Just a little something I scribbled on a piece of paper and then typed into my laptop. I hope you would enjoy it! I'm leaving it as 'in progress' because it might be the first of many "Silly Things I Write When I'm Bored Series" short stories. Just in case. Please tell me what you think! I really appreciate feedback, and I appreciate constructive criticism even more. Apologies for any grammer mistakes or tenses that are mixed up. Do enjoy :)
Summary: Johnny tells his daughter about a strange phone call from his youth, and what it lead to. "They questioned me for a while about dying and eating..."
Touching Magic
Johnny Skirts was a normal boy. An average student. He had a girlfriend with which he has been going out with on and off for about a year now, a younger sister who was currently freaking out about the Y2K bug, which was apparently somehow going to destroy the world as they knew it and make them all go back to middle ages where they would have to use torches and horses to get everywhere. His parents were normal and had ordinary jobs. Not much of an excitement. So when he tried to call his girlfriend and had the Special Forces turn up at his house for it, it was not very hard to recall years later at age fifty.
"So, I called Gwen, your mother," he told his daughter thirty odd years later, "On the phone, you know, because we didn't have those smart devices you use today," he gave her a smile. She was nearing her twenty fifth birthday and was familiar with all of the new gadgets like most of her generation.
"Yeah, she told me you got arrested," she laughed while she made their tea.
"I dialed the wrong number, and in hindsight I really should have checked. The voice that answered was so alike your mother, though, so I couldn't tell." He chuckled, remembering. "The girl on the phone said 'Who is this?' and I answered 'You know who, silly,' and she just started yelling out swear words."
His daughter frowned through her laughter, something he had thought to be impossible. "Why would she yell?" she asked curiously.
Johnny hummed in thought. "I have no idea. I did hear her tell someone on the other side to call the Oras, or something along those lines. It was a very strange incident." He held his chin, trying to remember the exact words. "She said 'Stanley! Stanley, you bastard, he's back! You know who's back!' and I told her 'I never left, precious,' and that was when she really started screaming," he said in bemusement.
"So when did you realize it wasn't mom you were harassing?" She came to sit beside him on the couch, serving him his cup of tea and picking up her own, blowing on it softly to cool it.
He took a sip of the scalding sweetness and answered seriously, "When the coppers knocked on my door. Your grandmother wasn't pleased. They searched my room and questioned me for a while about dying and eating and snakes and I told them I didn't know anything, and then they just left."
"Just like that?" his daughter exclaimed.
"Just like that. No report, no explanation, nothing," he admitted.
His daughter raised her eyebrows. "I'm surprised they didn't take it to court," she said.
He shook his head absently. "It was different times, sweetheart. I tried asking around for the officers who came to my house, but no one seemed to remember them. It made sense then because they said they were Special Force agents, but when I asked about the Special Force, no one knew what it was, either, not even the detectives." He took another sip of his tea, leaning back with a sigh. He was getting old, and that was depressing. He even had a few white hairs. The fuss he had made about that one was rather childish, he had to admit, but justified.
"Weird," summarized his girl.
"Yes, very. I just hope I didn't cause the poor girl on the other end of the line any trouble. She sounded very upset,"
His daughter nodded. "Maybe she had already forgotten about it," she suggested.
He shrugged, putting the cup back on the coffee table. "Well, now you know my story. Something to tell the kids, I always say."
"Yeah… no, but nice try, dad," She giggled.
He sighed. "So, no grandchildren anytime soon?" he asked in defeat.
"Keep dreaming, old man. I've got plans for the future," she defended.
"When I was your age, I was already a father," he pointed out.
She shook her head absently. "Different times, dad. Different times,"