Title: Journey of a Lifetime Authors: Melissa, Su & Jessica Disclaimer: I don't make any money off this. I have no money. My proof is my empty wallet, thanks to Illinois, which has the highest gas prices in the country. Suing someone without money is pointless. Names: Melissa, Su, Jessica (Order in which we'll be posting the story, next part is Su's. You can beg her for post, then after Su it will be Jessica, then after Jessica, me again.) Title: Journey of a Lifetime Part 1 by Melissa ************************************************************ "It can't be..." The young teenage girl was flabbergast. She couldn't understand what this letter was talking about. Of course she received normal college mail. She had even received a letter from the mayor of Chicago, who was promoting a Chigago college. She had received letters from friends and family. But this letter...she had never received anything like it before. The letter said: Dear Miss Melissa Miller, I would like to invite you to our mission house, I have reason to believe that your stay here would be greatly beneficial. Please consider coming out as soon as you can. I will also have two other guests, Miss Jessica and Miss Susan. I hope that the three of you will adjust to our way of life. In the Lord's Name, Miss Alice Henderson The return address said: Miss Alice Henderson Mission House Cutter Gap, TN 37727 She had, of course, read the book "Christy", but surely this wasn't the motherly mission worker Miss Alice writing to her. Yet she knew that "Cutter Gap" was actually "Del Rio". Why had someone put a fictionalized return address on the envelope. "Are you crazy?" A voice inside her asked. "This is the chance of a lifetime! You will actually get to see the mission house, and everyone you read about. Just think! You've dreamed about doing this for years!" "But that was only a dream," the girl insisted, "and Christy is a fictitious story, loosely based on Leonora Wood's life...." "Quit bein' logical and listen to ME!" "Melissa! who are you talkin' to?" "Noone, Mom." "Sure sounds like someone to me. Just look at your hair, it's all mussed up again. When's the last time you washed it?" "Last night, didn't you hear me?" "Now that I think about it, I sure did. And I'm disgusted. How can you think only of yourself, washin' your hair so late?" "But it wasn't late," Melissa thought, "I got in the shower at 7:50 and got out around 8:15." This conversation with her mother was going to get her nowhere. She knew that. So she excused herself and walked to her bedroom, tears forming in her brown eyes as she pulled her thick brown hair out of them. "Maybe I should go..." ************************************************************ Jamming the massive stack of mail from my desk into my book bag I raced to my loveable but unreliable maroon 1985 Oldsmobile jokingly dubbed by my daddy the “Hunk-Mobile.” Stopping at a 7-11 to grab a quick and tasty slushy I pulled at the mail in my bag. “More college junk mail!” I grumbled tossing a couple pieces of mail into the backseat of the Hunk-Mobile. Stopping my car at the next stop sign I glance back at the pile of mail regretting the mess I had just made. Suddenly an envelope caught my eye. It lay solitary in the middle of the back seat daring me to pick it up. I took the challenge and examined it. The envelope was old and faded, the penmanship elegant. My eyes caught the date, 1912, but it was addressed to me. Gasping I threw the envelope away from me just as if it was a poisonous snake. Gulping in deep breaths my mind whirled as I heard a horn. How long had I been at this stop sign? With a nervous wave to the disgruntled driver behind me I pressed the accelerator. I felt faint, my eyes wandered to the unmoved envelope. Could it be a joke? A mistake? It had to be. Steadying the wheel with my knee I attempted to reach the letter. “Rats!” I yelled as red slushy cascaded down my jeans dripping in huge clumps onto the floor. Pulling into the nearest gas station I commented no one, “Great I’m going to be late for school now.” I locked my door then headed to the gas station bathroom then on second thought I went back to my car and unlocked the passenger side door. The letter laughed at me from the floor. Closing my eyes I reached for it, then clutching it to myself I ran to the bathroom. Laughter slipped from my lips when I looked in the mirror. The slushy messed made it appear as if my stomach had exploded. My white shirt was ruined and the goop had soaked the front half of my jeans. “I’m not even going to attempt to clean this up.” I smiled to myself good heartedly, I’m like that… nothing really gets to me. I don’t sweat the small stuff. Turning my attention back to the envelope I tore it open and unfolded the letter. Catching my breath after the first read through I braced myself against a wall to examine the letter again. Miss Jessica, I have a proposition to make to you. It seems that my Mission is in dire need of your expertise. I have taken it upon myself to invite Miss Melissa, Miss Su, and yourself to the Mission here at Cutter Gap. We need all of you to join us here as soon as it is humanly possible. Please consider my offer only after prayer. Have faith. Thank you – Miss Alice— Turning the letter over in my hands I looked for any trace of a joke. Expertise.. I don’t have any expertise. How could such a thing be possible? 