JT EVERGREEN SHORT STORIES

It was late July as Hans stepped into the temperate waters of the Aegean Sea. He thought of the thousands of years of history in this part of the world as he waded into deeper waters. He was on holiday, visiting friends in Izmir, Turkey. He had never been to this part of Europe and was pleased to be here. His foot embraced an object buried just beneath the surface of the sand. He thought it a rock at first, but the sharpness caused him to stop. He scraped the sand away with his foot, then bent over and reached down to the sea bottom. The sharp object was the corner of some kind of a handle, or so he thought.  He was able to place his hand through and around the object and pulled. Nothing happened. He smiled to himself, thinking he had stumbled on an ancient treasure. He continued pushing the sand away with his foot.  It was indeed a handle, attached to something. He wasn’t sure what it might be. He knew he would never find it again if he went to shore to get assista...

Vivian Scott paused in front of The Olde Book Shoppe display window. She was an avid antique collector so, when she saw the antique bottles in the display window, she had to stop and inspect the offering. The longer she looked, the more inclined she was to go in and have an even closer look. Her wristwatch told her she had more than enough time to browse before her train departed for her home in Arlington Heights. The little bell over the front door jingled merrily as she entered and closed the door. It was then she heard someone shuffling across the floorboards in an adjacent room. The divider curtain parted and an elderly man entered. “Good afternoon, my dear.  How may I be of assistance?” “Good afternoon …?” “My name is Morris and this is my shop.” “Good afternoon, Morris. I noticed the antique bottles in your display window. May I have a closer look?” “Indeed you may.  The display window is unlocked … please help yourself.  There are more of these beaut...