The Old Findings of a New Beginning

Chapter 2

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE'VE GONE BACK IN TIME?" Alfred screeched, holding his head in stress. He spun around on his heel and stalked over to the window. Shoving Matthew out of the way, he looked out, and his breath caught in his throat, seeing what his brother meant.

"What do we do now, bro? We're in our house, but it looks newer..." Alfred trailed off, not knowing where to go with his train of thought. Matthew perked up at the mention of their house being newer.
"Does this mean our great-grandparents live here?" Al's eyes widened, you could almost see the gears turning in his head.
"That means....that means they'd be around our age! Would they have met each other yet? Are they married? Can you get married at 17?" He rambled on, turning to Matthew, as if he knew everything.

"Al, chill. Lets take this one step at a time, okay?" he said slowly, making sure his hyperactive brother wouldn't spontaneously combust or anything.
"Okay..." Alfred yawned and stretched his arms above his head. "Hey Mattie, are you tire-" He never got to finish his sentence. Al had collapsed to the ground, his head barely missing a suspiciously pointed corner of a dresser that he hadn't noticed before. Matthew rushed to his side, his throat tightening as he reached his unconscious brother. He crouched down and held his brothers head, noticing that at least his breathing was normal. After checking his forehead and pulse, he realized both were at a relatively normal rate, and came to the conclusion that the whole ordeal was an outcome of a lack of energy. He dragged Alfred by the armpits to a pile of suspicious looking couch cushions and (with much difficulty) dragged Al onto them creating a makeshift bed. He too found himself exhausted, and lied down with Al, falling asleep despite the recent turn of events.

Pancakes. That was the first smell that hit Matthew's nose. He shot up, excited that his papa had made breakfast, and not just any breakfast. Pancakes. Matthew's favorite food in the world. He was suddenly pulled back down to the bed by a now perfectly fine Alfred.
"What the hell are you thinking?" Alfred hissed. After Matthew fully woke up and took in his surroundings, he realized with a sinking feeling that they in the 1940's, with no idea how to get back to the present...
"Hey, why did you pass out last night?" Matthew asked, seeing how his brother was acting as if nothing had happened the night before.
"HAHAHA! That was nothing Mattie! I was just tired, haha..." Alfred said, shrugging it off. Matthew looked at him unconvinced. Seeing that Al was going to stay quite with matter for now, he changed the subject.
"Did you bring any food Alfie?" Matthew whined, feeling his stomach rumble.
"Does it look like I have any food on me?" Al replied, also feeling the pains of hunger. Matthew flopped down onto the makeshift bed, then winced as the boards made a creaking sound. Alfred said a few select words, directed towards his brother. They both held their breath, waiting to hear the tell-tale sound of the ladder being brought down. And that's exactly what they heard.

"Crap." The brothers said simultaneously, which was a huge understatement. They both jumped up and ran behind the nearest thing they could hide behind, which happened to be a mirror. As the person stomped up the ladder, Alfred had an idea. He quickly turned to Matthew, ruffled his hair, scuffed up his clothes, and got dirt from the floor and smudged it all over him, making him look like a homeless kid. Matt, catching on to the idea, did the same make-over to Alfred, before you knew it, they both looked like two pitiful homeless kids, masking up the fact that they were from a different time period. Alfred hoped his little improvisation would work, or they might have to face jail, being accused of trespassing. And from what he knew, life in jail in the 1940's was not a great experience. He could feel his heart hammer against his chest as the person reached the top of the ladder. He was afraid that the mysterious person would hear his rapid heart, as the footsteps got closer...closer...closer...
And then Matthew sneezed.

The ominous steps stopped, and the silence was suffocating. Matthew shot his brother an apologetic look, but Al ignored it; he was slightly (a lot) pissed at his brother. Damn his sensitive nose... he thought. The person let out a small gasp, probably noticing their makeshift bed and Alfred internally smacked himself for forgetting to pick it up, or at least throw the cushions behind something before they went behind the mirror that the person was walking towards. Both Matthew and Alfred shut their eyes, bracing themselves for the wrath of whoever was moving the mirror. Al found himself silently whispering a prayer, while, on the other hand Matthew actually started to cry a little. He didn't want to be stuck in this world anymore than Al. He just wanted to go home with Alice and Papa, bickering, laughing, cooking... The mirror, after what had seemed like an eternity, was removed to reveal an 18/19 year old looking down on them with anger in his eyes. He looked creepily familiar, and as Matthew racked his memory for a similar face, he realized he looked a lot like Al, minus the glasses. This must be Great-Grandpapa! He exclaimed to himself. Al, noticing the resemblance, caught on to the fact that their teenage grandpa was standing right in front of them, in a silent staredown, until their 'Grandpa' broke the silence.