Read Online Fear of the Dead by Mortimer Jackson - Free Book Online
Authors: Mortimer Jackson
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dream. More like a memory.”
“ I've had one of those,” which for Grace, had been putting it mildly. More and more often her dreams, whenever she had them, were flashbacks to some of the memorable moments in her youth. The ones that stood out above the rest. And every time she had them, it felt like she was actually there, reliving everything she'd ever done. Basking in the same old childhood victories, and perhaps most of all repeating all the same foolish mistakes. Being with all the familiar people that decades of wisdom would have told her to avoid.
Even though those had been but mere dreams, her mental relegation into the past made her think of the old saying; “Youth wasted on the young.” Even in her dreams, in going back to the times when she made her greatest mistakes, there been so little that she had actually changed.
But they were dreams in the end. And people weren't always in control of their subconscious selves. Nonetheless, there was a lesson to be learned on the foolishness of youth, and in some ways how much people ever truly changed.
“ So what was your dream?”
Linus stared.
“ Kerry and I were on a beach.”
“ Romantic,” Grace teased. Linus blushed.
“ We were walking, holding hands, and talking about eventually having kids. She said she wanted one, and I told her I hoped it was a boy. I was all set to call him Max. She said it was too cocky, and said that if we did have a boy his name would be either Stanley or Christopher. Something that sounded humble and kind. I told her it was a bad idea, and that boys these days were already weak enough without having to add humility into it.”
“ And what did she say?”
“ Tough. It's my belly.”
Grace broke out in laughter. And so did Linus.
“ Funny woman. If only I said that before we named our son.”
“ What was,” and Linus caught himself. “What's his name?”
“ Tatsuki. And it isn’t a bad name, but his father had him named after his uncle who passed away that year. He and I never got along.”
“ Why not?”
But Grace shook her head.
“ No. I shouldn't be talking about it. What happened between us happened years ago, and it isn't right to judge somebody behind their backs. It isn't the right thing to do.”
“ Oh lighten up.”
“ No. I shouldn’t.”
“ You shouldn’t lighten up?”
Grace chuckled.
“No. Not that.”
Linus smiled, and left it at that.
“ At any rate, I was thinking about that idea I had earlier.”
“ What do you mean?”
“ I f I was able to broadcast through a wider range or something, then there’s more chance I’d get a response.”
He droned on over details regarding frequency and signal integrity, none of which made it through to Grace’s head. Still, she nodded and listened as intently as she could, trying to bring herself to understand what he was saying. She gave up mid-way through, and instead humored his apparent moment of brilliance with a series of nods. At the end of it all, Linus had a suggestion in mind.
“ Maybe if I manage to get to a functioning broadcasting tower, or if I can get my radio to work while I’m moving, I might be able to get a response. Say if I was driving cross-country or something like that. Someone out there might be able to hear it.
“ So what are you suggesting we do?”
“ I’m not suggesting that you do anything. I’m suggesting that I go out there, drive around and maybe try and pick up a signal, or at the very least find anyone else that might have a radio.”
Grace tried not to seem mad or disappointed, but she couldn’t help herself.
“ Atton and Eli just left us yesterday, and now you want to go too? It’s too dangerous out there. You don’t know what could happen.”
“ There’s no other option Grace.”
“ There is. There is always another option. And right now, it’s to stay in here and keep ourselves safe.”
“ For how long?”
Grace thought she had the answer in her head, but when she tried to let
“ I've had one of those,” which for Grace, had been putting it mildly. More and more often her dreams, whenever she had them, were flashbacks to some of the memorable moments in her youth. The ones that stood out above the rest. And every time she had them, it felt like she was actually there, reliving everything she'd ever done. Basking in the same old childhood victories, and perhaps most of all repeating all the same foolish mistakes. Being with all the familiar people that decades of wisdom would have told her to avoid.
Even though those had been but mere dreams, her mental relegation into the past made her think of the old saying; “Youth wasted on the young.” Even in her dreams, in going back to the times when she made her greatest mistakes, there been so little that she had actually changed.
But they were dreams in the end. And people weren't always in control of their subconscious selves. Nonetheless, there was a lesson to be learned on the foolishness of youth, and in some ways how much people ever truly changed.
“ So what was your dream?”
Linus stared.
“ Kerry and I were on a beach.”
“ Romantic,” Grace teased. Linus blushed.
“ We were walking, holding hands, and talking about eventually having kids. She said she wanted one, and I told her I hoped it was a boy. I was all set to call him Max. She said it was too cocky, and said that if we did have a boy his name would be either Stanley or Christopher. Something that sounded humble and kind. I told her it was a bad idea, and that boys these days were already weak enough without having to add humility into it.”
“ And what did she say?”
“ Tough. It's my belly.”
Grace broke out in laughter. And so did Linus.
“ Funny woman. If only I said that before we named our son.”
“ What was,” and Linus caught himself. “What's his name?”
“ Tatsuki. And it isn’t a bad name, but his father had him named after his uncle who passed away that year. He and I never got along.”
“ Why not?”
But Grace shook her head.
“ No. I shouldn't be talking about it. What happened between us happened years ago, and it isn't right to judge somebody behind their backs. It isn't the right thing to do.”
“ Oh lighten up.”
“ No. I shouldn’t.”
“ You shouldn’t lighten up?”
Grace chuckled.
“No. Not that.”
Linus smiled, and left it at that.
“ At any rate, I was thinking about that idea I had earlier.”
“ What do you mean?”
“ I f I was able to broadcast through a wider range or something, then there’s more chance I’d get a response.”
He droned on over details regarding frequency and signal integrity, none of which made it through to Grace’s head. Still, she nodded and listened as intently as she could, trying to bring herself to understand what he was saying. She gave up mid-way through, and instead humored his apparent moment of brilliance with a series of nods. At the end of it all, Linus had a suggestion in mind.
“ Maybe if I manage to get to a functioning broadcasting tower, or if I can get my radio to work while I’m moving, I might be able to get a response. Say if I was driving cross-country or something like that. Someone out there might be able to hear it.
“ So what are you suggesting we do?”
“ I’m not suggesting that you do anything. I’m suggesting that I go out there, drive around and maybe try and pick up a signal, or at the very least find anyone else that might have a radio.”
Grace tried not to seem mad or disappointed, but she couldn’t help herself.
“ Atton and Eli just left us yesterday, and now you want to go too? It’s too dangerous out there. You don’t know what could happen.”
“ There’s no other option Grace.”
“ There is. There is always another option. And right now, it’s to stay in here and keep ourselves safe.”
“ For how long?”
Grace thought she had the answer in her head, but when she tried to let
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