Gone

Jason and Emma, seeking a break from the monotony of their modern lives, embarked on a journey to the picturesque rolling green hills and crisp autumn air of rural Michigan. They discover a house that changes their lives forever.

Transcript

In the quiet hours, when the world settles into stillness, every dreamer needs a guide. Embark on a journey of imagination in worlds filled with adventure, mystery, science, and perhaps even the impossible. As I hold the Dreamer’s Compass, I will be your navigator to exciting destinations, limited only by the far reaches of human creativity, ingenuity, and imagination.

So find your comfortable place, close your eyes if you wish, and let’s begin.

Jason and Emma, seeking a break from the monotony of their modern lives, embarked on a journey to the picturesque rolling green hills and crisp autumn air of rural Michigan. With the windows rolled down and the radio playing a classic rock station. As they rounded a narrow, two-lane county road, Emma suddenly gasped. “Jason, stop! Did you see that?” Jason braked, the car spitting gravel. “See what? Another dairy farm?” “No! The house, back there. It was almost hidden.” Intrigued, Jason slowly backed the car up. Sure enough, nestled deep within a thicket of overgrown lilac bushes and towering maple trees, stood a house unlike anything they had ever seen. It was old, undeniably so. Its paint peeled in captivating patterns, revealing layers of faded hues beneath. A wraparound porch sagged in places, hinting at grand parties and quiet afternoons that had passed by.

“Wow” Jason breathed, pulling the car to the side of the road. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like something out of a movie.”

"It's...romantic" Emma whispered already opening her door. "We should say hello. Maybe they need help clearing the brush."

Jason hesitated. They lived nowhere near this place. They were just passing through. But the house had an undeniable allure, a magnetic pull he couldn't ignore. "I guess it's the neighborly thing to do" he conceded, joining Emma.

As they approached the house, a sense of stillness settled over them. The air was thick and silent, broken only by the rustling of leaves and sounds of a distant wind. They carefully made their way through the overgrown yard, pushing aside thorny branches and stepping over gnarled roots. “Look at this” Jason said, “It looks like an old car…can’t tell what the model is though…just too rusted out”.

When they got to the house, Jason tried the heavy front door, which was adorned with a tarnished brass knocker shaped like a heart. Finding it locked, they circled the house, trying every door and window they could find. Each was secured, a testament to the house's past or perhaps its current state of abandonment.

Emma began taking pictures. Close-ups of the intricate carvings on the window frames, wide shots of the dilapidated porch, and panoramic views of the house swallowed by the vibrant autumn foliage.

“I hope they don’t mind us taking pictures” Emma said to herself, as she framed a shot of a stained-glass window depicting scenes of a harvest and farm life.

“I doubt they’ll mind if they’re not even here” Jason replied, his voice echoing slightly in the stillness. He ran a hand over the peeling paint, imagining the stories the house held within its walls. After 30 minutes or so of exploring, they concluded that no one was home. A sense of disappointment settled over them, mixed with a lingering curiosity. Emma pondered “I wonder what it was like to live here when it was new”.

They turned to head back to the car, eager to share their discovery with their friends.

But when they reached the spot where they had parked, their blood ran cold. The car was gone.

The space where their car had sat was empty, save for a scattering of fallen leaves and a few discarded twigs. There were no tire tracks, no signs of a struggle, nothing to indicate that it had ever been there at all.

“This, this isn't funny Jason" Emma said, her voice trembling. "Where's the car?” Jason replied ”I don't know - I swear I parked it right here”

Panic began to creep in, a cold and insidious feeling that settled in their stomachs. They were miles from anywhere, with no cell service, no road, and no car. Only a deepening sense of unease remained. The beautiful, enchanting house now seemed to loom over them, its silent walls mocking their predicament. “Okay, okay, let’s not panic” Jason said, trying to sound calm but his voice betrayed him. “Maybe someone moved it? Maybe it rolled down the road?” Emma replied “Road! - what road?” They frantically searched both directions, but the car was nowhere to be found. As the sun dipped below the tree line, casting long, menacing shadows, they realized they were truly alone. With no choice, they huddled together in a corner of the porch. Perhaps the owner would return and provide answers and the whereabouts of their car. As darkness surrounded them, they fell asleep.

As the morning sun hit Jason’s eyes, he realized he was no longer on the porch. He found himself on a pile of hay covered with a scratchy wool blanket. A strange, gruff voice bellowed “Come on, boy, we have work to do and times a-wasting - there’s a biscuit and coffee waiting for ya in the kitchen”.

