The Sara B. Saga
A Collection of Shorts Stories
Part 1

Author: Liam G
Illustrator: Lydia M
Editor: Brandy G
Story by: Liam G and various others

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Sara B.’s Stunning Refrigerator, Part 1
Chapter 2: It All Began With Cheerios
Chapter 3: A Tale of Two Kitties, Part 1
Chapter 4: The Return of Granny
Chapter 5: A Tale of Two Kitties, Part 2
Chapter 6: The Original Chicken Sandwich
Chapter 7: A Tale of Two Kitties, Part 3
Chapter 8: A Refrigerator, Part 1
Chapter 9: A Refrigerator, Part 2
Chapter 10: Where the Objective Awaits
Chapter 11: Sara B.’s Stunning Refrigerator, Part 2
Chapter 12: Sara B.’s Stunning Refrigerator, Part 3
Chapter 13: Rufus

Chapter 1
Sara B.’s Stunning Refrigerator, Part 1
Camping in the excruciatingly harsh wasteland of Siberia, Sara B., who was a youthful maiden in high school, was staring at her refrigerator, strenuously contemplating if she should clear her name. Sara B.’s refrigerator accompanied her everywhere. It appeared to be a refrigerator from the 1930s. Now, recently, the IRS has been relentlessly hunting her down because she stubbornly withheld her taxes. After pondering these assessments, she tugged the refrigerator ajar. Then she leaned fully into the fridge and blindly reached for a bowl of salad, which was overflowing out of its colossal bowl. While picking through the vegetable dish, Sara B. surprisingly encountered a vibrant red-colored button and a chill lime-shaded switch camouflaged among the lettuce and Italian dressing. Peculiarly, all it took was a simple glance at the tempting yet plain red button to capture Sara B.’s curiosity, and with just the slightest touch, the refrigerator instantaneously worked its flabbergasting magic.
Apparently, Sara B. had accidentally plunged herself into the refrigerator by just the slightest push-of-a-button. Sara B., who was temporarily encompassed by the frigid coffin, resolutely shook the refrigerator door open from the inside. Staring at the sight, she leaned on her refrigerator door and glared at what she was beholding, with her hand blanketed on her mouth. Then Sara B. causally stepped away from the fridge. Then, the refrigerator suddenly vanished. After she finally realized that what she was viewing was not a ludicrous illusion, Sara B. intriguingly examined her environment, which seemed like a Pacific tropical island. When she was satisfied with her observations, Sara B.  unexpectedly detected a figure standing by the pitiful remains of a red plane engulfed in flames. Sara B. proceeded to stroll over to the wreckage, whistling the tune from the Andy Griffith Show. When she arrived, Sara B. was dumbfounded by who she was gazing upon—it was Amelia Earhart! Amazingly, Amelia Earhart was constructing a time machine out of what she could salvage from her red plane, along with a 1930s refrigerator she had somehow hauled with her.
Sara B. and Amelia Earhart tirelessly labored to complete such a monumental task. While they worked, they revealed to each other their backstories: Sara B. was an American imitating a Russian to evade the IRS, and Amelia Earhart was secretly a German spy, and her demolished plane was her father’s, who happened to be the notorious Red Baron. Eventually, they completed their genius invention and finalized their plan, which, they concluded, could be unexpectedly altered at any time. They tugged the refrigerator/time machine door open and, for any unforeseen emergencies, placed a bowl of overflowing salad in the fridge just in case. Crossing their fingers, they activated the machine by reluctantly pressing the vibrant red button. Immediately, they arrived at their destination. Or so they speculated. They realized that they had actually arrived in post-nuclear America, where Thanos had snapped more than his fingers in this alternate universe. After perceiving this abominable setting, the pair then strode over toward the scene, forgetting that they had neglected to shut the refrigerator door.  Amelia Earhart then swiftly proceeded to demonstrate the art of “blitzkrieg” and promptly went for the head, which annihilated Thanos. Utilizing the lime green Infinity Stone, Sara B. constructed a complicated “universe switcher,” which should take them back to the proper universe and the legitimate timeline. The duo then yanked the lever of the refrigerator, and when they reached their destination, they could not believe their stunned eyes…

Chapter 2
It All Began With Cheerios
With her elbows clearly on the table, young six-year old Sara B. was cheerfully consuming  some savory, golden Honey Nut Cheerios. While she was relishing such a perfect breakfast, Sara B.’s great-grandmother stalked like a prowling panther into the musty dining room, wondering why Sara B. was crunching so emphatically and obnoxiously loud. Realizing it was just the finest low-cholesterol breakfast ever, Granny, as she was called, relaxed with assurance. Her old-man cat, Rufus, was lounging around, glaring at the whole breakfast situation. His time had not yet arrived to be involved, so for now, he enjoyed his lazy life. Meanwhile, Granny strode over to her 1930s-era refrigerator. Granny, however, did not proceed to the fridge in order to swipe a convenient snack, but rather to activate a vibrant red button, its function unbeknownst to Sara B. However, before pressing the appealing button, Granny proceeded to convey the primary segments of her backstory: “It all began in 1941. I was a former British General Mills employee patriotically clashing against German fighter planes in the distant skies of Britain during World War II. While in the heat of battle, I realized that I should invent ‘CheeriOats,’ which will ultimately become known as Cheerios. Courageously, I bailed out of my fighter plane, eager to begin my molding of the mighty Cheerios. Unfortunately, a coworker from General Mills eventually stole my genius creation and shrewdly expanded upon it, and from it, Honey Nut Cheerios was born. Now, I want you, Sara B., to become the mastermind behind Honey Nut Cheerios.”
On that curious note, Granny initiated the cherry-red button on the fridge, which was apparently also a time machine, and she swiftly nabbed Sara B. and plunged into the open refrigerator. Interestingly, the pair appeared in 1979, on the Ungava Peninsula, which was a part of northern Quebec. Sara B., flabbergasted at what she just witnessed, stepped out of the chilly time machine. Glancing about intriguingly, Sara B. was slightly confused—were there supposed to be velvet roses and radiant yellow flowers here in Canada? As Sara B. was attempting to comprehend the brilliance of such a freezing landscape, Granny uncovered some fresh honey stowed away in a beehive. After promptly repelling the killer bees with her bare fists, Granny gently presented a bowl of flowing, shimmering honey to Sara B. Because she was eager to craft such a famous breakfast, Sara B. swiped and licked the dazzling substance, deeming it splendid for the reinvented cereal. Then Sara B. opened a box of plain Cheerios and poured the oozing, sunny honey into the box; the surprising result was a magically-turned Cheerio box into a Canadian box of Honey Nut Cheerios! It was an awesome sight.
Sara B. had just handed the newly invented cereal to her Granny, when Sara B. accidentally clumsily stumbled backward into the refrigerator, launching the functionality of the time machine. Upon unintentionally shutting the fridge door with her foot, Sara B. suddenly vanished with the time machine, leaving both Granny and the Canadian Honey Nut Cheerios stranded in 1979 Quebec! Granny nor the box of Honey Nut Cheerios were ever encountered again. Meanwhile, Sara B. and the refrigerator soon materialized in 2010 New York, which was a year after she had left the present! Pushing the fridge door open like an straining weightlifter from the inside, she realized she was in Times Square, which was nowhere near her home! Casually residing in her refrigerator for several years, Sara B. never forgot her escapades in her Granny’s time machine. However, they were long from finished. Eventually, the IRS discovered that the now-teenaged Sara B. had stubbornly withheld her taxes. After years of aimlessly fleeing from civilization, with her refrigerator constantly on her back, Sara B. was left exceedingly exhausted. Finally, Sara B. realized a solution. Recently, the calendar was altered nationwide—it was 2020. While on the shores of northern Oregon, she tossed a colossal bowl of salad into the fridge so she would not be monumentally famished in the future. Then she utilized her time machine as a less than-seaworthy raft, on which she drifted to the bitter Kamchatka Peninsula, where she would then wander into Siberia to pursue freedom from the IRS. However, this is only the dawn of Sara B.’s fascinating adventures and capers. (And to consider that it all began with Cheerios.)

