New Paths
George Baird was a no nonsense kind of man, he had always been that way. He had been born in Plainview Kansas, and had lived here all his life. Plainview was a small farming town in the heart of Kansas, the kind of place where you still left your doors unlocked at night, it was a place where a persons word still meant something. A mere twenty-five hundred some odd souls called Plainview home, and it had been Georges home his entire life. George had become a solid figure in the community. He had married Martha Townsend, his high school sweetheart in 1958 when he was twenty years of age. Although Martha was only a month his junior they had waited two years after high school so as to allow George to save up enough money to purchase a small house near his families farm. Being born in 1938 also allowed George the chance to by pass the major conflicts of the twentieth century, even though he was deeply patriotic. In time George bought land of his own, and in 1966 his and Martha's first child was born, George Jr. Jr was followed by two sisters, Kate in 1970, and Emily in 1975. In 1976 George inherited the entirety of his fathers farm.
George and Martha enjoyed a rather plain life, the farm made them a good living, and the children were the center of their life. Small town life agreed with them both. In time George was the man at the local hardware store that could tell you if rain was coming or not, or if a season would be good or poor. He had a knack that kind of thing, he was very no nonsense. Life marched along at almost a predictable pace. Then the event happened. In June of 1988 Emily, George and Martha's youngest child disappeared for two weeks. Gone suddenly without a trace. There was a heavy fog that morning and when Emily went out to tend on the chickens, she did not return. Over the next two weeks things escalated from a local hunt to nation wide. Emily's picture was all over the news, both George and Martha were sick with worry, and each day was a media nightmare. Then two weeks and one day later there was a terrible storm, several twisters hit the area, rain poured as if the heavens had been ripped open. As the townsfolk of Plainview cleaned up 13 year old Emily Baird just walked back into town wearing mottled green and brown clothing that looked like it had been made at a renaissance fair. She was none the worst for wear, but her story would cause many to question what had really happened, and it would damage her parents standing in the community.
Later when questioned about where she had been, Emily told people that she had been somehow teleported through a nexus to a place called RhyDin. It was a whole other world filled with elves, and magic, and faeries, and that she had been there for three months living with a tribe of elves. They took care of her, and one elf named Tolkewisen, who was great in the art of magic, was able to open a door back to Kansas and get her back home. The media had a field day with this modern Wizard of Oz story, then it was also found out that Emily was a fan of the CS Lewis books The Chronicles of Narnia. This would later explain for why she was missing for only fifteen days, when she claimed to have been gone for one hundred and twenty five days. And any proof was to support her claim was hidden, like the fact that a small knife she had on her person had three elements not found on any periodic chart, and that her clothing had been made of something like synthetic spider silk. While the media was fed information to make the young girl look look like head case, George and Martha stood their ground, making them look like attention grabbers. When it all settled the only people still asking questions and wanting to know more were Kooks, and government agents.
It took a year for the dust to settle. The kooks were easy to get rid of, the government agents were another story. They would come anytime of day or night. Some were nice, others seemed hostile. The more that George tried to shield his daughter the harder things got. And the fighting began, as George and Martha tried to convince Emily to "come clean' about what happened on her little adventure. And there was the question of the knife and the clothing with the government agents. No one believed what could only be the truth. One night three years after Emily's first disappearance she disappeared again, this time for good. On the night of June twenty-first, 1991, there was another heavy fog, but this time there was also thunderstorms. Emily went out right at dusk to check on the chickens again, she never returned.
Empty pleas, that's what George and Marthas cries for help were called. They were a brief moment in the media again, and then nothing, The only constant was the government they kept in constant touch with the Bairds. George Jr changed his name when he graduated college with a degree in law, and Kate became a science fiction writer. Nothing was ever heard of young Emily again. The media had portrayed George and Martha as "behind the times parents" and made small town USA look like inbreed hickville. But all the while there was a government wanting to know about a small knife, and a bit of fantasy clothing that should not have existed, did exist. In time even the government left George and Martha alone and life moved along.
