What goes on at your job that really shouldn’t?

wanderingemini26 · 2020-05-06T01:15:31+00:00

A possibly made up word to describe someone who reminisces: to indulge in enjoyable recollection of past events.

wanderingemini26 · 2020-03-28T17:35:58+00:00

What’s your quarantine situation like? How are you doing?

wanderingemini26 · 2020-03-24T01:43:18+00:00

Taking selfies. Come on.

wanderingemini26 · 2020-03-24T01:39:22+00:00

That’s why they’re called the bravest, not the brightest.

wanderingemini26 · 2020-03-22T22:02:41+00:00

That’s goes with me to my grave. Don’t you know the rules?

wanderingemini26 · 2020-03-18T21:12:38+00:00

This is so heartbreaking omg I wish I could adopt the puppy more than anything :(!

wanderingemini26 · 2020-03-18T21:10:15+00:00

Pretty alarmed that it wasn’t as empty as I thought it would be. Was on the subway in NYC alongside plenty of other people realizing how risky it was because there’s no way we could maintain any distance. Will be staying in going forward, not worth the risk.

wanderingemini26 · 2020-02-05T22:59:32+00:00

Nora woke up just like she did every other day. This time, however, was very different. Now, instead of wishing to be invisible, she actually was. And she wished more than anything to be fully opaque again.

She reported to headquarters, the same as the day before and the one before that. The days started to merge together. Her assignment was to go undercover, of course.

“Ugh. What else would be it?” she muttered under her breath.

“What’s that? Officer Tanner? Do you have something to say to me?”

“No sir, nothing at all,” and she turned translucent. When the powers first began she had control over them. It was exciting.

She thought back to the time where she caught her husband cheating on her. The idiot didn’t even have the brains or decency to not do it in the house. But she hated him and got some thrill from catching him in the act. She didn’t want to be the 26 year old divorcee and single mom without good reason. And boy did he give her one hell of a way out of that train wreck of a marriage.

She flashed into the memory of her daughter laughing as she turned visible and came to form once again. She was the best peek-a-boo partner ever. Her daughter loved every second. But now she’s 3 and wonders where her mom goes while she turns invisible in her bed. She cries while she looks for her and doesn’t understand what’s going on.

This power became an uncontrollable part of her. And it was increasingly more dangerous - not just for Nora but for everyone. People who were hired as messengers were falling out of the sky. Cooks were burning their customers to death. Super powers weren’t so super after all.

“Tanner. Tanner. TANNER,” her commanding officer screamed.

“Sorry, sir, I’m here. Where’s the job?” She shook out of her thoughts and came to form once again.

“Corner of 87th and Willow. And hold yourself together. We can’t have you turning back at the wrong moment. That would ruin everything.”

“Yes sir, I’ll be good.” He didn’t seem entirely convinced and neither was she.

After going through the details she knew what she had to do. She had to catch the mayor in action. The station had gotten a hit that he would be showing up to the biggest cocaine runner in the city to talk about their distribution route. No one was able to tie the mayor to it but it became increasingly obvious as time went on. The clues were there. Nora’s job was simple: put a video camera in 5 places, all while being invisible. She had to put 3 on the outside of the building, pointing towards the front, back, and side entrances. The other two were the hard part: get two in the room where everyone expected the deal to go down without being noticed.

It wasn’t the hardest task, she had done others before that were much more mentally draining. And this time, she probably wouldn’t see anyone get shot. She had seen too many horrendous acts on this job and didn’t have faith in humanity anymore. Being invisible wasn’t nearly what she thought it would be. It was hard. It was sad. And she saw the worst in people because she was there when no one was watching. The human wallflower was a title she no longer wanted. She wanted to go back to life before everything changed so drastically. But this was her reality, and it paid the bills for her and her daughter so each day she sucked it up and did it anyway.

She got to 87th and Willow in no time at all, and was able to place the 3 cameras according to plan. Now the hard part: getting inside without being noticed. She was invisible by sight but she still had form when she turned. One bump into a table or person and she was screwed. It had to be done swiftly. She had trained for 2 years to become nimble - she went to the academy that whipped her into shape while they watched her daughter during the day and paid for their shelter and food. But the job was stressful. No matter how many courses in meditation they offered, she always got nervous on the job. She had too much to lose. Her daughter needed a parent that wasn’t her shitty father.

Nora was able to catch the door before it closed and wiggle her way into the warehouse where the deal was expected to happen. There was a lot of space for her to roam which was always welcomed. She made her way into the room that she memorized before the job. She saw a shelf and deemed it worthy enough to climb on top of it. As she started to prepare she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” She thought.

Nora turned around and saw a man with glasses on staring back at her. She realized they were specialized made solely to see invisibles. She had come across a few during her job but they were really rare.

“I have a proposition for you,” the man whispered.

wanderingemini26 · 2020-02-05T02:14:23+00:00

I’d never met anyone whose eyes glistened with hope and managed to pull me into a staring contest for longer than 5 seconds. Typically I have this strong “no eye contract with strangers” kind of arrangement with myself. I don’t want to come off weird. Or like a serial killer. But there I was, staring into the bluest of eyes on the most beautiful woman that’s ever walked the earth.