Chapter 3
A Tale of Two Kitties, Part 1
Far, far away from the action of Quebec and Siberia, two cats, who were drastically diverse in both color and personality, were lounging around at the Grapperhaus household, which was somewhere in Rocket City. Shadow, the most chill and easygoing of the two felines, was sprawled out on the top of his master’s bunk bed, out of reach from the annoyance of the other cat. Mitzie was her name, and isolation was her game. She took seriously the definition of the word “solitude,” and when she would get the chance, she would bask in sweet remoteness. Occasionally, Shadow and Mitzie would casually carry on through life as if they were just distant acquaintances and they had nothing in common with each other. Other days, however, they would attempt to harass one another, but usually it concluded without too much conflict. While Shadow was contently licking his all-black fur, Mitzie haphazardly sprinted through the central walkway of the cramped house, thus defying the perception that she was not swift due to her colossal width. The sight was consistently surprising. The ancient calico then trudged into Liam’s room, where Shadow was lurking.
During the day, on a normal day that is, the Grapperhaus family was typically absent with the matters of human lives. However, the rise of the coronavirus has rendered all regular public gatherings hazardous. Therefore, a somewhat mandatory quarantine has been deemed across nearly all regions of the country, so the Grapperhauses were forced indoors. Meanwhile, while sniffing the air around her as she frequently would, Mitzie spotted that Shadow had finished grooming himself, and he was about to descend down the bunk steps to grab a swig of food. Mitzie dashed to where the food bowl was—the laundry room. She had just discovered a hiding spot in the 1930s-era drying machine when Shadow paused to consume some Meow Mix. Hearing the heavy breathing of Mitzie, he left the bowl and began to seek her out. He leaped onto the drying machine and curiously examined the machine. He intriguingly pawed at the dials, one which he unintentionally set to “09.” The other one Shadow accidentally tampered with was a vibrant red start button. Upon activating it, the machine rumbled with activity and the inside began to spin uncontrollably—with a doomed Mitzie in the midst of it! Noticing the drying machine door was barely open, Shadow expeditiously dove into the machine, with the door shutting itself behind him. After a moment, everything became blurry for the cats; not because of the heat, but because they were enveloped in a blanket of time and space! When the action had cooled off, the door creaked ajar, opening the doorway to a handful of adventures for the two kitties.

Chapter 4
The Return of Granny
Breathing heavily was an exceedingly aged woman named Gertrude, who desired a bath because she had just returned from her laborious occupation as an isolated gardener. With considerable exhaustion, she wobbled over to her 1930s-era bathtub, which had scanty claw feet and a high drain. She switched on the bathwater. Gertrude gazed with trance-like eyes at the soothing hot water, desperate as a panting, dehydrated hound on a blazing summer day to practically dive into the tub. Earnestly desiring to indulge in a relaxing bath, she began preparations. Because she was a feeble woman, Gertrude moved about rather slowly around the house, as she passionately dreamt of the tropical heat of her bath. She had had an extensive, stressful day of gardening. Gertrude craved that bubble bath.
Gertrude’s day was actually altogether similar to most of her previous days of toiling. Gardening in the northern region of Quebec was now her new “normal;” at least that is the way it has remained since she was stranded here. With the year being 1982,  it was three years after her marooning—by a refrigerator and her great-granddaughter. Since then, Gertrude’s days consisted of continuous landscaping, cultivating, and planting, which was very strenuous considering that she’s in her 100s. Eventually, she quit reasoning about all of this and remembered how drained she was; she was in no condition to clumsily hike over to a nearby Canadian Ladies Club that was holding their weekly gathering that night. Interestingly, Gertrude could have asserted herself before other individuals, but because she was technically in the past, she maintained no desire to foolishly interfere with the fine line of time lines. Besides, she sorrowfully longed for 2009, which was the year where she previously resided. Why did this all have to happen to her? Gertrude had continuously demanded an answer to this question, but to her dismay she could never unearth such a explanation. She bellowed a harsh sigh. Hopefully, the bath would relieve Gertrude after such a vexing day.
Finally, Gertrude could sense that the bathtub had almost concluded its drawing of the bath water. It was approximately halfway filled. After shoving her mud-smeared clothes into a laundry hamper, Gertrude grasped her bath robe and encompassed herself in it. While awaiting her bath to be finished, something about her day somewhat troubled her: “Did I shear the rose bush not nearly as much as I should of? Because the blossoms would have such a exquisite hue to its petals if I did.” These were the kind of matters that commonly disturbed her. Noticing that the bathwater had nearly reached the brim of the tub, she dashed as hastily as her legs would carry her. Upon shutting off the water, Gertrude was finally able to take her bath—the wait had felt like centuries had past. The bath was enjoyed swimmingly—until a drastic change of events occurred. After drying herself from such a freeing bath, Gertrude put on some fluffy, toasty clothes that had just come from her drying machine. Then, while she was brushing her teeth, she spotted something in the bathtub, which was in the process of draining the water. It was apparently a vibrant red button, and it reminded Gertrude of the cherry-red button in her 1930s refrigerator/time machine. The curiosity alone was enough to suddenly widen her wrinkled aged eyes. Not sure exactly what would happen, she reluctantly pressed the button. Instantaneously, Gertrude and the bathtub were enveloped in a blurry twister of time and space. As rapidly as she had pressed the button, she and the 1930s-era bathtub vanished! From what began as a perfectly ordinary bath, the escapades of Gertrude (aka the great-grandmother of Sara B.) as a time-traveler had begun once again, and inevitably the return of Granny was at hand!

