Blind Taste Test

My friend put me up to this.  He said that in a blind taste test, I would pick Pepsi over Coke.

To challenge this, I accepted his terms.  What does he know about my taste buds?  I know how both colas taste.  And from past experience, I prefer Coke over Pepsi.

Over the years, I have always been a Coke person.  Being raised in Atlanta, this has always been the case.  I love the sweet and refreshing drink that is Coca Cola.  Even now in New York, I still like Coke.

“Joey!” My friend called out to me.  “What are you waiting for?  Let’s start this test!”

And so the test began.  My friend Mike asked me to leave the room.  He poured a can of each cola into two plastic cups.  One was labeled Soda A.  The other was labeled Soda B.  When I was called in, I was blindfolded by Mike.  He then led me to a chair and I sat down.

The tasting then began.

I tried Soda A.  It had a sweet syrupy taste.  It was the taste I know and love.  The taste I remembered.

After that, I was given Soda B.  It had a bold taste.  It was syrupy, but it felt like it was more carbonated.

Then came the time for the vote.  I picked Soda A.

Mike then revealed the two sodas.  “Soda A was Coke and Soda B was Pepsi,” he told me.  “Impossible.  How could you have known the difference?”

At that, I smiled.  “It’s because I know what Coke tastes like,” I told him.

And you don’t need a blindfold to tell you that.  Your eyes can’t tell you whether it’s Coke or Pepsi.  This is not a sight test, so all you need is your tastebuds.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Catching Up

Milton looked at his computer screen and sighed.  On it was a spreadsheet filled with games that he hasn’t played yet.  This list was growing by the day.

Since he finally had the day off.  He decided to start on that list.  He began on the ones that he already started that were in progress.

Milton loaded the cartridge and turned on the console.  It was a classic game that he has played before but never beat.  After what seemed like several tries, he beat the game.

Milton took the cartridge out.  “Next!” he shouted, moving to the next one on his list.

The next game that he had to play was a PC game.  This was a another game that he had in progress, and it was almost done.  In an hours time, he was able to beat it.

Yet another game that he got back to was on one of his newer consoles.  It was an easy game, and all the trophies were easy to get on it.

After finishing that game, Milton took a break.  During the break, Milton went to his website.  Looking at his blog, he gasped.  “Haven’t updated this thing in months,” he chuckled.  And with that, he quickly composed a new post, updating everyone on what was going on.  After posting it, he let out a sigh of relief.

“Three games beat and one blog post made,” he said, smiling.  “My time is so precious now.  Since that promotion, I’ve had almost no free time.  Managing data can be a headache….”

For the rest of the day, Milton spent his time catching up on things he usually didn’t have time for.  He caught up on his laundry, dishes and another chapter of a book that he was in the middle of reading.  While it wasn’t much, it was better than nothing.

As Milton went to bed, he closed his eyes, hoping that he would eventually have another day like this.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Nonstop

The alarm clock went off.  Jack looked at it.  The time was 5:30 a.m.  It was once again time.  Time for a 12 hour day.  This would be his sixth day in a row.

Jack got up, made the coffee and got ready.  He showered, got dressed, poured a quick bowl of cereal, ate it and drank his coffee.

Jack arrived at Salt Corp….again.  He parked in his usual parking spot again and entered the office building again.

He took the elevator to the 22nd floor and walked over to his office.

Before Jack entered, his boss noticed him.

“Hey Jack!” The boss shouted.  “So glad that you could come in on the weekend.  Normally, I would let you have the day off.  But so many people are sick right now.  I’m so glad that you were able to come in….”

Jack formed a fake smile.  It wasn’t his best one, but it was good enough for his boss.  “Anytime, Mr Murphy.” Jack said, with a nervous chuckle.

After that, Jack made a beeline to his office.  While he was firing up his computer, he sighed.  When am I going to get a day off?

“I’ll surely have a day off when I’m dead,” Jack quietly said to himself sarcastically.

Jack started up his email program and looked at the screen.  837 unread messages.

“This is going to take a while,” Jack sighed.

Jack began on the emails and looked at the clock.  7:05.  Taking a deep sigh, a harsh reality hit him.  This was going to be a long day.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Pursuing the Dream (The Cider Stand II)

Charlotte closed her stand once more.  She then counted her money.  It was only $104.   Overall, she made $1,800 off of her cider stand this year.  It wasn’t a lot but it was a start.  A start to the dream that Charlotte really wanted to pursue – her own bakery.

It was not that Charlotte hated the stand.  When she had it open, she loved every minute of it.  It was just that she felt that everything was so limited as to what she could offer to the customer.  She wanted to give them a lot more than what she had.  With her increasingly popular cider, some donuts and a couple pastries, it wasn’t a lot for the customer to choose from.

The cider stand, although it remained the same size, seemed to get smaller to Charlotte by the day.  Next year, she would try to secure a larger area to sell her cider and baked goods.  With the weather getting colder, she knew that it was only a matter of time before she had to close her stand.  For Charlotte, there was no particular date as to when she would close her stand.  This was decided by the weather.  The first snow that comes would be the last day her stand would be open.

Charlotte didn’t want her stand to close.  She loved the customers, and enjoyed talking to them while she dutifully did her job.  Seventh grade was busy enough for her.  She knew that things would get busier the older she got.

One day, her mother came and bought some of her cider.  Charlotte then looked at her mother with a concerned look on her face.  “Mom,” she said with a sigh.  “Do you think that I can open my own bakery?”

The mother gave Charlotte a pat on the head and smiled.  “Certainly, honey.  You are certainly on the right track.  If that is your dream, go for it.”

Charlotte poured her mother a glass of her cider.  “But what if I fail?”

The mother smiled, and took a sip of the apple cider.  “If you fall down, get right back up.” she told her.  “Don’t ever give up on your dreams.  Keep pursuing them until you succeed.  And I’ll have a donut too, dear.”

Charlotte smiled.  “Thanks mom.  Now what donut do you want?  There are three different kinds to choose from.”

The mother pointed to one that was covered in powdered sugar.  “That one will do.”

Charlotte gave her the powdered donut on a plate and rang her mother up for the donut and the cider.  The mother gave her the money, plus a $5 tip.

“You earned it.” her mother told her.

Charlotte nodded, and put the five in her little cash box.  “Thanks for your business.”

The mother walked back into the house .  Charlotte thought about what her mother told her.  Do I really have what it takes to succeed?

After thinking about what her mother said more and more, she nodded.  “It surely will happen,” she said.  “I know it.”

With that, Charlotte continued to work the Saturday afternoon away, selling her delicious apple cider.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Leftover Candy

Brad emptied out his bag of candy from last night.  After doing this, an enormous pile of various candy sat there, waiting to be eaten.

The candy that sat there was not just the average Tootsie roll or Milk Dud.  It was all the good candy.  There was, of course, 3 Musketeers and Baby Ruth.  There was a couple of mini York Peppermint Patties.  The most common candy was M&M’s.  Brad had at least one bag of every kind.  Plain, Peanut, Almond, Pretzel and Crispy all in fun-sized bags.  He even had plain and peanut in regular bags.  Brad loved M&M’s, but there was, however, a candy that he loved even more….