December 21, 2007
Snow had come early to Plainview and some of the winter crops had failed. Though things were not bad they did not allow for life to be better. Thus it seemed that life had balanced out. George had come in early from town, night would fall early this eve as it was the years shortest day. Martha had made them a stew of vegetables and beef with some of her homemade bread loaded down with butter. As darkness fell George settled into his recliner to watch the evening news, Martha sat in her recliner sewing and on occasion peeking at the wilderness of the world on the news. Dark had come upon the world, and as the two relaxed in their walled little world....THUMP!!! THUMP!!! THUMP!!! It sounded as if something large had hit the earth three times. Martha and George jumped up ran to a window. White out, not only had darkness fallen but a snow so hard the night seemed white in the light of the porch light. "I'll get the gun" George muttered to his wife as he moved to the closet were he kept the homes only gun. A twenty gage double barrel shot gun, George used to hunt squirrel, but he had stopped many years ago. The gun had not been fired in years, three decades to be exact. He loaded the gun, and put the ancient box of shells in his coat pocket. "Be careful George" Those would be the last words he would ever hear from Martha, as he put on his old cowboy hat and slipped out the front door and into the dark white night.
Oddly enough outside was not nearly as cold as George had thought it would be, in fact it was kind of humid. He made his way to the barn so he could check on the live stock inside. George was half way to the barn when he noticed that the white out was not snow but rather fog. Fog in cold December was not normal, and a chill ran up his spine. He turned to head back to the house but he could not see the lights. "Martha' he called out. "Martha, turn the lights on"....nothing. "MARTHA" his voice echoed. George felt sick for a second he thought he was going to vomit, but the feeling soon passed. Keeping the shotgun firm in his hands he walked forward and found a tree, where there should have been no tree. "MARTHA!" his cry was more desperate. George remembered the tales Emily had told them. This can't be happening he told himself. He slumped against the tree and then sat down. He was dressed warm, he had a gun and extra ammunition, in the morning he would be able to see the house and everything would be good again. He was George Baird and nothing out of the ordinary happened to him, he was no nonsense.
George Baird was a no nonsense kind of man, he had always been that way. He had been born in Plainview Kansas, and had lived here all his life. Plainview was a small farming town in the heart of Kansas, the kind of place where you still left your doors unlocked at night, it was a place where a persons word still meant something. A mere twenty-five hundred some odd souls called Plainview home, and it had been Georges home his entire life. George had become a solid figure in the community. He had married Martha Townsend, his high school sweetheart in 1958 when he was twenty years of age. Although Martha was only a month his junior they had waited two years after high school so as to allow George to save up enough money to purchase a small house near his families farm. Being born in 1938 also allowed George the chance to by pass the major conflicts of the twentieth century, even though he was deeply patriotic. In time George bought land of his own, and in 1966 his and Martha's first child was born, George Jr. Jr was followed by two sisters, Kate in 1970, and Emily in 1975. In 1976 George inherited the entirety of his fathers farm.
George and Martha enjoyed a rather plain life, the farm made them a good living, and the children were the center of their life. Small town life agreed with them both. In time George was the man at the local hardware store that could tell you if rain was coming or not, or if a season would be good or poor. He had a knack that kind of thing, he was very no nonsense. Life marched along at almost a predictable pace. Then the event happened. In June of 1988 Emily, George and Martha's youngest child disappeared for two weeks. Gone suddenly without a trace. There was a heavy fog that morning and when Emily went out to tend on the chickens, she did not return. Over the next two weeks things escalated from a local hunt to nation wide. Emily's picture was all over the news, both George and Martha were sick with worry, and each day was a media nightmare. Then two weeks and one day later there was a terrible storm, several twisters hit the area, rain poured as if the heavens had been ripped open. As the townsfolk of Plainview cleaned up 13 year old Emily Baird just walked back into town wearing mottled green and brown clothing that looked like it had been made at a renaissance fair. She was none the worst for wear, but her story would cause many to question what had really happened, and it would damage her parents standing in the community.