Chapter 5
A Tale of Two Kitties, Part 2
Harsh hisses and near-deranged screeches was all the two cats could hear in that cramped drying machine—if it even was a dryer. Desperate to flee from the nightmarish household appliance, Mitzie charged head-first into the door, utterly bashing it open with her minuscule skull. Shadow swiftly bounded out of the machine, eager in a shocking way to explore the environment surrounding the two felines. Once they finally recovered to their feet, or paws, they scanned the area around them. It seemed that nothing changed. They were in the laundry room doorway, which lead to the Meow Mix bowl and kitchen. Upon realizing that the whole incident was just a simple mishap, Mitzie resumed doing what she always did—prance around the house as if she owned the place. However, Shadow glanced at the Meow Mix bag, except it was not a Meow Mix bag—it was a Kibbles N’ Bits bag! Widening his green eyes that seemed to reach out of his black fur, Shadow instantaneously shot into the living room. The sight was almost disastrous.
Reclining in the familiar leather chair that was also Shadow’s makeshift scratching post was the man of the house, Mr. Grapperhaus, except he did not possess the casual appearance he normally did; he had strong black hair overgrowing to his shoulders, a beard that he must have dyed pink, and a name tag that read “Billiam Grasshopper, dentistry specialist.” Sprinting out of her room was supposedly Amelia; but here she was a junior in high school wearing a cross-country outfit, and there was no sign of her sleek wheelchair! Suddenly shoving open the master bedroom door was Mrs. Brandy; nothing appearance-wise had changed, but she too had a name badge that read “Brandi Grasshopper, CEO of CRS”, the local child support service. On the couch was Ellie; however, her new complexion made her to appear as herself with loads of makeup on, and apparently she had also professionally performed her mighty hip-hop dancing abilities on America’s Got Talent! Lastly was Liam, but he did not have the appearance of Liam—he was a “she,” and her name was Liamette! She was majestically donned with a mage robe, had eyes of an anime figure, and she carried 1 Orb of Light in her gauntlets.
While Shadow was dumbfounded at the new looks of his masters, Mitzie was terrified at the presence of another being—a ferocious Dachshund dog, which wore a hot pink collar with the name “Faith and Hope” inscribed on it (Ellie could not decide which one to use, so she deemed the dog both names). The wiener dog stared intriguingly at the calico, and the flabbergasted calico glared with intense fear at the wiener dog. Sensing that Mitzie had oddly silenced her constant mewing, Shadow glanced at the staring contest, almost as shocked as Mitzie was. Although he had dealt with outside animals before, Shadow had no desire to take on a dog that was seemingly owned by his former masters. Instinctively, the black bombay dove into Mitzie like a football player eager to tackle Tom Brady. Liamette, spotting the tussle occurring beside the kitchen, dashed to settle the clash. Both Shadow and Mitzie fled away from the mage, not wishing to foolishly deal with a female-version of Liam. They galloped over into the drying machine, thirsty for refuge from the Grasshoppers and their dog. Liamette uncovered the cats and proceeded to place Shadow on top of the drying machine so she could grasp Mitzie. However, Shadow remembered how he had tampered with the settings of the dryer, so he desperately swiped at every dial he could reach. Liamette was nearly overwhelmed. Unfortunately, Liamette was a tad more darker than the Liam you might know. Demonstrating this, Liamette harshly nabbed Shadow and tossed him into the machine with Mitzie inside! She was just about to teach the two felines a lesson when Faith and Hope haphazardly barged into Liamette, yearning to witness the cats’ nine lives utterly annihilated. The colossal charge sent Liamette into the dryer! Faith and Hope hankered to be involved in all the action, so to halt the wiener dog from leaping into the already-cramped machine, Liamette swiftly shut the door. A dog-shaped dent was imprinted on the door from the force of Faith and Hope’s approach! With the door shut, the machine began to work its magic—with Shadow, Mitzie, and Liamette encased inside! The mage and the two kitties had no understanding of what was to come—but let me say this: Just outside the kitchen window, which was within a few feet of the chaotic laundry room, there was a lady with wide open aged eyes.

Chapter 6
The Original Chicken Sandwich
It was 1946. All the boys had come home. World War II had concluded as probably the greatest victory for the Allies (as opposed to the other war they fought in, which we can all agree that it was not so great). As this outbreak finished its final conclusions, many other things were just beginning. In a suburb in Atlanta, one of the best, delicious restaurants had opened for business. The humble shack, called the “Dwarf Grill” or “Dwarf House” by locals, was the dawn of the most powerful food chain the nation has every tasted. The ultimate king of this soon-to-be empire was Truett Cathy, who you may know as the founder of the almighty Chick-Fil-A. However, the tale of how he first strongly grasped the reigns of this significant position is only known by few, and you will soon be one of those few.
For countless years, countless individuals longed for a luscious, simple answer to life’s problems and struggles. While Truett Cathy had no possession of such a remedy, he did proclaim that he had masterminded the most glorious invention the world has ever swallowed. Lo and behold—the Original Chicken Sandwich, handcrafted with just two ripe, tangy pickles and a sweet, mouthwatering bun. However, almost no person on the face of the earth knows the true story behind the Original Chicken Sandwich. Truett Cathy and his fellow colleagues labored side-by-side and day-by-day to complete the constantly demanding tasks of running a restaurant. One of the employees, Glen Bell, would work there on the weekends when he was not leading the growing reign of the first Taco Bells. Glen Bell, however, was the only employee who knew of Cathy’s attempts to create a perfect chicken sandwich. Bell was determined to silence the most massive threat to his business since the uprising of McDonald’s.
It was on that fateful day in 1964 when the Sandwich came into existence. Bell was too late. While the band of employees that were there were all joyously celebrating the establishing of the grandest meal ever to exist on earth, Bell finally turned his full fury on Cathy. Imitating one of the exuberant employees, he casually sneaked over to the 1930s-era oven that Cathy would utilize for his many meals. Suddenly, Bell began cackling louder than any laughter in the kitchen, and while doing so he yanked open the preheated oven. With the oven door open, he swiftly nabbed Cathy, dove with him into the outdated oven, and quickly shut the oven door! The Chick-Fil-A employees instinctively dashed to rescue their boss. However, before they could reach their befallen master, the oven instantaneously vanished with two of the most famous food chain founders inside! The inventor of the Original Chicken Sandwich and the creator of the Gift of Taco Bell had tragically vanished.
To be continued…

