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Hologram Futures by Alyson Hilbourne

28/3/2021

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A couple of weeks after Vera’s death, Jack was surprised to receive a parcel in the post.
 
The card read:
 
A present from one who has passed over.
 
The hair on his neck and arms stood up. He had only just begun to come to terms with Vera’s absence. Was this some sort of bad joke?
 
Everyone had been marvellous, making sure he wasn’t on his own and that he had everything he needed. Mrs Orbison, the widow from next door, had popped in with meals most days.
 
“Here you are, Jack. A chicken casserole and a slice of lemon drizzle cake.” Jack hadn’t had to cook since Vera’s death. Miss Blackwell from up the road had invited him in for coffee, and Mrs Blixton has asked if he was interested in joining a ballroom dancing group.
 
“You’ve got to start doing things,” she had said, laying a hand on Jack’s arm. “Get yourself out and about. I want to learn to dance and I’d love it if you would come me. What fun it would be.” She flicked a lock of hair out of her eyes and smiled at Jack.
 
Jack stepped back and gave a nervous grin. Vera had liked a quiet life.
 
“Ballroom dancing?” he said. “I’ll think about it …”
 
Jack pulled at the sticky tape on the parcel and opened the box. There was a flat thing, rather like Mrs Orbison’s iPad. It had a power cable. He frowned as he plugged it in. Vera had never been much for tech or gadgets.
 
The thing shuddered and Jack dropped it. Worried it was broken, he was shocked as a translucent shape appeared, hovering over the surface. It grew more substantial until a life-sized hologram of Vera sat in front of him. She was just as she had been three weeks before, with lank grey hair, unfocused eyes and the pale skin of her illness. He blinked rapidly and could feel his heart beating faster.
 
“Vera?”
 
It was as if she had never left.
 
“Hello love, how are you doing?” Vera asked. Her voice was whispery, like old lace. “Have you done the shopping?”
 
Jack nodded.
 
“No junk food? I hope you’re eating properly?”

Jack scuffed at the carpet with his slippers remembering the tub of peanuts in the cupboard and the sticky toffee pudding in the fridge. He pressed his lips together     but said nothing.
 
“Now, I bet you’ve forgotten to change the sheets on the bed.” Heat flared across Jack’s face, reddening the tips of his ears.
“I thought so. I knew you’d never remember. It’s a nice day. You can hang the washing out. There’s so much to do, even on your own.”
 
After he’d changed the sheets and put the washing on, Vera found a number of other jobs for Jack to do. Things he’d forgotten because she’d always done them. Under her guidance he polished the door handles and dusted the picture frames. He was so busy he didn’t hear Mrs Orbison knock on the door with a beef pie. Nor did he notice she’d left it on the step.
 
The next day, when Jack came downstairs, Vera looked healthier. She was standing, something she hadn’t been able to do in the last month of her life. Her face was less pale and her voice less strained. She appeared happier. There were more jobs for Jack to do including watering the houseplants, “How do you think they survive with no water?” and cleaning the plughole in the bath.
 
Jack was so busy he forgot to go to coffee with Ms Blackwell.
 
The following day Vera’s grey hair had brown streaks. She chivvied Jack into baking a cake.
 
“Healthier than shop bought,” she said.
 
They had quite a laugh together over  the outcome. It was lopsided and browned to     a crisp, but it was nice with a cup  of  tea  and  reminded  Jack  of  Vera’s  home cooking. He forgot all about the ballroom dancing with Mrs Blixton and missed the first evening’s class. It was easy having Vera there. He didn’t need anyone else’s company.
 
Day by day Vera’s hair lost all the grey and became more luxuriant. The crows’ feet around her eyes vanished. She stood straighter too. Jack hurried down to the living room each morning to see her.
 
“Good morning, my love,” he said and was rewarded with a beaming smile. Then he carried his breakfast through from the kitchen so they could talk as he ate. Vera let him eat in the living room and appeared excited to see him.
 
One evening they had the old photos out, and Jack fell asleep on the sofa, a smile on his face as he remembered their courtship. A few weeks earlier Jack had
thought he’d never laugh again.
 
After that it seemed silly to go upstairs each evening. He wanted to be with Vera, so he arranged to have the bed brought down.
 
Vera now looked like the slip of a girl she had been when he first knew her. She was shy, giggly, and slim. She got Jack to put a CD on so they could dance. Jack blushed at her suggestive shimmying. He felt young again as he jived beside her.


To make space for the bed, Jack had a tidy up. He threw out the box the machine had come in. Taking it to the bin he didn’t notice a slip of paper that fell in the mud.
 
