The Sweet Solution

Elara slumped back onto the torn leather chair and swiped to the left. The Systems screen appeared. Error code 25642 was no longer alone; next to it, flashing bright red, was error code 999. Her stomach tightened as she began to sweat. This was disastrous. She didn’t have enough fuel to make it back.

“Stupid Curtis! You freaking idiot!” She screamed and kicked the chair back.

Why hadn’t she fired him sooner? How the hell am I going to obtain fuel here in 1989? She was about to throw her keypad when she spotted Salem. He was on the windowsill, his ears at attention and big yellow eyes full of concern.

She took a deep breath, put her keypad down, and sank to the floor. It was over, and there was nothing more to do. Salem jumped from his perch, landing softly next to her. He purred as he brushed his body against her fuzzy wool robe. Elara’s thin, pale hand moved softly over Salem’s thick black fur; her anger, hopelessness, and frustration instantly melted.

“Okay, buddy. I know, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t yell. I shouldn’t give up. I can figure this out.” The big black cat looked up at her; a toothy grin spread across the his face.

“Yes, my wise friend, that’s what I thought. It’s all stupid Curtis’s fault, what an imbecile.” She rubbed Salem’s head; the cat closed his eyes, his grin growing wider as he leaned into her hand.

Elara sighed. She desperately missed her husband, Jason, and daughter Mara. Two years was too long to be gone.

“Okay, let’s focus on fuel; I must find a compatible source.” She stood up and waved her hand, causing another screen to appear. On it, rows and rows of equations, notes, and calculations. As she examined her work, she wondered how many new error messages would plague her. Would she ever make it back?

She began to sweat. “Stop it, Elara, you got this.”

Again, her gaze drifted down to her cat. Salem was batting an object back and forth. She leaned over and snatched it up. The cat growled in protest. It was a small, hard square-shaped, what? She picked it up and brought it to her nose; she inhaled. Sweet, cherry, perhaps. She gazed down at the big red letter S imprinted on the red wrapper. It looks like candy.

“Where did you get this, Salem? Huh?” Before she could get a response, the cat leaped up and knocked his cherry red prize from Elara’s hand.

“Hey!” Elara yelled as the shiny red candy flew across the room, hit the stairs, and sailed right into the intake of the central power module.

“No! No! No!” She yelled as she raced towards the engine. Abruptly, the time machine shut down.

“No!” She yelled. This can’t be happening. Not now! She stared in horror and dropped to the floor.

Suddently, a low hum began to fill the room. She looked back at the machine. It was the primary fuel cell; the system was rebooting. It can’t be! Elara rushed back to the machine. A whooshing noise and a giant whirl of blue lights filled the front panel of the entire power bank.

“What? The fuel cells had been dead for months.” Elara whispered.

She moved closer and gazed in amazement at the readouts. Both error codes were cleared, and the fuel levels were rising. The screen now read five percent.

“Come on, keep going,” She whispered, her heart beating with excitement.

There was a pause, and the whirling stopped, but the system hummed. “Okay, I’ll take it.” She said with hope.

“How?” She looked back at Salem in amazement. “It can’t be! Candy! That’s my fuel? All along, candy?”

Elara picked Salem up and hugged the meaty black cat. “You are a genius! Way smarter than Curtis!” The cat growled and squirmed, trying to break free as she danced and spun him around.

“Do you have other sweet treats hidden for me, boy?” She said before planting a big kiss on his broad, furry face.

Ding dong! Elara and Salem both turned towards the door. They never get visitors; who might it be?

Ding dong! The doorbell of the rundown gray mansion chimed again.

“Trick or treat!” Yelled the children through the door. For the first time in a long time, She smiled.

She dropped Salem and smoothed down her wild, curly hair. “How do I look? Crazy?”

Salem’s eyes glowed with excitement.

Elara walked over to the door and paused.

She looked down at her furry friend. “Salem, let’s steal some candy and go home!”

The cat grinned, exposing his long white fangs.