Chapter Three: Sick Alex in the Fourties

We stood there in the middle of the field trying to figure out what to do next. It was the late 40’s, so our attire is completely “Inappropriate,” and we don’t know what to do around here either. The town’s a lot smaller than what we all know the town as, and the cars were horribly unreliable to use to get across country to the places we need to go to.

I held up my Time Manipulator, but saw that it was terribly broken. I lifted it to show Nick and sighed. “Well, I guess we can’t get out of this time zone.”

“Not for a while. I could have a look and try to repair it, but it might buzz the hunters’ alarm our location and time. We should all be able to get up and run,” Nick replied worried. I looked him in the eyes for a moment, looking for assurance. His eyes were cold and apologetic blue. “I’m sorry, but it’s the best I could promise,” he continued, “I may not even be able to fix it at all. I’m sorry, Sandra, but I can’t promise anything.” I handed it to him, and hoped to God that he could at least get it functional.

“Sorry to chime in, but I still wonder how you saw Anastasia,” Mom interrupted.

“Not our foremost problem, Alexandra,” Nick brushed her off, “First, we should find a place to stay. Then, try to fix this,” he said, holding the Manipulator higher, “Then we find out about Anastasia.”

“We’ll figure Aunt Ana eventually, Mom,” I said, trying to calm her down, “But Nick’s right, it’s not our foremost problem right now. First we need to be able to time jump.” A thought occurred to me. “If ya’ll are from the Russian Time Agency, then where are your manipulators?”

They looked at eachother, then at their toes. “We kind of lied about that. We are time travelers, but we didn’t exactly work for a Time Agency. In truth, we’re American spies, sent undercover in Moscow to work in their Time Agency. The Russians were about to uncover us, so we fled. Anastasia was the only one who kept on their good side. She thought that we were the only ones that they were uncovering, but they turned on her when we disappeared.” Nick looked down again. “They killed her for being related to us.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question. Where are your manipulators?” I asked again, growing impatient despite the tale that Nick just told me.

“We weren’t assigned or given any. In the Russian Agency, they were only given to the foremost top agents. We were a few levels below them,” Mom finally answered.

“Damn,” I said aloud, “So there’s really no way out of here if you can’t fix this?” I asked.

“Yep, “ Nick replied solemnly, “Welcome to our world of being stuck.” He chuckled, but stopped quickly when Mom and I glared at him.

        “Well since we’re going to be here awhile, we might as well set ourselves a place,” I announced, changing the subject, “Do ya’ll have money?”

“Only this,” Mom replied,  pulling about three hundred bucks out of her pocket

I looked at Nick. “This should buy us a small house, right?”

“Not quite. The average house was about six and a half thousand dollars,” Nick replied.

“Damn,” I said again. “Well, we’ll have enough money to rent a hotel room, right?”

“This won’t even buy a night in a hotel,” Nick replied. “But, I do have a few friends, who, uh, owe me a favor.”

“They’re probably not in this time zone,” I told him, “Remember, we’re in 1947. Arkansas, 1947.”

“Yes, I know we’re in ‘47, but this is where they live, Sandra,” Nick replied, “I’m not that thick.”

“Are you sure about that?” I earnestly asked.

“About being thick, yes,” My grandfather replied, showing his humor through. I cracked a smile. I grew up hearing about his legendary sense of humor.

“No, I mean them being here, Nick, not about being thick,” I paused, “Although, I’m starting to question that as well.”

We chuckled, but stopped when Mom gave us “The Look” she used to give me when I was a kid. It always gave me chills.

“Don’t worry about her, kid,” Nick started, “She always gives me that look.” He smiled at me, looking for reassurance.

“Me too,” I replied, smiling.

“I’m right here, you know,” Mom said, “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to talk about people when you’re in front of them?”

“I don’t know, did you?” I replied, smiling at her.

“We have to keep the mood light, Alexandra, otherwise, the seriousness gets to our heads,” Nick retorted.

“But your humor can keep us off track,” Alex replied.

“It’s worth it,” he started, then turned to me, “Don’t you think?” I nodded my acknowledgement, and smiled, but decided it was time to be more serious.

“Nick, come on, who are they?” I asked.

“They’re your great grandparents,” he replied.

