Franklin Kentucky

Greg hated life in the big city, but he was never going to be able to leave. The city was where his life was, where his job was. His daughter was there with his ex-wife and if he was ever going to go anywhere he would have to wait until she grew up. His daughter hated him because his ex wife hated him.

Greg had a girlfriend nobody liked, he tried to get her to go on vacation all the time, but never could convince her. She was too busy with life in the city.

After a particularly horrible week at work he just left town. He caught a plane to Louisville, Kentucky and rented a car. He drove to a town called Franklin. He had been in this town as a boy with his grandpa on a business trip.

Greg remembered how happy he was to be with his grandpa in this town. They went to eat at one of the local diners that he was happy to see was still there. His grandfather explained the way the world worked to him in the booth by the kitchen.

He remembered that his grandfather had said, "Greggy, everything is going to fall on your shoulders someday. You will have kids of your own and a job. You have to do everything the best you can. Not that it will make anything right. Everything will always be your fault. Just know that and except that. Don't ever let the bastard's kick the life out of you. Realize that you did it the best you can. And if you did, fuck em' if they can't take a joke."

Greg remember his grandpa's laugh.

Greg spent the weekend in that town thirty years after his grandpa and him were there. He had been beaten down by life. No one knew him. No one had any expectations of him. Life was simple for the most part.

On Sunday he listened to his messages. His ex wife had called and wanted to know when he was going to pick up his daughter. His girlfriend called and told him that she was going out with some of her friends. The last message was from his ex wife saying something about him being a loser.

Greg threw away his phone and thought to himself: I am going to stay here for a while.

He went to the flee market Sunday afternoon. Most of the vendors had packed up. He walked passed a fortune teller who asked him if he wanted his future read. He just shook his head.

On the way back to the hotel he drove out into the county where he saw a few men standing around what looked to be a spaceship in a field. He stopped.

"What you guys have here?"

"What's it look like to you?"

"A spaceship."

"That's what it is."

"Yeah right."

"No buddy, it's a spaceship."

"Where'd you get it?"

"We built it ourselves."

"Well it looks good."

"And it works."

Greg laughed.

"Seriously, it works."

Seeing the men were not joking Greg changed his tone. Not sure if the men were insane or having a good laugh at his expense.

"Do you want to go to space?" One of the men asked.

"You're telling me that I could go to space in this thing."

"With us, but we aren't planning on coming back."

"Or at least we don't know how to."

"What would I have to do?"

"Get yourself a helmet and be back at 10 tonight."

"Do you think this will really work?"

"Do you think it won't?"

Greg went and bought a helmet. He went back to his hotel and took a shower. He called his ex wife and daughter that he was never coming home. He ordered a pizza and promptly fell asleep.

He woke up a minutes to ten and took off to meet destiny without his helmet.

He got to the field in time to watch the spaceship take off without him.