Chapter 7
A Tale of Two Kitties, Part 3
The neck-breaking rumbling and shaking was silenced with a sudden halt. All three beings’ faces in that drying machine wore nothing but plainly stunned expressions. Dying to break free from the pair of wacko-cats, Liamette channeled the force of her warlock-strength and blasted the dryer’s door open. Actually, it was a bit of a surprise that the creaking 1930s-era dryer door did not simply fly off of its rusted hinges! As soon as the light from the outside world flooded the cramped space, Mitzie swiftly dove out of the drying machine with Shadow practically on her tail. A mighty thud shook the whole room from the weight of the two cats hitting the floor. The mage promptly followed suit. They did not have the faintest idea of where on earth they were. From the looks of it, they were in the middle of a musty dining room, with aggravatingly creaky floorboards. Resting upon the nearby dining table was nothing but a thin layer of dust, an open box of Cheerios, and a half-full jug of skim milk. Liamette touched the jug—it was somewhat still chilled. While Shadow began to explore the intriguing environment, Mitzie was still a bit bristled with the shock of all of the unexpected chaos she had been through that day. Liamette, however, was curious with the odd settings the drying machine had been set to. Apparently, the timer had been set to “09,” but Liamette could not imagine how that would throw them into this expedition. Then she spotted a calendar on the wall underneath a shelf of china. It was not 2020—it was 2009. So that explained it! Shadow had set their course to “09,” which was 2009! Liamette realized that the solution was to flip the switches and dials to get back to the future—2020.
Liamette was reaching toward the dials when she heard some hisses from the living room. She turned into the room to witness Mitzie and a green-eyed gray cat screeching at each other, with Shadow staring with wide open green eyes at the situation. Liamette, although not typically fond of cats, stepped in to settle this surprising scenario. She knelt down in front of the gray house cat, splitting the staring contest it was having with Mitzie. Discovering a shimmering collar with a name inscribed on it, Liamette read aloud the name of the feline stranger: “Rufus.” Upon hearing his name, Rufus began sniffing the draping attire of the mage before him. Liamette, however, noticed something deformed about the face of this ancient feline, but she could not put her finger on it. Supposedly accepting the large-eyed being as one of those “humans” (at least, he speculated she was a human—no one really knows for sure, even to this day), Rufus swiveled his head to glance at the other cat who had not disturbed him. Rufus did not exactly trust the black cat, but he dismissed him as just a fellow feline. Besides, from the looks of him, Shadow was much more younger and more sprightly than the aged, old-man cat, so it was not like Rufus could do anything about it without wobbling back with a nasty scratch across his face. Wait, that was what Liamette had detected—there was a massive scrape donning his face! It seemed to be like one from the claw of an exotic cat, or something of the sort. Liamette, despite her despising of most felines, had sympathy for the wounded cat. However, she knew from experience with Faith and Hope that injured animals rarely desire to be treated by someone who does not necessarily care for them. While Liamette was considering all of this, Rufus leaped off the chair he had been lounging on this whole time and haphazardly dashed past Mitzie, not wishing for another standoff. He had just reached the dining room when something triggered him to hiss harshly.
Liamette, Shadow, and Mitzie, upon perceiving the screeching of the old-man cat, rushed to discover what caused him to hiss. It was not something that shocked them, for what he was hissing at was how they ended up here. Interestingly, however, Rufus could not even bear to glance at the drying machine. The three were flabbergasted. The mage nor the bombay nor the calico could resolve why the gray cat would be so extremely freaked out at the sight of a simple dryer. It was as if watching a cat screech in fear of a seemingly bottomless bathtub. After a few moments of the three observing the deranged cat flip out, Rufus uneasily calmed down. Distrustful of the dryer, Rufus cautiously examined it to detect any energy remaining. Rufus had finally exhaled an audible sigh of relief when the strangest sight unfolded before them. The mage, the two kitties, and especially Rufus could not believe their eyes.

Chapter 8
A Refrigerator, Part 1
It was 1934. Her family was already stretched too thin. Her father had disappeared in the chaos of Texas. Fading away from the family most recently were her two brothers, who never came home from a house appliance repair job. Additionally, her beloved sister vanished after accepting a job as a housemaid. Now this—her mother reported Missing In Action during her hours of laboring in a soup kitchen, or “bread lines” as they were called by those unfortunate enough to have to live off them. What was happening to her family? It was as if the Rapture had occurred in tiny increments, swiping her family away little by little and neglecting her. Although these speculations constantly plagued her, young twelve-year old Gertrude decided that she would solve the mysteries behind these mysterious disappearances.
Obviously, Gertrude could not simply travel to Texas and show everyone a picture of her lost father to everyone who walked by. After all, she resided in the hills of Tennessee, the ones that the moon always shined upon. Therefore, she firmly resolved that she would trek to each workplace that her family members had toiled at. First was her mother’s kitchen. Since it had not been extensively long after her strange departure, hopefully there would be some fresh clues still remaining. Following the brief, fifteen-minute trip to the soup kitchen, Gertrude slyly sneaked into the kitchen like a clever fox stalking some unknown prey—and her prey was clues. While snooping throughout the day-old clutter that was stacked virtually as high as the roof, a ragged, droopy-eyed woman somewhat recognized youthful maiden. Knowing what Gertrude was seeking, the woman showed her the last place her mother was identified—by an old, shabby oven that had a closer resemblance to a side table with a rusted stove top. The only object that seemed out of place was a vibrant red button that appeared to reach out of the petite oven. There was a place adjacent to this oven which was reserved for another oven, except it looked like an oven had been there previously, but it had just disappeared. Intriguing but unimportant at the moment, Gertrude dismissed it and moved on to her next place to visit—her brothers’ last known location, which was an ordinary place of residence.
Since it was within eyesight from the soup kitchen window, Gertrude practically sprinted over to the house and promptly arrived within a few minutes. Interestingly, the house was somewhat abandoned; whoever had owned it did not desire to deal with the common cancer many individuals had to endure—the impending threat of utter bank foreclosures. Gertrude did not mind the unsettling spookiness of the crumbling structure, for a detective performs their best work uninterrupted. She climbed through a nearby shattered window, not knowing exactly what to expect. Scanning the area, she noticed the room that her brothers must have worked in. As she was concluding her investigation, Gertrude happened upon a rusted drying machine, one which her brothers could have worked on. While she was examining the dryer, she spotted two things: the dryer had a vibrant red button, and there was a spot where another dryer previously was. Finally, Gertrude considered a somewhat unsettling solution, and she knew just where to glance—a refrigerator.

