SATURDAY JANUARY 9, 2021
Note, this concept for a short story has been in my brain for a while. It is obviously fiction and maybe science fiction. Enjoy.
*****
The Weird Puzzle Problem
Suzanne was working on a jigsaw puzzle. Her family had started it at Christmas after the big dinner. It was a 500 piece puzzle of the Teton Mountains - and Grand Teton National Park.
But, soon after the Christmas Feast, some of the puzzle workers found other activities, mostly in front of the television pretending to watch a football game, although when she glanced at the family room, it seemed like only one person was watching and even then, he was on his phone playing games. The others around the television were taking naps. But, that was okay.
Suzanne put in more pieces. She liked jigsaw puzzles, and especially ones with nature scenes. (In fact, she had bought this puzzle and given it to the family for Christmas). She was remembering how she picked this one. There was a puzzle that she kind of likes and thought the family would like with the New York Skyline. She thought that was the one she selected, but when she got to the checkout, this puzzle of Grand Teton National Park was somehow in her shopping cart. She didn't remember seeing it at the store.
That evening after relatives left, her husband (Will) went off to bed. Suzanne was still working on the puzzle when the strangest thing happened. Both her left and right hands were touching the puzzle when she felt a slight electric shock flow through her. She lifted her left hand up off the puzzle and the shock stopped. But, when she put her left hand back on the puzzle again, the shock was stronger and she couldn’t remove either hand. She was being pulled into the puzzle.
Suddenly, she was flying through the dark. It was total darkness, and very cold. The wind whipped past her. She tried to scream, but the scream caught in her throat. What was happening?
But, then there was a light - that great until the whole puzzle scene was before her and whoosh, she dropped into a meadow where the photographer must have stood to take the picture. Even the clouds were exactly the same.
Plop - she dropped into the grass. She got up, checking if she had broken anything on her landing - but everything was fine (although she might have a bruised butt tomorrow). Turning around, thinking she could see the family room table with the puzzle, it wasn’t there. She was IN Grand Teton National Park. In the picture!!! In a large green meadow, next to a lake, which was at the foot of the mountains.
Suzanne did scream again - and this time it came out - loud and clear!!! HELP!!!!
But, nobody came, there was no help! There didn’t even seem to be a parking lot, no cars, no buildings, nothing. Somehow Suzanne Wright was alone in the world - without a cell phone, without anybody knowing she was gone!!
Panic time!!! But, Suzanne knew there was some kind of magic at work. It must have been something with the puzzle.
Telling herself to relax, and practicing deep breathing, Suzanne made a little progress in calming herself. She forced herself to look at the beautiful scenery that just a few minutes ago was the scenery on the box and on the unfinished puzzle. She could pick out which one of the peaks was the one actually named “Grand Teton”. She noticed the snow on the mountain - and then a thought shook her. This was Christmas - December 25th (or so it was back in Aurora Nebraska), but the Tetons on December 25th would have a lot of snow. No, somehow the picture had taken her to the day the photo was snapped - seemingly mid-summer. There was plenty of sunshine and some scattered clouds. It wasn't warm like a summer day in central Nebraska, but it was pleasant. But, when a cloud blocked the sun it seemed as if the temperature dropped ten degrees.
Well, that eased her mind a little. She wasn’t in the Tetons without a coat on December 25th. Then another thought. She had been in her casual shoes while she worked on the puzzle - and yes, as she looked down, she was still in her same shoes and same clothes. The grass felt nice on her fee - although a little cool!!
“Hello” came a voice from behind her.
She jerked around. She had looked before and hadn’t seen anyone, how could somebody sneak up on her?
But, there was no person there. There was a big elk close to her staring at her - after all, she was the out-of-place one!!
Suzanne was trying to think. Were elk friendly? Would this animal charge her for no particular reason? Should she run away or take slow friendly steps away from this huge animal? And, the big question? Who had said “hello” to her?
She put on a smile - not because she was overly happy, but she wanted to show positivity. Still looking at the elk, she said very tentatively, “Hello”.
The elk spoke to her, and how she understood she had no idea. “What are you doing here?”
Maybe this was like Dr. Doolittle who could talk to the animals. The voice was low, in the bass range, and very slow. It wasn’t quite a Southern drawl, but it was slow and ponderous. And, it wasn't that she imagined it, the lips moved as the elk talked.
Suzanne recovered enough to say, in a friendly voice “I seem to be lost”. She thought if she told the elk about the puzzle and the weird trip through the air, it wouldn’t make sense to an elk.
The elk looked back at her with bright, brown eyes. And in the sonorous voice said “Welcome” and then added as if thinking it over, “The grass is very good this year."
Suzanne didn’t know what to say back, so she smiled and said, “That’s nice”.
The elk continued “Are there more of you? Generally you animals come in packs or herds, yakking in a wagon and pointing a little box at the mountains.”
By this, she thought he meant tourists taking pictures of the mountains.
Suzanne answered, “I am alone”.
Trying to keep a conversation going, she said "My name is Suzanne, what's your name?"
The elk looked like there was something inside and if thinking could get it out. Slowly he said, "I'm Bufford".
The elk looked at her a minute without saying anything, and Suzanna looked at him (she assumed it was a ‘him’ as the animal had antlers), Then the elk said, “Have a nice day”, and started chewing the grass again.
*****
Well, that was strange, thought Suzanne. Well I know one thing, I can talk to the animals, and understand them. She quickly corrected herself - or I can talk to at least one animal and understand him.
A few more elk had come into the meadow, since she didn’t have anything else to do, Suzanne slowly and deliberately moseyed up to another elk, this time, without antlers. She thought that must be a cow or female elk.
“Hello,” she said to the elk who was grazing but had stopped when Suzanne came close to her.
“Hello” replied the elk. This voice was a little higher but still sonorous and slow.
Suzanne didn’t know what to ask but wanted to keep the conversation going. “Do you live near here?” She knew that was a dumb question, but what else do you ask an elk? It was as if the elk was a tourist getting off a bus and pointing a phone or camera towards the mountains.
This elk looked back at Suzanne and switched her head across the nearby lake. “We live over there. We graze here in the summer.”
They talked a few seconds as Suzanne got the animal's name - Colisa. Suzanne thought Colisa was maybe an older elk as there were some gray hairs around her mouth. (She also thought that Colisa had bad breath. She was trying to remember - did elk chew the cud like cows? Maybe she had burped? Colisa said "Bye" in that slow steady voice and went back to chewing the grass.
“Crack”. That sounded close. Suzanne turned around and saw two male elks (well, they had horns) charging at each other. Oh yea, she thought two ‘juvenile’ males fighting over a female probably.
She meandered over the meadow for a while. She thought maybe she would see a road or some man-made item, but, alas, this was nature’s playground, not frequented by mankind!!!
Well, Suzanne thought, this is not getting me back home or doing much else for me. Maybe I just need to relax and not get so worked up. The sun was bright and she found a comfortable rock - if any rock can be comfortable - by the lake. As she walked she didn't notice a muddy hole and she stepped in it and the water and the mud-soaked into her casual shoes. It was cold!!! Her jeans had gotten wet with the water too. Brrr.
She watched the insects buzzing over the lake - and then the birds (were they swallow? sparrows? wrens?) scoop down for a treat. Occasionally a fish might make a splash. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. When she woke up, her neck and head were sore from sleeping on the puzzle.
Did she imagine it? Maybe - or maybe not.
<to be continued>
************
LOVE WINS!!!
HUGS!!!
Karen
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