Chapter 2-1
679 Words
Chapter 2
Cody hurried back into Ezra’s bedroom and shut the door. What was he going to do? He needed to figure out the mechanics of the whole time travel deal, and he needed to find a way back to the twenty-first century. Back to his friends and family. And Adam. And electricity. He’d come to the past through a fire pit, maybe he should set something on fire?
He wouldn’t mind burning all the white shirts, but he wasn’t thrilled about jumping into more fire. He much preferred enjoying a blazing fire from a safe distance.
Someone knocked gently on the door. Cody rolled his head back in frustration.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Izzy, Mr. Ezra. I have some laundry.”
“Come in.”
Izzy entered with a basketful of neatly folded clothes. She set them down by the bureau and began putting them away.
“You know what?” Cody said. “Why don’t I do that? You look like you could use a rest. Have a seat on the bed.”
“But Mr. Ezra, Bartlett doesn’t like us socializing while there’s work to be done.”
“Who’s Bartlett?”
Izzy’s brows furrowed. “He’s Master Daniel’s favorite, of course. He helps with the accounting and he’s in charge of the rest of us who work inside your fine house.”
“But this Bartlett is another slave then?” Cody asked.
“Yes, sir. Are you still feeling ill, Mister Ezra?”
“Something like that. What else about Bartlett?”
“He was born right here on the plantation, he says, when your good grandfather ran the family.”
“Right. So my word overrides his?” Cody asked.
“Of course.”
“Good. Then I have some questions for you,” Cody said. And I feel guilty having you wait on me. “Please sit.” Cody took Izzy’s spot and started putting away his own clothes while she looked uncomfortable on the edge of his bed. “Izzy, what do I look like?”
“You’re a handsome young gentleman, Mr. Ezra.”
“How about my hair? Can you describe it?”
“It’s wavy and brown.”
Cody thought about his straight black hair and nodded. People seemed to see him as Ezra Branch.
“And my voice? Do I sound like everyone else?”
“A strong voice, Mr. Ezra. Of course you sound like the rest of your good family.”
So he sounded like Ezra Branch, too. What if he really was Ezra? Could Cody Langdon have been a fever dream? Maybe that was how great sci-fi writers came up with their work.
If I am stuck in the 1800’s, I’m going to make so much money. I can bet on the sports team who…right, I don’t know any of that stuff. Um, I can invest in big companies like Microsoft and Apple…that won’t be invented for a hundred years. I’m going to be so poor.
Cody said. “I’d like to know some more. Who’s this guest coming today?”
“A gentleman with puppets coming through town,” Izzy explained. Cody slammed the bureau door shut with a start.
“Tell my parents that I feel ill and won’t be making it for lunch,” Cody said. “Or dinner. Could you bring my dinner here?”
“Anything you’d like, Mr. Ezra.”
“Thank you.” She looked at him expectantly. “You can, uh, go now.”
Cody let the frightened girl leave and stood by his window for a while. His mind racing, he lay down and tried to rest. A gentleman with puppets had to be something concerning Tanglewood, but he couldn’t face the demon yet. Hours passed while he grappled with his time travel problems. Eventually, Izzy returned with a tray of salted pork, mashed potatoes, and carrots. She also brought him a large glass of whiskey.
“Bartlett told me you might like to have a drink with your dinner.”
“Oh, my. Thank you.”
Cody gobbled up his dinner before sipping the whiskey until it warmed his insides and he passed out.
* * * *
A creaking floorboard woke Cody in the dead of the night. It was too dark to tell where he was, but he realized the bed didn’t feel like his own. After a moment, he remembered he was living Ezra Branch’s life.
He sat up and asked, “Is someone there?”
“Shhhh,” a voice said from nearby.
“Who’s there?” It seemed odd Miles or any of the slaves would sneak into his room like that. Maybe Miles was into some kinky stuff. The thought wasn’t completely horrible, but Cody still felt anxious. After several seconds of silence, he started to doubt that he’d heard anything at all. “Hello?”
“Sleep, Ezra Branch. Tomorrow is an important day.”
“But…” Cody felt like he was swimming. His head felt too big for his neck. He crashed back to his pillow and into sleep.
- Writer