Chapter 9
A Refrigerator, Part 2
As she dashed throughout the rain-filled, muddy streets, Gertrude honestly could not imagine what exactly had to be done. However, she could give a slight assumption: it had to do with a vibrant red button, which she assumed would also be in the refrigerator at the house, just as the other house appliances did. Devoid of oxygen, Gertrude reached the house where her sister was last recognized. Exceedingly exhausted, she carelessly leaned on a fence gate. When she did, however, the gate unexpectedly swung open, causing Gertrude to collapse onto the marshy front lawn of the house. Gertrude, although still drained of energy from her extensive sprint and now caked with mud, rebounded from the tumble. Dripping with rainwater, she trudged to the front door. With a noticeable amount of annoyance of the constant slushiness of her chilled, damp shoes, Gertrude practically punched the door as a crude substitute for a knock. When no one answered their lingering, uninvited guest, Gertrude dramatically clenched her fists. Squeezing her knuckles with extreme ferocity, she let her fists fly. Just a handful of jabs was all it required for her bare fists to crash through the wooden door. Finishing with a swift kick, the door splintered itself off of the creaky hinges, paving the way for Gertrude to finalize her investigations.
Searching for any clues in the supposedly unoccupied structure, Gertrude could feel the aggravating irritation that her hand had given her from the punching. She did not mind. She had punched stronger things—like a hive of killer bees in her backyard, but that was another tale. Continuously scanning for any indications of her housemaid-sister’s whereabouts, Gertrude heard a sudden crash and in an adjacent room. On instinct, she clung behind the nearest wall, holding her breath. As Gertrude was awaiting the presence of whatever caused that clattering, a housemaid stumbled out of the room in which the crash occurred. They glanced at each other, both noticing the widened eyes in each of their faces. Where on earth have you been? Gertrude’s mind was exceedingly flabbergasted.
Gertrude instantaneously recognized who the housemaid was—it was her sister, and Gertrude was not overjoyed to discover her. On the other hand, her sister, Jenniferica, was immensely thrilled at the sight of detecting her long-lost sister. Dashing to her like a jubilant prodigal son, Jenniferica latched on to her younger sister. Gertrude had almost forgot how impressively excruciating her sister’s bear hugs were. Immediately noticing how bothered and confused Gertrude was, Jenniferica motioned Gertrude over into the kitchen, where her sweet ride was. And what a sweet ride it was—a rusted, hardly-qualified refrigerator. It was not any ordinary fridge, Jenniferica revealed. Eagerly, she opened the refrigerator door and pushed a vibrant red button. Gertrude had barely enough time to perceive what Jenniferica had just activated when she swiftly nabbed Gertrude, dove into the fridge, and shut the door. Within seconds, neck-breaking rumbling and dizzying flashes suddenly flared across a dumbfounded Gertrude’s eyes. Finally, all the turbulence halted with an unexpected thud. Rolling out of the fridge, Gertrude intriguingly examined their surroundings. The environment seemed fresh, but the air had a slight disinfecting-spray fume to it. However, what Gertrude was more interested in was where they were. Apparently, Jenniferica explained, them and their family were at the Surville Cliffs at North Cape, New Zealand. With Gertrude nodding with understanding, Jenniferica also pointed out that it was year 2034, a whole century after their lives in the Great Depression! That is when it all became undeniably clear to Gertrude—the refrigerator was a time machine! So that is what all those house appliances had in common: they were all time machines! Before she knew it, she had been openly speaking out loud what was on her mind, which was the revelations she was beginning to comprehend. Regrettably realizing that she had vocalized her considerations out loud, Gertrude slammed her hand to her mouth, praying that her sister had not processed her mistaken words. In the end, Jenniferica had, and she expanded upon what Gertrude had accidentally voiced. There were five time machines: the refrigerator, the drying machine, the oven, a bathtub, and a washing machine. Their father had utilized the washer when he was at his laundromat job in Texas. Now, Gertrude did not care to remain any longer with her nutty family, especially when she could snatch a time machine and reside in various time lines! With a sly smile, Gertrude dove back into the refrigerator and disappeared with it in seconds.
Gertrude continued to live in the bewildering, complicated universe of time travel. She performed in many occupations and positions, including becoming a professional WWE wrestler, a skilled General Mills employee, and a terrible fighter plane pilot in WWII. While on one of her escapades as a time-traveler, Gertrude decided that she required a new name for herself, since she was no longer the poor, ragged Gertrude from the Great Depression. Therefore, she traveled to a point in time when she would become a great-grandmother. Infant Sara B. was born, and from then on Gertrude was called “Granny.” She favored the name and grew accustomed to it quickly. She eventually settled down in the successful prestige of 2080 America, when the 53rd president was leading the U.S. to glory. Gertrude, or Granny as she was now called, remained there until she was in her 100s. Finally, Granny decided that she should travel to the time of her great-granddaughter, Sara B. Although Granny was an expert in time-travel, she never spoke to Sara B., or anyone else, about it. However, as Granny was gradually developing her great-grandmother ability, she realized that something concerning her past troubled her. It became clear what the matter was when one day, Sara B. was devouring a bowl of the best low-cholesterol breakfast ever. Although it had been awhile since she last operated it, Granny knew it was time to harness the 1930s refrigerator once again.

Chapter 10
Where the Objective Awaits
Granny stepped out of a 1930s-era bathtub (she was dressed!). She was actually considerably surprised of the flabbergasted faces the mage, the two kitties, and Rufus were expressing. Although he was shocked at first glance, Rufus promptly relaxed and rubbed his furry side against Granny’s legs. Finally, Liamette blurted out, “Who are y–” Granny quickly but smoothly raised her hand to silence the dumbfounded mage. Shaking her head as if she was pondering something thoughtfully, Granny slowly bent over to pick up her neglected cat, her back cracking and popping with the harsh sound of how old she was. Holding Rufus, she strode over to his chair and reclined in it, releasing a sigh of contentment. With a look of realization of how confused the mage, the black bombay, and the calico were, Granny cleared her scratchy throat. She began to explain matters.
“To answer your interrupted question, mage, my undying, clever name is Granny.” Liamette was a bit unbelieving of her name, but Granny continued. “Honestly, I am flabbergasted myself at how you three have unearthed a long-lost time machine which I believed was forgotten in the fabric of time and space.” Although Granny’s ancient voice was worn and weary, she was clear about the matters she spoke of. “You have discovered one of five time machines in existence—the drying machine. There were other duplicates of the machines, but when people who owned them but never knew what the machines really were damaged the operations, they foolishly dismantled them.” She paused momentarily, pondering something. “Hmm. Actually, it was probably for the best that the duplicates were destroyed, for the universe as we know it would be unimaginably contrasting to the one which we reside in now.” Granny held a steady, serious expression on her wrinkled face as she conveyed  her words. “Now, normally I would happily commandeer your guys’ time machine for the sake of our fragile timeline; come to think of it, I assume we are not even in the real present! However, I believe you, an unlikely trio, could cooperatively coordinate together to assist me in recovering the remaining time machines. Perceiving that the loose machines could be uncovered by anybody, they could utilize them to dramatically alter our past, present, and future.” Granny did not fail to notice the unsure faces being worn on the three individuals, especially the cats, who were not exactly following the speech the frail human was speaking. “Your sudden expedition is not completely finished yet. Eventually it will be, but for now, you are under my command, for I alone know the potential these precarious time machines have.” Not exactly sure how to react, the mage and the two kitties hesitantly nodded simultaneously with artificial understanding, awaiting orders from their aged leader. However, when they glanced at her, Granny held an insightful trance, staring off into thoughts unknown. Liamette, curious of what Granny was considering, closed her eyes and focused. Harnessing her warlock magic, she intriguingly peeked into Granny’s mind—what Liamette witnessed was thoughts of revenge. What does this mean? Just as Liamette had finished the mind-reading, Granny shook her head and continued as before. “Now, my newfound cohorts, let us advance toward the task at hand!” Rufus squeaked a mew. Granny calmly sighed, then spoke tenderly to the cat, “I too wish you could come old friend, but I believe, with you as elderly as you are, old man, you would probably experience some slight cardiac problems. Trust me, I have been there.” (Granny then remembered the Canadian Honey Nut Cheerios—she had quickly devoured those while in exile. She always wondered how that petite box of low-cholesterol goodness kept her fragile heart pumping.) Finally, she just shrugged her shoulders and left Rufus to his own devices. Little did Rufus know that he would never rub his furry side on his beloved Granny ever again.
Before they even perceived what was happening, Shadow and Mitzie were crammed into the dryer. Shadow finally knew what to expect—screeching and tumbling. On the other hand, Mitzie was not looking forward to what was about to occur. Liamette was about to climb inside the drying machine when Granny stopped her. Granny then proceeded to instruct the maiden mage the basics on how to properly operate the dryer/time machine. Although the basics were hardly competent, Granny believed that Liamette had the skills required to utilize the strange mechanism. And where Liamette’s skills could fail, her wizard magic could also prove to be useful as well. Granny and Liamette synced their settings so that they would not find themselves stranded without a way out. “One final thing,” Granny mentioned, “all time machines have a tendency to vanish without warning, whether the vibrant red button is pressed or not. Considering this, remain as close to me and the bathtub as you can. Oh, and when we arrive, do not let down your guard—the environment and individuals there may not be in line with our universe, just as you are not.” Liamette did not exactly know what she meant when Granny said “just as you are not”, for Liamette was the only version of herself she ever knew. The mage simply shook her head in response to her confused considerations. Finally, Granny and Liamette activated the vibrant red buttons on their time machines and blasted off to where their objective awaited.

