Literary Nymphs Interview
Title: A Token of
Time
Author: Ethan Day
Publisher: MLR
Press
Genre: Paranormal/Historical/Romance
Release Date: 4/20/12
What inspired the story?
A combination of things came together and brought this story to life for me – a
daydream on a rainy afternoon was the first bit of inspiration which came
fortuitously right around the time I’d watched an older film I’ve always loved
but hadn’t seen in ages called, Somewhere in Time. Those two things mixed
together into this unstoppable fantasy in my head. The film is a sad and
romantic love story; people should definitely check it out if they haven’t seen
it before.
The focus of that daydream
revolved around Tab Hunter’s autobiography, Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making
of a Movie Star, which I’d recently finished reading at the time. Those outside
influences came together, infecting my brain with a story I couldn’t rid myself
of until I sat down and started writing. It’s a much more complicated story
with a lot going on and it really came to me in pieces over several years time.
For anyone who has become used to my usual shtick, this book will likely
be a teensy bit of a shock, lol.
EXCERPT:
The coffee table was cluttered with empty bottles of liquor, an ashtray
overflowing with cigarette butts, crumpled fast food bags, wadded up wrappers,
and week-old cartons filled with half eaten food that had begun to stink.
Zachary rubbed his itchy nose before picking up a cigarette and lighting the
tip. Fumbling, he dropped the lighter, watching as it bounced across the
hardwood floor.
“Fuck,” he muttered, the cigarette dangling from between his lips.
Listening to the sizzle of burning tobacco as he inhaled, Zachary
emptied the last of the liquor into his glass before leaning back into the
leather sofa.
The apartment felt as empty as he did. Nick was gone and wouldn’t be
coming back. Taking in a sharp breath, the pain cut through his chest and he
wiped away the tear running down his cheek.
He flicked the ashes onto the floor.
It is my fault.
Rebecca was right about that. Had Zachary known it would lead to this,
he would’ve left Nick behind and never allowed him to become entangled in his family’s
twisted bullshit. Nick’s mother, Janet had worked for Zachary’s family so
they’d known one another their entire lives – had grown up together.
Nick was a year older and had been straight from the time he’d hit
puberty, or so Zachary believed. He’d bedded multiple girls from school and
acted as though he’d loved every minute of it. Then Zachary turned sixteen and
everything changed.
His life, their lives, hadn’t
been the same since.
Zachary stared at his hands, convinced what he could do with them wasn’t
worth the price he’d been forced to pay. His gift, this curse which Zachary had
never wanted was ironically now the only way for them to be together. Nick
could only be found by searching through the past and Zachary’s memories were
all that remained.
Zachary pulled himself off the sofa, pausing momentarily until the
dizziness subsided. Stumbling over to the fireplace mantle, he grabbed the
large manila envelope they’d handed him after being released from the hospital.
It held Nick’s personal effects from the day he’d died. Zachary had refused to
open it before, but its contents were the things Nick used every day and
therefore held the most energy. Zachary needed to see him – to be with him
again – if only for a little while.
Ripping open the envelope as he made his way back to the sofa, Zachary
removed Nick’s watch from the bag. The glass was scratched. It held no value to
anyone other than Zachary – it was a gateway to their past.
He shoved some trash out of the way, clearing a spot before placing the
watch gently onto the tabletop, and then reached into the bag, listening to the
keys clinking before pulling out the brown wallet. The leather along the sides
was distressed and worn smooth from daily, long term use. It was the only one
Nick had ever owned.
Zachary held it under his nose and breathed in the scent.
The pain of loss was only manageable because of the booze.
He could feel the tears welling up, placing the wallet next to the
watch, followed by Nick’s keys and cell phone. He took one last drag off the
cigarette before snuffing it out by jamming it into the overflowing ashtray.
It wasn’t fair. People shouldn’t be taken away like this.
Nick was only twenty-one, far too young and his life had never really
been his own.
Zachary dropped the envelope onto the floor after removing the final
item. He rolled the ring between his fingers, thinking it was priceless. Silly
considering it was made from some sort of plastic polymer and molded into the
shape of a coyote. The animal’s body created the circle, its head resting on
the tail.
Glancing at the ring on his finger, which was similar aside from being
green and shaped like a lizard, Zachary took another deep breath. He rubbed the
tips of his fingers over the textured, rounded surface of Nick’s ring and
closed his eyes.
Normally he would concentrate on a specific question that required
answering, something which would steer his vision toward a specific time or
event in the past. It was the best way to control his psychic ability. This
time he didn’t do that—willing to see whatever came to him.
