This Is Nebraska

 

2024-07-04 “This Is Nebraska” by Emma 

Emma looked at Jenn and tried to understand what she’d been saying. According to her, 144 years had passed since she hopped that train heading for Memphis. She ended up in a truck in Omaha. Jenn said she didn’t understand how it happened and neither did the man, Merritt.

Emma took a deep breath. “Well, I reckon I oughta stick with you two while…”

She didn’t know what to say, so she just changed the subject. “Well, thanks for showing me about the bath… bathroom. I don’t even know what to think. All the hot water just comin’ outta the spigot. You sure I can just use it?”

Jenn nodded. “It goes with renting a room in a hotel or being in a house. You won’t find many places in the USA that don't have plumbing these days.”

Emma closed the door behind her and slipped out of her clothes. Jenn showed her how to turn on the water and make it hot. There was a bottle in her backpack that had been her satchel before the time had swapped it—had soap in it specially for the hair. Jenn had explained it all. Emma thought it smelled real pretty, and was glad to give it a try.

Then while she was letting the hot water run all over her, everything from the last two hours came on her at once.

All them years—144—what had happened to her daddy and mamma? Jenn said Merritt’s folk had shifted with him like nothing different. Emma had no idea how she’d ever find out. She had a thing in her backpack Jenn called an iPhone. Jenn promised to help Emma figure it out later.

“This is all too much…” Emma’s eyes started tearing up and she felt little sobs catching in her throat.

Her tears mixed with the water running out of the spigot over her head. Emma just stood there and cried for a little while.

Then, she thought about Jenn and Merritt. Jenn had told her they felt like they were drawn to each other, just like Emma had felt earlier out in the parking lot. 

“That’s bound to mean something…”

She was glad that Merritt and Jenn were with her, and relieved that they were near about as confused as she was. She figured, maybe, it would be alright. And there was nothing for her to do but find out.