“I thought you said they were friends!” I angerly retorted!

“Um... They are, it’s complicated. My parents, your grandparents gave me up for adoption. I found them years back, and saved them from being killed by an out of control helicopter. They don’t know that I’m their son, so please don’t tell them. It will kill them,” He replied.

“Do they know who Aunt Ana is?” I asked with the equivalence of childhood curiosity.

“They know that she’s my daughter,” Nick replied, “But that’s all they know about her. She died before we met them.”

“Alright,” I paused, not knowing where to go from here. “Where are they?” I asked.

“Good question,” he looked around troubled. “They should be somewhere around Maple Street.”

“Where’s Maple Street?” I asked, racking my brain for that name.

“Near the library. The only problem is that the library isn’t here... At this time. It was established much later.”

“But you know the area, right?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, I know your version of the neighborhood. Not what it is now,” Nick replied, “But that won’t stop me. I think Broadway is this way, then turn left after a few hundred feet, cross the river, and a few more hundred feet, and we’re there,” he paused, “I think that’s the way, anyway. We’ll see if I’m right.”

We weren’t much down the road on Broadway when a Model T swerved quickly around the corner nearly running us over. A few seconds later, another Model T, this one a police car, swerved around the corner at top speeds. I ducked and covered, Nick pushed Mom out of the way  and ran for the sidewalk. I got up, looked around to see if more cars were coming around the corner, then ran over to Mom, who was laying on the sidewalk.

“Please tell me that she didn’t get hit,” I told Nick. I walked up to Mom. “Oh my god!” I yelled, then looked at Nick, “She’s bleeding!”

“Is she breathing?” Nick asked as he hurried over. I put my ear near her mouth and looked at her stomach.

“Yes,” I finally replied. I loosely shook her, waiting for her to open her eyes. She didn’t. I checked her pulse. “She even has a pulse. Why isn’t she waking?”

“Clear away!” Nick yelled, then pulled out a bullhorn and put it in her ear. He looked up at me before triggering it. “You might want to cover your ears.” I shook my head, but did as he said. He pulled the horn. A loud noise that woke half the town rushed out, through my hands. Two seconds later, my mother’s shrieking took over, waking up the other half of the town.  “There, that should do it,” Nick said, smiling at me.

“You could’ve warned me! Now you made a commotion, and the Time Agency might be nearer to finding us!” I yelled at him. “And we’ve got no way out of here!” I kicked at the gravel on the ground. I really need to control my anger.

“Hush now,” he said to me, “Nora, you ok?” She nodded her head. “Follow me.” We followed Nick around several trees, rivers, and streets.

“Where are we going now?” I asked.

“I told you to hush,” Nick replied. A few moments later, he stopped in front of a magnificently huge mansion on Maple St. “We’re here.”

“Where is here?” I asked.

“Five One Two Four Maple Street. Home of my biological grandparents,” Mom replied. She looked at Nick then at me. “Ready?”

“Yes,” Nick and I answered at the same time.

“Remember that we can’t tell them anything. They’re not to know that we’re time agents on the run or that we’re family. We can’t tell them anything about our personal or professional lives. Use discretion. Pretend you’re talking to total strangers,” Mom said.

“Well I would be talking to total strangers, but have you met them, Alex?” I asked.

“Yes, once, but that was a long time ago, and later in their time stream. This will be the first time they’re going to meet me.”

“Ready?” We nodded. “Let’s go talk to them.” We followed my grandfather to the door of the mansion. He knocked thrice. A few seconds later, a scrawny butler with a hump answered the door.

“Who seeks admission to this Mason house?” He barely squeaked.

“We’re friends of the Masons. May we enter?” Nick replied.

“Friends huh?” The butler replied, using a normal tone. “I don’t know of any friends of the Masons.” The butler continued with each word becoming darker and more creepy than the word before it.

“I”m Nicholas Park, This is Alexandra Park and Sandra Lee, can we enter?”

“You may enter, but only in the entry room. You’re not allowed past the entry room,” The butler replied, with his voice growing darker and creepier. He opened the door wide enough for us to go through. Once we got past the opening, the Butler vanished in thin air, and the door closed with a loud bang. Alex collapsed.

Author's Note

How is it so far?