Somewhere In Time – A TWILIGHT ZONE story

You’re traveling through another dimension,
a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind;
a journey into a wondrous land
whose boundaries are that of the imagination.
Next stop: THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
-Rod Serling
Somewhere In Time – A TWILIGHT ZONE story

Lee Parker loved hearing about his family’s roots. His
Grandmother has decided that Lee’s interest should be
rewarded, so she gives him the wedding gown that once
belonged to his Great, Great Grandmother, Leeah. What Lee
doesn’t know is that his life is about to take an
unsuspected turn, especially when you visit a relative
in… THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

***

It had been up there all the while that I was growing up, I
remembered seeing it way back in the corner covered by a
large plastic dry-cleaning bag. I had seen it many times
but never had I seen it actually in a photo.

“That’s your Great Great… Great grandmother’s wedding
portrait.” She gently held it for me to look at her.

“Doesn’t seem very happy…” I added.

“Back in those days, you didn’t smile for a portrait.” I
gave her a questioning look to which she added, “Getting
your portrait was a really big deal back in those days. And
a wedding portrait was a very special occasion.”

“She looks like she was upset.” I laughed.

“Maybe she was…” Grandma slid it back inside the clear
cover that was protecting it. “She was a mail order bride
from the East Coast.”

“No kidding…” I leaned over and looked closer at the tin
photo. “She doesn’t look very old.” I pointed at her pretty
face and looked at my Grandma.

“She was only 15 when this picture was taken, her husband
was around 25… he was considered pretty old in those
days.” She smiled and began to turn the page.

I stayed her hand and moved the album so I could see it
better, “She was no older than I am right now… that’s too
freaky.”

“It wasn’t too weird back then, actually it was quite
common.” She pulled out an old note written long, long ago,
handling it very carefully by its edges.

“She wrote this on her wedding day…” She held it so I
could see.

“I thought the people back in those days were supposed to
have such great handwriting… hers looks crappy, just like
mine.” I kidded Grandma.

“Don’t be too hard on her… if you could read and write
back then, you were considered really lucky. She was the
only one in her new little family that could read OR
write.” She sat there smiling at me, “In fact, like most
great women of her time, she would teach her children to
read as well… I even think she taught Great, Great…
Great Grandpa Sam.” She touched me on my nose with the end
of the paper, “Besides, writing with those quill pens
wasn’t that easy.”

I looked at her picture again and the way the blacks
weren’t reflecting the light… it seemed that you could
almost see the actual tin showing through the lighter
colors. In fact, it didn’t even appear that the blacks were
black at all… more like a really earthy brown.

“At least she was pretty.” I commented. Then realizing that
Grandma still had the note, “What’s it say?”

She lifted her glasses to her eyes and began to read the
paper. “April Sixth, 1865…Dakota Territory.” I raised my
eyebrows at the date, as Grandma continued:

Dear Grandma,
What have I gotten myself into…
now look at me, only fifteen and married…
to an older man! He has been quite kind to me,
but I am very afraid of how this evening is
going to go… he mentioned that the homestead
was somewhere around four miles from the town.

I can see our little wooden frame house standing
out in the middle of nowhere… Did I say our?
Even the sound of those possessive words bring
dread to my heart… why… why? From the look
of things, it is a small farm, I can see a few
buildings and some cows grazing in a small
pasture. Here and there a chicken dashes…
How can I farm? I know absolutely nothing about
farming… I could just cry.

A farmers wife? What has happened?

“See… I told you that she wasn’t very happy.” I pointed
at her portrait again.

“Well what do you expect, she was only fifteen and suddenly
had herself thrust into the life as a wife… just days
before, she was probably dancing and enjoying her
friends… I’m sure she wasn’t used to the life that she
was going to be leading.” She tucked the note back into the
album.

“Well, at least she did have some family she could talk
to…” I added as I glanced again at the album. Grandma
smiled and let her glasses drop from her face where they
hung suspended at her chest.

“I’m not following you Lee…”

“Well she wrote to her Grandma… at least she had someone
she could talk with.” I pointed to her note.

“I doubt if she probably ever saw her Grandmother again,
remember that she was from the east…” I didn’t see what
she was getting at, she sighed and pointed out in space…
“East…. where she grew up… west… where she was now.
It took days and days to get letters across that amount of
territory. That letter probably took a few weeks to reach
her grandmother.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re probably right… she may not have
even mailed it.” I pointed back to the bottom of the
yellowed page, “She didn’t even sign it or finish writing.”

“That’s pretty observant of you Lee, I didn’t even think of
that.” She took another look at the letter.

“I wonder why she kept it?”

Grandma smiled, “Many women of the west kept journals,
maybe this was one she was going to start.”

“Pretty short journal.” I laughed.

Grandma frowned, “She probably never really had time to
write… the kids came along pretty soon.”

“How many did she have?” I asked.

“I think she had six.”

“I would’ve figured she had almost ten or so…” I added.

Grandma paused at my comment then continued, “Oh that was a
big family back then… for the territory. Most women died
during childbirth without the modern medicines.”

