Fallen (Scifi Smackdown7.0)

“She came from the stars, says she fell from grace. Eyes big like the Sun, not a hair out of place.”

Tynne wished the children of the village would stop following her while they recited the myth created by her tumble through the time-space continuum. It had been two weeks, why hadn’t Leland rescued her? Or at least sent a message?

What year had she fallen back into? She sat under a tree eating a big juicy ripe peach that had fallen from its branches. These people were superstitious. Tynne felt lucky to still be alive. She heard horror stories of other lost travelers being burned as witches.

Judging by the primitive clothing worn by the villagers and the language spoken, early 1700’s south Atlantic American coastline, she was sure. At sixteen, she was the youngest historian ever admitted to the program. She felt lucky to understand their awkward phrasing.

She landed after dark on a moonless night at the big rock marking the path through the sand dunes to the ocean. Tynne guessed her modern clothes lead to the belief that she fell from grace. Only the men wore pants in the village. Women, good honorable women, wore floor length dark calico print skirts like she adorned. Her skirt showcased ducks on a navy background.

Tynne would always stand out here in this time. For her sixteenth birthday, seven months ago, her mother gave her eye augmentation surgery; Tynne’s irises were red gold flames enlarged to twice the size of natural.

For the party that night at Tito’s place all the travelers dressed up as 20th century cartoon figures. Tynne choose the Flintstone’s Wilma and in the custom of early trick or treat costumes she’d ordered semi-plastic hair. It was stuck this way until the removal solution was applied back in the 22nd century.

Tynne laid her head down on the grass her arms crossed behind her head. Her thoughts focused on the accident that stranded here.

Tito and she arrived at the lab trying to talk Leland into coming to the party. He’d whined about strange glitches that he needed to identify before the big mission the next day. They were historians going back in time to observe not interact with the past, with the intent of correcting the history books which had changed to fit the needs of each new philosophy of the governments as they came and went. She had been caught because her shielding cloak was sitting in her locker.

Something bumped her into Tito, Tito into Leland and Leland into the controls. Tynne tripped after bouncing off Tito’s greater bulk onto the launch pad. Her last view of the 22nd century was Tito’s outstretched hand reaching for her. A tear trickled down her cheek.

The children from the village bored with her napping position drifted away. Tynne peaked with her left eye, coast clear. Standing Tynne brushed off the clinging grass, followed the path to the large rock, and hoped for some kind of message from Leland.

Faint markings! Tynne saw faint scratchy markings. Rushing to the rock, it was their code.

It read: “Malfunction. Parallel universe. No way home. Tito wants to come?”

Tynne stifled a scream sinking to the ground shaking her head, moaning, “I’m stuck here.” Rocking back and forth, her hands searched for a rock. With a small old shaped stone, she scratched back in code, “I love you, Tito! NO!” Tears racked her body until nightfall.

The next morning, Tynne opened her eyes. She slept in the fetal position at the base of the rock. However sitting across from her, a girl of thirteen or fourteen, Tynne guessed, held a plate with food.

“How’d you know?” Tynne asked reaching for the plate.

“We watch you.” She pointed to a boy of nine or ten. “Bullis reported thine crying. Thou wanst to go home?”

“That can’t happen!” Tynne’s eyes filled with tears. She noticed the rock had been wiped clean and a new message, TC + TM inside a heart. Tears rushed harder. Tito was coming for her. “But my friend may come here to be with me.”

The girl nodded, a gleam appeared in her green eyes. “Why are thine eyes like that?”

“Surgery.” Tynne replied without thinking.

“Oh, an accident.” She nodded. “Thou canst go home?”Tynne nodded. She continued, “Thine friend, is he male?”

Tynne nodded again. Where was she going with this? “What’s your name?”

“Camy. Tis he not thine husband?”

Tynne felt herself flinch. She loved Tito but she was only sixteen and just beginning college. She stopped. She WAS going to college, not now.

“I thought not. It will not be allowed here either.” Camy said.

“What’s not allowed?”

Camy blushed, lowered her eyes. “Living with a man that’s not thine husband.”

Tynne laughed, “That’s what you thought. Here I thought it was because I wore pants.” She sobered when she saw Camy blush again. “No, Tito and I don’t live together.”

“Oh.” Camy’s eyes lifted to meet Tynne’s.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tynne caught a flickering like you see when a screen receives interference.

“Tito!” Tynne screamed. A huge smile pasted to his face. Rushing to her feet, she spilled her breakfast. Egg yolk clung to several of the printed ducks.

Tito blinked in and out. Tynne rushed to him. He looked like he was talking to Leland. Where was his cloak?

Tynne read his lips. It wasn’t good news. Tito turned back towards her his smile replaced with tears and a wave. He mouthed, “I love you.”

Tynne rushed him determined to get a hold of him. She knew better. They’d warned them in training to never enter an open portal. Electricity ran through her body when she connected. Suddenly, she was enveloped by the shimmering field.

Looking back at Camy and Bullis, they were blurry and the sound of the ocean gone as well. Tynne felt Tito’s arms around her. She blurted, “There’s no place like home.”