Chapter 2: Mary

March 12th, 1926

“But-you-I-that-what’s going on?!?!” Rick exclaimed in a panic, his head going about every which way, taking in his new surroundings. He ducked and covered his face as a bullet flew past and hit the windshield in front of him.

“And who’s shooting at us?” he wondered, looking behind them at the car apart of the chase. If he was confused before, he was even more confused now.

“Professor Penegar??” he gasped in disbelief. “What-why-?”

He stared at the man in a smart looking suit and hat, pointing a rather large gun at them. Driving the car was a blonde haired woman with a large coat.

“They’re from your real life Rick. They don’t want you to wake up.”

“Wake up? But I am awake!”

“No. You’re not.”

“Yes. I am.”

The woman swerved the car around a corner, causing the car to teeter dangerously on two wheels. Rick held on for dear life, wondering what in the world he had gotten himself into.

“Then how do I know I’m dreaming? Do I-.”

“You’re not awake, but this isn’t a dream.” the woman told him, rounding a corner as the two people continued to chase him.

“Then what-.”

“Can’t you just wait until we’re out of the gunfire?!”

Rick shut his mouth, and stole a glance at the people behind them. He ducked as a bullet barely missed him, creating a rip in the seat and lodging itself into the dashboard in front of him.  

“So uh… Lake Lady, then what happens if I die?”

“You die.”

“Ok. Thanks. That definitely makes me feel better. Not a dream then.”

“I’ll explain more when we get to a safe place!” she exclaimed, glancing into her side mirror.

Suddenly, Rick looked over to see the same little girl he had chased just moments before.

She was in the same clothes as before, but this time, her clothes didn’t seem so weird. She was in jeans and a pink shirt with sequin hearts, a big smile on her face as she gripped her power ranger backpack.

His sister.

Cadi.

How could he have forgotten her?

He suddenly had a flash of her hand-me-down bike that used to be his, the trouble she always gets in cause her new shoes always get dirty somehow, and how she for some reason loves brussel sprouts. Eight years old, loves the color pink, and yet is always playing in the dirt and grime with the rest of the boys.

Cadi.

“Wait!! Turn around!” he exclaimed, swiveling in his seat only to get pulled back by the woman from the lake so he didn’t get shot in the face.

“I thought you said-.”

“But my sister-!”

As soon as he said ‘sister’, the woman swerved into a u-turn, and zoomed past the people chasing them, much to their surprise.

“Where did you see her?” she yelled over the wind.

“Next to that hat shop over there!”

The woman then gunned it towards the shop.

“WAIT YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE US CRAAAAASH!” Rick screamed just moments before they were going to hit the store.

Rick wanted to close his eyes, but found them wide open as they drove right through the hat shop.  

But instead of crashing through a building, the two of them were suddenly driving a completely different car in different clothes.

“WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!” he yelled at the woman beside him, who was now wearing a dress suit and a hat over her long black hair that was now pulled back in waves and curls.

“Calm down Rick.” she said, rolling her eyes as the seventeen year old continued to freak out over the fact that he was no longer wearing a bowtie and instead was magically in a fat tie and a little cap on his head. “We’re in the 1930’s now.”

Rick gawked at her.

“We were barely just in the 1920’s! I demand that you stop this car and explain what’s going on!”

The woman looked around as she drove slowly through a town that was most definitely not in modern day to Rick’s standards.

“Ok ok! Just quiet down will ya? There’s still people here who want to kill you.”

At that, Rick shut his mouth as the woman pulled into a garage and got out of the car. Rick followed suit, and then immediately started eyeing the car he was in.

“Holy crap!! This is a 1935 de soto airflow!!” he exclaimed in awe, sliding a hand gently over the black car.

“I guess you don’t have any questions then, so let’s go!” the woman said cheerfully, turning on her heel. That got Rick’s attention.

“Hold on just a second!!” he yelled, grabbing her by the arm. The woman turned around and stared at him for a moment.

“It’s really fun seeing you like this.” she laughed suddenly, much to the boy’s annoyance. “You’re so little!”

“What?!” Rick exclaimed, his voice squeaking a bit as his voice changed. “First question: who the heck are you?!”

The woman paused for a moment as if she was trying to decide what to tell him and what not to tell him.

“Weeell, I’m actually not entirely sure what I should tell you there… All this time stuff can really be finicky and weird… So for now, you can just call me Mary.”

Rick blinked.

“But that’s not your real name?”

“Nope.”

Rick scowled.

“Fine then ‘Mystery Woman’.” he said grumpily. “Why am I suddenly in the 1800’s-or 1920’s-or-whenever we are?!”

The woman that wasn’t Mary sighed.

“Some of that you will have to figure out for yourself, but… you’re in a time coma.”

“A what?”

“Something happened to you. Something you have to remember on your own.”

Rick tried to see if she was joking, but this whole situation seemed so ridiculous anyway, he couldn’t see why she would lie to him.