Gleaning through the pile, Brad found more treasures.  At least eight fun-sized Snickers bars, a regular sized Snicker bar, and a king-sized Snicker bar.  Brad then found his favorite: A monster-sized Butterfinger.  The offspring of this monster candy also sat in the pile.  At least eleven fun-sized Butterfingers.

In addition to that, there was also some other good candy.  100 Grand, Crunch bars, Hershey’s bars,  MilkyWay bars, Twix bars, Whatchamacallits, Skittles, Paydays, Jolly Ranchers, Smarties, Sweettarts, Almond Joys, Mounds, Whoppers, Tootsie Rolls, Milk Duds, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Reese’s Pieces, Starbursts and Kit-Kats.  Brad had at least one of every major candy in his pile.

As good as the other candy was, Brad gave his attention to the Butterfingers, and sorted them in their own little pile.  In addition to his candy, his mother had a bunch of leftover candy.  With the leftover candy, Brad smiled, knowing that eating all this candy was going to take a while.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Candy Record

Josh donned his ghost costume.  It wasn’t his best costume, but it was pretty much what he could think of at the last minute.

Carrying a map, the whole neighborhood was plotted out.  A record was going to be set this year.  The record for the most houses hit in one night.  Of course, it was not just any set of houses that he decided on.  It would be in the Golden Oaks subdivision.  From his experience in the past, this was the neighborhood that gave out the most candy.

Everything was plotted out with precision.  In addition to the map, he had a GPS to track all the coordinates of each house that he visited.  There would not be any wasted time.  Just ring the doorbell, yell “Trick or Treat!”, get candy and run to the next house.  From testing this, he found that this would only take at least 20 seconds at the most.  Longer if the person takes a while to get to the door.

At 5:48 p.m., it began.  Josh started at the first house.  He would make a circle, starting with all the houses on one side, going through the cul-de-sac, and then finishing with all the houses on the other side.

So far, the procedure went like clockwork.  20 houses were hit in 15 minutes.  There was, however, one house that slowed him down.  It was Old MacGregor’s house.  Because of him, Josh sadly was not able to break the candy record.

After that house, Josh hit the rest.  Well, at least the ones that he could hit before the Trick or Treating ended.  Old MacGregor’s house upset his whole route, and he wasn’t able to get to the houses that he wanted.  With a heavy garbage bag filled with candy, Josh dumped it all out on the floor of his room, sighing.  To remedy this failure, he would skip MacGregor’s house next year.

“Next year,” Josh said with a sigh.  “I’ll surely break it next year….”

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©2012  K. L. Walker

A Heart for the Northeast

This country has seen its share of violent storms.  But never has there ever been any storm like this before.  In terms of diameter, Hurricane Sandy has been the largest storm to ever hit America.

The strangest thing about this storm is where it hit.  Instead of going through the southeast, it went to the northeast, affecting New York City, New Jersey and various other surrounding areas.  The water levels went up ten feet, affecting Lower Manhattan and somewhat affecting Midtown Manhattan.  Subways are flooded, as well as several substations in the city.  This has displaced many families, while the few that remained decided to weather the storm.

Even now, there are over 7 million people without power, and many homes ravaged by this monster storm.  My heart goes out to all these people, who could care less if the election is in one week.  All that matters to them is how they will be fed the next day, and where they will sleep.   If they have children, if would be how to carry their children through this conflict.

My heart goes out to every one of them.  Like Katrina, there will be help on the way.  For those hurting, I am not where they are, so I can’t relate to the hardships with a disaster.  I can, however, relate to going through a hardship, or a tough trial.  It can be a natural disaster, losing a loved one, or encountering emotional pain from a personal conflict.  Hardships come in many forms, and the people of the northeast have been dealt a most severe one.

So if you know anyone who lives in this area, or happen to be this person, my heart goes out to you.  My heart goes out to everyone living in the northeast, dealing with the monster storm that came without warning.  You are in my thoughts and prayers.  May you all find help and comfort very soon.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

When I was Alive

When I was alive, I had a family.  I had a job.  I raised a kid.

When I was alive,  I ate good food.  I had good taste.  That’s what I did.

When I was alive, my job was great.  The pay was good.  Enjoyed it a lot.

Now that I’m dead, I float around.  Near my marked grave.  Watched myself rot.

When I was alive, I went on trips.  Where it was fun.  The best of spots.

When I was alive, I wore good clothes.  The finest threads.  Some full of dots.

When I was alive, I had good goals.  I had good dreams.  Was totally driven.

Now that I’m dead, I scare some souls, they have good screams, running from the unliving.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

The Other Clone

I never thought that it would be possible, but they actually did it.  I didn’t believe it at first, but they showed me that it was true.  They created a clone.  At birth, they made a clone of me and a different family raised it.

The one major defect of the clone, however, was that the clone had a different chromosome.  Instead of having a Y chromosome like me, it had two X chromosomes.  The clone was a woman.  While it had all of my likeness, all of the traits were female.

Just yesterday, I met my clone for the first time.  Her name is Alexandra, but she told me that all her friends call her Alex.  Weirdly enough, my name is Alexander, but all my friends call me Alex.  In sharing this information to her, we both laughed.

Even more eerie was the differences between our interests.  Both of us loved video games and computer programming.  Math was a subject that we both minored in.  Both of us have a daughter.  Both of us work as financial consultants.   Now I could go on and on with all the things that we have in common, but I will spare you the details.  Let’s just say that Alexandra was truly the other clone of me in every way.  The only difference was her gender.

Why do I say the “other clone”?  When I was born, they actually made two clones of me.  The first one didn’t make it and died.  She was the one that survived.  I still find this weird and shocking, since no one ever told me that I had a clone.  Nobody ever told Alexandra either.  That’s what she told me.  Now that I know,  I want to make it a point to get to know her.  First getting to know her as a friend, until I eventually know her as my twin clone sister of myself.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

No More Leaves!

I am fed up with them.  At the very sight of them, I despise them.  You would be too, if you had to deal with them all day.

When I think of leaves, I only think of two kinds of people that deal with them.  They’re either a city-slicker or a rube.  City slickers only have to rake their leaves into the street curbs.  A rube like me has to rake them into the woods.

One would think that it’s not that bad to rake them into the woods.  Well, it is if you have 5 acres of lawn to rake, with trees of every kind on your property.

My raking and bagging went from sun up to sun down.  Even at sun down, I wasn’t finished.

First, you have to rake all the leaves into neat piles.  Try not to miss any if you can.  After that, use a tarp.  For me, it’s the best way to get rid of those pesky leaves.  I can find no better way than the way of the tarp.  After that, you repeat until the yard is free of leaves.  If you have a big yard like mine, your back will be sore by the end of the day.

