《Time & Tied》


 Part 1a: Timely Discovery

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.1 - Of The Device


    PART 1a: TIMELY DISCOVERY 1


    It was the night before Carrie Waterson¡¯s first argument with a future incarnation of herself. Rather ironically, she was thinking that a time machine would solve all of her problems.


    After all, Carrie reasoned,if she had a time machine, then she could make her appearance at Julie¡¯s first major party of the school year, and then later on, travel back in time to now. This meant that her future self would beback here in her room, on the off chance that her father came to check on her later, with the fringe benefit that she would then get a full night¡¯s sleep before Friday morning¡¯s math test.


    Of course,her dad probably wouldn¡¯t check.Seeing as, generally speaking, he remained wonderfully oblivious to most of her comings and goings, and indeed, her whole social life. The party wouldn¡¯t even be a problem if she hadn¡¯t accidentally let slip about itduring dinner earlier this week. Now, if she¡¯d still had a mother, maybe her mother would have paid more attention...


    ¡°But you don¡¯t, so let¡¯s get on with it,¡± the blonde teenager muttered aloud to herself. She raised her bedroom window, glancing around the backyard. No one was around. Hardly surprising for late September, but since their yard opened right out into the ravine, one could never be sure what people (or small animals) might be wandering around.


    After adjusting the strap of her small shoulder purse, Carrie made her way onto the roof, and over to the oak tree. It was with practiced ease that she climbed down via the branches, having no difficulty despite her long hair and somewhat impractical choice of attire. Namely a cropped top, and a skirt that only just reached her knees, either of which could have snagged somewhere. But you didn¡¯t show up to a party thrown by the richest girl in town wearing a long sleeved T-shirt with torn jeans. Particularly not when you had just been declared the head cheerleader for the school year.


    Carrie dropped to the ground, smirking a little at the thought of that accomplishment. After all, she wasn¡¯t even part of the graduating class. However, even as a junior, her athletic abilities already surpassed most, if not all of the seniors. Add to that the fact that she was best friends with Julie, one of the two polarizing forces within the school, and it had really been a foregone conclusion. With her reputation established, she could be forgiven for showing up while wearing her running shoes, which would be more practical for traversing the ravine than any sort of heels.


    The blonde hooked some errant strands of her long hair back behind her ear, adjusted the blue hairband she wore, and sprinted across the backyard, into the cover of the nearby trees. She glanced briefly back towards the house, seeing the light was still on in the den. Maybe her dad would be so into writing his latest set of short stories that she would be back before he even went to bed; Thursday parties didn¡¯t go past midnight. That would be helpful.


    Finally turning her back on the house, Carrie headed down into the band of greenery that cut a swath through the small Ontario town where she lived. There were some paths through the underbrush, to be sure, but they weren¡¯t always obvious. And in the dark, Carrie knew she had to take care not to stumble on a root, perhaps falling and twisting her ankle. It helped that she knew the route through to the park mere blocks away from Julie¡¯s house, having lived in this town all her life.


    Carrie peered at her watch. It was nearly 10pm already. She picked up the pace, putting her track and field abilities to good use. Except in her haste and confident familiarity, the blonde cheerleader tripped just before emerging into the park. She fell to the ground, biting back a cry of surprise. And while managing to break her fall, she still slid on the ground, and felt a twinge of pain.


    The blonde quickly turned herself over into a seated position, looking down at her knees. Sure enough, she''d skinned one of them. Perhaps she should have worn jeans after all? Carrie sighed. At least her reflexes had still been good, and the rest of her seemed fine... but damn it, if there was one thing she was not, it was clumsy! How had she fallen? Something unusual must have tripped her up, maybe an animal or something.


    Somewhat annoyed, but mostly curious, Carrie tossed strands of hair back out of her eyes, sat up fully and peered back along her trail to see what had been in her way.


    She blinked. Though it was difficult to see in the dark, with the moonlight Carrie was able to pick out the outline of a black box. Most curious. Carrie approached to look more closely at it - she was sure it hadn''t been there earlier in the week. The box was a rectangular prism, maybe 60cm by 60 cm, by 30cm in height? But it had a digital readout that had been sunken slightly into the front.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    It also had a handle on the side, and Carrie''s first impression was that this device was some cross between a computerized slot machine and a cash register. But the readout didn¡¯t depict cherries or lemons. Instead, it featured eight numbers ¨C with no indication of a decimal point. Had someone thrown this device away?


    Wait a minute. Holding it up to the light, Carrie realized there was also a slot next to the readout where you could drop in coins... that could be another reason she was drawing parallels with slot machines. But, investigating further, Carrie saw nowhere to collect your winnings, or any other openings. It was also lighter than she might have expected. So what was this thing, and why was it here?


    She shook it. She couldn''t hear anything rattling inside. She then ran her hands over the sides of the machine, which seemed to be surprisingly smooth. Something about it struck her as being high-tech, but she couldn''t put her finger on what. Why was it back here in the underbrush of the ravine? Maybe the thing didn''t do whatever it was supposed to. Which raised the question of how it was supposed to work. Carrie decided a few more minutes of inspection wouldn''t hurt at this point. She looked closer.


    There was an unexpected flash of light from somewhere in the park behind her, which allowed Carrie to pick out the outline of a circular panel on the top of the device. Carrie tossed a quick glance back over her shoulder, saw nobody, and returned to her examination.


    The panel reminded her vaguely of her father¡¯s CD player. This really was a hybrid device. She pressed the top circular section, wondering if it would open, but nothing happened. Maybe the handle? She pulled it down, but again nothing happened. Perhaps it worked like an old style jukebox, only activating when you dropped coins into the slot.


    Curiosity completely piqued by this point, Carrie fished around in the small shoulder purse she''d brought with her, bringing out a quarter. Potentially a waste of money, but if this thing did play music or do anything cool, maybe she could present it to everyone at the party as both an interesting artifact and the reason for her lateness.


    Carrie plunked her quarter into the machine. It began humming. This seemed like progress. Carrie pressed on the top. Nothing. She pulled down on the handle. There was a flash of light and Carrie had the sensation of being sucked into a void. She screamed, as both literally and metaphorically, her life was turned completely upside down.


    ***


    Carrie felt consciousness coming back to her. She reached out, felt dirt, and sat up with a start as she realized where she was.


    "Dammit!" the blonde cursed, brushing more dirt off of her clothes. Had she fallen again? No, the earth had dropped away from underneath her! But then why wasn''t she down in a hole somewhere?


    Carrie looked around. She was still near the border of the ravine; the treeline wasn¡¯t far. But why was she on the ground? What the hell had just happened? Carrie''s eyes set on the black box, which was still in front of her. It had produced a flash of light...


    "Damn thing almost electrocuted me!" Carrie deduced, speaking aloud to try and clear her head. No wonder it had been thrown away! Her natural curiosity would be the death of her someday.


    Scowling, Carrie picked herself up off the ground, being reminded of her scraped knee in the process. She tried to brush the rest of the dirt off of herself but quickly realized that her clothes could use changing now too. How many things could go wrong in a single evening?


    For that matter, how long had she been unconscious? Carrie checked her watch: less than an hour. She should have time for a quick tidy up before taking another run at the party - since Julie''s parents were away again, they couldn¡¯t shut it down early.


    Leaving the stupid box where it was, Carrie hurried out of the wooded area behind her house, up towards the convenient tree in the backyard. The wind had picked up a bit anyway, so maybe it would be good that she''d be changing her skirt.


    Carrie stopped. Wait. This was her backyard. She turned. But she''d been about to emerge into the park before she found the device... right? What was she doing back on the wrong side of the ravine?


    Carrie''s eyes narrowed. Perhaps she had wandered towards the house in a semi-dazed state after receiving that electrical shock? Dragging the weird box with her? Well, it was the only explanation she could think of. Anyway, she had were more immediate concerns, she''d figure it out later.


    Carrie clambered up into the tree, slightly favouring her right leg. She soon reached her unlocked window, opened it, and climbed in onto her desk. She swung her legs around to hop off... and in the process kicked the crystal swan she kept there, causing it to fall to the ground and shatter into a dozen pieces.


    Carrie froze. Her heart constricted. She wasn''t upset over the noise she had just caused, this was more than that... she couldn''t have just hit the crystal swan she kept on her desk. That particular ornament had been broken over two years ago...


    It was then that Carrie heard the movement over in the sheets on her bed. Someone was in her room. No one was supposed to be in here! What the hell was happening?! Carrie sat on the desk, paralyzed in fear and confusion as whoever was in the bed rolled over, looking in her direction as they blinked themselves awake.


    On the desk, Carrie''s eyes went wide. Then Carrie let out a scream. But it wasn''t the Carrie on the desk who was screaming. On the contrary, that Carrie''s reflexes were finally kicking in, causing her to get away by practically falling back out of the window, onto the roof. Which left the Carrie in bed alone, as she screamed for a second time.

 Part 1b: Timely Discovery 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.1 - Of The Device


    PART 1b: TIMELY DISCOVERY 2


    Carrie tossed her covers aside, rubbing her eyes to try and clear the sleep from them. There was a knock at her bedroom door. "Hey, are you all right in there? Was that you screaming?" her father called out.


    "I..." Carrie stopped, not sure what to say. Had she really seen a figure breaking into her room, or had she been dreaming? Wait, hadn''t she closed her window before going to sleep?


    Carrie scrambled out of bed and moved towards her window. There was what looked like fresh traces of dirt on the surface of the desk and the windowsill. She peered outside. Nothing immediately apparent, but if the person was quick, they might have made it down the tree and around the side of the house.


    So someone had been here. And now that she thought about it, Carrie reasoned that the silhouette had been strangely familiar. Someone from school playing a trick on her? If so, Carrie didn''t think it was very funny.


    ¡°Carrie? I¡¯m coming in!" her father announced.


    Carrie grabbed a couple of textbooks and stuck them down to conceal the few dirty smears on her desk as her door opened and the lights clicked on. If her dad found out about how she could use the tree out back to get onto the roof, he might chop off the branches - and her social life would be dead on arrival. She didn¡¯t need that sort of aggravation during her first year in high school.


    "It''s all right!" Carrie said. "I... I had a bad dream and overreacted."


    Her father paused. "Are you sure that¡¯s all?¡± He took another step into her room. "It looks like you''ve broken something..."


    Carrie blinked, and with the lights on she noticed for the first time the demise of her crystal swan. She choked back a cry of horror. "The swan... the swan mama gave to me,¡± Carrie said sadly, biting her lip.


    But she was not going to cry, damn it. She was not going to display such weakness, not with her father here. Carrie didn¡¯t want any fake words of comfort from him. After all, she knew he didn¡¯t care about her. If he did, he would have explained, as soon as mama had disappeared, he would have explained... anyway, the less attention her dad paid to her, the easier it would be for her to improve her social life at school.


    "It... the wind must have knocked it off the desk,¡± Carrie continued. Even though her father couldn¡¯t know about the prowler, this settled it. Whoever had just been in here, playing this horrible, stupid prank, they were going to pay! She would see to that! Except - how was she supposed to figure out who had done it?This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "I''m sorry," her father replied sincerely. There was a pause. "Maybe I can find you another crystal--"


    "Don''t bother," Carrie said curtly. She reached out and slammed the window shut. "I''ll clean up the mess tomorrow. In the meantime, I''m going back to bed. See you in the morning."


    Her father frowned, perhaps at the abruptness of her manner, but he didn''t seem to know what to say about it. So it was with a final ''goodnight'' that he turned the light back off and departed the room.


    For her part, Carrie curled up in her bed, partly incensed but more despondent than anything else. And with her father out of the room, she finally allowed a tear to trickle down her cheek. Who had broken the swan? One of the few remembrances she had of her mother. Was there anyone she knew who could help her track down the culprit and get revenge?


    ***


    Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang at Julie LaMille''s house. Or, mansion really ¨C the LaMilles were by far the richest family in the area. It was only after three rings that Jeeves answered the door. This surprised Carrie on two levels.


    Firstly, because she had thought that Julie had given the family butler the evening off, what with the party and all. Secondly, because he was wearing a bathrobe. It wasn''t midnight yet, and Carrie had always thought that the family help didn''t go off duty until sometime after that.


    "Yes?" Jeeves said archly. "Why are you disturbing us so late at night?"


    "Uhhhh, I''m looking for Julie," Carrie said uncertainly. She was probably quite a sight too, knee still scraped up, looking dirty, and now sweaty after having run all the way over here. But she simply didn''t know what else to do. Carrie had to figure out what was going on! But there was no party here. Where WAS everybody?


    "Miss LaMille is asleep, as is the rest of the house. Come back tomorrow." Jeeves started to close the door.


    "No, wait! Jeeves, just tell her it''s Carrie, please, I... I don''t know where else to go. I think somehow I just met myself... I''m so confused..."


    "Neither Miss LaMille nor I know of any teenager by the name of Carrie. So whatever problems you have, either take them elsewhere, or come back at a more decent hour." With that, the door slammed shut.


    Carrie reeled. Now Julie''s family and servants didn''t know her? But they''d been acquainted for almost two years now! What. The. Hell. Were people being replaced by alien pod lookalikes? That could explain the other version of herself had been sleeping in her bed... Carrie suddenly felt like she was lost in some bad science fiction movie.


    But everything had been fine not two hours ago! Well, not fine exactly, she''d had to sneak out of her house, and then had skinned her knee on account of that...


    The box. That damn black box thing. That had to be it, Carrie realized. Somehow, it had done something to everyone! Or, no... more likely to her! But what? Well, she''d soon figure that out. With nowhere else to turn, Carrie hurried back towards the spot where she''d left the device.


    As she approached the location, she heard a rustling in the bushes... someone else was here now! Had the original owner tracked down their property? Would they have answers? "Who the hell is out there?" Carrie demanded.


    In response, in the darkness, a shadowy figure jumped up and turned, starting to run away. Screw that - Carrie was fed up with the entire situation now. Whoever this person was, they weren''t getting away.


    Calling once again upon her athletic abilities and ignoring the aches in her body, she sprinted forward and tackled the stranger.


    Both of them fell to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.

 Part 2a: Time Out

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.1 - Of The Device


    PART 2a: TIME OUT 1


    Both of them fell to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.


    Ending up on top, Carrie took advantage of the situation, pinning her opponent''s arms down to the ground. She idly wondered if she had actually learned something through flirting with that wrestler a few months back... then again, this guy wasn''t putting up much of a fight.


    "I said, who the hell are you?¡± Carrie reiterated. ¡°And what are you doing out here?"


    "Euh... I''m j-just... s-studying tree frogs," came the stammered response to Carrie''s second question.


    But that voice, and her now close-up view of what had only been a shadowy outline before... it answered Carrie''s first question as well. There was only one person who sounded like that, and who had this particular shade of brown hair and glasses. Not to mention the fashion challenged button up shirt and pants.


    "Frank Dijora," Carrie said in irritation. "Don''t you ever give up on that pathetic excuse?"


    "Euh... e-excuse?" He seemed unwilling to meet her gaze.


    "Yes, you''ve used tree frogs as an excuse for snooping in the ravine the last three times I saw..." Carrie''s voice trailed off as she realized that not only was she was pinning a school geek to the ground face-up in the ravine out back of her house, but that she was doing so in a cropped top and moderately short skirt. There was a reason Frank''s attention wasn''t on her face.


    Carrie quickly jumped up and backed away, but not before slapping Frank soundly across the face. Oh, how utterly, utterly humiliating!


    "Ow!" came Frank''s anticipated response as he reached up to rub his cheek. "Hey, what was that for? You identified me, you know I''m no prowler..."


    "Don''t play innocent! I saw where you were looking!"


    "Well, you''re the one who jumped on top of me."


    "I did NOT!" Carrie said angrily. "That is... well, you shouldn''t have run away like that!" She could feel her cheeks burning. "And if you breathe a WORD of this at school, so help me I''ll skin you alive!"


    "As if anyone would believe me anyway," Frank mumbled. "Though really, Carrie, I¡¯m only in the ravine to study tree frogs," he continued, stumbling to his feet and adjusting his glasses. ¡°I read that they croak at night, and I never thought I''d be bothering anyone. Also, since I''ve only recently developed my frog interest, I never used this research as any ''excuse'' prior to now, so I don''t know what you''re going on about."


    Carrie narrowed her eyes. "All right then, explain your little device over there," she stated, gesturing back towards where she figured the black box was. "I suppose you use it to shock the frogs, which you then take back to your laboratory to perform further experiments on?"


    Frank brushed off his pants. "No. In fact I stumbled across that device about a minute before you pounced on me. It''s not mine."


    Carrie sniffed haughtily. "Yeah, right. I''m supposed to take your word?"


    "I don''t care whether you do or not. But I don''t have a motive to lie, do I?"


    "People have been lying to me and playing with my mind for the last hour or so. I don''t see why it should be ANY different with you!¡± Carrie snapped. But her anger against Frank was quickly running its course, with her more recent troubles and confusions reasserting themselves in her mind.


    Her former adversary simply shrugged back. "Look, I came here looking for frogs, not some bizarre looking clock and not you, Carrie. So if we¡¯re through here, I''ll be going.¡±


    "Fi-- wait, clock? What clock? You mean that device?"


    "Yeah. It had eight digits displaying today''s date, I assumed it was a timepiece of some sort."


    A clock. Of course, Carrie realized, that''s what the numbers meant! But it didn''t explain the electric shock, or her having a clone, or the cancellation of Julie''s party.


    "A clock," Carrie repeated aloud. She looked back towards the device. "I don''t suppose you remarked on anything else, did you?"


    "I hardly had the time," Frank responded dryly. "Why?"


    "I..." Carrie paused. "Nothing." She didn¡¯t need his help. She moved back through the brush, trying to pick out the outline of that box thing again in the dark... there it was, over by that clumping of dirt she''d fallen into not so long ago.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that the device isn''t yours either?" Frank asked, following after her.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Carrie didn''t answer. She was too busy looking over the CD player/cash register/slot machine, noticing that the digital readout had changed. Worse than that, if one assumed that it read Month/Day/Year, things were very, very wrong... it indicated that today¡¯s date was, in fact, two years in the past.


    "Frank... did you do anything to this box?" Carrie inquired, feeling a knot growing in her stomach.


    Frank crouched down next to Carrie. "Like what?"


    "Did you change these numbers?"


    Frank blinked down at the readout, adjusteding his glasses again. "No, same as before. Today''s date."


    "That''s not the date," Carrie stated, feeling the knot in her stomach tightening. ¡°It¡¯s not showing the correct year. Or day, for that matter. Only the month is right.¡±


    "What are you talking about, Carrie? What year do you think it is?" he asked, his tone mildly amused.


    Before she even knew what she was doing, Carrie had turned and grabbed hold of two fistfuls of Frank''s shirt. She glared at him, eye to eye. "Don''t you screw with me, Frank Dijora," the blonde snapped. "If you''re screwing with me, by heaven you''ll wish you''d never been born!"


    "C-Carrie...!" Frank gurgled out in reply. "It¡¯s no joke! That¡¯s honestly the date!" He repeated it aloud, dispelling any notion that she was misinterpreting things.


    The worst thing was that it made sense. Because the date he gave was the very day that her crystal swan had been broken. The last present her mother had ever given her. You didn''t merely forget the day you lost something precious like that.


    She''d been trying not to think about it. After all, she''d sworn revenge on whoever had done it, and then had never been able to find the oneresponsible. Could it be...she''d sworn revenge on herself...?? No, no, the repercussions of being lost two years in the past were bad enough, without adding that into the mix! This had NOT been the sort of time travel she¡¯d envisioned earlier that evening!


    Carrie released Frank''s shirt and started shaking. She hadn''t cried about her mother in over two years - or, what, half an hour ago depending on your point of view? - but now, for some reason, she couldn''t stop a tear from trickling down her face. Which just upset her even more, what with Frank being here... and that made her cry more.


    God, this had to be a dream. This wasn''t really happening. She refused to believe that this was happening!!


    ***


    Frank found he could only stare. What could he do? He didn''t know Carrie Waterson all that well. Oh sure, they had been in some of the same junior high classes, but given his predisposition for the library and Carrie''s for the gym they had never really interacted.


    Of course, she did have something of a reputation coming into high school... there had been rumours from guys who¡¯d been past first base with her. Still, Frank generally chalked that up to locker room bragging, as the few times he''d seen Carrie with anyone it had been obvious who was in control. Things wouldn¡¯t go any further than she allowed.


    Yet here was Carrie, practically sobbing in his lap. He''d never heard of her breaking down like this before. Certainly not over some simple confusion regarding the date!


    Yet... now that he looked more closely at her, wasn''t her hair longer than he remembered? And wasn''t she a bit more... well, okay, Carrie had always been one of the early bloomers, but when she¡¯d been on top of him, she¡¯d seemed more... oh what on earth was he doing, sizing up her attributes when she obviously needed help of some sort! Or did she? "Carrie, how old are you right now?" Frank ventured.


    "Sixteen," Carrie choked out. Then she blinked and apparently tried to reign in her emotions as she wiped her eyes.


    Frank frowned. He couldn''t remember exactly how old Carrie was, but he knew there wasn''t that much of a difference in their ages. "You really have traveled in time then," he concluded.


    Unless this was some bizarre ruse to ridicule him within his first month of high school. But given Carrie''s reactions, and the fact that he hadn''t told anyone of his plans for being in the ravine, that would be pretty far fetched. "Was it this device that did that to you?"


    "Brilliant, Frank," Carrie retorted, some haughtiness creeping back into her tone as she fumbled through her shoulder purse, pulling out a tissue. "I see now why you won the academic achievement medal last year."


    "Yes, well, that won''t actually be for another year then," Frank responded automatically, turning his gaze over to the apparent ''time machine''. It looked very unassuming. "What exactly happened?"


    Carrie blew her nose. "Why do you care? I hope you realize who would win in a battle of my word against yours over what you''ve seen from me tonight!"


    "Carrie, I''m trying to help you here," Frank answered patiently. "My dad¡¯s an engineer.I''ve played around with the inner workings of clocks and other electronic devices before. Maybe I can do something to this machine and get it to return you home." At least, it would be an interesting challenge.


    "Oh." There was a pause as Carrie apparently weighed the pros and cons of that idea. "It... it worked like a slot machine," she finally admitted. "I put in a quarter, pulled the lever, got some electrical shock and then the next thing I knew the world had turned upside down. I think there''s a panel in the top of the device, but I couldn''t get it open. Do you really think you can help?"


    She started twirling a strand of hair in her fingers while batting her eyelids, the effect somewhat diminished by the fact that her eyes looked to be a bit red from crying. It was hard to tell in the dark.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Frank said. He examined the device more closely and could now see the circular outline of a panel on the top himself. He pushed on it but nothing happened.


    "Yeah, like THAT will work," Carrie remarked behind him. "What are you going to try next, pulling the lever?"


    Frank resisted the urge to say something in reply, instead hefting the machine - which proved to be lighter than expected - to turn it around in his hands. He couldn''t feel any obvious places where the sides of the box had been screwed or welded in place, which was odd in and of itself.


    So how to look inside? He gathered from Carrie''s attitude that pulling the lever wasn''t going to help. Yet that seemed to be the only potential connection to the inner workings of the device. Maybe if he looked at it a bit counter-intuitively? After all, there were two ways to handle a lever.


    Setting the device back down, Frank grasped the arm on the device (he heard Carrie snicker) but instead of pulling, he gently pushed it away, towards the back. There was some resistance, so he pushed it a little harder... and a bit harder... belatedly wondering if too much force would cause the thing to snap off in his han--


    The lever abruptly fell back, with the result that the circular section on the top popped up. Frank grinned. "Oh ye of little faith," he remarked aloud, leaning over to peer into the box. He couldn¡¯t see anything. "But I need more light," he continued. "Can I take this back to my lab?"


    "What, can''t fix it here with one hand tied behind your back?" Carrie grumbled. Frank simply turned and looked at her until Carrie heaved a sigh of resignation. "Yes, fine, but can we hurry up about it? It IS getting late, and I''d like to get back to the proper year before breakfast."

 Part 2b: Time Out 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.1 - Of The Device


    PART 2b: TIME OUT 2


    "What the hell are you doing?"


    Frank jumped at the unexpected voice and banged his head on his desk lamp. "Ow!" He turned to see Carrie standing behind him, staring accusatorially. "I''m trying to figure out how this time machine works," Frank reminded her. "How long have you been awake?"


    Carrie had fallen asleep on the couch in the corner of his basement lab soon after they''d arrived. (Well, he called it a basement lab, it was more an unfinished section of the basement that his parents let him use for performing scientific experiments.) He supposed he couldn''t really blame her for nodding off, given that it had been 1am at the time, and she had been dealing with some measure of emotional stress. Moreover, it had left him the time he needed to investigate ¨C so far with limited success.


    Rubbing his head, Frank glanced over at his wall clock. Geez, it was almost eight in the morning.


    "Just long enough to realize that it''s now ten past seven and I''m still apparently trapped in this nightmare of the past," Carrie replied huffily. "What have you been doing for the last several hours, ogling me while I slept?"


    Frank threw the screwdriver he''d been using to probe the thing down onto the floor. "I have been fiddling with technology I barely understand, attempting to discover how this damn machine works without completely wrecking it in the process, all for your benefit! I''m not exactly doing this for my health either, in fact I''ve been awake for almost twenty-four hours straight now! It''s not even ten past seven, it''s almost eight, but your watch is wrong because it''s still on your time, as anyone with half a brain could have figured out by now!"


    There was a moment of stunned silence.


    Then Frank spoke up again, reaching down for the screwdriver. "Look, I''m sorry, I''m feeling a bit frazzled, I didn''t mean to--"


    "No," Carrie interjected. Her voice softened. "I''m the one who should apologize. I do appreciate what you''re doing here. Don''t think I''m not grateful. It''s only... I''m a lot more used to being in control of my surroundings. The fact that I have no control over what''s going on any more is scaring me Frank, it''s scaring the hell out of me. I don''t like feeling this way and I don''t know what to do about it. So please... maybe if you tell me what you''ve figured out, there''s some way I can help? I''m not as dumb as I act sometimes. Really."


    Frank blinked in surprise at the obvious sincerity in her tone. He was reminded of how she''d been sobbing hours before. Difficult as it was to see Carrie as a damsel in distress, at the least, the situation wasn¡¯t exactly in her favour.


    "All right,¡± Frank said. ¡°First, I need a quick break. You can clean up your knee and we can grab a quick bite of breakfast. The machine isn''t going anywhere, and my parents aren¡¯t likely to bother us, dad¡¯s out of town and mom wanted to sleep late this Saturday."


    "Saturday? But it''s only Fri--" Carrie stopped. "Right. Saturday for you. Spoke without thinking."


    Frank smiled back wryly. "There''s hope for you yet."


    ***


    Carrie stuck a bandage on her knee and cleaned up with a facecloth while Frank prepared some cereal and eggs. She also grabbed one of his larger T-shirts to wear. After eating, the two teenagers returned downstairs.


    "Oddly enough, I think the device is based on some sort of time travel roulette," Frank explained. "So your slot machine analogy isn''t too far off."


    "Then the destination is generated randomly? You can''t specify an arrival date?" Carrie inquired. This did not bode well.


    "Well, yes and no," Frank answered. "First of all, the thing was pretty much dormant until I dropped a coin in. That must have completed a circuit, as things lit up like a Christmas tree. Now, the paths which appear to control the readout for month and day, those are random. Or I can''t see any way to specify the date directly short of, I don''t know, manipulating subatomic particles on the fly. However, I think there''s a way of "rigging the game" on those, so to speak. Meaning that, at least 8 times out of 10, you''ll end up when you want to be."This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "You''re not instilling me with a lot of confidence here," Carrie remarked, a hint of annoyance creeping back into her tone.


    "The real problem," Frank continued undaunted, "is the four digits indicating year. At first, some of those seemed to be fixed, namely here in the 21st century. But when I dropped in a second quarter, a different circuit was tripped, freeing up all four of them. Implying travel that would jump the century mark, and moreover, leading to the hypothesis that the more money you put in, the farther through time you can travel... but possibly, only into the past. I''m not sure how to change that, and I don¡¯t want to drop in more coins for fear of compounding the problem."


    "Well there must be SOME way," Carrie stated, peering down into the device. She knew enough to recognize the circuit boards, but that was it. Crud, she really might be of limited help. "If you''ve dropped a couple coins in here, where did they go?"


    "Into that silver box towards the front, though I don''t know what goes on in there. I didn''t want to completely dismantle anything for fear of destroying the device completely." He sighed, stretching his neck to work some kinks out of it. "What might help is seeing what goes on when the machine activates, and how it resets. But even setting aside that risk, activating it requires resetting the lever, which closes the top back up. So we wouldn''t see what happens anyway."


    Carrie glanced absently around Frank''s makeshift ¡®lab¡¯. "Well, you''ve got lots of junk sitting around here," she said. "Can''t you whip up some sort of miniature video recorder device, then hook it into the system to monitor everything?"


    Frank shook his head. "Who do you take me for, James Bond''s Q?" He paused. "Though... wait, I do have a mini camera, and I could tape it in place, then set it to continually record..." He started searching through a drawer. "But as I said, activating this device IS risky. It''s very possible that we¡¯ll become stranded in another time period."


    He didn¡¯t say it out loud, but Frank seemed at the least intrigued by the idea of time travel. Plus, Carrie reasoned he was running out of ways to learn more by simply continuing his poking and prodding.