“Grandma Leeah must have had a really rough life way out
there in the middle of nowhere.” I commented thoughtfully
causing my Grandma to smile.

“Don’t feel too bad for her… she ended up loving her
husband very much. In fact I think they were married almost
55 years when he died sometime around 1920.” I whistled at
her comment.

“Do you remember her Grandma?” I asked.

“Oh, yes. I remember her quite well… she didn’t die until
1944. She was quite old by then… somewhere in her late
ninety’s I would suspect. I used to sit and listen to her
talk about the old days and some of the ones that were to
come… you see, she was a very special person.” She smiled
and laid the book down on the coffee table.

“How so?” I asked.

“She just knew what was going to happen long before it
actually did… almost see into the future.” She patted my
leg and stood up. “She said that she knew that the War
would officially end with the North winning and she
surprised Grandpa Sam when she gave him the day, place and
how President Lincoln would be killed.”

“Why didn’t she try to stop them?” I couldn’t believe that
she didn’t try to contact someone about her premonition.

“Now think, Lee… if a woman in those days would have
contact anyone about that kind of information… they would
have laughed at her. Besides, Sam probably did laugh
because it wasn’t until later that month that Lincoln was
assassinated. It would have probably been after the fact
that they would have gotten word.”

“So, you expect me to believe that she knew things were
going to happen long before they really did?” I thought
Grandma was pulling my leg.

“She knew all about both World Wars, and how they were
going to end… she told me that one day man would walk on
the moon. That was when I was just a little girl, but long
after she was laid to rest… it happened.”

“She should’ve marketed her gift.” I looked back to the
book, “Imagine what she could have made in the stock
market.”

“Oh… even though knowing finances back in those days was
highly unusual for women… she was quite shrewd. She knew
when to invest, what to invest in… and more importantly,
when to sell. She even dabbled in Real Estate way back
then… she piled quite a sizeable sum of money onto some
worthless desert out west.”

“I bet Grandpa Sam wanted to kill her.” I laughed at her
buying up land in the desert.

“Well he knew by then to trust her judgment… from all of
those years of being married to her. You know that land in
the desert…” I waited for her to continue, “It later
became a suburb of Las Vegas.”

I whistled, “She must have been loaded with money by the
time she died.”

“She did alright, but most of it was divided up with her
children.” Grandma said walking into the kitchen. “It
spread it out pretty thin… well… if you consider a
million dollars each, thin.” I widened my eyes.

“Wow! Did you ever see any of her money?” I was hoping some
of it was still around.

“A little, most of it was spent sending my Grandparents to
some of the best schools in the country. As we got older
she even started to spread the wealth around to her
Grandchildern and Great Grandchildren a bit as well. I owe
my entire education to that remarkable woman.”

I pulled a cup from her cabinet and filled it with ice,
“So, other than your education… and those albums, that’s
all you got that was hers?”

“She had given me other things… most are in the attic.”
She poured my glass full of a fruit punch. “I even think
she had written a longer journal at one time, but I really
don’t remember where they were kept.”

“Journal? She might have written some of her future
investments in those… I sure wish I could get my hand on
them.” I grinned while taking a sip.

“I suppose she might have written some of her thoughts down
on them… if you knew where to find them.” She gave me a
thoughtful look. “Most of what I have are the photo’s and a
few trinkets of her jewelry.”

“And her old dress…” I added.

“Now how did you know about that?” She gave me a sly smile,
“You been snooping around in my attic?”

“No Grandma…” I laughed, “I just remember seeing it when
you sent me once to look for something. It’s always been a
curiosity to me, ever since I first saw it covered up with
plastic. I always wondered who it belonged to… now I
guess I know since her wedding photo confirmed it.”

She giggled at my squirming from under her gaze, “Some of
it might be worth only a trifle… some of it could be very
valuable… but it’s only just odds and ends…
remembrances and keepsakes.”

“If they’re valuable, you should really think about
insuring them.” I took a long drink from my glass and
watched the ice spin as it floated.

“You know, that’s probably not too bad of an idea.” She
began to look for a notepad. “How about if you and I go up
there sometime tomorrow and catalog what she left for me.
Maybe there’s something up there you would like to have of
hers.” She tussled up my hair and laughed.

I could hardly sleep that night, my mind constantly mulling
over the vast riches of my Great, Great… Great
Grandmother. I was hoping to find a box full of precious
stones or coin, or maybe her journal… now, that would be
cool!

Soon enough, morning began to peek through the curtain of
my window. I quickly bounded from my bed and pulled on my
clothes, today being a Saturday, gave me quite a long day
to rummage through Grandma’s attic. I raced from the house
and headed straight down the long walk towards Grandma’s
home. My normal thirty minute walk seemed to just fly past,
and I was soon running across her lawn and up to the door.

“Hi Grandma!” I shouted through the screen.

“Up here!” I heard her shout back from the area of her
attic.

I opened up the door and headed up her steep stairs, “Where
are you?”

“In the attic… come on up!” I raced up the rest of the
stairs and found myself in her hall. After a quick trip
down a couple of bedrooms, I found a narrow stairs leading
up.

