October 2023

October 2023 Continuing Story

Jim woke to a warm hand on his face.
He was lying down and not on the hard asphalt he would have expected given he had collapsed in the parking lot. And why had he anyway? Ordinarily he was not the fainting sort.
He was pretty sure about that.
“You are awake.”
The voice was familiar and yet not. It made him feel…safe. Which was altogether odd.
He opened his eyes slowly and found himself staring into very dark brown eyes. Dark chocolate framed by long lashes. And strangely arched eyebrows. And a woolen forest green beanie pulled down over the tips of his ears.
“You,” Jim said, softly.
The man’s head tilted at an angle and for a moment Jim felt queasy.
“I apologize. You hit your head when you fell. You likely have a concussion.”
“Where…”
“You are in the bed of your own room in the farmhouse you are currently residing in.”
Jim turned his head to look, but it hurt to do so.
“Easy. Do not try to move too quickly.”
“Do I know you?”
The man looked pensive and he seemed to hesitate before responding. “Here where you are now you do not.”
“But…you know where I live?”
“I do,” he admitted. “It is complicated.”
Jim didn’t think he was up to complicated things right now. His head was still fairly fuzzy though it only seemed to ache when he tried to move it.
“That man.”
“What man?”
“The dean at the college. He called himself McCoy, I think.”
The beanie man nodded. “Do not worry about that now, Jim.”
“What…who are you?”
“I am Spock.”
“Spock,” Jim whispered and somehow that name seemed…well, he didn’t know what it seemed.
“It will be all right, Jim,” Spock assured him. “I am going to assist you in sitting up and then I am going to give you some tea to drink. Are you hungry?”
“I think so.”
Spock put his hands under Jim’s torso and carefully lifted him into a seating position on the bed. He’d already propped up pillows for Jim to lean against.
Jim blinked. “My shoulder up by my neck hurts a bit.” He tried to turn his head to see but of course couldn’t.
“There is a slight bruise there, but it will fade and become less painful.”
“A bruise? Weird.”
“Indeed,” Spock murmured. He reached over and took a mug from the bedside table and handed it to Jim. “Here is your tea.”
He took a sip from the warm tea. “How’d you get into the house?”
“I found the key on your person.”
Jim nodded, wondering what to think about that. His mind seemed too fuzzy to give it much consideration, and for the moment anyway he didn’t seem to be in any immediate danger. And the weirdest part was that he wanted to trust Spock. Which was probably crazy and due to having a head injury.
“If you will continue to drink your tea, I will go and make you some food. What would you like?”
“I think I have a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup.”
“Canned soup?”
Jim smiled a little and nodded.
Spock shrugged slightly. “Very well. I will be back with your soup. Try not to move too much.”
“Okay.”
And Jim watched Spock leave the bedroom.
He still was…missing something. He didn’t know what.

October 13, 2023

October 2023 Continuing Story

Jim stopped outside the dean’s office door to stare in surprise at the name appearing there.

Leonard McCoy

Jim tapped on the glass.

“Come in.”

Behind the desk was a man somewhere in his late forties, a full, though trimmed beard, dark hair and hazel eyes gazing back at him.

“What happened to Halloway?”

“Guess he departed.”

A strange way of putting it, Jim thought, as he moved farther into the office.

“You’re Leonard McCoy?”

“That’s right. Have a seat, Jim.”

He did and frowned afterward. “Do I…do I know you?”

For some reason that caused McCoy to lean forward, almost eagerly. “Do you think you know me?”

“I…” Jim tried to drum up something from somewhere within his consciousness but nothing came. He shrugged. “I don’t think so.”

McCoy leaned back in his chair, somehow seeming disappointed at Jim’s response. Weird.

“You wanted to see me?”

“Mm. As the, uh, new dean, I thought I should introduce myself.”

“I see, Mr. McCoy.”

“Doctor.”

“What?”

“Doctor McCoy.”

“Don’t pander to me, kid. One tiny crack in the hull, and our blood boils in thirteen seconds.”

Jim shook his head and rubbed his hand over his eyes.

“You okay?” McCoy asked.

“Not sure. Feeling kind of queasy.”

McCoy nodded. “You have any more courses to teach today?”

