Caroline felt the room rocking, and she could smell the ocean. She got up and reached for her brush. Caroline brushed her hair and then got out of bed. She felt different. For one, she felt taller. Caroline went over to the tall mirror and was shocked. She looked eighteen, and was wearing an orange t-shirt and jean shorts. The shorts doubled as a skirt, which had pockets. Caroline reached into one pocket and found some money.
There was still some rocking and the smell of the ocean, plus Caroline could now hear people, so she went over to the round window by her bed. Outside was ocean, and she could see the boat she was on was nearing a dock. Caroline quickly left the room. Almost immediately, she ran into Derek. He looked to be about twenty. He was wearing a red and white shirt, dark red cargo pants, and red gloves.
"Isn't this cool?" Derek asked.
Caroline shook her head, "No; we don't know where we are or anything!"
Derek shrugged, "We'll be fine."
Caroline folded her arms, "How do you know?"
Derek sighed, "If you're so worried, then we'll stick together."
Caroline nodded and followed her brother to the deck. Once up there, they stood by the side of the boat where they could see the ocean. The boat soon came to the dock and people began getting on and off.
"Derek, look!" Caroline said and pointed to someone who had just boarded.
"Whoa!" Derek said, "That guy looks like Dad, but younger!"
Caroline nodded. The person she pointed out was a young man with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing dark blue cargo pants, a lighter blue t-shirt, and dark blue gloves. The man stood looking out at the ocean. Caroline and Derek watched him, even through the hour it took to get to the next stop.
"Derek, we've been put into the past," Caroline concluded.
Derek shook his head, "Yeah right."
Caroline and Derek went back and forth until a girl ran onto the deck. Caroline immediately recognized the girl as her mother, Eva. She was wearing a light green t-shirt with blue jeans and pale green gloves. On her back she had a small backpack.
"That's Mom!" Caroline said.
Derek didn't believe her, "Again, yeah right!"
Derek and Caroline then watched the newcomer stumble into the young man they had seen earlier. Caroline and her brother were quiet, to hear what the young adults were saying.
"Sorry!" the girl said.
The boy laughed, "That's okay. It's different walking on boats than it is on land."
The girl nodded, "Yeah. I'm Eva Crowfar."
"I'm Jake Coltson."
Caroline nudged Derek. Derek sighed, "Fine, you're right."
Eva decided to make a conversation, "So, where are you going?"
"To Spring Mist, I think." Jake replied, "Sundance is too much of a big city for my liking. On the other hand, Whisper Hollow is too quiet."
Eva nodded, "I know what you mean. Nothing ever happens in Whisper Hollow." They were both quiet for a little before Eva asked, "So, are you running away?"
Jake shook his head, "No, my family understands that I need to leave." He looked at Eva, "Are you?"
Eva blushed, "Well, yeah...."
Jake gave a slight nod, then he changed the subject, "I'm going to start a farm."
Eva smiled, "Really? That's what I'm going to do. too"
Jake smiled too, "Well, maybe we could both own the farm. I'm sure there's only room for one, and besides it'd be a lot harder to run a farm on your own."
Eva agreed, "Okay."
"C and C Farm and Ranch," Jake thought out loud.
Caroline laughed, "If only they knew it's going to be Coltson Family Farm and Ranch."
"They aren't going to know that now!" Derek said.
"Well, I know." Caroline replied.
Derek then went over to Jake and Eva, "My sister and I are starting a farm on Spring Mist too."
Caroline followed her brother, but was shy about talking to her parents.
Jake looked thoughtful, "I guess it'll need a different name then."
"I'm Eva," Eva introduced herself, "This is Jake, and you are?"
"I'm Derek and this is my sister, Caroline." Derek replied.
"Four pairs of hands on one farm," Jake said, "suddenly, starting anew doesn't seem so hard. Coming up with a name might be though...."
"What about Starlit?" Caroline shyly suggested.
Jake nodded, "Alright, what do you two think?"
Eva smiled, "I like the sound of it."
Derek shrugged, "Why not."
The four of them continued talking about their new farm for the rest of the trip. When they got to Spring Mist, they went to the town hall. There, they met the mayor.
"I am Mayor Thomas Hampshire." The mayor introduced himself. He was a short, fat man with blue eyes. His hair was starting to turn from brown to grey, and he was starting to go bald on the top of his head. Caroline and Derek were used to seeing him with light grey hair and no hair on the top of his head. Even in the past, it was hard to imagine him as Geo's father. The two looked nothing alike.