Jason sat up, saying “I don’t know who you are and frankly don’t care - now kindly tell me where my car is and” - at that moment he realized Emma was not at his side. “Where is Emma?” “Boy - don’t you get uppity with me and you know damned good and well who I am. Who’s Emma and what’s a car? Now get your ass up, we’re going into town to fetch some supplies”. “What in tarnation has gotten into you?”.

Jason realized this guy was serious and didn’t understand any of it, but riding into town sounded like a good idea that may provide some answers. “OK sir” Jason said sheepishly, “sorry…I had a terrible night…but I’m seeing clearly now”. In a somewhat fatherly tone, the man said “Well, now, that’s more like it - come on boy”. The man, walking away mumbled “Have mercy!…he’s just like his mother”.

The ride into town was even a bigger mystery. No cars, trucks, gravel, or paved roads. Just dirt trails, horses, and wagons. He couldn’t help but wonder “Did Emma and I get kidnapped by the Amish?”

As Jason grew more and more frustrated about the situation, he decided to ask the obvious questions. “Sir, where are we, and what year is it?”. “Damn boy, you did have a rough one - Michigan, of course and it’s the year of our Lord, 18 and 25”. Jason just stared at him for a moment, speechless, then turned away.  His mission now was very clear. Find his Emma and get the hell out of this place.

The town was something out of an old Western. Wooden sidewalks, horse troughs, hitching posts, and of course, a General Mercantile. They pulled the wagon up to the store and jumped out “Boy, go on in and hand this list to Pete”. Jason took the list, turned, and walked up the steps. As he opened the door, he stopped, looking around and noticing a girl stocking shelves behind the counter. “I’ll be with you in a moment - I just need to put away these…these…Jason!”. She ran to him and almost knocked him down. “Emma you’re here!” Emma began to sob “What has happened to us?” Jason replied “I woke up in a barn sleeping on a pile of hay”. Emma recalled “I found myself sleeping in the back of this store - I didn’t know where I was or how I got here. I still don’t, but the owners of this store, Pete and Clare, have actually been quite nice to me - almost like a daughter - Jason I’m so confused, I just want to go home”.

He pulled Emma closer “It was that damned house - some sort of - now I know this sounds crazy but, did we enter a wormhole of time? The guy I rode into town with told me it’s 1825! - and from what I’ve seen so far, I’m starting to believe him”.  Just then the owner, Pete, came out. “Jack, haven’t seen ya in a while, how are you and the misses?” Jason thought to himself (OK, now I know his name). Jack replied “Fair to middling, you know how it is”. They spent some time gathering supplies and talking about some fall celebration. When the wagon was loaded and the men were discussing terms, Jason and Emma, holding hands, slowly walked away. At a distance they stopped and faced each other. “Emma - I don’t know if it was a wormhole or time warp or these people are just a bunch of nut cases - maybe some sort of cult? All I know is we need to get the hell out of here”. “I’ll ride back with Mr. Jack and play along, you stay here and do the same. I’ll figure out some way to come back here and get you”.

Meanwhile Jack tapped Pete on the shoulder and pointed at the young couple. “This morning I found young Jason sleeping in the barn. Not sure what’s gotten into him, but I think he’s taken a shine to your daughter”.  Pete looked at Jack, eyebrows raised and said “Known about that for a while now, so has our misses”. Jack smiled, “I figured as much - well Pete, we’ll be on our way - say hello to Clare for me”. 

Jason never went back to get Emma; he didn’t have to. As the weeks and months passed, Jason’s memory of his life in the twenty-first century just faded away. Their new nineteenth-century lives became more and more familiar and comfortable.  They forgot all about their former selves and that car.  They never looked for it again. His new life of 1825 was that of Jason Kelly, son of Sara and Jack Kelly. The Kellys were well-to-do dairy farmers living on a grand estate called “HeartStone”. Meanwhile, Emma was the daughter of Clare and Pete Brooks. The Brooks, who owned and ran the Mercantile, were respected and loved by the community. Many times providing supplies to people experiencing hard times. Emma initially described her memories as “silly childhood dreams” and eventually forgot them altogether. 

Jason courted Emma for a year, and they were married in a small church in 1827.  The couple had 4 children and inherited Hearthstone after the tragic deaths of Jack and Sara in 1832.

At the expense of sounding cliché - Jason and Emma lived happily ever after.

Life has a beginning and an end - or does it?  Never leave any possibility behind. Because somewhere on a deserted highway, covered in lilac bushes and time, is an old, rusty car.

I hope you enjoyed the journey. Next week I reveal yet another adventure as together we follow the Dreamer’s Compass.