For me, I don’t feel anything right now, but I will certainly feel it in the morning.  All I want is no more leaves.  I don’t want to see another leaf.  These little pests may be good exercise, but are quite excruciating when it comes to labor.  I’m for good fitness but not for a sore back at all.  As little as I’ll have to do the next day, I just know that I’ll feel it in the morning.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Pile of Autumn

Caitlyn looked outside and watched the numerous leaves fall to the ground.  There were orange leaves, red leaves, yellow leaves and some green leaves.  As for the rest of them, they were all brown and laying on the ground, colorless.

Caitlyn’s father was raking all the leaves into large piles.  When Caitlyn saw this, she turned around and looked at her mother.  “Can I play in the leaves now, mommy?”

The mother looked outside and smiled.  “If it’s okay with daddy, you can go right on ahead, sweetie.” she told her.

Caitlyn leaped up with excitement.   This was going to be so much fun!  The first thing that she wanted to do was bury herself in the leaves.  Caitlyn put her coat on and went outside, where the enormous piles were forming around her.

“Daddy, can I play in the leaves?” she asked him.  “Please?”

The father stopped raking and looked at Caitlyn.  “How about this, honey?  You can play in them until I’m ready to move them.  Okay?”

Caitlyn nodded.  “Thank you, daddy.  Hooray!”

Caitlyn went to the first pile that her father directed her to.  She ran over to the pile and dived head first into it.  When she stuck her face out, there were leaves all over her hair and leaves all over her coat.  She didn’t mind, since she was having too much fun.

When her father moved that pile of leaves, Caitlyn ran to the next one and dove in.  “Whee!” Caitlyn shouted.  “Look at me, daddy!”

The father stopped raking briefly to look at Caitlyn, whose face was now covered with leaves.  Even when she shook them off, there were still a couple of leaves stuck to her hair.  “That’s nice, honey,” the father said with a smile.  “I’m glad you’re enjoying the leaves.”  And with that, the father picked up his rake and continued raking the other piles.

And so it continued.  For each pile that the father was ready to move, Caitlyn ran to the next pile and jumped in.  For some, she swam around in the leafy piles.  This went on until the father got every pile moved.  All that remained was one pile.

When Caitlyn saw the last pile, she frowned.   She lay in that pile and looked at her father.  “Please, daddy?” she begged.  “Can you leave this pile for me?”

The father sighed, and looked at his watch.   “It’s yours for a week, Caitlyn.  After that, I want to pick them up.”

Caitlyn nodded.  “Okay, daddy….”

Everyday after school, Caitlyn came out and played in that pile of leaves.  When the week was up, the father moved the last pile.

This made Caitlyn really sad.  But when she saw where her father was moving all the leaves, a big smile appeared on her face.  The father was dumping all the leaves into the woods, where there were enormous piles of leaves there.  To Caitlyn, this was paradise.

Caitlyn’s eyes were fixated on the piles of leaves in the woods.  “Can I play in those leaves, daddy?”  she asked him.

The father nodded.  “Play as much as you want, honey.  Just be in before dinner.”

Caitlyn nodded, and entered the fun and leafy wonderland.   It was sea of leaves.  An enormous pile of autumn for Catilyn to enjoy whenever she wanted.  Well, at least until her parents call her in.

Caitlyn dove into the enormous sea of leaves and laughed her little heart out.  She kicked, swam and dove into the leaves again and again, having all the fun that she wanted.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Autumn Snapshots

CLICK!   Laura just took a picture of an oak tree.  It sat at the end of the street near the dorms.  Most of the leaves were still on the tree.  Various reds and yellows and oranges.  But there it sat, forever captured in a digital image.  Laura took her camera and snapped on.

CLICK!  Another picture of a tree.  This one was bare, without a single leaf left on it.  It gave all it could to the ground, and it couldn’t give any more.  Laura gave a sigh of satisfaction as she captured this moment into her camera.

CLICK!  This one was a couple of college students, making their way to class.  What sat behind them was a sidewalk covered in leaves.  With the weather being cooler, they each wore a sweatshirt.  The man and the woman, paying no attention to Laura’s camera at all.

CLICK!  Another picture.  This was a panoramic shot of one of the buildings on campus.  It was the liberal arts building, with the side of it covered in ivy with the lawn surrounding it covered in leaves of various colors.   The sidewalks had students traversing to and from class.  Laura continued walking, looking to capture some more moments.

CLICK!  Laura got a shot of a man with a pair of binoculars.  He seemed very passionate about the leaves and the scenery, and to her it seemed like her was taking it all in.

“There we go,” Laura said with a smile.  And with that, she pointed the camera at herself, and snapped away, as she attempted to capture herself in the colorful, almost magical season.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Sea of Autumn

Milton got out his binoculars again and looked outside.  The leaves were a variety of different colors.  It was only a matter of time before the leaves would lose their color and fall to the ground.

Filled with excitement, Milton left his house.  “The show is beginning,” he smiled.  “Free to all.   A festival of colors.  This will not last long, so I better savor it while it lasts….”

While Milton was outside, he took notice of his surroundings.  An old man was blowing leaves in his yard.  Across the street, he saw a little girl jumping into the leaves and laughing.  Looking at those leaves, he sighed.  “Those ones fell early,” he said.  “Pretty soon, they will all fall….”

Milton took a walk down his street.  Over in the distance, he saw a frustrated young man, feverishly raking the leaves into a tarp.  Just as he finished, a bunch of new leaves fell to the ground.

“You’re not done,” Milton quietly said with a smile.

At the end of the street, Milton noticed the local college campus.  In the distance, there was a young woman taking various pictures.  Turning back around,  Milton noticed a girl with a cider stand.  She sold cider, donuts and other baked goods.

Smiling, Milton bought a glass of cider and a donut from the girl’s stand.

“Thank you for your business,” the girl gratefully said.

Milton entered his house and ate his donut. Sipping his cider, he took another look at the trees using his binoculars.  It was a sea of autumn, with the trees dropping leaves of various colors.  With the colors not lasting long, Milton was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Inner Child: Part V

Jessica woke up, her smile as bright as the rising sun.  Eight more months have finally passed.  It was now only one week that remained before Dr. Mayberry returned from his sabbatical.

The day was now July 15th. Jessica knew, since she has been keeping track of each day since the day she called the laboratory.

Before she went to the bathroom, she heard a shout next to her.  “Mommy!” the girl shouted.

Jessica smiled, and sat down next to her.  “Morning, sweetie! Did you have a good night’s sleep?”

“Yeah!” the girl shouted.  “I slept really well last night.”

About six months ago, Jessica decided to buy her younger self a bed, and had it put in her bedroom.  Since then, little Jessica has been sleeping with her every night.

“Are we going to the park again, mommy?” she asked her.

Jessica nodded.  “Definitely, my little Jess.  But mommy’s gotta go to work, first.”

She then looked at the girl, who she dressed in a pair of very cute looking pajamas.  They were pink, with yellow stars and crescent moons with a little glitter.  “Let’s get you ready my sweetheart….”