    "Well, I have nothing to lose, so I might as well try it,¡± Carrie remarked. ¡°You don''t have to come along.¡± Frank paused in his searching to give her a rather pointed look. "Oh... I guess you''d need to come in order to keep fiddling with the mechanism," Carrie clued in. After all, it could get tedious if she had to recruit new help in every time period she went to.


    Frank nodded back at her. "Honestly, at this point the only alternative I can think of is giving it to the Canadian government for study. But then they''d probably take it apart and take you away for testing. I think we want to avoid that." He surfaced from the drawer with a small gadget in his palm. "Give me a minute and I''ll set everything up."


    It took closer to twenty minutes. But soon everything was in order. "Okay, when I say pull, we''ll both pull on the handle," Frank confirmed as he readjusted the device on his desk. "If nothing happens, I¡¯ve got data. If we jump back in time, I¡¯ve got data, a few tools on my person, and a roll of quarters in my pocket, which will hopefully allow me to reset it for a return. If I can¡¯t reset it, or if it really is only one way travel... well, uh, in theory, it can¡¯t be, because you know I¡¯m going to be going to high school here in town for the next two years."


    "Unless my being here is changing your past," Carrie pointed out.


    "Yeah... I was trying not to think about that," Frank said, frowning. He exhaled. ¡°Oh well. Either way, this is sure to be a lot more exciting than a couple years in high school could ever hope to be.¡±


    He caught Carrie¡¯s eye. ¡°So, we go after three. 1... 2... 3... PULL!¡±


    ***


    They both yanked. There was a flash of light, Frank felt like he was somehow being sucked into a void, and then he lost consciousness - but it soon came back to him due to the terrible roaring noise in his ears. It sounded like a jet engine!


    Blinking, Frank finally managed to take in his surroundings. It was a jet engine. He and Carrie were sitting out on the tarmac at what looked like an airline terminal. What in the world?


    "Hey, what are you kids doing out here?¡± came a shout from a man driving a baggage handler cart.


    "Went out the wrong door!" Frank shouted back. He tucked the time machine device under one arm and then grabbed the arm of Carrie, who seemed to have frozen up, before taking a couple steps towards the terminal building, pulling her along.


    "You might have mentioned that this thing travels through space too!" he accused his companion. It sounded like Carrie said something in reply, but Frank couldn''t hear her over all the ambient noise. "What?" he called out.


    Carrie stopped allowing herself to be dragged along, bringing Frank up short. "I said, what¡¯s the date on the device?!" Carrie repeated, grabbing Frank''s arm back, her nails digging into his skin.


    "Ow! What--" Frank cut himself off, staring nervously at Carrie. If she had seemed a bit out of sorts over the last several hours they''d been together, right now she looked downright spooked. So Frank pulled the time machine up to show her the readout.


    Carrie started to shake. "Oh God. Oh God no..." She tore herself away from Frank and began sprinting towards the terminal. She was crying again. "Mama!" Carrie screamed. "Oh God, Mom, don''t get on the plane...!"

 Part 3a: The Plane Truth

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.1 - Of The Device


    PART 3a: THE PLANE TRUTH 1


    "I... don''t need... this stress..." panted Frank Dijora.


    As he ran after Carrie Waterson, he tried to mentally sum things up: He was now in the terminal of some unknown airport, in pursuit of a girl he barely knew, because despite trying to help her, she was managing to get on his nerves more and more the longer they were together.


    Of course, looking at that time in the literal sense, he technically didn''t even know her yet, since both of them were now eleven years in his past (thirteen years for Carrie), making the two of them something like three years old, logistically speaking. Perhaps an empirical time travel experiment had not been the way to go. But Frank had expected to still be in his basement, at the very least!


    The brown haired teenager pushed past a man wearing a sweatshirt that read LARS 01, mumbling an apology as he did so. ¡°Lars¡± apologized back. So perhaps they were still in Canada. For that matter, the signs were English and French.


    Damn, but Carrie was fast ¨C he¡¯d now completely lost track of her. On the bright side, stopping and looking about, he was only getting a few curious stares, so their sprinting out of an arrival gate hadn¡¯t been worthy of attention by security personnel. Yet.


    Standing up on a convenient chair, Frank scanned above the crowd, looking for signs of the blue hairband that Carrie had been wearing. He also used the opportunity to catch his breath.


    Blonde teenager, blonde teenager... there! Was that her? She seemed stationary now. What was her problem anyway? She''d screamed something outside the terminal before running to the nearest gate entrance, but with all the noise, Frank hadn''t caught it.


    Climbing off the chair, he hurried in the direction of the figure as fast as he was able, calling out "Carrie?" as he got closer. No response.


    There was a break in the crowd, allowing Frank was able to see that it was indeed her. She was staring at something, and following her gaze, he realized it was a clock. A clock that read 3:14.


    Shaking his head, Frank came up next to her and panted out with as much authority as he could muster, "Carrie! What... on earth... are you DOING?"


    "Not now," Carrie responded dazedly. Frank thought she was brushing him off until she turned and looked at him. Her spooked look from before had now resolved itself into some form of quiet serenity. Though that was just as spooky, if not more so, particularly given how her makeup was starting to run because of her unchecked tears. "Not now. Thank goodness, I''ve still got over three hours..."


    Frank sighed. Were older girls always this cryptic? He wasn¡¯t a mind reader. ¡°Over three hours until what??" Frank fired back in frustration.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Carrie''s eyes unfocussed slightly. "Until... until my mama gets on the plane... and... ends up... dead..." With that, she crumpled to the ground and passed out.


    ***


    Carrie Waterson felt someone slapping at her face. Without thinking, she reached out and slapped back, feeling her hand connect. "Ow!" came a familiar exclamation. Carrie blinked her eyes open and sat up to see Frank staring irritably at her while rubbing his cheek. He turned away.


    "She''s fine," her time travel companion remarked to a couple of people who had apparently taken an interest in her momentary collapse. Perhaps she shouldn''t have pushed herself so hard while running, but she hadn''t known what time it was, only the date and the place... she''d wanted to make sure she was in time... mama...


    Was Frank saying something else? "Huh?"


    Her companion sighed. "I said, let''s move over to those chairs, out of the way."


    Carrie blinked and nodded, stumbling back to her feet and following Frank over to the wall. It didn''t really matter where in the airport they were. As long as they were here, now, in time to prevent what was about to happen. What were the odds that they should have ended up here?


    Actually, pretty good, Carrie decided. After all, her first experience with time travel had involved a link to her mother in the form of her broken crystal swan, so on some level she''d anticipated a similar result this time. That was why, when they''d ended up outside this airport... she''d known what the date had to be...


    "But since it''s obvious you''re not paying attention to me, maybe I shouldn''t bother talking," Frank concluded dryly.


    "Huh?"


    Frank pressed a hand to his forehead. "Carrie, please, PLEASE snap out of it!" he pleaded. "As I said, I know you''re distraught, but I''m flying blind here. What''s wrong? What do you mean about your mother? Is a plane going to crash here in the next three hours?"


    Carrie frowned. She''d said too much. She hadn''t stopped to fully consider the situation, and as a consequence, things were spiralling outside of her sphere of control again.


    "Damn it," she muttered, clenching her fists. She couldn''t very well feign innocence now. How much should she say then? Carrie paused to consider what she knew of Frank.


    Not much, despite them being in the same high school homeroom. Mainly because he was not one of the "in" crowd - more one of the "geek" crowd, as Julie referenced them. That is, the socially inept weirdos with a fixation on grades.


    Recently, she''d also found Frank lurking in the ravine out back of her house, citing as a reason alleged "tree frogs". In fact, she and Julie had just thought of a way to get back at Frank for snooping around, which... oh, shoot. Had he actually been looking for the time machine? They might not want snipe back at him for that.


    Well, that was neither here nor there; right now, she and Frank were in the past, and Frank had requested an explanation, and she supposed he was entitled to it. She''d simply have to... to trust in his discretion. "All right," she said. "But Frank, assuming we get out of this..."


    "...if I say anything it''s my head on a platter and you''ll deny it all anyway," Frank finished.


    Mildly annoyed by the interjection, Carrie still nodded in response. ¡°Okay. Thirteen years ago..." she stopped. "That is, in about three hours... my mother had to... that is, she will fly off to Bermuda on business.¡± Grimacing, Carrie decided to stick with past tense.


    ¡°She worked for this company that produced documentary films, and they were doing a shoot there. So..." Carrie stopped again. She didn''t really know all the details, or want to remember them... she decided to say everything as quickly as she could.


    "So after dinner me and my father drove her here to the airport where she caught a plane that was to bring her down to Florida and from there to Bermuda but it was the last time either of us ever saw her alive," she said in one breath.


    Frank looked uneasy. "Then... her plane... crashed?"


    Carrie bit her lip. There was a reason she''d never told anyone even this much before. ¡°No... see, my mom got to Florida just fine but on the smaller corporate plane flying the rest of the way..." Could she actually say it? "Mama disappeared in the Bermuda triangle, okay?!¡±

 Part 3b: The Plane Truth 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.1 - Of The Device


    PART 3b: THE PLANE TRUTH 2


    "In the Bermuda... what?" Frank shook his head, an incredulous look on his face. Carrie felt the urge to slap it off, so she did. "Ow! Will you cut that out?!"


    "You were going to laugh, weren''t you? Well, it''s not funny!" Carrie said, turning away and folding her arms across her chest. "It sounds stupid but that''s what happened! What''s more, ever since then everything has been screwed up with our family. Dad used to think she would come back, he''s such a pathetic romantic. I didn''t even get the whole story until I was practically a teenager. I wasn''t sure if I could believe him even then, but I double checked the story myself with my grandparents." Carrie looked over at the visible clock again. "But in less than three hours... I can change all of that.¡±


    She''d tell her mother not to get on the plane. Get her to give the Bermuda job to someone else. Then her mother would still be around while she was growing up, her father could spend more time with her because he wouldn''t be thinking about his wife and... and well, she would have a real family and it would just be better.


    Frank cleared his throat. "Carrie, you obviously have some strong feelings you''re expressing here, so I hesitate to bring this up, but... we don''t know anything about the repercussions of time travel. Particularly with respect to changing the past."


    Carrie shrugged noncommittally. "I''ve seen ''Back to the Future''. In this case I''m saving my parents'' relationship instead of splitting it up. No big deal."


    Frank pressed a hand to his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m more worried we¡¯ll end up re-enacting the movie ''12 Monkeys''," he muttered. ¡°I mean, this past may be unchangeable. Consider, if time travel has apparently been invented, why hasn''t someone already gone back and prevented the two World Wars? Or 9/11?"


    Carrie stared. "Frank, we''re not talking atomic bomb scale here. I''m simply going to tell my mother that she shouldn''t get on her plane - that she should let someone else film her documentary."


    ¡°Yeah, and how can you convince her to do that? Are you going to say that you''re her sixteen year old daughter, who has traveled back in time to warn that if she doesn''t do as you say, she''ll be lost in the Bermuda triangle?"


    "Yes!" Carrie stated emphatically. "Or... no, maybe not that much detail," she amended, bothered at the way the conversation was going.


    ¡°You think she''ll cancel all her plans simply on the word of some girl she meets at the airport?"


    "I... I''ll show her my ID!" Carrie continued, reaching for her shoulder purse. "Damn it, no I can''t, I left my purse back in your lab... how could you let me do that?"


    Frank blinked. "How could I let YOU...?"


    "Oh, never mind. She''ll believe me! She HAS to! I''m sure she''ll sense our mother-daughter bond!"


    "So there''s no chance at all she''ll think you''re a lunatic."


    "Do I look like a lunatic?"


    Frank paused on that one, which made Carrie wonder if she should slap him again. But before she could completely raise her arm, he continued swiftly with, "Okay then, let''s look at this from your ''Back to the Future'' perspective. Your mother doesn''t do this job. Someone else takes her place. Say they vanish instead. As a consequence, this other person no longer gives birth to a person who was supposed to become the Prime Minister, which means you could inadvertently cause--"


    "Shut up!" Carrie cut in, standing up and clenching her fists again. "Stop speculating like that!"


    "Carrie, I''m just thinking that we don''t want to save one life at the possible expense of other--"


    "You don''t know what''s going to happen! You don''t know how this will end up affecting things! You don''t know anything!"


    "No, but you don''t know either!"


    ¡°I know anything would be better than what I¡¯ve got! How dare you be so cold and analytical about this?! We''re talking about my MAMA for God''s sake!!" She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "I never should have told you anything in the first place." She moved to slap him again but he moved his head back out of the way.


    One well placed kick later, and Carrie was running, pushing through the small crowd, trying to get away from Frank and his stupid theories. For the damnable thing was, his concerns felt valid. Sure, Carrie had minimal qualms about toying around with the lives of people who deserved it... but this went past that.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Did she really have the right to risk permanent change to the lives of people she didn''t even know? Yet she had to save her mama! Now that she could, why was doing it seeming so damn complicated?


    ***


    Frank sat against the wall, rubbing his bruised shin and stifling a yawn. The crowd had seemed to buy his "rehearsing for a soap opera" story, but he really wished Carrie hadn''t made a scene like that. Of course, he could be partially to blame, for getting her riled up... but he hadn''t meant to upset her.


    Frank adjusted his glasses, alternately glancing at the time machine by his feet, and over at the nearby women''s washroom; Carrie had picked a good place to hide out for the last hour or so. She had to come out eventually though, and then... well, then they''d find a way to resolve this. Somehow.


    Frank wondered how was it that time travel often seemed so fun and exciting in science fiction books and movies. He supposed he''d never thought about much about it outside of that. Frank made a mental note to look into the phenomenon a little more scientifically, outside the realm of Hollywood movies. Assuming they ever made it back.


    Someone came out of the washroom. Frank looked back up, but it wasn''t Carrie. He sighed. Could he have spoken to her differently? But she hadn''t been considering potential consequences... you had to consider those in any experiment! Right? And changing the past, well, this was big time stuff - no pun intended. Someone had to play devil''s advocate, and he was the only other time traveler here.


    Still... Frank remembered how his pet goldfish had died when he was seven. If he could change that, would he do so? But then, that was hardly a good parallel for this circumstance, was it. He swallowed another yawn... how long had he been awake now?


    The door of the washroom opened only a crack and Frank thought he saw Carrie peering through. Shaking his head to clear it, Frank stood, but the door closed again. A few seconds passed. Then the door opened completely and Carrie strode out, approaching him confidently.


    As she got closer, Frank noticed that she had been crying again, but that she had tried to clean herself up to cover that fact. He decided not to say anything about it.


    "All right," Carrie began as she reached him, putting her hands on her hips. "Some might consider me a bit shallow and self-centred, but I''ll have you know that I DO consider the consequences of my actions. So listen to THIS.¡±


    ¡°I''ll tell my mom that I''m an intern from her company. That we got word of bad weather in Bermuda, delaying the shoot for a day. That we can''t reach the pilot of her connecting flight, but are advising her to hold off on flying out of Florida until sometime tomorrow morning. Furthermore, that they should use the time to double check the mechanisms of their aircraft. Thus, even if they¡¯re not delayed a whole day, ANY delay, plus the possible repair of anything wrong should prevent her death without screwing up anyone else''s future." Carrie allowed herself a self-satisfied smile. "So?"


    Frank stared. "I must admit, I''m impressed. But don''t you think your mother will double check your information?"


    ¡°Her phone was off during dinner. When she arrives here, she''ll be running a bit late, so she shouldn''t have time to contact anyone. Then by the time she''s in Florida, no one will be working in the office to check with," Carrie stated.


    She really HAD thought this through, Frank realized.


    "Besides, if it turns out that we need more than my explanation, we can come back again to try something else.¡±


    Frank blinked, wondering if he''d just heard correctly. "Wait. Come back? Carrie, paradoxes notwithstanding, we don''t know how the device brought us here in the first place!"


    "Oh, didn''t I say? I figured that out too. Since I was thinking about my mother, the time machine picked up on that and brought us to this location," Carrie revealed, now sounding far too smug for Frank''s tastes.


    "That''s not scientific," he countered in annoyance. "I don''t remember seeing any ''pick up user''s mental brainwaves'' circuit incorporated into the device." Though he had to admit, he wondered if that would be something he''d recognize.


    "Look again, maybe you missed it."


    ¡°We''re not presently in a location that lends itself to poking around in the innards of this device! What if someone thinks it¡¯s an explosive?¡±


    "Hmph," Carrie grumbled. "So, tell me again why you came along?"


    "I''m starting to wonder that myself," Frank sniped back.


    ***


    Carrie shook her head. Still, she supposed it was only natural for Frank to be a bit upset at being shown up by a cheerleader. Truth be told, even she was impressed with her own deductive reasoning - the last forty-five minutes had been spent trying to tap into any and all resources available inside her, to reason through the problem. It was an actual life and death situation, after all.


    However, maybe she should try and be a bit nicer to Frank. Without him initiating said reasoning, she might have made a fool out of herself in front of her mother.


    ¡°Look, Frank, if you want to do something useful here, I am thirsty after all the running from before. Since we have almost two hours to wait until my mother arrives, how about you buy me a drink?" Carrie proposed. She started to twirl a strand of her hair in her fingers. "I mean, I''d pay but I left my money back in your lab."


    Frank stared. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, then closed it, then threw up his hands. "Sure, whatever, I¡¯m thirsty too.¡±


    Carrie smiled engagingly and turned to look around the area. "So where do they hide the refreshment stands in airports anyway?" she mused. "I never come to these places." She shivered involuntarily.


    Frank pulled out his wallet and removed a twenty. "How should I know? Maybe-- oh, shoot, wait a minute. This bill... it wouldn¡¯t have existed eleven years ago. I can¡¯t pay for something using money that doesn¡¯t exist yet, they won¡¯t recognize it.¡±


    "Bah, use change then," Carrie stated, airily waving a hand.


    Frank fished around in his pocket, emerging with some coins, as well as his roll of quarters for powering the machine. "But even these have dates on them,¡± he pointed out. ¡°I¡¯ll need to check each one to see if it exists in this present."


    "Oh, God, Frank, seriously ¨C who bothers checking the dates on coins??"


    "But the potential economic repercussions--" Frank froze. "Wait, did you just say people won''t check the dates?"


    "Newsflash, Frank. As long money looks authentic, most people don''t pay any attention." Why did she even have to explain it?


    "But... of course!" Frank said, excitedly. "It''s a bit of a wild theory, but if I''m right... Carrie, I''ve now figured out how the time machine works!"

 Part 4a: Flight Attendance

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.1 - Of The Device


    PART 4a: FLIGHT ATTENDANCE 1


    Carrie looked skeptically at Frank¡¯s excited expression. "You''ve figured out how the time machine works," she repeated back


    "Yes!" Frank continued eagerly. "My goodness, it''s so obvious... you say people don''t check the dates on coins. What if the machine DOES? Remember how I said it wasn¡¯t until my second coin that the machine gave the option of jumping the century mark? That second coin, I saw it was from the 1990s! That silver box in the device, what if it has some way of identifying when a coin was minted?¡±


    He reached out to grasp her hand, so she flinched away from him. ¡°Think, Carrie,¡± he insisted, ¡°when you dropped your first quarter into the time machine, was it from two years previous to your present? From the year of my present?¡±


    ¡°Did I not JUST say people don''t check dates on coins??¡± Carrie retorted in annoyance. She frowned. "Though, it certainly could have been. As I was wondering if the quarter would be a waste of money, I noticed it had one of those silly minted designs on it, from a recent year. But it was dark, so I¡¯m not sure..."


    ¡°Okay, working theory! As long as I have a quarter from my present with me, and you have one somewhere in your purse at my lab, we¡¯re home free!¡± Frank broke open his roll of quarters and started to look through them.


    "But... that''s a really stupid way to build a time machine," Carrie objected. "In order to travel into the future, you¡¯d have to have money that hasn''t been minted yet. It''s... uh, not scientific," she concluded, deciding to reuse his earlier objection.


    "Actually, travel to the future has never been the problem, we do that naturally," Frank responded, his attention now on the coins. ¡°There¡¯s even some mathematical sense behind this manner of travel. I mean, theoretically, the machine has got a four dimensional grid - what better way to pinpoint the year aspect than with the money minted and used at the destination time? The only thing you have to do is remember to bring along a quarter from your departure era... like this one!" Frank held up a coin triumphantly.


    "Yeah, okay, so you''re saying it''s a fluke that we''re here? Not at all related to the time machine reading my thoughts about my mother?" She didn¡¯t like it. Her reasoning had been MUCH more elegant.


    ¡°Right. There¡¯s randomness built in, so I figure the machine must have chosen one of the two quarters I fed in to land us here. Though you may be right in some sense, since my theory doesn''t take into account the physical plane - the other three dimensions on said grid.¡± He shrugged. "Remember, my initial inspection assumed that the machine contained time circuits. I wasn''t aware of any spatial alteration occurring during temporal displacement." He started picking through the quarters again.


    "Right, sure," Carrie affirmed, abandoning comprehension for the moment in favour of what she hoped was a distracting smile. "So, what about that drink?"


    Frank didn''t even look up. ¡°Hold on, I want to finish checking these dates... hey, this one could take us back to 1972!"


    Carrie stared in surprise, her expression morphing back into annoyance. She was being ignored in favour of COINS? Of all the guys in the world to have as a time traveling partner, how had she wound up with him? She raised her foot.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Ow!! Geez Carrie, I think I preferred it when you were just slapping... hey, where are you going?"


    ***


    A little over 90 minutes later, both Carrie and Frank were standing near one of the entrances to the terminal''s departures area.


    "I''m still not sure this is a good idea," Frank reiterated. He cast an eye towards the position of Carrie''s feet as he continued. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things that could go wrong."


    ¡°Shut up, Frank," Carrie said tersely. Honestly, she was starting to understand why she¡¯d never hung out with geeks. Subtle finesse was completely lost on them. At least Frank had finally gotten around to buying a drink. And now she was now going to save her mother. So things were going to be all right.


    Carrie glanced at the clock. As she remembered it, their family dinner had gone a bit later than expected, so her father had simply driven by the airport, dropping mama off. For the last time. Carrie shivered involuntarily once again. That had to change.


    It would change. Her mother had just walked in.


    Carrie stumbled forwards a few feet, away from Frank. "Ma-- Mrs. Waterson?" she called out. The woman with short blonde hair, wearing a business suit and carrying a suitcase, turned in her direction. At the attention, Carrie''s knees felt weak and her throat felt dry. It really was her... oh God...


    "Do I know you?" her mother inquired with a trace of annoyance in her tone.


    "Yes! I mean... n-no... I-I''m..." I''m your daughter... "I''m from the firm. Your firm. The firm sent me, I''m an intern." Carrie realized she wasn''t vocalizing too well, but being presented with her mother, ALIVE... she could swear the hammering in her chest was audible throughout the terminal.


    In some sense, she was three years old again... mama looked exactly as she did in the pictures Carrie had. Was there a chance her mother would be able to figure out that Carrie was, in fact, her daughter? Who had come back to save her life? Wait, she¡¯d said something! Questioning why Carrie was here?


    "There''s bad weather in Bermuda," Carrie blurted.


    Her mother blinked in surprise. "What ARE you going on about, girl? I doubt they''d call the documentary that, it''s dealing mostly with historical facts."


    Carrie realized belatedly that her mother had asked about more specific news pertaining to the assignment. "No, I mean there is bad weather in Bermuda. You''ll have to delay and get Florida checked out in the plane. The plane checked out in Florida!" Oh God, she was muffing this! Now her mother was looking at her funny.


    ¡°Are you sure I don¡¯t know you?" Mrs. Waterson continued.


    Carrie''s heart got caught somewhere in her throat. There it was. Recognition. On some level, her mother KNEW! Maybe Carrie could drop the pretence and just explain what was going to happ-- "You''re the intern Bob hired, aren''t you. Is he still gunning for this assignment? Look, you tell him I don''t have time for his stupid gags, I have a plane to catch." She turned away.


    "N-no!" Carrie gasped out, reaching for her mother''s arm. "This is no joke! Please listen to me, mama--" she stopped and clapped her outstretched hand back onto her mouth. That had torn it. Though, at least her mother had turned back.


    "What did you call me?"


    "I..." Well, she might as well say it now. "M-mama. I''m... t-this will sound crazy b-but... I-I''m your daughter..."


    Her mother stared. "You''re my daughter," she repeated. "Right. My daughter is three years old, kid.¡±


    "I- I''ve grown up, mama," Carrie continued, feeling tears welling up in her eyes yet again, damn it all. "And I''ve come through time to tell you that y-you can''t go on this plane trip or else you''ll d-die!"


    So much for the well thought out plan. It was like the mere presence of her mother had turned her into a gibbering preschooler again.


    ***


    Elaine Waterson peered more closely at the person claiming to be her "daughter". She supposed there was some passing similarity between them. But time travel? Dying on this trip? Nonsense. She would be up for promotion after this job, if it went well... it HAD to be that jerk Bob, trying to mess things up for her. Time to make her intentions towards her co-worker quite clear.


    ¡°Okay, girlie. You go back and tell Bob to stop screwing around in my affairs like this,¡± she declared. "In fact, you tell him that if he persists in pestering me like this, then by heaven he may wish he''d never been born!"


    Elaine turned to walk away again.


    She had no way of knowing that, to the sixteen year old, it was like a knife had been plunged directly into her heart. Behind the blonde woman, Carrie¡¯s vision blurred as she tried to choke in a breath. Taking a step forward, the teenager wondered if she was about to grab onto her mama''s leg and sob, or grab onto her mama''s shoulders and shake her until she listened. Before she could do either, someone else blocked the way.

 Part 4b: Flight Attendance 2

    ARC 1.1 - Of The Device


    PART 4b: FLIGHT ATTENDANCE 2


    ¡°Hey! You Waterson?"


    Elaine turned once more - another kid hassling her. Where were they all coming from? ¡°I beg your pardon?" This one with the glasses looked younger, and she got the impression he hadn''t slept well in the last day or so.


    "I said, you Waterson? You fit the description I''ve got but, uh, so have the last five women I''ve asked."


    "Who wants to know?"


    ¡°Urgent message. You''re supposed to catch some plane out of Florida for Bermuda, right? Well, the weather''s not going to be good down there tonight, so--"


    "Yes, thank you, I already got that message," Elaine Waterson interjected icily, glancing back at her previous annoyance. Oddly enough, that girl was simply standing and staring at the two of them, openmouthed.


    "Oh, her? Never mind her, whatzisname sent her... you know, the one with the weird complexion, has that thing happening with their head..."


    "Bob?" Elaine attempted to verify. He did look kind of weird in that toupee he wore.


    "Er, yeah, that''s the guy. Anyway, apparently he was going to give you this news in some outrageous fashion, so that when the guys down in Florida reiterated it, you''d flip out at them. But they don''t seem to be answering our calls, so the information has gotta go through you. Hence, uh, I''m here to see it does."


    Elaine Waterson narrowed her eyes. Not totally out of the realm of possibility, though that was a pretty roundabout way for Bob to try and get her in trouble. "So then who--"


    "Look, all I want to do at this point is give you the whole message. I¡¯ve got better things to do, and you''ve got a plane to catch."


    She sighed. ¡°Yes, all right, make it fast." He¡¯d reminded her that she still had to check in and get through security... but might as well hear him out, just in case. Her curiosity was piqued.


    "You''re authorized to hold up the Bermuda flight until tomorrow morning and fly out then. Book a hotel, whatever. Also, tell the pilot to look over the plane. Last week there were rumours of trouble with that aircraft... get someone to make sure the whole plane is running safely."


    "Indeed," Elaine Waterson replied dryly. Check over the plane for safety? It hinted at what openmouthed-¡°daughter¡±-girl had said... but did that validate it, or indicate some elaborate ruse? Was there a punch line coming? "Anything more?"


    "Yeah. Coming from me and not the people you work for, I suggest that in future, your family gain a better understanding of how pointless it is to engage in needless acts of physical violence."


    "I beg your pardon??" Carrie''s mother exclaimed in confusion, not even noticing she''d said it in sync with the blonde teenager who was still standing nearby.


    ¡°Just seeing how well you''re paying attention," he continued swiftly. "That stuff about Bermuda sunk in yet?¡±


    "Yes," Elaine said, peering more closely at the boy, to try and ascertain both his motives and his sincerity. ¡°But can you prove what you¡¯re saying somehow?¡±


    The kid adjusted his glasses. ¡°Look. If this wasn''t on the level, don''t you think I''d come up with a better story? Think about that. Then... do whatever makes you happy.¡± With that said, he turned and walked away.


    Elaine Waterson almost called after him to ask for real verification, before realizing she didn''t even know who the kid was. Then, as she watched, the boy picked up a nearby black box of some sort and walked right out of the terminal. Strange. This whole thing was strange! Bunch of childish nonsense... yet if so, why?


    In one sense the guy had been right. Bob would have had either a better story, or an outlandish one - like what the first girl had tried feeding her.


    Anyway, she had a plane to catch. She''d consider things during the flight. Sparing a final glance towards the first teenager - had she moved in the last few minutes? - Elaine headed for the flight check-in desks. After all, if she missed this flight, she didn''t think she''d have much of a future to look forward to anyway.


    ***


    Carrie felt paralyzed. She started questioning the very existence of the last ten minutes, as the thoughts in her mind continued to try and bind together cohesively. Her mother was gone. She had blown it. But Frank had caught the rebound? Frank?! "I thought you didn''t want to get involved!" she finally managed to say.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    A couple people looked in her direction, and Carrie belatedly remembered that Frank had already walked out of the terminal. Feeling mildly embarrassed AGAIN (damn that Frank), she dashed out in pursuit. Over their drinks they''d agreed on a place in the parking lot to activate the time machine, and that¡¯s where she found him. "I thought you didn''t want to get involved!" Carrie reiterated as she ran to where Frank was closing the device back up.


