The Old Lady Wanted Her House Back

(What's High Concept storytelling? Click here to find out on this week's Jared's Inkwell! -JMG)

Story Sent in by Patrick:

Jean was late to our first date. She showed up to the restaurant in a foul mood and asked me, "Wanna help me mess someone up?"

It hadn't been on my evening agenda, but I asked, "What happened?"

She said, "Some punk stole my shoe." I looked down at her feet. Sure enough, she was in a shoe and a stocking.

"How did that happen?" I asked.

She glanced outside and said, "She's still outside. Will you come mess her up for me?"

I wasn't planning to mess anyone up, but I thought that perhaps I could talk to whoever it was who had stolen Jean's shoe.

I went outside and saw an average-looking girl on a bench, smoking and with an extra shoe next to her. It was definitely Jean's missing footwear.

I pointed at it and said, "That shoe. I think it belongs to my friend."

The girl barely took any notice of me and said, "Take it. See if I care."

I took it, hesitated a moment to see if she was going to say or do anything else, and then I returned inside with it.

Jean was very pleased that I had recovered her shoe. She put it on, then excused herself to go outside. She was gone for a minute then came back, claiming, "I straightened her out."

The rest of dinner went fine, and it was only afterward when we left that I noticed that she was again missing the exact same shoe.

I didn't ask her anything about it. She hobbled off into the night and we didn't have another date.