1912 was a very long time ago… how could I get a letter from someone who died so long ago? Then scanning the letter for a third time I saw my answer “have faith”. Closing my eyes I prayed out loud, “Father, I’m not sure what this all means, and I don’t understand how this is at all possible, but God with you all is possible and Lord I have faith in you and what you have planned for me. I’m not sure where I’m going but I know that you can get me there. In your name I pray, Amen.” With that I had my answer. Showing all my teeth to a confused looking lady who had just emerged from a bathroom stall. “I think I am going to be very, very late for school!” With that I ran out the door and to my Hunk-Mobile and headed in the direction of home. Part 2A This is my other fanfic: I'm writing it w/ Jessica and Su...until further notice, su is temp. gone. Hopefully she'll return soon. Synopsis: Jessica and Melissa receive mysterious letters from Miss Alice. Both doubt the sender, but have warmed up to the possibly that they COULD meet see Cutter Gap and the Mission... ************************************************************ Melissa glanced at her suitcase. The zipper was broken, but she had managed to fix it-at least temporarily. The big question was: what else to pack? She had laid out both of her dresses: one was knee-length, the other was ankle length. SHe chose the ankle length. Maybe she could borrow a dress or too from her mom. She bit her lip. Actually, she hadn't been honest with herself, deciding what to pack? Fairly easy. Asking her parents? as one of Christy's students would have put it: "Well-nigh impossible" My dog, Valentine, was barking, and she heard her dad's car pull in the driveway, heard her mom walk outside to talk with him. Melissa remembered her bargain to fix dinner tonight...hmmm...maybe they could be swayed with their favorite? Fish sticks....mashed potates....peas...She grabbed the fish sticks, put them on the tray, and preheated the oven. SHe put the peas in a pan, and added water and butter. Now the potatoes...the mixing part was easy...even fine...the cooking part was another story. When I made potatos, they always boiled too quickly for me, and when they boiled, they "exploded" and had burned me in the past...no more... I grabbed oven mitts, put them on her hands, and grabbed the pot lid for her mother's biggest pot to use as a shield. A serving spoon would do to attack them. The mashed potatoes hissed and bubbled as always, but this time hit the lid. Setting the table, I called downstairs for her sister, and outside for her parents. As everyone started eating, Melissa glanced warily at her parents. Might as well start now. "Dad?" "Hmm?" "I got a letter last week." "Another of those college things?" "No. the return address said "Alice Henderson, Cutter Gap, TN" Dad started to choke. Mom frowned. "Your dad and I discussed this. Its a novel, Melissa, a t.v. series, you can't keep talking about 'Alice Henderson' as if she existed. "Then how do you explain this?" "Someone aged a piece of computer paper, found the zip code for 'Cutter Gap' on the internet, and wrote in calligraphy." Melissa decided to try a different approach. "Heidi's doing well in college, so is Alicia." "That's nice, glad to hear your friends are doing well." "More then that, Mom, they're going after their goals, their dreams. Something that their folks always encouraged them to do. Something that you have never encouraged." Melissa knew that she had gotten slightly out of line. "What I'm trying to say, is, how come you support Julie's aspirations of becoming an artist, but you're protesting that I meet Jessica and we go down to Cutter Gap. You've always said that living out on my own for awhile would be good for me, Mom. This is the journey of a lifetime!" My parents gave eachother a look. Dad seemed to have given his consent. "Jeff, can I talk to you in private?" Melissa tried hard to hide a smile. She knew that once she had convinced Dad, it wouldn't be long before Mom would let her. I was right. My parents emerged later, and Dad spoke. "You sure you want to do this? You don't know Jessica, and you don't know what you're gonna find out there..." "I'm sure, dad. "ALl right, you have our permission." "Thanks!" I kissed my dad on the cheek. "You're the greatest!" ************************************************************ Ch. 2B Title: Journey of a Lifetime Disclaimer: we are doing this for no profit! We love the story of Christy written by Catherine Marshall. This is Melissa and my joint fanfic. Su is joining in later. Synopsis: Jessica and Melissa receive mysterious letters from Miss Alice. Both doubt the sender, but have warmed up to the possibly that they COULD meet see Cutter Gap and the Mission... ******************************************************* Steering my trusty but somewhat loud car dubbed the HunkMoble into the driveway and tumbled into the house with the faded letter clinched in my hand. This letter had to be real! But how? "Jessica what are you doing home? You should be at school! And why are your pants all ruined?" My mother came from the kitchen to the front room. "I spilled my slushy. Do we have an suitcases around here?" Walking into the