    Frank smiled and shrugged. "Things didn''t seem to be going well. You looked like you were about to make a rather bad scene, after which you''d probably have insisted on giving everything another try using the time machine, right? This seemed like the best way to avoid getting into the realm of bad paradoxes.¡± He scratched the back of his head. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve been wondering - should I join the business club, or the improvisation club at school? What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in the business club,¡± Carrie shot back. ¡°Come on, seriously - you told me we wouldn¡¯t be able to change anything! World Wars and all that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so maybe I was wondering about that too.¡± He frowned. ¡°Was my improv really so bad? Granted, I was only going based on what you¡¯d suggested, but I think she bought it.¡±


    ¡°I... maybe.¡± Part of her didn¡¯t want to admit how much of a disaster it had been before his assistance. Not to mention the fact that he¡¯d still been willing to help her out after their constant disagreements. Usually that sort of resilience meant the other guy wanted something more from her, but with Frank, she didn¡¯t get that vibe. ¡°Still, in the end, my mama didn''t seem sure,¡± she countered. ¡°You should have pushed the point!¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Saying more, I¡¯d have messed it up for sure. For that matter, you share certain traits with your mother. What would you be more inclined to believe: A vague tale with hints of truth to it? Or a more complete story containing an obvious untruth?"


    The blonde grimaced. He was using logic again... which seemed sound. ¡°D-Do you think it worked then?" she asked, unintentionally softening her voice.


    "I don''t know," Frank admitted. ¡°You know your mother better than I do."


    Carrie looked away. "No. I-I''m not so sure about that," she admitted, biting her lip. "Somehow... mama wasn''t what I expected. She seemed more driven. More severe, even." Carrie slumped. "That''s not how I remember her."


    "Oh. Well, you were only three. Maybe she acted differently at home.¡±


    "Maybe." There was a rather long pause, as Carrie wrestled to get the next few words out. "Thank you, Frank. I guess I couldn''t have faced her alone after all.¡±


    Frank nodded back. "No problem," he asserted, smiling again. Carrie proceeded to slap him lightly across the cheek. "Ow! What the heck was that for?!"


    "The roundabout comment you made about acts of physical violence," Carrie concluded, taking a second to appreciate the irony behind her reaction. "If mama had connected it to my yammering about being her daughter, it could have blown everything!" Yet she really didn''t feel as angry with Frank about that as she felt she should be. She had even regressed back to simple slapping.


    "Well, apparently THAT part of the discussion never got through," Frank grumbled in reply. He turned to the time machine. ¡°So, putting that aside, are we ready to go back to the present?¡±


    Carrie nodded, deciding to drop the matter. ¡°Your present, my past,¡± she reminded. ¡°Did you set an exact destination?"


    ¡°As best as I could. These are less than ideal circumstances - and we still have no idea about the spatial grid. So I guess we''ll go with your theory and try to concentrate on my basement lab. At least, I can''t think of any better ideas.¡±


    Carrie nodded, pleased to see that he was acknowledging her contribution. "Okay," she affirmed. "Let''s do it." Frank pulled out the properly minted quarter. The two teenagers then moved to a position where they could both grip the handle of the device. Frank counted down.


    ***


    There was the vaguely familiar flash of light and the sensation of being sucked into a void. Frank felt himself lose consciousness as before, but it came back to him with the sensation of very COLD water rushing all around.


    He inhaled through his nose, regretted it, and fully surfaced, choking and flailing in what fortunately turned out to be the otherwise calm waters of a lake. Some nearby splashing made him aware of Carrie''s presence.


    "This is SO not your lab!" Carrie shrieked. "What were you thinking about, taking a swim?!"


    Frank coughed out the rest of the water. ¡°I was thinking about my lab!" Frank countered in an equally annoyed tone. He felt his clothes weighing him down. "Maybe there''s a flaw in YOUR theory!" He hoped the time machine was waterproof. The time machine... he wasn''t holding the handle any more. "Carrie!! Are you holding the time machine?!"


    "No, I got a BIT distracted by our landing, why?" Carrie retorted. It sunk in. "Oh hell," she swore succinctly, immediately diving below the surface.


    Frank joined her, but had more difficulty on account of his glasses. Fortunately the water wasn''t deep, and it was relatively clear, but even so it took over five dives to locate exactly where the device had landed. Carrie¡¯s athleticism was put to good use in retrieving it.


    The two teenagers then headed for the nearby shore, towing the device along. Ten minutes later, they emerged from the water and lay down, gasping on the grass at the edge of a wooded area.


    In fact, it was woods all around here, Frank realized as he looked around. Remarkably tranquil too... like they were in some nature park, miles from civilization. Which was rather problematic. Forehead creasing, Frank sat up and looked over at Carrie to say something to this effect... whereby the words froze on his lips.


    She was DEFINITELY sixteen. He''d remarked on it before, when she''d jumped him to start off this whole escapade in the ravine, but now, as she lay there on her back, in the very wet T-shirt which he¡¯d leant to her...


    "So, where do you figure we are?" Carrie demanded as she regained her breath and sat up as well, grabbing a handful of her hair to wring out.


    Frank quickly averted his gaze. "How could I know?" he snapped back, feeling flushed. "Near a lake in the middle of a forest somewhere."


    ¡°I can SEE that much. Stick another quarter in the machine, we''ll have to try again."


    ¡°I, uh, didn¡¯t find another one from the current year," Frank admitted, shifting his position to check on the digital readout for the device whilst reaching into his pocket for his coins. "So unless we want a one way trip to the past, I don¡¯t..." his voice trailed off. "Oh damn.¡±


    "Carrie... some of my tools and all my change must have fallen out while we were diving." He swallowed. "No matter where or when we are... we''re stuck here."

 Part 5a: Breakdown

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.1 - Of The Device


    PART 5a: BREAKDOWN 1


    Two intruders! The squirrel scurried up onto a higher branch to get a better view. These two resembled the others who came by every so often, carrying their funny hollowed out tree trunks which they used to float on the water. Instead, these ones had apparently tried to use a small black thing instead, with less success, and were now getting very vocal about it. Or about something.


    The squirrel twitched its nose. Time to escape someplace quieter? One of the intruders then slapped at the other and stalked away from the lake, into the woods. The one left behind called out, but didn''t follow. The squirrel tilted its head before deciding it was safe to resume hunting nuts - of the more edible variety.


    ***


    Carrie Waterson shoved her way through the light underbrush, plucking at the wet T-shirt she was wearing in renewed anger and embarrassment. All males were alike. See a pretty girl soaking wet and their minds leap into the gutter. Frank being no exception. It wasn¡¯t even the staring, not really - it wasn¡¯t that unusual - it was more that she only wanted to put herself on display like this if it somehow benefited her in the end!


    Besides, it wasn''t her fault that she was soaking wet. It was FRANK¡¯s miscalculation with the time travel device that had dropped them into the lake. The only positive thing she could say about this current situation was that, according to the device¡¯s readout, this WAS the correct year for him. Meaning two years in her past. Albeit in the middle of June. In a forest. Without any coins to power up the machine again.


    Carrie paused in her charge through the underbrush to throttle a tree branch. Ever since she had found the damned device, things had been spiralling completely out of her control. It was incredibly frustrating.


    Carrie released the tree and took a few deep breaths. She realized that her leg hurt, and looked down at it. She saw that there were a couple of scratches there, and one had been deep enough to draw a trace of blood. Maybe running off into the woods hadn''t been so smart. Being under the canopy of trees as she was now, it would also be trickier for her clothes to dry off. It had been sunnier next to the lake.


    Carrie made a face. Should she go back? In retrospect, she supposed that she was slightly to blame, having leaned in right next to Frank without thinking. Still, the way his gaze had fallen down from her face... going back now would be added humiliation, wouldn''t it?


    "What the hell did I do to deserve this?" Carrie screamed to the treetops. The only response was the chattering of a squirrel.


    ***


    ¡®What exactly did I do to deserve this?'' Frank wondered as he stared out across the lake. He¡¯d started the week researching frogs. Now he was stuck three months in the past with a girl who would seemingly become the testiest person in his entire high school. It''s not like he''d dropped the quarters into the lake on purpose or ogled her... proportions on purpose! She¡¯d leaned into him! Okay, so she had been trying to look at the device but... damn, how had this whole mess happened?


    Frank forced himself to acknowledge the answer to that. It was more than the thrill of time travel. He¡¯d wanted to help Carrie out. Because he didn''t get to help people out that often.


    Whenever he tried academically, people thought he was showing off. And outside of academics, he had trouble socializing. Oh sure, he joined clubs, but he wasn¡¯t the sort of guy who got invited to parties. No, he spent much of his time working alone, down in the basement. Where things were more familiar.


    He had wondered if starting high school would change things up, but if the first couple weeks were anything to go by, it wouldn¡¯t. Come to think, Carrie herself was an argument against becoming more sociable! Girls like her had no notion of gratitude.


    Frank again challenged his thinking. No, that wasn''t right... Carrie had expressed thanks to him for fiddling with the time machine. And for helping with her mother. It had even felt sincere, as opposed to something she¡¯d said to urge him to keep on helping. But then why was Carrie so... so infuriating as well?? Maybe it was a female thing. One he would understand when he was sixteen too. Frank sighed. Oh well, with Carrie gone, he might as well check over the time machine for any potential water damage.


    After wringing out a section of his shirt, Frank knelt over the device. He pushed back on the lever sticking out of it, and the top flipped open, allowing him to peer inside. Fortunately, the machine seemed to have a tight seal, so no water had made its way into the mechanism. He noted absently that his miniature camera was still there, but any information it might give would be of limited use to them at this point. They had no power source.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Still, maybe he could improvise some sort of coin? And force a September arrival? Sure, and create a virus to take down an alien warship while he was at it? Yeah, he should probably nix his thoughts of improv and stick with the business club - he worked better within a framework. Trouble was, he now needed to subvert the very rules he¡¯d mapped out for this device. That was a problem.


    Though really, what else was there for him to do now - chase after Carrie? Messing with the time machine would at least be productive. He still had his screwdriver and the swiss army knife he''d received for his last birthday. With those, and some whittled twigs or pine needles, surely he could do... uh, something. Frank glanced over his swiss army knife to see exactly what the attachments were, yawning as he did so.


    That gave him pause. He''d been running mostly on adrenaline for the last little while, not having slept since... well, what with the time traveling it was hard to tell, but it might be verging on a day and a half now. Perhaps he should lie down for a minute to clear his mind. It was nice and tranquil here after all, and a break would probably be good for him. Frank closed up the time machine again, set his glasses by it and lay back down on the ground. He''d just close his eyes for a minute.


    ***


    Frank jolted himself awake some time later when he heard a peculiar sound. He sat up in time to see a figure (Carrie?) throw a stone into the lake with a splash. Frank fumbled for his glasses. Slipping them on, he realized it was indeed Carrie, and that she had turned at the noise he was making.


    "Finally awake?" the blonde remarked. She sneezed a couple of times as she tossed some other stones aside.


    "Yeah... bless you. How long have I been asleep?"


    "How the hell should I know? You were asleep when I came back, so at least three or four hours. Of course, that''s by my watch, which also indicates it''s almost sunset, whereas we probably have a couple hours until that actually happens. I officially hate time travel.¡± Carrie sneezed again.


    Frank blinked. "Oh. Well... thank you for letting me sleep," he said uncertainly. It occurred to him that the machine¡¯s readout could use a display for time of day.


    "I shouted your name three or four times on my way back, and you didn''t answer. Once I found you, I figured you were really tired, so I stopped short of kicking you," Carrie said.


    Although she was thinking it, she didn¡¯t tell him that it was her way of balancing their account, after his help with her mother. So all that occurred to Frank was that it had given her the opportunity to dry out. "Anyway,¡± Carrie continued, ¡°hoping you have some new plan at this point?"


    "Well... I was hoping there¡¯d be some new way of triggering the device," Frank said hopefully, running a hand back through his hair. "Though, as my thinking went, I''ll need to, uh, improvise something.¡±


    "Okay, so how long are you figuring for the whole process?"


    Frank verbalized his thoughts. "Hard to say. The machine isn''t lit up without money in it. I may have to find a way into the silver coin receptacle. All with rudimentary tools." He glanced up to where the sun was. ¡°Might not get it done while we still have daylight. Did you see any structures arou--"


    "What?!" Carrie interjected, looking visibly upset. "So I should have kicked you three hours ago!" She advanced, only to sneeze violently twice more in quick succession.


    Frank paused, noticing Carrie was somewhat unsteady on her feet. There seemed to be evidence of a cut on her leg too, in addition to the bandaid she''d placed on her knee after her first time trip. "Carrie, are you all right?"


    Carrie balled her hands into fists. "NO! I am not all right! I don''t know where we are, I don''t understand how we got here, you''re now saying you can''t get us out of here, I''ve scraped my leg and think I¡¯m getting a cold! Nothing is working right anymore!" She followed her rant up by stamping her foot and sneezing once more. ¡°The only good thing to have come from this insanity so far was the encounter with my mama!¡±


    Frank scrambled to his feet also, realizing that he wasn''t exactly feeling 100 percent either. "Well... surely we can figure out something," he said reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t get unduly distressed..."


    ¡°Distressed? You think I''m distressed? I''m not distressed! If we''re still here in a few days, then you''ll see me distressed!!" Carrie reached out to grab his arm, stumbled, and nearly fell. ¡°I''m.... I''m not distressed," Carrie reiterated, a shiver running through her body.


    ¡°Um, Carrie, maybe you should sit down. You''re looking unsteady."


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Carrie snapped back so harshly that Frank took a step back. There was a moment of silence before Carrie swallowed hard. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. But here¡¯s the thing, I¡¯ve been feeling progressively worse over the last few hours, both physically and mentally," she admitted.


    ¡°And we''re the only ones out here, Frank. I was running around in the woods out there for some time, and I never found anything. No house, no road, not even a trail." Her fists clenched and unclenched a couple of times. "You''ve got to activate that machine," she concluded. "It''s the only sure way we can get out of here in one piece.¡±


    "I... I''m not going to lie to you, Carrie,¡± Frank said, after an another extended pause. ¡°As much as I want to help out, we''re dealing with technology I don''t understand. If I try to force the issue - I might break the time machine completely."


    Frank grimaced. "For that matter, even if I do activate it, there''s still no telling where we''ll end up. The spatial aspect is still unclear. We could find ourselves at the North Pole or in the Sahara Desert or--"


    ¡°NOT helping," Carrie cut in angrily, raising an arm as if to make a physical strike. Instead, it put her off balance, and she dropped down to her knees. She remained that way for a moment, shaking in what Frank figured was either anger or pain, even as she let out another sneeze.


    "I''m sorry," Frank apologized anew. He took an uncertain step forwards. ¡°Would you like me to lie?¡±


    Carrie continued to stare down at the ground. ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m getting angry at you. It''s not your fault," she admitted. She shifted her position, to sit. "It''s the fault of whoever invented this stupid device! I mean, how did we end up out here? I hardly moved at all the first time I time traveled. Why would the time machine do this to us?!¡±


    Frank rubbed his head as he sat next to her. ¡°I don¡¯t know - what did happen that first time anyway? Before you met up with me that is. I remember you said it involved a link to your mother. Maybe something was pre-programmed, and if you describe in detail, we can distinguish a pattern?¡±

 Part 5b: Breakdown 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.1 - Of The Device


    PART 5b: BREAKDOWN 2


    ¡®What the hell,'' Carrie thought from where she sat. She knew she wasn''t feeling too well or thinking too clearly, but Frank knew so much by this point that it really didn''t seem to matter any more. Besides, keeping secrets was kind of pointless if it ultimately killed you, right?


    "There isn''t much more to tell about my first trip,¡± she conceded. "I traveled from one side of the ravine to the other - from the park, to behind my house. It knocked me out. When I tried to get back in my room, I very nearly met my younger self, and shattered a crystal swan which mama had bought for my fourth birthday.¡±


    Her fingers flexed as she added, ¡°It was her last gift to me, she¡¯d given it to Dad months in advance, to keep until March. I will grant that when it broke, it shocked me, because I never knew who had done that to me the first time it happened. Anyway, then I ran to Julie¡¯s--"


    "Wait," Frank cut in. "This swan, you knew it had been broken before you even took a time trip?"


    "Sure," Carrie commented. Frank was frowning. "What?"


    "That''s... weird. Leads back into what I was saying about the past being unchangeable... how is it that you might experience that sort of change to your past, and yet my future at our high school has remained the same for you?¡±


    Carrie stared. ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡±


    Frank sighed. ¡°Relative to you, you¡¯re potentially changing my past right now. Despite that, you¡¯re remembering future events about me, like the clubs I¡¯ll be in. If breaking your swan was a change to your past - why not with me? Why don¡¯t you remember me vanishing in Grade 9? It only makes sense if the past is unchangeable, your trips were always fated, we can¡¯t stop any world wars, and I have no choice but to survive and spend another two years at high school.¡±


    Carrie let that sink in. "So, what... you''re saying that if anyone is going to die out here in the woods, it will be me? Thanks!¡±


    "No!" Frank objected. ¡°That is, I didn''t mean it that way, only..." He shook his head and waved a hand. ¡°Look, never mind, I don''t think it''s relevant to the spatial problem. Continue with the story.¡±


    Carrie glared for a long moment before shrugging. ¡°Right, so, I panicked and went over to Julie¡¯s, where there was supposed to be a party, though obviously there wasn¡¯t. Since we only hooked up after my swan broke, her butler didn''t even know me. That''s when I went back to the ravine and, well, you know the re-- ah-ah-ahCHOO!"


    Frank pursed his lips. "So, across a ravine, to the nearest airport, and then to a mystery lake near some woods. What''s the pattern?"


    "The fact that they lack any common element," Carrie stated bitterly.


    "Hunh," Frank verbalized in response. "Well, maybe nature area-metropolitan area-nature area. Meaning we''ll end up somewhere populated next time."The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "You''re grasping at straws," Carrie accused. "Look, this talk isn''t helping. We might as well work together at activating the machine, and hope for the best. I¡¯m taking geography, maybe that¡¯ll be useful?¡±


    Frank sighed, pulling out his swiss army knife again. "Well, here''s the main tool we have to work with. I was thinking of whittling down a twig too. For that matter, we might want firewood for tonight.¡± He stood. ¡°I''ll be right back." He turned and headed away from the bank of the lake.


    "The underbrush is fairly thick that direction, might have better luck spotting stuff closer to the water," Carrie volunteered as he moved off. Frank nodded and changed his direction slightly as he left their small clearing.


    ''We''re a lot worse off than I thought we were,'' Carrie thought as he left. This situation was not only beyond her control, it was starting to look like it was beyond the both of them - beyond anyone¡¯s!


    Was it time to go into survival mode? Where would they get food and shelter? What about predators, were there any out here? Carrie was unable to hold back another sneeze. They didn''t even have tissues. This was bad. "Oh well, can''t get worse at this point, can it?" she muttered to herself.


    Which was when she heard Frank cry out. ¡°Guess I asked for that,¡± Carrie groused, standing up and finding the energy to sprint back through the light underbrush in the fading light of late afternoon. "Frank? You okay?" she called out uncertainly.


    "Carrie! Watch out, there''s a hole,¡± came a pained reply.


    The blonde zeroed in on his voice, paying more attention to the ground. She brought herself up short on the other side of a bunch of bushes. There was indeed a hole of sorts, a drop-off of several feet. With Frank at the bottom. "Are you all right?" she called down.


    "I think I''m bleeding," Frank mumbled groggily.


    Perfect. Carrie looked around, spotting a more gentle slope on the right. Calling again upon her gymnastic abilities, she slid down and was soon hurrying up to Frank''s position. "Why weren''t you watching where you were going?" she accused. "The terrain out here isn''t totally level."


    "How was I to know? Anyway, I got a bit lost in thought," Frank admitted ruefully. "Though speaking of watching, my glasses got knocked off, can you see--"


    Crack.


    Carrie froze two steps away from Frank and looked back down. She lifted her foot. "Well, this could be funny under other circumstances," Frank finally said dryly.


    "Why don''t you wear contact lenses like normal people?" Carrie accused as she reached down to pick up the broken spectacles.


    "I don''t think they''re particularly convenient," Frank replied, attempting to stand. He couldn''t, and fell back down, wincing. "Besides, I could hardly dip them in saline solution or whatever out here, could I."


    Carrie was about to snark back again, but she stopped as she got a good look at her companion for the first time. He was holding his head and his arm had blood visible on the material of his shirt. ¡°Frank, what did you do to yourself?!¡±


    "I bounced twice on the way down?¡± Frank replied, now looking at his arm too. "Possibly hit a particularly sharp root or part of a rock or something. Feels like I twisted my ankle as well.¡±


    "You really have no sense of timing for these things, do you?" Carrie complained. Shoving Frank''s glasses at him and pursing her lips, she bent down a bit to have a look at his wound, opening the tear on his shirt.


    ¡°Okay. Looks painful but you haven¡¯t cut any major blood vessels... I can clean it up a little, and use some torn material as a bandage to apply pressure."


    As Carrie reached out to tear off the end of Frank''s shirt, he flinched back, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Yeah, surprisingly enough they teach us health and stuff in Phys Ed!¡± she explained. "And I listen in class, and you learn bits and pieces while cheering on the sidelines at football games too. So, may I?"


    Frank nodded. Carrie started to rudimentarily dress the wound, turning away twice to sneeze. "I don''t know what to do about the possibility of infection though," she admitted. "Let''s hope you can fix that time machine fairly qui... oh, hell."


    Carrie tied off the fabric and sat back to look at Frank. He glanced down at his broken glasses, which were bent with only one lens intact. He then reached up to rub a bump on his head with his good arm. "Yeah, I think we have some additional issues now," Frank sighed, verbalizing her thoughts.

 Part 6a: Welcome Change

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.1 - Of The Device


    PART 6a: WELCOME CHANGE 1


    "Of all the... how could this... how could you have been so clumsy?!" Carrie choked out, embracing the familiar anger as it swept back over her.


    ¡°Okay, wait,¡± Frank said quietly, fiddling with his broken glasses. ¡°True, I have no depth perception. Still, maybe with your help--"


    "My help? MY help? What are on about, Frank?!" Carrie shouted. ¡°All I¡¯ve got is geography, I don''t know the first thing about the blinking lights and circuitry in the time device!¡± She put her hands on her hips. ¡°There, I admitted it. You happy now? So, while your temporal theories are keeping you all safe and alive in my past, if I die out here, it will all be YOUR fault!¡±


    She regretted the words as soon as she¡¯d spoken them. That was WAY over the top. But she was sick, and scared beyond belief, and that was such a foreign feeling - she preferred feeling the anger. Except... pushing away the only guy who could help was really stupid. Damn it! And after everything with her mama they were at the point where she didn¡¯t think she had any more tears left to shed...


    Frank cleared his throat. "I''m sorry, Carrie. Truly I am. I did find a couple of sturdy twigs and some dry wood before I fell. How about we at least pick it back up and return to the lake?"


    Carrie bit her lower lip, stifling another sneeze. She couldn¡¯t apologize, not again - he knew she hadn¡¯t meant it, right? He had to know. "It¡¯s fine. I have no intention of dying here, Frank,¡± she asserted.


    "I know. Let''s go back to the device." Frank struggled to stand up again, succeeding by favouring his right leg.


    Carrie wondered what more she should or could say. Nothing came to mind. She would control her anger from now on, maybe that would be enough. She offered Frank a hand and supported him as best as she could they struggled back up the slope.


    ***


    "This is so goddamn pointless!" Carrie cried out, throwing aside Frank''s swiss army knife.


    "We''re managing okay," Frank said reassuringly.


    ¡°Oh, shut-- Frank, stop with the platitudes,¡± Carrie revised. Forcing herself to speak calmly, she began to count off on her fingers. ¡°I have a headache, and a runny nose, and I¡¯m possibly getting a temperature, and I¡¯m hungry, and tired and goddamn it, you¡¯re no better off, so why am I complaining to you?¡± She collapsed at that, putting her head between her knees. ¡°It¡¯s been over a DAY, and we¡¯re no further ahead.¡±


    Frank rubbed his temples. He was getting used to Carrie''s outbursts of emotionalism. They weren''t a bad thing, actually. Sometimes she could spot a futile effort early on, be it in time machine reparation or the poor shelter construction methods they had been attempting.


    If only she was a bit more attentive and could verbalize things in a nicer way... but even there Frank was starting to realize something. Carrie wasn''t especially shallow or prone to violent outbursts. It was more that she preferred keeping a particular distance from people. Which translated into lashing out.


    Was she even aware of it? He wondered why that was the case, and whether this experience was giving him any insight into her fourteen year old counterpart - his classmate.


    Aloud, all he said was, ¡°It''s clouding over anyway, maybe it''s time for a break."This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ***


    Carrie let out a grumbling noise. There he was, acting all calm and congenial again. Saying nice things for no discernible reason, offering help without expecting any favours in return. How incredibly naive. The real world didn''t work that way - being pleasant for the sake of being pleasant only made you into an easy target. Or into a tool that could be exploited.


    Under normal circumstances Carrie would personally show Frank the error of his ways... yet right now she was finding this quality of his oddly enviable. Of course, unlike her, he hadn¡¯t spent a couple years in high school yet. She wondered absently whether the Frank of her time period had really managed to maintain this same outlook on life.


    "I don''t know if a break will help," Carrie said with a sigh and a cough. She lifted her head. "We can¡¯t break into the device¡¯s silver coin box. I¡¯ve tried prying at the exterior slot with your knife, jimmying it with your bank card, we¡¯ve dismantled your mini camera for parts to try and activate circuitry, we¡¯ve even fed a whittled down wooden coin into the thing... dammit, I''m ready to just throw it into the fire we made!"


    She took in a deep breath. ¡°You were wrong. We should have struck out for civilization this morning. We''re getting nowhere."


    ¡°Again, even assuming I could walk well, we have no idea which direction to go," Frank reminded her as he squinted back at the machine through his broken glasses. ¡°Plus we ARE further along - I believe we''ve managed to readjust the time machine''s month and day. Since we¡¯re already in the correct year, we merely need to TRIGGER the thing."


    Carrie pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Yeah. That''s what you said three hours ago," she murmured.


    ***


    Frank looked back over in her direction and saw Carrie¡¯s eyes starting to brim with tears. He was surprised it had taken this long - he¡¯d cried a bit last night himself, after she¡¯d fallen asleep. No need to be brave for the both of them if she was unconscious, right?


    For that matter, Frank wasn¡¯t certain if his continued desire to project reassurance was due more to male stereotypes, or the curious temporal situation that seemed to have put her life in greater danger than his own. Since his future still existed in her past.


    ¡°I hurt, Frank," Carrie confessed at last. ¡°Physically, mentally, emotionally - I''m not thinking straight any more. A lot of what you¡¯re saying has started to go in one ear and out the other. Worse, those are storm clouds moving in, meaning it''s going to rain. I... I''m tired. Maybe... maybe we saved my mother in the past, so now we''re being punished. Maybe there''s no way out of this for me. Her life for my life. I should have expected as much."


    Frank pursed his lips. Carrie was sounding so serious it was scary. ¡°You told me yesterday you had no intention of dying."


    "I don''t. But maybe it¡¯s not my decision. Maybe you can''t fight fate. I can''t recall the last time I felt so helpless - unless it''s when I finally realized my mama wasn''t coming back. Which is probably not a coincidence.¡± Carrie lowered her head again, coughing and sniffling at the same time. "God, why is everything coming back to her now... and why is this damn cold making my eyes water so damn much."


    Frank paused before reaching out to gently place a hand on Carrie''s shoulder. She didn¡¯t shrug him off. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing," he said. "I survive another two years relative to you, right? And I''m NOT going to leave you behind. So we must both get out of this somehow! Yeah?¡± He ventured a smile.


    "You say that now," Carrie fired back despondently without even looking up. "But I¡¯ve been thinking on that. If my mother¡¯s alive in the present, and I don¡¯t remember it, I may have changed history by picking you up too. All we¡¯ve got to point to your survival is my swan - which could have been broken by someone ELSE originally, right? Meaning I¡¯m changing everything, and my memory is wrong. So my curiosity and headstrong attitude will ultimately kill us BOTH."


    Frank felt like someone had punched him in the gut. ¡°Um. Okay, interesting theory,¡± he yielded, dropping his arm back to his side.


    Carrie winced. "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have said it aloud," she sighed. "Maybe there was some hope in what you said.¡±


    "Maybe," Frank said dubiously. He really didn¡¯t want to think too hard about this though. Because her logic seemed sound. He really would need to do more time travel research. Assuming they ever got out of here.


    Was there any way he could spin this, to keep her from giving up hope? To now keep HIMSELF from giving up hope?


    ¡°Okay, on the bright side,¡± Frank suggested, ¡°the berries we''ve been eating haven''t been poisonous and no wild animals have attacked us. So it¡¯s not like time is actively trying to kill us, it¡¯s all been pretty passive-aggressive.¡±


    Carrie laughed at that, though her laugh was hollow. "Don''t say it like that. You''ll jinx us," she chided. She then slugged him in the arm, but without much force behind the blow. He wondered if that was intentional, or merely due to a lack of energy.


    Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance.


    Then the unthinkable happened.

 Part 6b: Welcome Change 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.1 - Of The Device


    PART 6b: WELCOME CHANGE 2


    ¡°Did you hear that?" Carrie inquired, snapping her head to the left.


    "What?" Frank inquired, blinking nervously. "I was only kidding about wild animals..."


    "No, shhh! I thought I heard a person!" The two teenagers both stopped and sat, listening, Carrie straining her ears. ''Please tell me that wasn''t a hallucination,'' she thought desperately to herself. ''Please, please... if... if we get out of this alive, I swear I''ll pay more attention to the things I do and say with respect to time and space and people and everything, okay? I mean, I¡¯m not going to become a good little girl overnight, but I WILL try! Okay? So please... please let there be someone--''


    There was the sound of a deep laugh, which Carrie judged to be less than a kilometre away.


    "Check it out," Frank breathed, eyes wide.


    Carrie was already on her feet, running with whatever energy she had left, trying to home in on the new sound. She stumbled and almost fell, forcing herself to slow down. The sky was starting to become even more overcast, so it was getting harder to see in the underbrush.


    "Hello?" she called out, the action sending her into a brief coughing fit. The sounds were closer. Two, maybe three people. People. Oh God, they had been saved, saved... "Helllloooo?" Carrie called out again, desperately.


    There was a pause in whatever discussion had been going on. "Hello?" came a reply at least. "Who''s out there?"


    Carrie didn''t waste her breath replying, she sprinted the remaining distance to emerge in a small clearing. There were three men there, along with two canoes and what looked like a bunch of camping equipment. They were setting out a large tarp.


    "Oh God... oh thank God... help, you''ve got to help us," Carrie gasped out, falling to her knees.


    The others stared at her. It dawned on Carrie for the first time what a sight she must present after recent events. She hadn¡¯t even bathed this morning. "Who''s ''us''?" one of the men inquired in bewilderment.


    "Me and a friend of mine," Carrie replied. "He needs some medical attention, actually, we both do, so how did you get in here, and can we get back out the same way??¡±


    The second guy lifted his arm, pointing away from the lake. ¡°We¡¯ve been hiking our way in since this morning," he stated. Inwardly, Carrie shuddered. That meant they probably wouldn¡¯t get out by tonight, certainly not before the rain. However, she reminded herself, these guys had a tarp here, and supplies. There was hope. "But... who are you? How did you get out here??" the guy continued.


    Carrie opened her mouth to respond. Before she could, the last man, standing the furthest away, stepped forwards, saying, "I have what you need.¡± He tossed something small at her. Carrie caught it out of reflex and peered down at it in confusion. It was a nickel.


    "What?" she asked. "I need this??¡±


    "Yes. Use it to get back home almost immediately. Avoid the rain that way."


    The other two guys laughed. "What, she gonna call someone?" the first man inquired, seemingly asserting himself as the leader of the group. "Come on buddy, we said we didn''t mind you coming along, but don''t start acting crazy, okay?"


    The second man made a comment also, but Carrie didn''t catch it. She''d noticed the date on the coin. It was from this year. Frank¡¯s present. It wasn''t a quarter, but could they use... did he mean... Her head snapped back up. "You know?" she asked in shock.


    The man who had tossed her the nickel turned away. She couldn¡¯t pick out his features, as the hood of his jacket was up. But his voice was still audible. "I suspected. Look, it''s yours now. Do what you will with it. Just guard it. Don''t let anyone take it away from you."


    "Why? Who are you?" Carrie gasped, stepping forwards. He did not speak again. "Who ARE you?" Carrie repeated, reaching out to grab him by the shoulder ¨C only to be seized by a sudden coughing fit, forcing her to double over.


    "Whoa girlie, easy there," said the person she''d conjectured as the leader, as he bent down next to her. "Don''t mind whatzizname, he''s just tagging along with us because he doesn¡¯t know the trails. Guy seems a bit loopy if you ask me, I wouldn''t worry about guarding his loose change.¡±


    He patted her on the back. ¡°You said you have a friend out there, some way we can help the two of you? Can always cut our canoe trip short, particularly if the weather forecast isn¡¯t going to hold up. After all, you''re looking pretty pale..."


    Carrie heaved in a deep breath. "I''ll be fine. Once THIS guy gives me some answers," she retorted, standing up straight again. She tried to summon up enough strength for a good rant.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "You''re not ready for answers," the figure responded. "All in good... time." A lightning strike lit up the whole area a split second before he spun.


    Carrie found herself reflexively taking a step back, as with the hood, his posture did look rather foreboding. He immediately spoke again, with an unexpected edge to his tone. "Now run," he stated. "Fast. Get back to where you belong."


    The heavens opened up and the rain began to pour down.


    ***


    ''Why the hell am I running?'' Carrie asked herself. She wasn''t the type to simply obey anyone like that, let alone a stranger. Of course, she was hardly at her best right now... yet the way that mysterious guy had spoken to her, it had seemed so insistent.


    A branch whacked her in the forehead. Carrie pushed it aside and kept on going. She decided it would be futile to turn back at this point. She was cold, wet and miserable with the rain literally pounding down around her, and moreover it sounded like one of the other well-meaning campers was calling out to her for an explanation. An explanation she couldn''t provide.


    So let Mr. Enigmatic deal with him. Carrie decided she would be able to think more clearly about things in retrospect.


    When Carrie arrived back at the place where she''d left Frank, she found him huddling with the device under the makeshift shelter they had constructed last night. He glanced up hopefully at her approach, looking about as awful as she felt.


    "Well?" he inquired, raising his voice to be heard over the thunder and the driving rain.


    "Well... we''re getting out of here," Carrie stated, producing the nickel as she collapsed down next to him.


    Frank blinked. "What? I... I don''t understand."


    "I don''t either," Carrie admitted. She shoved the coin into the slot on the time machine. There was a rewarding humming noise. "For now, just grab the lever and pull with me. I think..." She paused to cough, then attempted a smile. "I think we''re going back to your present!" Frank needed no second urging.


    ***


    To Carrie, the feeling of being sucked into some sort of void was becoming familiar. And then the rain and thunder and lightning were all gone.


    Carrie blinked her eyes open and looked around. At first she saw only trees, which gave her a second of panic, before she realized that they were simply part of the ravine which bordered her house and the park. They¡¯d made it back! At least geographically. The time being either early morning, or late evening, according to the amount of available sunlight.


    "It¡¯s Saturday again," came Frank''s awed voice beside her. She turned to meet his gaze, as he looked up from the device. ¡°My Saturday. We did it, Carrie. We survived."


    Carrie felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Civilization. Thank Gah-ah-CHOO!" she responded, unable to stifle another sneeze.


    "Bless you," murmured Frank.


    "Thanks.¡± Carrie hesitated, then offered Frank a wan smile. "For everything." Before she was completely aware of it happening, one of them had initiated a quick hug.


    ***


    Two hours later found Carrie attempting to tighten the belt she was wearing. She and Frank had returned to his place, at which point Frank had retrieved his spare glasses, tidied himself up marginally, reset the time machine, and then had his mother take him to the hospital to have his arm and head looked at ¨C claiming he¡¯d fallen while in the ravine.


    Carrie knew she couldn''t go to the hospital herself, not in this time period, it would raise FAR too many questions. But aside from a few scrapes, her troubles were mainly flu related. So she was off to HER present, having found two quarters from her year of departure in her shoulder purse, which had been left down in Frank¡¯s basement.


    As Frank had tidied himself, there had been some brief discussion between them as to whether the time machine was still functional, because it seemed to be giving off the aroma of burned wood and pine needles. No doubt due to their improvisations.


    Frank had offered to take more time to check it out, but Carrie had countered with, ¡°As long as nothing''s visibly broken inside, go and get that arm looked at. Before I injure your other one."


    Once Frank and his mother had left (Carrie hiding in the basement), she taken the opportunity to tidy up a bit herself, and change out of her wet, dirty clothes, borrowing some old ones belonging to Frank''s mother. It felt prudent. On the off chance she turned up in her present, but in, well... who knew? Nome, Alaska? The only thing was, the pants were a bit big.


    A sudden coughing fit reminded her that her health was still up for debate. Carrie finally gave up on the belt. She went to the time machine, brushing her hair back off her shoulders. ¡°Right. Here goes nothing then," Carrie murmured. One of the coins had already been dropped inside. She wiggled her fingers, then before she could change her mind, yanked down on the lever.


    The sensations were now almost routine. Carrie didn''t even think she lost consciousness this time, but the disorientation was still tricky to work through. For a moment she wondered if she''d gone blind, only to realize that she was back in the familiar park, and it was merely dark out.


    ''Why the park again?'', she wondered. She looked down at the device. She¡¯d undershot by a day ¨C they¡¯d aimed for Friday, but it was still Thursday, the day of her departure. Would she have to lie low for twenty four hours?


    That¡¯s when a scream cut through the air, accompanied by a brief burst of light, originating down in the ravine. Something about it felt disturbingly familiar. Immediately on her feet and hefting the time machine, Carrie hurried to investigate. "Hello? Who''s there?" she called out, starting down the familiar path to her house. "Who''s--"


    She stopped. Hold on. A scream, a light, a sound effect... that had been HER, hadn''t it. Her leaving on her first trip! Which meant it was late evening, and she''d only just managed to beat herself back before leaving in the first place. Could it have been possible for her to prevent her own departure?


    Carrie''s head started to throb, and not merely because of that particular train of thought. She felt incredibly weak and tired. If that really had been her, her bed should be vacant now. Either way, she needed to lie down, and she decided she might as well do so in her room rather than some emergency room, which would only invite more damn questions. She had enough questions to deal with herself right now, chief among them where the time machine had come from initially, and who that mysterious figure in the woods had been two years ago.


    Carrie made her way back through the ravine. Then, using the familiar tree in her backyard, she slowly pulled herself up to her window and crawled into her room. She stowed the time device under her bed, then collapsed on top of her sheets.


    Asleep practically as soon as her head hit the pillow, Carrie didn''t wake up until the next morning... when her window re-opened and a future incarnation of herself also crawled into her room.

 Part 7a: Group Chemistry

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.2 - Of Her Peers


    PART 7a: GROUP CHEMISTRY 1


    "Frank Dijora was looking at you again during math class today," Julie LaMille remarked to Carrie as the blonde sat down next to her on the cafeteria bench.


    "Of all the nerve!" Carrie huffed in reply. ¡°That geek is really starting to unnerve me this week, Julie - and it¡¯s only Thursday! I mean, he''s never struck me as normal, but spying on my house from the ravine three times now? It¡¯s almost like I''m being stalked.¡±


    Julie brushed some of her long, naturally curly brown hair off her shoulder as she leaned an elbow on the table. While her hair was not as long as Carrie¡¯s, it still stretched partway down her back. "And you can''t figure out why he''s doing it? No one putting him up to it, and you''ve never led him on or anything?¡±


    ¡°Ha! He wishes!" Carrie snorted, absently stirring the cafeteria food around on her plate. "Trust me, I have no use for the biggest mental weirdo in school. He''s so straight I bet he wouldn¡¯t even use last year¡¯s math evaluations to study for our test tomorrow."


    "Indeed." Julie tapped her chin. "And if you saw him in the ravine last night, he obviously didn''t heed your warning for him to mind his own business." The corners of her mouth turned up. "I''d say he''s crossed the line. Wouldn''t you agree?"


    Carrie blinked curiously for a moment, until she realized where Julie was going with that. "Oh! Definitely. First time anyone''s done that this term, isn''t it," she said, smiling. "Have anything in mind? Booby trap his locker? Hold his notes hostage? Public humiliation?"


    Julie reached into her sweater vest and pulled her little black book out of a concealed pocket in her blouse. "We''re in grade 11 now. We should think bigger," she mused, quickly scanning through it. "Looks like Frank Dijora''s in charge of the chemicals in the lab this week. We can make a strike against him there."


    "In charge of the chemicals? Wait, how do you know that?" Carrie asked. "You''re not part of any chemistry club. Uh, are you?"


    "No, but Sue is," Julie stated offhandedly, tucking her book away again and pressing the tips of her fingers together. "She still reports to me, you know.¡±


    Carrie nodded. "Of course. What''s the plan then?"


    "Leave it to me," the brunette said airily. "I''ll work out the rest of the details tonight. Tomorrow, Frank will end up in a bit of trouble with his teachers and classmates, and we''ll have sent a stronger hint that he should back off. Before the weekend, I''m sure he''ll have seen reason."


    Carrie began to absently twirl some hair around her finger. ¡°Right. But, chemicals? This sounds a tad more dangerous than what we''ve done in the past," she pointed out to her friend.


    "Oh, don''t worry, no one will get hurt," Julie assured. ¡°I¡¯ll see to that. It¡¯s about time we made a stronger example of someone is all. By the way, Kevin should be coming to the party tonight."


    "Really? Great!" Carrie declared, pushing her concerns back out of her mind. "You think if I flash him a little leg and a smile, I can con a free dinner out of him after the football game tomorrow?"


    Julie smiled as she sipped at her milk. "I thought that a likely possibility. You know me, always looking out for my friends."


    "At least he''s known to have decent taste in food. That wrestler a few months ago had about as much culinary taste as our school cafeteria," Carrie said, looking down at the soupy mixture on her plate once more. She finally grabbed her apple instead. "I think my new head cheerleader status will net me a higher class of dates this term too," she added, taking a bite.


    "Perhaps. After all, recognition and status do a lot for a person.¡±


    "MmmHmm," Carrie agreed. She swallowed. "Though it''s almost a shame, once you hit the top of the status ladder there''s nowhere left to go."You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Julie lifted up her glass by the rim, swirling the milk around slightly. "I wouldn''t be so sure of that," she murmured.


    "Pardon?"


    "Never mind. Nothing you need to worry about," Julie finished, smiling serenely before downing the remainder of her drink.


    ***


    "Is it Friday morning?"


    Carrie peered out from under her blankets. "Oh boy," she mumbled in reply to her own comment.


    Of course, she wasn''t exactly talking to herself... she was talking to some future version of herself. A future version who had just crawled in through her bedroom window. Carrie really didn''t feel like dealing with this right now. Honestly, after all the time travel she¡¯d been subjected to, culminating in being lost somewhere in the woods to catch the flu - why had this version come back to NOW?


    For her part, the newly arrived Carrie simply dropped her time machine on the ground and pursed her lips. "Yes, of course it is, this is how things are supposed to go. And you don''t feel like dealing with this right now, I know," she continued. "But we''ve got to prove a point to Frank."


    Carrie rubbed her eyes and tried to refocus on her counterpart. "Frank? Why? When?" she croaked out, discovering that her throat hurt.


    "Nothing you need to worry about yet," the time shifting Carrie replied, along with a cough of her own. "Suffice to say I''m taking your place at school today. You stay here and be sick and don''t let dad know."


    "Hnuh. You don''t sound completely healthy yet yourself," the Carrie in her proper time argued.


    "Well, it''s only Sunday morning for me," Carrie admitted.


    "So why come back now then?" Carrie rasped, wincing slightly as she hauled herself upright and out of bed. "What''s wrong?¡±


    A mildly irritated look flickered across the other Carrie¡¯s face. "Was I really this inquisitive? I hope not. Would be more proof against Frank''s claims."


    Carrie leaned against her desk for support, wondering how to even address a future version of herself. ¡°Damn it, what are you talking about? WHAT is he claiming??"


    "I think I was," Carrie grumbled, brushing an errant strand of hair back off her ear. Her flu-ridden double opened her mouth to say something else, but Carrie quickly cut herself off. "Frank has these notions about time travel, and in particular about the possibility of changing the past," she elaborated. "He''ll be able to explain better and in more detail I''m sure. Suffice to say, I''m here to change the past to show that it can be done."


    "Huh?" Carrie¡¯s head was starting to throb again. "What part of the past? Why now?"


    ¡°Oh, think, prior me! This is the most convenient time and place for a demonstration,¡± Carrie stated brusquely.


    ¡°But WHY--" She stopped. As the two Carries linked eyes, the present Carrie incarnation saw the pain in the eyes of her future counterpart. And she immediately knew what was at the heart of this discussion. "Mama...?"


    The time traveling Carrie bit her lip and turned away. "She''s... she''s still gone. Our trip to the airport changed nothing." Carrie clenched her fists. ¡°So we''re going to show Frank that regardless of his theories, we CAN rewrite parts of history!"


    ***


    One of the main problems with time travel, future Carrie reasoned as she biked to school, will be the way I keep bumping into myself. That had been awkward. Worse, the conversation with the prior version of herself had felt too familiar, lending more credence to Frank''s theory. After all, if everything was proceeding as Carrie remembered it happening, this must be the way things had happened two days ago.


    So could she conceivably change the way things had been if they were already unfolding as they had the first time?


    ''I''m not going to let this drive me crazy,'' Carrie decided as she brought her bike to a stop outside the school. After all, there was probably some truth to Frank''s theories - or why else would he be thinking them - but surely things weren''t as quite as fixed as he thought. That was what she was here to prove. Dismounting, Carrie proceeded to lock her bike up to the rack.


    "Carrie! Where were you last night??" came a mildly irate voice behind her. She turned to see Julie striding towards her.


    "Last night?" Carrie said in puzzlement.


    Julie stared. "The party? My place? Kevin? Any of this sinking in? You were expected to make an appearance!"


    "The party! My God, I completely--" Carrie cut off the rest of that phrase. Forget about Julie''s party? She''d be declared insane. "--wasn''t... feeling well," she amended, coughing to illustrate. The coughing still came far too easily.


    "Oh. You are looking a bit under the weather," Julie admitted, looking at her a bit more closely. "You seemed fine yesterday though, what happened?"


    "Oh, probably some 24 hour flu, it won''t last," Carrie replied noncommittally. Except, she knew she would spend most of Friday and Saturday in bed. "...any longer than a couple days," she hastily added. Should she consider travelling back a day to go to Julie¡¯s party, to negate this conversation? No, things were already complicated enough.


    Julie frowned. "You sure you''re all right?"


    "Oh, yes, certainly." Actually, now was the perfect time to make her little change to the past. "In fact, I was thinking about something we were saying last Thur-- euh, yesterday." Damn it. Restart. "Julie, remember talking about Frank yesterday, and how we should do something about him crossing the line?"


    "Yes. What about it?" Julie inquired, giving her friend another funny look.


    "Well," Carrie said slowly, testing the situation, "Have you done much with that yet? I mean, could we maybe hold off on things until Monday?"


    Julie raised her eyebrows in reply. "I don''t know that I''m well enough to enjoy whatever it is today, you see," Carrie continued, letting out another cough for explanation. Only belatedly remembering she¡¯d just said she was all right.

 Part 7b: Group Chemistry 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.2 - Of Her Peers


    PART 7b: GROUP CHEMISTRY 2


    Julie took Carrie''s arm and quickly led her away from the bike stand as another person rode up. "I''m questioning how well you feel myself," she remarked, lowering her voice. ¡°Regardless, no, we can''t postpone this. Frank is only in charge of the chemical cupboard this week. Plus I already called in a favour from Joe. Why, do you really want Frank to continue stalking you all through the weekend?"


    "Oh! Well, no. But... okay, about the chemicals, what exactly do you have planned?" Carrie said. She now wondered if she maybe shouldn''t have been in such a rush to execute her plan. Retrieving more details from Frank before departing would have been helpful.


    "Carrie, I assured you no one would get hurt," Julie reminded, tossing some hair back over her shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about, it''s just a slightly more elaborate prank than usual."


    "But... I''m curious. You know me," Carrie pressed, trying to keep her tone nonchalant.


    Julie narrowed her eyes slightly, peering back at Carrie for another couple of moments. Finally she shrugged, then glanced left and right. "Oh, very well, it does concern you after all."


    She smiled proudly. "See, Joe Drew''s also in Frank''s chem class and he happens to know which chemicals they''re going to need for an experiment today. I gave him a key to the lab''s storage cupboard and told him to mix the labels around a little bit ¨C nothing dangerous obviously, they never let students handle dangerous stuff. But enough to make Frank look stupid, or at least careless. We then drop a hint Frank''s way as to the reason behind the mixup, and if he''s as smart as he seems I don''t think he''ll push the point with you any more."


    Carrie processed that. "So... you have a key to the chemical storage cupboard? When did you get that?" she asked in confusion.


    "Sue was in charge of it last week. I got a copy from her," Julie stated with a shrug. Carrie stared back at her friend. "Oh, come on Carrie, don''t look so surprised!" Julie chided. "Haven''t I always told you good things will come our way?


    ¡°When we were mere Grade 9 students, all we could do was make ourselves known with the freshmen and gain respect from our elders. It wasn''t until last year that we started to ascend the status ladder, picking up the bright followers who could sense which way the tide was turning. It''s THIS year that we''ll really start getting into the good stuff! At last we''re in a position to take much firmer control of what''s going on in school,¡± Julie concluded, punctuating her final remark by clenching her fist and pulling it down dramatically.


    "But... Julie, you''re part of the richest family in the area," Carrie pointed out. "If you want more control over what goes on in school, you could have your parents put a word in."


    Julie frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Not as satisfying," she mumbled in reply.


    Carrie blinked. "It''s more satisfying to forge keys?"


    "I didn''t forge keys!" Julie said haughtily. "As a member of the student council executive, I merely suggested to Sue that it might be a good idea to have an additional set of keys made for times of emergency. Moreover, that I should keep track of them so that they don''t fall into the wrong hands. Sue agreed. I may even get around to telling the rest of council about it eventually."


    Carrie felt her head starting to spin. Had Julie''s schemes always had such a complex basis? "And what''s the deal with Joe?"


    "Joe wanted to be the captain of the chess club. And oddballs like Frank notwithstanding, I do have certain connections within the geek faction and can pull some strings... but why are you suddenly so concerned about this anyway??" Julie demanded, starting to tap her foot. "After all, we''re in the clear and everyone gets what''s coming to them, same as always. That¡¯s what you care about, right?¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "Oh, well, sure,¡± Carrie asserted. She supposed that she hadn''t ever bothered paying close attention to Julie''s methods, so there was no way of knowing if this was a recent Grade 11 thing or not. Come to think, why wasn¡¯t she simply explaining to Julie about the time machine?


    Well... that could involve mentioning more about her mother than she''d care to - even Julie didn¡¯t know about the Bermuda Triangle - plus something about Julie having knowledge of the machine bothered Carrie on a subconscious level.


    Dissuading or even stalling her friend was turning out to be harder than Carrie had anticipated though. "But... you''re sure Frank can''t point the finger back at us when he learns who engineered it? This seems risky," Carrie ventured.


    Julie sniffed. "Hardly. Really Carrie, I thought you had more faith. In over two years at school here, have we ever been fingered for anything disreputable? There''s never concrete proof of our involvement. Even if Frank tries, I dare say the teachers wouldn''t be any more inclined to believe him over me. Wouldn''t you agree?"


    "Eruh..." Carrie floundered. Julie had thought everything out remarkably well! But... wait, Carrie didn''t have to delay things to prove her point about time travel. She could get away with changing the circumstances. "In that case, here''s another idea! How about instead of switching chemical jars, we actually remove one or two of them!¡± Carrie proposed.


    One of Julie''s eyebrows shot up high onto her forehead. "What, THEFT?¡±


    "Well..." Carrie paused, trying to think of exactly how to incorporate this. There had to be a way.


    Julie cut into her thoughts. ¡°I admire the audacity," the brunette acknowledged. "But no good. Switching, while irresponsible, is subtle and explainable as Frank being distracted. Theft would take a bit more doing... and is a rather drastic first step, even given the geek¡¯s attitude towards you.¡±


    The first bell rang signifying five minutes until the start of classes. "Okay, wait, I... I don''t necessarily mean theft outright," Carrie attempted to explain, the plan coming together in her mind.


    "Tell me at lunch then," Julie stated. "Chemistry isn''t until fourth period and we shouldn''t be late for our homeroom math test."


    "But..." Carrie froze. "Math test?"


    Julie frowned again. "Carrie, maybe you should think about seeing a doctor. Seriously. You''re acting awful weird today."


    ''I certainly wouldn''t mind getting out of here - AND out of the math test,'' Carrie sighed to herself. ''But now I have to make sure I''m around to talk to Julie at lunch. Agh!''


    "I... I''ll be fine. Let''s go," Carrie stated rubbing her forehead.


    ***


    It was worse than she''d imagined. These upper level math tests were hard enough when you actually spent time going over your notes. By Carrie''s perspective, she hadn''t looked at function notation for several days. This did not bode well: her B- average could well slip into the C range. All because she''d come here to change time as an example for Frank.


    Carrie glanced over briefly at his seat to see him writing. She wondered if he had any clue as to what was in store for him that afternoon. Probably not, if he was still anything like the boy she¡¯d spent time with two years ago.


    Looking back at her test paper in annoyance, Carrie doodled a couple of figures onto her page. The way things were going, Frank might still get in trouble for something today too. Honestly, that alone was starting to bother her, which in turn annoyed her even more. After all, back in the woods, she had resolved to pay more attention to the things she did, right? And it wasn¡¯t Frank¡¯s fault that she¡¯d interfered in his past, indirectly making him more interested in her at this point in time.


    Carrie stopped, gripping her pencil harder. Wait a minute. At this point in time, Frank had NO IDEA what was going to happen to him today... so would he realize when she changed things? All she''d confirmed in the future (that was, her present) was that something weird had happened during chemistry class. And now she was no longer postponing it.


    So would Frank remember what had originally happened in Julie¡¯s plan as well as Carrie¡¯s change? Or was there a chance he''d only remember Carrie¡¯s change and think she was lying about Julie¡¯s original plan?


    Carrie''s mouth went dry. Damn, this time travelling was becoming a lot more complicated than it had any right to be. She looked back over at Frank''s desk again. He was looking back at her.


    She froze up again, and for the first time that year at school, their gazes locked together for several seconds. He seemed uncertain. Ultimately, Carrie pulled her head back down to her test paper, feeling embarrassed over having been caught. She''d better concentrate on the test now, and figure out the time stuff next period. There had to be a way to ensure that she had proof for him!


    At the back of the class, the only observer of the brief interchange between Frank and Carrie was a young asian girl. She had relatively short hair, though it was long enough to be pulled back into two small ponytails.


    Their classmate blinked a couple of times in surprise, looking from Frank to Carrie and back. She then shook her head slightly, and returned attention to her own test paper. Less than thirty seconds later, three more of her math problems had been solved without so much as a glance at her calculator.

 Part 8a: Sound The Alarm

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.2 - Of Her Peers


    PART 8a: SOUND THE ALARM 1


    "You''re late today," Julie remarked to Carrie as the blonde sat down next to her on the cafeteria bench.


    "There was someone I needed to talk to," Carrie answered slowly. She felt her heart beating a bit faster in her chest. What she was doing here was... well, practically treasonous. If Julie found out that she had a miniature recorder running in her shoulder bag there would be hell to pay.


    But it would be the proof. For Frank. Of the change to his past. She''d just acquired the device from the audio-visual lab by way of Bill... Julie not being the only one at school with a circle of personal ''admirers''. Of course, Carrie usually didn''t bother to exercise any aspect of her control unless she (or Julie for that matter) felt like it would gain them something.


    "Was it to do with the game tonight?" Julie mused in response, before popping the last of her sandwich into her mouth.


    "The game?"


    Julie swallowed. "Okay Carrie, seriously, what day ARE you living today?"


    Carrie bit down on her tongue. Football game, right, she was supposed to cheerlead for that after school... except she really didn''t want to hang around in this time period longer than she had to. Things were already dragging on longer than expected.


    "Just kidding," Carrie said, glossing over the prior remark before lowering her voice slightly. "Actually, I''m still thinking about the chemical lab switch."


    "Oh. That again," Julie sighed, pursing her lips.


    Carrie nodded. "Yes. You wanted to switch the labels on some of the containers, to get Frank in trouble?"


    "We''ve been over this. That''s what''s going to happen."


    "Okay, but try this idea instead. Some of the chemicals go missing from the cabinet - and turn up elsewhere in the lab! Still pretty irresponsible, isn''t it?" Carrie proposed, hoping her recorder was getting all of this.


    "Not as credible," Julie said, gesturing dismissively. "Anyway, moot point, the lab''s empty right now and Joe''s already fiddling with things as we speak. If you''d wanted to propose something different you should have talked to me back at the start of lunch."


    "What??" Carrie¡¯s subsequent cough nearly sent her into a choking fit. Her head spun briefly; she might need to lie down when this was all over.


    "Problem?" Julie inquired.


    "Ah, n-no... that is..." Carrie coughed again and fumbled for her glass of water to gain time to think. Well, this had taken another turn for the worse. Could she now no longer postpone OR change the situation?! She forced her brain to kick into high gear.


    Okay... she could still alter the outcome. That is, keep the truth about the chemicals from being discovered today, or even keep Frank from being blamed outright. Though she''d have to figure out how to do that without provoking a lot of questions from Julie.


    "Look," Carrie''s companion spoke up again. "How about we stick to me handling the details on stuff, okay? At least today, since you don¡¯t seem to be on top of your game.¡±


    "Ah, sure," Carrie responded, thinking furiously. "So... how was the party last night then?" she continued as a way of changing the subject and making small talk.


    Julie launched into a mildly elaborate description, which Carrie listened to with half an ear. Of more concern now was how she''d manage this new alteration idea... in order to be sure, maybe she should attack the outcome from several angles at once? She stifled a sigh, hoping Frank would appreciate what she was doing here. At this point, he''d better.


