{"id":150,"date":"2021-05-03T11:59:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T11:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/141.148.246.190\/index.php\/single-post\/take-me-back\/"},"modified":"2022-05-04T14:36:03","modified_gmt":"2022-05-04T13:36:03","slug":"take-me-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/index.php\/2021\/05\/03\/take-me-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Take Me Back"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A Short Story<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cTake me back,\u201d she said with a wistful gaze, and a hand played over loose strands of hair.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI cannot,\u201d they said, and dipped the pole again into the stream. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Bent, the wood pressed into mud and pushed them farther through unmoving waters.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWhy don\u2019t they move?\u201d she asked the figure.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThey cannot,\u201d they replied, \u201cfor they are dead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cDead,\u201d she echoed, not quite knowing why. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cYes, dead,\u201d they said again. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cBut, why?\u201d she asked. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWhy are they dead, or why are they unmoving?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThe waters, I mean,\u201d she said. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThere are no more ripples here,\u201d they told her. <\/span><\/p>\n

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The ferry glided through smooth, glassy waters. She gazed over the edge and saw nothing through the black.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cCan I make one?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cA ripple?\u201dr<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cYes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cNo,\u201d they said. \u201cYou cannot make a ripple.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWhy not?\u201d she demanded, suddenly angry. \u201cI’m here, aren’t I?”<\/span><\/p>\n

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They didn\u2019t respond, but rather dipped the pole through the waters again. The ferry shot forward, suddenly speeding. Hot, dry wind hit her face and yet her hair did not move. Her eyes did not blink. She could not feel it, she realized. She only thought she had. She realized they were nowhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cYou remember what they told you,\u201d the figure asked, \u201cabout the phantom limb?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cYes,\u201d she said. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s what it is,\u201d they smiled, though she could not see their face.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cHow?<\/em>\u201d She asked again.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s not for you to fix.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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She looked at her hands. The tips of her fingers. The whorls were gone. \u201cMy fingerprints,\u201d she realized.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWhy would they matter?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWell\u2026\u201d she paused. \u201cThey don\u2019t, I suppose.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cNo,\u201d the figure agreed. \u201cThey don\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI never really noticed them before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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They didn\u2019t respond. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cCan I steer the boat?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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They said nothing in reply.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cPlease?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cNo. It\u2019s not yours to steer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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She swallowed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cYou don\u2019t know the way.\u201d The figure said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cNo one does,\u201d she whispered.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cNo one<\/em> does,\u201d they agreed. \u201cSit back. Close your eyes and rest.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t want to,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWant<\/em>,\u201d the figure tutted.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI am tired,\u201d she admitted.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cOf course you are,\u201d they nodded. They held the pole over the water. The drip drip drip <\/em>echoed everywhere, even though they were nowhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cAre you sad?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The figure tilted their head to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cAlright,\u201d she amended, \u201care you here? Really?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat is here?\u201d they asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI thought you knew,\u201d she said, angry again.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cDon\u2019t ask, or don\u2019t see?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cYes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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A pause. \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cVery good,\u201d the figure smiled, and suddenly she saw where they were going.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cOh,\u201d she said in surprise.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s never what they expect,\u201d the figure said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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She turned away from it. She lay back and closed her eyes. \u201cI don\u2019t want to see it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cRest, now,\u201d they said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cTake me back,\u201d she murmured.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cAh,\u201d they said in satisfaction, \u201cthere it is. I see the ripples.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cTake me back,\u201d she said with a wistful gaze, and a hand played over loose strands of hair.
\n \u201cI cannot,\u201d they said, and dipped the pole agai<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[80],"series":[],"class_list":["post-150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fiction","tag-short-story"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/pexels-engin-akyurt-1446948-e1650801992437.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"amazon":{"key":"amazon","url":"https:\/\/music.amazon.ca\/podcasts\/09c34bbc-b359-49af-a286-31830ed5634c\/short-stories","label":"Amazon","class":"amazon","icon":"amazon.png"},"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/short-stories\/id1621456328","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_play":{"key":"google_play","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbGV4aXN2ZWVuZW5kYWFsLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qvc2hvcnQtc3Rvcmllcw","label":"Google Play","class":"google_play","icon":"google-play.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbGV4aXN2ZWVuZW5kYWFsLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qvc2hvcnQtc3Rvcmllcw","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0lcQCRs52MfYlKs35lVX4K","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"itunes":{"key":"itunes","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/short-stories\/id1621456328","label":"iTunes","class":"itunes","icon":"itunes.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/feed\/podcast\/default-podcast","embedCode":"

Take Me Back<\/a><\/blockquote>