He rid his mind of all other thoughts and concentrated on Nick as the
light began to flicker behind his eyes. A blinding stark white light flashed
and the vision came slowly into focus. Zachary could feel the smile stretching
across his face watching his memories of the past play out like a film inside
his head – a movie that only he could see.
He watched silently, transported back in time to the day he and Nick
walked through the aisles of the outdoor market – could almost feel it as the
backs of their hands brushed together, as if it had only just occurred. They
smiled at one another and Zachary was now able to experience how badly Nick had
wanted to hold hands in that moment.
Zachary remembered the day—their trek through the desert several months
after arriving in New Mexico
Reliving the day from a fly-on-the-wall perspective, Zachary looked on
as he and Nick meandered through the market, which had been awful. One of those
tourist traps filled with cheap southwestern tchotchkes – the type grandparents
enjoyed perusing when purchasing mementos of their vacation or gifts for their
grandchildren.
They were both laughing after Nick put on a garish Indian headdress that
looked less than authentic with its neon colored dyed feathers.
Nick winked. “Wanna play cowboys and Indians?”
The owner of the store and the other shoppers had begun to watch them as
Nick was creating quite a scene – mainly due to the fact Zachary had been
unable to stop laughing.
It was the first time they’d been comfortable letting their guard down
long enough to simply have fun. They’d been living in New Mexico
Nick removed the headdress and placed it back on the hook, before moving
further down the aisle where he began digging through a plastic bin. He pulled
something out of it and smiled, watching
Zachary out of the corner of his eye.
Without warning, Nick thrust his hand in Zachary’s face, smiling like a
little boy while proudly displaying his offering.
It intensified Zachary’s sadness, experiencing what Nick had been
feeling back then – so light and carefree – the depth of his feelings for
Zachary.
“Would you marry me if I spent a whole four dollars and ninety-nine cents
on this ring for you?” Nick asked, looking quite serious.
Zachary watched himself grin while staring at the cheesy lizard ring.
“How could I say no? Of course, you’d have to wear one as well.”
“I think I’m good without,” Nick said, trying to keep a straight face.
“Well I’m not tainting my hand with this cheese while you get off
scot-free.”
He watched himself digging through the same bin, retrieving the coyote
ring.
“I’ll wear the coyote ring and you can keep that snazzy lizard for
yourself.” Zachary smiled, deciding the brown one wasn’t as noticeable as the
lime green colored lizard. He nudged his head down toward Nick’s crotch. “Your
lizard’s bigger than mine, so it suits you.”
Nick fell to his knees dramatically, taking Zachary’s hand. “But I picked
this out specially for you!”
Zachary was attempting to shush the man who was now yelling loud enough
for everyone to overhear, looking on in horror, despite his uncontrollable
laughter.
He’d forgotten how big of a ham Nick could be, like the boy had seen one
too many Adam Sandler movies and couldn’t resist the occasional juvenile
outburst.
“Consider it my lizard’s way of marking its territory.” Nick slipped the
hideous thing onto Zachary’s finger before bellowing out in a deep, horribly
executed southern accent, “Would you do me the honor of becoming my betrothed?”
Zachary could feel the tears running down his face witnessing his
reaction, doubled over in laughter, attempting to cover Nick’s mouth since he
wouldn’t stop yelling out ridiculously corny declarations of love. He wasn’t
sure what had gotten into the boy, but everyone was staring at them and looking
mostly un-amused.
He’d gotten used to never seeing that side of Nick’s personality after
their lives became one long nightmare. It made that particular day seem all the
more special to him in retrospect.
Zachary began to distance himself from the vision, unable to handle any
more. The happiness he’d experienced at the time brought nothing but pain to
him now, knowing they’d never have moments like that again. The picture faded
into a flicker and Zachary forced his eyes open, sniffling as his sight turned
from the vibrant color of his past to the darkened reality of his present.
Zachary’s lip quivered, trying to hold it all in. He wanted another
drink and a cigarette with equal voracity, but remembered he was out of vodka.
He then saw the lighter laying well out of reach where he’d dropped it earlier
and cursed.
Sinking back into the cushions, he stared off into space realizing this
was all that was left. There was no point going on, aside from making sure
Rebecca never got what she wanted. Even that couldn’t spark much of a fire in
him now.
Zachary slumped over onto his side and curled up into a ball, making
himself as small as possible. It was all he could handle, to hide away and
attempt to forget he’d once had something special. Nothing could right that
wrong and he’d suffer the guilt with every breath for as long as he lived.
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