“Hi Grandma… started without me I see.” I kidded.

“I came up here about an hour ago… there’s just so much
stuff here.” She brushed a stray gray hair from her face.
“I had forgotten just how much clutter I had up here.”

I looked around, “Just how much of this is Grandma
Leeah’s?”

“Not that much… most of what you see is mine.”

She gingerly stepped down a path in the center, “Most of
her stuff is back here.” She pushed aside a dressmaker’s
form and motioned for me to head back using her path.

“This is all of her stuff… there really isn’t that much.”
She bent down and picked up a round hatbox. Lifting the
lid, she laughed as she picked out a yellow hat with a few
feathers hanging from it. “This looks like it was from the
twenty’s. I remember playing with it as a little girl…
that’s probably why I have it now.” She placed it back in
and closed the lid.

I crouched down and began to root around in the boxes,
“What are these for?” I held up what looked like records
but they were way too thick.

“Those are Victrola records, they go with that old Victrola
over there. It’s kind of like a record player.” She pointed
to a cabinet next to the wall. It looked strange, like a
tall box on thin gently scrolling legs, to the right of the
cabinet a small bent handle came out. “You turn that crank
and it winds up the little gears and springs… that makes
the old records play.”

“Was that Grandma Leeah’s?” I asked.

“No… sorry, that’s mine.” She laughed, “I told you that
most of this junk was mine.”

I sat the record back into the box and pushed it aside,
“Hey, check this out Grandma.” I picked up a huge frame and
showed the photo it contained to her, “This is another
picture of Grandma isn’t it?” I blew the dust off of the
glass and used my sleeve to clean away the cobwebs.

“Yes… why yes it is.” She turned it toward the little
swinging light we had suspended from a long cord above us.
“That looks like another wedding portrait, only this is
much bigger.”

“And she’s alone.” I stood up and looked over Grandma’s
shoulder at the ancient photo. “She was really pretty…” I
added.

“Yes she was, I remember my Grandfather Charlie saying she
had long lovely blonde hair… and eyes as blue as the
sky.” She looked lovingly at her Great, Great Grandmother’s
image. Then as if to clear up my confusion, “Grandpa
Charlie was her youngest son.” I nodded my head.

She looked at the image and then at me, “I hadn’t realized
it but you favor her quite a lot. You both have those light
blue eyes and blonde hair… nobody could ever say you two
weren’t related. You’re both very pretty people.”

“Uh… thanks Grandma… I think.” She giggled and handed
the photo back to me. “Why did she become a mail order
bride?”

“No one ever said why she did… maybe she just wanted to
get out of the house. It was quite common for young girls
to marry then, so to escape their strict parents and be off
on their own.” She pushed more boxes aside, “Here’s another
box of hers.”

I helped her carry it to the aisle, “Looks like more
photos.” I said as I pulled the lid off.

“And here’s some jewelry…” she said pulling out a small
wooden box. “I think Great, Great Grandpa Sam made this box
for her.” She raised the lid and pushed around the gaudy
jewelry, “Here’s the broach she’s wearing in her portrait.”

I looked at the beautifully crafted item. It was a medium
sized shiny blue stone with lacy golden strands of wire
that were woven all around it in a gentle pattern. The
broach itself was attached to a white lacy choker that tied
behind her neck.

“Wow, that’s really pretty.” I said looking over Grandma’s
shoulder.

She smiled and laid it back into the box,

“I’ll have to have them appraised for the insurance
anyway… we had better keep these where we can get at
them.” I took the box from her and sat it on top of an old
dresser.

“That’s pretty much it, Lee.” She said as she moved another
stack of boxes, “Other than this.” She pulled out the
ancient dress still draped in the dry-cleaning bag.

“She must have been a really tall woman.” I commented as
she held the gown out.

“No… I think she was about as tall as we are.” Grandma
corrected me.

“But look at how long that is…”

I pointed to the skirt, which dragged the floor. “She had
to be almost six inches taller than us, Grandma.”

Grandma laughed and handed the dress to me to hold, “She
wore it with all of these…” She grunted as she leaned
across some boxes to pull out another bag.

“What’s that stuff?” I asked her as I got my hand on the
other end of the box and assisted her in pulling it into
the aisle.

“Women dressed a bit more complicated in those days… see,
first they would put this on.” She held out a long garment,
which was made from a light material, “Then they put this
on…” She laid a short corset down that was intertwined
with hardened stays and strings that laced down one side.

“They must have roasted in that stuff…” I laughed.

“Well it probably wasn’t comfortable, I’m sure of that!”
She laughed, “Over both of those, she would have worn all
of these.” She lifted up huge piles of lacy webbing that
had been compacted from ages of being crushed in the box.
“All of these would take up the extra length you’re
seeing… so you see, she probably wasn’t any taller than
you.” She smiled and placed them back on the box.

“She wore all that crap full time?” I was surprised at the
amount of items she laid out on one of the many boxes.

“Don’t be silly, she only wore this stuff when she would
dress up… most women would just wear a couple of
petticoats under the dress.” She laughed and pushed them
into the boxes.