Jessica took the girl into the bathroom and got her ready, like she did every morning.  I love this girl….

“Is Brad going to be at the park today?” the girl asked, while Jessica was combing her hair.

“Yes,” Jessica nodded.  “Him, Steve and Paige will all be there.”

Over the past months, Jessica kept her promise to Paige.  Despite having her younger self with her, she still hung out a lot with her friends.  Whether it was to a restaurant, the park, or a movie, she brought “little Jess” very often, since the cost of having a babysitter was getting expensive.  Some exceptions included some special dates or movies that Jessica considered inappropriate for the girl.  Since Paige suggested the name, Jessica liked the name so much that she started calling her younger self “little Jess” regularly.

After getting herself and “little Jess” ready, Jessica flagged down a taxi.  She went to the same building as before, dropping off little Jessica on the first floor and taking the elevator to the 27th, to Dr. Wakeman’s Neurology Clinic.

After work, Jessica picked up the girl and went to the park.  She took a taxi to the park and met Paige, Brad and Steve there.  The temperature was 97 degrees, and there was not a single cloud in the sky.

“It’s really hot, mommy….” the girl complained.

An idea suddenly came over Jessica.  “Ice cream time!” she shouted.  “My treat, everyone!”

She took her younger self and her friends to an ice cream vendor.  Everyone got their favorite flavor, and Jessica got vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles on a cone for the girl.

“Lick it quickly before it melts, honey.” she told little Jessica.

The girl nodded, and she ate the ice cream as quick as she could.

After going to the park, they all had pizza for dinner at a pizzeria.  Jessica then said goodbye to everyone and went home.

That night, after Jessica put the girl to bed, she felt her cell phone vibrate.

“Hey Paige.” she said.  “How many more days now?  I thought I already told you.  Didn’t I tell you?  I didn’t?  Well, it’s only one week now.  Tomorrow morning it will be six days.”

“No Paige.  Don’t say that.  What!  Why?  I’ve told you before, Paige!  I’m going to miss this girl.   Yes.  ‘Little Jess’.  I’m going to miss ‘Little Jess’.  You too? Yeah.  What do you mean, only a little?  I’m going to miss her a whole lot.  Well, I’m certainly not going to miss doing that, but it’s part of being a mother, right?  What?  Yes Paige, she still wears them.  It doesn’t seem like she minds now.  When?  I’ve actually tried more recently.  After washing a half dozen pairs of her underwear, I still don’t think she’s ready.  I mean, she wants to learn but I  just don’t want her to feel too discouraged.  She takes it very hard when she doesn’t make it.  You should see the look on her face.  I feel bad that she has to deal with this.”

“A doctor?  I have actually taken her to one seven months ago.  They tell me that she has a special condition.  I can’t remember the name of it.  But really, this is personal information, Paige.  Too personal for you?  Yes.  I feel like some information like this should be kept private.”

“Yes, she’s bothered by it, but she’s used to the whole thing now.  She doesn’t fight me any more on it.  What?  I think we should change the subject, okay?”

Tears started to form in Jessica’s face.  “I already told you, Paige!  I’m not looking forward to her leaving.  Why?  Yes, I considered her an annoyance at first.  Yeah.  That was around nine months ago, at the beginning.  Yeah, I complained a lot about her, then.  Yeah, it’s still a challenge.  But over time, I really started to like her.  Just think of this, Paige.  How well do you take care of yourself?  Okay.  So if I think of her as myself, shouldn’t I take care of her as well as I take care of myself?  Yeah.  This really started to hit me after that doctor’s appointment.  She’s really an amazing girl, isn’t she?  You don’t get it as well as I do.  What?  Well, of course you wouldn’t get it.  Every time I see her now, I see myself.  And everyday, I learn new things about myself that I have forgotten.  Well, my four-year old self at least.”

“My other childhood? Paige!  How many times do I have to tell you?  I can’t remember my childhood!  I still can’t!  Little Jess has taught me everything about herself that I have forgotten.  I see it by the way she behaves and the way she looks at me…..”

“Yeah, I’m hoping that this experiment helps me remember.  Stop teasing me, Paige.  What if you suddenly couldn’t remember the first twelve years of your life?  I don’t mean every detail.  I mean, who can remember all that?  I’m talking about all the things you CAN remember….”

“Does she know?  Yes.  Little Jess knows that she’s going back soon.  I tell her that she’s going back to where she belongs.  To a mother that will look very much like me.  What?  Yes.  I looked at her younger pictures when I visited her around Christmas, Paige.  At my age, my mother looked pretty similar to the way I look.  I guess that’s why she thinks that I look so much like her.  You should’ve seen Little Jess at Christmas.  When she saw my mom, she said, ‘another mommy?’ After that, she said, ‘but that mommy looks older.’

“Six more days, Paige.  I’m not looking forward to it like I thought I would.  Yes.  You’re right Paige.  She’ll always be inside of me.  In my memories….”

“Well, I gotta to bed, Paige.  I work tomorrow.  After that, we can hang out.  Just you, me and Little Jess this time.  We can have some girl time to ourselves.  Okay.  Sounds good.  I’ll see you tomorrow.  I’ll call you when I get there.  Okay.  See ya.  Bye.”

The next day after work, Jessica came over to Paige’s apartment with the girl.  After a dinner, she took little Jessica home.

A few more days passed, which was a little too fast for Jessica.  Finally, it was right before the day that she dreaded – the 21st of July.

That night, Jessica was in tears as she was putting her younger self to bed.

“What’s wrong, mommy?” the girl asked.  “Why are you crying?”

Jessica wiped away her tears and sat down next to the girl.  “Mommy’s crying because tomorrow, I’m going to have to say good bye to you.”

The girl looked confused.  “Why mommy?” she asked.  “Where am I going?”

“You’re going back to where you belong,” she sniffed.  “Don’t worry, honey.  You won’t feel any different.  You will be in the past, with a mommy that looks like me.”

“But I don’t want to go,” the girl said.

“I don’t want you to either.  But there will be another mommy there.  The mommy that you’re supposed to have.”

“Aren’t I supposed to have you, mommy?”

Jessica shook her head.  “No.  Now this may be hard for you to understand, but I am the same person as you, only I’m a really big girl.  I am who you are going to be when you grow up.”

The girl’s eyes lit up.  “Really?  I hope I’m a good mommy when I grow up.”

Jessica looked at herself and smiled.  “I hope so too, honey.  I think that you will make a really good mommy.”  After that, she gave her a kiss on the cheek.  With that, she changed her, tucked her in and kissed her goodnight.

The next day, Jessica wasn’t crying her eyes out, but she was still sad.  It was the day that Dr. Mayberry came back from his sabbatical.  Jessica called the laboratory.  The assistants told her to come in at noon, and to bring the girl with her.

Once in the laboratory, she entered the same room she was in during the experiment.  When little Jessica saw this room, she frowned.

“I’m scared, mommy.” she told her.

