Kit Wylde

Joslyn Weatherly realized she had become lost in her work yet again, and she knew her husband would be furious for what he saw as putting work before their marriage. The ancient Egyptian scroll was a fascinating discovery, and though Joslyn felt she was close to successfully translating it, she dared not stay at work any later. Hurriedly gathering her notes together, she rushed to her car and headed for home, only to be involved in a serious car accident, ending up hospitalized and in a coma.

She slowly opened her eyes in response to someone shaking her shoulder, wondering why someone was calling her “Grandma.” As her vision cleared, Joslyn became aware of her surroundings, and realized she had somehow awakened in ancient Egypt. The young girl helped her dress, talking all the while about the honor bestowed upon the family by the pharaoh’s request for her presence, and Joslyn’s excitement grew at the opportunity to see the culture she had studied firsthand. As the young girl prepared Joslyn for her audience with the pharaoh, she became more comfortable in this impossible dream, but was still wary of her circumstances. Joslyn was a scientist, and time travel was impossible – wasn’t it?

Being a time travel addict, I had high hopes for this story, and I was not disappointed. I sympathized with Joslyn’s frustration and confusion when her husband wasn’t supportive of her career, having been in a similar situation several years ago. Joslyn’s strength and determination to solve the mystery of the scroll, even traveling all the way to Egypt, was a turning point in both her career and her marriage, and was a calculated gamble by a brave and intelligent woman, intent on preserving history. Once Joslyn accepts that her dream was not really a dream, it allows her greater freedom in her investigation. The settings were beautifully described, and the characters were realistic and believable, and even irritating in some cases. This short story was a delight to read, and is one I can easily recommend.

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