“Help me take these to the living room… I’ll show you
what I mean.”

She took the dress from me and I gathered up the box and we
both headed down stairs. When I sat the box down she sent
me back up for the dressing form that we kept moving from
one side to the other so we could gain access to the other
boxes. Finally when I carried it back down she had me set
it in the center of the room.

I glanced around the room, it seemed she had an item of
Great, Great, Great Grandma Leeah’s laying on each piece of
furniture. “Go get the little wooden box full of her
jewelry for me, Lee.” Again I headed back up into Grandma’s
attic, grabbed the box and carried it back down.

Grandma had already placed the light undergarment over the
form. “This would have been her underwear.” It looked like
a long nightgown to me… gathered up between the legs.
Almost looking like baggy pants… I said as much to
Grandma.

“Well, you’re right… she would have worn that to bed as
well.” She continued straightening out the gown over the
form.

“Looks like it would be hot to me…” I spoke aloud.

“Well… she probably wore it in the winter. In the summer,
she might not have worn anything at all.” Grandma laughed.

I wrinkled up my nose as a sudden image of my withered up
Great, Great, Great Grandmother in the nude came to mind.
“Then she would have had this on…” Grandma put the corset
on and laced it in the back. “I don’t think anyone has ever
had this on since your Grandma Leeah wore this… so it
should still be her size.”

I tried to help by getting her the gown, “No… you just
hold that, I’m not ready for it just yet. These are first.”
She began to pull out the gauzy items one by one from the
box. “She would have worn these to give her long skirt
body, and make it fuller.”

I watched as she placed one after another over the last one
until she ran out of them… each time she fluffed the last
up before adding the next. “Now… we can put the dress on
her.”

I handed the antique gown to Grandma and watched as she
pulled it over the entire ensemble, “Oh… isn’t that just
lovely Lee?”

“Yeah, it is pretty.” I watched Grandma move around the
front and push the box toward the corner but hesitated and
reached back into the box. “Hey, look what I just found?”
She held up a pair of shoes that had buttons running up the
side toward the top.

She carried them over to the dress and propped it under the
front so the toes just peeked out from under the gown.
“Oh… it’s so lovely Lee.” I just stood there watching my
Grandmother’s excitement of seeing the dress in it’s
entirety for the first time.

She backed away and her gaze went from the floor, upward
until she stood beaming. “What?” I asked.

“Try to look at me without smiling…” I thought it was a
strange request but did as Grandma wanted. “From this
angle, with you standing where you are… it looks exactly
like Grandma Leeah’s standing there.”

I laughed. “Right Grandma… only I don’t have her long
blonde hair.”

Grandma laughed as well, “Or her womanly curves.”

I looked at the dress and walked around it, “This has to be
in pristine condition, Grandma. It has to be almost museum
quality.” I gently touched some of the beadwork lightly
with my hand, “It has to be worth a fortune.”

I looked up and noticed that Grandma had left the room, I
laughed and bowed to the dress, “Well madam, may I have
this dance?”

I grabbed the dress around the waist and made a slow circle
until I stumbled over the shoes. When I regained my balance
I quickly put everything back the way Grandma had it, and
stepped away just in time.

Grandma entered back into the room carrying an old box, “I
had put this away a long time ago… when your mother was
young. I was afraid it would get her into trouble… I’m
glad I kept it.” She sat the box down on the floor and
pulled a very long blonde wig from its bottom.

“What did my mom have that for?” I laughed, figuring I had
something over my own mother for a change.

“She thought all the boys had a thing for long… long
hair. I was afraid that she would wear it and end up in the
family way, before she was ready. I hid it from her about
thirty years ago.” She laughed and handed it to me.

“What do I want that for?” I said as I tried to hand it
back.

“Well… Lee, I was wondering if you would put it on?”

“The wig? You have got to be kidding Grandma!”

“Please Lee, I would love to see Great, Great Grandma
again… to see how she looked young.” I rolled my eyes and
slowly put the long hair on my head.

“I feel like a rock star.” I laughed and started to bob my
head and play my imaginary guitar.

“This isn’t going to work, hold still a minute.” She picked
up the old wooden box and carried it to me. “Here. Hold
this!” She began to pull out some items and mess with the
wig. “This wig must have set your mother back a pretty
penny… it’s made from real human hair!” She commented
while stepping back.

“There, now stand behind the dress so I can see how you
look.” I did as she asked and waited for her to go back
around to the front. She looked back up at me and gasped,
“Oh… my gosh Lee. You look just like her.”

“Great… that all I need.” I crossed my eyes at her,
causing a little laugh to escape.

“Oh come on… humor your old Grandma a bit.” She motioned
for me to straighten up and look at her.

“I feel so stupid.” I grumbled, “What if my friends see
me?” I gently lifted the wig from my head and laid it back
on the couch.

“Party pooper.” Grandma laughed and pushed her lip out in a
pout. She glanced at her watch then at me. “Where has the
time gone? Help me put this away and you’d better be
heading home… it’s already past six.”

“I’ll help you put it away after church tomorrow.” I
shouted behind me as I headed out of her house.

