Vaccine

By David Anderson

In Vaccine the reader journeys upon pathways where tales veer into sci-fi, fantasy, human torment, murder, or sometimes an enjoyable country stroll. In The Nigerian Scam a man intent on suicide is interrupted by a cold call on his cell phone. The Riddle of the Lintel explains how a child may open up creative possibilities that surprise you. Two boys steal into their neighbor's garage to investigate his car restoration in the Old Man's Garage. They find it more interesting than they imagined. In Kirsten's Photo, a young man is tortured by his ex lover's photograph. Will his lost love return or will he finally give up his devotion to her? In The Hanging, a carpenter in the Old West accused of rape is set to hang on the gallows he himself constructed. Is he innocent? The alleged victim's husband is the town judge and jury. Will Wild Bill Hickok save his soul? In The Tale of Mr. Quinn a man sits on his veranda and greets a woman with the same words from her first day at school as a child until her last as a retiring teacher. But her final day will open a new chapter in her life when she says a final goodbye. In Vaccine we see a match of wits between a journalist and a twisted mogul. In Panhead a young man wakes after a motorcycle accident to find his body virtually destroyed, but there is worse news in store for him. In One Tooth Mystery people around the world awaken to find a mouth with most of their teeth missing.

Many of David's stories are written from ideas he perceives in his daily life and in, In The Presence of Mine Enemies he couldn't resist expanding one of his grandfather's WW1 experiences on the Somme. In The Sorcerer a tourist finds an ancient book and reads the incantations which carries him out of this world. A mystery of the seas that has baffled people for decades is explained in Bitter Heaven while in The Black Cat of Ostia Antica, a black cat meets two backpackers on holiday in Rome. But does he make them welcome? Bees around the world are suffering from climate and man made changes. Is there a way to save them and the planet? David offers a solution in The Pied Piper of Sunflowers.

For a light interlude we see, The Dickens Book, The Method Moment, and in Suzie With the Light Brown Hair, a young man takes a lady for a daily walk and decides to buy her a sparkling present he hopes will delight her. But will her father approve of his intentions? An old man in a nursing home in The Gallant Invalid, meets a new nurse and he is unsure of her motives. How should he handle her amorous onslaught?

Picture this: In The Signal Box you are Andrei, a signalman in a lonely Romanian signal box a century ago and you have a coffin containing the long dead body of a woman to put aboard an early morning train. or is she truly deceased? Abuse of women is a travesty and sadly occurs daily in this world. Is there a way for a woman to fight back-and is it legal? A hard story with a message for the future in, Maria.

Where did modern humans come from and did they co-exist with Neanderthals? In Exile from Nede we see a possibility of our origins on this planet. In The Flight, Jeffrey Talbot discovers he shouldn't be on this airliner as the passengers and crew face a cruel death owing to his miscalculation. In Devil Reef we see a tribute to possibly the greatest horror writer of the 20th Century in H.P.Lovecraft. Bryan Groves, a scriptwriter recovering from a nervous breakdown is offered a house and a cat to mind in Massachusetts while a famous horror writer is on holiday in Jamaica. But will it be a holiday and recuperation period for Bryan?

David hopes you enjoy these tales, and once again, please, beware of the unexpected.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: May 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781922912978

David Anderson

David Anderson lives in Minnesota with with wife Rebecca and their Teddy Bear puppy Buddy. An avid dog lover his whole life, David has translated that passion into his writing. Growing up on a farm, David was exposed to all sorts of animals; raising Cattle, Sheep, Hogs, Horses, and Chickens, as well as caring for his families dogs and cats. "Some of my favorite memories as a child involve running through the pasture with my dogs, and lazy summer days spent lying in the grass with all the animals" Anderson said. "As a young boy I really wanted to be a veterinarian, and while I eventually chose a different path, my passion for animals never wore off." That passion for animals continued as he graduated college and started to make his way into the world. Mr. Anderson launched LP Media, a company that is dedicated to promoting and educating the public about the joys of pet ownership. The company started small, but quickly grew and now helps over a million pet owners every month. Anderson continues to write and search for ways to help other people who are contemplating the decision to become a pet owner. "My work is never done" he said. "I love helping other people and providing great resources that they can use to help better their lives, and the lives of their pets. I plan on continuing to create great products that help pet owners for as long as I can!"

