The Invention

Flash Fiction

The Invention

“Don’t forget to lock the door.” Dad said.

“It’s all set,” Jack said.

“You didn’t even check…”

“I don’t need to check, I know it’s locked.”

“How do you know?”

“I was the last one out, and it has an automatic lock.”

“What the heck is an automatic lock?”

“It’s a lock, that’s automatic… Once you close the door it locks.”

“So how do you get back in?”

“A password. It’s like the old days. It’s just easier.”

“Question… you talk to the door?”

“Kinda… you could just say the passwords, but then everyone would hear you. So, it has a small typing place, I type in the number and it unlocks.”

“What if you forget… the number?”

“Then I would need to go online to the company and give them all my data and they would tell me.”

“Wouldn’t that be a bit harder than just having a key?”

“Well, after a while you end up with so many keys. It took me several minutes to get the right key, and I only had a dozen!

“A dozen? What to?”

“The house, the car, the garage, work, the test room… like all that!”

“Do other things have your magic lock?”

“Not yet. There are still some bugs in the idea…” Jack said, less enthusiastically.

“So, you actually invented it then…”

“Yes… I didn’t want to talk about it until I get all the bugs sorted out… like telling the lock it’s you somehow, when you forget the code…”

“Yea, you probably need a secret code so all the family members can use the same ones. Like your phone number or something.”

“That’s genius! Our phone number! I know exactly what to do!

“Ten years later, he fixed the issues. He threw the whole invention in the trash…”