{"id":2232,"date":"2013-10-31T03:15:23","date_gmt":"2013-10-31T03:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/?p=2232"},"modified":"2017-10-23T23:06:40","modified_gmt":"2017-10-23T23:06:40","slug":"the-jam-she-makes-by-mikhail-tank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/the-jam-she-makes-by-mikhail-tank\/","title":{"rendered":"The Jam She Makes by Mikhail Tank"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure style=\"width: 260px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.everywritersresource.com\/writingsense\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Exit-of-the-Red-Death-020.jpg?resize=260%2C390\" width=\"260\" height=\"390\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Exit of the Red Death<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">The Jam She Makes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">by Mikhail Tank<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Lucy was an oddball and a loner. She only trusted one person her whole life, Sam. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">She tried to have girlfriends and lovers but everyone ended up disappointing her and indirectly, made her feel more and more alienated. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Sam was 27 years older than Lucy and his time on the ether was about to expire. Lucy was inconsolable and couldn\u2019t imagine ever living without Sam\u2019s wisdom and advice. She had loved him thoroughly, not the fickle way of lovers, but true dense love, so complete that she felt fully empty and lost without a couple of days of phone-inspiration.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Secretly, Lucy was a sci-fi nerd, experimenting with chemistry sets and doing all kinds of arduous research. She fantasized about keeping Sam\u2019s genuine and never-to-be-found again friendship for all time, not only in her mind but in living form. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Lucy had saved throughout her life, she was a trust-fund baby taught by private tutors, which may have contributed significantly to her emotional disability. She simply couldn\u2019t connect or trust anyone but Sam.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">What was it about Sam?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Well, he was spiritual and a true gentleman. He would always respond to Lucy\u2019s multiple crises. When she had a flat tire and no auto club membership, when she forgot which restaurant made the perfect ravioli, when her heel broke off \u2013 he picked her up on his bike. He never let her down, the most faithful of dog-men.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">She could never be with him physically; because that would break the distance they so carefully carved out. He was, in essence the father she never had and she was his princess-daughter.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">She did some research and called a Cryogenic facility in Arizona, where she spoke to a representative about Life Extension Benefits. She understood that a person must be placed into ice immediately upon death and flown to the facility for the \u2018forever therapy\u2019 to take place. Life insurance could sometimes cover the costs. She was only partly satisfied. After all, she wanted to communicate with Sam, but never through a medium.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Lucy invited Sam for coffee and brought a bunch of papers with her, she proposed over a Latte, \u201cSam, my dear one \u2026 I never want to lose your friendship, I always want to keep you close, and by the way would you do me a huge favor?\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">He nodded. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Dear one,\u201d she kissed him on the left cheek, \u201cI have a brilliant thought. We can schedule your going-away party, and then I will administer a special good-bye liquid and freeze your amazing friend of a brain. I\u2019ve been working on this awesome jar thing on wheels. It has a speaker and is shock, earthquake, water and bullet proof.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">What exactly are you talking about, honey?\u201d slightly shivered Sam. You could see a bit of sweat forming on his forehead. His blood pressure was elevating, \u201cI\u2019m listening\u201d. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Sam,\u201d \u2013 she whispered. \u201cI\u2019m going to keep you as my best friend for forever and I mean it. You know how in marriage vows, they say \u2018Till Death Do Us Part\u2019?\u201d He gulped and spilled some of his coffee. \u201cDeath will not part us sweetie\u201d \u2013 she was so jubilant, that she basically was dancing with her face.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">You mean to say that my brain will live in that jar and talk through the speaker?\u201d \u201cYES!\u201d she exploded as if having multiple orgasms, \u201cExactly! Some folks walk around with a portable oxygen tank and I, my Dear Sam, will walk around with You!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Although he nearly lost consciousness, a smile slowly appeared on his shaking face. He had nothing to lose; he had nothing else to live for. He was, in essence, a desperate man. And so he signed her papers and lived happily ever after, in the can. Just a girl and her dear brain friend. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><i>Epilogue \u2013 5 years later<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Lucy, now older with an emerald pendant and malachite bracelet, in all greens rolls a large jar on the street, speaking through a blue-tooth. Coming towards her, was a mom with a stroller.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Oh, what a beautiful baby\u201d states Lucy. \u201cThank you, lovely lady\u201d \u2013 answers the infant\u2019s mother. \u201cWhat is it that you are carrying in that futuristic jar?\u201d \u201cOh, that\u2019s just the talking brain of my best friend, wanna see?\u201d Lucy ecstatically responded. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">The young mother, in fear yelled out like a cat in heat and vanished with her baby as quick as a rabbit.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Oh Sam, you\u2019re MY baby forever\u201d she whispered, while strolling the jar brain into the grey-orange sunset. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">###<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<pre><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Writer, Director, BBC interviewee, Creator of the Darksoul Theatre\u00ae, Guinness <\/span><\/span><\/span>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Record holder in the Arts, 3 time (Stephen King) Dollar Baby Film-maker. News:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">mikhailtank.com\/news<\/span><\/span><\/span>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">&amp; @MikhailTank<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lucy was an oddball and a loner. She only trusted one person her whole life, Sam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[375],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-literary-story"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2232"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2232\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3592,"href":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2232\/revisions\/3592"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}