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schizoauthoress_libraryTitle: Satisfaction Guaranteed
Author: D.L.SchizoAuthoress
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Season One, Episode Nine of "The Twilight Zone" (1980s revival) - Wong's Lost and Found Emporium
Warnings: none
Prompt/Fill: the story grabbed me, that's all.
Word Count: 443
Summary: David Wong finds his lost chances, and takes his place as the latest manager of the Lost and Found Emporium.
Word of the Day: pigeonhole, verb: To lay aside for use or reference at some later, indefinite time.
Note: The original short story was written by William F. Wu, and adapted into a teleplay by Alan Brennert. Click here to read William's experience of the adaptation, if you're interested.
There are further stories that have to do with the Lost and Found Emporium, but I have not read them yet. This is a continuation of the episode only.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
"You could try it out," Melinda suggested, "on them."
She looked to her left, and David followed her gaze -- seeing the old man who'd lost the respect of his children. David turned, looking down another aisle, where he suspected the old woman who'd lost the time to practice her craft was still slumped and crying. Indeed, she was. Unlike before, the sight of them did not inspire bitterness, or the cynical certainty that they'd only gotten what they deserved. David felt a pang of sympathy for their suffering, and the desire to alleviate that suffering.
He turned back to Melinda, and asked, "I lost one chance to help them, didn't I?"
She smiled and gave a little nod. "You got it, brown eyes."
"And what can be lost can be found again, can't it?" he persisted. He wanted the confirmation -- despite his instincts and Melinda's seeming to work out so far, the working of this shop were still a mystery.
She knew that he needed her support, and her smile widened as she nodded again. To Melinda's eyes, the globe of light appeared again, hovering behind David's shoulder, and she led the way to where Mrs. Whitford sat beside the empty plastic box.
Mrs. Whitford looked up at them with dull, sad eyes -- so different from the talkative, almost manic woman she'd been upon entering the Lost and Found Emporium. David felt another pang in his chest at the sight, and dropped to one knee so that they were at eye level again.
"I was cruel," he said, "I didn't care before that you lost your chance for more time, and I'm sorry."
She stared through him for a moment, but then her eyes focused on him. And then Mrs. Whitford frowned, and murmured, "You're young. I didn't realize... before, you sounded so weary of the world..."
"Aren't we all?" David asked, with a small, wry smile to take most of the sting from the question. Mrs. Whitford laughed, just as wryly.
"I've got it!" Melinda announced brightly.
David looked up at Melinda, relieved to see her holding another item labeled with a pasteboard tag. Mrs. Whitford frowned.
"I don't understand. I lost my chance to be an sculptor twice already." She glanced between the two of them, David and Melinda, as Melinda crouched down to also be at her level. "No duplications, no exchanges, wasn't it?"
"This is David's lost chance," Melinda replied.
"My chance to help you," David explained.
Hope rekindled in Mrs. Whitford's eyes, and David knew he was doing the right thing. He was doing the right thing, and he wanted to keep doing it.
Melinda started to read.
*-*-*-*-*
Author: D.L.SchizoAuthoress
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Season One, Episode Nine of "The Twilight Zone" (1980s revival) - Wong's Lost and Found Emporium
Warnings: none
Prompt/Fill: the story grabbed me, that's all.
Word Count: 443
Summary: David Wong finds his lost chances, and takes his place as the latest manager of the Lost and Found Emporium.
Word of the Day: pigeonhole, verb: To lay aside for use or reference at some later, indefinite time.
Note: The original short story was written by William F. Wu, and adapted into a teleplay by Alan Brennert. Click here to read William's experience of the adaptation, if you're interested.
There are further stories that have to do with the Lost and Found Emporium, but I have not read them yet. This is a continuation of the episode only.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
"You could try it out," Melinda suggested, "on them."
She looked to her left, and David followed her gaze -- seeing the old man who'd lost the respect of his children. David turned, looking down another aisle, where he suspected the old woman who'd lost the time to practice her craft was still slumped and crying. Indeed, she was. Unlike before, the sight of them did not inspire bitterness, or the cynical certainty that they'd only gotten what they deserved. David felt a pang of sympathy for their suffering, and the desire to alleviate that suffering.
He turned back to Melinda, and asked, "I lost one chance to help them, didn't I?"
She smiled and gave a little nod. "You got it, brown eyes."
"And what can be lost can be found again, can't it?" he persisted. He wanted the confirmation -- despite his instincts and Melinda's seeming to work out so far, the working of this shop were still a mystery.
She knew that he needed her support, and her smile widened as she nodded again. To Melinda's eyes, the globe of light appeared again, hovering behind David's shoulder, and she led the way to where Mrs. Whitford sat beside the empty plastic box.
Mrs. Whitford looked up at them with dull, sad eyes -- so different from the talkative, almost manic woman she'd been upon entering the Lost and Found Emporium. David felt another pang in his chest at the sight, and dropped to one knee so that they were at eye level again.
"I was cruel," he said, "I didn't care before that you lost your chance for more time, and I'm sorry."
She stared through him for a moment, but then her eyes focused on him. And then Mrs. Whitford frowned, and murmured, "You're young. I didn't realize... before, you sounded so weary of the world..."
"Aren't we all?" David asked, with a small, wry smile to take most of the sting from the question. Mrs. Whitford laughed, just as wryly.
"I've got it!" Melinda announced brightly.
David looked up at Melinda, relieved to see her holding another item labeled with a pasteboard tag. Mrs. Whitford frowned.
"I don't understand. I lost my chance to be an sculptor twice already." She glanced between the two of them, David and Melinda, as Melinda crouched down to also be at her level. "No duplications, no exchanges, wasn't it?"
"This is David's lost chance," Melinda replied.
"My chance to help you," David explained.
Hope rekindled in Mrs. Whitford's eyes, and David knew he was doing the right thing. He was doing the right thing, and he wanted to keep doing it.
Melinda started to read.
*-*-*-*-*
no subject
Date: 2018-06-12 12:30 am (UTC)This was very good! Thank you for this!