Book preview

2. The Riddle of the Lintel

As the afternoon sun cast shadows across his sketches, he realized he’d been working since early morning, and doubted his ability to finish the project on time. Only his wife’s entrance disrupted his reverie.

You look tired. Why not rest until our evening meal?

He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them as the room swirled before him.

How can I plan to raise these heavy lintels? Tomorrow they’ll demand a result or vote for another artisan.

She observed his wrinkled brow as a sign of his exhaustion. He’d worked so hard to present a workable design for the elders.

She rose and left him to probe any idea that might present itself. She appreciated that as long as he persisted, there remained hope of solving his dilemma, ensuring his family had a prosperous future.

His seven-year-old son played beside him, immersed in his lesser version of his father’s work. With his small wooden blocks assembled to represent the form, he dug a hole, arranging the soil up around his upright blocks. His father paused and found delight in observing his offspring’s creation, when his contemplation evaporated instantly. He picked up the startled child and embraced him. Tears of joy and love flowed, and he was confident of a completed blueprint to offer to his superiors. He shouted to his wife who ran to see the cause of his excitement.

Dearest, our son presented me with a solution. One I’d never have imagined.

~ ~ ~

Five millennia passed, and a family stood admiring the magnificent edifice created by the above designer. The father wrinkled his brow in contemplation.

I can guess how they arranged the standing stones, but how did they lift those huge beams to span between them? They must weigh forty tons.

His spouse grinned.

Maybe it was aliens? I can’t imagine building it back then without a crane. Her young son folded his tourist guide and tugged at her skirt.

Excuse me, Mother. It’s easy. I know how they did it. His father laughed and waited for the answer.

Well, come on, Gregory. What’s your idea?

The boy’s face gleamed with the fervor of a craftsman.

Okay, Dad. After you have the two tall stones in the ground, you dig a large hole, use the dirt from the pit, and build it up level with the tops and between them. People with ropes slide the lintel up the slope until they are over the two stones. Then they dig away the soil and put it back in the hole. With his arms extended, he gave a cheeky grin of pride, while his father screwed up his face in thought.

Lintel?

The builder called it that when he placed that big chunk of wood over the gap where they removed the wall in our new kitchen.

His parents considered this before deciding their son’s theory was a good one. The father patted his shoulder.

I think you’ve figured out the puzzle, Son.

He radiated admiration for his child as they strolled around the boundary. The youngster grasped his father’s hand tighter and beamed the proud smile of the boy in the distant past, when he, too, first solved the riddle of Stonehenge.

3. The Old Man’s Garage

After expulsion from Stanford University’s Physics Department, Professor Colin Tuckwell retired to a quiet avenue in Portola Valley, and following a long-held dream and a love of Steve McQueen, purchased an unrestored 1967 Mustang coupe. For months, the clamor of welding and swearing radiated from Colin’s garage. His teenage neighbors yearned for the project’s completion, while offers to mow his lawns for a future coveted ride were rejected.

Tuckwell left for a drive one morning, and the boys agreed to undertake a cursory inspection. Ryan discovered the door unlatched.

That’s amazing. The old coot never locked it.

With trepidation, the brothers entered Tuckwell’s sanctuary. Jayden whistled and running a hand along a coupe’s hood, eyed a vast assortment of automobile parts and electronic apparatus.

The Mustang’s still unrestored.

Ryan’s eyes settled on another vehicle.

Maybe that’s what the silly fart’s been building? It looks weird.

What is it?

Ryan opened a hatch and sat on the bench seat.

I love the body shape and glass roof. But where are the wheels? I think he’s designed it himself.

Wow! Look at that dashboard. No steering wheel either, just a lever. Maybe it’s an EV?

Jayden bounced in beside him and admired the leather upholstery. He shuffled a knob on the panel and the tone of a generator winding up filled the shed.

That’s the whining sound we hear sometimes. What’s this?

Ryan motioned to stop him from pushing the lever, but Jayden was too swift.

~ ~ ~

Colin Tuckwell stared in dismay at his unlocked workshop door. On entering he found his treasured Mustang untouched. But he screamed in horror as he found his newly developed time machine‍—had vanished.