    ***


    "Mr. Fisk, call the office please, Mr. Fisk," came the voice over the school''s public address system.


    A tall man grabbed the phone in the science office. "Fisk here."


    "Ah, Larry, we¡¯ve received a phone call from PARA Chemistry Supplies," stated the office worker. "They said something about a mixup in labels on some of the chemical containers which were sent in to us at the start of the year."


    "What? Which containers are those?"


    "They couldn''t be specific, they''re still following it up. At this point they''re contacting affected locations and indicating they''ll get back to us with more information when they know more."Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I see. Thank you very much then, keep me informed," the chemistry professor acknowledged with a grumble before hanging up.


    "Troubles?" mused one of his colleagues from behind her desk.


    "Possibly," sighed Larry Fisk. "This would come up when I have a class to teach in ten minutes. But we haven''t had any problems so far this term, and all the chemicals we''re using today are ones we¡¯ve used previously this September. I''m just going to go and verify that; left the lesson notes on my lab desk."


    His colleague acknowledged him with a nod before turning back to her paperwork. Then, about two minutes later, another announcement came on over the PA system, namely, "Would a member of the custodial staff please report to room 212, custodial member to room 212." Three minutes after that, Larry stormed back into the office.


    "I do NOT believe this!" the teacher announced to no one in particular.


    "More trouble?" his colleague asked, looking up once again.


    "Definitely," came the irate reply. "Not only can I no longer find my notes for today''s experiment, but someone left the water running in the sink. The drain was plugged, so now there''s a puddle on the classroom floor."


    Mr. Fisk began to quickly sift through the papers on his desk. "Fortunately I noticed in time, though there may be a delay in starting class. And I''ll have to do this lesson from memory, borrowing a copy of the experiment from one of the students. I REALLY hope this isn''t some juvenile prank. It''s getting to the point where we may have to lock up more than just the chemicals!"


    "Oh, come now... surely you don''t think this was deliberate? The sink wasn¡¯t on full blast or anything, was it?"


    "Well, no, no, but at the very least it''s irresponsible!" Larry retorted, picking up his course textbook and shaking it in his associate''s direction. "Thank goodness it''s almost the weekend. I tell you Maureen, if one more idiotic thing happens this afternoon, I''m really going to get upset!"


    ***


    It hadn''t worked. The water on the floor, the hidden notes, the faked call, none of it. Carrie swayed slightly on her feet from her position outside of Room 212; she was skipping her own afternoon class. Inside, she could hear Mr. Fisk requesting to borrow someone''s notes and giving no indication that he wasn''t going to proceed with their experiment of the day.


    How was it possible that things weren''t changing? Could Frank have been right? Could she not change the past? Had she now run out of time?


    "So, I''m going to provide a brief demonstration of what I want you to do," Mr. Fisk stated. "Frank, bring me the sodium bicarbonate from the cupboard."


    ''No, no, no, NO!'' Carrie thought to herself, clenching and unclenching her fists at her sides. ''It''s not supposed to happen this way! I have to be able to change things! I will NOT be denied this!!¡¯ A quick look showed that, other then her, the hallway was deserted. So, making a split second decision, Carrie dashed down the corridor, yanked down on the fire alarm, and ducked into the nearby washroom amid the loud clanging of bells.


    It occurred to her ten minutes later, as she crept out of the now empty lab room 212, that time traveling back a few hours to take another run at things might have been a more prudent course of action. On the bright side, there were no cameras in this area that might identify her as the one who had triggered the alarm and broken the lock on the chemical cabinet. On the down side, she felt unbelievably guilty at her actions.


    ***


    Julie leaned over the fence which enclosed both the track and the football field, observing the proceedings with a frown on her face. Not because their team was losing (although they were) but rather because Carrie was not out there, showing off with the rest of the cheerleaders. Her friend had been acting decidedly weird today... not to mention missing her party last night too. There had to be a reason.


    Julie began to drum her fingers idly on the fence. In just one day, Carrie had lost track of recent events, questioned Julie more than usual about her plans, shown up late for lunch and left early without an explanation, been one of the last students Julie had noticed departing the school after that big false fire alarm, and to top it off Carrie was now not taking the opportunity to flaunt her gymnastic abilities in front of an audience.


    Any one thing Julie would have been able to simply write off as her being sick, but taken together... it was decidedly weird! Then there was the fact that their plan against Frank had failed, completely wasting the favour by Joe. Did that relate at all?


    Part of the reason she had chosen Carrie as someone to hook up with two years ago was because she''d sensed in the girl a streak of self absorption and conceit. This, coupled with the fact that Carrie was good looking - enough to make any normal adolescent male turn their head - yet not so stupid as to hear an echo if you shouted into her ear, made her a perfect choice.


    Julie could do things Carrie wanted, and in turn Carrie was bright enough to do what Julie needed, so that they would both come out on top. But was it possible that Julie had been mistaken about Carrie''s egotism? Was Carrie now developing more of a conscience? Or was Julie merely being paranoid, given that the next few months could well be the pivotal ones?


    "Hey, Jewels!" came a voice from behind her. Julie didn''t even turn, as there was only one person who called her by that nickname.


    "Phil," she acknowledged curtly. Which, she reflected briefly, was also a nickname of sorts, despite being his name. After all, most people referred to Phil Clarke by his last name - as he preferred. But Julie was a special case; Clarke had indicated having some feelings for her last year, which had resulted in their current... ¡®relationship¡¯.


    In other words, a barely official hands-off one, Julie not allowing herself to succumb to rampant emotionalism. Still, Clarke was a refreshingly simple person at times, a quality she appreciated, and neither of them were currently seeing anyone else.


    "Troubles?" Clarke inquired as he reached her position.


    "I''m not sure," Julie admitted. There was a pause before she finally turned her head to look up at her blond classmate. Looking up being a necessity, as Clarke was one of the taller boys in class. But despite this, and his rebellious style of shoulder length hair, he looked a lot more imposing than he actually was.


    "Did Carrie strike you as being particularly... weird today?" the brunette asked.


    Clarke blinked back down at her. "Weird? I dunno. Yeah, I guess so, given how she looked and ran off and all that."


    "You mean the way she left the school grounds after the fire alarm went off?"


    "Huh? No, no, I never saw her then. Meant at lunch, in the drug store."

 Part 8b: Sound the Alarm 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.2 - Of Her Peers


    PART 8b: SOUND THE ALARM 2


    Julie stared at Clarke. "Carrie was in the drug store during lunch? What was she doing there?"


    The tall blond shrugged. "Buying cough medicine, far as I could see. I said ''hi'', she sort of blinked in my direction and then hurried away without speaking. Looked a sight worse than in homeroom too, guess the math test took lots out of her."


    "Really? That''s funny," Julie remarked, forehead creasing slightly. "Her condition seemed to have improved when we were talking in the cafeteria. What time did you see her?"


    "Time? Dunno... slightly after noon I guess. 12:15?"


    Julie shook her head. "That can''t be right, she was talking with me about then," Julie refuted. "And, athlete or not, even Carrie''s not fast enough to get from the school to the drugstore in mere minutes."


    "Yeah? But I''m pretty sure it''s right," Clarke countered, scratching his head. "Met up with some of the other guys from the basketball team about 12:30, so it couldn''t be later than that."


    "Phil, Carrie couldn''t be in two places at the same time," Julie explained patiently. "Are you sure it was her?"


    ¡°Pretty sure?" Clarke replied. "Looked like her, blonde hair with a blue hairband and all. Different shirt from the morning though. And I guess I was a few metres away, plus she ran off without acknowledging me. So maybe not.¡±


    Julie looked at Clarke for another couple seconds before turning her attention back to the game field. ¡°You think she''s got a long lost sister she''s never mentioned before?" Julie mused idly. Heck, if the person in school today hadn''t really been Carrie, it could explain the weirdness.


    "What, you mean twins like Laurie and Corry or something?" Clarke said in confusion.


    "I don''t know," Julie said, drumming her fingers on the fence again. She was reaching a bit now, wasn''t she. "Maybe I''m overreacting. But I have the feeling that there''s something going on here that I don''t know about. You know I don''t like that."


    "Yeah, well, you''ll figure it out eventually. You always do," Clarke reassured her. "I can even make inquiries if you like."


    "No, no," Julie said, gesturing dismissively. "After all, this could be nothing. I''ll handle it myself. Not a word of these suspicions getting back to Carrie though, all right?"


    Clarke shrugged. "Sure, Jewels. Any particular reason?"


    Julie pushed herself away from the fence, turning to lean back against it as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Because. If I''m wrong about there being something up with Carrie, I don''t want to have jeopardized what it is we have." Her eyes narrowed. "While if I''m right... well, if I''m right, I don''t want her to be prepared for my reaction."


    ***


    Frank walked up the street towards his house, rubbing his forehead with one hand. The day hadn''t gone how he''d expected. Then again, what had he expected? Carrie to run up to him before first period and ask for his help in learning more about the time machine? That wasn''t her style, and he knew it.


    Still, he''d figured on some reaction from her, after she presumably discovered that she still didn''t have a mother. Something more than just turning up at school as if everything was normal. Was it possible that Carrie was trying to forget all about the device and continue on with her life as if nothing had happened?Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Frank paused in his walking. Boy, he hoped that wasn''t the case. After two years of research, it would be nice to see it actually pay off somehow!


    Then again, Frank mused, as he continued on his way, Carrie pretending nothing had happened wasn¡¯t terribly likely either. And given the glance they had exchanged that morning in class, she now knew that he still knew about her trip, so they''d have to face off some time. Right? Though there had been something else in her expression, something Frank couldn''t quite put his finger on... something that had seemed out of place.


    He shook his head. Oh well. As he had conjectured yesterday, it was looking like any discussion between him and Carrie about the issues surrounding time travel might have to be initiated by him. Not something he was particularly looking forward to, but something he should do before Carrie got any wild ideas in her head. Perhaps this weekend.


    Walking up his driveway, Frank noticed his mother''s car was there. She must have gotten away from work early. "Hello?" Frank called out as he opened the door and dropped his bookbag by the stairs. "Mom?"


    His mother peered around the corner at the end of the hall. "Hello dear!" she said with a smile. "I''m starting on dinner. In the meantime, you have a guest waiting for you in the sitting room!"


    Frank blinked. Guest? He never had guests. The only person he could think of who might have come over would be Luci, to ask about math problems or something. "Hello?" Frank repeated, advancing forward a few steps to look into their living room. "What''s..." His voice trailed off in surprise.


    Frank''s guest stood there, a vexed look on her face. "I..." She cleared her throat and spun away from him to face the window. "You have to reset the damned device so that I can travel back to my present, this Sunday," Carrie stated crossly.


    ***


    At that moment, some blocks away, Carrie stumbled back into her bedroom and, almost as an afterthought, glanced underneath her bed. There was only one time machine there. Her double from the future must have picked up the second one at some point during the day.


    Who knows when though... could have been after her father went out, allowing her to shower and sneak down into the kitchen to make soup. Or while she''d been asleep that afternoon. Or perhaps it had been around lunchtime when she''d mustered up the strength to go out and buy cough syrup. She supposed it didn''t really matter. Though, crawling back into bed, Carrie decided she felt well enough now to really think things through without the thoughts making her head spin.


    It seemed like Frank would have some notions regarding how the past could change, which impacted on her attempt to save her mother. Hence Carrie herself would come back to change something at school and disprove his theories. Sensible enough. But what was it she had decided to change then? What had been due to happen at school on Friday?


    It would need to be something Frank would take notice of, and recognize as having been changed. So what was he likely to be involved with? The lightbulb clicked on. Wasn''t Friday the day that Julie was going to do something with chemicals to get Frank in trouble? As payback for his spying on her?


    Carrie winced slightly. Now knowing what she did, doing something that mean... it didn''t feel right. But this was perfect!


    When Carrie felt better, she''d travel back to sometime this morning, and get Julie to postpone - or even call off - the whole affair. Which, knowing Julie, might be more difficult to do than it sounded... but she could work out the details later. Nodding to herself, and letting out one more series of coughs, Carrie pulled the covers back up over her head to get some more rest.


    ***


    A short time later, a young asian girl with relatively short hair done up in two ponytails picked up her phone, dialed a number and waited for someone on the other end to pick up.


    "Hello, Mrs. Dijora? It''s Luci. I was just wondering, is Frank at home yet?¡± A pause, during which Luci raised one of her eyebrows slightly. "Oh, no, don''t bother him then. If I might ask though, who''s down in the lab with him?"


    Luci almost dropped her phone in shock. She quickly recovered. "Did this Carrie have a blue hairband on?" Another pause. "Oh, no, nothing''s wrong. I''ll call back later. No message." Luci hung up the phone, frowning. Then, after a minute of thought, she dialled another number.


    Two days later, early on Sunday morning, a girl with long naturally curly brown hair picked up her phone, dialed a number and waited for someone on the other end to pick up.


    "Hello, Mr. Waterson? It''s Julie. I was just wondering, is Carrie feeling better yet?¡± A pause, during which Julie raised one of her eyebrows slightly. "Oh, I just missed her? If I might ask then, do you know where she was headed?"


    Julie almost dropped her phone in shock. She quickly recovered. "You''re sure it was someone named Frank who called?" Another pause. "Oh, no, nothing''s wrong. I''ll call back later. No message." Julie hung up the phone, frowning. Then, after a minute of thought, she grabbed her bag and ran for the front door.

 Part 9a: Present Tense

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.2 - Of Her Peers


    PART 9a: PRESENT TENSE 1


    Carrie took a half step back as Frank opened the door. He looked... older. Which, she immediately reasoned, made perfect sense. The last time she''d spent any amount of time with him had been two years ago.


    Following that, she''d traveled forwards in time, and then spent Friday and Saturday in bed recovering from their experience in the woods. This meant that by her internal clock, he had aged two years in two days - certainly enough to fluster her momentarily.


    "Carrie!" Frank greeted with a hesitant smile. "I''m glad you agreed to come over."


    "Yes, well, you made it sound important on the phone." Carrie hefted the time machine at her side, glancing quickly around the area outside Frank''s house. "Perhaps we could talk inside? I am taking a bit of a social risk in coming here, and I trust we can get this business over with quickly."


    ***


    Frank stared. Get the intricacies of time travel over with quickly? He didn''t hold high hopes of that, but decided not to push the point just yet. At least she''d agreed to come. Letting Carrie in, they proceeded towards Frank''s lab in the basement, passing Frank''s mother in the hall.


    "Hello Carrie! Nice to see you again," Mrs. Dijora said with a smile. Carrie wheeled momentarily, opening her mouth in surprise but managing not to say anything until the both of them had retreated downstairs.


    "Frank... what the hell was that about?" Carrie inquired, putting down the time machine and spinning to face her companion. "When has your mother ever seen me?" She then went into a brief coughing fit.


    Frank pursed his lips. Should he mention how a Carrie had visited him on Friday, asking him to make adjustments to the time machine so that she could return to Sunday, which was now the present...? No, that was this Carrie¡¯s future. It would only complicate matters.


    "Let''s talk about that later. Suffice to say, I know you''re planning on traveling back in time to do something to the timeline. That''s why I called you here. As I said on the phone, we have some issues to discuss first."


    Carrie gestured vaguely with one hand. "Yes, yes. I am, in fact, aware of your theory concerning the past being unchangeable, and how that would impact my mother. Obviously I can''t accept that. In fact, the main reason I agreed to come was to tell you about a way I can disprove your theories."


    Frank rubbed his chin. He''d anticipated that reaction, given the attitude of the Carrie (Carries?) he''d seen on Friday. "Okay - so how exactly do you plan on disproving them?"


    Carrie smiled. "Well, I take it that something weird happened on Friday during your chemistry class?"


    Frank nodded slowly, wondering where she was going with this. "You could say that."


    ¡°Then I will go back to delay that event until some time in our future! I trust that once I''ve accomplished that, we can make more formal preparations to the effect of saving my mother," Carrie concluded.


    Frank shook his head. "Hold on. This is exactly what I want to talk to you about. A trip to Friday isn''t going to change events any more than our trip to thirteen years ago did. I can explain exactly what--"


    "No, you let ME explain something here, Frank," Carrie retorted, jabbing a finger in his direction. "No matter what you''re about to say about changing and unchanging history, if it''s not going to bring my mama back, I simply cannot take your word for it! You of ALL people know how much she means to me!"The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Carrie paused, coughing again, but quickly continued on before Frank could speak. ¡°And don¡¯t you dare say I haven¡¯t thought this through. It¡¯s been on my mind for the last twenty-four hours. Lying in bed with my Dad coming in every so often and going through the motions of offering me soup or Tylenol or whatever it takes to make it look like he cares... before he wanders off to work in his study for hours at a time. Anything to keep from spending more time around me than he has to! Well, I''m tired of it. And at last, at LAST I can *DO* something about it!"


    Carrie swallowed. "So... is this test really necessary to convince you of my sincerity? Or will you help me save mama regardless?"


    Frank felt a tightness in his chest. It had been two years since he had been witness to the unhappy girl lurking behind Carrie''s carefree exterior. Now that girl was back - making what he had to say that much more difficult.


    "Carrie..." Well, he shouldn''t lie to her. "Carrie, I''m sorry, but I can''t go along with any plans involving futile attempts at changing history. My research has shown that this would only result in unnecessary danger to us. And I can explain why if you''ll simply--"


    ***


    ¡±I don''t care why," Carrie fired back, biting her lip to keep her emotions in check.


    She felt like hitting him. Futile attempts indeed! For some reason, when Frank had called her earlier, she''d thought maybe it was because, despite his theories, he¡¯d truly wanted to help... like he had when he was fourteen. Instead, he wanted to explain why things were impossible. No way - she would make them possible! Once Frank saw her proof, he would HAVE to become more open to the subject.


    "Carrie, wait," Frank began again. "You don''t understand--"


    "Damn it Frank, don''t you get it? I don''t WANT to understand!" Carrie almost shouted. She located her prearranged coin and plunked it into the time machine, activating the circuits. "My mind was made up before I came here, and you haven''t changed it. This machine is still set for last Friday. You know what I plan to do. There¡¯s nothing more to be said." Carrie grabbed the lever to activate the time displacement.


    "Wait!" Frank said, caught off guard. He reached out towards her. ¡°At least take provisions with--"


    Carrie never heard the rest. There was that familiar sensation of a void sucking at her, and the next thing she knew... she was falling from a height of about six feet off the ground.


    Carrie instinctively tucked her body somewhat to cushion her fall. The landing was still a bit jarring, but it was also on grass, thus Carrie found herself none the worse for wear. She looked around. The time machine had fallen next to her. She was in her backyard. On what the readout said was Friday.


    So, time for her to "make history", in a manner of speaking! Scooping up the time machine, Carrie hurried over to the tree that would allow her to climb up into her room.


    ***


    Julie leaned back against one of the many trees on Hickory Avenue, arms crossed, foot tapping on the ground, gaze fixed upon a house across the street. She''d bicycled over to Frank Dijora¡¯s place immediately after learning that Carrie had left her own house after being called by someone named Frank. Because as far as Julie knew, this was the only Frank that Carrie would have any connection to. She wondered again whether there was a further link between Carrie and the failed chemistry plans against Frank on Friday.


    Julie had been in time to catch sight of a blonde girl ducking into the house. Had it been Carrie? She¡¯d been too far away to tell, but Julie knew that Frank had no siblings.


    She glanced at her watch. The girl had been inside for close to five minutes now. Could Julie could find someone to pay an unscheduled visit to Frank''s house and report on what was happening? Yet if this was nothing, that would be a waste, while if it was something, the selected someone could learn about the potential problem developing with Carrie.


    Then Julie heard the sound of running footsteps. She turned to see Carrie herself running down the other side of the street. "Damn!" Julie hissed, ducking back behind the tree and out of sight. When she heard the runner turn at Frank''s driveway, she again peered discretely around the trunk.


    Yes, this was definitely Carrie, and she seemed to be toting some large black box, maybe a cash register. Julie proceeded to watch in astonishment as Carrie reached the front door and barged directly into Frank''s house as if she owned the place.


    Julie shook her head to clear it. Maybe that hadn''t been Carrie. But it had sure looked like Carrie, even sprinted like Carrie would! Yet... if that HAD been Carrie, what about the blonde who had arrived before?


    "Maybe Frank has visiting cousins who look like Carrie?" Julie rationalized aloud to herself. Fat chance. Baffled, the brunette shook her head and resumed tapping her foot on the ground.


    Something was definitely going on that she didn''t know about. It was time to call in some extra support. Julie reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone.

 Part 9b: Present Tense 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.2 - Of Her Peers


    PART 9b: PRESENT TENSE 2


    Frank stared at the place where Carrie had been standing, his eyes wide. This had been his first look at a temporal shift in progress. There had been a bright light, forcing him to blink, and... maybe some sort of sucking sound? Hard to say. And then - no more Carrie.


    At last, that fact fully registered, and Frank smacked his palm against the lab table in frustration. Carrie was gone, and she hadn''t let him explain things.


    "I should have prepared better for this talk," Frank chided himself. Though to be fair, he had been going over what to say to her ever since he''d sent off the Carrie who had requested his help on Friday. The very same Carrie who had only now left for the past.


    In fact, now that he thought about it, if this had been the necessary sequence of events leading up to Carrie''s arrival in the past, this future couldn''t have been changed in the same way that Frank had reasoned that the past couldn''t be altered. Awkward. And of course now both events were in the past and out of his control!


    Which was when Frank heard a bit of a commotion upstairs. He hurried to the bottom of the basement staircase even as the door at the top opened. Standing there was...


    "Don''t travel into the past!" Carrie shouted, taking the steps two at a time.


    "What?" was all Frank could think of to say.


    Carrie hit the landing next to Frank and looked around the basement. Breathing heavily, she was still able to let out a sigh. "I missed myself then," she stated sadly. Carrie moved to set down the time machine, in order to wipe some sweat off her forehead. "Well, as I said, I had to at least give it a try. Right?"


    Frank frowned. "Yes. Of course," he said, at something of a loss.


    "Frank!" came a voice from the top of the stairs. "Did someone just run into the house??"


    "Uh, it''s okay!" Frank called back up. "It was just Carrie! She needed to... check on something outside.¡±


    "Oh," the voice replied. "Carrie? Could you please make sure to close the front door next time?"


    "Certainly, Mrs. Dijora!" Carrie called out. The blonde shook her head, turning to look back at Frank. ¡°That¡¯s it? You know, your mother is pretty trusting of me being down here, given only our initial encounter on Friday. Heck, I wouldn''t have even met her then if she hadn''t been driving up as I was seeing if you''d arrived home yet."


    Frank made a little shrugging motion. ¡°My parents are often pleased when it looks like I''m doing something sociable. But... and forgive the question... where and when did you come from?"


    Carrie blinked. "Oh right! Later today. Sorry about barging in, I didn''t think I had much time." She exhaled. "Which I didn''t. Damn it. Damn it all."


    She leaned on table, shaking her head. "I won''t bother trying again, at least not right now. I''m out of coins, and tired out after that sprint. Actually, I¡¯ve been awake most of Friday as well as the afternoon here talking with you... I''m due for a rest."


    Things started to click. "We''re going to have a talk in a little while," he ventured.


    ¡°Sure. Oh, right. I should have known you wouldn¡¯t know, even though you did know when I left." Carrie shook her head. "This time traveling will take some getting used to, huh?¡±


    She took a deep breath and wiped off her forehead one last time, completely regaining her composure. ¡°No point talking more until you¡¯re caught up then. If it''s at all important, when I arrived I was about a block away from here. Good luck figuring out the machine! You might as well keep your apple too, I''ll eat when I get home." She tossed the piece of fruit onto the lab table.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "I''m sure this will make more sense at the end of the day," Frank decided.


    "Probably," Carrie answered with a shrug and smile. "Oh, and Frank... I really am sorry about hitting you like that. But you need to avoid pushing my buttons that way. Okay?¡± Then, with a quick wave, Carrie was off up the stairs again. She departed the house moments later.


    Frank continued to stand where he was for a couple of minutes, running back through that conversation in his mind. "This must be some discussion we''re going to have," he concluded aloud. Then he glanced over at the newly arrived apple on his table. ¡°And since when do I start giving out fruit?"


    ***


    Julie slipped behind the tree again. Carrie was now leaving Frank''s place, and this definitely looked like Carrie, be it the running girl (which seemed most likely), or the blonde from before.


    Julie watched discretely as Carrie turned and headed back in the direction of her own house. She didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry. Julie pursed her lips. So should she track this departing Carrie or maintain surveillance on Frank''s house? Was it possible that there was still a second Carrie inside, just as Clarke had supposedly seen a second Carrie in the pharmacy the other day? What about that black box, where was it?


    Even as Julie contemplated her options, she saw the person she had called minutes ago turn the corner a block away. She smiled, quickly deciding on how best to proceed.


    ***


    ¡°Carrie!"


    The blonde cheerleader turned upon hearing her name, seeing Julie riding up on her bicycle. "Julie," she greeted with a slight wave. "No one driving you about town today?"


    Julie shook her head as she pulled up alongside her friend. "Nope. Have to keep fit somehow after all," she remarked with a smile. "Good to see you''ve recovered from your illness. Out doing anything in particular?"


    Carrie¡¯s hesitation was brief. "Not at the moment," she answered with a shake of her head. ¡°I was just taking a walk. Actually I¡¯m heading back home now to take a nap... not quite feeling a hundred percent yet.¡±


    "I see," Julie responded. ¡°I ask because I called your house earlier. Your father said I''d just missed you, but also mentioned something about Frank calling you too. Now, if that geek is still bothering you, I have been considering alternate ways of dealing with him in the coming week..." Her voice trailed off.


    "Oh! Well... I''m not sure that''s altogether necessary," Carrie replied uneasily.


    "Really?" Julie mused, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡®She knows I was at his place!¡¯ Carrie thought to herself. ¡®How can I explain this? Think, Carrie, think!¡¯


    ¡°Yes, everything was a big misunderstanding," Carrie assured her friend. "See, Frank was actually researching physical education. And as I am the head cheerleader, he was trying to get a sense of where my abilities come from. He simply sucks at being discrete.¡±


    Julie''s raised eyebrow twitched. ¡°Are you telling me that you¡¯re fine with him looking at you now?¡±


    "Oh, hell no! But he''s going to stop. I even got him to agree to give me some pointers in math, to make everything up to me. I know I did badly on Friday''s test," Carrie added with a grimace.


    "If you''re having trouble with a subject, you know I could have found someone to help you," Julie observed.


    "I didn''t see any need to trouble you. Besides, Frank is getting top marks in our class."


    "True, he is." There was a momentary silence, then Julie smiled again. ¡°Okay, don''t let me keep you here talking if you''re still not well. I''ll see you tomorrow in school?"


    Carrie nodded. "Sure, talk to you then!" The two girls waved and Carrie resumed walking down the street.


    The blonde didn''t see Julie''s eyes narrow behind her. ¡°I¡¯d better not find out that you''re lying," Julie whispered to Carrie''s retreating form.


    She then turned away to head back home herself - she had some serious thinking to do before checking up on the surveillance at Frank''s house.


    ***


    Luci glanced at her watch. Two o''clock in the afternoon. She could be at home, getting a head start on the next unit in one of her courses, but instead she was here on Hickory Avenue. By Frank''s house. Were her priorities really in the right order?


    "Fancy meeting you here," came a voice intruding into her thoughts. Luci looked up to see Clarke approaching her.


    Luci half smiled. "I could say the same," she remarked idly. She glanced over towards Frank''s house then back at Clarke. "Though contrary to what you may be thinking, I''m just passing by."


    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking anything," Clarke assured her.


    "Mmm hmmm." Luci eyed the tall blonde boy. ¡°You being around has nothing to do with Julie then?¡± she ventured.


    Clarke hesitated. "Should it have something to do with her?"


    Luci pursed her lips. "Julie does occasionally have this need to check up on people is all." Again the short haired girl glanced towards the house before her gaze returned to Clarke. ¡°Speaking of, do you know of any specific reason why Julie might want to check up on Frank?"


    Clarke crossed his arms. "None of this is for me to say."


    They both stood there in silence for another few minutes. "Julie''s just using you, you know," Luci finally said. "So you should never feel obligated to do things for her."


    "Perhaps," Clarke responded slowly. "But you really don''t know Julie like I do."


    The two teenagers continued to regard each other. Their staring match was only broken when Clarke spotted Carrie hurrying around the street corner two blocks away, headed towards them.

 Part 10a: Time Doubt

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.2 - Of Her Peers


    PART 10a: TIME DOUBT 1


    Carrie blinked a couple of times as Frank opened the door. He looked just as he had two days ago. She smiled triumphantly. "I did it!" she declared. "I changed the past."


    "Ah! You''re the Carrie back from Friday?" Frank ventured.


    Carrie frowned. "Who else would I be?"


    Frank shook his head. "Never mind. Come in, we need to discuss this history changing that you claim to have accomplished."


    Carrie was barely able to contain herself until they''d arrived downstairs. "All right," she stated, putting down the time machine. ¡°Sorry for not saying more on Friday, but time travel is confusing enough already without me possibly explaining things to you before I leave to do them. But now... well, okay, first tell me what weirdness you remember as having happened at school, during Friday¡¯s chemistry class."


    Frank nodded. "The fire alarm went off and the school was cleared out. Upon returning to class, we discovered that some of the chemicals in class had been spilled or mixed up during our absence. Vandalism was suspected."


