2776. A hoax? © Bruce Goodman 6 July 2023 |
May-Rose Higginbotham got a letter through the mail from the Government. At least that’s what it said on the envelope. Why would the Government be writing to her? Had she done something wrong? Perhaps it was a speeding ticket. These days radar captures the car’s speed and a computer sends out the fine. There’s no human in the process. Or perhaps she had been selected to turn up as a jury member at a court trial; a murder or something. May-Rose was almost too scared to open the letter. When she read the letter she went into shock. Did she realize it was her son who had gunned down May-Rose’s three daughters? We sympathize, and so on. Something had gone wrong surely. They must have contacted the wrong person. She had no children, let alone a son and three daughters. In fact, she had only been engaged to Ivan two weeks earlier. The wedding was a year away. After that they might think of settling down and starting a family. Then May-Rose noticed something. The date on the letter was twenty-five years ahead. It read “6 July 2048”. Was this a misprint or a simple typo? Was it all meant as a joke? There was a phone number in the letter. If she wanted to know more... If she had any queries... May-Rose dialled the number. A recorded message proclaimed: Your phone’s software is outdated. We are unable to help. May-Rose phoned Fiancé Ivan. Yes, he said, without needing to even say “Hello”. I’m absolutely grief-stricken. Our three beautiful daughters... And Tobias arrested for their murder. Are you able to come home quickly from Eritrea? Should I go ahead with the funeral? May-Rose knew she wasn’t in Eritrea. She was in Geneva, New York. She wouldn’t even know where Eritrea was on the map. “It’s all a hoax”, thought May-Rose. “It’s a trick.” She screwed up the letter and threw it in the trash. Nothing calms the nerves more than a long shower. May-Rose went to the bathroom. When she looked at herself in the mirror, oh… Oh goodness me! Oh no! Oh goodness me! Back to Index Next Story Previous Story |