Later when questioned about where she had been, Emily told people that she had been somehow teleported through a nexus to a place called RhyDin. It was a whole other world filled with elves, and magic, and faeries, and that she had been there for three months living with a tribe of elves. They took care of her, and one elf named Tolkewisen, who was great in the art of magic, was able to open a door back to Kansas and get her back home. The media had a field day with this modern Wizard of Oz story, then it was also found out that Emily was a fan of the CS Lewis books The Chronicles of Narnia. This would later explain for why she was missing for only fifteen days, when she claimed to have been gone for one hundred and twenty five days. And any proof was to support her claim was hidden, like the fact that a small knife she had on her person had three elements not found on any periodic chart, and that her clothing had been made of something like synthetic spider silk. While the media was fed information to make the young girl look look like head case, George and Martha stood their ground, making them look like attention grabbers. When it all settled the only people still asking questions and wanting to know more were Kooks, and government agents.
It took a year for the dust to settle. The kooks were easy to get rid of, the government agents were another story. They would come anytime of day or night. Some were nice, others seemed hostile. The more that George tried to shield his daughter the harder things got. And the fighting began, as George and Martha tried to convince Emily to "come clean' about what happened on her little adventure. And there was the question of the knife and the clothing with the government agents. No one believed what could only be the truth. One night three years after Emily's first disappearance she disappeared again, this time for good. On the night of June twenty-first, 1991, there was another heavy fog, but this time there was also thunderstorms. Emily went out right at dusk to check on the chickens again, she never returned.
Empty pleas, that's what George and Marthas cries for help were called. They were a brief moment in the media again, and then nothing, The only constant was the government they kept in constant touch with the Bairds. George Jr changed his name when he graduated college with a degree in law, and Kate became a science fiction writer. Nothing was ever heard of young Emily again. The media had portrayed George and Martha as "behind the times parents" and made small town USA look like inbreed hickville. But all the while there was a government wanting to know about a small knife, and a bit of fantasy clothing that should not have existed, did exist. In time even the government left George and Martha alone and life moved along.
December 21, 2007
Snow had come early to Plainview and some of the winter crops had failed. Though things were not bad they did not allow for life to be better. Thus it seemed that life had balanced out. George had come in early from town, night would fall early this eve as it was the years shortest day. Martha had made them a stew of vegetables and beef with some of her homemade bread loaded down with butter. As darkness fell George settled into his recliner to watch the evening news, Martha sat in her recliner sewing and on occasion peeking at the wilderness of the world on the news. Dark had come upon the world, and as the two relaxed in their walled little world....THUMP!!! THUMP!!! THUMP!!! It sounded as if something large had hit the earth three times. Martha and George jumped up ran to a window. White out, not only had darkness fallen but a snow so hard the night seemed white in the light of the porch light. "I'll get the gun" George muttered to his wife as he moved to the closet were he kept the homes only gun. A twenty gage double barrel shot gun, George used to hunt squirrel, but he had stopped many years ago. The gun had not been fired in years, three decades to be exact. He loaded the gun, and put the ancient box of shells in his coat pocket. "Be careful George" Those would be the last words he would ever hear from Martha, as he put on his old cowboy hat and slipped out the front door and into the dark white night.
Oddly enough outside was not nearly as cold as George had thought it would be, in fact it was kind of humid. He made his way to the barn so he could check on the live stock inside. George was half way to the barn when he noticed that the white out was not snow but rather fog. Fog in cold December was not normal, and a chill ran up his spine. He turned to head back to the house but he could not see the lights. "Martha' he called out. "Martha, turn the lights on"....nothing. "MARTHA" his voice echoed. George felt sick for a second he thought he was going to vomit, but the feeling soon passed. Keeping the shotgun firm in his hands he walked forward and found a tree, where there should have been no tree. "MARTHA!" his cry was more desperate. George remembered the tales Emily had told them. This can't be happening he told himself. He slumped against the tree and then sat down. He was dressed warm, he had a gun and extra ammunition, in the morning he would be able to see the house and everything would be good again. He was George Baird and nothing out of the ordinary happened to him, he was no nonsense.