Chapter 11
Sara B.’s Stunning Refrigerator, Part 2
…The duo then yanked the lever of the refrigerator, and when they reached their destination, they could not believe their stunned eyes…lo and behold, the most flabbergasting appearance of anyone they had ever seen.
Sara B. and Amelia Earhart had just arrived in 1975 Zambia. In those days, Zambia was not the most favored by some Americans due to the fact that the whole country was socialist. Eventually, the socialist government would collapse and in 1991, the country would have issues but be free of socialism. Appearing in a lesser-populated area in Zambia, Sara B. and Amelia Earhart had not even recovered from their last expedition in time travel when they detected something flashing before them. The sudden flashing grew brighter. Finally, from what seemed to be an iridescent white and black tunnel of time and space shot out an elderly lady in a bathtub and a drying machine, in which echoing banging was coming from the inside. While Amelia Earhart could not identify the aged woman, Sara B. did instantly. As the old lady carefully stepped out of the 1930s-era bathtub, Sara B. was somewhat tempted to dash away from her awful reminder of the past. Sara B. was not deeply surprised at the sudden materialization of her great-grandmother, for she was a time-traveler; however, what would be surprising would be to observe how her Granny would punish her. She knew that Granny had punched more than hives of killer bees with just her bare fists, and Sara B. would never forget the time when she challenged her fragile great-grandmother to a boxing match—it did not go very smoothly for the unfortunate great-granddaughter. Wincing and clenching her teeth, Sara B. braced herself for the blows she assumed would come.
When Granny reached Sara B., instead of punching her in the nose so fiercely that it cracked like a broken nutshell, she demanded that her young Sara B. grant her the pleasure of giving her a long-lost hug. Remaining on guard, Sara B. bent over to gently squish the feeble woman. “This is for the countless years of not being with you.” Granny spoke softly so that only the two of them could hear. Sara B. had somewhat relaxed after perceiving these words. Upon finishing the hug, with a stern smile Granny instantaneously socked a full-blown Dwayne Johnson-punch to Sara B.’s cheek while asserting what she made of it: “And that is for marooning me in Canada and stealing my refrigerator!” She shouted so loud that her tender, frail voice cracked across the landscape. Amelia Earhart just shrugged her shoulders at the whole matter as she strode over to the drying machine to discover any helpless beings that were stuck in there just as Granny had been in the bathtub. She considered herself to be kidding until she yanked the dryer door open and two cats practically flew out of the tiny tomb. Amelia Earhart leaped in reaction to the startling felines! Still a bit shocked of what came out of the dryer, she continued inspecting the inside of it. Then something else came out. The being was female, and was donned in majestic mage robes. After leaving the cramped dryer, the mage curiously examined Amelia Earhart, and Amelia Earhart did the same to her. The mage had eyes unlike anything Amelia Earhart had ever observed—they were wide eyes with slightly enlarged pupils.
“The name is Liamette.” Liamette spoke finally as she held out her hand to introduce herself. “The cats names are Shadow and Mitzie, or something like that. Utilizing my warlock magic on cats is considerably more difficult than you would guess.” Liamette expressed this assuming that Amelia Earhart would know exactly what she meant by “warlock magic.”
Amelia Earhart nodded with some understanding. “And I am Amelia Earhart.” She shook the gloved hand, bearing one of those glad-to-meet-you smiles. Granny came over with a sore Sara B., her cheek still throbbing from the punch that felt like a blow from a brass knuckle. Granny was just about to speak when the two cats sprinted back to Liamette, the only somewhat familiar person the cats knew out of all those in this whole adventure.
“Assuming that you fellas already know each other,” Granny referred to Amelia Earhart, Liamette, and the two cats, “the task at hand is before us. We already have Sara B.’s—I mean my refrigerator, the bathtub, and the drying machine. Two remain. Now, it will be quite the escapade but my plan just might work. Liamette, how much do you know about history and time lines?” Liamette responded with her hand in a maybe-kinda-sorta fashion. “Alright, keep it on hand, because you may need it later on.” As you know, even though Granny’s voice was worn and weary, she began to speak as if she was the confident President FDR leading her citizens through the Great Depression. “Okay, here is the plan…” The group huddled up, knowing that the information she was announcing would be crucial to the survival of their precious past, present, and future. Even Shadow and Mitzie somewhat understood that what the humans were discussing would affect their feline lives as well—perhaps even all nine of them. After the plan was explained, Liamette and the two cats trudged over to the drying machine. “One thing,” Granny whispered to Amelia Earhart, “Sara B. is a very unstable person. I can easily imagine that Sara B. may and will bail out of this mission with the refrigerator. After all, she desires nothing but peace and prosperity for herself. However, we require her and the fridge for the good of our, well, lives. So make sure she does not sneak off to who-knows-where doing who-knows-what.” The famous pilot nodded, promising to ensure that this scenario would not come to pass. “Oh, and glad to meet you Miss Earhart.” Upon finishing, Granny slowly ambled over to her bathtub, and Amelia Earhart and Sara B. began walking to the stunning refrigerator.

