Abigail

Chapter 1: Somewhere else (rewritten)

I carefully stepped out the door and walked onto the grass, my slip on pumps coated in dew as I wondered around the time machine. The trouble with landing on a grassy hill was, that you could be anywhere on the globe at any time, apart from Antarctica, I think you'd know if you were there. I took a deep breath and took a few steps away from the hovering doorway, the area around the door was like a mirage, wobbling light like you would see on a hot day. I walked a little further, checking over my shoulder to make sure the wobbling light was still there. My palms were sweaty and I could feel the sweat collecting on the back of my neck as I walked. I turned to check for the wobbling light again, except it wasn't there. My heart rate surged and I span, my feet jolting towards where I thought it had been, tripping over stones and sticks. Except it wasn't here, it wasn't anywhere. I walked around and around in circles with my hands out in front of e, hoping I'd bump into it, but I didn't. I could feel the panic rising inside me as I looked around, the whole place seemed to be spinning and I couldn't wrap my head around the last few minutes, its as though I had been in a daze, a slower version of reality, and suddenly everything was speeding up.

I panted, hyperventilating and stretched my arms out for the nearest tree, resting my forehead against it and shutting my eyes and breathing slowly. I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing I was just the cleaning lady, I knew that when I got back I'd be getting the sack, IF, if I get back, is sadly the more accurate version of that sentence.

I suppose the first thing I should do is to find out where I am, and when I am.

I pulled my lanyard off over my head and slipped it into my apron pocket, patting it gently as I took a deep breath. I decided to walk forward, towards the clearing, I took small gentle steps hoping that the ground would swallow me up and I wouldn't have to face what was ahead of me. One of my shoes was completely soaked through, so I lifted my foot to slide it off, wobbling and slipping on the muddy grass. I groaned lifting my arm to touch my head and sitting up, looking at my muddy hands and feet, and the dirty patch on my skirt. I slipped off the other shoe and stood up, my bare feet squelching mud between my toes as I walked. I rubbed my hand on the dirt patch on my skirt in an attempt to rub it off but I made it worse, rubbing the dirt deeper into the fabric and then adding another layer of mud that transferred off my hand. I sighed heavily and continued to walk over the muddy wet ground.

Time continued to pass, and I continued to walk, a mist had started to settle and it had begun to drizzle with rain. Eventually, my hair and clothes were drenched through and strands were sticking to my face. I stopped and picked up the fraying seam of my skirt and yanked, ripping off a long section of the hem and using it to pull my hair into a bun and off my face, leaving my skirt hem raggedy and less than desired. I rubbed my face and wiped my forehead and then I kept walking.

Soon the grass became sparse and well-trodden, like a path formed with footprints over and over again, it was an inviting sight for my poor, tired legs and an encouraging sight for my frail, frantic brain. I followed it, the mud was firmer here and it didn't ooze between my toes, I'd forgotten about my shoes way back and was quite frankly too tired to worry about it. It wasn't long until the muddy path became a road and a road was a good sign that I wasn't too far back in history. Then I remembered it was the Romans who invented roads and decided it would be better if I didn't think about it all because my head would end up spinning. I just hoped, deep inside that, I was in the future, far enough in the future that they could send me back to my time without a second thought.

I wondered along the damp concrete, my legs giving in and so I sat down on the edge of the road, leaning my back against a rock and shutting my eyes. I was later interrupted by the sounds of hooves and wheels coming towards me and then slowing to a halt, I opened one eye and looked up at the black carriage, it was dark now and much colder, my damp clothes feeling like ice on my skin.