A New Life

“I don’t believe it! You’ve found it at last. How did you ever discover that?” Professor Michel glanced up from the microscope.

“It was quite by accident, you know. I can’t even remember how it happened. Just one day I left the agar out, uncovered, and this is what developed.”

Professor settled back into his stool. He thought for a moment, then returned his attention to the slide. “Well, I never, ever, thought this would be found. And here! In this lab.” He raised his head, his eyes full of tears. “By golly, Ned, you’ve really done it.”

“Just trying to figure out what I’ve done, sir. What do you think this is?” Ned nervously pulled his hair, then his ears. He rocked back and forth on his heels.

“Oh settle down, man. Relax. It’ll be wonderful. You’ll see. Now let’s get that specimen under lock and key. We can’t let it get contaminated now, can we.”

Professor Michel grabbed the petri dish, replaced the lid then scurried about with Ned following. They secured the specimen in a locked cooler in a locked inner room.

“What do we do now?” Ned asked, a bit timidly.

Professor Michel removed his lab coat, hung it on the hook, then opened the door. “We wait.” He left the lab.

Ned could hear the Professor’s footsteps echoing down the empty hall. He stood, wondering what to do. His fellowship was on the line. One wrong move, and well…



Professor Michel walked jauntily down the hall to the lab, almost skipping like a child he thought.

Once he reached the laboratory, a worrisome look came over his face. The window in the door was papered over. Lights were on, at this early hour.

He unlocked the door, cautiously crept inside. Sitting at a counter was a small child, intent on whatever it saw in a microscope.

“Hey there! Who are you? And what are you doing in here?”

The child swiveled on its stool, smiled, then proclaimed in a shrill high voice, “Hello Prof! I found it! The fountain of youth!”

Professor Michel stood dumbfounded. Could it be? Possibly…

“Ned?”


W/C 355