A Collection of Short Stories

Past. Present. Future.

Dani ran down the dark alley, aiming at the light ahead of her. Smoke filled her nose as fires broke out in the houses she passed. The gunshots continued firing as she weaved to avoid them, splashing through puddles. Her breath rattled in her throat, sweat stung her eyes and her feet ached. A bullet slammed into her elbow with an explosion of pain and agony. She bit her lip to keep from crying out and struggled on.

"Start it!" She screamed at Miles and Cooper as they fiddled with the buttons and knobs of the time machine.

A blast of light and rainbow colors began to pour out of the machine, spinning in circles. Dani heard gasps as her pursuers slowed to a halt. She continued to sprint forward as the circles merged together.

"Come on! Hurry!" Miles yelled, urging her on. He grabbed Cooper by the collar and thrust him into the vortex, making him disappear. Stepping in himself, he held out his hand, stretching for her.

The gunshots started again as their pursuers realised they were escaping. Dani was only a few steps away. She dived forward and Miles yanked her in as the vortex closed. The light collapsed and the machine disappeared, leaving the pursuers dumbstruck.

***

Dani stepped onto the hard concrete with painful steps. Miles appeared beside her, holding onto Cooper, who was slumping wearily. After a few seconds, the machine appeared too.

Dani looked around breathlessly. Huge machines hovered in the air and monsters walked the streets freely. Humans moved around wearing strange clothes and, occasionally, flew into the air.

The sights were impossible to take in.

"The future," murmured Dani.

"I thought the other place was confusing with the driving machines and the automatic shooting devices," Miles commented.

"I want to go home!" Cooper wailed, looking ready to cry.

Dani glared at him in disgust, but couldn't help agreeing with all the same.

"It would be nice to go back to our time," she sighed wistfully. "Back when everything are sense. Like when weapons were bows or swords and people got around by horses. Life was so simple."

Miles caught a man that was walking past, dressed in a silvery dress-looking thing.

"What year is it?" He asked and the man looked at them strangely.

"Why, it's 4918 of course. Everyone knows that! Nice costumes though," he grinned at their simple breeches, long boots and leather vests. "Makes you look like your from the 12th century." He laughed and flew off.

"We are from the 12th century," Miles muttered. "From the 12th, to the 21st and now the 41st. How powerful is your machine, Cooper?"

"Very powerful," answered the small, scrawny man. "But it needs to recharge before we can go home. We could be here for weeks before it's fully charged. There's nothing I can do about it." He struggled helplessly.

"Nothing!" Miles fairly shrieked. "Nothing you can do! You built the machine! You've got to do something!" He grabbed Coopers thin shoulders in his broad hands and began shaking him furiously. "You built the bloody thing and if we hadn't been sucked into it, we wouldn't have been in this mess! This is all your fault!"

"Oh, give it a break Miles," Dani interrupted, pushing her way between the boys. "This isn't the time to fight. We need food and somewhere to stay." Her face was pale and drawn from pain and she was cradling her arm, a small puddle of blood already pooling below her.

Concern washed over Miles face on sight of the injury and he forgot Cooper immediately.

"Are you ok? Was it a bullet?" He asked, tentatively looking at the wound.