Did he? What day was it even? October. But October…what.

“Jim?”

“Sorry. I don’t think I have any more today.”

“Then go on home. Do you think you can drive or should I get someone to take you?”

“No. I think I can make it.” He stood up and that’s when he realized McCoy was getting up too and walking with him to the door of the office which suddenly seemed really far away when it should be only a few feet.

He really was losing it.

Jim put his hand on the handle of the door and turned to look back at McCoy into to see he was holding a very big, wicked looking needle.

Jim backed up quickly hitting the glass door. “Hey, hey!”

“Take it easy, Jim.”

Jim opened the door and ran out of the office.

“Jim! Wait!”

Jim kept running, passing students who attempted to all out to him.

“Professor Kirk!”

He had just made it to the parking lot, his heart racing, ran he ran into something so solid and unmoving he fell to the ground.

Just before his vison winked out he saw a beanie.

October 11, 2023

October 2023 Continuing Story

Holding onto his mug of coffee the next morning, Jim walked around the farmhouse trying to figure out what was bothering him.

His sleep had been disturbed by dreams. Not necessarily nightmares but troubling.

Most he couldn’t remember in the light of day but there was one particular one that he did recall at least some of it. A sex dream. He was naked and sweating, lying on his back, his legs drawn up and a muscular back hovered over him.

At least that was all he could see of the other person.

To say Jim had been startled by the implications of the dream was an understatement. And ever since then the images kept flashing through his mind like a disjointed movie.

There was absolutely no one he could speak to that could explain such a dream to him. No one he could confide in.

And wasn’t that odd? Why didn’t Jim seem to have any friends? People had friends, right? But as he surveyed the inside of his home he couldn’t think of any.

He’d had Becky. And he had recognized Clyde, but he didn’t really think Clyde was a friend.

The other thing was why couldn’t he remember ever making love to Becky. They were close. She wanted to get married. He’d agreed he loved her.. Was she a virgin? Somehow Jim didn’t think so. But whatever the case he should know, right?

The farmhouse looked so impersonal. No family pictures. No pictures of any kind. No art on the walls.

“I should call my mom,” Jim said out loud. He walked over to the phone hooked to the wall in the kitchen. He lifted the receiver and stared at the buttons. “What the fuck is her number?”

He slammed down the phone, frustrated. What was wrong with him?

Jim finished his coffee and headed to the college for his job.

When he’d finished teaching two classes he found a note pinned to his office door.

The dean wants to see you.

Jim frowned and snatched the note off his door and entered his office. He’d just given a written test and had a hundred tests to grade. He didn’t have time to see Dean Halloway, but it wasn’t as though he could refuse.

He set the papers down on his desk, left his briefcase too, and prepared to see the dean.

Just as he turned away the man with the wool beanie passed by his office, once more staring in at him.

“Hey! Hey wait! Wait a second.”

He rushed from his office but the hall was empty.

October 9, 2023

October 2023 Continuing Story

Part 3 (end of first chapter)

Jim narrowed his eyes at the short but lanky man with the moustache standing by his trash cans.

“Clyde?”

“Evening, Mr. Kirk.”

“What are you doing?” He lowered the crowbar.

“Becky called me from New York, said you had some racoon problems and to come on out and set up some traps.”

Clyde was Becky’s cousin. Didn’t have a very high IQ but he was a nice man.

Clyde stepped away from the cans. “I don’t see any signs of racoons, Mr. Kirk. But I set out traps anyhow.”

“It’s Jim. What do you see signs of?”

Clyde shrugged. “Nothing really. No signs of rats or racoons. But maybe you wouldn’t see anything specific. Traps are set now though, so I’ll come check on them in a day or two if that’s all right with you, Mr. Kirk.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Jim glanced around where the trash cans were and over toward the front yard. “See anything else around, Clyde?”

“Like what?”

Yeah, what, Jim? Glowing red eyes?

“I don’t really know, I guess. Anything weird I suppose.”

Clyde looked at Jim like maybe he was crazy and Jim wasn’t sure he was far off. So he smiled.

“You want a shot of whiskey for your trouble?”

“Wasn’t any trouble, but I’ll take the whiskey.”

