Changed Tomorrows

Unalii, 1899 – Dustu and Jim are getting well along in age; Eighty-one and eighty-two, respectively. They still hold a deep brotherly love and respect for each other.

The day we found the soldiers’ map, everything tilted again. I remember it clearly—how the paper trembled in my hand, despite the stillness of the air.

A line drawn clean through Unalii, marked with a red X and the word “Depot.”

“They’ll come in spring,” I whispered. “Just like before.”

Dustu’s jaw tightened. “You said they wouldn’t.”

“I said I didn’t know if I could stop it.”

He turned the map in his hands, staring at it like it might yield a weakness.

“What would you do,” I asked, “if you knew the world was about to break?”

He didn’t answer. Just folded the map and set it into the fire.

“Then we teach them how to survive the pieces,” he said.

Years later—how many I won’t admit—We still sit beside our fire. His hair is mostly silver now. Mine faded to white years ago. We don’t talk much. Don’t need to.

But sometimes he’ll look up from the coals and say, “The fire still burns.”

And I’ll answer, “So long as it remembers where it came from.”

That’s right, ladies and gents, boys and girls, and time travelers of all ages; Changed Tomorrows is back at the top of the active pile! The characters, especially Dustu and Jim are leading me on a merry chase, as usual. Just when I think I’ve gotten them whipped into the vaguest sense of submission they show me, once and for all it is I who am submitting to their whims.

#TimeTravel #NewYesterdays #YAFantasy #JimLWright #ChangedTomorrows

About Ol' Big Jim

Jim L. Wright is a storyteller with a lifetime of experiences as colorful as the characters he creates. Born and raised in Piedmont, Alabama, Jim’s connection to the land, history, and people of the region runs deep. His debut novel New Yesterdays is set in his hometown, where he grew up listening to stories of the past—stories that sparked his imagination and curiosity for history. Today, Jim lives in Leeds, Alabama, with his husband Zeek, a tour operator who shares his passion for adventure and discovery. Known affectionately as “Ol’ Big Jim,” he has had a diverse career that includes time as a storekeeper, an embalmer, a hospital orderly, and a medical coder. There are even whispers—unconfirmed, of course—that he once played piano in a house of ill repute. No matter the job, one thing has remained constant: Jim is a teller of tales. His stories—sometimes humorous, sometimes thought-provoking—are often inspired by his unique life experiences. Many of these tales can be found on his popular blog, Ol’ Big Jim, where he continues to share his musings with a loyal readership. Jim’s adventures have taken him far beyond Alabama. For seven years, he lived in Amman, Jordan, the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city. His time there, spent in smoky coffee shops, enjoying a hookah and a cup of tea while scribbling in his ever-present notebook, deeply influenced his worldview and his writing. When Jim isn’t writing, he’s thinking about writing. His stories, whether tall tales from his past or imaginative reimagining is of historical events should read from his past or imaginative reimaginings of historical events, reflect a life lived fully and authentically. With New Yesterdays, Jim brings readers a rich tapestry of history, fantasy, and human connection. Visit his blog at www.olbigjim.com to read more of his stories, or follow him on social media to keep up with his latest musings and projects, one of which is a series that follows Bonita McCauley, an amateur detective who gets into some very sticky situations. His book, New Yesterdays, can be found at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.

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