“Don’t worry, honey.” Jessica told her.  “It will only take a second.”

A few seconds later, Dr. Mayberry entered the room.  “Enjoying your inner child?” he joked.

Jessica nodded.  “I’m enjoying her very much,” she told him.  “If you were to ask me that eight months ago, I would have punched you in the face.  But I’m really enjoying her now.  As much as I do though, I’m going to have to say goodbye.”

Dr. Mayberry scratched his head.  “I’ll let you do so then.  As for her, I still am not able to figure out why that happened to you.  If I were to guess, I probably just created a clone from your memories by mistake.”

Jessica frowned.  “It was a mistake?”

“Of course!” the doctor nodded.  “This experiment was something that we have never tried before.  Not even on animals!  You were the first one to try it, so we don’t have much data.  We’re going to repeat the same procedure as you had before.  Hopefully, we won’t end up with another clone from your memories.  Anyway, I’ll let you say goodbye while we’re hooking everything up to you.”

Jessica nodded, as they laid her on the bed.  After that, they strapped her in with the belt over her stomach and attached a helmet on her.

Meanwhile, the girl just stood there watching, with a very sad look on her face.  “Mommy….”

“Good bye, little Jess.” Jessica told her.  “I’m really going to miss you, but you will be in me very soon, okay?  Farewell, honey!”

The girl continued to stare at Jessica, and a tear began to roll down her little cheek.  “Bye mommy…..”

Before they could say anything else, Dr. Mayberry signaled his assistant to turn the machine on.

Like before, Jessica felt a strong tingle of electricity flowing through her.  After that, she was knocked out.

When she came to, she looked around.  “Wait….” Jessica cried.  “Where is she?  Where is my little Jess?”

We saw it,” one of the assistants told her.

“I saw it, too.” Dr. Mayberry told her.  “The girl went back inside you.  Do you feel any different, Miss Smith?”

Jessica closed her eyes and thought for a moment.  And just like that, she felt like a flood of memories filled her mind.  It was numerous memories.   Lots of various memories from her childhood.  There were memories that she wanted to forget and memories that she was glad that she remembered.  “It worked!” she shouted.

“I know,” the doctor said, smiling.  “We both saw her….”

“Not just that,” Jessica told them.  “The original experiment!  Now, this is creepy.  I can remember every single thing from my childhood.  What the hospital looked like the day I was born, what clothes I was wearing when I was three, everything.  I can even remember every word everyone said!”

When Dr. Mayberry heard this, he began to jump up and down with excitement.  “That’s great, Miss Smith!  There must have been something we got wrong in the experiment.”

The doctor handed her 3 more $100 bills.  “Well, to be fair,” he told her.  “Here’s another $300, since the experiment failed before.  Thank you for your time and your participation.”

Jessica nodded.  “Thank you for giving me little Jess.” She grabbed the money and left the laboratory.

Since Jessica had the rest of the day off, she went over to Paige’s apartment to celebrate, when Paige was done working.  They both celebrated little Jessica’s departure from the world and arrival in Jessica’s mind, where she belongs.

After the celebration dinner, Jessica went home to her apartment.

Jessica still missed her younger self.  But after gleaning through all her newly recovered memories, she smiled.  “She’s there,” she said gleefully.

As Jessica got all ready for bed, she started to act all silly.  She pretended to be little Jessica, but only for a moment.

After she realized what she was doing, she shook her head.  “What am I doing?” she gasped.  “I guess I just miss her….”

And that was what Jessica did, every now and then, for it reminded her of that girl and how she cared for her.

Next to her bed, Jessica noticed a small bed sitting there. It was made neatly, with the pillow sitting on top.  “Her bed,” she whispered.

Jessica stared at the small bed for a while.  As she looked at it, she could almost see little Jessica crawling into it and her being tucked in shortly after.  The longer she stared at the bed, the more she missed her younger self.  Finally, the image of the girl faded away.  Missing her greatly, she sighed.

Little Jessica got into bed.  “Good night, mommy….” she said, using her little Jessica voice.  She then reverted back to her older self.  Jessica Smith’s inner child was finally back where she belonged.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Perfect Costume

Edgar went up and down the aisles at the costume shop.  There was not a single costume that he wanted.  There was a Frankenstein, Dracula, mummy, and many other classics.  None of them suited him at all.

If only I could find the perfect costume,  he thought.  It has to be scary, and it has to be fresh….

“Are you almost done, Edgar?” An impatient voice shouted.

Edgar looked up and saw his girlfriend Jodie with her arms folded over.  She was holding her costume, which looked like some kind of imp.  “Do you want me to help you?” she asked him.  “Our costumes need to match, you know.”

Edgar nodded impatiently.  “I know, I know.  Will you let me keep looking?”

Jodie sighed.  “I would, but have been here for an hour!  Let me help you find something and let’s go!”

Jodie fixed her attention on a werewolf costume that was right next to them.  “Why don’t you be that?” she suggested.  “It’s even in your size.”

Edgar sighed.  “I haven’t found anything else, so why not?”

And it was settled.  He bought the costume and they both left.

When he got home, he put his costume on and so did Jodie.  It was then that he found out that they look so good together.  It was the perfect costume, and he was glad that she suggested it.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Inner Child: Part IV

Jessica woke up with an enormous headache.  It was 8:14 a.m.  Fortunately, the girl was not up yet.

“I still can’t remember a single thing about my childhood,” she quietly said.  “Maybe mom can help with this….”

Jessica retrieved her cell phone from the nightstand and called her mother.

“Oh hi, mom?” Jessica said to her.  “I didn’t wake you, did I?  Okay.  Good.  I was just trying to recall some things about my childhood.  Can you remember anything?”

A brief pause, and then laughter on the other end.

“No mom, that’s way too early.  What about when I was four or five?  Oh.  So I….what? How long did I do this?  Really?  Until I was six and a half?  Whoa.  Okay, you can stop now, mom.   Really!  You can stop.”  Jessica then laughed.  “Okay.  That’s all I needed to know.  Thanks.  I love you.  Tell dad I love him too, okay?  Okay.  Kisses to you, too.  Bye.”

Jessica hung up her cell phone in total surprise.  I never realized how much I wet the bed at that age! Thinking about the girl, she couldn’t help but smile.  It’s like she’s trapped in this world now, she thought.  The only place she belongs is back in my head.  In my memories…..

Suddenly, a shout.  “Mommy?”

Jessica sighed.  “Okay.  She’s awake now.”

Jessica entered the spare bedroom to find the girl sitting there, wearing nothing but a Pull-Up and a T-shirt.  “Didn’t she put pajamas on you?”

The girl shook her head.  “No mommy.  She didn’t.”

Jessica sat down on the bed and gave the girl a hug.  “Good morning, Jessica honey….”

The girl gave her a bright smile.  “Good morning, mommy!”  The girl then looked at her Pull-Up.  “I had to go, but it was too late to make it.  The lady who watched me put this on me.  I like my undies better.”