***

I came home from church with my parents and quickly threw
myself down on the couch, we had eaten lunch at a local
restaurant and I felt very full and sleepy. This was the
normal routine with our family, church, restaurant and
sleep… ever since I could remember.

Mom and Dad kept busying themselves around the house and I
began to get a bit irritable at them for bugging me.
Finally they stood in front of me and waited…

“Well?” They asked.

“Well what?” I replied annoyingly. I was fifteen and very
tired. “Why do you keep staring at me?”

Mom turned toward Dad, “He forgot…”

“Looks that way…” Dad replied shaking his head.

“Forgot what?” I groaned… all I wanted to do was sleep.

“We’re supposed to be on our way to Uncle Phil’s.” Mom
crossed her arms.

“I took the day off tomorrow so we could take our time
getting back.” He smiled and patted my mother’s behind
softly.

I groaned, “Oh… man… I forgot. Crap! Do I have to go?”

“Yes.” Mother demanded.

“If the boy doesn’t want to go… then why should we force
him?” Dad winked at Mom and slid his arm around her small
waist. “I’m sure that we could get along just fine without
your company.”

I rolled my eyes at them, “Geesch… get a room.” They both
laughed and kissed.

“Yeah, well someday you’ll want to kiss your honey in front
of your kids… so get used to hearing them complain like
you do.” Dad laughed.

“Just wait… you’ll see.” Mom chuckled.

There was a heavy pause, “So, you going?” Dad’s voice
finally broke the silence.

“Do I have to? I’m really sleepy.” I whined.

“That’s what happens when you play those video games until
the wee hours of the morning.” Dad scolded.

“Fine… you stay here and sleep. We know how to have fun
without you.” Mom patted my leg.

“Yeah, you stay here and get some sleep… we’ll see you
sometime tomorrow!” Dad laughed at his own little joke.

I heard them slowly walk out of the house and lock the door
behind them, “Stay out of trouble… and NO friends are
allowed over.”

I must have slept for an hour when the phone began to ring.
I fell off the couch as the phone startled me, “Hello?”

“Hi Lee… It’s Grandma.” The voice on the other end said.

“Oh, hi Grandma. You waiting for me to come help you put
that dress of Great, Great, Great Grandma’s away?” I yawned
and scratched my head.

“That won’t be necessary Lee, I decided that since you were
admiring that dress so much… well, I just gave it to
you.”

“Huh?” I said, her comment bringing me to my senses. “Gave
it to me? Why?” I quickly glanced around.

“I want to keep it in the family, your father wouldn’t know
what to do with it… so I decided to give it to you.” She
smiled into the phone. “It can sit in your attic as well as
it can in mine.”

I didn’t know what to say, she continued…”I’ll come over
in the morning to help put it away.”

“Uh… that won’t be necessary Grandma, I can get it. I
guess we can sit it up in the garage until I can put it
away.” What was I going to do with an old dress?

“Oh… I already took care of that for you.” Grandma
replied, “I put it up in your room while you were at
church.” I looked straight up the stairs.

“Ok, thanks for the gift Grandma… I’ll put it away as
soon as I can. Uh… you going to be home later tonight?” I
asked.

“No… I had to wait on Mr. Markling to finish working on
my car… I’m heading up to Phil’s now.” She sighed.

“Why didn’t you catch a ride with Mom and Dad?” I replied.

“I probably should have… but I don’t like being a burden
on anyone. I can manage, I’ll just be a couple of hours
late anyway. One quick phone call to Phil’s and nobody will
miss me for long.” She laughed. “Well, I best be going…
have a long drive to Phil’s ahead of me.”

“Okay Grandma, you take care. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I
slowly hung up the phone, unsure of whether I should have
volunteered to ride up with her.

I slowly walked up the steps and headed into the bedroom
where I saw the dress just laying on the bed. Next to it, I
saw the box that held the long blonde wig. Slowly, I let my
fingers glide across the beading from her dress. I picked
up the dress and pressed my cheek against the shiny
material. I stood up and held it out, trying to figure just
what I was going to do with it.

As I held it there, I happened to glance into the mirror on
the back of my door. If it weren’t for my short haircut, I
would look like a young lady holding that dress… most of
my body would have been covered. I looked back toward the
bed where another box was laying, placing the dress down on
my bed, I took the lid from the box, and carefully pulled
the golden locks from inside.

I kept resisting the urges I was having, when I realized
that my folks wouldn’t be home until tomorrow… again I
looked at the dress. Slowly an erotic plan was forming in
my young head.

Again I lifted out the golden hair, I stepped toward mirror
and placed it upon my head, Grandma had left all of the
hair pins still in place as the hair was held up… still
looking in the style of the 1800’s. It was up, but still
very loose. I stood there and smiled at my mirror,
imitating the coy way a girl would have been. I walked
across the hall and slowly pushed the door to my parent’s
room open.

On the other side sat my mother’s vanity, I quickly slipped
across and gingerly took up her liquid liner and placed
some thinly and lightly around my eyes. I crimped my eye
lashes until they curved gently upward, with trembling
hands I began to lengthen and darken them with her mascara.

