Chapter 9 – Journey’s End?
Remember earlier in the story we asked the question: If you were a salad and realized you were whisked off to another universe due to the strange happenstance of events, and realized you could take this time off before being consumed, would you: (a.) Get drenched in olive oil and sit out basking in the sunlight of an unknown star on an unknown planet, realizing your leaves aren’t wilting, relax, and drop a few points on your blood pressure; (b.) Pop off to another universe since you seem to now have a knack of appearing and disappearing in and out of different planes of existence; (c.) Head over to the nearest Sizzler’s and go for the salad bar to visit some old friends who are probably just hanging around, since too many people don’t really want salad?
Well, the first two questions were answered during the course of events. The salad now decided to head over and catch up with some of the other appetizers it met while relaxing. What the salad didn’t realize was, popping in to say “hi” to some new friends it met while taking its extended vacation at a Sizzler’s salad bar on a parallel earth, it actually displaced a salad with the same exact ingredients: spinach leaves, a little red onion, sweet cherry tomatoes, some sliced mushrooms, a little boiled eggs, crumbled cheese and topped with some honey Dijon mustard dressing. In doing so, the displaced salad from the alternate universe’s Sizzler’s now appeared back at the cottage of Carl’s friend’s house. Of course, when Carl’s friend finally returned home to find the salad, he wouldn’t have known the difference, because he would have just thought, Hey, my salad is back. Now for Carl’s friend’s original salad, it displaced a salad that was just made by one of the customers and ready to be consumed. And because the new salad weighed exactly five point five ounces, the equal weight being displaced, the new salad could pop out of the existing universe, if it wanted to, but decided to relax in the cottage, bad news for our original salad stuck at the Sizzler’s.
—— ♦ ——
Carl’s friend, feeling his phone vibrating in his pocket, realized throughout all of his trips he never once recharged the battery, and, pulling it out of his pocket and looking at the battery charge icon, it displayed full. Glancing at the number calling in, he recognized the unique symbols and gave the phone to his guide.
“Hello.” After a short pause, Carl’s friend’s guide presented Carl’s friend the widest grin he had witnessed during their entire journey. “That’s great news, thanks love. And stop crying, there’ll be other salads.” With that he ended the call.
“What’s going on?” Carl’s friend asked with anticipation in his voice.
“Our hostess friend said a news alert went out from the ministry cancelling the warrant for both of us, pending approval to validate the official submission of paperwork regarding your salad’s dissolution by means of consumption.”
“What’re you trying to say?”
“Someone ate your salad.”
—— ♦ ——
Both men walked out of the shower after pulling the checkered black and white shower curtain back. Carl’s friend was relieved to have returned home.
“Well thanks for getting me back,” Carl’s friend said, shaking his guide’s hand.
“Not a problem. Sorry about your salad though. Staying too long at that Sizzler’s turned out to be quite tragic.”
“I can always make another one. Sucks that someone else ate it, though,” Carl’s friend droned on stepping out of the shower. “By the way, never did catch your name.”
The guide smiled. “Didn’t mean to be rude. Sorry ‘bout that, my name is…” And before the guide could finish, his watch beeped, the guide reading the small screen and clicking one of the buttons on the side to silence it. “Transport’s here, gotta go. Looks like I have to guide a German shepherd back to its earth, and I’m already late.” He then quickly pulled the shower curtain closed and disappeared.
Carl’s friend drew the black and white shower curtain back open to make sure his guide had disappeared and stepped out of the bathroom into the spare room realizing some of the furnishings or mismatched accruements didn’t quite look the same as when he left. Stepping into the remote studio, the gear looking more familiar, nothing looked missing, but still seemingly out of place. He noticed, sitting in chairs opposite from one another with headphones on, “On Air” illuminating the wall, the two men whom Carl’s friend earlier saw arguing about the states of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were talking into the microphones.
“What are you two doing in my studio?” Carl’s friend queried, puzzled by the visitors.
“Your studio?” the older of the two responded, hitting his mute button apparently surprised by the visitor. “This is our studio, and we’re in the middle of a broadcast talking about our recent trip looking for our hat.”
“No, this is my studio, my cottage and I was looking for my salad.”
Both men looked at each other with amazement. “You’re that man we met from that dreadful blue earth aren’t you?” the older of the two asked.
“You didn’t happen to find a wallet, did you?” the other asked.
“Damn it!” Carl’s friend yelled out. “He dropped me off at the wrong earth!”
* * * * * *
Discover Other Works by Jerry Rogers
Novellas/Novels
Legend of the Salad Traveler
The Fallen and the Elect
North of Elysium
Short Stories
Rebel Marriage
Light in the Eyes of Father
https://jjkr-writings.info/completed-writings/
About the Author
Jerry Rogers has always enjoyed writing, starting with writing short stories over the years. He took the next step and wrote a humorous novella called “The Legend of the Salad Traveler.” He later began working on his first novel, the Fallen and the Elect in 2011 after developing the concept for months of building notes, research, and jotting down ideas into developing a full story outline and plot.
Born in Florida, being raised in Chicago, Jerry joined the Air Force serving 9 ½ years active duty and 23 years in the Air National Guard, travelling across the United States and serving both in Europe and Asia.
Jerry graduated from California Baptist University, and is an active member of a small local church in Orange County, CA where he periodically teaches. He thoroughly enjoys researching biblical history and studying Apologetics.
Jerry currently lives in Grand Terrace, CA with plans in the near future to move to Kansas City and spend more time with the best brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephews anyone could imagine.
Connect with Me:
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjkrogers
View my blog: https://www.jjkr-writings.info/news-and-info-blog
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends