"Hold on! It's gonna get messy!" Five yelled before we all disappeared in a flash of blue light, milliseconds before fire swallowed the world around us.
Goodbye, 2019. Hello, 1963.
...
Through the vortex and face first into the ground, making me yelp in pain. I felt the skin of my palms tear against the harsh concrete as I pushed myself into a standing position. I heard the vortex close, to which I sighed defeatedly.
I looked around, realizing that I was alone, and it was late at night. The only lights that I noticed were coming from the street beyond the alleyway, the faint sound of classic rock echoing off the small buildings along the strip of road.
Dallas, Texas. Definitely the 60's. I just gotta find out what to do from here.
Before I could even make a decision, I saw a familiar figure walk into the alleyway, yelling in fright at the sight of a random child just standing in front of his home.
Elliott!
The man eyed me warily, slowly stepping closer. "Who the hell are you?"
I gave him an awkward smile, shrugging. "I'm one of the people that appeared from a flashing blue light. I have nowhere to go, and I don't know where any of my friends are." I said quietly, his face softening up as a sympathetic expression replaced his previous distrusting one.
With a small sigh he stepped closer and walked past me, opening up his door and turning to me. "Come on, kid. I'll help you find your friends." I smiled brightly at his words and practically skipping into the building.
Elliott and I walked up the stairs and into his living area, the man turning on the lights once we walked in. "It's a slight mess, but it's safe and homely. I've got canned soup and eggs...that's about it, if I'm being honest. But, I have a bunch of snapshots of other people falling from a blue light in that alley. I'm guessing those are your friends, right?"
I nodded with a small hum of agreement as I admired the place. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an unmarked date on the calendar. November 1st. Two weeks until Five arrives. "Yeah. They're all I've got." I mumbled, following him into the living room as I noticed the various photos of the Hargreeves siblings, making me smile sadly.
The man turned to me and noticed my expression. "Hey, it'll be alright. I'm sure they miss you, too..." He said encouragingly. "What's your name?"
I twisted the rings on my fingers absentmindedly, my heart aching as my eyes fell on the frog ring. "Shay."
Elliott smiled gently and gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Well, Shay, how about you get changed out of those clothes and get some sleep? I have some spare clothes from my neice, who was about your size." He offered before grabbing a box from the corner, placing it on his coffee table.
I nodded and felt the fatigue in my joints and muscles catching up to me from the stressful few hours I had in 2019. "Thanks, Elliott. I don't really care much about the rest, but could you wash the blazer and give it back to me?" I asked quietly.
He nodded and held his hands out for it, to which I took the blazer off and handed it to him. "I'll have this ready for you tomorrow. Would you mind sleeping on the couch?" He asked sheepishly.
I shook my head. "I'll be fine on the couch. I appreciate all of this." I said simply before he began to walk away.
"Bathroom is over here," Elliott said as he pointed to a door next to his kitchen. I nodded and grabbed a nightgown from the box, along with underwear and a dress to wear the next day.
Whatever. As long as it's clean.
I went into the bathroom and changed quickly, throwing my red top, jeans, and previous underwear into the trash once I left the bathroom. I yawned and made myself comfortable on the couch before Elliott walked back over with a blanket.
He smiled down at me and laid it across my body. "Sleep well, Shay. I'll be in my room if you need me."
I nodded at him and turned over, too tired to give him any further response. Only a few seconds in the comfortable position lulled me into a dreamless sleep.
🧡
A week later, on November 8th, I was standing in the living room, staring down at the newspaper clipping with Diego's face on it, my expression set into a frown.
"Hey, Elliott?" He hummed in response. "Where's the mental institution?" I asked curiously, turning to him while he raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you wanna know?"
I held up the paper in my hand. "My friend is in there."
He nodded and stood up from where he was sitting on the couch with a bowl of cereal in his hand. "The mental institution isn't very far. I can hail a cab and we can take a visit, if you want." I nodded enthusiastically, earning a chuckle from the man as he ruffled my hair. "Let me just grab some money, okay?"
He left to grab his wallet while I placed the piece of paper back in the drawer, anxiously tugging at my navy blue dress while I waited. Not long after, we were in the taxi cab and on our way to see Diego, the ride only taking fifteen minutes.
We both got out of the car and we walked inside, Elliott taking the lead once we got to the reception desk. "Hi, my niece would like to visit her older brother. Diego Hargreeves." The receptionist nodded with an unamused expression before nodding to the side.