“Am I dying?” he asked quietly.

She slowly nodded. Rick’s eyes furrowed forward.

“Then… why are you helping me?” The woman smiled at him.

“Well… it’s my job. And your life is very important to the time stream.”

“Really?”

“Yep. If you die, the fabric of space and time could pull itself apart.”

“So you’re just helping me for a job?”

“Well that, and I care about you too.”

Rick narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. “What? Are you some kind of time traveller then or something?”

Mary winked.

“Come on. We need to get moving.”

“But wait! How am I-.”

“You follow your sister. Haven’t you noticed that you’ve remembered a little more both times you followed her?”

Rick took a moment to think about that. Before, he knew nothing except for his every day activities in a supposed ‘boy’s school’. But now he remembered that he had a sister, and then he wasn’t from the 1890’s, or the 1920’s, or the 1930’s. He was born in 1998. He was from the year 2015. Or was it 2016? For some reason he couldn’t really recall. That part was a bit fuzzy.

“Who were those people who were chasing us?”

“Sorry Rick, but you have to remember that for yourself.”

The seventeen year old stared at Mary for a good long time as she stared back at him expectantly. Rick sighed.

“So what do I do?” he asked, deciding to trust this woman even though he hardly knew her.

“We need to find your sister. That’s what’s going to help you wake up from this coma.” she told him, looking around the garage. “I’m not entirely sure how it’s all supposed to work though…”

The two of them jumped as someone started to open up the garage door.

“Quick! Hide!” she whispered, tackling him and sending him tumbling behind some crates. The two of them peeked over their hiding places to see two people standing in the light from outside, holding out guns. The woman was wearing a large fur coat and her bright blonde hair was in a stylized bun with a fancy hat placed on the side. She was smoking a cigarette at the end of a long silver extender.

“Now where did that brat go?” she said in a low sultry voice.

The man standing with her adjusted the fedora on his nice gelled brown hair and cocked the gun in his hand.

“Don’t worry peach. I’ll find him for you.”

“Why do these people want to kill me?!” Rick whispered to the woman crouching beside him.

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Why can’t you just tell me?!”

“I don’t know what I can and can’t say!” she argued back.

“Pumpkin, I think I heard something over there…” the woman’s sultry voice echoed through the garage.

Rick and Mary silenced themselves as the man and woman looked around the garage, guns at the ready.

“We have to get out of here…” Mary whispered under her breath. She looked around, and then found an empty can on the floor.

“Ok. Rick, when I throw this, make a break for the door.”

“Wait what?”

“Go!!”

Mary threw the can as far as she could, and it hit one of the opposite walls. Immediately, the man and woman turned their attention to the sound, and the man that Rick previously knew as Professor Penegar fired his gun. Mary pulled Rick up and the two of them made a break for the door.

“Pumpkin!! They’re this way!” the woman exclaimed, firing her gun at them. Rick felt the bullet whiz past as it lodged itself in the wall beside him.

Rick had never run as fast in his life.

Well, as far as he could remember…

Still, Mary flew at a pace that was hard for him to keep up with as she pulled him behind her, ducking around people and pushing past bystanders.

As they were running, Rick saw something that suddenly caught his eye. An item that did not fit amongst the rest of the 1930’s garb.

It was a little figurine of Raphael the ninja turtle.

“Mary! Wait!” he exclaimed, dragging her over to it as he picked it up. Mary glanced behind them and then pulled him into the bakery they were standing in front of. They crouched underneath the display tensely as the man and woman continued to rush past in the street. They both breathed a sigh of relief.

“You lovebirds ok?” an old baker asked, standing behind the counter.

“Ooooooh no no no no no we’re not lovebirds.” Mary quickly pointed out to the man. “Let’s just make that clear. NOOOOO. Besides. He’s too young for me. He’s only seventeen.”

“Well how old are you?” Rick pouted.

“I’m 25. Way to old. Anyways-what did you find?”

Rick looked down at the figurine he was holding.

“It’s Raphael. Cadi loves the ninja turtles, and he’s her favorite. She and my mom like to watch it together… It’s one of the few things she actually likes to watch.”

“Good! Are you starting to remember your mom?”

Rick closed his eyes, and suddenly saw an image of a woman with long wavy brown hair and then a man with glasses and…

His parents.

He remembered his parents!!

“Y-yeah! And my Dad!” he said excitedly, staring down at the ninja turtle grasped tightly in his hand. “And… and…”

He suddenly looked up to see that his little sister was standing in front of him, her hands on her hips. She was wearing a pineapple shirt this time, and she was slightly transparent.

“Well if you don’t believe me, I’ll just have to show you!” she said matter of factly, her voice slightly echoey. Then she faded away.

“Wait!” he yelled, reaching out to her. “Show me what?!”

But she was already gone.

Somehow he knew that he had just witnessed another little memory.

But what was it she wanted to show him?

How had he ended up here in the first place?