basement my mother followed me. "What? Why do you need a suitcase?" Dish towel in hand she was at my heels. Shoving the letter at her I picked through some boxes in the dim light. My mother read the letter with crunched eyes, "I suppose you want to go?" I wasn't all that surprised my mother didn't ask questions, both of my parents were easy going and allowed our judgment to guide us. I was wondering if she would care about time travel but I guess she didn't. "Yeah I want to go. Can I?" "You have to ask your father, he's home." I ran upstairs and found my father. "Daddy! Can I go to Cutter Gap? You know with Christy and Miss Alice?" I tossed the letter at him and he read it over carefully then he asked the question he always asks before he let's me do something. "Got your key? Your mother and I go to sleep early and we don't want to wait up. You can go if you have your key." "Oh course daddy!" I smiled then took the stairs two at a time up to my room. What on earth would I pack? Pulling my dresses, skirts and blouses out of my closet I was finally thankful for the tight rules my school had about length. All these things would be okay to bring. The only real problem was that I am more at home in jeans then anything. Tossing 3 pairs of jeans onto my bed I hoped I would be able to wear them. Climbing back down the stairs I found my mother and daddy talking together. My mom had a suitcase with her and a large handbag. "Thanks mom. Hey and can I bring the barrel of gummy worms?" "Sure dear." I smiled. This was going to be so much fun! ****************************************************** Summary: Jessica and I have received mysterious letters from Cutter Gap, while we both doubt the sender at first, we decide (and get our 'rents permission) to go. Journey of a Lifetime Chapter 3a by Melissa I climbed up on my bedroom chair, then faced my bed, where a giant suitcause lay with the lid at a 15 degree angle, merely needing the appropriate amount of force to shut it. Picking up the two pillows and the old jump rope and tying one pillow to my front and one to my back. Thankful that I had the foresight to protect myself with the pillows, I pounced on the monster, then quickly locked it. My dad stood in the doorway, laughing. "Is that what you call 'packing light?'" "You know I'll be there indefinitely. That's just clothes and personal items. I'll take an old bookbag for any books I may wanna read. Not the star wars ones. THey wouldn't understand those...." "Heavenly Father, we praise you for your perfect foresight to eternally spare the good people of Cutter Gap from Star...." I threw one of my pillows at him. This, of course, started a pillow fight. After the P.F., I tried to resume the little dignity I had left. Although I was eighteen, I still felt the occasional urge to defend my title as "the Pillow-fight queen." Call that my immature side, I call it my 'fun-lovin' side. I figured better a pillow fight at my age than drugs and all those sorts of things. "What time does the train at bloomington leave tomorrow?" "9 am, and it runs all the way through El Pano, surprisingly, so Jessica and I won't have to switch trains. It heads past El Pano through Asheville, NC. Jessica will get on the train in Chicago." "were you able to get seats together?" "Yep. and it's a God-thing, in my opinion that we did." "I'm gonna miss you, sweetie, take care of yourself, 'k?" "I will Dad." Later that evening, Mom and Dad drove me down to bloomington, were we spent the night in a motel. My sister Julie was staying the night at a friend's house. That night I was a nervous wreck. All the stories I'd heard in the past about meeting someone over the internet that turned out to be a murderer, a theif, or a rapist. I was more nervous than a kidnergartner on her first day of school, but I did my best to hide it as I hugged my parents goodbye and boarded the train. Not many people were boarding that train, so I skimmed the passengers, until I saw an old yard sign that had been repainted to say: "Welcome aboard, Melissa-buddy!" I laughed. I walked over to meet Jessica. *********************************************** ****************** Summary: Melissa and I have received mysterious letters from Cutter Gap, while we both doubt the sender at first, we decide (and get our 'rents permission) to go. Also Amber is joining us on our journey of a lifetime! Journey of a Lifetime Chapter 3b by Jessica the john jewel Throwing my worn suitcase into the back of the HunkMobile I slammed the trunk and walked back toward my parents. "I'll miss you guys." I hugged them both. "Send my love to Hamlet everyday." (note to reader: Hamlet is my loveable Siamese cat) "We will. We love you." My parents hugged me back. "I'll write if I ever figure out how to get my mail through time-travel." "Sure thing. You didn't forget your key did you?" My dad squeezed my shoulder. "No dad, I have the house key." I waved good-bye to my parents and hopped into the HunkMobile and turned it down the road. Taking the interstate highway towards Chicago I suddenly began to wonder why I had been told to board the train on Chicago…I only lived ten minutes from Bloomington, but I decided to follow Melissa's silly directions anyway. I stopped my car as I passed a garage sale sign, "perfect!" I spoke to myself as