Chapter 12
Sara B.’s Stunning Refrigerator, Part 3
Sara B., Granny, and Liamette synced their time machines. Apparently, they were all about to time-travel to where Granny had last identified all the time-machines—2034 New Zealand. Finally, Granny declared, they would be able to put an end to these time machines for the sake of our time lines. The difficult part, she mentioned, was that she had no knowledge of where the oven and the washing machine were. All she knew was that her mother had traveled with the oven, and her father had somehow stowed away in the time-traveling washing machine, and that they were in New Zealand. Additionally, they would be arriving at the near exact moment in time when Granny, who was Gertrude at the time, had arrived in New Zealand with her sister in the refrigerator. Finishing the syncing process and giving the all-clear, Liamette and the cats took the dryer; Granny operated the bathtub; and Sara B. and Amelia Earhart utilized the refrigerator. Simultaneously, they all hit their vibrant red buttons and all together vanished to the Surville Cliffs in New Zealand.
As with the previous trips, all three time machines shook and rattled with turbulence. Finally, they all suddenly halted with a thud—they had arrived. Granny, even with being as feeble as she was, she had the easiest time climbing out of her time machine. The others had to either shoulder-charge their way out or frog-leg-kick to their freedom. Eventually, all members of the gang were released from the cramped shackles of their appliances. They scanned their mountainous landscape. The first being to spot activity was actually Mitzie, when she perked up upon hearing some distant chatter some way off. Shadow, perceiving Mitzie’s keen thinking, bounded off to where she was staring off to. Mitzie realized that that was what the objective was, so she too sprinted off with the black bombay. The rest of the group followed the felines, still wondering where exactly they were sprinting off to. Granny then recognized the silhouettes of her past-self and her sister, Jenniferica, at the top of the hill. Then Granny realized something extremely drastic. “Stop those kitties!” Granny then began to charge as fast as her feeble legs would carry her, which was surprisingly swift considering that she was in her 100s! Sara B., Amelia Earhart, and Liamette then sprinted after her, not knowing why she had decided to take off like a SR-71 Blackbird.
While they were running aimlessly toward the kitties, Liamette shouted to Granny, “What is so drastic that it is worth mindlessly chasing after two obviously-faster cats?”
With streaks of her asthma piercing through her creaky voice, Granny shouted back between raspy gasps of air, “If those cats inter…fere with me and my…sister’s past-selves, it…could change the past!…Or future?…Something unfortunate will happen!” Granny paused to gulp down some breaths from her inhaler. “Go on without me!” The three misses nodded and dashed up the hill where the cats were almost at the top of, which was where Gertrude and Jenniferica were.
Obviously, Shadow and Mitzie reached the two maidens before their pursuers did. However, when the high schooler, the pilot, and the mage finally crested the hill, they found the twelve-year Gertrude petting Shadow as he was rolling around in the cool grass like a adorable hound. Mitzie was just watching, considerably unimpressed by the somewhat embarrassing spectacle Shadow was making this situation. While Amelia Earhart and Liamette were aghast that Shadow was altering time as they knew it before their eyes, Sara B. acted on instinct. She hastily charged forward and swiped Shadow from the lush grass. Noticing that Gertrude wholeheartedly preferred that the cat be treated gently, Sara B. prepared herself. Gertrude suddenly attacked, desiring that justice be performed for the sake of the black cat. However, when Gertrude leaped at the cat-violator to settle this whole predicament, Sara B. readily planted her feet and let her fists fly! Although Getrude was still the same person who had punched killer bees and would continue to punch killer bees, she was not nearly strong enough as she would be in her future. Finally, after a moment of hand-to-hand, street-fighting-style combat, Sara B. landed a devastating blow to the maiden, knocking the defeated Gertrude to her knees. Out of the corner of her eye, Sara B. spotted Amelia Earhart and Liamette dashing toward them to break up the tussle.
In her mind, Sara B. believed that her past, present, and future was compromised by all of the time-travel baloney her Granny had initiated. And now with Shadow messing matters up all the more, Sara B. concluded that the only way to repair her damaged past, present, and future was to make sure her Granny had never time-traveled in the first place. Partially closing her eyes, Sara B. unleashed her dark side; it all felt like a faint blur to her, and like a tragic nightmare to those witnessing it. Sara B. harshly grasped the young Gertrude and forcefully heaved her off the cliff into the sea below. Jenniferica, shocked and covered with sudden bitter tears, lunged herself at Sara B., but she too was utterly cast off the cliff by the demented Sara B.
For a moment, not a soul breathed. Not one living organism that had witnessed this cruel act had not been this thoroughly flabbergasted. Even Sara B., who was not known to be such a murderer, was dumbfounded at what she had done. She could not even bear to even look off the cliff to identify whether or not those innocent maidens had survived. Wincing on the inside as she did, Sara B. swiveled around, noting the bewildered expressions her cohorts were wearing. Then she noticed Granny just a few steps behind the pilot and the mage. Granny then whispered something to them, and upon hearing those words, they took one final glance at their murderous friend. Then they sprinted as swiftly as they could down the hill, the cats sauntering close behind.
Granny walked over to Sara B., wobbling over to her as she did. She had wobbled more than she usually did when she walked. Additionally, she seemed somewhat more weak and faint. Then Granny, with the most heartbroken, melancholy face, spoke with barely any volume, “Do not worry about your companions. Their fate would be sealed had they stayed any longer. However, you and I’s fates are inevitably sealed. Traveling to the countless corners of time is adventurous, but it has its drastic consequences.” Granny now wore a sorrowful, mournful expression, the one that you wear when one close to you has left you.
“I am truly sorry, Granny. I just desired a more peaceful, normal life for me. And, and I thought..” Sara B.’s voice died off in brokenness, her head lumbering low. Granny never responded. After a moment, Sara B. lifted her head only to find that her beloved Granny was utterly withering away! With twelve-year old Gertrude gone, Granny had never existed. It was tragic and unexpected, and it was as if Thanos had snapped his fingers just for them. With one final look of sorrowfulness, Granny faded away, never to be encountered by anyone again. Everything was silent. Her Granny was gone and all of Sara B.’s friends had abandoned her. Her friends had likely departed with the other time machines. “Hopefully, they did,” Sara B. thought to herself. It seemed like whatever Sara B. was thinking was being spoken out loud, for it was so quiet there on that hill in New Zealand. The only other object in sight was the refrigerator that had come with the two girls Sara B. had chucked off the cliff. “Maybe I can restart our lives with that appliance. I never considered that I would desire to time-travel.” Sara B. nodded to herself and was just about to attempt to set matters right when the fridge too began to vanish. Not just vanishing like the time machines tended to do, but slowly disentagrated just as Granny had. Within seconds, the famed time-traveling refrigerator that started this whole escapade had withered away. Finally, Sara B. collapsed onto the cool, breezy grass. She could not continue on. Her world had fallen apart. “I am stranded in 2030-something in New Zealand. How could it get any worse?” She believed that she was simply being sarcastic to herself. However, things did get worse—now she was withering away. With wide open eyes, she glanced at what was once her hand, but now it was a tiny pile of ashes and dust. “Hm. Since my great-grandmother never existed, I guess I never existed either.” She let out a slow sigh. “Maybe it is better this way.” She bellowed one final sigh, or rather, one final breath. Momentarily, Sara B. felt her very innermost being wither away. In the end, she was nothing; she had never existed. The time-traveling escapades of Granny, Sara B., and her stunning refrigerator were over.

