Running from the Future

Agliera didn’t say anything for a long time. I was afraid I had said something that made her uneasy, though I didn’t know what more unease I could have caused her than snatching her as a hostage.

“Frank, at least you have people who are willing to help you,” she sighed finally. “I have nobody here. My family abandoned me when they realized I was slightly different than them. Nobody wants me around because they say I have old fashioned ideas about how people should act and freedom.”

“Well, it’s not that old, considering that when I went under my daughters weren’t even born yet. Now they’re 29 years old, so it’s really not that old.”

“They call me a name, a suffraget or something like that.”

“A suffragette?” I asked, my eyebrow raising. She nodded, staring at the floor of her apartment. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I don’t even know what a suffragette is,” she mumbled.

“A suffragette was what they called women back in the early 1900s who fought for women’s rights,” I explained to her. “They had different ideas of who men should treat women. Back then, women wasn’t even allowed to work. They were to stay home, raise their kids and slave for their husbands. They felt women should be allowed to work, to vote for the leader of the country, everything.” I stopped, suddenly realizing something I never learned about. “This is still a democratic nation right?” I asked Agliera.

“I believe it is, it’s hard to tell anymore.” Agliera sighed.

“What do you mean?”

“One president wins office in votes like it always was in this country, but sometimes, there’s that one who’s able to manipulate their way to the top.”

“So pretty much the same as it was before I was frozen,” I summed up quickly. “Hey, don’t take people calling you a suffragette to harshly, because in my opinion, those we are the type of people this world needs. Ones who know how to stick up for themselves while at the same time who can be proper ladies and not be so judgmental.”

“Thanks Frank,” she smiled. Banging came from the door just then, causing Agliera to jump and become very alert. She pressed a button on her teletube, and my eyes grew wide when I realized we were looking at the outside of her door, where Bob was standing with Gerard and Mikey.

“You don’t have to keep running.” Agliera informed me, turning back around. “Just, let them help you.”

“No, I’m not burdening them anymore. I’ll figure everything out on my own.”

“You don’t have to be alone.” she sighed. “I know what it’s like to be alone in this world now, it’s not easy, even for a male.”

“I’ll be fine, I at least now a little bit about how the world works, thanks to you.”

“Frank!” Gerard’s voice shouted suddenly. We turned toward the window, and my jaw hit the floor when I saw Gerard was at the window, which was a few stories up.

“How the hell are you doing that?” I asked, amazed that he was looking in the window.

“Gravity don’t mean to much to me,” he smirked. Agliera rolled her eyes and walked to the window. Opening it, she reached out, grabbed Gerard’s shirt, and pulled him into the apartment.

“Anti-gravity shoes,” she explained. “They replaced ladders about five years ago. No more climbing, and you get better reach.”

“That’s amazing,” I said as Gerard slipped the boots off, leaving him in his socks. “You wear them everywhere?”

“Well, not normally. I had these in the trunk of my car,” Gerard replied. “Dude, now will you please stop running, we’re not as fucking young as we used to be.”

“Frank, you need to go back with them,” Agliera said, placing her hand on my arm. Gerard walked to the door and pressed a button. The door beeped and a click told us it was unlocked, letting Mikey and Bob in. Bob automatically rushed up to Agliera and grabbed her hands.

“Are you okay?” he asked her.

“I’m fine,” she assured him. I watched them, and a sudden thought came into my head.

“Fine, I’ll go back with you,” I told Gerard. He sighed with relief and started to turn to the door. “On one condition,” I added, causing him to stop. I turned to Bob, who was watching me with nothing but confusion in his eyes. “Help Agliera get the fuck out of this place. The fucking United States is all about freedom of choice, let her have a choice in what she wants to do. She doesn’t deserve to be stuck doing something she doesn’t care about for the rest of her life.”

“I agree with you Frank, and consider it done.” Bob nodded. I glanced over at Agliera, then turned to Gerard and started walking.

“Come on,” Bob said to her as he started following me.

At the lab, Ray rushed up to me and full out hugged me, nearly crushing me at the same time.

“Let’s figure out what happened with your brain,” Evander said, indicating the chair that had a helmet waiting on the seat. After Ray grabbed the helmet, I sat as gingerly as I could while, looking up at Ray for some sign I would be safe.

“Don’t worry,” he smiled. “I’ve helped him with this for years,” he assured me. I nodded and sat on the chair more firmly. Ray set the helmet on my head, securing it under my chin. He tapped the top of my head and backed away, typing away on the computer that was used to track my vitals over the years. I looked toward Gerard, and was surprised to see a woman standing beside him. She was a little older than Lily and Cherry, and looked just like Gerard.

“Bandit?” I asked him. He nodded, wrapping his arm around his daughter’s shoulders.

“Okay Frank, just let your thoughts go natural.” Evander spoke up, flicking a switch on the wall. I just took a deep breath and let it out, forcing myself to relax. Bandit looked back to her Dad, obviously asking him a question. Gerard replied to her as the door beeped. My heart raced when I watched my two daughters enter the room with a rather large male behind them.