Mayor Hampshire led the quartet through town and to the land they were receiving. Derek and Caroline were surprised when they saw the house. It was a small house, with only one room and one bathroom. In the one room there was a bed, a kitchen, a dresser, and a calendar. Other than that, the house was rather empty.
"Um," Eva said, "the four of us can't live here."
Mayor Hampshire nodded, "I agree."
The newcomers waited for the mayor to suggest something, and when he didn't, Jake made a suggestion, "Maybe one of us could stay here and the rest of us can stay at the hotel."
Mayor Hampshire nodded, "Alrighty then! Who's staying where?"
"I'm staying at the hotel," Derek announced and explained, "whoever stays here has to do the cleaning."
Caroline nodded, "I guess I'll go to the hotel too."
"I guess I'll stay here then," Eva said.
Jake folded his arms, "What, do you think I can't clean?"
Eva shrugged, "Anyone can clean, it's a matter of if you would clean."
"Well, what if I'm a rather clean person?" Jake asked.
Eva shrugged again, "I don't know. Are you?"
Jake laughed, "No. You can have the house."
Derek and Caroline exchanged glances.
Jake turned to his children from the future, "Let's go."
He then followed the mayor out and led the siblings to the hotel. It was owned and run by an elderly couple. Caroline and Derek had heard of this couple, and how this couple's great granddaughter was Candace's mother. That's why when the couple died, Candace's parents changed it into a hotel and restaurant.
"Greetings," the old woman said, "I'm Frita, and this is my husband, Fred."
Fred shook hands with Jake, Derek, and Caroline. Then, he called out, "Chuck, we have guests!"
A man who was probably only a year or two older than Jake came over. He was wearing a red shirt and black pants. He had orange hair and brown eyes. As Fred left, the young man said, "Actually, I detest the name Chuck and very much prefer to be called by my name: Charles."
That was when Caroline realized this was Candy's father. Not seeing Candy's mother around, Caroline asked, "How's Melanie?"
"You mean the girl this place is going to?" Charles clarified and then shrugged, "Like I know; I don't talk to her and she only comes here once a year."
Caroline felt embarrassed, "Oh, okay."
Charles led the trio to their rooms and gave them each a key. Derek and Jake shared a room, and Caroline's room was across the hall from theirs.
Before leaving the three newcomers, Charles un-enthusiastically said, "If you need anything dial 4 on the phones in your rooms and I'll have to come, so try not to need anything unless it's an emergency. On second thought, if it's an emergency you should be dialing for the police, fire department, or doctor; 1, 2, and 3, respectively."
As soon as Charles was gone to find something else to do in the hotel, Jake said, "Someone doesn't like his job."
"It's not his job; he's just always like that."
Caroline, Derek, and Jake turned around to see two people. It was the younger of the two who had spoken.
The older added, "But you can't really blame him; when he was eight his parents left him to fend for himself, and he hasn't heard or seen them since."
Caroline and Derek were taken by surprise to see Geo and Luna. The strange thing was that they appeared to be the exact same age as before. They introduced themselves, and then Geo asked to speak with Derek. Luna asked to speak with Caroline. Jake went into his room, and Derek and Caroline went in separate directions with Geo and Luna.
Once they were deep in the forest, Caroline was sure she was near the spot she and her cousins had heard Quasar's house, they stopped.
"Miss Luna, how are you and Mr. Geo the exact same as before?" Caroline asked.
"Please, dear, call us by our names; Luna and Geo," Luna requested, and then said, "That's not why we're here. Geo and I have decided not to explain anything to you and your brother about us."
"Now you're sounding like Quasar!" Caroline pointed out.
Luna blushed and got a look that Caroline didn't recognize. All Caroline could tell was that Luna seemed glad about the comment. Changing the subject, Luna said, "We have things to talk about."
"Like what?"
"Caroline in the future you were only a child. Now you're in the past and an adult, and your parents aren't here to explain things to you. There are things you need to know."
"I can figure things out on my own. I've already figured out the Candy's dad has an attitude and doesn't know Candy's mom, and-,"
Luna smiled, "Caroline, let's take a walk. I'll do the explaining and then you can ask questions."
~~~
Quasar walked into the summit of the mountain. Balls of light were flying around and they were making tons of noise.
"Centauri!" Quasar called.
The light from the night Caroline had been in here, came over to Quasar, "Yes?"
"What has the stars so excited?" Quasar asked.
Centauri too seemed excited, his mouth was a large smile, "We have quite the horoscope for you!"
"Oh?"
Centauri didn't explain, but looked to the other stars, "Tell him, tell him!"
