The Tahoma Market

The snow had stopped falling but Highway 89 was still slick from the storm's leftover fog. Christmas music blasted in late October as three Southern California girls squealed with delight at the sight of the winter wonderland.

"I have a voicemail from a random number.” Everly panicked from the backseat as she continued to listen to the unknown voicemail. The girls in the front politely turned down the music.

"Don't be a typical millennial and be scared of phone calls," Anna said from the front.

Everly's face quickly turned irritated. "They said our Airbnb is completely snowed in...we can't get to it..."

Jen, the driver, slowed down the car, now unsure at where to go.

"BUT...they have a different place. An even better place right by the lake! We just have to stop off at Tahoma Market and they will give us a key!" Everly concluded.

The girls once again squealed with delight at the thought of a spontaneous change of plans. What signaled to some as danger was a clear signal of adventure to the three.

Jen continued driving while looking at her GPS, typing in the new destination. She had to swerve slightly from the sudden curve in the road, due to the fact that she had not been paying attention to the road. Anna, in the passenger seat, did not like this at all and took this moment to lecture the group.

"Let's make a pact to not be on our phones this weekend! Let's pretend we are in some pre-social media age and leave our phones in the car!"

The other girls liked this idea and quickly agreed. They were on life's great adventure, why would there be a need for a phone?!

The car continued on Highway 89 for a few miles before turning off on a small country road where the GPS was leading. A few hundred feet down was a small market with a giant vintage sign that read, "Tahoma Market."

The market was just as quant on the inside as it was on the outside. It was like stepping back in time into the 1950s. Even the food products had their vintage logos.

"Look at this Cola!" Anna pointed out. "Think this is a vintage shop?"

Her question was never answered because just then, a man in his late 80s entered from the back offices followed by a little boy around the age of seven with a perfect crew haircut.

"Hello fine ladies! How may I help you?" the elderly man asked in the kind of way that reminded the girls of the lost art of neighborly kindness. The young boy smiled politely at the three young women.

"We're here for a key to the Tahoma cabin," Every responded.

The old man asked no more questions and handed them a single key. As they were leaving he asked to take a picture of the three, something he did for all the cabin's guests. The girls of course complied, eager to accept every adventurous possibility, and let their picture be taken on an old film camera. Anna had an urge to pull out her phone after he had snapped the picture, but she couldn't remember why.

They continued toward their destination on the small country road that descended the mountain.

"I wish life was still like that market. Simple." Anna said kind of dreamily as she stared out at the passing pine trees heavy with snow.

Jen's phone, which had the GPS pulled up flickered on and off. No one noticed. Everyone was too busy staring at the new views.

When they reached the cabin the girls once again squealed with adventurous delight. The cabin was everything their wanderlust minds could hope for. It reminded Jen of her Pinterest board and Everly of a snowy Hallmark Christmas movie. It was surrounded by snow and backed up perfectly to the crystal blue Lake Tahoe.

"I could live here forever!" Jen shouted to the sunset sky and then purposely left her cellphone in the car, along with the other girls.

When they entered the cabin it felt similar to the market. Vintage but classy. Even the appliances and TV were vintage.

"Must be a vintage theme" Anna concluded in her mind, but then quickly wondered why she thought a brand new TV that was actually in Technicolor would be considered vintage.

"Maybe we should bring one phone in, in case we want to take a pic or text someone" Everly said. The girls looked at her dumbfounded.

"How could we take a picture with a phone?" Jen laughed as she pointed to a beautiful corded phone that looked like it belonged in 1949 but had never been touched.

"I hope we meet some fellas on this trip who can take us out!" Anna plopped on the plush couch and took off her shoes.

Everly tried to remember what she had meant by the phrase "text" but it hurt her brain to think of it. She had the feeling as if she knew some important fact that should be shared with the other girls, something that might save their lives, but she could never quite put her finger on what it was. It was like the feeling of the fog now settling over the lake. She knew the lake was out there somewhere, but couldn't see where.

Hours passed and the girls grew increasingly more and more comfortable in their cozy simple cabin, away from the world, and modern society's distractions and their three phones sat idly in the car.

When night came around and the stars speckled the black sky, the girls ventured outside to look at the magical lights. It was then when Anna looked inside the car in search of a her cardigan and something more appropriate than her leggings and crop top which she now considered immodest and unladylike. When she opened the passenger door she let out a small scream as she saw a small device light up.

"There's a little TV in here!" She shouted to the girls.

Both girls ran over to the car and the three of them surveyed the small devices, unsure of what to make of them, completely forgetting that those same devices had once been their personal assistants, best friends and life.

"I think someone could be spying on us. We need to get rid of them!" Everly said. The other two agreed. One by one they followed each other to the edge of the lake and threw their cellphones into the cold, deep blue body of water. Only for one brief moment did the fog on Everly's mind lift and she felt that she needed that device for the survival of her future. But, it was a fleeting feeling and she had never been taught to trust her instincts.

As the three cellphones floated down to the bottom of the lake, the girls ventured back inside into their cozy, simple cabin.

—

Three years later, a young couple stopped at a gas station off Highway 89. As they purchased some coffee and gum from a man in his late 70s, the wife noticed a framed picture behind the cash register of three young women.

"That's a pretty picture. Are those your relatives?" the wife asked.

"No, just the only thing from my grandfather's market that survived. It sadly burnt down almost 50 years ago. But I remember the day that picture was taken. I was seven and helping him run the market. He took a picture of all his his cabin guests and these three girls were the last guests."

"How nice," the wife responded, not really caring much of what the man was saying as she was now distracted by the buzzing of her phone.