    Carrie clapped her hands. ¡°THAT is what I changed,¡± she said. ¡°The first time around, Julie had a plan to switch up the chemicals, to make you look incompetent." She fished the small recording device out of her pocket and tossed it onto the table. ¡°And I have the proof of that original history right there.¡±


    Frank blinked. "Julie planned--" He cut himself off and passed a hand over his forehead. "Never mind. Listen, Carrie, I suspected you''d been trying for something like this when you were here after school on Friday. The thing is, whatever you were setting out to change... whatever Julie''s original plans were... they never happened."


    ¡°I know. Because I changed them," Carrie stated matter-of-factly.


    "No! That is, you affected things, but in the end you simply fulfilled what had already taken place,¡± Frank countered. "And if you''ll finally LISTEN to me, I think I can explain this in a way you''ll understand. But Carrie... you''ve got to give me a chance here. At least one, please!¡±


    Carrie stared. Frank was actually getting upset here. So much so that Carrie was finally forced to admit to a certain curiosity as to why he was so adamant about what he was saying. Add to that the fact that she would need his help with the time machine, as had been demonstrated by the fact that she hadn''t been able to adjust it for her return...


    "Okay, fine, throw your theory at me," Carrie acquiesced, crossing her arms. "I''m sure I can point out the flaw in it."


    Frank sighed in relief. ¡°Great! Now, the best scenario I''ve come up with to illustrate the fixed nature of time is the grandfather paradox. Simply put, I go back in time and kill my grandfather before my father is conceived. So, can you explain who killed my grandfather?"


    Carrie shrugged. "You just said you did it."


    "But now my Dad hasn''t been born so obviously I don''t exist and hence couldn''t have done it!"


    "Oh. Good point... um, someone else did it then. A time traveling stowaway."


    "Assume no stowaways," Frank clarified. "I''m the only time traveller. How do you explain it?"


    "No other time traveler? Well then... you shot the wrong person by mistake. Maybe you were adopted without realizing it. Or it was the right person, but you were conceived by the milkman.¡±


    ¡°What? Er, no." Frank frowned, and Carrie got the impression that he was becoming troubled by her responses. "See, the whole point is that it''s an unresolvable paradox. There is no real answer. The only way out of it is to declare that I cannot kill my grandfather in the first place! From this, we can extrapolate an unchangeable past as--"


    "No, Frank, we''ve established that your grandfather got killed. Someone must have done it," Carrie interrupted, unintentionally finding herself being pulled deeper into the conversation. "Thus, after you fire the shot, things will change such that - if it''s not possible for anyone else to have fired the shot - the person you killed is no longer in your family tree."The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Carrie, stop,¡± Frank protested. ¡°The whole point is that I''ve gone back to kill my grandfather. Not someone else!"


    "MY point is he WAS your grandfather until you changed history. The fact that your lineage is now different, making him unrelated, is simply your own damn fault.¡±


    Frank rubbed the side of his head, mulling that over. "This isn''t working out like I''d hoped," he finally said.


    "No kidding," Carrie retorted.


    "Okay, give me a second here," Frank requested. "I think the trouble is that you''re trying to latch onto the multiple time tracks theory, while there''s better arguments for the principle of self-consistency."


    Carrie peered. "Is that so?" she asked warily. "What''s so wrong with this ''multiple time tracks'' theory then?¡±


    "It doesn''t flow as well," Frank stated, starting to snap his fingers. ¡°How can I put this... aha, wait, diagrams!" He went over to his chalkboard and started erasing some old formulas. "I think you mentioned ''Back to the Future'' once... ever see the sequels?"


    "Yes," Carrie admitted. "I don''t know that they were as good, but it was during an uneventful weekend and the first one had piqued my curiosity."


    ¡°Okay, then you might recognize this argument, it''s connected to the second movie." Frank drew a straight horizontal line across the blackboard. ¡°Imagine that this line represents time. Here''s the present." He wrote a large P in the centre of the line. "This delimits the past and the future." He wrote ''PAST'' to the left and a large ''F'' to the right.


    "Now, by your theory if I travel from this point in time..." (Frank indicated the P) "...to somewhere in the past..." (He moved to put an ''x'' above the line in the past) "...and kill my grandfather, the timeline will be skewed into an alternate present." Frank proceeded to draw another line from the ''x'' traveling diagonally downwards towards the bottom of the blackboard. He eventually levelled this line off at the centre and wrote ''P-prime'' over it. "Results in multiple time tracks. Follow?"


    Carrie nodded slowly. "Seems fine so far."


    "Right then." Frank dropped the chalk and dusted his hands. "The problem is that the me who traveled back in time came from this original timeline," he stated, pointing at the first ''P'' he had drawn. ¡°Yet if I were to return from Past to Present, it would now be this alternate primed present,¡± he continued, indicating the second track. "In which I discover that there is now an ALTERNATE version of me with a different grandfather. A nasty time paradox that we wouldn''t get with my self-consistency theory."


    Carrie shook her head. ¡°You misunderstood me. There is no paradox if the timeline is smart enough to change things such that you don''t notice any difference in this alternate present,¡± she pointed out. ¡°Your alternate self could even have had a reason to leave that timeline for the past too. Perhaps becoming you in the process. So when you return to the present, you simply pick up where that alternate life left off - with no evidence of the change.¡±


    Frank paused, looking back at the board. "Yeeeeees, I suppose," he agreed hesitantly. "But that results in a lot more temporal details to take care of. That¡¯s... chaotic, confusing and hard to sort out."


    "Hence you prefer your less chaotic theory," Carrie remarked dryly.


    "Well, yes. With self-consistency, we get what I was saying before. Any changes made were fated to happen anyway!" He proceeded to erase part of his initially drawn line, the part lying to the right of the ''x'' in the past. Then he erased the ¡®prime¡¯ next to his second P. "There is only ONE present. It''s not an alternate. Any kinks that exist in the timeline have always been there, as a result of us fulfilling our individual destinies.¡±


    Carrie frowned, shaking her head slowly. "But the way you''re making things look now... the future itself is already mapped out too. You''re eliminating free will!"


    Frank scratched his head. "Well, yeah, kinda. That''s the one little sticking point. But this IS the most sensible theory out of all the ones I''ve come across. Remember, I¡¯ve had two years to look into this! More than that, it explains what''s been happening with our time incursions thus far. For example, that crystal swan of yours."


    Frank pointed to the past ¡®x¡¯ again. "Let''s say that this is when it broke for you two years ago. From then on, we''ve been living the rest of this timeline." Frank gestured at the skewed line on the board. "Now, when we finally reached Thursday, you traveled back to break it. You didn''t change anything. It had already happened; you were only fulfilling a destiny of sorts."


    Carrie folded her arms back across her chest and stared at the blackboard for an extended period of time before speaking again. "I disagree. I think it''s equally possible that, as soon as the swan broke, my brain changed to remember the past alteration, as opposed to the way things originally took place. What''s wrong with that argument?¡±


    "Well..." Frank began to fidget. "Well, nothing on the surface, I guess," he admitted. "But if that really is the case, then the time traveler themselves is not immune to the effects of changed time. Meaning after you change something, you''ll remember only one timeline anyway. Beneath the surface, what''s the difference?"


    "The difference is that I could get my mother back - and even remember growing up with her around,¡± Carrie fired back triumphantly.


    Frank gaped. He looked from the chalkboard to her and back again. ¡°No, but... but no! You wouldn''t remember making that change,¡± he objected. ¡°And what if, after making the alteration, you end up in a present you find even more unbearable? You might then want to change things again - creating whatever situation you had in the first place! You''re now in an endless time loop, so again, what would be the point in saving her?¡±


    Frank turned back to Carrie, to see her glaring at him with pursed lips. This was the only warning he had before her fist came flying at his face.

 Part 10b: Time Doubt 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.2 - Of Her Peers


    PART 10b: TIME DOUBT 2


    "Sorry about that," Carrie mumbled.


    "Yes, well... I suppose I was speaking without considering the implications," Frank responded, dabbing at his face with the ice filled handkerchief. He''d just come back downstairs after spending fifteen minutes getting his nose to stop bleeding.


    "Damn right," Carrie fired back. "You not only implied that I could be behind my mother''s disappearance, but that having her around would be worse than how things are now. That''s... that''s appalling!" There was a brief pause, after which Frank saw her start to twirl some hair in her fingers. "Though, ah, I do hope this won''t affect your decision of whether or not to help me time travel. I... I¡¯m realizing now that I have some impulse control issues where my mama is concerned...¡±


    She still wanted his help. Frank prodded his nose experimentally. Truth be known? He still wanted to help her. He wondered what that said about his psyche.


    ¡°Yes, well, I have always been willing to do more with this time travel stuff - I wouldn¡¯t have spent time coin collecting if I didn¡¯t,¡± Frank said. ¡°But Carrie, please tell me that you understand that there ARE issues to consider before simply tripping into the past? I mean, we¡¯ve been stranded once already. I don''t think we want that to happen again, do we?"


    Carrie shuddered visibly. "True, we don''t want that." She frowned in thought. "All right then. How about this. If YOU agree to keep an open mind about the possibility of fixing things with my mother... I''LL agree to back off a bit until we know more about what we''re dealing with. Since my theory implies that I might not remember waiting a few extra weeks anyway.¡±


    "I guess that''s reasonable," Frank consented, sinking into a chair and tossing the handkerchief aside. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m glad we''ve got that of the way.¡± He looked over at the lab counter. ¡°Which brings us to the question of the time machine itself.


    ¡°I think it''s safe to assume that this technology comes from the future. Which either means it was sent back here for some reason, or... well, or there''s a person from the future running around in our present looking for their time machine. Now, I never saw anyone suspicious lurking around the ravine this last week, when it supposedly turned up. I don''t suppose you ever ran across anyone other than me down in there, did you Carrie?" Frank cleared his throat. "Carrie?"


    "What? Oh, sorry...." The blonde girl shook her head. "You¡¯ve reminded me of something. From back when we were trapped in the woods. That nickel I used in the machine, it was given to me by a strange man. A strange man who seemed to know that it was exactly what we needed. As if he knew why we were stranded there."


    Frank sat bolt upright in his chair. "What? Did this person mention the time machine?"


    Carrie shook her head. "Not specifically. Not directly. All he said was..." She paused, brow furrowing as she tried to recall. "He gave me the nickel, then said, ''It''s yours now. Do what you will with it. Just guard it. Don''t let anyone take it away from you.''"


    "Don''t let anyone take the nickel away from you?" Frank wondered.


    "The guy might not have had all his marbles," Carrie admitted. "The two others he was with didn''t seem to think highly of him... though again, they didn''t seem to know him very well either. Maybe this ¡®Shady¡¯ guy thought they''d take the money away from me?"


    Frank frowned. "Guard it. Don''t let anyone take it away from you," he repeated. He found his eyes being drawn back towards the table. ¡°Could he have been referring to the time machine itself?"


    Carrie followed Frank''s gaze to the enigmatic black box. "I don''t know. But I¡¯m not the type to lock that time machine up somewhere safe and forget about it! If he wants someone to ''guard'' the thing, surely I''m not tops on his list.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Frank rubbed his forehead. "We¡¯re also speaking of events that happened two years ago. Yet you only found the machine this past week. The only way this makes sense is if he knew back then that he''d be leaving it somewhere for you to find in the future."


    ¡°But if he knew two years ago that I would get it, why not give it to me back THEN?" Carrie pointed out, apparently irritated.


    The two teenagers stared at each other in puzzlement. "I''m getting the impression that there''s something bigger than we realize going on here," Frank remarked.


    "You could be right," Carrie admitted uneasily. "Frank, have you told anyone else about the existence of this machine yet?"


    ¡°No. I figured no one would believe me until the proof turned up. Or that if they did believe me, they would want to get involved, and I didn¡¯t want to deal with that either."


    Carrie nodded. "Then let''s keep the machine''s existence to ourselves. At least for now."


    Frank nodded. "I''ll go along with that."


    "Good." There was a moment of silence. "Then perhaps I''ll leave it with you to conduct any necessary tests. However... before that, there is one last thing which I feel I must do."


    "What''s that?"


    "Try to keep myself from traveling back to Friday."


    Frank blinked, standing back up. "Pardon?"


    Carrie passed a hand in front of her eyes. "Frank, on Friday I got so caught up in my need for changing things that I yanked down on the school fire alarm and messed with your chemistry lab. Even though no one was hurt, that was WAY out of line. Even for me. I have to at least make an attempt to undo it, or I¡¯ll never be able to live with myself.¡±


    She took in a deep breath. ¡°I figure the easiest fix is for me to stop myself from traveling back in the first place. After all, if you''d been a little more convincing this morning, maybe I wouldn''t be in this situation,¡± she pointed out.


    Frank ignored her attempt to shift blame. Instead, he considered a couple of different replies, based on what he already knew from that morning. He settled for saying, "Carrie, you must realize that you won''t succeed."


    "I admit that after our discussion, the point sounds almost moot, in that if works, we may not know that it did. But damn it, I have to try. The machine is set for today, I still have one current coin with me... all I can hope is that I somehow randomly travel back to a lot earlier in the morning.¡± She half smiled. ¡°Maybe it will even erase me hitting you.¡±


    "Carrie..." Frank began again, before stopping himself. Would he invoke a time paradox by telling her that he''d already witnessed her failure? "Be careful," he concluded.


    Carrie nodded. "Actually, I haven''t encountered any location problems when traveling by myself. I''ve ended up near the ravine out back of my house every single time. Though on the off chance something unexpected happens, I''ll take your apple to eat, okay?" Carrie dropped her coin into the time machine, then grabbed the piece of fruit off the lab table.


    "Talk to you later then?" Frank remarked.


    "No, hopefully earlier," Carrie retorted. One pull of the lever later, and in a flash of light, she''d vanished yet again.


    Frank shook his head as he went to get the hidden time machine - the one left behind when Carrie had arrived from the trip for which she¡¯d only now departed. Some aspects of this time travel stuff really would take some getting used to... but hopefully there would be some answers in the device. He now had all evening with which to examine it.


    For instance, it was curious that all of Carrie''s solo time jumps were taking place in town. That had to be more than coincidence. Could it have been his presence that caused the greater distance?


    In fact, Carrie had said she''d always been ending up near her house... except for that last trip. So she had departed from his house twice today with two different arrival points. Had there been any difference between the two trips? He''d noticed both had been with quarters, so it wasn''t that. Something she was carrying, perhaps? No difference came to mind there either, except for that apple.


    Frank leaned against the table. The apple. Where exactly had it come from? He didn''t keep fruit down here. No, Carrie had dropped it off in the morning, after time traveling, then picked it up before leaving on that very same trip. ... What?


    Had she switched it for another apple somewhere outside the house in between? MUST be. The alternative was spontaneous creation from thin air! Yet by Carrie''s perspective, she had only minutes between when she picked up the apple, sprinted back here, and dropped it off. But then... what was its origin?


    On second thought, maybe he could use a break before examining the machine. His head was starting to hurt.


    ***


    Frank was still puzzling over the problem some time later when the home phone rang. Being closest to a receiver, he picked up. "Hello?" he said absently.


    A male-sounding, yet strangely flat voice spoke to him. "Frank home?" it inquired.


    "Speaking. Who is this?"


    There was a pause before the emotionless response. "Julie suspects."


    Frank froze. "Pardon?"


    Another pause. "Julie suspects. About your time machine."


    Frank gripped the phone a little harder. "Who is this? Carrie, is that you?"


    Again a pause, and the monotonic male voice concluded, "Take precautions. Watch your back."


    "But who are you? What precautions? What''s going on?" Frank asked.


    The caller had already hung up.

 Part 11a: Phil Doubt

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.2 - Of Her Peers


    PART 11a: PHIL DOUBT 1


    Phil Clarke swirled the liquid in his cup before taking another sip. It was times like this that he enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate in the local cafe after school. Times when he wasn¡¯t sure what to do about Julie LaMille.


    It seemed like her plans were taking a more severe turn in their Grade 11 school year. He had caught a hint of the shifting tides after learning more precisely how Julie had planned on getting Frank into trouble during chemistry class, nearly a week ago now.


    Ever since that plan had failed, Julie had been obsessing over both Carrie''s connections with Frank, and Carrie''s whereabouts in general. Even going so far as to monitor Frank¡¯s house last weekend. Clarke wasn''t entirely sure why this was happening, or what role he might find himself in as circumstances played themselves out, but he suspected not a lot of good would come of it in the long run.


    ¡°Want to talk about it?¡±


    Clarke looked up at Theresa. The redheaded waitress had a habit of acting as a sounding board for the cafe¡¯s customers when business was slow. And while he had spoken with the twenty-something woman on occasion, it had been about family, or school issues. ¡°Not today, thanks.¡±


    Theresa nodded, leaving the receipt at his table. ¡°No rush, whenever you¡¯re ready.¡± She moved off.


    Clarke was left fingering the piece of paper. Luci''s words from outside Frank¡¯s house last Sunday came to mind then: ''Julie''s just using you, you should never feel obligated to do things for her.''


    Clarke smiled and shook his head. Luci could be pretty blunt. She reminded Clarke a little of his older sister that way. Of course, Luci was a lot younger - even younger than him, being the youngest person in Grade 11 by a factor of two years. Still, there were some parallels... enough for Clarke to begin wondering whether Mary would have a similar reaction to his current "relationship" with Julie.


    After all, he''d never gone into detail about him and Julie during his sister¡¯s occasional trips back home. Mary had her own life now, off in third year University. She didn''t even know Julie, or any of the people in town. She had already graduated from high school by the time their family moved here, a little over two years ago. Just in time to get Clarke into the local public high school before classes started.


    Actually, Clarke realized, this was verging on the longest amount of time he''d ever spent in one place; it was nice that dad had finally found stable work.


    Clarke finished off his hot chocolate. He decided Mary might not approve of how things were, but she would understand. There was something about Julie. Some part of her Clarke couldn''t turn his back on. Julie needed someone who could look beyond her actions, at who she really was. Someone who could keep her from going too far off the deep end.


    Carrie Waterson, despite being Julie¡¯s best friend, couldn¡¯t do that. Not given the blonde girl¡¯ssuperficial way of looking at people.


    Granted, Clarke knew he knew he was no deep thinker either, but he was the only one actually wondering as to Julie''s inner motivations. Something she remained very tight-lipped about - along with her past. But this too, Clarke understood... one''s childhood might not be filled with the happiest of moments.


    ***


    "Where are you going?"


    "Goin'' out."


    Mary paused before crouching down next to him. And despite the four year difference in their ages, the two blond siblings had always enough of a rapport that he didn¡¯t try to simply push past her. "You''re carrying a lot of stuff with you," she pointed out. "Planning on being gone for a long time?"


    Phil Clarke looked away, unable to meet his sister''s gaze. "Don''t know."


    Mary moved to where she could look him in the eye again. "Well, the moving vans are coming tomorrow. You''ll be back in time for the big trip, right?"


    Phil simply shrugged and shifted his gaze to the ground.


    Mary let out a gentle sigh. "Phil... running away is not the answer," she said definitively.


    "Who says I''m runnin'' away?" he fired back defensively, at last turning back towards Mary''s face.


    "I do. Because you''re acting very similarly to the way I did when I was your age," his sister replied matter-of-factly.


    After a moment, Phil looked down at the floor, scuffing his shoes. "Well... well, I don''t wanna leave! I was just startin'' to make friends! Just gettin'' used to livin'' here! I don''t wanna move again! It''s not fair!"If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "No," Mary admitted, rising back to her full height and adjusting the straps of her dress. "No, it''s not fair. But you''ll still be able to write letters. And just think of the new town we''re going to! There will be all new sights, you''ll make new friends..."


    "You sound like Mom," Phil interjected bitterly.


    Mary blinked in surprise before making a rather annoyed face. "Oh, hell. I do, don''t I. And that claptrap never worked on me either."


    She pursed her lips. "All right, here''s the honest truth then. Phil, life sucks. With no one hiring Dad on a permanent basis, he has to keep moving around to wherever he can get work. But - and this is important, so listen up - through all of the changes, you''ve got a family who loves you. We all care about you very much and would be very sad if we lost you. So you have to be strong. You can be strong, right?"


    "Dunno," Phil said sullenly, still looking at the floor.


    Mary reached out to tilt her brother''s chin back up. "I think you can be. And Mom, Dad, me - we''re all going to be around to help each other through this." She smiled. "Besides, if you run off, who am I going to have around to torment?"


    Phil hmphed. "''S your problem," he retorted, albeit with a more mollified tone.


    "True. How about this, if you put your things away and help me pack up the rest of the boxes, I won''t bug you all next week, okay?"


    Phil paused to consider that. "Two weeks," he insisted.


    Mary laughed. "You drive a hard bargain. All right, two weeks. But no running off anymore, okay?"


    "''K," Phil agreed.


    "Now, hurry up and get your things back to where they''re supposed to be before mom finds out," Mary said, aiming a kick in his direction. Phil hurried back up to his bedroom.


    ***


    "Oh, Philip? You had a phone call."


    Clarke paused in the process of hanging his jacket up in the closet. Maybe he shouldn''t have spent quite so much time at the cafe. "Who from?" he inquired.


    "Julie," his mother answered, emerging from the kitchen. "She said she had something to show you, if you were available."


    If she¡¯d only called the house, she probably didn¡¯t think it was important. All the more reason he should know. Clarke quickly shrugged his jacket back on. "Gotcha. I''ll be at her place then."


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be at her beck and call," Mrs. Clarke protested. ¡°That¡¯s not how a relationship works.¡±


    "Mom, we''re not dating. AndI¡¯m going of my own free will," Clarke insisted. "Nothing wrong with helping people out, is there?"


    His mother held up her hands. "No, no, I was just saying, that''s all. But remember, it¡¯s Thursday, a school night. And dinner will be in about an hour, around when your father gets home. Will you be back by then?"


    "I''ll call if not," Clarke assured.


    "Please do," his mother said with a smile. "After all, sometimes I worry."


    Clarke turned and headed back out of the house, reflecting briefly on what his mother had said. He wasn''t really at the beck and call of others, was he? I mean, it''s not like he jumped whenever someone snapped their fingers. He made sure to still take care of himself.


    It was simply that doing something nice for someone sure beat out the alternatives. He knew that from experience too.


    ***


    "Phil?" The voice was accompanied by a gentle knock at the door. "Are you busy?"


    "Yes," Phil shouted out. "Go away."


    "Too bad, I''m coming in." The door opened gradually, then Mary''s head peered around the corner. She was immediately pinged between the eyes by a nerf ball.


    "You spoiled my shot," Phil accused.


    Mary spared a brief glance in the direction of the basketball hoop set up on the back of Phil''s bedroom door. More than a couple inches away from her. "Oh, I think you knew exactly where that shot was headed," she accused. "Why are you still playing with that thing anyway?"


    "It''s something to do," Phil stated, throwing himself back on his bed. "You barge in here for a reason?"


    "Yes. Mom said you got into trouble at your middle school today."


    Phil turned so that he was facing away from the door. "So what if I did?"


    He heard Mary lean against the doorframe. "We''ve been living in the area for less than a month now and this is the third time that''s happened. It''s not like you, Phil. You''re usually a pretty outgoing person. When we get to a new place, you tend to make new friends pretty easily. But recently you''ve been spending a lot of time alone. What''s wrong?"


    "Why does it matter to you?"


    "It matters."


    The two words were spoken so suddenly and with such intensity that Phil felt momentarily taken aback. As he turned to face his sister again he wondered again where she had obtained her authoritative attitude from; certainly a quality their parents didn''t have in abundance.


    After a pause, Phil finally shrugged, grabbing a pillow to hold onto. "Ah, this school I''ve ended up in has this ''alliance'' is all," he grumbled, sitting up. "A group of kids who don''t like me and keep causing me problems."


    "Really," Mary replied slowly.


    Phil nodded. "Can''t go to teachers or anyone cuz then the kids''ll just try to give it to me worse," Phil explained. "And other kids are starting to shun me cuz they don''t want to get on the bad side of the alliance. I can''t even seem to get on the GOOD side of these alliance guys cuz they won''t tell me what their problem is with me. This is just a real screwed up school, Mary. I hope dad moves again soon."


    "You know, you''re probably not helping your own case," his sister pointed out. "This habit you''ve picked up of telling everyone to call you by your last name isn''t the best way to form lasting friendships."


    Phil shrugged. "We always leave towns before any ''lasting friendships'' form anyway," he groused. "Besides, I know it''s more than that here. If you ask me, everyone at this school is just a jerk."


    "Stop that," Mary demanded, striding into the room and leaning against Phil¡¯s bed.


    "Stop what?" Phil asked, blinking up at her in surprise.


    "Putting people down," Mary stated. "The Phil I grew up with didn''t do that. He was someone who always managed to discover a little good in everything and everybody, and while he didn''t have the chance to make many lifelong friends, he never made enemies! In fact, the way he could consistently leave a favourable impression on people was a very enviable quality. So I don''t want to see that Phil get replaced by someone who constantly whines and bitches about how terrible things are. News flash, bro... you keep that up and it''s going to turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy!¡±


    "You don''t understand," Phil objected. "These alliance guys won''t accept me! There''s nothing I can do about the situation."


    "Never say never," Mary countered. She pushed herselfback up. "Come on now, I''m sure there''s something we can come up with if we put our heads together. For example, one person in this group of yours is probably the ringleader. Any idea who?"


    "Nope," said Phil sullenly. "What, should I find out who it is and beat ''em up sometime?"


    "No," Mary replied. "Because that''s not your style. But I''ll tell you one thing you could try doing with this person."

 Part 11b: Phil Doubt 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.2 - Of Her Peers


    PART 11b: PHIL DOUBT 2


    "Grocery shopping?"


    "No," Clarke refuted. ¡°Passing by on my way to Julie''s."


    "Ah. I see," Frank replied uncertainly.


    Clarke had bumped into his classmate while passing in front of one of the local minimarkets, prompting Frank''s inquiry. "Er, speaking of Julie," Frank continued, "I''ve noticed that she''s been looking quite preoccupied with something this past week."


    "Her behaviour right now isn''t too different from how she usually acts," Clarke countered.


    "Yeeeeees, perhaps," Frank admitted hesitantly, verifying Clarke''s belief that Frank was among the people who never thought too much about Julie until things got personal.


    ¡°Except, well... Clarke, you probably know Julie better than anyone else," Frank continued. "So it occurred to me the other day that, should I run into you, I should take the opportunity to inquire about her. Okay, no, I mean about whether there''s anything in particular that is going on right now with her, in the form of, say, unexpected interests. That is, things interesting her more than normal, which could be anything in general, or even more specifically something that could somehow relate to a person, such as someone who is, er, say, me."


    Clarke stared at Frank for a long moment. Despite being a school genius, the guy wasn¡¯t so good at casual inquiries. Clarke got the gist of what he was saying though.


    "Whatever Julie''s activities are, they''re not for me to say right now," Clarke insisted. Deflection was usually the best bet - after all, Julie couldn¡¯t get upset with him that way.


    "Ah. Yes, well... maybe I wasn''t being very clear there," Frank apologized. "Basically, I meant that there''s no reason for Julie to concern herself with me. Okay?¡±


    "If you say so," Clarke remarked impassively. In fact, he really didn''t see the need for any concern when it came to Frank himself. It was more the ties with Carrie that Julie was obsessing over.


    "Right," Frank said a bit uncomfortably. "Well then. I guess I''ll see you around."


    "Probably," Clarke concluded. Frank moved off in the direction of his place, while Clarke continued on to Julie''s.


    At this point, Clarke hoped that whatever Julie was planning, whether it related to Frank or not, it wouldn''t cloud her judgment too much. It was never good when Julie - or anyone, for that matter - stopped listening to reason.


    ***


    "Word has it you''ve been asking for a little one-on-one chat."


    Phil turned. Lance was standing there now, with an unpleasant expression on his face. He had to be the one. Phil cleared his throat a little nervously. "Maybe I have," he admitted.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "''Maybe I have''," Lance mimicked mockingly. "Don''t play dumb with me, Clarke. You told Harry you wanted to talk to the guy behind our little alliance, so here I am. Now, surely you don''t have any complaints with how I''m running things, do you?" he challenged.


    Phil cleared his throat again. "Actually, I... I just wanted to ask... would you like me to give you some basketball pointers?" he stated in a rush.


    Lance blinked. "Huh?" he replied, caught off guard.


    "Basketball. Both of us are on the team and you''re a really great player," Phil continued, slowly gaining confidence. "But sometimes you telegraph when you''re about to--"


    "Are you trying to be FUNNY?" Lance cut in, reaching out to shove Phil by the shoulders.


    Phil stumbled. "F-Funny?" he repeated in confusion.


    Lance shoved again and Phil went down onto the pavement. "I''m not laughing!" Lance said.


    Phil blinked up at his aggressor. "I... I only wanted to see if there was some agreement we could reach... some way we could help each other out," he stated, forcing down any urge to retaliate. As Mary had advised him, physical violence would solve nothing here. It wasn¡¯t his area of strength.


    "Yeah? You''ve helped enough already,¡± Lance fired back. He bent down next to Phil''s prone form, jabbing out a finger. "Now listen up, wise guy. Everyone at this school knows that I was the star of the basketball team until you showed up! Waltzing in here, signing up for the team tryouts on the last day, constantly upstaging me in practice... just who the hell do you think you are?"


    Phil blinked up quietly at Lance. "Someone who wants to be your friend?"