By the time I had finished, I looked very feminine. All of
the makeup was light and not garish in the least… I was
surprised at just how easy it had been done. I had only
watched my mother put on her makeup, never having done it
myself before today.

The girl in the mirror was very attractive, her narrow chin
coming to a delicate point. She had a small nose, but an
attractive one at that. I was about to stand up when I
noticed mom’s vanity drawer open, I gently pulled at the
handle. Inside, it was full of small thin pieces of plastic
shapes that looked like fingernails, next to it was a small
bottle that looked like clear nail polish.

I opened up the little bottle and brushed some on my little
finger, quickly pressing a small nail into place and
holding it there. I smiled, as it looked rather real on my
finger, one by one I continued on until I had every one in
place. I slowly touched my slim hand to my face relishing
the feeling of the delicate nails gently caressing my skin.

In only moments I had made my way back into my bedroom,
there still lying on the bed was the gown. I walked toward
it slowly as a tiger to its prey. Gently I fingered the
round buttons on the back, forgetting any inhibitions, I
began to quickly remove my clothes from my body except for
my underwear. Slowly I put each item on just as Grandma had
shown me. First was the light underwear. Then I swung the
corset around my waist and frowned when I realized that I
couldn’t tie it from behind… well, that wasn’t entirely
true… I could tie it, just not draw it up like it needed
to be drawn.

Then an idea came to me, I backed up to the post of my bed,
and after a few moments, I had tied the pulls of the corset
hooked on to them. I only had to lean away from the post
and allow my own strength to draw it up for me. After a few
extra tugs I reached around and slid the pull from the
post. I was gasping for breath by the time I finally tied
it off, but the look was remarkable. I slowly turned toward
my mirror and raised my eyebrows in surprise, I now had a
very girlish figure in the mirror.

The undergarment had been low enough in the front to allow
the corset to gently push and pull my skin into a fairly
decent amount of cleavage. I gently stroked the top of my
chest and felt the slight rise and fall of my slight
breasts. I smiled as I felt myself becoming aroused, I was
going to let my imagination carry me away and would…
er… handle that little problem later.

Again I started to layer the petticoats over each other
until I had them all floating around my feet. I pulled out
her shoes and was surprised as they effortlessly slid onto
my own feet. I used an old antique buttonhook of my
Mother’s to fasten them up to the top. It was rather
unusual to be standing there wearing this strange ensemble,
I shook my head and gently picked up the dress.

Sliding it over my head I pushed my arms through the holes
and smoothed the material into place. It was quite lovely.

I reached behind me and after a moment had the top three
buttons completely hooked and let my hands drop to my side.
“Dang, Grandma Leeah… I bet you were some babe wearing
this contraption.” I ran my hands down the sleeves and
straightened up the seams, I couldn’t help but notice that
the corset was giving me an illusion of a very feminine
figure, “Gosh…I do look like Grandma Leeah!”

I slowly turned my head around and smiled like I had seen
her smile in the portrait. I couldn’t believe how pretty I
looked in the dress… or how much I resembled my ancient
Great, Great, Great Grandma. I stood there looking for a
moment…something was missing, then it dawned on me. “The
broach!”

Lifting up my skirts I glided across my room and began to
search the bed, sure enough it was there. I gently lifted
it up and tied its long white lace string behind my neck.
As I turned again to face the mirror my overhead light
suddenly flashed and I heard a loud pop.

I blinked a number of times and tried to clear the white
flash imprint from my mind. Slowly it left, and I was again
able to focus, I realized that I had stumbled and must have
fallen against the bed as now I was in a sitting position.

“That’ll do it.” I heard someone say.

I began to look around, I wasn’t sitting in my bedroom
anymore… but where was I? A little old man moved around
to the front and motioned behind me. “Okay… now you come
on up and have a seat.” Then he looked at me, “Missy,
you’ll need to stand behind your husband for this photo.” I
slowly turned around and looked up, straight into the face
of the man in the photo… it was Great, Great, Great
Grandpa Sam.

I felt my knees weaken as he held my hand to steady me,
“Careful now Leeah, I want you healthy for our first
evening together.” He smiled and pulled me close, gently
kissing my upturned… and completely stunned lips.

I moved behind the chair, held on to the back and steadied
myself, he had stepped around and took a seat. “Perfect!”
The little balding man smiled as again a brilliant flash
appeared before my eyes.

I blinked away the spot and was helped to the door by
Grandpa Sam. There before the open door was countless
buggies and coaches traveling back and forth along the
street. A rider tipped his hat to me as he passed, “Good
Afternoon Ma’am.”

A trembling hand rose to my pinned up hair and slowly
tugged at the base, I felt a sharp stab of pain… it was
real hair. Looking down I saw the deep cleavage of my very
female form.

Now everything became clear, I suddenly knew how my Great,
Great, Great Grandmother could know all of those things
before they happened. I swallowed hard and gasped with
fear, I was her… she was me. I felt myself become light
headed, “I have become my own Grandmother…” My trembling
voice shook from the sudden realization.