I scooped up the sign. "Hope the people don't mind that I'm taking this!" Flipping the sign over; I pulled a marker out of my glove box and scrawled 'Welcome aboard, Melissa-buddy.' That way I could hold up the sign at the Bloomington stop and Melissa would know who I was…if the barrel of gummy-worms didn't give me away. The train ride to Bloomington was uneventful. A large man with a scraggly bread snored across the isle from me so I decided to move - Melissa and I would need to be able to talk in peace on the way to Cutter Gap. "Bloomington!" The conductor, how looked like he had walked right out of Shinning Time Station, hollered. This is it! I waved my sign above my head as the passengers filed on board. I girl a few people back caught my eye. She read my sign and began to laugh…it must be Melissa! As she walked toward me her bulging suitcase caught on the seat, she flipped over onto her back and the clothes inside of the suitcase spilled out into the hallway of the train. Between my laughter I managed to walk over to her and say, "I'm Jessica and it looks like we are going to have a fun time!" ********************************************** Fanfic: Journey of a Lifetime Chapter: 3c Authors: Melissa, Jessica and Amber Disclaimer: This is our attempt to write out our dream of visiting Cutter Gap. We are using Catherine Marshall's characters, but we would not take money for this, even if you tried to give it to us. ---------- As the train headed to Chicago pushed on, I thought back in amazement at the past few days, and all that had happened in them. It all began a week ago when I received a strange letter..... ---------- "Did I get anything?" I asked as always when my mom came in the door with the mail. She was busy fighting off kittens who were trying to get in, so she didn't answer right away. When I asked again, and she handed me a new issue of Country Living. I plopped down on the couch and started pouring through the magazine, when mom called from the other room, "Wait, you got a letter too." She handed it to me on her way upstairs, but I just set it down without looking at it, since I was so intent on my Country Living. Finally - with mind full of visions of the new stenciling for the bathroom, throw pillows in the living room and floral arrangements on the dining room table - I picked up the abandoned letter. At first glance I thought it was from my Grandma Hallgren because of the pretty old-fashioned handwriting on the envelope, but when I read the return address it did not say "South Haven, Michigan" as I expected, but "Cutter Gap, Tennessee". I was glad no one else was in the room, because they would have asked me what in the world was the matter with me, and I would not have been able to answer. I quickly tore open the letter and read: Dear Miss Hallgren, I am writing to invite you to consider coming to stay here at the mission in Cutter Gap. After some prayer we have decided that you would be a great help to us. We have also contacted Miss Melissa and Miss Jessica. Please pray about this yourself, and if you feel led, come as soon as possible. On behalf of the whole mission staff, Thank you. Miss Alice Henderson After who knows how long of staring at the piece of paper not comprehending the words on it, a thought popped into my head, "Jessica! This must be from Jessica! We have talked about meeting at the old mission site, and this must be her fun way of inviting to finally really go with her." I excitedly ran up the stairs to show my mom and ask her permission to go. "Read this, Mom." I said as I pushed the letter into her hands. When she was through she gave me her "I-am-totally-confused-please-explain" look, and I quickly rambled, "I think it's from Jessica! It's her fun way of inviting me to go to the old mission site in Del Rio - the real Christy mission house - with her! Can I please, please go?" After that sunk in she said, "Welllllll, it's okay with me, but you'll have to ask Dad when he gets home." That was enough for me, and I said, "Thank you, thank you!" And ran downstairs to bake some cookies, hoping it would be enough to butter Dad up before asking for his permission. When he arrived promptly at 4 o'clock, the chocolate chip-toffee cookies were all baked and ready. "Bunny has been baking, huh?" He said as he sniffed the air and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Uh huh, I even made enough for you to bring to work and share tomorrow." I replied with a smile and handed him one. I was rewarded with an exaggerated, "yum". I decided that he was buttered up enough. Quickly explaining as he munched on his cookie, I tried to read his face. I couldn't, but when I was done he said, "What did your mom say?" "She said it was okay with her as long as it was okay with you" "Well, it's okay with me as long as it's okay with her." I couldn't help but grin when he said that because that's how it always went when I asked for permission from either of them. