Quantum Leap : Tale of two Cindys                  by: Paul G Jutras

 

Theorizing that one could time travel within their own life time, Doctor Sam Beckett stepped on the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. He awoke to find himself trapped in the past suffering from partial amnesia and facing mirror images that were not his own. And driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. His only guide on this journey is Al who appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so Doctor Beckett leaps from life to life hoping each leap will be his leap home.

From a sparkling of blue light, Sam enters the scene to find a old lady in a old fashion blue dress and her hair done up in a bun staring at him. "Haven’t you been listening to a word I said, Miss Anderson?"

"Well I.." Sam began when the teacher went on talking. "Miss Andrerson, everyone is waiting."

"Earth to Cindy." The girl in front of him said. "What’s wrong? You look kind of strange?"

"Cindy?" Sam sat puzzled. "Not another.."

"Miss Rooney, I think you’d better call on someone else." The girl before Sam stepped in. "I don’t think my sister is feeling well today."

"Very well." Miss Rooney said as she turned to the boy behind Sam. "Ben, how about you?"

"Here, Cindy." Sandy said as she passed her compact to Sam. "Fix your face. Your make up is running. Boy, you’re behaving like a man."

"Thanks," Sam replied as he saw that he looked just like the girl in front of him. "I’m a twin."

As the bell rang at Martin Van Buren High School, Sam and his new sister started to walk home together. "Come on slowpoke, we promised mom we’d help with dinner."

"I’m coming, er, Sandy." Sam replied.

"What’s wrong with you?" Sandy asked. "You’re so different."

"It’s like you said," Sam said, thinking quickly on his feet as a blue car drove up before them and honked its horn. "I’m not feeling well."

"Cindy!" Rick said from behind the wheel. "how are you feeling?"

"Fine," Sam replied as Sandy smiled.

"I like your car, Rick."

"You girls want a ride?" Rick asked quickly.

"Yes we- Sandy began only to be nudged by Sam.

"No. I mean no thank you." Sam stepped in. "I think the walk and fresh air will do me good."

"Suit yourself." Rick took off. "Later, alligators."

Smart move Cindy!" Dudley said. "Rick’s in my homeroom. What a Casanova!"

"Shut up Dudley." Sandy snapped before turning toward Sam. "Girl are you nuts!"

"Did I do something wrong?" Sam asked.

"Only brush off the coolest guy in the school!" Sandy explained. "How many girls would kill to be seen in Rick’s car."

"I think Cindy showed some good sense." Dudley cut in. "A girl could get a reputation riding in a hot rod like that. You girls are better than that."

"He may have a point." Sam headed up the front walk that Sandy was already on.

"I can’t believe you agree with that nerd!" Sandy complained.

"Bobby you little monster!" Sandy snapped at their brother playing outside. "How many times does mom have to tell you to pick up your toys?"

"Hi, bobby." Sam sighed, took off his Cindy ‘s coat and looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was in a nice pony tale and his figure looked good in the pink sweater set and black poodle skirt.

"What’s all the commotion about?" Their mother said as she came out of the kitchen. "Hello girls. You’re just in time to set the table."

"We’d of been home sooner mom." Sandy said on her way to her room. "Somebody was too stuck up to accept rides from cute guys."

After dinner the dark bedroom was suddenly shinning with the light of the all too familiar imagining chamber. "It’s like an episode of Leave it to Beaver." Al said to same.

"More like the Patty Duke show." Sam corrected. "I’m a twin."

"Twins? I’ve always liked twins. I had a fantasy where--."

"Al!" Sam interrupted. "If we could detour from sleazevillie."

"Sleazeville, that’s good one, Sam. Come on Ziggy."

"Here it is." Al said as he touched the glowing hand control. "You name is Cindy Anderson and there’s a 72 percent chance you’re here to prevent your sister from being raped. In two days she’s attack on her way home by a Rick Towers."

"Who are you talking to, Cindy?" Sandy asked as she walked in, shielding her eyes.

"Nobody."

"It’s you, Sam." Al said. "You didn’t tell me you were identical twins."

"We’re not identical silly." Sandy answered Al. "What kind of light bulb are you using? It’s really bright in here."

"Sam, this is getting spooky." Al softened his voice. "I think she can see the light from the imaging chamber. "I’m going to run this data."

"Good idea." Sam said.

"What ‘s a good idea?" Sandy asked.

"that, that you adjust the shade. It was kind of bright in here." Sam thought quickly. "What are you looking for?"

"I just had this funny feeling that someone else was in here." Sandy said as she left. "It’s gone now and dad sent me up to tell you to come down and watch television with us."

"Be right down."

"I just love that Uncle Milty." Dad said as Sandy looked up from her section of the newspaper at Sam and the book he was reading. At first glimpse it was Cindy that Sandy was looking at. As she turned back to the paper; however, the corner of her eye saw Sam sitting there instead and made her do a double take.

The next day Cindy and Sandy were dressed in matching blue as the school got ready for the St. Valentine Day dance. "All I’m saying is that you never liked Oatmeal before." Sandy said at their side by side lockers.

"I’m watching my cholesterol." Sam said as the sound of books falling on top of the guy beside them.

"Your what?" Sandy said as everyone in the hall began laughing at Dudley’s accident. One had to wonder if Rick had set things up to make a fool out of his friend or not.

"Some people have a dumb sense of humor." Sam looked up and saw Al standing in the empty locker before stepped into the hall.

"Don’t look at me Sam, I didn’t do anything." Al reminded Sam that nobody is suppose to see him before Sam.

