Anaya Miller bookwormanaya@gmail.com Literature & Composition. 4 2 18 My Italian Guardian Angel I am writing this in the 23nd century. The year is 2227. (Although by the time you read this it will be 2327.) I am a 27-year old African American female. I flew back to America to put this short story in the time capsule. It's just about something that happened to me a few years ago (when I was 23). I wrote it in my journal and edited it. Maybe some of you people from the future will believe it. I almost don't believe it myself. But, you can decide for yourself. Every morning before I go to work, I visit the ATM. I went to this certain ATM that is located next to the bank that is around the corner from my apartment. Something strange happened when I tried to withdraw my money. I asked for $10, but the ATM gave me $50. I tried to give back the $50 and get my $10, but the ATM went dark. So, I took the $50 and began my day. At the end of the day, I was surprised to find that I had used all of the money the ATM had given me. The next day, I asked for the same amount, and I was given $26. I used it all. That was 7 months ago. I got used to the ATM giving me the money I needed for the day. But then, one day, I asked the machine for $10. Instead of $50, $26, or $45, it gave me $10 million. I headed home with $10 million in my pocket. On the way, I saw something interesting playing on one of the news drones. I stopped it and listened. It said that President Yosuko had passed a law that allowed the persecution and execution of Christians. Being a Christian myself, I was a little terrified. I reached my apartment, and saw that there was a paper stuck under my door. I picked it up on my way inside. It was a handwritten letter that said:
Annie, As you should know by now, the president has passed a new law. On this paper are a list of instructions to get you safely out of America. Please follow them to the letter. Pack up all your things. Whatever you don't take with you will be disposed of. Call (1) 704-889-2367. Ask for 'The Old Man'. Tell him that you need a ride to the station. When you reach your destination, call +44 (0) 473-639-1479 on the nearest payphone, and ask for a house. Once you have done this, you may restart your life. Call the above number (the second one) if you need anything else. Just so you know, you don't have to follow the instructions. You have no idea who we are, or where you will be going. If you do not want our help, please put this paper down your garbage disposal. If you do decide to let us help you, please follow the above instructions, and have a nice trip. -Freddie S. Truth I am extremely curious, and this sounded like the adventure I've always wanted. So, I packed all my favorite things, I didn't have too much since I was renting my apartment, and called the first number. A man answered. He sounded foreign, but I couldn't place his accent. I asked timidly for 'The Old Man'. The voice on the other side of the phone asked what I wanted. I quietly asked for a ride to 'the station'. He told me he was on his way, and to wait inside. About 10 minutes later, I heard a knock at my door. Hoping I wouldn't regret it, I opened the door. Standing before me was an bearded old man dressed plainly in a plaid blue shirt, khaki shorts, and a wide-brimmed straw hat. He said he was 'The Old Man', then he picked up my bags and motioned for
me to follow. We walked to what I assume was his maroon van. He threw my suitcases in the trunk, made sure I was situated, and took off. For most of the drive, we sat in silence. When I noticed that we were heading for the airport, I freaked out a little and demanded to know where I was going. He calmly told me that he was taking me to the station, and someone would help me. I was silent, he hadn't told me much. The Old Man said that I could get out at any time. I stayed silent and waited anxiously for the ride to end. We arrived at the airport. The Old Man took my bags again and lead me inside the main terminal. He walked straight up to a janitor and said, "The days are dark." "But there is a cloud on the horizon," the janitor responded. Then he turned and walked away. The Old Man and I followed him at a distance. The janitor unlocked and slipped into a dark room at the end of a hall. I hesitated to walk inside, but I went anyway. The room was plain and small, only about 20x33 feet. It seemed to be made completely out of cement, and it was very dimly lit with a single light-bulb on the ceiling. At the far end of the cave-like area was a UFO-shaped 'car' that was about 12 feet in diameter. It was halfway inside a dark tunnel that lead down into the floor. The Old Man placed my bags in the UFO and turned to me. He told me that the UFO, he called it a 'subterranean vehicle' and the janitor called it an 'underground train', would take me somewhere safe. Away from the new law, the President, and America. I was given one more chance to back out, but I didn't want it. I simply asked if I could go to New Zealand, I have some friends there. I wasn't answered, the janitor helped me in as The Old Man shortly explained that the ride would take about 8 hours. Then, the door to the UFO closed, and the interior lit up. The UFO was pretty spacious. Half of it was a couch that ran along the side. I could lie down if I wanted to. The other half of the vehicle had the bathroom, a door, and a Food Machine. (Food Machines have the power to teleport food from the Food Factory to the machine.) Above 1/2 of the 1/2