    Lance stared in amazement. "Are you freakin'' nuts?"


    "No, listen," Phil pressed on doggedly. "I''m sure we can come to some sort of understanding. I meant what I said about giving you basketball tips... to keep you from telegraphing your shots. I bet we could even become an unbeatable pair if we tried. Plus, should my dad move again, as he probably will, I''m gone and you end up better off from the deal because of the techniques you''ve learned. I mean, if you''d prefer I could try to help you in science... but it''s not my strongest subject."


    Lance stood, sizing Phil up. "You truly believe everything you''re saying, don''t you," he marvelled at last.


    "Yes," Phil answered simply.


    There was another brief pause. "Saying that took guts, Clarke," Lance conceded. "I like guts. Perhaps you even make a bit of sense." Lance rubbed his chin. "Okay. I¡¯m not about to get buddy-buddy with you, but how about this. You seriously help me out and STOP showing me up... and maybe I¡¯ll see about cutting you a bit more slack around here."


    "Sounds good," Phil agreed with a smile. "I never meant to show you up anyway." He scrambled to his feet again, then offered his hand to Lance. Lance eyed it warily, before finally reaching out to grasp it and shake. He then shook his head.


    ¡°Again, no saying we¡¯re friends!¡± Lance cautioned. ¡°In fact, let me offer up some words of free advice. Pay more attention. Be careful who you cross in the future. Not everyone with the power to pull strings around you is likely to be as... forgiving as me."


    "Gotcha," Phil assured, admittedly a bit confused as to what Lance was getting at. ''After all, using Mary''s advice, I can''t go wrong!'' Phil thought to himself. ''I just need to be myself and work at helping people out! If I do that, who in the future could possibly create trouble for me?''


    ***


    "Miss LaMille requests you join her downstairs," Jeeves stated archly. "She is currently in her... ''play room''."


    Clarke nodded to the LaMille family butler and left the waiting area to go and find Julie. The mansion she lived in was actually not quite as large as it appeared from outside; some of the size was illusionary owing to its location and the comparison made with nearby houses. It had originally been designed and built by an eccentric inventor who¡¯d lived in the town some years ago, though he¡¯d disappeared shortly after the LaMilles had bought the property.


    Of course, the place was still large enough to get turned around in if you weren''t careful, or you didn''t know your route. Fortunately, Clarke was quite familiar with the route to Julie¡¯s favourite room by now.


    "Ah, Phil!" Julie said as Clarke joined her. The brunette shut the drawer of the filing cabinet next to her. One of three in the room. She walked past the maps of both the school and the town which she had pinned up on the wall, then leaned onto the table housing numerous little trinkets and electronic gadgets.


    She fired a grin in Clarke''s direction. "Glad you could make it after all. You''ll never guess what I''ve managed to get my hands on to help me deal with Carrie!"

 Part 12a: The Clarke Side

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.2 - Of Her Peers


    PART 12a: THE CLARKE SIDE 1


    Clarke moved closer to Julie, musing on the fact that he held the distinction of being the only person - aside from Julie herself - to have been allowed inside her so-called ¡°play room¡±. Even the mansion staff, Jeeves and Mimi, weren¡¯t allowed in.


    He had considered it a victory of sorts at the time, though upon seeing the sheer volume of information Julie "played" with in here, it had been enough to make Clarke feel uneasy as well. At the time. He had to admit, almost six months later, he was getting used to it.


    The room¡¯s three filing cabinets contained information on what had to amount to at least half the students at school, plus information on annual school activities. The files dated from before Julie¡¯s actual arrival, up until the middle of next year; Julie could well give the principal a run for his money in terms of bookkeeping.


    She had told Clarke that she preferred having the paper copies, as opposed to making everything electronic. Something about things being both more tangible and more secure this way - though there was a computer on the table as well. Since becoming student council secretary, Julie had even started keeping copies of all their meeting minutes down here.


    "I couldn''t possibly guess, Jewels. What''ve you got?" Clarke inquired obligingly off her expectant expression.


    "This,¡± Julie declared, picking up a tiny something from the central table, holding it aloft. "Retrieved through my dad''s company. A miniature homing device, easy to track, difficult to see, and while it¡¯s not quite as accurate as a GPS, it¡¯s got enough power to run in hibernation mode for something like sixty years!"


    "You''re planning on tracking someone for the next sixty years?" Clarke said in surprise.


    The brunette chuckled. "No," she explained patiently. "But the guarantee says it''s good for that long, and I would assume they''re not lying. At any rate, what I AM planning on doing is figuring out exactly where Carrie''s been keeping herself, given her recent habit of turning up in the oddest places. Seemingly in duplicate." She half-smiled. "Pardon my enthusiasm. I couldn''t resist showing this to someone else."


    "I thought Carrie had explained her actions to you though,¡± Clarke said. "Or the visits to Frank at least."


    "Yeah, math help. It doesn''t explain why she must have left his place by sneaking through his backyard last Sunday," Julie noted.


    "After all, Phil, according to you, she showed up at Frank''s around two. Yet Carrie was back home again when I called her at five. And in the interim, no one else so much as stood on Frank''s driveway."


    "Except Luci," Clarke reminded her.


    "Yes," admitted Julie her tone becoming mildly irritated. "Except Luci. But you said she didn''t actually make it as far as the front door, and given how hard that girl''s loyalties are to figure out, I¡¯m going to invoke Occam¡¯s Razor and say her presence was a broken study arrangement."


    Clarke shrugged. "Whatever, I was just saying..."


    "Yes, yes, she was there, thank you for going and keeping an eye on things for me,¡± Julie acknowledged. "My point is, Carrie has been acting weird and holding back from me ever since missing my party. By tracking her movements, it will be easier for me to catch her in a lie. Which is the best way to obtain the truth.¡±


    "But what if she¡¯s being truthful?" Clarke offered. "What if there is a reasonable explanation for everything? Aren''t your measures getting a little extreme?"


    "You have a better idea?" Julie challenged.


    "Talk to her?"


    "I have. Yet I can''t say anything directly, because if she IS lying, those questions will tip her off," Julie rebuffed. "And Carrie is terribly good at thinking on the fly when she wants to ¨C that¡¯s why I much prefer when she¡¯s not thinking. The real problem here is that none of my future plans can go anywhere so long as we''re in this little stalemate. I need to know where Carrie¡¯s loyalties lie, and I need to know as soon as possible."


    One hand clenched into a fist. ¡°If it turns out that she is conspiring against me, she must not be allowed to get away with it. I cannot let her destroy what I have now, not after I''ve worked so hard to get this far.¡± She brought her fist crashing down onto the table. ¡°Julie LaMille will NOT be made a fool of twice!" she finished loudly.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Twice?"


    Julie paused, and Clarke could swear he saw a hint of colour creeping into her cheeks. "Never mind," she mumbled, quickly turning away and grabbing some papers to hide her face. ¡°Something from before I moved here. Just... go get Jeeves to pour us some juice, would you? I need to finish inputting local landmark data into the receiver device."


    Clarke paused, but decided any attempt to follow up on Julie''s comment right now would only earn him a harsh rebuke. "Sure Jewels, whatever you say," he assured her, departing the room to head back upstairs.


    Sometimes, he reflected, trying to figure out the mystery that was Julie LaMille was not unlike trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle without the benefit of a picture... or even all of the pieces. Though of course, the mystery had been one of the reasons Clarke had approached her in the first place.


    ***


    "Julie! Hey, Julie!"


    The brunette turned to regard him, her eyes narrowing. "Yes?" she inquired, a hint of annoyance in her tone.


    Clarke caught up to her. ¡°Uhm, well, hi! I''m Clarke," he continued by way of introduction.


    "I know that," Julie responded. "I''ve seen you in homeroom. Meaning I also know that Clarke is not even your first name, but your last name. What I do not know is what reason you have to be chasing me down in the hallway here, waving your arm like a maniac."


    "Well... then I''ll tell you," Clarke continued, only momentarily taken aback. "See, I''ve been trying to get a handle on this new school for the past two weeks, learn who''s who, what''s what... kind of a standard thing with me I guess, though this is the first time I''ve done it with a high school..."


    "Please skip to the point."


    "Uh, right," Clarke said, forging on undaunted. ¡°So, I learned that you only recently started attending school in this town too. I figure, maybe it¡¯s the same thing for you as it is with me? Neither of us knows others in the area all that well, so maybe there¡¯s some way us Grade Nines can help each other out, swap stories or..."


    "Why?" demanded Julie. And despite being taller than the brunette, Clarke now felt like she had him under a microscope.


    "Uh, well, you know, I just thought that hey, I''ve met some people and, ah, maybe you''ve met some people, so between us we might, I dunno, get to know more people?" Clarke said, now fumbling for words. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about you but we are both in the same boat... right? Can¡¯t we help each other out...?"


    Was this really such a good idea after all? He had thought that maybe Julie was feeling the way he¡¯d felt, that time back in middle school, when that basketball misunderstanding with Lance had caused people to shun him. That maybe, Julie had wanted someone else to make the first move here. But now...


    "I see," she said. Julie concluded her scrutiny of Clarke and started to tap her foot on the ground. "Perhaps we can," she relented, her tone shifting. "For one thing, you learned I''m new to the area. Do you know what else people are saying about me?¡±


    Clarke shrugged. ¡°Relatively little," he admitted. "Mostly people are talking about how you don¡¯t reveal much. They wonder why someone from a rich family is here in a public school, that sort of thing. Corry even thought you might¡¯ve been thrown out of some private school overseas."


    "Corry Veniti said that?" Julie said, pouncing on the name.


    "Uh, yeah," Clarke confirmed. "But I figure, whether that''s true or not, it''s in the past. This is the present and it''s important to make friends when coming to a new place. Right?" He smiled.


    "Indeed," Julie said slowly. A pause. "Clarke, you make some interesting points. Perhaps we could meet up tomorrow at lunch to talk some more?"


    "Sure, sounds good,¡± Clarke agreed. "See you then?"


    "Indeed," Julie repeated. She regarded him silently for another moment before spinning on her heel and walking away.


    ***


    A cry of "That should do it!" greeted Clarke as he re-entered the room in Julie''s basement.


    "Everything in order?" Clarke inquired, setting down the tray containing two glasses of orange juice. He proceeded to pick up one of them and take a sip, as Julie looked up from whatever she had in her hands.


    "Oh, yes," she stated with a smile. "I''ve just input key town locations into the system, using Carrie''s house as a reference point. Now all I need to do is attach the transmitter to her and I''ll be able to locate our resident cheerleader any time I want to."


    ¡°Including how many of her there are?"


    "Well, no," Julie admitted. "There is only one transmitting device. But if my records show her in one location when she says she was elsewhere, or I register her someplace while she is seen somewhere else, Carrie will have a lot of explaining to do."


    Clarke gulped down more juice. "Seems as well thought out as all your plans," he congratulated.


    "In fact," Julie continued with a hint of pride. "I''ve even determined the best object upon which to attach the tracker... Carrie''s hairband! She''s always wearing one and yet never looks at it very closely. Admittedly, she owns a few, but she wears that same blue one over 90 percent of the time, which I''m hoping is enough for my purposes."


    "And I presume you''ve worked out how to attach it as well?"


    Julie swept a few strands of her curly hair back off her shoulder. "Naturally. She has a dinner date with Bill after tomorrow¡¯s football game, and will thus be showering at the school after cheerleading. Since she does not wear her hairband in the shower, this provides the perfect opportunity. Even if she stumbles upon the device later, there won''t be anything linking it to me. In the meantime, all I have to do is flip this switch..." Julie paused to do just that. "...and I''ll know exactly where she is by looking at this receiver screen."


    Clarke moved to take a look at the screen in question. ¡°Does a flashing light indicate where that transmitting thing is?" he questioned. Julie nodded, pursing her lips as they both examined the display. ¡°And you said there''s only one of these transmitter things? Which is in this room?¡± Julie nodded again.


    Clarke cleared his throat. "So why are there two additional lights pulsing on your screen right now?" he finished.


    "I don''t know," Julie growled in a tone so harsh Clarke instinctively jumped away from her. "But I''m sure as hell going to find out," the brunette concluded, running for the door. "Come on!"


    "Wait,¡± Clarke called out. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your juice! Also, if this is going to take much longer I need to give my mother a call to tell her I¡¯ll be late for dinner.¡±

 Part 12b: The Clarke Side 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.2 - Of Her Peers


    PART 12b: THE CLARKE SIDE 2


    Clarke had never been able to identify when his feelings for Julie had expanded beyond the scope of a simple friendship. It was merely something that had happened. He supposed part of it was that, throughout Grade Nine, Julie had kept herself at such a distance from most people that, in a weird way, Clarke couldn''t help but feel sorry for her.


    Oh, sure, she got to know people, and after the initial period of adjustment to the school, Julie had gained steadily in both popularity and the amount of respect shown to her.


    But even Carrie had never struck Clarke as being a true friend for Julie. He¡¯d commented on it to others, but of the people he had spoken to about Julie''s detachment, many didn''t believe him, and of those that did, many didn''t care, and of those that cared, many were resentful of Julie''s growing notoriety anyway. Then it all became a moot point, for once Julie heard that he was saying such things, she had demanded that he stop immediately.


    Some of Julie''s problems, Clarke reasoned, might be due to a lack of family ties. Her parents were sometimes ¨C in fact, often ¨C conspicuous in terms of their absence from the town. It also hadn''t taken long for Clarke to discover that Julie spent an inordinate amount of the time she had away from school by herself, making personal plans.


    Which almost never made her happy. Not really. It was almost like she was simply doing things out of a lack of anything else to do - or maybe to prove to herself that she could? Which was really a shame in Clarke''s mind, and had ultimately been the main motivation for his visit to her that fateful fall day last year...


    ***


    "What''s up, Clarke?" Julie inquired upon walking into her sitting room. She crossed her arms. "I wasn''t expecting you to drop by."


    "Surprise visit," Clarke indicated with a smile. He produced a medium-sized box, which he had been holding behind his back. "For you!"


    Julie''s brow furrowed as she approached. "What''s inside?"


    "Open and see."


    Julie retrieved the box and did as Clarke had suggested. Her eyes opened wide. "Chocolate eclairs,¡± she said in surprise. Then she looked back up at her guest. "Why?"


    "Because I know you like them and it seems to me like you could use a little cheering up," Clarke stated.


    "What do you mean by that?" Julie asked. "Nothing bad is happening to me. On the contrary, I practically guaranteed myself a seat on the student council this week.¡±


    "But does that make you happy?" Clarke pressed.


    "Happy?"


    Clarke sighed. "Julie, ever since our return to school for Grade Ten, you''ve been spending even MORE of your time all alone. You haven''t been seeing Carrie as much, and you''ve been seeing me even less. Is there something bothering you?"


    Julie made a dismissive gesture. "Why does it matter to you?¡±


    "It matters."


    Clarke wasn''t even sure where those words had come from, but the intensity behind his tone surprised even him. Julie''s eyebrows rose in response and it was a couple of seconds before she spoke. "It is no business of yours how I run my affairs," she retaliated.


    "I''m not concerned about your affairs, I''m concerned about YOU," Clarke insisted.


    "I''m just fine!" Julie snapped. ¡°Everything is going according to plan! Now Clarke, you were very useful in providing me with information last year, but seeing as we''re both a little older and wiser now, I believe it''s in both of our best interests for you stop spending so much time around me. In fact, you should leave. Now."


    There was momentary silence. "If that is how you truly feel," Clarke said. Julie turned to leave the room. "But I will only leave if you tell me that doing so will make you happy."This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Julie stopped in her tracks. "Haven''t you figured it out?" she said in annoyance. "Happiness doesn''t enter into this."


    "It does for me."


    "Why?" Julie demanded again. "Why do you give a damn?!"


    "Because," Clarke forced out. "I care about you, Jewels."


    Julie spun back to face him. He was half expecting her to be absolutely exasperated at this point, so the look of complete shock and confusion was oddly comforting. "Jules...?" she vocalized after a second.


    Clarke smiled weakly. "Jewels... I mean, it sort of sounds like your name, seems to jibe with all the money you have around here, plus, I don''t know, makes me think of a diamond in the rough, kinda." He cleared his throat. "Just sort of slipped out, really. Sorry."


    "Don''t be," Julie replied, her tone soft. "It''s... I¡¯ve never had anyone..." She froze. ¡°Is this part of a scam?" she asked, sizing Clarke up. "Has someone put you up to this?"


    "No!¡±


    "No? How can I be sure of that?" Julie demanded, pointing her finger. Her arm shook slightly. "Do you have any proof?"


    "Julie... Jewels... you know me fairly well by now," Clarke said as sincerely as he could. "Do you honestly believe that I would do what I''m doing now because someone TOLD me to do it?"


    Julie began to chew on her lower lip. "I... I''m suddenly not sure what to think," she mumbled uncomfortably. Her lips finally parted. "Clarke..."


    "Phil. Please, call me Phil," Clarke interrupted.


    Julie blinked but otherwise seemed unmoved. "Phil," she attempted again. "I''d like to think your intentions are honourable. But past incidents have caused me to become naturally... wary. I''m... I''m going to need some time to think through the repercussions of this.¡±


    Clarke nodded. "Anything I can do to help? Sometimes it''s good to talk things out with a friend."


    Julie stared at him for another long moment. ¡°No. You''ve helped enough already," she concluded. Not sharply, he was pleased to hear, but gently. ¡°You really should leave now. Feeling free to come back whenever you like," she hastily added.


    Clarke nodded. "Count on that," he remarked. He took a couple of steps towards the doorway.


    "Oh, and Cl-- Phil?" Julie stated. He turned back to see Julie''s gaze upon the box she was still holding.


    "Jewels?" he responded.


    Julie cleared her throat uncertainly before looking back up. "Thanks. That is, for the eclairs," she quickly quantified.


    Clarke watched as the severe colouring seen all too often in Julie''s features became overshadowed by the genuine, if hesitant, smile upon her face. ''She needs to smile like that more often,'' he realized. ''I need to get her to smile like that more often.''


    ***


    Julie grinned triumphantly. "We''re almost there," she declared. "Left at the next corner, Jeeves." The butler, who doubled as chauffeur, simply sighed and did as requested.


    "We''re heading for the edge of town," Clarke remarked. "Why would Carrie come all the way out here?"


    ¡°I can''t say for sure whether this is Carrie we''re tracking," Julie reminded. "All this thing has picked up is some device or devices which transmit on the same frequency. Ignoring the one I still have, there was the one somewhere in the ravine near Carrie''s, which stopped transmitting while you were making that phone call. Then there''s this one, which is out... wherever we''re going."


    "Do you know why the ravine signal stopped sending?¡± Clarke asked.


    "No. I''ll work it out in due course," Julie muttered through clenched teeth. "Jeeves, stop here! We''re almost on top of it."


    The car pulled up on the outskirts of town, in a fairly recently built subdivision. Julie jumped from the car with her receiver in hand, and peering down at the display in the darkness, she made her way into a small park playground. Clarke also emerged from the car, lagging behind Julie a bit.


    He found himself reflecting upon Julie''s current plans again. This Carrie affair was escalating unexpectedly. But why? Until his relationship with Julie had become ¡®semi official'' last year, he had never fully grasped the scope of what she had been doing... in fact, even now Clarke still wasn''t positive he understood it. What was Julie¡¯s goal, exactly?


    More to the point, how far was he truly willing to go when it came to backing up Julie and her plans? Would there come a time when he would have to put his foot down? To stand up to her? Clarke rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn''t sure he could do that.


    For some reason, the words spoken to him by Lance several years ago came to mind: ''Be careful who you cross in the future. Not everyone with the power to pull strings around you is likely to be as... forgiving as me.''


    But no, that wasn''t why he was unlikely to side against Julie. He didn¡¯t like the idea of leaving Julie with nobody in her corner.One of her rare smiles had the ability to light up a room - she wasn''t a bad person. All she needed was somebody to save her from herself. The question was, could he be that person?


    "Aha!" came a shout, and Clarke hurried to catch up.


    He need not have rushed. When he reached Julie¡¯s position, he merely found her kneeling in front of a clump of bushes. The receiving device was on the ground next to her, a small mound of freshly dug up earth sat in front of her, and there was something else in her hands.


    "What''ve you got, Jewels?" Clarke asked tentatively. Julie rose and turned to face him. She held out the object she was holding and Clarke squinted at it in the darkness.


    It was a dirty and smudged piece of possibly blue plastic in a vaguely horseshoe shape. A hairband? No... well, maybe, but only if it had been left here by someone for, what, half a century?


    "Phil," Julie began slowly. "I''m about to say something that is going to sound totally loopy, yet fits the facts in every conceivable way that occurs to me. In retrospect, it even makes a strange sort of sense. Please bear with me."


    Clarke nodded and Julie took in a deep breath. "Phil... I have the feeling that somehow, Frank Dijora has managed to invent himself a time machine."

 Part 13a: Doubletakes

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.3 - Of Her Impact


    PART 13a: DOUBLETAKES 1


    "So exactly how much of your jewellery was taken?"


    The hotel manager listened with half an ear as the officer questioned Ms. Peabody. Perfect, this was just perfect. A theft, not only in this budding rural community, but at his new hotel! What more could possibly go wrong with his day?


    As if in reply, a bright flash off to the side caught his attention. He turned to look across the lobby, whereby he saw two teenagers, a boy and a girl. They were standing somewhere he was sure no one had been moments ago. Moreover, they were dressed rather curiously... for instance, the girl was wearing pants, and a pink shirt that didn¡¯t resemble anything trendy. Not now, not from back in the forties either. He rubbed his eyes in confusion, wondering if he was hallucinating.


    "Officer," the manager heard Ms. Peabody call out. "Look there! That''s the person who robbed me!" The manager watched as his guest pointed over towards the blonde teenager who had just arrived. "Arrest that girl!"


    "Oh boy," responded the girl in question.


    ***


    ¡°Don''t mind us, just passing through," Carrie offered, once she realized that everyone at the hotel check-in counter was staring her way.


    "Arrest her. Now!" the woman reiterated.


    "We really can''t stay," Carrie insisted. She grabbed Frank and retreated hastily, up a couple steps and through the hotel entrance, located rather fortuitously behind them.


    "What on earth...?" Frank said, obviously still attempting to get his bearings, even as Carrie pulled him outside.


    "Very, very poor choice of time period, Frank," Carrie explained testily. "You''d better reactivate the machine and get us out of here, pronto!"


    Frank blinked. "But our location is still geographically unknown," he protested. "One of the purposes behind using a penny from ''55 was to check the spatial..."


    "Frank," Carrie interjected, dragging her companion down the sidewalk, away from the hotel entrance. At least it was growing dark outside, which could help to obscure them. "Someone is inexplicably after my hide here! Time to make a quick exit."


    "Carrie, I haven''t even reset the machine¡¯s month to..."


    "Frank!" Carrie repeated, shaking him to emphasize her point. "We... go... NOW." Down the street, two men emerged from the hotel, one of them the law enforcement officer.


    "We go now," Frank affirmed as he saw them. Carrie released him and he set the time machine down onto the sidewalk, fumbling for one of the present day coins in his pocket. There was a shout from down the street as they were spotted.


    "Fra-ank..."


    "Got it," Frank said, slipping the coin into the time machine. He grabbed the activation lever. "Pull on three. One..."


    "Twothree," Carrie finished. She and Frank yanked down on the lever. Carrie braced herself for the sensation of the void sucking at her, followed by another time displacement. But nothing happened.


    "Uh, again?" Frank said. They let the lever rise back up into position then pulled down on it once more. Still nothing.


    Carrie exhaled between pursed lips. "Someone is going to pay dearly for this," she vowed.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The law enforcement officer cleared his throat from behind them. "I think the two of you had better come back to the hotel to answer a few questions.¡±


    ***


    Carrie saw the older woman¡¯s eyes narrow when the police officer and hotel manager escorted her and Frank back into the lobby. "You should never have come back to me, dearie," the woman said smugly to Carrie. "That wasn''t very smart."


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, I''ve never been here before," Carrie retorted.


    "All right Ms. Peabody, let¡¯s settle down now," the officer soothed. He turned to the teenagers. "Suppose you start by telling us exactly what you''re doing here."


    Frank exchanged a glance with Carrie. "Yeah, uh... well, our affairs are often in a state of flux," he began slowly.


    "We just arrived in town," Carrie interrupted. "My... uncle is staying in the hotel. At least that''s what we thought, but when you started shouting at us we wondered if maybe we hadn''t received the wrong set of directions. So we went back out to try and get our bearings. I don''t suppose either of you have ever heard of the Clayton Hotel?"


    "This is the Clayton," affirmed the officer.


    "It IS?" Carrie said, genuinely surprised. She took a moment to look more closely at her surroundings. They were still in town. That was unexpected.


    "You''re Mr. Clayton!" Frank realized, turning to the manager.


    "Do I know either of you?" the manager wondered.


    "Uh, no," Frank admitted. "It''s just, well..."


    "We thought my uncle might have mentioned us," Carrie interrupted again. "I''m Carrie, this is Frank."


    "Never heard of you. Who is your uncle?" Mr. Clayton challenged.


    "Euh, his name is... Marty McFly.¡± Carrie exchanged a brief glance with Frank. "He should have checked in here on November fourteenth."


    "It''s November twelfth," Mr. Clayton pointed out.


    Carrie rolled her eyes ¨C this time faking her reaction, as she¡¯d seen the readout of the time machine and been well aware of that fact. "Really?" She slugged Frank in the arm. "You got those dates wrong AGAIN! Why do I even bother traveling anywhere with you?"


    Frank grimaced. "Maybe because without me, you''d have no idea how to get where you wanted to go?"


    "Hold it," the officer interrupted in a no-nonsense tone of voice. He turned to Carrie. "Regardless of the situation with your uncle, can you confirm your whereabouts as of about 4pm today?"


    "Yes, I was... on a train, heading into town," Carrie stated.


    Ms. Peabody sniffed, shooting a glare at Carrie. "Oh, ignore this girl''s babbling. She obviously came back here to gloat after hiding my jewellery somewhere. Don''t let the little wench get away with it!"


    Carrie''s eyes snapped back to the woman. "I''m sorry, WHAT did you just call me?!" Ms. Peabody took a step back in surprise.


    "Ms. Peabody, please," the officer said sharply. "Right now all we have is your word against hers. Carrie... McFly, was it? Can you give me the name of someone able to verify your story?"


    "Sure, call my father," Carrie asserted. ¡°You can trust him. He¡¯s a doctor. Phone 911-1999."


    The officer turned to the manager. "I''d prefer to clear this situation up now, if I can. May I use your phone?" Mr. Clayton nodded and the officer proceeded back to the front desk.


    "Okay, one down and the others are off their guard," Carrie whispered to Frank. "Get ready to run."


    "What?!" Frank hissed back. "We can''t just..."


    "Hey, wait!" Carrie gasped, pointing behind everyone. "Guys, what the hell''s that?" As the others turned, she grabbed Frank''s arm and bolted back for the door.


    ***


    Some time later, Carrie found herself blowing errant strands of hair back off her face. "Great, I lost my hairband during that mad dash," she sighed.


    "Your hairband? You''re worried about your hairband?!" Frank said dazedly. "Carrie... we''re fugitives. You''ve turned us into fugitives from the law!"


    ¡°Please, Frank. Don''t get so melodramatic," Carrie retorted. She peered around the trunk of the tree, verifying that their pursuers had either given up once they¡¯d cut into the woods, or managed to go in the wrong direction. The darkness and shrubbery had definitely been helpful for concealment.


    "We''re not fugitives," Carrie continued, turning back. "We didn''t do anything wrong. Obviously I''m not the person they''re looking for. It¡¯s 1955. I haven''t even been born yet."


    "That''s not the point," Frank accused. "Besides, for all we know, some future you time traveled back to earlier today and ripped off that missing jewellery. Meaning you ARE the person they''re looking for."


    "Oh please," Carrie scoffed. "What possible motive could I have? Anyway, even then it''s not me they''re looking for. It''s some future me."


    Frank pressed a hand to his forehead. Carrie was going to get them both killed one day, wasn''t she. "You know, for some reason I don''t remember you being this spirited the last time the two of us time traveled together."


    Carrie shrugged. "Two years ago for you, last week for me. Though I am finding all this easier to deal with, now that I have a better sense of what''s going on," she admitted. ¡°For that matter, I remember you being a lot better at improvisation."


    "I work better within a framework," Frank grumbled. ¡°Plus I never really got involved in theatre because I decided to research time travel instead.¡±


    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s fair.¡± Carrie swept some hair back over her shoulders. "Speaking of such... what¡¯s going on with the time machine? Why didn''t it activate?¡±

 Part 13b: Doubletakes 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.3 - Of Her Impact


    PART 13b: DOUBLETAKES 2


    "I don''t know why it didn¡¯t work,¡± Frank admitted, taking the device back from Carrie and giving it a look. "It was one of my two 1955 pennies we used to get here, maybe the machine has some trouble with... no, because the penny I used the other day worked all right..."


    "Hold on, other day? How many time trips have you taken without telling me??" Carrie interjected in annoyance.


    Frank sighed and put the time machine down. "I made a few trips earlier this week in order to gather more data. You couldn''t have come, you were constantly busy after school."


    "I was not," Carrie countered. She frowned. ¡°Well, not really. Okay, I did have cheerleading and track practices. Also, that dinner with Bill. But you DO know there¡¯s this thing called a ''social life¡¯, yeah?¡±


    "At any rate," Frank continued, apparently deciding to ignore the question, "I managed to stay in town for each test. Which is part of the reason I called you over on Saturday. To see if the spatial relocation issue was only a factor if there were two travellers."


