Back To 2014

Chapter 2- Flashbacks and Tears

I walk into the building and look around for -- well actually I don't know what I'm looking for. I see a rack of tourism brochures with a sign that says "check out everything Chicago has to offer!" There's a section for tours, one for amusement parks, and one for restaurants in the area. I see brochures for Chicago style pizza and some other places, reminding me that I haven't eaten since Seth's house which was... I look at my watch. Well, I have no idea what time it was when I jumped off the cliff, how long it takes to travel, or how long I've been here, so I really don't know.

Then it hits me for real: I don't know anything. Tears start to form in my eyes as I think of how hopeless I am: just a stupid teenage girl who wasted her life jumping into something she knows nothing about.

People who jump into these time warp clouds are supposed to know what they're doing. They're trained for YEARS on what to do when they go back, and they have a purpose. A stupid little girl like me isn't supposed to be doing this. I want to go home. I lean up against the wall next to the brochures and my vision becomes blurry with tears. A lump forms in my throat that makes me feel even worse.

I want to go home. I want to be with my family, I want to be with Seth, I want my old life back. I think back to this morning, before everything happened.

~Flashback 2064~

Ahh it's Saturday, I think as I lay awake in my bed watching the sun shine through my room. The sun shining through my blinds makes my rose pink painted walls look striped. I need to paint my room soon, I think. With a 'ping!' The screen of my device lights up and my new message is projected into the air.

I swipe my hand through the image, opening the text from my best friend, Seth. I have known Seth for forever, and we are neighbors and best friends. The text reads, "in the mood for some pancakes? :)" I think that sounds amazing and I smile at the thought of Seth making me pancakes. I text back "heck yeah! Over in 2".

I'm so glad he loves to cook because I can't for the life of me. I always get to try Seth's new food creation whenever he makes something, and I'm his official taste tester. It's always amazing. I throw my hair up in a messy bun, and pull on some olive green shorts and an old brown top, knowing Seth doesn't care what I look like.

When I walk in, the smell of blueberry pancakes fills the air and I walk into the kitchen, taking in a big whiff. Seth is standing over the stove flipping a pancake in shorts and a blue plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His brown wavy hair is tousled and he's wearing a pink apron that says "kiss the cook".

"Mmm, something smells delicious!" I say as I sneak up behind him. He turns the stove off and flips the last pancake onto the heap of pancakes sitting on the plate. "Oh nice apron by the way," I remark, giggling. "Yeah it's my mom's," he says giving me a grin, "Well I hope the pancakes taste as good as they smell," he says, carrying the plate to his kitchen table. I get the cups and orange juice and we eat the entire stack. Needless to say, they were amazing.

As Seth was finishing the last pancake, we heard a high pitched alarm sound coming from outside, and we knew exactly what it was. He looked at me with wide eyes and we both jumped up and ran outside, knocking over a glass of orange juice.

People were running through the streets, babies screaming at the horrible sound of that alarm. We all knew what the alarm meant: there was an accident at the main branch of the TTT, about an hour away, which would send dangerous and toxic time warped clouds of dust over our town in the span of an hour or so. The alarm was so the people could get out before the toxic cloud reached our town.

This had never happened before, but there were plenty of drills, because it was vital to know what to do. Seth grabbed my hand and said, "Get in my car, we're leaving." He dragged me over to his car parked in his driveway and I jumped in the passenger seat. He gets in and starts the car, swerving out of the driveway and almost hitting a kid. "Watch it," I warn him. He just runs his hand through his hair and steps on the gas.

"We're getting out of here," he says, "text your parents." I get my device out and text my parents at the same time using voice command. "The alarms are sounding, I left with Seth. Be safe xo" they're both at work which is about 15 minutes further away from the TTT than we are, so they kinda have a head start.

After a while of driving, Seth realizes he's out of gas and we're in a deserted area where there's probably no gas station or any sign of life for a while. Soon the car stops for good and we're left with no gas, nowhere to go, and a toxic dust cloud chasing us.

I'm literally in shock. For the past hour and a half, so much has happened that I can't even process it all. I just stare out the window. I have no idea where we are and I see we're stopped on some kind of road close to a... cliff? I didn't even know we lived by any cliffs... Maybe it's just a tall hill. I think.

Seth pulls me out of my thoughts by letting out a deep sigh and running a hand through his hair. "Rough morning eh?" He says, trying to keep things light, but I know he's panicking inside. Tears form in my eyes and I look away so he can't see me. He notices anyway. "I'm so sorry. I'm so careless. I should have made sure we had gas and everything. I don't even have my wallet or anything".

"It's fine," I say, "it's as much my fault as it is yours. I should have made sure we had everything. We were panicking and-" "No." Seth interrupts, "it's all my fault. I don't even know where we are or where we're going, I was just so focused on getting out." He looks away and then puts his face in his hands. "Now we're never gonna get away. "

I know it's true and we let that sink in. I don't even care anymore, I let the tears stream down my face. Seth looks up and puts his arm around me protectively. It feels good and protective and makes me feel better, but also worse because I know when the cloud comes it will be gone, my whole life gone.

I don't know what the cloud will do, but I know my life will NEVER be the same.

~back to 2014~

That memory from just a few hours ago is so vivid and makes me cry even more. I feel so helpless. A voice jerks me out of my thoughts. "Are you ok miss?" A guy around 20 years old with jet black hair and a name tag that reads "Jack" looks down at me with concerned eyes.

I think of how pathetic I must look, sitting on the floor of the "Willis Tower" holding a Rosatti's Pizza brochure and bawling my eyes out. I wipe my eyes and am about to reply that I'm fine, but I'm obviously not fine, and I need help anyway. "No. It's a long story, but have you ever heard of the TTT?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alright here's the next chapter... I think its a little better than the first one and definitely a lot longer so yeah... vote and comment! It means a lot even if you read it!