couch and the Food Machine was a touch-screen TV. I was able to sign into my Netflix account and occupy myself for a few hours. I used the Food Machine to make a pizza, and watched more Netflix. I was halfway through The Notebook when the UFO shuddered. I had another mini freak-out session. Then, the door opened. I was in another concrete room. A different janitor stood in front of me. "The days are dark," he said. I noticed that he sounded Italian. Automatically I responded, "But there is a cloud on the horizon." The Italian janitor helped me out of my UFO and handed me my bags. Then I was escorted out of the concrete room. I stopped outside the door with my bags and looked around me in shock. The UFO had taken me to Italy! (It wasn't until later that I realized the UFO had gone overseas, or undersea.) I turned to ask the janitor if I could please go to New Zealand instead, but the janitor and the door to the secret room had both disappeared. I freaked out, and ran my hands over the wall looking for a secret door or something, anything, that would tell me that I hadn't lost my mind. Nothing. I took some deep breaths and looked at my sheet of instructions. I was to call the listed number and ask for a house. I stepped outside of the airport and surveyed my surroundings. The airport was a lot bigger than the one in Oahu. As far as I could see was airport. I walked to the nearest payphone, and reached into my right pocket. The sound of coins colliding met my ears. I pulled out a couple Italian euro coins. I freaked out a little again. The airports usually changed out money when one traveled from country to country, but I hadn't passed through the airport's main gates. I frantically dug into my left pocket and drew out a handful of 5000 bills. I shoved euro coins in the payphone until the dial-tone started. I punched in the listed number and waited impatiently. A nice-sounding woman answered. I believe I was perfectly justified in doing what I did next. I was in a strange country whose language I didn't understand, doors and people had disappeared before my eyes, and my American money had been replaced by Italian euros without my knowing it; I freaked out on the poor lady and screamed, "What is going on?! I just traveled to a
different country by UFO, a door and human being vanished in 3 seconds, I have what appears to be about $10 million in euros in my pockets, and I don't even know who I'm talking to!" The woman on the other side of the phone said, "The days are dark." "I don't have time for this! What's going on?!" "Please continue the thought, dear. 'The days are dark'..." I took a deep breath, "But there is a cloud on the horizon. Now what is going on?!" "I'm sure this is all very confusing, dear," the soothing voice said, "and I will explain it in the easiest way possible. The 'UFO' as you call it did indeed take you from Oahu to Italy. It was a high-tech piece of mechanism, that is reason your money changed. The 'UFO' did it. You may call me Harriet. I assume you want a house?" "Yes, please," I answered, abashed. Harriet gave me directions to the west side of the airport, which I quickly wrote down. It turns out that I was in the center of the airport. At the west side, I got into a bus, paid the driver a couple coins, and waited until I reached the stop Harriet told me about. I eventually arrived at my destination. I stepped out and looked around. I was in Umbria, Italy and it was beautiful. The grass was a vibrant green, the sky was so blue, and the view! I could see forests, hills, and castle-like houses! I hardly dared to hope that I would get to live in a castle. Then, a small, round lady with chin-length white hair walked up to me and introduced herself as Harriet. She walked me up one of the many streets on the road and told me shortly about Italy. We walked up a long driveway and stopped at a huge 3-story house made of stone. I gaped as Harriet described the house. The land was measured to be about 1 1/2 acres, there were 3 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, a swimming pool, a well, an olive grove, a shed, a pergola (which is a cross between a huge table and a gazebo), and the house itself was about 2,691 square feet. Harriet told me that the house was fully furnished, and it was for me! She had gone through all the necessary procedures and everything. I had no idea why I needed such a big house, but I thanked
her profusely, anyway. Though Harriet told me I didn't have to, I insisted on paying for the house. It all came to a total of 530,000 ($653,013). I happily let Harriet count out the money since I had no idea how Italian currency worked. Harriet stayed with me for a few months until I had figured out the ways of Italy. I had even made a few friends. Then, one day, Harriet bid me adieu. She told me that she would see me again someday, if not on Earth, then in Heaven. I hugged her goodbye and made sure not to cry until she had driven away. I don't know what happened to Harriet, but she left me a note on my kitchen table the day she left: Annie, I will miss you so much, dear. But I have to leave. You have made many friends and I know you will be cared for. I am sure you still have many questions. I will answer them. The 'UFO' hasn't been invented yet. It was a futuristic way of traveling. The reason the Italian janitor and concrete room disappeared is because he was an angel. The other janitor was also an angel. The Old Man and I are your guardian angels. God sent us to help you get away from America. He has a plan for you that isn't finished yet. Again, I will miss you, Annie, dear. But I will always be watching over you. Harriet I am now 27 and happily married to a sweet Italian gentleman. We have a beautiful baby girl, and we plan to stay in Italy forever. That is my story. Maybe one or two of you futuristic people will believe it. Annie Caro