Jessica blushed and gave her a smile.  “Okay honey.  Maybe you should stay in those at night.”

The girl shook her head.  “I don’t like them.”

Jessica nodded.  “But you can wear your undies in the daytime, okay?”

The girl nodded.  “Okay, mommy….”

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Jessica told her.

The girl got to her feet and got down from the bed.  As she did this, Jessica noticed a dark patch where she was sitting.  She then looked around the girl’s legs.  Okay.  Forget about wearing those at night!

“Honey,” Jessica said with urgency.  “Let’s get you to the bathroom right away, okay?”

Jessica took the girl to the bathroom and got her cleaned up.  She then clothed her and did her hair.

Over the course of the day, Jessica really didn’t do much, since she was tired.  She washed the bedding again, cleaned up the apartment and shared all her meals with the younger Jessica.  To keep little Jessica entertained, she let her play with her smart phone, using a kid app that she could play around with.

When little Jessica had to go, the older Jessica ran to the bathroom.  Just as she took off her pants, she made an accident all over the floor.  At this, Jessica screamed.  “Why do I have this kid?!”

After she yelled at her, she remembered what her mother told her over the phone.  She then turned to the girl and hugged her.  “I’m sorry,” she apologized.  “Mommy didn’t mean to yell.”

A little later in the day, the girl was tired, so Jessica put her down for a nap.  After the nap, Jessica made a big mistake.  She realized this when little Jessica exited the guest room, crying “Mommy, I’m all wet!”

Jessica got her in the bathroom again and gave her a shower.

While she was doing this, she sighed.  “How old are you?”

“I’m four years old.  Mommy said I just turned four a few days ago.”

Jessica shot her a double take.  “Are you sure?”

“I know!” the girl shouted.  “Mommy made me a delicious birthday cake.”

“She did? Okay.  I’ll take your word, honey.”

Jessica cleaned her up and dressed her again.

After that, she entered the kitchen and opened up the cupboards.  “That’s right!” she whispered.  “I need to do some shopping.  “Can’t run out of food….”

Jessica took the girl out shopping with her.  She bought all the basic essentials.  A few TV dinners for her and a couple of kid TV dinners for little Jessica.  After getting some additional items, such as butter, milk and apple juice, she exited the store.

As she was exiting, the girl began to have an uncomfortable look on her face.  “Mommy!” she cried.  “I have to go to the bathroom!”

It was too late.  Frustrated, Jessica took the girl back to the apartment and cleaned her again.  This is the last straw.

After cleaning her, Jessica got out the Pull-Ups.  The girl refused to wear them, but Jessica kept insisting.

At this point, Jessica started to cry.  “Honey,” she sobbed.  “You need to do this for me.  For right now, you have to wear them.  Half of your undies are in the dryer.  Until you stop having all these accidents, you are going to wear these during the day and at night.”

After discussing this with the girl, she agreed, but reluctantly.

Jessica returned to the living room to find that the groceries were still not put away.  She put the milk, butter and apple juice away and got out a TV dinner for her and the girl.

After dinner, Jessica put the girl to bed.

Over the course of next week, things got more interesting and hectic for Jessica.  The very next morning, Jessica found another damp mess on the bedding.  Jessica scowled and washed the bedding again.  After getting her and little Jessica ready, she rushed to the daycare and dropped little Jessica off.  She then arrived at work two minutes late.  After work, she picked up the girl and she stopped at the store, buying some diapers for her.

“Those are for babies.” the girl told Jessica.

Jessica nodded.  “I know.  But they’re also for big girls that need help.  These are for at night, okay?”

That did it.  The girl threw herself on the floor, kicking and screaming.  The girl made such a scene that Jessica was almost kicked out of the store.  She quickly rang up the item and left, wearing a thick shade of red on her face.

That night, it was a battle to get the girl to wear the Pampers that she bought.  After Jessica showing her all the clothes and bedding that she had to wash, she reluctantly agreed.

“I’m a baby,” the girl said sadly, as Jessica tucked her in.

Jessica sat down on the bed and gave her a soft kiss on the face.  “No you’re not.  You’re a big girl.  You just have a….problem.”

The girl frowned.  “I know, but I’m still a baby.”

Jessica stared at the girl’s level.  “Look at me,” she told her in a soft voice.  “You are a big girl.  This problem has nothing to do with how old you are.  If it makes you feel any better, mommy will tell you a secret.  Mommy had the same problem that you did when she was your age.”

Jessica’s face reddened.  It felt weird for her to say this, since she is watching her younger self experience this very problem.  Her younger self doesn’t know what Jessica knew.  Jessica knew that she was and is the very girl that she’s looking at.  For Jessica, it was like history repeating itself before her very eyes.  But the history that she saw was a history forgotten.  A history that was only revived by the memories her mother shared.

The girl’s face lit up.  “Mommy had this problem?”

Jessica nodded.  “Shh….Don’t tell anyone.  Yes.  Mommy did.  But you know what?  Mommy grew up, and this problem went away.”

The girl frowned.  “I want it to go away now.”

“I do, too….” Jessica sighed.  “But we need to be patient.  Be patient for mommy, okay?”

The girl nodded.  “Okay.  Good night, mommy….”

Jessica gave her another kiss.  “Good night, Jessica.”

Before closing the door, Jessica looked at the girl one more time.  The more she looked at the girl, the more she knew that this younger self of hers was holding her childhood memories captive. She has them, she thought.  I know it….

Another thing that Jessica knew was that the girl was not aware of any of these memories.  They were deep in the girl’s subconscious, and only she could access them.

For Tuesday and Wednesday, things went smoothly for Jessica.  On Wednesday night, however, Jessica almost thought she lost it.

That night before bed, little Jessica was playing with Jessica’s cell phone, when it suddenly dropped out of her hand.

A smash.  Then a break. Then a ear piercing scream.  Little Jessica broke it.

Jessica was furious.  She wanted to strangle the kid, but she restrained herself.  After venting in the other room, she apologized to the girl and put her to bed early.

The next day after work, Jessica got a new cell phone.   After that, she treated little Jessica to some ice cream.  It was her way of saying that she loved her and that she was sorry.

Finally, Friday night came.  Unlike last week, Jessica had to work on Friday.  After work, she picked up little Jessica from the daycare and took her to the restaurant that she had reserved for the past week.  Paige was there, along with Brad and Steve.  When they saw the girl standing next to her, they were shocked.

When the girl saw the three friends, she hid behind Jessica’s leg.

Jessica looked at her friends.  “She’s just shy.”  She then knelt down to the girl’s level and smiled.  “It’s okay.” she told her.  “They’re my friends.”  She then stood up and faced the men.  “Brad, Steve….I would like you to meet my ‘inner child’ – Jessica.”

Brad and Steve were speechless.   Steve then finally spoke up.  “Wait!” he shouted.  “When did you have that kid?”

Jessica frowned.   “I already told you.  She came out of my head!  Do you think that I can have a kid in a week and then have it age four years?”

