2986. Lovely old lady © Bruce Goodman 6 February 2024

Gilda was a lovely old lady who lived alone at the very end of the main road of the village. She was never greatly involved in the town’s social activities but people knew who she was and she was always pleasant and willing to help out if need be. Apparently she had been a nurse of some import at the nearest city’s main hospital. It was a skill the town called upon when the need arose. An example would be when there seemed to be a plague of internal bleeding among the village teens. Medical specialists were at a loss to explain it. Gilda was always the first to be called upon. She knew how to stem the flow. In fact several surviving teens (and their parents) swore black and blue that it was Gilda’s quick action that saved them. As the weeks went on more and more of the village’s teens succumbed to the disease. In fact, the Department of Health quarantined the entire village. Gilda was put in charge. She worked day and night. And then the worst possible scenario happened: Gilda died suddenly. She didn’t catch the disease (adults seemed immune) but it appeared she died of some pulmonary complication. Something strange happened. Those teenagers ill with the disease became almost instantly well, and no one (not a trace) in the village ever became ill again from the blood disease. Nothing pointed to anything, but the mayor ordered Gilda’s house to be bulldozed and set on fire. Contact Author Back to Index Next Story Previous Story