Chapter 13
Rufus
It had felt like a slight increment of time had passed since his beloved Granny arrived. Now she had to leave once more, the demanding duty of time-travel calling yet again. Rufus, even though he was a cat, had the mind and heart of an affectionate human. Although he was an old man-cat sometimes, other times he would act as one of the laid-back, chill cats you would ever meet. Dreadfully missing Granny every time she had to withdraw from this time line, Rufus would usually just relax and recline on his comfortable chair. However, after Granny, that mage, and those two cats had departed, Rufus, instead of heading over to his chair, casually sauntered over into the pantry, where his food bowl was. He began to chow down. Since the “incident” had shockingly occurred, Rufus had always harshly detested the “real tuna” cat food. To him, it just tasted like mutilated roadkill. Besides the exhausting urge to lick himself over every other hour, this was probably the worse part of being a cat. Still, even if it was not as luscious as the “actually-real” tuna wet food, it was better than nothing, especially with Granny not residing here at the moment to present him a more delectable meal.
Upon finishing his hardly-qualified cat food, Rufus trudged over to his chair to consider some things. Granny’s cozy lap and his chair were the only places he could concentrate about matters, colossal ones and tiny ones, in uninterrupted peace. The programs playing today in his mind were the day-old litter box; when would Granny be exhaustively drained from continuously time-traveling; and the rusted microwave that had its door left open for no reason. That creaky door caught his eye in particular. Intriguingly eyeing the door, Rufus wondered why Granny had neglected shutting the door. Such a simple action, and yet it was never done. Eyeing the door even more, he had forgotten about his unchanged litter box. Because the door was not easily going to be shutting itself, it began to bother Rufus. It was something that just had to be fixed, and it was not happening by itself. It agonizingly drove Rufus’ mentality out of whack. Growling softly, he bounded off of his pleasurable cushion.
Although the kitchen was just a few feet away from the living room, to Rufus the walk seemed like a consumption of a enormous portion of time. “Why should I be wasting my time for a door?” he mewed to himself. “Ugh, but it is just one of those things where it just needs to be done.” Finally reaching the counter where the open microwave was enthroned, the aged kitty attempted to balance on his creaky hind legs. The result was maybe a split-second of standing before his quaking legs collapsed under the weight of all of the massive “fur.” Groaning while shaking his head, Rufus promptly recovered and noticed a nearby dining table chair behind him. Utilizing his inner parkour skills, the seemingly-frail feline leaped onto the chair, wobbling lightly as he regained his bearings. Even though the counter was a bit further away now, Rufus exhaled a calm but cool mew, readying himself for the most epic pounce he would do since the days of his long-gone youth. He intensely stared ahead. He convinced himself that the microwave was just within reach. Closing his eyes, Rufus could barely visualize himself launching himself onto the counter and proudly pawing the door closed. The idea played multiple times in his minuscule cat brain. The graceful landing, the satisfying “click” of the sealing door—it all appeared to be right there in front of him. Opening his eyes, he was one with the microwave. The cookie of opportunity was on the table, and Rufus was ready and prepared to grab it.
Unleashing his internal panther, Rufus immediately fired toward the microwave. In slow motion, it would have been the most glorious sight; however, the reality of it was not quite that pretty. Instead of gracefully landing on the counter like he had planned, Rufus actually soared into the microwave, colliding with the interior of the miniature oven. His tail became caught on the door, which flung the door shut, both locking Rufus inside and partially squeezing his gray tail! He piercingly screeched in pain! After a period of yowling, banging the inside, and yowling some more, Rufus eventually calmed down, knowing himself to be a bit more calm and collected than this. In all of the haphazard banging, his tail freed itself from the pinching door. Rufus hurriedly searched for a means of escape. He discovered a faded model number, the date “1940”, and a vibrant red button. The exact moment he uncovered the button, Rufus instinctively pushed it, believing it to be a button to open the door. When he pushed it, however, the microwave began to rattle and shake with turbulent activity! While Rufus was yowling and screeching yet again, a wave of time and space blanketed the microwave. After what seemed like an eternity, the microwave halted with a neck-breaking thud. Within seconds, the door opened from the outside, and the light of day flooded the cramped space. He began to feel dizzy and lightheaded. The instant before everything went black, the last faint, distorted image Rufus glanced at was the silhouette of a figure he had only met once.
It was the mage.

To be continued…

Acknowledgments
This page is dedicated to the handful of people who have supported me in masterminding this collection of short stories. The first word of appreciation goes to my good friend Eli, who was the strongest supporter behind the idea of a “time-traveling refrigerator.” Another thank-you to Lydia, the awesome illustrator bringing these abstract thoughts to life. Thanks to my genius editor and mom, Mrs. Brandy, my work is apparently “advanced college-level.” Here’s a shout out to Mrs. Wharton, one of the greatest (and only) writing teachers facilitators I have ever had. Thanks to my unofficial sponsor, Open Office, the whole reason why you see my writing in text. Thank you Ellie, the greatest sister and dancer who contributed 2% of the story. Thanks to Thesaurus.com for the flabbergasting synonyms I have purposely imprinted on this fanatical parchment. Here’s a thank-you for Caleb—he helps me know that my writing is not the wackiest. A massive thank-you to all those that I cannot fit on this piece of paper; friends, family, etc. Lastly, here’s a thank-you to the infamous COVID-19 virus, which resulted with a draining, agonizingly extensive quarantine. It was because of this stir-crazy time of uncertainty that I had the time to create this tasteless tale. (As of 4/2/2020, it is the 17th day under the breath of this dragon, and it shows no sign of stopping; -sigh- .)
Remember kids, time is a precious thing, so don’t waste it by jumping into refrigerators, drying machines, and bathtubs—especially if they are time machines. Seriously, drying machines and bathtubs are nothing to mess with :). And wash hands often. I am speaking for many as well as myself: do not get sick, for my sanity depends on it. No pressure.

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This e-mail was sent from a contact form on Mark Cheverton (https://giants-markcheverton.com)