“You got him back?” Cherry asked Mikey. Mikey nodded, bringing his thumb to his mouth as though he was chewing on the nail.

“Don’t bite too hard Mike, you end up nibbling your finger off.” I teased him.

“Shut up Frank,” he smiled, lowering his hand back to his side.

“There,” Ray shouted suddenly, causing everyone in the room to jump.

“I saw it,” Evander said, typing away again. “now, Frank, I need you to just sit and relax. You may feel a slight shock, but it’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, if I get electrocuted, then I’m completely…” My sentence was cut off as a slight shock went through my head. “Fuck!” I ended up shouted. “That’s stung,” I grumbled.

“Oh, don’t be such a baby,” Ray muttered, a smirk forming on his face.

“Fuck you,” I mumbled back. I looked around some more, and my gaze stopped at the blue eyes watching me. Agliera was standing with Bob behind her, her hands clasped together pressed to her lips. I knew as I watched her, that with Bob’s help, she would be going somewhere, and I was going to do what I could to help her get there as well.

“Okay,” Ray said after a few more minutes, bringing my gaze from Agliera to him. “We was even able to give you general knowledge on how to live in the time, so you’re free to be yourself.”

“Awesome,” I said, letting my head rest on my hand. “So can I get this thing off me now, I feel like a dork.”

“You are a dork, so it suits you,” Bob laughed. “Especially letting someone run all that science mumbo jumbo on you years ago.”

“Blah blah,” I muttered as Ray unhooked the strap from under my chin, and lifted the helmet off my head.

“You feeling okay?” Lily asked, walking up to me.

“I feel like I did before everything started, even after I got my bearings back after getting unfrozen.” I answered her. “You’re old man isn’t so old though is he?”

“Nope, but you know what, I really don’t care. It gives us more time together.”

“It might, we don’t really know though,” Gerard pointed out. “His body might be younger now, but who knows, his age might catch up to him sooner than we think.”

“I’m just taking everything in stride guys,” I sighed. “We’ll just see where things go from here.”



“Hey Gee,” Frank said, walking into the diner. Two months after he was thawed from the ice cube, he seemed to be doing perfectly fine.

“Hey Frank, glad you could make it,” I said, standing up as he reached the table.

“What can I get ya?” Bob asked the both of us.

“Coffee,” I said automatically. Frank nodded his agreement, so Bob rolled his eyes and went back to the counter.

“You know, he’s holding up to his promise to help Agliera,” Frank said.

“I knew he would. Everyone’s in agreement here Frankie, it’s stupid how people have no chance for development in this world anymore. Bob realizes that just as much as you or I do.”

“I know, I’m just glad is all. She really doesn’t deserve what she’s been through.”

“Do you like her or something?” I asked suddenly.

“Dude, I’m old enough to be her father,” he huffed.

“Yeah, but you look young enough to be Lily and Cherry’s triplet brother rather than their father,” I pointed out. Bob walked back to our table with the cups of coffee and walked away.

“Dude, two months ago I was getting unthawed after being frozen for nearly three decades. I found out my wife had died while I was under, and not to mention in a few months my daughter is going to be getting married. Even if I would consider anything with her, I’m not going to. I’m still trying to get my life back on track. You, Mikey, the girls, all of you have been helping as much as you can, but there’s only so much that help can do. I appreciate it all, but I’ve been thinking. There’s really nothing here for me anymore. I think it’s time to move on.”

“Move on, what do you mean?” I asked, the confusion showing in my face.

“I think it’s time I leave here, start fresh, get away from the dumbass choices I made years ago.”

“If that’s what you want to do Frank, then you know you have everyone’s support,” I shrugged.

“Definitely,” Bob spoke up as he slid into the chair beside mine. “Where would you go though?”

“I don’t know,” Frank muttered. “Just somewhere where I make a fresh start for myself.”

“Then, we wish you luck man.” I said. “If you need anything at all, you know where you can turn right?”

“Absolutely,” Frank nodded. He stood up and reached for his back pocket.

“Frank, fuck off with that,” Bob said. “On the house.” Frank just nodded and sighed, staring at the two of us.

“I really don’t know how to thank you guys enough, for everything. I’m not just talking about what you did over the last 30 years, I’m talking since we met.”

“Frank, don’t do all that crap. We love you like you’re our brother man. We’re happy to see you getting yourself back on track, even if it means having to leave town. Good luck, we mean it.” Frank nodded and without another word, turned around and walked out of the diner.

“Sucks to see him go, but he needs this.” Bob muttered, rubbing his forehead with his hand.

“I know,” I replied back. “But he’ll make it, he’s resilient.”

“Hell yeah he is.” Bob agreed.

“One thing’s certain though, no longer is he running from the future. He’s facing it head on.”

“That’s the best thing he can do.”