Hologram Futures
Keep your partner safe from temptation Lifetime guarantee
 
In the living room Vera smiled.
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    Issue 6 & 7

    November 2020
    December 2020



    The Stories & Poems

    All
    ​After The Lockdown By Sabdapalan
    A Helping Hand By Christina Westwood
    A Little Hard Work By Carrie Hynds
    ​All Hallows Eve By Jane Bidder
    A Party? By Felicity Edwards
    A Red Breakfast By Graham Crisp
    Autumnal Muse By Yasmin Nabavi
    ​Autumn Equinox By Hilary Taylor
    Bartlett
    Beached By Maisie Bishop
    Bloodrite By Dean Hodsfry
    Bob & Phyllis By Liz Breen
    ​Broken By Allison Xu
    ​Cherie By Paul Warnes
    Christmas Cheers By Elaine Peters
    Cloak Of The Wizard © Steve Lodge
    Come The Morning Stars By Conor O’Sullivan
    ​Cursed By The Sun By Hope Nguyen
    Delight In Every Bite By Nathalie Roos
    DIY By Andrew Ball
    ​Double Trouble By Vivienne Moles
    ​Dusk Hound By Sylvie Edwards
    Eve By Hilary Davies
    Evergreen By Samantha Priestley
    Exuding Chirpiness By Jonathan Hunter
    Faces Of Home By Michelle Weaver
    First Impressions By Jeff Jones
    First Kiss By Andrew Ball
    Footsteps By Savanna Naylor
    Forever Gone By Hilary Taylor
    Gargoyles By Stephen Isle
    Glass By John Morris
    Hologram Futures By Alyson Hilbourne
    Home Remedies By Eva Bell
    ​How I Lost My Lover By Liz O’Shea
    I Don’t Like Cheats By Patsy Collins
    I'll See You When I Get There By Thomas Morgan
    Imaginary Friends By Andrew Ball
    Interconnected By Ena Catlin
    Isodel By Darren Smith
    Kings And Pawns By Dutch Simmons
    ​Letting Go By Carrie Hynds
    Log Me In By Paul Warnes
    Mask Dilemma By Elaine Peters
    Mavis’s Cosy Christmas Cottage By Jonathan Hunter
    ​Misty Mountain Feliz Piez
    Mixed Signals Or Moonbeams By Steve Lodge
    Monster Under The Bed By Patricia Green
    Mrs Stepney's Stepdaughter By Betty Hasler
    Murderous Intent By Jeff Jones
    Nifty-Fifty
    Number 69 By Eve Naden
    One Each By Andrew Ball
    One More Week By Liz Breen
    On The Meeting Of Two Minds By Ronald T Hardwick
    Pas De Deux Redux By Adele Evershed
    ​Peace In Our Time By Eve Naden
    Phil In Real Life By Sam Szanto
    ​Quantum Entanglement By Ingrid Wilson
    Roisin's Party By James Ellson
    ​Rounded Over By M H Pitcher
    Shielding By Graham Crisp
    Something Fishy Going On By Adele Evershed
    Sorry By Elaine Peters
    The Apology By Graham Crisp
    The Avenging Ghost By Eva Bell
    The Best Jest By Shelley Crowley
    The Big Issue By Steve Goodlad
    The Day With The Birds By Liz Breen
    The Dog And The Old Sailor By Ronald Hardwick
    ​The Eye Of The Shrike By Crescentia Morais
    The Full Moon By Dipayan Chakrabarti
    ​The Greater Handful By Stephen Goodlad
    The Grief Eater By Christina MacKinnon
    The Healing Stone By Katie Winkler
    The Hourglass By Madelaine Taylor
    The Last Time By Pat Mudge
    The Making By Madelaine Taylor
    The Mourner By Hilary Taylor
    The Perfect Date By Hilary Taylor
    The Phone Call By Elaine Peters
    The Plan By Hilary Taylor
    The Post-Lockdown Holiday By David A Jones
    The Queen Of The Forest By Renee Gerald
    The Ransom Note By Steve Goodlad
    The Secret To Staying Young By Saul Greenblatt
    The Tap By Beverley Byrne
    The Thing By Taqwa
    The Visit By Graham Crisp
    ​The Wanderer By BC Nwata
    The Wedding Dress By Elizabeth O’Shea
    The Winter Tree By The Somnambulist Society
    Volume Control By Grace Tierney
    ​Washing Up RJ Gardham
    Watching By Natasha Weber
    What's In A Name? By Ian Inglis
    Where Do We Go When We Die? By Matt Allen
    Wilhelmina Turns Eighty By Anita G. Gorman


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Secret Attic - Founded March 2020