postcards from an ill-timed supernova

June, July, August 2088.

#1: sunshine girls

Summer of 2088 in Copper Hill, Michigan. The sun is hot. The local swimming hole is murky and nobody knows what hides in its depths.

“Dead bodies,” Bianca teases.

“Nuh uh,” Julia cries. “Stop it, I’m telling Dad!”

“Leeches.” Lily giggles, her fingers tickling up Willow’s shoulder.

“Seaweed,” Willow shouts, grabbing a clump. Throw, splat. Squeals, splashing, laughter.



The days are long and sweaty and sweet. In twenty years, when four little girls have become women swamped with jobs and family and life, when they think back on their childhood, this will be what they remember.  

postcards from a bug on the wall

July 2087.

In Fort Palmetto, half of the high school class gathers at the Collins residence to celebrate Jacob Collins' 15th birthday. The shady yard and chilly pool make the perfect place to ride out this mid-summer heat wave.  

gameplay notes on childhood education

I felt bad after I did these advisory sessions for my current group of high school seniors because I felt like among all of my teenagers, Reid would have probably benefited the most from a senior advisory session. But I wasn’t doing them back then. Most of my other kids had a pretty good idea of what they wanted to do, or at least, in which direction they wanted to start. But Reid didn’t know. He still doesn’t, really. He had no idea how he might apply his skills to the real world, or what he might do with himself besides becoming a bum or a criminal “just kidding, but not kidding.” He doesn’t have much confidence in himself.

Why is that? I don’t know. It’s not because of his parents, his parents are awesome. Or maybe it’s because they’re so blindly accepting of him and the rest of the world isn’t? He doesn’t fit the template of a “good kid” but he isn’t a bad kid, either. So he doesn’t understand where he fits into the grand scheme of things. He has also struggled to trust that Susie really loves him back or that she couldn’t find someone better, though he is gaining a little more confidence in that area, at least. I’m sure the friction with her mother doesn’t help, either.

So flashback to last year, if he would have had a senior advisory session, it would have said this. He’s currently ignoring the advice, of course. Or well, it probably looks like he's ignoring the advice, but I think it's all there, sitting in his subconscious for now.

Reid

Reid Clarence Morton

born: May 24, 2073, Gemini
parents: Sheldon Morton and Tessa Morton
siblings: none
children: none

education: Palms County High School, class of 2091
university: not attending
career: part-time, retail/warehousing: Odds & Ends Consignment
career history: none
skilled in: programming (4), comedy (3), mischief (3)

child aspiration: social, not achieved
aspiration 1: pleasure (if it existed)
aspiration 2: popularity/joke star
traits: dastardly, goofball, carefree, speed reader, (loyal)
loves: his parents, laughing, sleeping, computers, Shakespeare and Dr. Seuss
hates: obligations, the establishment
favorite colors: gray, black, purple

orientation: straight
romance: Susie Collins, dating since August 2091
romantic history: none

friendships: Susie Collins, Tessa Morton (mom), Jacob Collins,
enemies: Pamela Collins

DNA: hair, black; eyes, dark brown; adult height, 5'10"