Brad smiled.  “She looks just like you.”

Jessica nodded.  “She is.  I am telling you the truth.  I looked just like that when I was four.”

Brad sighed, and then nodded.  “I don’t understand this at all.  A little more than a week ago, you partake in an experiment that was supposed to make you recall all of your childhood memories.  Instead, this child came out of your head, and now, I’m supposed to believe all this?”

Steve shook his head and gave Brad a look of confusion.  “I don’t know what to think, either.”

“I do,” Brad told him.  “I’m just going to go with it.  There are some things that science just can’t explain, or haven’t discovered yet.  If younger versions of ourselves can come out of our heads, fine.  I’ll go with it.”

Jessica grinned and then looked at Paige, who nodded.  She then looked at the guys again.  “I had no choice BUT to believe it.  I mean, what other choice do I have?  I mean, look!  She’s here, and….”

“Mommy!” the girl shouted.  “I’m hungry!”

Jessica nodded, and motioned the waitress to come over and take their order.

While they waited for the food to come, the conversation continued.  It was a very interesting conversation, with little Jessica interrupting frequently.  Finally, the friends started asking the girl questions.  The girl warmed up to them quickly and was no longer shy.  In fact, she loved all the attention.

“Is that your mommy?” Steve asked the girl, pointing to Jessica.

“Yup!” she shouted.

“You know that you’re going to look just like her when you get older,” Brad added with a smile.

The food finally came. There was more conversation and more eating.  Maybe a little too much.  Jessica had to tell the girl to stop talking so that she could finish her dinner.

Finally, the dinner was over.  Jessica got a doggie bag for little Jessica, since she couldn’t finish all of her food.

Before they all left, Steve looked at Jessica and smiled.    “So you brought her after all,” he told her.  “That means that you’re not crazy.  But I think that I am for meeting her….”

“Just go with it,” Brad told him.  Steve nodded in agreement.

After saying their goodbyes, Jessica left with the girl and went back to the apartment.

That Monday, Jessica called the laboratory.  Why didn’t I do this in the first place?  After remaining on the line for a few minutes, an assistant answered.  “Dr. Mayberry just began his sabbatical.  He won’t be back for the next nine months.”

“What?” Jessica screamed.  “Can you do anything to get this kid back inside of me?”

“We can’t.” the assistant told her.  “Only Dr. Mayberry has knowledge on how to do this.  Even if he were to help you, we can’t guarantee that the procedure would work.  As we already told you, this was not supposed to happen.  Because of this, we don’t know how it happened.  And if we don’t know how it happened, then there’s no way we can fix this problem.”

“Try anything!” Jessica screamed hysterically.  “I don’t care! Just get her back!”

“We can’t, until the doctor comes back from his sabbatical.  Until then, you will just have to deal with her.”

Jessica looked at the girl, who was sitting in the distance, smiling.  All Jessica knew was one thing for certain.  This was going to be a very long nine months….

Two weeks passed.  In that time, Jessica started noticing a pattern in the girl’s bathroom habits.  Most of the time, she was not able to make it to the bathroom.  She knew that it wasn’t her fault, and that she was trying.  However, something needed to be done.  In addition to this, Jessica was starting to notice that the Pull-Ups were beginning to leak through the girl’s clothes.  And on days where little Jessica wore a dress, it made a mess all over.

Jessica looked at her waste bins that were filled with used Pull-Ups and sighed.  “She’s going back,” she said.  “I’ll toilet train her later.”

Over the next couple weeks, Jessica gradually put Pampers on little Jessica.  At the end of the two weeks, Jessica threw the last Pull-Up away.

That night, the cell phone rang. Jessica had it on vibrate since she already put her younger self to bed.  It was Paige again.  “Hey Paige,” she said.  “What am I doing? What am I always doing?  Taking care of that kid.  Yeah.  I know.  I can’t have any dates with Brad right now.  Paige!  I already told you!  This kid is taking up more of my time.  How?  Why don’t you babysit her for a few days!  Then you can ask me all you want.”

“The girl is getting expensive, Paige.  Do you have any idea how much diapers cost?  Yeah.  She’s wearing them.  What?  Train her?  I’ve been doing that the whole time!  The girl’s impossible.  I had her in training pants, but we had some problems with those.   She hates wearing them but she makes a mess without them.  What?  Yeah.  Me too, Paige.  I hope it’s a phase.  She’s not doing it on purpose either.”

“The doctor?  He won’t be back for another eight months.  Yeah.  He’s on a sabbatical.  I guess you can take those when you’re really rich.  Yeah, I want her back inside of me!  Get rid of her?  I can’t do that, Paige.  Why?  It’s hard for me to explain, but I feel like she’s a part of me.  If someone else were to care for her, they would be taking a really big part of me away.  What do you mean that doesn’t make sense?  I already told you!  I can’t explain it.  It makes sense to me.   I feel like she’s connected to me.  How?  You don’t understand, so why would you want to know?  Okay.  Fine.  Let’s just say that she has something that’s very important to me.  What is it?  Memories, Paige.  Memories that I so badly want to remember….What?  That’s nice if you can remember being a kid.  I can’t.  Yes, she has my memories.  What? You want to know why?  I can’t explain it to you.  It’s really hard to explain.  All I know is that whenever I’m around her, I feel them.”

“Yes.  I know, Paige.  Eight months is going to be a long time, but we’re still going to hang out.  Yes.  All of us.  You, me, Brad and Steve.  Yes.  And little Jessica too, sometimes.  Huh?  Little Jess?  That’s cute.  Anyway, it’s getting late.  We’ll try to do something this weekend, okay?  Yeah.  I’ll talk to you tomorrow.  I work early.  See ya, Paige.  Bye.”

Jessica hung up the cell phone and quickly brushed her teeth. She didn’t bother with the floss or the mouthwash, since she was so tired. She got her pajamas on, drank her glass of milk, and plopped herself into bed.  It wasn’t long before she fell asleep.

With one month already behind her, Jessica still had eight more months to go….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Inner Child: Part III

Jessica pinched herself again.  This wasn’t working.  She didn’t wake up.  What she saw was the harsh reality.  A girl standing there in pink and white PJ’s with a dark patch running down her legs.

“Why are you here?” Jessica cried.  “Why can’t I wake up?”   Jessica, in her frustration, forcefully took off the girl’s wet PJ’s.  “Okay,” she fumed.  “What is your name?”

The girl was terrified.  “Jessica….” she said in a slow and forlorn voice.

Jessica was beyond belief.  “Same name as me, huh?” Jessica just sat there, trying to make sense of all this.  I guess that really is me…. she thought. She took another look at her younger self, who was sitting there in damp underwear.  Or was… Jessica guided the young Jessica into the bathroom.  “Wait here.” she told her.  “I’m going to wash your pajamas.”

The girl nodded.  “Okay mommy….”

As Jessica was taking her clothes to get washed, she tried to remember her childhood.  She couldn’t. Not a single thing.  “That’s strange,” she said.  “The earliest I can remember is eighth grade….”