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I called as he headed out the backdoor and to his workshop. ------- I tried and tried, but I just could not get that suitcase closed! Every time I would go to zip it, Josie would jump right in it - and on to my favorite black wool sweater. "Josie, I know you do not want me to go, but you are just going to have to deal with it. Now quit it, you are getting cat hair all over my sweater." I shook my finger at her and tried to scold, but she made it hard to be mean, looking up at me with those sad green cat eyes of hers. "Oh, I'll miss you too!" I replied to her sad cry as I walked out of my room, and tried to make my way through the landing that doubled as my 12 year old brother's bedroom (a hard task indeed, even without the suitcase!). When I got to the bottom of the steps, Dad was waiting for me. He was going to drive me to Holland - where I was to get on the train - since mom was away doing a Pampered Chef show. It wasn't a long drive to the station, but I think dad tried to make it last as long as he could. He always hated saying goodbye to me. He navigated our Jeep through the maze of one-way streets, and then we arrived at the little teal painted station. "Now Bunny," Dad said, "You be careful down there." I planted a kiss on his stubbly cheek and replied, "You know I will." I smiled and waved as he drove away, hoping to calm his fears. I was reading chapter one of Jane Eyre for the millionth time as I sat on the bench waiting for the train to arrive (I have never gotten past that 1st chapter....), when I thought I heard a strangely familiar meow. I quickly looked around, and there, sitting primly in front of me was none other than my dear kitten Josie, who I had just said farewell to no more than an hour before. "How in the world did you get here, Miss Josie?" I asked as I picked her up and cuttled her close. Her only reply was a sly "meowwww" that said, "when you opened up the back of the Jeep to put your suitcase in I jumped in quietly, and then you opened it to get the suitcase out, I jumped out quietly." "Well, what am I supposed to do with you now?" I pondered it a minute (okay, it was only 43 seconds...close enough....), and decided that there was nothing to do but bring her along. "It's a good thing I brought my big purse!" I said as I stuck her in. ---------- The ride to Chicago was uneventful, except for a couple instances were Josie let out a cry that caused my neighbors to give me strange looks. Finally when we got to the Chicago station, I looked and looked around for my fellow Christy fans who were to meet me. As soon as I saw the big barrels marked in big letters, 'GUMMY WORMS' and 'M&Ms" I knew I had found them....... ---------- After seeing Jessica's sign, the bulkiness of my suitcase caused me to show off my gymnastic ability, and flip over it. Unfortunately, my suitcase didn't cooperate. It opened up and clothes flew in all directions. I could feel the eyes of my fellow passengers staring at me, some sympathetic, some apparently thinking some variation of "Great, there's a klutz who doesn't know the meaning of packing light on our train." In my gymnastic expertise I landed on my back which was, of course, intentional. Jessica set the sign down and helped me up. "I'm Jessica," she said "and it looks like we're going to have a fun time." I could tell already I was going to like Jessica. Another girl, holding a purring cat in her arms also toward above me. I smiled. "You must be Amber, I suppose that's the famous Josie." "Yep. Nice gymnastics, what branch of tumbling would you call that?" "Gymnasticus klutzus" I calmly replied in mock Latin. After helping me to retrieve my belongings and discouraging Josie from trying to nap in my suitcase, (the poor thing wouldn't have been able to breathe with all the clothes and shoes and books) the three of us sat down in our seats, which we had arranged to be together. There was a table between us, Jessica sat to my right and Amber sat across from the both of us. Amber sat in the seat nearest the window. The forth seat was unoccupied. I got a window seat. In order to break the ice, I pulled out a King Size M&M bag from my backpack. Passing it around with the solemnity of teen girls eating chocolate and talking almost similtaneously, we compared notes about our trip. When Jessica calmly explained that she only lived 10 minutes away from Bloomington, I felt guilty about sending her up to Chicago. "That's ok." She replied, "but you owe me for gas and mileage, let's see, with the constant variation of gas prices, the extra 300 miles on my car, and an extra 50 thrown in to emotional damage due to unnecessary driving...." I didn't let her get any further than that. I threw the now empty bag of M&Ms at her. "Don't litter!" Amber retorted and emphasized her point by throwing individual gum wrappers at me. "What do you call this?" I asked, gesturing to the gum wrappers that were nesting in my hair and on my shoulders. She regarded me seriously, and with the air of an artist who has created a masterpiece commented. "Teenager obsessed with wearing gum wrappers." Had there not been a table between me and Amber I would have tackled her. This was definitely going to be a life changing experience. ******************************************************************** Note: I am not making any implications to Jessica and Amber's maturity levels. I am sure that when they are not contacting me they are well-adjusted, normal, young adults. Any portrayals otherwise should be assumed to be of my own delusions, unless otherwise noted. Chapter 4b coming soon to a inbox near you.....