There's a new book that's created quite a stir called "Yesteryear." Lots of people have written reviews about it. They've written reviews about the reviews.
Basically, it's about a tradwife influencer who goes back in time and discovers that it really stinks. I actually haven't read the book.
But that premise alone reminds me of another story that was last modified 6/9/2001 that I found on my external hard drive tonight. It was never given a title, but the filename was called "oldk." I had to use the "k" so my stories wouldn't get confused with Leslie's.
Unlike me, she was and is an excellent fiction writer. I on the other hand described my bedroom pretty well.
Anyway, with a glowing recommendation like that, I'm sure you will be blown away by this amazing unfinished story.
Kyra had a very regular life. She did her chores, watched TV, played computer, and had strange thoughts. Of course, the story has to be about her life becoming irregular, so here it goes.
Chapter 1
One summer morning Kyra woke up. She did this every morning, but today it seemed to be different. She looked out the window to see if it could give any context clues. It did. For one thing, she wasn't in the basement any more. For another thing, she couldn't see her backyard. She laughed and said, "I feel like Dorothy Gale. Toto, I don't think I'm in Providence any more."
"Wonder where I am," she said. "I hope I didn't go to Dictionopolis," remembering another book where a kid got transported to a whole new world.
"It looks sort of, well, old fashioned. For some reason I feel I should put on my pioneer dress."
She got dressed, and then walked out to see where she was.
Chapter 2
When Kyra walked out the door, she found the bathroom instead of the hall. "Oh, good. Now I'll be able to drink water from my time. I can't forget a story I heard on the radio where the last line was: oh yeah, I'm in another country."
When she walked out the bathroom door, she saw a place that was set in the 1800's. She was about to ask where she was, but thought how stupid it would sound. Her stomach growled all of the sudden.
A young man passing asked, "Hungry, miss? If so, come to Providence's best, my house."
"Thank you. I'm sort of, I mean, I'm a stranger in these parts. Are you sure they will let me in?" said Kyra, blushing.
"I think so, I'll take you there. But first, will you please show me your house?"
"I will, but please don't laugh or be amazed," Kyra said. She was nervous that he would look at the copyright date in her books.
The young man held her hand as she and the man walked into the "house."
Chapter 3
"What is your name?" asked Kyra as they walked in.
"John Aldrid Baird. And yours?"
"Kyra Moon."
"Kyra, I find your house amazing. Oh, these books are so modern. May I browse one?" he said, unaware he said something she dreaded.
"First, you should see some of my other things. This fabric board is a bulletin board I made at Achievement Days. And these are my clay figures. And this is my closet. And this is, um, my pillow. And-"
"Kyra, you are acting elusive. There's something you are hiding. I mean, why do you have a square saying New York City on the pink board and it has tall buildings. Also, why do you have another paper saying: Cache County School District Providence Elementary In the judgment of the teacher and the principal Kyra Moon Should take work in the 6th grade in the school year 2000-2001! You are from the future!" John shouted.
"I am. And I'm not anxious to be famous. I know I'm in Providence, but I do not know what year this is."
"1861. A fine year."
"Well, I think the Civil War has started."
"What war is that?"
"Your dad or someone like that walked across the plains. Well, maybe you don't know, maybe you do. But slavery is going on. Since Lincoln became president, many of the Southern states have left the U.S. Everyone is fighting for the states to come back, and slavery to end. I could describe it better, but I'm not in school right now. It will end in 1865, but people will still be mean to them," Kyra said in one breath.
"Will you read my future, Miss Moon?" he teased.
"Sorry, but you're not famous. Brigham Young will die in 1887. Is that good enough for you? I'm getting hungry anyway."
"I'll take you to breakfast. Bring some money, and if possible, change into clothes you would wear if you didn't wake up in another time."
Chapter 4
As Kyra walked out in shorts and shirt, she attracted a lot of attention. Even John was surprised to see that she would wear something different.
In the house she saw they were serving bread with butter.
Kyra sighed and said, "I wish I had more than candy in my room."
"You have candy?" asked a little girl.
"Yes, but it will make me sick if I only eat candy."
Kyra decided to eat so no one would ask her questions. Finally, John announced who I was. "This is Kyra Moon. She is a time traveler. She is smarter than all of us. Tell them what you know."
Kyra didn't really want to, but she talked about how people can be on the moon. She talked about Edison's invention, the light bulb. She talked about TV and computers. And then she said, "I think I've talked too much."
"No, say more!" everyone yelled.
So Kyra talked her heart out. She talked just about everything from plants to school lunches. Then she noticed them looking a little envious.
"Why don't we get that stuff?" said a little girl whose name was Emma.
"Because we're not supposed to," replied an older boy.
"Well, you can try it out," said Kyra. "I have a light in my room, and a bathtub in the bathroom."
Everyone ran over to her house, and they could tell which house was hers.
Chapter 5
After everyone in Providence tried everything Kyra had, she decided to make some friends, even if she was only in 1861 one day. Who knows? She could be there for 10 years! She knew John would be a friend. But who else would?
After a day of playing with children, she found one that could easily be a best friend: Mary Jane Tanner. She was 10. Kyra thought she might be an ancestor of Brooke Tanner, a neighbor of her. Some other friends were Laura and Caroline.
The next day, they went of to play with Kyra's things. They were amazing to Kyra. She said, "You are the best friends I could ever have in any time, past, present, or future. You also make the best stories to play that I ever could dream. Would you like an M m'm? It's a kind of candy."
"Sweet!" was the reaction to the candy.
Kyra knew it might be too sweet, but she would not eat any of theirs, because she had tried it before.
For quite a while after that they read books.
Little did they know of what was coming. For just outside, three men surrounded all the doors and windows, peeking in and preparing for an ambush. These three men were: Punch "Black Eye" Face, Minister Sinister, and Benny "Gun" Gettyor. His sister was the leader of the group: Annie Gettyor Gun.
Benny had never gotten married, but Annie had. She had married Richard Thomas Gun. But she hated him and killed him "accidentally." She was one of the richest people in all of Providence now. Thanks to her group of three, she was getting richer. And of course they were also.
Kyra saw them. She wished that her door lock still worked. But since it didn't, she would have to use lots of wit and witticism. She opened the door before they could. Her friends screamed and hid under the bed. That was good. She told them to come out and start singing Old Man Tucker as soon as she said circus people. They relented reluctantly.
"Why, hello, friends. You have a gun? Two guns? Three guns! We could certainly use some of those around here. Never know when a criminal will come up."
Annie was shocked. This little rodent was not afraid at all. In fact, it seemed that she wanted to be their friend. That was new. Even when she was young, no one had liked her. No one liked her now, which wasn't surprising. Maybe she could pretend to be that shrimp's friend.
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