Jim hesitated. He didn’t necessarily want Clyde in the house. He didn’t really have any issues with Clyde, but he didn’t exactly trust him either. Becky had mentioned once that her cousin sometimes stole things. Not usually from people he knew, but still.

“I’ll bring it right out,” Jim said. “You wait here.”

“I will, Mr. Kirk.”

Jim went into his house and over to his liquor cabinet. He quickly poured two shots of whiskey and then brought them back out the front door. True to his word, Clyde stood just where Jim had left him.

He handed a shot to Clyde and kept one for himself.

Clyde didn’t immediately drink the shot, but instead asked, “You and Becky going to be married someday?”

Jim wasn’t sure exactly how to answer that. For Clyde, yeah, but most especially for himself.

So he settled on the vague, “She wants to, I think.”

Clyde nodded and thew back the shot. Jim followed suit, feeling it burn down his throat.

Clyde handed the empty shot glass to Jim. “I’ll be on my way now, Mr. Kirk. I’ll check back on those traps like I said. And if you need anything else, you give me a call.

Jim called after him as he headed for his truck, “You want some money?”

“Nope, that’s all right.”

And just a few minutes later he was gone. Jim watched him until the lights from his truck faded away out of sight.

He set the shot glasses down on the porch and walked to where the pumpkins and scarecrows were. He clenched the crowbar.

Looking for what? Again, he really had no clue. And not surprisingly he didn’t see anything anyway.

With a shake of his head at his only foolishness, grabbed the glasses and went back into the house. Double locking the front door. Then he double locked the back door too.

And just before he went to sleep, he thought he heard a whisper.

“Jim.”

October 6, 2023

October 2023 Continuing Story

Part 2

“Professor Kirk!”

The loud yell startled Jim out of whatever trance he’d been in. That had been happening more often lately. He’d be in the middle of something and then he’d zone out. He wondered if he was losing his mind.

He plastered on a smile as he faced the student who’d just shouted at him. “No need to yell, Adam.”

Adam had the grace to blush. “Sorry, Professor. It’s just I’d been trying to get your attention for a while.”

Jim was a physics teacher at Riverside College. It was nearly the end of the day and he was in his office at the college having finished teaching two classes that day.

“I’m sorry. My mind was wandering.”

“I was just wondering if you’d had a chance to go over the papers we submitted last week.”

“Not yet,” Jim admitted. “I will this week though. See you in Thursday’s morning class.”

An effort to dismiss Adam and send him on his way. He seemed a little too eager to spend time with Jim and Jim certainly didn’t want to encourage any student crushes.

Beyond Adam, through the glass of his office door, Jim spotted a man walking by wearing a woolen beanie pulled down low well past his ears. It was the second time he’d seen the tall, slim man walking by. He couldn’t recall seeing him before and looked older than most of the students there. A new instructor?

“Sir?”

Jim blinked and glanced at Adam again. “Yes?”

Adam sighed dramatically and pushed the glasses he wore up his nose. “Nothing, Professor. See you in class.”

And he was gone.

Jim was relieved. He closed up his briefcase and prepared to leave his office to return home.

It didn’t really bother him to live alone at the farmhouse. He’d considered asking Becky to share the place with him but given what she’d just said to him, he was no longer sure.

He made his way out to the parking lot where staff members parked and got into his Escort.

He thought of the man with the beanie again. It was a warm day. It was the time of year where days were nice and nights chilly but either way it wasn’t the weather for wool beanies.

And if he was a new instructor it seemed strange as the semester had begun some weeks earlier, at the beginning of September. But then again he could be a substitute instructor, Jim guessed. It wasn’t as though the dean of his particular science gave him any inside information about goings on.

Jim guessed what made him the most curious about the stranger was that each time he’d walked by Jim’s office, he had stared into the office to look directly at Jim. And somehow, Jim had gotten a sense of de ja vu each time.

With a shake of his head, Jim started up his car and left the college. It was nearing four and though it wasn’t yet supper time he decided to go through a drive-thru for some hamburgers rather than cook for himself.

At home, there was nothing unusual. His front yard of pumpkins and scare crows looked untouched. Nothing was knocked over by the trash either. He would have thought he’d imagined the crash the night before except that Becky had heard it too.

His answering machine had a message so he pushed the button. Of course it was Becky.