4. Kirsten’s Photo

Another failed romance, and all that travels with it: heartache, cold bed, torture and depression. Garry had possessed high aspirations for his girlfriend as Kirsten was elegant, affectionate, and soon wished to marry. What caused her to leave? Was it his fault?

To hell with it. This self-pity had to end. Lighting her photographs in a frying pan he burned his fingers while snatching his favorite from the flames. He reached for the gilt-edged photo frame he’d purchased that morning, then kissed his ex-lover’s photo. Tears fell as he commenced to place it in the frame. He paused‍…and at that moment he knew existence without this exquisite woman in his life would be impossible. He lay down and gazed in adoration at the photo frame on the bedside table, until he fell asleep dreaming of lost romance.

It became a daily ritual of staring at his beloved’s image with pain gnawing at his soul, realizing there was no prospect of their ever being together. The days stretched into weeks and months and he lost communication with friends and gave up his Italian restaurant employment, causing complaints. The lasagna was never the same. He was living on the remnants of meager savings, fast running out, and at night before bed, he wept, and slept with the photo frame on his pillow.

~ ~ ~

It was time to find her. If she only understood how it possessed his every waking hour, leading to a path toward insanity, she must love him, and enjoy the rest of her existence with him. Internet surfing over many nights at the keyboard bore fruit, and at last he found hope.

Dialing the number, a female voice answered. It wasn’t her but pouring out his story of dedication and affection he pleaded.

Can you put her on the line; arrange a date or a meeting for coffee? It’s vital we meet, or it would be a tragedy. Please talk to her.

The reply was crushing. Despair carried him from the pits of obsession to madness, and turning to the bay window, he jumped from the seventh story to the street. Traumatized brain matter resembling a dropped egg spilled out of his shattered skull, as fragments swam in the rivulets of blood that meandered along the pavement toward the gutter. A pedestrian looked in horror at the remains, while his dog licked at the glutinous fluid that moments before held such promising aspirations of future wedded bliss.

Above in the apartment, a Chinese accent drifted from the telephone earpiece. Uncertain if the caller had heard the response to the query, she repeated it‍…

Sir, do you hear me? Our organization only makes the picture frame units, not the photo advertisement insert. The headshot model lives in Beijing, and we cannot give you an introduction for security reasons. Are you still there‍…‍?

5. Vaccine

Blackwood Viral Research Center‍—Mojave Desert‍—U.S.A. 1810hrs‍—March 14, 2032.

I do not know how you penetrated this sealed compound. But I’ve an excellent idea why. You surmise my research foundation has something to do with the current worldwide viral pandemic?

Yes. I’ve got evidence it’s you infecting millions of innocent people with H7p. You’re recognized across the globe for your generous philanthropy, yet many poor countries will soon be among the casualties.

May I offer you coffee or wine?

What?

Perhaps a flute or two of the 1988 Krug collection would be a fitting climax to your fascinating life? Oh, I’m sorry. It’s a pity you’ve a wine allergy, so I have a superb non-alcoholic chardonnay for you.

At last, Ingrid Nielsen’s brain was clearing from the ketamine injection she’d received after her discovery in the machinery room.

You impress me.

Carter Blackwood smiled, appreciating his duplicity was unsuspected.

You’re such an outstanding investigative journalist, Ingrid. When you covered the Ashby trial and met a particularly handsome red-haired lawyer, he suggested coffee, then dinner, and in two days you were screwing. Daniel knew you inside out on the second date.

Bastard! Spittle flew across Blackwood’s mouth, and he ran his tongue over his lips as if savoring it. Ingrid appeared confused.

So, you’re not concerned I might be asymptomatically infectious?

Never. We’ve been tracking you for over a week and you’ve not contacted anybody personally. Yes, you caught us out. We designed the virus in our laboratory. As you are to be‍…exterminated, I’ll reveal the truth. It’s such a thrill seeing you squirm on the most important article of your life and you can’t broadcast it. May I relate a confessional tale?

I promise to writhe like the worm you are. Confess away, you sick fuck.

Blackwood ignored the insult, but it stalled him for a beat.

Tell me. How many people so far, are infected with this virus?

Close to five hundred million? It escaped the U.S. closed borders three months ago.

More or less. Our goal for a half a billion has been attained.

"What happens now? You’ll make a fortune on an amazing vaccine? Of course, it was manufactured before spreading the virus and that’s why you assumed my saliva was not a