"She'll be taken to a visitation room. Please wait out here, sir." The man and I shared a glance before I was led away by a different man down the hallway and into a boring room with only a table and two chairs. It's identical to the one Five visited his brother in.
I sat down in the chair facing the door, my eyes trained on my folded hands that were placed on the table. My leg bounced impatiently for a matter of minutes before the sound of footsteps approaching the room caught my attention. I looked up just as a familiar man appeared at the doorway, his form frozen as he stared at me in shock.
"Shay...?" Diego asked in shock before rushing forward and lifting me from my chair, hugging me tightly.
I sighed in relief and hugged him back, tears building up in my eyes as I relaxed in his arms. "Diego..." I mumbled happily, pulling away to wipe my eyes.
He kept his hands on my shoulders, looking down at me with a bright smile. "I can't believe it...you're here." He then sat down at his chair, leaning forward against the table.
I sat back down with a nod, copying his position. "I am. I wanted to see you, since you're the only person I could locate easily. Luther would be second easiest." I explained briefly, the man nodding along to everything I said.
"Is everyone else here in sixties Dallas?"
I shook my head with a small frown. "Klaus isn't in Dallas, and Five hasn't shown up yet. He won't be here until next week."
The man sighed. "How long have you been here?"
"A week."
Diego paused for a moment, biting his lip in thought. "How are you holding up? You got anywhere to stay?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Yep. It's a lot better than your current abode," I teased lightly, glancing around the room. He playfully kicked me under the table as the two of us laughed quietly. "How are you doing, hermano?" I asked gently.
He smiled and shrugged. "I'm okay. You should probably go before they force you out, but I'm glad you came to see me, princess."
I nodded and stood up, walking around the table before hugging Diego tightly. "I'll see you in a week, okay?" He nodded against my shoulder before giving me a light pat on the back. I pulled away and waved him goodbye as I was led back into the lobby.
Elliott stood up at the sight of me with a small smile, joining my side before we left the building. "How was your visit?"
I smiled brightly at the man. "Definitely worth it. I promised him that I would come back next week." The two of us headed back to his place, my day a little bit brighter after having seen one of my new friends.
🧡
A couple days later (November 10th), I was walking back with Elliott after going on a grocery run when I saw a flyer for a bare-knuckle boxing match on a streetlight. What caught my eye was the alias "King Kong" being the star of the show.
"I have a weird request, Elliott."
The man glanced down at me with an amused scoff. "You're a kid that fell out of the sky from a vortex, and two days ago you asked to see your friend that is in an asylum. I don't know what weird is at this point." I laughed a little at his words and gestured to the flyer on the pole.
"Could we go see that? It's tonight."
He glanced over and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you were the type to watch underground fights. Is another friend of yours gonna be there?" I nodded with a pleading expression. Elliott sighed in defeat and gave me a nod. "Okay, but I'm staying with you this time."
I smiled and gave him a side hug. "Thank you."
After putting away the groceries in his kitchen, I changed into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt. I let my hands graze over the Umbrella Academy blazer laying on the couch before we left the building, walking to the underground fighting ring a few blocks away.
When we walked in, there were bets being made and people yelling at the fight going on, which I noticed was definitely Luther. A large man with tough skin and hair all over had dealt the finishing blow on his opponent while everyone loudly expressed their frustration or happiness.
I found Jack Ruby standing only a few feet away from Elliott and I, waiting with a smirk for Luther to come over. I kept my eyes between the two men as Number One grew closer.
"Luther!" I called out excitedly, breaking his attention from his boss as his blue eyes landed on me.
"Shay? Is that really you?" He muttered before rushing over to me and lifting me up in a hug, making me laugh and hug him back.
"It is. And as much as I would love to catch up, you're sweaty and your boss looks pissed." He gently put me back down on my feet with a wide smile.
"I'm so glad to see you. I gotta go, but come see me next time you're free, okay?" He asked excitedly.
He's like a little puppy.
I nodded with a smile and waved as he was dragged away by Jack Ruby. Elliott sighed and looked down at me.
"That was really quick, huh?"
I shrugged and hooked my arm in his as we left the fighting ring. "I just wanted to say hi. I'll see him again in a few days."
The man hummed with a nod. "I forgot you know the future." He said lightly as we walked down the street as the sun finally set.
"Well, you have five days until the last of my friends arrives."
(1966 words)
(i'm back guys :))