“It’s just me. I’m in New York now for the night. I’ll let you know how I am tomorrow too when I get a chance. Bye, Jim.”

He felt no particular warmth at her message. No particular emotion at all. It was like she could have been anyone. A stranger even. What was wrong with him? Shouldn’t he be happy to hear from his girlfriend?

Jim just didn’t know and he began to worry about himself. Scratch that. He was already worried. It was just something to add to the list.

He’d just finished watching an episode of Dallas and was preparing to go to bed when a light flashed outside.

Jim grabbed the crowbar and a flash light of his own and headed outside once more.

October 4, 2023

October 2023 Continuing Story

And so we begin part one. You may get a few surprises with this one!

PART ONE

Riverside, Iowa

October 1980

It was just after nine o’clock when Jim heard a loud crash out in the front yard of his farmhouse.

He put his hand on Becky’s leg. “Stay here.”

“Probably a racoon,” she guessed. “I’ll stop the movie.”

They’d been watching a VHS tape on the brand new player Jim had purchased last week.

It was chilly out, but Jim didn’t bother with his coat. He did grab a crowbar he kept in a closet by the front door though.

He stepped out onto the porch. Several moths flew around the porch light.

“Who’s there?”

No one answered of course. If it had been a racoon or other animal getting into the trash they wouldn’t have and if it was some person with nefarious purposes they probably wouldn’t either.

He stepped off the porch, crowbar at the ready. Nothing by the trashcans and they were upright. He turned and walked to the front of the house by the picture window. Nothing there either. The pumpkins and scarecrows he’d set out in yard in September were untouched, There wasn’t a sign of anybody or anything. Nothing broken.

Jim pursed his lips and went back into the house. Becky was putting on her coat.

“Well?” she asked.

“Didn’t see a thing. Must be kids playing pranks for Halloween.”

“It’s only October 2. Seems a little early for tricks and treats.”

Jim nodded. “Probably.”

“Racoons,” she said matter-of-factly. “You get Clyde to come over and lay some traps. That’ll take care of it. Drive me home?”

“Unless you want to stay.”

Becky shook her head reluctantly. “Can’t. Roberta’s coming for me early. Going out on flight to Denver at six in the morning from Iowa City. And from there New York. Speaking of, I’m going to be gone on several shifts over the next several days. Won’t be back for a while.”

Becky was a stewardess for TWA. She was often gone for extended periods of time. She liked it. And it seemed to ensure neither of them ever got tired of whatever they had going between them.

Jim grabbed his coat and keys and they made their way out to his Ford Escort.

Becky only lived a few blocks away and they were at her apartment in no time. He leaned over to give her a lingering kiss.

“Tell me how the movie ends,” she said, wiping her lipstick from his lips.

“Okay. And safe travels up there.”

“Jim, when I come back we need to talk.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

She smiled. “Nothing that bad. But it’s time we decide about where our relationship is going. What are the next steps for us.”

“I see,” Jim replied with a nod.

“You love me, don’t you?”

“Of course.” But the response was automatic with no real feeling behind it and Jim couldn’t even say why.

But she didn’t seem to notice or care.

“That’s why we need to talk. Riverside’s great but—”

“My family’s lived here for a lot of years.”

“I know. But it doesn’t mean you have to stay here forever. People sell places and move on all the time. The point is, Jim, I’ve been offered to transfer to the Denver area as my main hub. It’s got a lot more going for it then this Podunk town and you can find a teaching position there, you know you can. It would mean a big promotion for me. And if we moved there we could get married and start a family. Just…think about it. We’ll talk about it when I get back.”

She leaned in to kiss him again, then opened the car door, got out and ran into her apartment building.

Jim sat there in the car for a moment considering. He didn’t want to move. And something…was off. But he had no idea what.

With a sigh, he put the Escort in gear and drove back home.

Once he parked and got out he started to head for the front door. But as he glanced toward the scarecrows and pumpkins he thought he saw glowing red eyes.

“What the hell?”

He rubbed his eyes and looked again.

Nothing.

Jim went into his house and locked the door. He didn’t bother watching the rest of the movie. He just went to bed.

October 2, 2023

Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto)

Fan Fiction and Personal Ramblings

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