I heard a buggy come rolling up, and a horse blew…
suddenly a man appeared at my side, it was Sam. He took my
hand and led me to the step on the boardwalk’s near side.
In one fluid motion he lifted me up and deposited me on the
seat. “Light as a feather…” He bounded up beside me and
leaned over and kissed me. “Let’s see about fattening you
up… if you get my drift.” He laughed as he gave the
reigns a snap.

I felt my eyes welling up with tears, ‘Now I know why she
looked so sad in the picture. Oh, Grandma… what have I
done?’ I thought to myself. As we rode on I sat in silence,
still stewing in my fears and confusion.

I happened to glance at my tiny feet protruding from
beneath my gown, there next to them was a pad of paper. I
gingerly picked it up began to look for anything I could
find to write with, I noticed a small clutch purse ornate
with beading to match my dress hanging from my right wrist,
inside I found a tiny traveling pen set, complete with a
miniature vial of ink.

I began to write…

April Sixth, 1865… Dakota Territory,

Dear Grandma,
What have I gotten myself into…
now look at me, only fifteen and married…
to an older man! He has been quite kind to me,
but I am very afraid of how this evening is
going to go… he mentioned that the homestead
was somewhere around four miles from the town.

As we rode on, he mentioned that the homestead was
somewhere around four miles from the town. Only he was the
one to speak, I remained a silent captive of my fears. He
continued to speak in his soft drawl, both soothing and
comforting to my confused ears. I realized that he was
trying to draw me into a conversation, but I wouldn’t
bite… I was afraid.

I can see our little wooden frame house standing
out in the middle of nowhere… Did I say our?
Even the sound of those possessive words bring
dread to my heart… why… why? From the look
of things, it is a small farm, I can see a few
buildings and some cows grazing in a small
pasture. Here and there a chicken dashes…
How can I farm? I know absolutely nothing about
farming… I could just cry.

A farmers wife? What has happened? Only yesterday
I was speaking with my Grandmother about the very
woman I had just become.

I closed the pen up as we rolled into the farm yard,
“Whatcha writing there Leeah?”

“Oh…nothing.” I replied in my soft feminine voice as I
rolled the paper up and slid it into my bag. How could this
have happened… what caused it? Could I ever return to the
time that I was accustomed? Despair filled my entire being
with dread…How else could my Great, Great Grandmother
have known the information she had… unless she could see
into the future? The only way that it was possible would be
if somehow I have become caught in a time loop and had
become her… God this was confusing. I remembered my own
Grandmother saying that she could foresee the future well
into the 1940’s… that meant that I would be stuck as
her… long into our relative futures.

That meant, I was now my own Great, Great, Great
Grandmother… for the rest of my life. I felt a tear begin
to gather at the corner of my eye, all my family… my
parents, Grandmother… all now gone to me. I would have to
wait many, many years to even speak with my own
Grandmother. I sighed, I will never be able to see my own
parents again… well, not until I was born again. I sat
staring at the shadow our buggy was casting on the ground
when Sam broke my depression.

“It ain’t much… but we can call it home.”

As soon his horse stopped, he jumped down and ran around to
my side where I was trying to place a foot on the step and
climb down without falling, I was having an impossible time
seeing the step beneath me with such a full skirt.

“Here, let me help you down.” He had his big hands around
my tiny waist before I could reply.

He raised me up and held me there, my feet dangling about a
foot off the ground. “I sure never did see anything as
pretty as you are Leeah…” Slowly he lowered me onto the
ground. “Uh… I… uh… ain’t never been around many
women folk… so you’re gonna have to forgive me for not
being a real gentleman.”

He started to scoop me into his arms and I placed a tiny
hand on his huge bicep, “Shouldn’t you see to the horse
first?” I wanted to prolong my eventual fears as long as I
could.

He smiled and pushed his hat back, “You sure you ain’t been
raised on a farm?” He smiled and kissed the back of my
hand. “My pappy always said, you can tell just how good a
mother a woman would be if she takes care of the animals
before anything else… if that’s the case, you’re going to
make a perfect Mother.”

For the life of me, I didn’t know why I blushed… but, I
could feel the heat on my cheeks. He quickly began to
unhitch his horse, all the while he smiled at me. I found
it hard not to return his smile. It only seemed a moment
that he was finished and had begun to walk… or should I
say stalk his way toward me.

“Uh… shouldn’t you feed it. Um, that way… we’ll have
more time to ourselves.” I wanted to keep throwing things
his way… I definitely didn’t want the evening he was
hoping for to come.

He smiled and pulled a large scoop of oats out of a barrel,
“Enough to take us well into the morning.” He laughed as he
dropped a second scoop into the big horses feed box.

“Now Mrs. Parker… let’s see about making you my wife.” He
said as he gathered me into his arms and carried me across
the yard toward the little house. With one hand he held me,
the other he pushed the door open, “Here’s our little
home… the place where we’re going to raise our youngins.”
He said as we quickly walked through the door and into the
small living room. Here’s where you’ll wile away those long
winter days making quilts to warm us.

