23) Hermes’ Heavenly Hospitality [story concept piece #11]

On a snowy evening in mid-December 2032, near Orion Hollow, NY, or maybe Somewhere Else, Nausicaa (‘Now Seeker’) Pantara and her courier, Hermes, who drives a Mercury Comet, stop for a break in a service plaza, conveniently owned and operated by Hermes, a somewhat mysterious, jovial, and talkative individual who seems both comical and cosmically wise. Now has hired Hermes to drive her to the property in upstate NY where her BFF and possible BF, Homer Norman, is supposed to be camping with his family, but she hasn’t heard from him for over a day. Now, Now wonders if she’s having a weird, out-of-body experience, especially after Hermes, when asked where he’s from, laughs heartily and replies, “Let’s just say it’s near the intersection of ‘Long ago’ and ‘Far, Far Away.’” It’s like the Universe is opening up and revealing itself to her. Little does Now realize that this weird trip she’s on will soon become even stranger—one that will take her farther from home than she could ever imagine.