'A short story is a different thing altogether. A short story is like a kiss in the dark from a stranger.'
Stephen King
What if you woke up one morning and found one of the most beautiful women in the world sitting in your kitchen?
The President of the United States. The most powerful man in the world. Or is he?
Imagine a society where your every word, thought and bodily function is monitored by a computer chip in your brain.
The inventor of the world's first teleportation machine is visited by a ghost from Christmas past.
A man who has been a coward his whole life gets the chance to go back and change his past, for better or for worse.
These and nine other stories from the same author combine to take you on a journey out of this world.
Excerpt
"This is ridiculous," William said. "My life was going down the drain. I lost my fiancé, then my best friend. Then my invention turns into a world wide success, and I end up here, for all eternity. I can’t seem to get anything right. I wish I’d died in the explosion."
"I wouldn’t say you were here for all eternity, old man," Tim said cheerfully. "Just until the machine’s repaired."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when you dematerialised, a number of your molecules were transmitted into the arrival module ahead of you, ready to regenerate you upon your arrival. Unfortunately, you didn’t get to make the journey, so that adhesive, if you like, is still waiting for you. Once the machine is repaired, you can slip inside and finish the journey."
"That’s fine, Tim, but Lindeman doesn’t have any plans to repair the machine."
"Ah, well that could be a problem, then."
"And how are you going to get back? The machine that you used a year ago was the prototype of the mark 1 model. It was destroyed after your accident."
"Well then, I suppose I’m doomed to wander through space and time for all eternity. Actually it’s not too bad."
"Did you say space and time?"
"Yes, another plane of existence, remember. I’ve been all over the place in the past year."
"Then why can’t you go back in time and stop yourself from getting into the machine?"
"Oh, I tried that, but wherever I go I’m just a ghost of my former self. Nobody can see or hear me."
"Then we’re both doomed to stay here for all time?"
"Well, not necessarily, there’s still hope for you, remember?"
"I’m not sure if I want to go back," William said despondently. "Life has kicked me in the head once too often. I’d rather stay here."
Tim looked at William carefully. "You seem to forget that I’ve been back and forth through time a lot lately. I know what your past was like and I know what your future holds. And I think it’s time you took a look at what you’d be missing."
Snake Eyes and Boxcars, Part II is a collection of 14 sci-fi/paranormal stories and is author Jay Dubya's 13th story collection and is also his 33rd hardcover book.