"Well I certainly didn’t do it." Sandy said looking from where Sam was to where Al was standing.

"Sam, she’s doing it again."

"What’s your plan to save Sandy from being raped?" Sam whispered.

"You’re not going to like it." Al answered. "The best way to keep Sandy from being raped on the date is for you to go out with him."

"So Rick." Sam surrendered to fate. "You never answered Sandy question about having a date to the dance."

"Actually that’s what I wanted to talk to you about." Rick smiled. "I’ll see you tomorrow. What time should I pick you up?"

"I have some thing to do first, how about we meet at school." Sam said as Rick walked off.

"Thanks Cin." Sandy said angry. "Like I wasn’t having a conversation with Rick, Miss I don’t even like him."

"It had to be done, Sam." Al said as he smoked a cigar.

"I know." Sam muttered. "That doesn’t make it easier."

The bell rang and Sam went through Cindy’s classes and after school cheerleading practice after school. Tossing his pom-poms around wasn’t half as embarrassing as group showering in the girls locker room afterwards. Sam was just surprise that Al didn’t show up again until after he left the locker room and went to meet Sandy at the soda shop.

Peggy Sue was playing on the jute box as Al and Sam found Sandy and her friends in a corner booth. "Cindy, come on over." A girl in purple with straight blonde hair said.

"Please do." Sandy said coldly.

"She’s still mad at you, Sam." Al sighed.

"Look, Sandy." Sam said with sincere concern. "I said I was sorry. How about I don’t go out with Rick? You mean more to me that some dumb old Rick Towers. We’re sisters."

"Well... I could never stay mad at you for long." Sandy smiled at who she thought was her sister. "Apology accepted. Let’s go home." She stopped when they reached the door and brushed pass Al as she returned to the booth. "I forgot my purse. Excuse me sir."

"Sam, she’s doing it again!" Al pointed at Sandy as Sam was too speechless to give his friend an answer.

"Raise and shine, Breakfast." The mother called at dawn the next door. "Who’s turn is it to help with the grocery shopping?"

"Can Cindy do it, mom?" Sandy asked. "I feel like sticking around the house today. Do you mind? I’ll do the laundry."

"I suppose." Sam said, wondering what Sandy was up to.

While Sam and Mrs. Anderson were shopping, Sandy had the laundry and housework done. She then did her hair and got dress up for the St. Valentine Day dance. She was gone when Sam had gotten home and started putting the food away.

"I’m going upstairs to change." Mrs. Anderson said as Bobby came into the kitchen for a glass of milk.

"Can you send Sandy downstairs to help with these groceries?" Sam asked as Bobby muttered something between gulps. "What did you say?"

"I said Sandy’s not here!" Bobby cried out. "Let go!"

"Cindy are you teasing your brother?" Mrs. Anderson asked as she stepped on Bobby’s toy truck and tumbled down the stairs into Sam’s arms.

"Good catch, Sam!" Al said. "I got bad news."

"Bobby, where’s Sandy?" Sam asked.

"She went to the dance," Bobby sniffed as he held his mother in tears. "She’s pretending to be you."

"I’ve got to save Sandy." Sam shouted as he dashed out the door.

"No Sam!" Al shouted. "In the original history Cindy didn’t catch Mrs. Anderson. She broke her neck and died. That’s what you where here to do. It’s time to leap."

"Noooooo!’ Sam tried to resist and he felt the leap begin. He was surrounded by blue light and had soon left Cindy body. When the lights died, he found Rick pinning him to a car seat.

"All right. " Rick said helping Sam up. "I can take a hint."

"That was easy." Sam said as he realized he was now in Sandy’s body. "If that was all I had to do why haven’t I ..."

Before Sam could finish his thought, a figure clubbed him from behind. "I saw you in the back seat with Rick." Came a familiar voice. "I thought you were such a nice girl. You’re a tart like all the rest."

"Dudley." Sam said dazed as he looked up.

"I always liked you a lot." Dudley said with a smile on his face. "Now that I know what kind of girl you are, I’m going to show you how much...." He began as the sound of someone approaching got his attention.

"I hear her over this way!" Cindy cried out. It was just what Sam needed to kick Dudley in the crotch with Sandy’s high heels. As he doubled over in pain, Al appeared in the imaging chamber and his leap family had shown with the police.

"There she is mom." Cindy pointed.

"My baby!" Mrs. Anderson cried as Sam got to his feet.

"Oh, Sam, what a leap." Al said as he punched his hand link. "My hats to whoever or whatever pulled off this nifty trick. What do you know. The nerd turns out to be a nozzle."

"I would never of thought of Dudley being capable of something like this." Sam said as Cindy held him tight and smiled.

"Yeah, oh boy." Cindy smiled.

"What did you say?" Sam asked.

"It’s okay "Sandy" I still remember these past few days." Cindy smiled at Sam. "I know what you did for my family and I don’t know how to thank you."

"Tell her she can thank you by not pressing charges. " Al stepped in. "But seeing Dudley gets counseling. If you do that, he’ll grow up to run a halfway house for unwed mothers and help a lot of girls with nowhere else to turn."

"If you really want to help me..." Sam began.

"Don’t press charges and I think I can talk the folks into psychiatric help." Cindy said before Sam could repeat what Al had said. "I know you have to go. I’ll never forget you or Admiral Calavicci. Thank him for me."

"You’re welcome, honey." Al smiled. " Well Sam, still think this is a thankless job?"

"I never stuck around along enough to get thanked." Sam said as he felt the tingling sensation of a leap out.

"So long, Sam." Al smiled.

 

THE END

 

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