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Short Story Fiction
Deja Vu
Scott A. Gese
It started innocently enough. One of those weird feelings of having already experienced the present moment. You know, Deja Vu.
Lesly Juarez/UnsplashWhen it happened to Marvin Walters, he didn’t think much of it. After all, most people have experienced that Deja Vu feeling at least once in their lives.
The problem for Martin was that it didn’t end there. Little did he realize this was only the beginning.
As time went on he started having the experience more frequently. It soon reached a point where it was becoming an annoyance.
It kept getting worse. Soon he was having instances of Deja Vu almost every hour.
He felt like he was living two lives simultaneously. Physically in one while experiencing the thoughts of another.
It was now more than an annoyance. He was growing concerned about his mental health. He was thinking he might have some sort of mental disorder or worse, a brain tumor.
Marvin made an appointment with his doctor. It would be two weeks before he could get in. Until then, he would have to make the best of it.
During the next week unexpected things began to happen.
There was the day he took a trip out to the desert to look for arrowheads. This was something he loved to do. He always felt connected to the desert and finding an elusive arrowhead was a thrill. On this day he found a nice black obsidian one in perfect condition.
When he picked it up he immediately went into a trance-like state. In his minds eye he could see the full history of this arrowhead.
He saw a young Indian brave sitting in front of his tee-pee chipping away with a stone he used to fashion the arrowhead he now held. He saw the arrowhead lashed onto a wood shaft. The arrow flying through the air and striking the dirt just behind a jackrabbit. The young brave let the arrow lay thinking it was a bad omen to retrieve arrows that missed their target.
When Marvin came back to reality he was confused. It was an interesting experience but he didn’t know what to make of it. He suddenly didn’t feel like continuing his search. He put the arrowhead into his pocket, walked back to his car and drove home.
Not only was Marvin confused, he was also very curious. It seemed as if the frequent Deja Vu episodes were developing into something more.
Was the episode with the arrowhead a fluke or was there something happening to his mind?
To find out he tried an experiment. There was an antique paperweight sitting on his coffee table. He picked it up and looked at it thoughtfully. Suddenly he could see a young woman lifting it off a shelf in a crystal shop. He could see the paperweight adorning the office desk of her husband as he read the stock tape from an old style ticker tape machine.
Marvin set the paperweight onto the table and leaned back in his chair.
He realized he was developing a deeper awareness of the things around him. Touching them seemed to be the trigger that set him off.
He needed to give this thing that was happening to him some serious thought.
He decided to share this experience with a trusted friend. She came right over when Marvin told her he had something very important to discuss with her. Maybe even life changing.
When she entered the house they greeted each other with a hug. As he held his friend he suddenly had a premonition concerning her.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’ve had a death in your family. Give my condolences to your mother.”
She pulled back and held him at arms length. She examined his face. There was a genuine concern in his eyes. “How did you know my Aunt passed away this morning?”
Without answering the question, Marvin asked her to sit down. He poured them each a cup of fresh brewed coffee and began to explain what had been happening to him lately. They both decided this was more than a medical doctor would be able to figure out.
“To be on the safe side,” suggested the friend. “You should keep your appointment. Let’s rule out anything physical before we try to figure this out any further.”
Marvin’s appointment was for the following day.
~~~~
When Marvin’s doctor entered the exam room they greeted each other with a hand shake. It was an awkward moment as Marvin had an immediate premonition about the man.
The two talked about what had been happening with Marvin. The Dr. seemed interested in the phenomenon. They ran a few simple tests. The results didn’t show any physical problems.
As they were finishing up, the Dr. could tell there was still something on his mind. “What are you not telling me?” He asked.
Marvin was hesitant but decided to confide in his Doctor since he seemed interested.
“When we shook hands I had a premonition. You need to get to a hospital. You’re going to have a stroke in your office within the hour. No one will know you’re there.”
The Doctor laughed it off. “I feel just fine, Marvin. I’m sure not all of your thoughts about people come true. If things start getting worse for you, don’t hesitate to make another appointment. I’ll be here.”
~~~
One hour later an ambulance pulled up to the clinic. Paramedics rushed in through the front door. “Can you direct us to the patient?”
“Patient, what patient?” Asked the receptionist.
“We had a call to transfer a patient to the hospital. A Dr. Maxwell who had suffered a stroke.”
“Just one minute,” replied the receptionist. She got on the phone and called Dr. Maxwell. “There must be some mistake. I just called his office. He’s on his way out.”
Dr. Maxwell walked out to the lobby where the paramedics waited. “I’m Dr. Maxwell.”
As soon as he introduced himself he grabbed his head and fell to the floor. The paramedics were on him immediately. Dr. Maxwell was having a stroke.
Marvin Walters got up from his seat in the reception area and walked out the door. Dr. Maxwell was in good hands. He would live to see another day.
Marvin Walters was beginning to realize his situation wasn’t really all that bad.
© Copyright 2021 by Scott A. Gese All Rights Reserved.
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