U F O

He didn't like being called Elvis, but that's what his mother had insisted upon naming him, long before he was conscious of anything and his father was such a jerk he just went along with the whole idea and then disappeared from the scene.

Having been abducted by aliens hadn't helped matters, either.

Not that the abduction was totally bad, since the nanoprobes implanted in his body during the alien's exploratory surgery had actually cured his asthma. The proof was right there in his mother's bathroom medicine cabinet: year-old prescription bottles full of unused pills. Additionally, the aliens had given him a new pair of Nikes, and a nice watch in compensation for harvesting a few of Elvis' organs. At least, that what Elvis's mother chose to believe. It also helped explain why he had lost sight in one eye, at the hand of evil aliens, instead of his mother's abusive boyfriend. Fortunately, the authorities were unable to see the truth about UFOs, and had arrested the boyfriend and thrown him into prison.

Elvis got to keep the shoes and watch.

.

The Time Machine

Jeremy had perfected his time machine in his parent's basement without them knowing. It was a good thing that his father hadn't found the contraption, he likely would have destroyed it. But fortunately for Jeremy, (but not for his mother), Jeremy's father was content to watch television in a drunken stupor until the sun came up. Perhaps that's why Jeremy had worked so hard on the machine, because he remembered his father as something better, back when he was just ten and they rode bicycles through the park. He remembered his mother as happy and vibrant, not defeated and sad. It was Jeremy's intent to activate the machine, and transport them all back to the moment before his little sister disappeared that day in June while they were swimming in the river. How ironic it was that she hadn't drowned, but was abducted in the parking lot, never to be seen again. Now, with his time machine, Jeremy could make everything all right. Tonight, he would secretly wire the last connection, throw the switch, and turn back the terrible flow of molecular movement that had resulted in their current state of being. Who could have known that having her go back to the car for the picnic basket would result in her disappearance? How could his father have known that it should have been he, instead of his daughter, and then everything would have been alright. If only he had not insisted that she go. And so, ever since, they had all fallen apart. Dad into his drunkenness. Mom into her sadness. Thankfully, Jeremy had the fortitude to hold it all together and build a time machine. Now, it would all be all right.

Tonight.

.

.

i really have nothing

to say

.

he

said

.

`

dream up another great big day

when sun filters through the clouds

and a breeze touches your skin

and the world feels so

wonderful

so utterly

wonderful

`