Jessica put the pajamas in the washer.  Thinking about it again and again, she just couldn’t recall anything from her childhood.  “Why can’t I remember?” she said in frustration.

As she was walking back to her apartment, she thought of her younger self.  Could all of these childhood memories be stored inside of her?  “No,” Jessica said in disbelief.  She then felt a sinking feeling inside of her.  “That girl has all of my childhood, and she doesn’t know it.  I know she does.  I can’t remember a thing….”

Jessica wiped a couple tears off her eye and entered the apartment.  She gave the girl a shower and then wrapped her in a towel.  Fortunately, the pajamas that she bought were two in a set.  With that, she had the girl put the pajamas back on.

“No more accidents,” she told the girl.

Her inner child nodded.  “It was an accident, mommy.  I’m sorry.  I’ll try to make it next time.”

Jessica kissed the girl goodnight and tucked her in her bed, since the bedding in the guest room still needed to be washed.  Jessica got in beside her and fell asleep.

The next morning, Paige came over.  In seeing the girl, she was shocked.

“I guess you weren’t joking.” she said, giving Jessica a shocked look.  “How did this happen?”

“I’m still trying to figure it out,” Jessica told her.

After Paige stayed a little while, she left.

For the rest of the week, Jessica had to take care of her younger self.  On the first day, she took the girl to work.  This didn’t go well, since she wasn’t able to get that much work done.  On the next few days, she dropped her off at a daycare, which was on one of the lower floors in the same building where she worked.  Once again, she had Friday off.  Her day with Paige would be an all day thing, with the double date taking place at night.  Prior to Friday, she arranged for a babysitter to watch the girl.  Every day after work, she bought some clothes and toys for little Jessica.

That Friday morning, the babysitter came.  It was a woman who was a little younger than Jessica.

When the sitter saw the girl, she smiled.  “Aw, is this your daughter?” she asked.

Jessica nodded.  “Yup.  I need some time away from her.” Keep it simple, she thought.  She doesn’t need to know about the whole experiment….

Just before Jessica left, she looked at the girl and then at the babysitter.  “She’s yours all day.  I’ll be back late tonight.  Maybe even tomorrow morning.”

Before the sitter could say another else, Jessica bolted out the door.

With that, the day of fun began.  Jessica went shopping with Paige and they got their nails done.  After having lunch at a pizzeria, they walked to Paige’s apartment.

Once they got there, Paige showed Jessica the latest issue of her fashion magazine and shared with Jessica all the gossip that she heard from her friends.

Jessica nodded.  “I know.  Some of this I already know from facebook.”

Suddenly, Jessica’s cell phone rang.  It was the sitter.

“What is it?” Jessica asked.  “She peed the bed?  Just change the sheets!  You don’t need to call me about this.  The extra linens are in the closet.  Use those for now.  Yes.  Have her take a nap when she’s tired.  Oh, she’s done with hers now? Okay.  Just have her play with those toys that I got her.  I gotta go now.  Bye.”

The day continued.  Jessica and Paige left the apartment and did a little more shopping.  After that, it was about time for the double date.  Brad and Steve was at the restaurant that Jessica and Paige made reservations for.  The time was 6:42 p.m.

After the dinner, the four went to a nightclub that played techno music.

At 10:53, Jessica got another call on her cell phone.  It was the sitter again.  Being all jittery from the energy drinks, she didn’t mind answering.

“What now?” Jessica asked.  “She peed the bed again?  What? You’re asking me what you should do now?  I don’t know!  Just get her Pull-Ups!  I’ll be there in the morning.  Bye.”‘

“Who was that?” Brad asked her.

“That was the sitter,” Jessica said, giving a nervous smile.

Brad then gave her a strange look.  “What?  Sitter?  Since when did you have a kid?”

Jessica looked at Brad defensively.  “I did not have a kid!  She’s watching my younger self that came out of me!”

“Younger self?” Brad chuckled.  “I think you’re a little crazy, Jess.  Stop drinking those energy drinks.”

Jessica placed her hands on Brad.  “I am not crazy.  Now I know that this is going to sound weird, but this is what happened.  I signed up for an experiment.  When I participated, I was told that this experiment was supposed to make me remember every single detail of my childhood.  I mean, we all can recall our childhood, but not very well, right?”

Brad, Paige and Steve all nodded.

“Well,” Jessica continued.  “When they did the experiment, I felt this jolt go through my body.  Before I know it, I was knocked out.  When I woke up, I saw this little girl staring at me, calling me ‘mommy’.”

“Little girl?” Steve said, interrupting her.  “Let me guess.  She’s your ‘inner child’.”

At that, Steve and Brad started to laugh.  Brad gave Steve a high five.

“Ha ha ha!” Brad laughed.  “Inner child! That’s a good one!”

Jessica then threw her hands up.  “It’s not funny!” she shouted.  “What you’re saying is absolutely true.  Steve is right.  This girl is driving me crazy.  She won’t leave me alone and she THINKS that I’m her mother.  I haven’t been able to sleep well since I had her.  Herein lies the problem.  I don’t know how to get her back inside of me.”

Steve gave Jessica a weird look.  “I have an idea,” he told her.  “See a shrink.”

“You guys,” She said, still agitated.  “I’m not crazy.  You haven’t seen her yet.  Paige has seen her.  Haven’t you?”

Paige nodded.  “She’s not making this up.”

Steve cracked a smile.  “So, she’s in on it, too?”

Jessica had a crazed smile.  “Okay,” she told them.  “How about this? Next week, let’s have a dinner date at the same restaurant.  I’ll bring the girl this time.  If I don’t bring her, THEN you can call me crazy.  Now let’s continue dancing.”

Everyone nodded.  “She better be there,” Steve told Jessica.  “That’s all I’m saying.  Now let’s get this party on!”

Jessica continued partying with the group.  They danced late into the night.

At around 4:33 a.m., Jessica stumbled into the door of Riverside Apartments.  She was extremely tired from all the energy drinks that she had.

Upon entering her apartment, it was a mess.  Cans of pop were scattered on the floor.  A couple of finished TV dinners sat there, with the silverware lying on top of the peeled back plastic.  The boxes were laying on the floor.  Next to one of the boxes was an opened up pack of Pull-Ups.  The babysitter was passed out on the couch, lying on her side.

Jessica woke the babysitter up.  “Hey,” she whispered.  “Here’s $50 for watching her.  Thank you very much.  Now please go back to your place.”

The babysitter stood up.  “Okay….” she said with a yawn.  “She wasn’t too much trouble, besides the times that I called you.”

Jessica nodded impatiently.  “Okay.  Go.  I’m tired and I want to sleep before she wakes up.”

The babysitter, holding the pay in her hands, left the apartment.

Jessica looked around at the mess and sighed.  “I’ll take care of it in the morning.

Too tired to change into her pajamas, Jessica crawled into her bed and immediately fell asleep.

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©2012  K. L. Walker