Stamp


Chapter 1: The accident

The morning sun felt warm and nice on his face. John Jakob Stamp raised is head and looked out the window in front of his desk. On a tree in the front yard he spotted a little bird that was singing his song. He took off the reading glasses and stretched as his wife stepped into his office.
"Good Morning, honey!", she greeted him, still tying up her robe.
"Hey, good morning to you too." He waited for her to come closer and give him a kiss.
"What are you doing? Are you writing again?", she asked looking at his computer screen.
"Yes. It's amazing. It's like all these ideas just come to me as I write."
She looked at him worried. "Since when have you been here?"
"3.30 maybe."
Her look went to the clock on the wall. "It's almost 8! Don't you think you need a break?"
He turned away from her and started typing. "No, not right now. I have ideas that I must write down."
"Have breakfast with me", she tried again.
But he didn't agree. "Please, baby. Leave me alone, okay? I'm going to eat here in my office."
She looked at him angry, but he didn't even notice it. So she left him alone, but not without slamming the door loudly.

He shrugged as the door closed behind his wife. For a moment, Stamp thought about taking a break from work to have breakfast with Beth but dismissed the thought as the phone rang. He picked up. "Stamp here!"
"Hey John", he heard the friendly voice of Robert Cole. "How are you this morning? Isn't it a wonderful morning?"
"It is, indeed. And I'm fine. What's the matter, Bob?"
Stamp stood up from the chair and started walking around.
"Oh, I'm just calling to tell you that your book sells like hot cakes and they will definitely publish the next one."
"That's great news! When did you find out?"
Stamp walked back to his office chair.
"The publishing company called half an hour ago. See I told you, no reason to be concerned."
"Right, I know. Anyway thanks for calling", Stamp said while sitting down.
"No problem John. I just hope you already have an idea for another book."
Stamp looked at his monitor and smiled. "Oh yes, I'm already writing."
"Okay, then I don't want to keep you from working. Have a good one!"
"Thanks, you too. See you tomorrow!"
John Jakob Stamp hang up, read the last few lines he had written again and continued writing.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth sat in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, an egg in front of her and the newspaper in her hand. The radio was playing and the news were on. She just took some of the egg into her mouth as the voice on the radio announced something that curdled her blood. The food seemed to stick in her throat. She listened curiously.
"Oh my god", she mumbled softly. Suddenly an orange cat jumped on her lap, letting out a protesting meow. Elizabeth Stamp dropped the fork frightened, since she was engrossed in what the man on the radio was saying. "Damn it, Lucy!", she said to the cat. " You scared me!"
The cat looked at her interrogatively.
"I know, I know. You're hungry. I'll give you something."
Beth put away the newspaper, the cat jumped off her lap and ran to her cup. The woman filled the cup with some cat food and then went upstairs to her husband's office. As she stepped inside she found him in front of the computer just like 15 minutes ago when she came here to talk to him.
"Honey, I really want to…" John began when he saw her.
"I know", she interrupted him. "But you won't believe what they just said on the radio."
He looked at her impatiently. "Well, what is it?", he asked when she didn't say anything.
Elizabeth walked over to the TV and turned it on. She searched for a news channel and stepped back next to her husband.
"There you go", she said when a picture of Princess Diana showed up next to the newscaster.
Now John's interest was aroused as he listened to the voice of the newscaster.
"Princess Diana died today after a car accident in Paris. Diana was alive when she was taken to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. But her internal injuries were too extensive. Two hours later, at 4.00, the doctors pronounced her dead. At 5.30, her death was announced at a press conference."
John looked at his wife in disbelief. "But how can that be?"
"I don't know, but it's exactly the way you described it in your book."
He nodded absent-minded. "Yes, just like my story."