Through Time And Space

[1] Come Find Me

5 years later

The last things you want sometimes come in first. The last thing I wanted is for my mother to leave again, but there was nothing I could do as I watched her walk out the door, she turned back one last time and starred at me, her daughter, the innocent understood one wearing a dress in the middle of winter sitting on her stairs. She didn't say anything except give me an apologetic look.

As soon as the door closed I raced up the stairs and looked out my bedroom window overlooking the street. I kept watching her as she walked down the street and then eventually disappeared, hidden from my view by a tall tree and it's leafy branches. I collapsed on the bed defeated. I was the only one left, I didn't know when she would be back, but I knew I could be waiting a long time.

For the first time in year I walked into the spare room on the other side of the house. The only thing in there was a cupboard; it was ordinary, a light brown wood, hard and brittle, a pattern like vines up the side and a brass door knob. I stood in front of it, barely two meters. When I was little, and when I got scared I locked things away in here, if a certain doll was scaring me, my mother would put it in the cupboard and lock it, if a book was scary and filled with monsters, it would go in the cupboard.

I took a step forward my arm stretched out towards the key sitting in the lock. But then I jerked my hand back. For some reason that flare of bravery I had, disappeared. I bent my head and let my red hair fall over my face; I slowly turned around and walked out of the room leaving the door open.

Today was a Saturday, no school, I was used to being alone but I could really use a friend. Rita was my only friend, because she was only one brave enough. I was a bit of a rebel, and so was she. We had been friends for almost two years now. I meet on my first day at school in year 6, I had just moved from New York to England, and even back at my old school I was known as the bad girl. Get in my way and you will get hurt.

I picked up the phone from its stand and pressed in Rita's number.

"Hello?"

"Rita? It's Jess."

"Oh...Hi! What's wrong? Don't tell me you’re in trouble again!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes, "No, why do you always say that? I was just wondering if you wanted to meet up in town, or something."

There was silence for a few moments, which seemed more like hours. "Sorry Jess, I can't my mums busy with the shop and I'm babysitting, sorry."

"Okay, don't worry."

I pressed the end button and put the phone back down. I didn't do anything else except stand for a few moments fiddling with my hair, and then a loud crash woke me up from my daydreaming. My whole body jumped and my hands instinctively picked up the closet solid object, which turned out to be the phone book. I walked to the front door and for a moment, and I swear I saw the shadow of a body hovering on my front step. But then it was gone. I ran to the door and opened it wide.

No one was there, I looked around everywhere and eventually up at the clouds, they had changed, they was now black and grey, rolling through the sky, off in the distance sheets of rain fell over the city. I looked at the clock on the wall, its two hands both on the 9. It had been 2 hours since my mother left, that couldn't be possible? I guess that would make sense of the storm which has secretly appeared, I had dozed off for that long.

I went to close the door then a man appeared on the other side of the street, the most unusual of men.

I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, my hand still on the handle. I took a deep breath. I closed my eyes but I could still see him, standing, that smile still on his face.

"Turn around," I whispered.

Carefully I opened the door again and peeked out through the small gap, I couldn't see anyone so I opened the door wider, still no one. I stepped over the threshold and walked down the three front steps to the concrete path leading the main road. I looked up and down the street, it was empty.

He'd gone.

My chest tightened up uncontrollable and I felt emptiness inside my stomach. I bit my bottom lip, almost drawing blood.

A loud crack made me glance up and the ever approaching storm, the rain would poor down on me if I didn't move soon. I made my body take a step back, and then another while turning around. Suddenly I heard the crunch of metal underneath my foot; I looked down at the small silver object I had stood on. It was key. I picked it up and placed it in the pocket of my summer dress.

Before I could get back inside the safety of my house I head the blood curdling scream of a woman. Instinct took over and without hesitation I raced down the front path onto the road and down the street. I head another scream as I got closer and adrenaline raced through my veins.

One more corner.

My heart skipped a beat as I saw the scene unfold. One second a woman stood there cowered in a ball as a metal man approached her, then the next she was gone. I let out a yelp, and my hands flew to my mouth. Too late, the thing had heard me. It turned around, its robotic arm outstretched towards me, a gun in the other one.

"Crap!"

The metal man opened its mouth and started to talk in a robotic voice I couldn't understand, then it raised its other arms and I heard the weapon start to load. No.

Behind me I heard footsteps approaching fast, then without warning a hand gripped mine and started to pull me in the opposite direction of the robot in front of me. I didn't question, I didn't hesitate, I just ran guided by the stranger holding my hand. Seconds later a laser beam shot from the gun right to the spot where I had been standing.

"RUN!"