Then into another room he carried me, “And here’s where
we’ll wile away those long winter nights.” He slowly
lowered me down onto the bed. “It’s been a long time since
I have been with a woman as pretty as you.” Slowly he
leaned into me with a kiss. I laid in stunned silence as he
straightened up and slid his jacket off, throwing it into a
chair in the corner. Hooking his thumbs around his
suspenders he slid them off his shoulders.

He must have known that I was afraid, as I laid there on
the top of the bed trembling. He had his shirt unbuttoned
and hanging on his shoulders when he looked down at me.

“I’m sorry, Leeah… I didn’t realize that you never…” He
looked around embarrassed and stepped out of the room. “I
can wait… I ain’t about to force myself on to any woman
as pretty as you.”

Slowly he turned and disappeared from my sight, I could
hear him in the kitchen as he began to stoke up a fire in
our stove. I sat up on the bed and faced myself in the
mirror. I was definitely not the boy I had been only a few
short hours ago… I was Leeah… and all woman.

He came to the door and stuck his head in, “You want a cup
of coffee?”

“Sure Gran…uh, Sam.” I almost called him Grandpa.

He smiled and ducked back out of the room. I stood up and
moved toward the door, leaning against the doorjamb. He was
a quite handsome man, almost having the size and rugged
good looks of a Tom Selleck. His forearms were huge from
all of the hard work he had done during his life, skin
darkened from exposure to the sun. He saw me watching him
and smiled, making his moustache even wider.

I couldn’t help returning his smile, he straightened up and
sat the blackened coffee pot on top of the stove. “Been
batching it so long… almost seems second nature.” He
laughed. He turned around and leaned against the hand hewn
table. “You create quite a vision standing there…” He
said referring to me.

I felt my face flush, “Thank-you.” I said as I folded my
arms just below my chest.

“I wasn’t sure if I had died and gone to heaven… when you
sent me your picture.” His arms rested on the table with
each rugged hand firmly gripping the edge. “I couldn’t
believe my luck.” His shirt fell away, exposing his
tremendous physique.

I felt myself suddenly become aware of the effect he was
having on my body, I couldn’t let him see what he was doing
to me. I turned and quickly stepped toward the window,
always aware of his movement. I must have stood there for a
half hour as he suddenly appeared beside me. “Your
coffee… Leeah.” I took the cup from his hand and slowly
rose it to my lips. He was standing there staring at me,
watching me blow across the surface in an attempt to cool
the hot liquid.

He sat his cup down, then gently using the back of his hand
began to glide it up the length of my arm. I felt my body
tremble. I knew now why Grandma Leeah stayed with this
man… she had become deeply attracted to him. But could I?

He slowly closed his hands around my cup and gradually took
it from me, placing it next to his own. My mind raced with
the fear of what he was doing, should I bolt for the door?
He smiled and gently raised my chin, his eyes seemed to
penetrate deep into my soul. Those old photos could never
do justice to his eyes… so clear and blue. I began to
tremble and took a small step back, my retreat being
blocked by a chair.

We stood there for what seemed like minutes, him looking
lovingly at me… while I fought with the realization that
this man was my Great, Great, Great Grandfather. Then he
slowly leaned into me and kissed my soft lips, his
moustache tickling my skin. I realized then, that in this
time…for the rest of my life, he was my husband… my
Sam. He had to be, otherwise my own existence… my
Grandmother’s existence would be forfeit.

Slowly his arms encircled my slim waist, I had stopped
resisting. I felt him working the buttons at my back until
I could feel his hands near my waist. I felt the top of the
dress fall open as his hands slowly slid it over my
shoulders. I looked down as one hand tenderly pushed the
gown’s sleeves off of my arm.

I raised my eyes to meet his. “What’s happening to us?” I
whispered to him.

“What has been happening to husbands and wives who love
each other for thousands of years.” He smiled and let my
dress fall into a heap on the floor.

Again he kissed me softly, this time on my slim neck. I
felt him began to draw on the corset string, suddenly it
loosened as he pulled it open. I felt the sudden release of
my ribs and waist, almost causing me to gasp in comfort. He
smiled and kissed the top of my chest and shoulders.

Deep within my being, I began to feel a longing for this
man. Was I becoming a woman… in mind, as well as body? I
could feel the young nipples on my chest suddenly become
erect with arousal as he began to kiss lower. I let my head
roll back and sighed deeply, slowly I felt him tug on the
string of the broach. He pulled it away and laid it down.

He tenderly took my head with both hands and kissed me,
then slid his hands up into my hair and removed the pins
that were holding it up. My hair began to cascade down
around my shoulders and breast, enveloping us both in its
erotic tendrils. He suddenly scooped me up and began to
walk us both toward the bedroom, all the while he never
removed his lips from mine.

***

Just like that child yet to be born many years from now…
Leeah’s own fate was sealed that night, when Sam took her
gently in his bed. She would find within time, the gentle
swell of her belly would foretell the future of their
little family…from those children, would be others that
would carry on the heritage of her family’s name… Leeah
Parker’s trip ended that day, her destination built on a
little piece of land, located somewhere in the middle of…
THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

End.