Liquid Time in a Bottle: Wishes Come True

Liquid Time in a Bottle

Wishes Come True

Scott F Neve

Act One

Season of Mourning

              The season of mourning was hard upon Mr. Adamson. The passing of his beloved wife was incredibly fresh in his mind. The pain was too much for him to bear in his extreme old age.

              The elderly gentleman sat at the bar in his spacious home. Two ornate bottles were poised before him on the mahogany countertop. A whiskey sour on the rocks slowly melted between them

              The first crystal container was engraved with the word MEMORIES. Liquid memory like iridescent mercury glowed within it. The irreplaceable treasure taunted him like a lost lover. As the tears cascaded down his cheeks, he picked up the bottle and then he held it to his forehead. His thoughts took flight into the past.

              Behind his closed eyelids, he beheld his dearest Eva who was always a vision of loveliness. Even at their first meeting, she stole his heart away without a word. Then the days melded into one long stream of living emotions.

              He relived the joyous day of their wedding. He vividly recalled the sweet nights of their long honeymoon. They only had eyes for each other and that brought them great inner strength.

              Over the years, her visage matured. She became worn down and fragile. The powerful images broke his heart anew. He knew that he could not live without her. She was gone, but she could never be forgotten.

              The second bottle was labeled WISHES. The memento was completely empty, because Eva had made them all come true. Together, the childless couple was an unbeatable team. They had no doubts about each other.

              Mr. Adamson slid the bottles into the breast pocket of his black tuxedo. He only wore it to fancy occasions like his own wedding and his wife's funeral. That thought made him laugh.

Act Two

Life after Death

              Now, the season of mourning was past. It was time to move on from the pain of the silicon world. His wife was not lost; she was waiting for him in the near future. He strolled from the bar into the Living Room.

              A large platinum box stood upright in the center of the room. For all intents and purposes, it looked like a space-age casket. But for Mr. Adamson, it was really a gigantic jewelry box.

              He pressed the security code to open the lid. The thing swung open and revealed a much younger version of his beloved Eva. This newer model was dressed in an evening gown of pure white silk. Her eyes and mouth were closed in sweet repose. He touched her lips with his.

              Eva's eyelids sprang up. Her mouth gasped as she took her first breath on this earth. A tiny panel opened in her cerebral cortex. He gingerly poured the liquid memory into her new brain. The panel shut and then the living machine came to life.

              Suddenly, the face of the renewed Eva glowed from within. She hugged her husband with great vitality. He groaned in her strong arms as his own demise beckoned him relentlessly. He collapsed before her like a meat puppet with no tether to the source of life.

Act Three

Cycle of Love

              Eva hoisted his body into the man-sized jewel box. She touched her lips to his. Another tiny panel opened above his breast bone. She poured out the time that was stored within his heart into the empty MEMORIES bottle. She giggled as the thoughts of their past mingled with her hopes for the future.

              Then she removed the empty crystal vial marked WISHES from his vest pocket. She pressed the left side of her ribcage. A tiny fountain began to spring forth from her bosom.

              Very soon, the special receptacle was overflowing with new wishes to make come true. She placed the bottle to her breast to close it once more. It would be a most precious present in the years to come.

              As the sun set in the west, Eva mourned her beloved husband. She poured a drink of champagne at the bar and then she sat down alone to think. He had always been a good man. They had exchanged vows to never stop loving and caring for each other. Their love walk was a daily escapade.

              She sipped the bubbly as she toyed with the two bottles on the countertop. Her pain was eased by laughter not tears. Through the long dark night, she had peace in her soul that no one could take away.

              Her greatest regret was the few times when they were apart. Yet her heart's desire was always granted to her in the end. The cycle of life continued moving by the hands of Someone greater than the two eternal lovers.

              In the morning, a truck flew up to the front door of their home. The delivery men hefted the old casket away. And then they replaced it with an identical gigantic jewelry box. Her husband's name was on the silver package label.

              With a word, the faithful wife opened the metallic package. A younger more vital version stood within its sterile casing. Mr. Adamson awaited her embrace. The vivacious woman longed to reach out and touch the lifeless effigy. She clutched the two amazing bottles of MEMORIES and WISHES to her bosom

              "Not long now, my love. And then we shall be together forever once more," Eva whispered sweetly before she puckered up to minister the kiss of life.

THE END