The blinding flash of white light startled me. I stood frozen, waiting for my senses to return. I didn’t know what had happened, and yet - I did. I knew I wasn’t in Greece anymore. I knew it was 1963, after that Jesus guy. I knew I was in Illinois, in a country I had never heard of, a place that had only been wilderness until 100 years ago, and I was speaking some language I had never heard before - English. Everything had changed in the blink of an eye. But I wasn’t lost or confused. I knew what needed doing, and right now I needed to be delivering a plate of food. “You alright, Helen?” “Yes, I’m fine. Just felt queasy for a moment.” Zeus had somehow changed reality and I wasn’t a stranger. “Well get that BLT to Doc Jones, then,” Jack winked and grinned. “Of course, Jack.” I felt as if I was under water in my head, but my body knew what to do, as if it had done it a million times before. I finished my shift at the diner in a mental fog. The past and present collided in my head and I s...
As far as Chamber of Commerce meetings go, today's was no different. She half-listened to the speaker as she set out the trays of food. Kyle set out the disposable dishes and organized the drinks from the venue's kitchen. They didn't talk much - didn't have to, since this was not their first time around. Kyle had only been working with her for six months, but he was bright and ambitious. Her parents had recommended him for the job when they heard he was in the culinary program at the local tech school. They had watched him grow up in their neighborhood and seen him mature as he exercised his entrepreneurial muscles cutting grass for the neighborhood seniors. He always showed up on time, and never changed his prices, which were low for the fixed-income retirees. Jess fell into a zone as she moved. The guests began to file into the serving line and the volume in the room became deafening with the din of general conversation. She scooped, served, and smiled in her usua...