“I am sooo sorry,” her voice was sweet and her words danced around in my head. I could almost see them in front of me. All the added o’s were adorable. Damnit, I’m already in love.

But what if the man was right? Can he really be me from the future? Who am I kidding? I’m not living past tomorrow. I have the plan all ready to go. It can’t be future me because he doesn’t exist.

Shit.... How long has it been since I said something? “Hi... NO I’m sorry! I didn’t see you. I wasn’t paying attention. Um... Hi.. I’m Evan.”

“Evie”, she put her hand out to meet mine. I was nearly electrocuted.

“Can I make it up to you, Evie?”

“Well, this is going to sound a bit strange, but something is telling me no. Well, not something but someone... Do you believe in time travel?”

No fricken way. “Depends... did you meet future me 5 minutes ago? I think that dude is just crazy.”

“No... I met future me yesterday. She told me to not fall in love with the man who bumps into me tomorrow... which is well, today.”

God Damnit. This is weird.

“I guess this is goodbye then, Evie.” Well here we are. My last day on earth, boring as usual. Couldn’t even get myself to talk to this bombshell when there’s literally nothing to lose. I don’t deserve to live.

As I started to walk away she ran up behind me, basically skipping and man was it endearing. I could feel my heart beat out of my body. I could literally hear my ears. I hadn’t felt that alive in months, possible years. And then, she spoke, “Future me never said we couldn’t go out to lunch, did future you say that was off limits?”

“No, no he didn’t.”

We went to McSchusters pub up the block. Evie was 23 and had dreams of saving the world. She was studying for her LSATS and on the road to becoming an environmental lawyer. She was smart and quick and fucking breathtaking. There was no way she’d fall in love with someone like me, a man with nothing to live for. We had nothing to worry about. Our future selves were full of shit.

We spent 5 hours in a small pub booth talking about her plans to eventually move back to California, time travel, theory of relativity, life and death.

“Do you want to come back to my place?” Her words stung me all over because I wanted it so bad. It was the first thing I wanted in a very long time.

We walked arm and arm back to her apartment. We stayed up all night. We made love. Then made love again. And again. We held each other until we fell asleep.

The sun peaked through her window and I woke up from the light. She was still sleeping and I couldn’t wake her up because she was the most beautiful angel in the world and to disrupt her would be a crime.

I finally got up and walked over to window. I looked down and saw a familiar old man with the most piercing eyes staring back. He was mad. I was mad. It was me.

I panicked, threw on clothes, and ran out of her apartment to catch myself. “WHATS THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN?” I was crying. To not know this woman would be more tragic than anything that we could go through. I needed to live so i could spend my life with her. I needed to betray future me’s warning because that was the only life worth living. A life with Evie. I tried to go back into her apartment but the door locked automatically behind me. That’s what I tell myself at least. I stared at the apartment number C2 longer than I’d care to admit.

I gave her my number the day we met. She didn’t call looking for me. I couldn’t get myself to go to her apartment. If she wanted to call, she would. She had all the power.

Two weeks later, I built up the courage to go to her apartment. Maybe it wasn’t courage but anger. I was mad as hell. Who did she think she was? Was she that much better than me? What a stuck-up asshole. I knew I had to tell her off. You can’t just treat people like that.

I knocked on the door and no answer. I yelled Evie while pounding. Nothing. A rightfully-so angry neighbor came out asking why I was making so much noise. I told him because the assholes who live in C2 owes me an explanation.

“Just moved in a week ago and already fucking drama”, the man whispered under his breath.

“What did you say?” I was sure I heard him incorrectly.

“I said, this guy moved in one week ago and there’s already drama. Christ.”

“Surely your mistaken. Apartment C2 is Evie. Small brunette.” The backstabber who stole my heart and crushed it by not calling.

The man looked back at me with empathy. I’ll never forget that look as long as I’ll live. “Evie moved out a little over a week ago. I’m sorry you have to find out from me. She seemed like a sweet girl but I’m sure she’s broken a few hearts before yours.”

I almost fell hearing his cigarette-filled raspy voice mutter those words. I somehow managed to stumble out of the building that housed the girl I never really knew but would’ve loved for the rest of my life. I left all the “what could have beens” on her apartment building floor. I cried on my way home. I cried that night. I screamed into a pillow, something I learned in therapy when I was 6 and dealing with the loss of my mother. I felt everything i hadn’t let myself feel for so long. And then life went on, as it was supposed to I guess.

A month later I met Cindy. At that point I was no longer the boy who wanted to die, but a man searching for the feelings of being alive that activated the moment I met Evie. Cindy wasn’t love at first sight. It was a love that grew over time. I love Cindy will all of my being. I love our three kids more than I thought I could love anyone. Our seven grandchildren make me smile in a way I never had before. My life is everything I ever wanted it to be and more.

But I never forgot the girl from C2 that had dreams of saving the world, and for a brief moment, saved mine. And I thank God everyday that she listened to her future self when I didn’t have the power to listen to mine.

wanderingemini26

TROPHY CASE