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Over My Dead Body (5-3-18)


[WP] A genie appears to you and your partner of 60 years in your final days. He says he will allow one of you a new start as a 20 y/o. The catch is you’d lose all memory of your partner and it would only be one of you.You tell the genie not a chance. You’re shocked when your partner takes the deal. [Link to post.]


Samuel Klink sat in an uncomfortable brown hospital chair in a dark hospital room holding the thin, pail, frail hand of his wife. Emily Klink lay in the bed staring at nothing. She sighed and enjoyed the peace of having the love of her life by her side. The time caught her eye and she made an effort to squeeze her husband's hand. Her strength failed her, but he was alert for any movement. He squeezed her hand in return, gently.

"1 a.m. The Witching hour," she said with a soft voice. Sam chuckled.

"I wish I could have met your mom," Sam said. Over their 60 year marriage Sam learned all about Emily's mom, and loved the deceased woman more because of it. All the stories his wife shared were filled with love and magical wonder. Initially Sam thought of Emily's mother as a new age hippie, but over the years Emily's fondness rubbed off on him. Her mother died before she met Sam, but he felt like he knew her through Emily's stories.

"One time. Mom woke me for the Witching hour," she began to say. Though long pauses floated between each word while she found her strength for the next one. Luckily she was interrupted by a nurse stopping by. 

"Hi. Sorry, just gotta get the vitals." She rolled in a small blue machine with an attached blood pressure cuff. 

"No worries," Sam said. "We're just enjoying the Witching hour." The nurse smiled with a peculiar sparkle in her eye. 

"Oh, you're familiar with the Fae?" The nurse asked in a hushed tone. Sam shook his head. 

"No, just sharing stories," he said. He felt a soft movement around his hand. 

"It's true!" Emily said, louder than any words she spoke in the last month. The strength of her voice caused Sam to jump to his feet. He stood by the bed thinking she might jump to her feet herself. The nurse also looked surprised and dashed to the side of the bed opposite Sam. Emily reached up and grabbed the nurse's hand. 

"It's true. My mom taught me." The nurse bowed and lowered her ear near Emily's mouth. Sam watched his wife's lips move, but he did not hear the words. The nurse's eyes widened, then she stood up. 

"Wait here." She walked out of the room. Sam sat on his wife's bed, draped his arm over her pillow and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. 

"What'd you tell her, love?" 

"The password," Emily said. Before Sam could ask a follow-up the nurse returned carrying a purple velvet bag. She placed the bag on Emily's lap, then pulled Sam aside. 

"You thought the witching hour was just a story, so I'm guess you didn't know your wife is a Fae Keeper?" she asked. Then, she continued speaking after Sam only shook his head. "You've been through a lot together, and it's hard not to feel like she's been hiding this from you." Sam held a hand up to interrupt her.

"Lady, I've loved that woman for 60 years. You think I'm gonna change my mind while she's on her death bed?" He asked, then turned back to his wife without waiting for an answer. The empty purple bag lay on her lap, but Emily held a brilliant golden old style oil lamp. She made obvious effort to rub it. Sam saw the love of his life struggling with a task and jumped to help without a thought. He rubbed the lamp with her. Green fog began to billow from the lamp's spout. In seconds the upper torso of a green man wearing a jewel encrusted turban. 

"First of all, that's cheating," The genie said, then he looked at Emily. "But I can see we have a special case here. The bargain is this: one of you gets a do over. You'll wake up tomorrow, and you'll be 20 years old. Remember, this isn't a continue, it's a do over. You're still in the same time stream. The catch is," the genie brought his hand up to his mouth and spoke behind it, as if whispering to someone. "You'll forget each other. You'll remember other stuff, you can try and change history if you want," the genie shrugged. "I don't care. But for this bargain to go through each of you needs to forget the other person. Fair warning, I've done quite a few of these. You can't count on meeting each other again. Whoever goes back usually lives an entirely different life." The genie said, then went quiet. 

"What do you mean we forget about each other?" 

"It's not perfect, you might get some flashes here and there. But for all intents and purposes you're strangers to each other," the genie replied. Sam mulled it over.

"You go," Sam looked down at his wife on the bed. Emily shook her head. 

"No, I don't want a different life. I'm happy now. You go," Emily said. 

"Okay." Sam said. "Make me 20 again." The genie snapped his fingers before anyone in the room could react and Sam disappeared. 


***
Emily sat in an uncomfortable brown hospital chair in a bright hospital room holding the thin, pail, hand of her mother. Both women smiled and chatted happily, the older woman's left leg was elevated in a cast. A nurse knocked on the door then entered.

"Mrs. Forest?" Emily's mother nodded. "I thought you'd like to know," her voice softened. "The young man that saved your life passed away. Just now. His name was Samuel Klink." 

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