The Gem – Part 8 – A Short Story

A fictional short story series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

Startled and trembling, Whynn awoke in a terrible fright. Out of the corner of her sight, she thought she saw her mother in her bedroom. However, it was a dream. In her dream, which was so real down to the aroma of oil of Aragon, her mother repeated two sentences; but Whynn could only make out the words to the second sentence, “Do not trust Dr. D’jet.”

Whynn sat up in bed in a cold sweat. Meg was at her bedside with a look of deep concern. Suddenly, the aroma of Wynn’s favorite soup drifted around the room― French Canadian pea soup with hotdogs.

A bowl of the soup, her childhood favorite, was on her nightstand.

“Are you okay? I was going to give you another fifteen minutes, if you did not wake up, I was calling 911.”

“I had the strangest dream. My mother was warning me about… Oh never mind, it’s just my mind playing tricks, perhaps,” said Whynn. Cupping the warm bowl in her hands, she tasted the soup, and smiled gratefully.

“This tastes just like my mother would make it! Thank you.”

“You did not have much in your pantry. There were several cans of that soup and some hot dogs in your refrigerator. So I just whipped up something warm for you.”

“Thank you very much, that hit the spot, in many ways, Meg. Or should I say, aunt Meg?”

“So you believe me?’ asked Meg.

“What you told me makes sense. I don’t understand one thing, however. Where is the actual physical gem, right now?”

“You have it Whynn. I went back in the recent past to a week ago when you held on to the gem, remember? (Part 2) It is hidden in an altered version of your past where, when you dropped the gem on the grocery floor, I picked it up and gave it back to you.

“So the gem can alter time?”

“It can create different versions of it, yes. As its protectors, we use that feature to hide the gem in the past. Unfortunately, the gem can do the same thing to the future. But as you can well imagine, it is too dangerous for all living, to force the gem to tamper with the future, which is what King Fahamuiti wanted to do during his reign, and what his descendants still want to do today.”

Meg continued. “By the way…in your dream, what did your mother, my sister say?”

“I’d rather not talk about it, Meg. I have been missing her so much lately. I guess in my mind I wanted to see her.”

“Okay, Whynn. I am sorry, I won’t press the issue. Perhaps get some more rest, if you can. I’ll go to the store for some groceries for you.”

Whynn still exhausted, fell asleep soon after Meg left.

Her mother appeared in her dream once again. This time Whynn heard both sentences her mother repeated. Her words were: “He is King Fahamuiti. Do not trust Dr. D’jet!”

**To be continued next week**