"Today love's going to find you!" All the stars seemed to sing. Then they all went back to zooming around. Many were laughing, some were chattering.
Quasar took a step back and shook his head, "No...."
Centauri did the closest thing to a nod he could, "Yes, Quasar, it will happen; true astrology never lies!"
"But, the only girl I have a relationship with is Luna, and I don't like her that way at all!" Quasar said, "And if love finds me, that means the children are soon to follow, and then the battle with the other line, and I can't let that happen!"
Centauri replied, "I don't think it'll all happen that soon. The star-keepers have to grow up first, and you and this girl have to get married and everything."
Quasar said, "Compared to as long as I've been alive, it'll all happen quickly. Too, quickly for my liking."
"Then don't like the speed, but it's going to happen."
Quasar then thought of a loophole, "You all said love will find me, but you never said I have to fall in love." With a smile, Quasar said, "That's what I'll do, I'll keep myself from falling in love with her."
Centauri wasn't so sure, "Good luck with that...."
Determined, Quasar then turned and left. As he walked into the forest, he could see Toad a little away. To his surprise, he also saw Luna and someone else in the distance. Quasar decided to get closer. Not close enough to hear the girls, but close enough to see that the girl with Luna was blushing, Quasar realized that the girl was Caroline.
Quasar held his left hand up and quietly said, "Centauri, come."
Almost immediately the star came flying to Quasar and was floating over his hand.
"Tell me what they're saying," Quasar said, and then he gave Centauri a push towards the girls.
Alpha Centauri silently flew over the girls and, after listening for several minutes, came back to Quasar.
"Well?" Quasar urged.
Centauri answered, "Luna's catching Caroline up on what she's missed out on."
"Like what?" Quasar questioned.
Centauri thought about how to explain, "Do you remember when you were about ten or eleven or maybe twelve and your grandmother took you to the Mayans and your grandfather taught you a lot?"
"About star-keeping?" Quasar asked with disbelief. Why would Luna be talking to Caroline about star-keeping? Surely Caroline didn't even know what a star-keeper really was!
"No," Centauri replied, "Do you remember what else your grandfather taught you about before you and your grandmother returned to North America or Europe; whichever it was?"
Quasar took several moments to recall the visit. When he remembered, his face turned red and he replied, "Oh, well, I guess that makes sense. Someone has to tell her, and Luna is the only girl who knows Caroline's situation."
Centauri nodded. Quasar then turned and began walking. Centauri followed.
"So, who is going to find me today?" Quasar asked.
"Oh, we don't know that," Centauri answered, "We just know that whoever they are, you and them are going to fall in love."
"I won't let that happen."
Centauri sighed and mumbled, "Of course not."
Quasar had heard, "Hey, do you want me to let it happen?"
"Well," Centauri replied, "maybe it'd be a good thing."
"How could it be good? You stars told me that two star-keepers will be born to one, and when they're old enough the other line of star-keepers will rise up and there will be a battle. You and I both know that certain objects can have an affect on future star-keepers if used correctly, and because of that, I know I'm going to be the father of two star-keepers. And that means I'll be the reason for starting a battle we can't win."
"Quasar, we don't know that. You're line has more stars."
"The other line has more star-keepers."
"Well, that's your fault!" Centauri pointed out, "Maybe if you weren't afraid of people you'd have married a long, long time ago!"
Quasar stopped and looked at the star, "I'm sorry if I'm afraid of people; they only tried to kill me when I was a child!"
"Those weren't these people! Mother Nature brought you here because it's safe here, and so are the people."
"We don't know that for sure. Obviously, my mother thought that the people where I was born were safe, and look at what happened!"
"Your mother isn't Mother Nature!"
"Besides, you know I'm naturally shy!"
Centauri was getting frustrated, "You're missing my point! Maybe if you'd fall in love and wed and have a family you'd be happier."
"I'm happy as is!" Quasar replied, "I have everyone I need!"
"No you don't, Quasar, us stars know these things! Why do you think people use stars and stuff for their horoscopes?"
"I do have everyone I need! I don't care what horoscope you stars came up with for me!"
"Just because you're one of the most powerful star-keepers ever doesn't mean you can change facts, and the fact is you will fall in love and have two star-keepers!"
Quasar was done with this argument, "No, Centauri, I will not, now go back to the cave!"
"But-," Centauri protested.
With his left hand, Quasar grabbed Centauri and threw him towards the mountain. "Go!" He commanded. Seeing Toad nearby, Quasar muttered, "I won't let it happen. I won't."