped beyond the threshold.  They possessed deformed limbs with four eyes vertically affixed in the center of their face.  The creatures’ voices produced a high pitched squeal that only they could understand.  Uriel realized that he was in real trouble, so he quickly attempted to dial his way back to the boarding house.

However, one of the wretched beings noticed Uriel and his Terminus-Calculator.  It instantly ran up, attacked him, and stole the device!  Suddenly, Fox was utterly alone in a very dangerous place.  He was so distressed, he simply froze.  All he could think about was escaping the hell he had tumbled into and returning home.  If the device were broken or disabled, he might be trapped in this perilous place for the rest of his life.

Then, a most remarkable event occurred.  Uriel realized his random number had transported him into a horror movie set. He had become an actor in the film.  He hoped the Terminus-Calculator might recognize the house in the movie as an unreal place and return him to his home when the film was finished.

With courage now buoyed by hope, Fox found an old musty building and hid to await the film’s conclusion.  The delay proved to be both tedious and terrifying.  Like a prisoner enduring a frightening prison term, Uriel felt moments of faith and despair.  Then the providential hand of the creator appeared, the film ended.  Uriel now stood directly facing a blank screen behind the film’s director.  Spying his Terminus-Calculator with other props, Fox promptly snatched it.  In a near panic he entered the digits of his home number.

Fox’s device instantaneously returned him to his glorious boarding house room.  He felt grateful and humbled.  Without any careful thought, he threw down the Terminus-Calculator and smashed it with his boot.  He realized that the world could never be predictably safe.  This realization gave Fox the inspiration to trust in his present time and place. 

PERHAPS THE PROFESSOR who invented the Terminus-Calculator had realized the dangers associated with his device, yet couldn’t destroy it himself.  Like a gambler worried about his future, the professor needed to keep his invention handy - just in case.

The Miraculous Key

Uriel Fox strolled down the shoulder of the highway with his usual sense of adventure. His ragged sneakers, sweat stained jacket, and cocked hat gave him the appearance of a destitute old man. Nevertheless, Uriel had chosen this life of freedom long ago, and although it felt lonely sometimes, it offered independence. Every day Uriel tramped through meadows and ambled down the highway expecting something exciting to happen.

One warm spring morning Uriel stopped to rest on an old tree stump when a most unusual series of events took place. First, an eclipse blocked the sun. Then, Uriel witnessed an eagle soaring directly above him. Finally, an adult fox crossed the highway right behind him. Witnessing these powerful symbols of hope, Uriel believed that something extraordinary would happen on that day.

Uriel continued his rambling down the road, and began to pay close attention to anything that might help him discern the meaning of his earlier encounters. Finally, he studied the ground cautiously, and discovered an odd looking stick. When he bent down to examine it, he realized it was a strange key. Uriel sincerely believed the key now belonged to him, so he tucked into his jacket pocket. He also considered what kind of lock and door it might open.

Fox felt certain the key must open some door in a neighboring town. Perhaps, someone dropped it and forgot about it. Regardless of the circumstances, Uriel desired to discover its purpose. The mystical signs strongly favored Uriel today, so he turned off the highway and ultimately entered a small town named Reflection. The town was quiet with no one stirring.  Twilight slowly disappeared behind the buildings and trees.

Now that the darkness could conceal his movements, Uriel approached the library directly in front of him. He turned the key into the front door lock and the door instantly opened. Astonished that the key opened the very first door he tried, Uriel slipped into the building and searched it for personal mystic clues. On the stairs on the second floor a small book seemed to be lodged under the railing. Fox snatched up the book and read its title, 9 Ways to Find Reality. Uriel scanned the special volume, and he felt confident enough to take it with him. His day seemed to be growing more significant by the hour.

Uriel felt that the key opening the first door seemed too bizarre to be a random occurrence; so he quietly stepped down the street to the school building to try and unlock another door. Miraculously, Uriel’s magic key unlocked the front door on the initial attempt. After he entered, he did as he felt instructed and opened the door in the hall labeled 9 which turned out to be the teacher’s lounge. The TV against the wall was set at eight,  so Uriel changed the channel to 9, so he could gather more information about his journey. He watched several news shows and took notes for over an hour. Then he felt he needed to exit the building.

Uriel again plodded down the main street paying close attention to details along the way. Before long, he spotted a doughnut shop. He approached the front door and read the sign: Coffee Shop Open - 9 AM to 9 PM. Understandably, Uriel now firmly accepted that his day was truly inspirational. He again opened the door with no resistance and observed all the doughnuts. Choosing a handful, Fox now felt his mission must be destiny; he recognized his true purpose would soon be revealed. A feeling of great joy enveloped him as he left the doughnut shop and moved on.

Uriel decided to change his strategy and open the back door of a big white building on the far side of town. However, just as he unlocked the door, two brawny men grabbed him by the arms and pushed him into a chair inside the hallway.

We’ve been looking for you, the tall deputy growled. The sheriff identified you when you left the doughnut shop.

But I have a key that opens every door, Uriel pleaded.

We don’t lock our doors in this town, the shorter deputy mocked. You’re the first trespasser we’ve had here in fifteen years. Of course your key opens all the doors. The doors were never locked in the first place!

Are you going to let me go? Uriel asked fearfully.

No, you’re going to stay with us for a while, here at our special hotel, the tall deputy replied arrogantly.

When Uriel attempted to escape, the deputies wrestled him to the floor and confiscated his key. They escorted him to a large room with what appeared to be eight other patients.

Fox initially considered the difficult situation to be part of his quest. He followed his intuition for about two weeks; but as he witnessed the other patients conversing with the television and stuffing magazine pages into their pockets, he despaired. He finally understood that his ‘magic’ represented a temptation to follow his own inner dreams out into the world. The other patients would all possibly reach that same conclusion as well, given time.

Three weeks later, Uriel was discharged.  He felt a sense of naked emptiness as if his mind had been locked in a trap. Something sacred had deserted him. Uriel had been reduced from a proud adventurer to an obedient servant.

The hospital assigned Uriel to a halfway house, but he absconded the very next day. His crisis with the magic key still puzzled him, so he kept his quest to himself.  He never became fully convinced that his journey was somehow ill conceived.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN, Uriel Fox regained his freedom, but his independence now required a certain amount of discretion.

The Painless Curse

Uriel Fox entered the town of Providence in the late afternoon.  The small community, surrounded by forests and a small river.  A well-worn trail led to a village called Quietville.  The two towns distrusted each other.  They might as well have been a thousand miles apart rather than twenty miles.

Uriel, hiking in from the north, had no idea of the unspoken hatred between these towns. He did see something very unusual.  Almost everyone in Providence had sustained some kind of injury.  Some citizens wore bandages on their hands and arms, others had casts and braces.  Some sat in wheelchairs or walked with crutches.  No one was cheerful enough to wave or acknowledge Uriel’s greetings. 

After staying in the hotel for a couple of days, Uriel visited the local bar hoping to find people open to conversation. Uriel sat down on a stool. Looking around he saw everyone was hurt in some way.  Turning to the bartender, Uriel asked softly,

Why are all the people in town suffering from injuries?

Giving a tentative smile, The people aren’t suffering despite their appearance.

But I can see they are suffering. They all have injuries.  Uriel replied carefully.

Taking an authoritative tone, the bartender answered, That’s where you’re wrong, stranger.

Then why did they all seek medical attention? Uriel persisted.

The bartender sighed.  The people do not have the capacity to feel pain.  When their bodies are injured, they don’t suffer physical pain, but they still must tend to their wounds.  If they don’t they’ll get gangrene, lose a body part or even die.

Uriel thought for a moment, What a boon it would be to feel no physical pain!

A patron at the next bar stool burst out laughing.  We don’t feel pain, but we still get injured, and mostly we don’t realize it.

Suddenly, as if on cue, the bartender accidentally grabbed a cracked bar glass. His hand began bleeding without him realizing it.  He continued chatting with Uriel. 

Uriel pointed it out to him, Sir, you cut your hand.

Oh, yeah, the bartender answered causally.  I better wrap it!

Uriel was agitated.  I can’t believe you.  How is it possible for you not to feel pain?

It’s been with us for quite some time, the patron explained.  You’ve been staring at my mangled hand.  I almost lost it in an accident at the saw mill. We must always pay close attention and be exceedingly careful in everything we do.  Just yesterday, a friend stayed too long in the cold river while swimming.  He has hypothermia.  His son put him to bed as soon as he discovered his father in the river.

While Uriel suspected there may be some truth in the matter, he needed more proof for such an outlandish claim.  He finished his drink and stepped outside.  Gazing down the street, Uriel observed even more citizens with crutches, wheelchairs and bandages.

Suddenly, a terrible notion assailed him.  Could it be possible that the curse, or whatever it was, could affect him too?  He shook his head discounting this irrational fear.  He knew curses were often based on naive superstitions.  Oddly, almost immediately, this theory was being tested.  Uriel’s fingers on his right hand had become slightly swollen.  But how?  He had only a few drinks at the bar.

A passerby answered Uriel’s unspoken question, You should be more careful when you enter a building.  It looks like you smashed your fingers against a door jam.  Remember, if you don’t respect the curse, the curse won’t respect you.

What curse? Uriel asked impatiently.

This community, the passerby began, has been visited by a curse for several years now.  We don’t suffer from physical ailments but we do feel the effects.  Do you remember smashing your fingers?

Uriel was incredulous.  His fingers were indeed swollen.  Another realization struck Uriel.  In Providence, he