    ¡°Yes, yes. And we took a trip two days back, to Thursday, established we were in the ravine out back of my house, then tried the much larger leap here to 1955," Carrie said.


    She folded her arms and leaned back against the tree trunk behind her. ¡°Weird how we''re still in town. Or in what will BE the town anyway. If we orient according to the Clayton building, I saw some parallels between what''s here and what will end up being here. Admittedly there¡¯s a lot more undeveloped forest. It¡¯s currently more like a village than a town."


    "Yes," Frank agreed slowly. He frowned. "Now if only I could figure out why we didn¡¯t stay here for the trip two years ago..." His voice trailed off as he got lost in thought.


    "Frank? The broken machine?" Carrie prompted.


    "Oh, right," Frank realized. He frowned. "Well, offhand I can''t think of a reason for it not to have worked. I''ll need to take a look inside."


    Carrie rolled her eyes. "You know, at the risk of sounding trite, you have had that device in your possession for almost a week now. I thought you¡¯d have been further along. I didn''t authorize a trip to ''55 only to be stuck here for all eternity. That is... be stuck in ''55 until ''56... you know what I mean."


    "Authorize?" Frank countered. "What authorize? I thought this was a partnership. And I told you there would be some risk involved in this trip!¡±


    "Well... I thought maybe you knew more than you were letting on," Carrie admitted. "I mean, you have done two years of research, right? For all I know, you¡¯re stalling. Maybe you''re hoping that the longer you play dumb, the better the chances are of me changing my mind about saving my mama!"


    Frank let out a breath. "Yes, yes, that''s exactly it," he said. ¡°Except, oh wait, this device has circuits and chips I''ve never seen before. It''s a quantum leap forward in technology! Even with two years to think about it, a week hasn''t been enough to identify much beyond what I did that very first time I saw it. Empirical experiments are the only way for me to learn more. Or they would be if you didn''t consistently turn them into a disaster.¡±


    Frank swept his hand out in a final gesture, knocking it hard against a limb of the tree. "Ow!" He bit back a curse, cradling his palm.


    "Hey, don''t blame me,¡± Carrie retorted. "I''m just... trying to keep you motivated?" She paused. She really wasn''t helping much, was she. Her emotions were continuing to get the best of her. "Uh, your hand okay?" Carrie ventured, moving towards Frank. He pulled away, simultaneously shrugging off the backpack he''d had with him since their arrival.


    "I''m fine," Frank mumbled, flexing his fingers. "At least we have provisions this time, including tools and a flashlight. If you hold it, I''ll see if I can find the problem."


    ***


    Several minutes passed by in silence as Frank poked around inside the time machine. "Well, the air certainly seems a lot more natural and clean in comparison with our year," Carrie piped up tentatively. ¡°Except in the hotel. I suppose they haven¡¯t banned smoking yet.¡±


    "Uh huh," Frank responded, not looking up from his work.


    There was another extended silence. Carrie couldn¡¯t take it. "I wonder," she began again. "My double here... or, well, the person who took that Ms. Peabody''s jewellery... do you think they could have been an ancestor of mine?"Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "I don''t know. Did your ancestors live in this area in ''55?"


    Carrie furrowed her brow. "My parents hadn''t even been born yet," she reflected. "Maybe my grandparents... though none of them have ever told stories about being a thief."


    Frank shrugged. "Can''t think it''s the sort of thing one tells grandkids, really. Hold the light steady?"


    "Mmmmm." A thought struck her. She didn¡¯t like it. ¡°Do you think whoever it was might be in even more trouble now, given how I ran away?¡± Carrie asked. ¡°I can¡¯t help reacting instinctively... you don''t think I''ve changed history, do you? Wait, strike that, of course not, you think the past and the future are already mapped out. However, if changing the past IS possible, I might have changed something, right?"


    "Anything''s possible I guess," Frank said, eyes still on the device. "Not much we can do about that now."


    "Unless we change things back," Carrie pointed out.


    "Potentially making the situation worse," Frank objected. "Carrie, we don''t know anything about what''s going on in this time period."


    ¡°I know that,¡± Carrie agreed, trying to suppress her irritation. ¡°But what if that Ms. Peabody punishes someone else for my actions?"


    ¡°You should have thought of that earlier.¡± Frank moved to close the time machine back up. "Anyway, that''s that."


    "Oh, figure out the problem?" Carrie turned off the flashlight.


    Frank nodded. "It looks like the machine is, for lack of a better word, recharging. Everything is operational, some parts simply aren''t receiving power. I can only conclude that they will once the assembly cools down, meaning business as usual if we wait it out a few hours. I took the opportunity to reset the thing for the present."


    "Meaning we''re stuck here in the past?!"


    "Yes, but not for long," Frank assured. "If I had to guess, I''d say the problem was the distance of the jump - we have traveled back something like half a century, after all. For all we know, the machine acted like this when we jumped that time to the airport too. We¡¯ve never tried activating it again so soon after arrival."


    "I see," Carrie remarked dryly. She clicked the flashlight back on. "Well then, looks like I have some time to relocate my hairband."


    Frank blinked. "I beg your pardon?"


    "Well, what do you suggest, that we spend two hours sitting here staring at the damn device? I''d rather be doing something productive. Anyway, I liked that hairband."


    "Carrie, have you forgotten that there are people out there looking for us?¡±


    "I''ll be careful,¡± Carrie asserted. "And really, where''s the harm in checking? It¡¯s okay to take the flashlight, yeah?¡± And without really waiting for an answer, she turned to leave.


    ***


    Frank opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it and let Carrie go. She might as well leave, versus staying here for a new argument. Honestly, the girl could be so... so... stubborn and self-absorbed! He wasn¡¯t sure why he¡¯d thought that would change after her first time travel experience. In fact, her personality was one of the main reasons Frank hadn''t yet said anything to her about that phone call he''d received last week. The one warning him about Julie.


    Granted, Frank knew little about Julie aside from the fact that she was a "rich socialite" at school who was also Carrie''s friend. Yet he did think that the latter could indicate a bit of a blind spot for Carrie. Maybe she¡¯d simply want to tell Julie about the device, despite the need for secrecy. No, better to keep the Julie concerns to himself for the moment.


    Indeed, it was only in the last few days that he''d realized how much Julie might be a legitimate cause for concern. The phone tip had been rather fortuitous, though the number had been untraceable.


    Frank sat down at the base of the tree, staring up into the sky. What WAS the deal with that phone call?


    Did it signify that some higher powers were observing them? Did that in turn mean that Frank and Carrie''s safety was being looked after? Not something Frank really wanted to count on. He grimaced. Which was, ironically, a good reason for bringing Carrie along when time traveling.


    The three or four trips Frank had taken on his own earlier in the week had been poorly executed. Particularly the one when he''d ended up back at the school, right before classes changed. He was not as adept as Carrie at making quick adjustments to new situations.


    Carrie, on the other hand... that story she had given about Uncle McFly in the hotel... well, Frank doubted he''d have been able to fake his way through half that conversation with Carrie''s finesse, movie references notwithstanding. But then again, he might not have had to do it if they hadn''t fingered her as a thief, right?


    "Can''t travel with her, can''t travel without her," Frank concluded with a sigh.


    ***


    Carrie shone the light into the underbrush, looking for any sign of blue while simultaneously listening for anything around her that was out of the ordinary. Her mind, though, was on other things entirely. Namely the situation they''d been dropped into.


    Had she had a brush with a long-lost relative of sorts? Frank''s unproven theories aside, had she affected history? Carrie couldn''t think of anything in her present that felt out of place... but then, based on prior experience, she''d be remembering any changes as the original history already. It was very tempting to sneak back into town and satisfy her curiosity about the situation, but even Carrie had to admit the potential danger was too great.


    She sighed. This whole time travel business was really starting to affect her life. How might her future actions in the past end up affecting the timeline? Particularly where her mother was concerned?


    Such thoughts had driven her to distraction more than once in the past week. Often necessitating an apology to whomever she¡¯d been talking to. Which had caught some of her classmates off guard, as if they''d expected to share the blame for her own inattentiveness.


    She didn¡¯t always lash out, did she?


    Her brow furrowed. There was also that date she¡¯d had with Bill the previous night. The guy had turned out to be a lot duller than she would have anticipated. And he¡¯d had difficulty keeping his eyes on her face. Which, on the one hand, whatever, so long as she got a free meal, but on the other... Carrie was starting to wonder how well she really knew the people around her.


    A hint of blue caught the blonde''s eye and she pushed those unsettling thoughts out of her head. That must it, her favourite hairband. She approached the item in question and stooped down to retrieve it. Which was when something hit her from behind, sending her sprawling onto the ground.


    Dazed but not out, Carrie rolled over in order to see who or what had just attacked her. The shock of seeing a mirror image of herself, standing there wielding a tree branch, was enough to allow the assailant to get in another swing. The world exploded in a field of stars before fading to black.

 Part 14a: Doubletakes 3

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.3 - Of Her Impact


    PART 14a: DOUBLETAKES 3


    "Hello? You okay?" came a tentative voice.


    Carrie moaned. Everything looked black, but after a second she realized that was because it was still dark outside, and her eyes were having some trouble focusing. She blinked them a few times, working at determining where she was, and who was speaking.


    Carrie quickly discovered that she was sitting on the ground, propped back up against the trunk of a tree, with her arms tied behind her. There was a person crouching down next to her. It was... herself. A Carrie double.


    "You''re... you''re my... who are you?!" Carrie demanded as she realized that up close, her assailant looked a little older, with softer facial features. Plus the blonde was wearing a different outfit, one more appropriate to the 1950s.


    The other girl took a fumbling step backwards at Carrie''s tone. "Well, I could ask you the same question. Did you really think I''d let you take over without a fight?"


    Carrie stared. "What the hell are you talking about?"


    "About your impersonating me in front of Ms. Peabody,¡± her companion challenged. "How long did you think you could get away with it?"


    "I never planned on impersonating you," Carrie said in irritation. "In fact, if you want to turn yourself in for the jewellery theft, please be my guest."


    It was Carrie''s captor''s turn to stare. "Jewellery theft?" she said nervously.


    Carrie rolled her eyes. "Yes, the one your Ms. Peabody tried to arrest me for an hour or two ago," she elaborated.


    "You... you stole her jewellery?" the other girl gasped in horror. "How COULD you?"


    "No, *I* didn''t do it, I just got into town,¡± Carrie said in exasperation. "I''m assuming you did it."


    "I would never do such a thing. And what do you mean you just got into town, *I* just got into town! You''ve been impersonating me for the last two months, spoiling my chances at stardom. Tell me, please... did... did I do something to you that made you want to ruin my life?"


    "Look, time out," Carrie asserted. "My name is Carrie Waterson. I don''t know you. I don''t know Ms. Peabody. I haven''t been in this part of the country for the last two months. If you''re looking for some evil lookalike, it''s not me. Are we perfectly clear on this?"


    "I don''t understand."


    ¡°Well, I really can''t make things any clearer. Suppose you run your story by me? That might help clear this mess up," Carrie proposed.


    The girl sized Carrie up before speaking again. "I... my name is Beth Parker," she admitted, warily. "I''m hoping to become a singer. When I started looking for work last year, I met Ms. Peabody. As it turns out, my voice and looks were perfect for a set of commercials her new company wanted to do. Unfortunately, she was a little low on funds, so we pooled our resources together in order to launch the effort."


    Carrie mulled the name ''Beth Parker'' over in her mind, but couldn''t think of anyone by that name in her family tree. So their passing resemblance could be a fluke. More to the point, this blonde¡¯s story seemed to have a natural extrapolation. "So, what, someone else took your place at some point, running off with the proceeds?"


    "Exactly,¡± Beth affirmed. "See, the company inexplicably vanished one day. But I had some money hidden away, enough to track Ms. Peabody''s whereabouts. It took two months, but I caught up with her earlier today - and she said that she''d been dealing with me the whole time! That I''d authorized the dissolution of the company, that we were currently working together on some whole new plan. She asked me to take a little walk, then come back by the hotel at 6pm, at which point we could deal properly with the situation."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Beth narrowed her eyes as she continued. "I was a little late, and saw someone who resembled me escorting a policeman inside. That was YOU, wasn''t it? I kept watch. And when I never showed, forcing you all to run off in your search party, I tailed you. Admittedly, I lost track of you, but I¡¯d discovered your hairband, and was hoping you''d come back for it. So! What have you done, stolen Ms. Peabody''s jewellery to make me look like a thief?"


    Carrie let her head fall back against the tree behind her with a quiet ''thunk''. "Oh boy," she mumbled again.


    She had a suspicion as to what was going on here now, namely that Ms. Peabody might not be as legitimate as she claimed to be. But how could she ever prove that? And could she convince Beth of the situation without revealing her identity as a time traveler?


    Carrie unexpectedly found herself at a loss for words, with no idea of where to begin. If only she had more time... which was when the idea hit her like a bolt of lightning.


    ***


    A deck of cards. He should make sure to stick a deck of cards in the backpack, Frank decided. It would be useful during times such as these, and provide more entertainment than squinting at a compass needle.


    With a sigh, Frank tossed the compass aside, resuming his stargazing. It was about all he could do at this point, particularly with Carrie still having the flashlight out there somewhere. Where was that girl anyway?


    Checking his watch, Frank discovered that she''d left well over an hour ago. This was starting to make him uneasy; he''d been writing it off as Carrie''s stubborn resolve to find her hairband, or perhaps to avoid him. But what if she was really in trouble? Could she have been arrested by that police officer?


    "Should I go after her?" Frank mused aloud. Yet what if she was merely lost in the woods, and he was the one who ended up getting caught by going to look for her? Besides, she had demonstrated that she could handle herself.


    On the other hand, what if she had been hurt somehow? The way he had been, that time in the past? Frank finally decided that he couldn''t keep sitting here. He stood up with a sigh and hefted the backpack, preparing to head out on a search. "Carrie, you''d better be in trouble," Frank declared.


    "Well, thanks, Frank," Carrie retorted. Frank spun to see her approaching him through the trees. "Nice to know you care."


    "Carrie, you''re all right!"


    "Sorry to disappoint you."


    "But I didn''t mean... that is..." Frank sighed yet again. What was the use. "Never mind. Find your hairband?" he asked wearily.


    Carrie pursed her lips. "In a manner of speaking," she responded, now looking defensive. Which was when Frank realized that she seemed to have changed her shirt. How was that possible? "You see Frank... it appears that it was our destiny to come back here to 1955 in order to help a young girl named Beth."


    "What do you mean? As I indicated before, it''s not our part to get involved."


    "Yes, well, it''s a bit late for that," Carrie admitted. A strand of hair found its way into her hands and she started twirling it. "Because, ah, in some sense I know that we''ve already done what I''m about to do."


    It took a second for Frank to parse that. "Oh no. No, no, no, Carrie... I''m not liking where this is going..."


    Carrie smiled and made a vague hand gesture. "Guess what, Frank! There are now two of me here and there are two of you here. The other me is the one who helps Beth, before going back with you to the present. The other you has gone to join the two of them even as we speak."


    Frank pressed a hand to his head. "Then... you''re a Carrie who''s come back. Back from the future."


    "It was the best solution I could come up with," Carrie conceded. "I needed proof of some shady dealings that I couldn''t get while in this time period. But look on the bright side! In a way we''re validating your theory of self-consistency.¡±


    "I can see that being a reason for me to tag along," Frank mumbled. "But all the same, Carrie, I think we''re long overdue for a discussion on the ramifications of temporal paradox."


    "Oh, honestly Frank, you worry too much," Carrie assured. "Now come on, I''ll give you the highlights of my plan."


    ***


    "You''re sure this is going to work?" Frank whispered.


    The Carrie with whom he¡¯d originally taken this trip nodded in reply. "Our future selves provided me with the important details, everything will work out perfectly."


    "Uh huh," Frank said, dubiously. "You''re also sure Beth won''t clue in that we''re time travellers?"


    "Yes, Frank," said Carrie patiently. "When your future self arrived with the necessary documentation, showing Beth that Ms. Peabody had been engaging in illegal activities, your now present self wasn''t anywhere around. When I got Beth to go along with this scheme on account of that, my future self was finding you. Since we waited until Beth left before your future double traded places with you, Beth never saw any doubles together at the same time, so no problem. And our future selves have now gone back to hide in the woods, meaning she¡¯ll never know.¡±


    Frank ran a hand back through his hair. "Riiiight." He paused. "But what if our future selves simply said what they did to be consistent with what we heard. Meaning things could still go wrong for us, and we¡¯ll end up lying about it when we became our future doubles."


    "Frank!" Carrie hissed, her hands unconsciously forming into fists. "Will you stop already? You''re actually starting to make me nervous.¡±


    "Okay, okay," Frank said, raising his hands defensively.


    Carrie peered at her watch, which read 9:55. "Damn," she muttered. "Damn, damn. Where is that Beth? That policeman is going to leave the hotel again if she waits any longer."


    Frank cleared his throat uncertainly. "Er, I think that''s her now," he indicated.


    Carrie turned to look back around the corner of the block, watching as Beth walked up to the front of the Clayton hotel. Carrie grinned. "Showtime,¡± she announced.

 Part 14b: Doubletakes 4

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.3 - Of Her Impact


    PART 14b: DOUBLETAKES 4


    "Officer Strickland, all I know is what I was told over the phone,¡± explained Mr. Clayton, "Someone said that the case of the missing jewellery would be solved if I got you and Ms. Peabody back here, in an empty lobby, at ten minutes to ten."


    ¡°This is pointless," snapped Ms. Peabody. "It''s obviously a ruse set up by the thief so that she has a chance to escape. If you''ll excuse me, I have other affairs that need tending to."


    "Ms. Peabody, please,¡± Strickland said. "At this point, we''re a little short on leads and manpower for a search. There''s no harm in following up on this, is there?" He glanced at his watch. "Though I must confess that if nothing happens in the next few minutes, perhaps we should be on our way..."


    Beth Parker chose that moment to walk through the front doors of the hotel. Her appearance was greeted with varied degrees of surprise on the faces of the people present. "Hold it right there," the officer advised her, approaching quickly. "Why have you returned? Are you turning yourself in?"


    The strangely clothed blonde at the door bit her lip. "What?" Beth inquired softly. She turned. "Ms. Peabody, what¡¯s going on? I took that long walk as you suggested, and am afraid that I got lost. Is it too late to discuss our Lyon Estates company?"


    Ms. Peabody met Beth''s gaze evenly, finally shaking her head slightly. "I can''t figure out if you''re even stupider than I thought, or are finally doing something smart by giving yourself up."


    "I''m not sure I understand you," Beth said. "After everything we went through last year, are you really going to let me get arrested? Is this really how you''re going to conclude our association?"


    Officer Strickland frowned. "Ms. Peabody, do you know this girl?"


    There was a pause before Ms. Peabody shook her head again. "Aside from the time I saw her steal my jewellery, I have never seen this girl before in my life."


    "Then it''s true," Beth choked out. ¡°What that boy told me, it''s all true. God, I''ve been so naive!"


    The law enforcement officer glanced from Beth to Ms. Peabody and back. "Unless you have a real alibi for about 4pm today, I''m afraid I''m going to have to ask you to come with me," he concluded, stepping towards Beth.


    Mr. Clayton had already moved around to block the doorway; which meant he was caught quite off guard when it then opened behind him.


    "All right," Carrie announced. "I give up! I''m turning myself in," she declared, striding into the lobby. Her arrival elicited both surprise and confusion.


    Mr. Clayton rubbed his eyes. "There''s two of them!" he declared.


    "Great Scott," exclaimed the officer, looking back and forth between them. "Er, Ms. Peabody, these two girls do seem remarkably similar. Can you say for certain which one of them was involved in the theft?"


    The woman struggled for a moment to regain her composure as she looked back and forth between Carrie and Beth, ultimately raising a finger to point at the latter. "It''s her! This new girl looks too young."


    "What are you talking about?" Carrie retorted. ¡°I¡¯m the one who confessed to the crime.¡±


    "All right, hold on a second here," Strickland said. "Let''s keep this orderly... first of all, ladies, let me get your names for the record."


    "My name is Carrie," said the girl in the blue hairband.


    "And I''m Beth," Carrie asserted.


    "That''s a lie,¡± Ms. Peabody objected. "Officer, they must be working together, they''ve reversed their names."


    ¡°You said you''d never seen me before," Beth murmured. "So how do you know what my name should be?"


    Ms. Peabody opened and closed her mouth. ¡°Because! It was that other girl by the door who identified herself as Carrie McFly earlier today," she countered.


    Carrie spun. "Mr. Clayton,¡± she challenged. "The girl Ms. Peabody is referring to, the one who was here earlier, what was she wearing?"


    "Euh, well, dark pants, pink top, blue hairband... what that girl has on right now I believe," he answered, indicating Beth.


    Carrie nodded and turned back to Ms. Peabody. "In other words, the girl currently claiming to be Carrie is wearing exactly the same thing as the girl who was claiming to be Carrie before. To know that my companion here is, in fact, Beth... well that would imply some former association with her."If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Childish nonsense," Ms. Peabody sputtered. "Officer, these two are obviously in league together. I want you to arrest them both!"


    "Now hold on a minute here," Strickland replied slowly. "That is a potentially interesting point they''ve raised."


    "I know more," Carrie noted with a smile. "Ms. Peabody has been behind several scams running in nearby towns. She was lying low here. This whole missing jewellery business has been an attempt to get poor Beth out of the way long enough for Peabody to finish tying up loose ends before fleeing the country."


    "I don''t have to stay here and listen to this. You have no proof of anything you''re saying!"


    "Actually, I do," Carrie responded smoothly. "First of all, there''s currently an airplane ticket among your possessions. I also have a financial statement, which shows that a lot of money, including Beth''s, has been routed to an account in Switzerland. Plus I have a list of five names, all of whom will probably make good witnesses at trial."


    Carrie pulled the papers from the waistband of her 1950s skirt and handed them over to the officer, inwardly praising the detail of the articles that her future self had produced.


    "Interesting," Strickland acknowledged, scanning over the documents. "As a matter of fact, Ms. Peabody, I have been keeping my eye on you the last few days. We don''t get many rich folks around these parts, and you''ve been making a lot of phone calls. I believe I will look into this... very carefully."


    "You meddling little tramp," Ms. Peabody snapped at Carrie, fire in her eyes. ¡°Where did you get all of this information?!"


    Carrie pursed her lips. Now came the tricky bit. "I am receiving it through divine intervention. For you see, I''m a guardian angel."


    Mr. Clayton did a double take. "You''re... you''re an angel," he repeated disbelievingly.


    "Oh well, see, that does it, case closed, this girl is insane," Ms. Peabody retorted.


    Carrie haughtily brushed some hair back off her shoulder. "On the contrary, I shall now prove it by departing from your plane of existence," Carrie asserted. She moved to knock on the hotel doors. "Frank!"


    ***


    ''I can''t believe I''m going along with this,'' Frank thought to himself as he entered the lobby. ''I really can''t... I''m not even positive that the machine has regained sufficient power... but at this point, what else am I going to do?'' Frank smiled wanly at everyone before setting the device down on the floor next to Carrie, keeping a hand on the lever.


    "Now then officer, I trust that I can leave this matter in your very capable hands?" Carrie concluded.


    "Er, yes, but... just a moment here,¡± Officer Strickland objected. "I must insist that you not leave the area just yet. You may be required as a character witness. The situation has not yet been fully resolved.¡±


    Carrie smiled. "It will be. You can say you got those records from an accountant by the name of Tiff Bannon." She crouched down next to the time machine and took in a deep breath. "My work here is done. So... ''bye now!"


    Carrie gave a little wave, reaching back with her free hand to yank down on the lever, along with Frank. There was a bright light, a popping sound and the both of them disappeared.


    ***


    "What on earth?" gasped Mr. Clayton, running over to the spot where they had been, before rubbing his eyes in a daze. He then proceeded to open the main doors and peer outside. "They''re gone. Oh man, oh man. I''ll never be able to repeat this story to anyone, they''ll think I''m nuts."


    Ms. Peabody hmphed, edging back towards the stairway. "Well, if the show is over, I''ll be on my way."


    "Not so fast," Officer Strickland challenged, regaining his composure. "As I said, this information will be looked over in detail. And regardless of its, er, source, I''d say your future is looking pretty grim! Mr. Clayton, please restrain Ms. Peabody in your office until I can verify some of this, and contact the requisite authorities." Clayton nodded, moving to comply. ¡°Meanwhile Miss Beth, you''d better come with me, there are some questions to... Beth?"


    Beth was still staring in awe at Carrie and Frank''s point of departure. "She really was an angel then," the blonde choked out. "Both of them were. I mean, she said it before, but I never really believed it. My God, I actually had angels looking out for me! It''s... it''s almost enough to restore one''s faith in humanity. Isn''t it?"


    She slipped off the hairband she''d been wearing and looked down at it. "If only I''d had some way to thank them."


    ***


    Somewhere back in the woods, Frank absently shuffled his deck of cards. By his calculations, they still had an hour or so until the time machine regained enough power for their next trip. "You know Carrie," he said, "There''s something I''ve been meaning to ask you."


    "Oh, what NOW, Frank?" Carrie asked. "I mean, despite the fact that some of the evidence was deemed questionable, Ms. Peabody will still be convicted and given a jail term of 25 years. Mr. Clayton will take Beth on as a worker in his new hotel, allowing her to raise enough money to launch herself on a little singing career. Despite our theatrics, our research indicated we''ll barely be a footnote in the time period. And if your question is going to get us into another quasi-religious debate, I''d rather not go there again.¡±


    "It''s not any of that," Frank retorted.


    Carrie folded her arms. "What then?"


    "It''s this... based on what we learned, it was Beth Parker''s own fault she was taken advantage of, owing to her being too trusting of the wrong person. Meaning I wouldn''t have expected you to have much sympathy for her. Yet you still helped her, all the while knowing that she couldn''t give you anything in return. Why?"


    Carrie frowned at that. ¡°She had me tied up. I needed a way to get her off my back," she replied. "Besides, I got to put on quite a performance too."


    Frank peered closer, trying to see Carrie¡¯s expression in the darkness. "That''s the only reason...?"


    "Frank, if you don''t shut up, I''m going to make you walk funny for a week," Carrie grumbled.


    Still, much as she hated to admit it, Frank had a point. It wasn''t exactly like her to shell out such time and effort without expectation of a personal payoff. However, by putting something right that might have otherwise gone wrong... it did give Carrie the strange feeling of a job well done. Why was she resisting owning up to it?


    She had even sacrificed her preferred hairband, all in the name of confusing that arrogant Ms. Peabody. Of course, a hairband didn¡¯t matter, not in the grand scheme of things. Right?


    Carrie was still reflecting on what had motivated her actions an hour later, when she and Frank activated the time machine - and failed to reach their present day.

 Part 15a: With Kaleidoscope Eyes

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.3 - Of Her Impact


    PART 15a: WITH KALEIDOSCOPE EYES 1


    Luci Primrose woke up and reached over to her night table, flipping on a light. The sunlight had not yet begun to filter though her tiny basement window, however the clock indicated that morning had arrived.


    Stretching to help shake off the lingering sensations of sleep, the young asian girl threw back her covers and retrieved her page-a-day Mensa calendar. Tearing off the next sheet, she scanned over the new puzzle, reflected on it briefly, then picked up a pencil and scribbled in an answer. After which she looked at the date itself.


    "Saturday. The end of September," Luci murmured aloud. She smiled. ¡°Means I should be able to talk with Frank about the time machine today,¡± she concluded.


    ***


    "Jewels, I''m starting to worry about you. Seriously."


    "I''m not crazy,¡± the brunette snapped. She paused to glance around the library foyer, to see if she had attracted the attention of anyone standing nearby, before lowering her voice. "Frank Dijora must have a time machine," she insisted. "It fits the facts. But I can deal with this, as long as I kick things up another notch."


    ¡°It¡¯s not your conclusion, but rather the obsession which is worrying me," Clarke clarified. "Is whatever Frank and Carrie are doing really so important?"


    Julie stared up at him as if he''d suddenly grown a third eye. ¡°More than anyone else, you know how I''ve spent a couple of years building up my status at school. At this point, Carrie¡¯s actions reflect on me, and I''m not about to let a damn geek mess all of that up to the point where I cannot attain my future goal. Time travel or not!"


    "But why, Jewels? What goal is this important to you?"


    Julie set her jaw. "Come on, Phil," she said, starting to walk away. "We need to figure out what we''re up against."


    Clarke followed after her. "Okay, okay," he said, recognizing the signs that he¡¯d pushed her as far as he could. For now. "Though I must confess I''m not sure how we figure that out in the library."


    "Either Frank or Carrie ¨C or both ¨C will travel into the distant past in our near future, as evidenced by the fact that we found an ancient version of Carrie''s hairband," Julie explained. She reached the stairs and started to descend. ¡°Ergo, there might be records of their activities in said past. And if we can find irregularities in old newspaper headlines, their actions back then could provide a clue as to their future motives here.¡±


    Clarke frowned. ¡°What makes you think they have any specific motivation?"


    ¡°What makes you think they don¡¯t? At the least, Carrie¡¯s being evasive, implying their goals somehow clash with mine. I must obtain further information, or I cannot accurately predict what they''ll do next."


    "And you''re sure they¡¯re working together?"


    "In some capacity, obviously," Julie said. She paused, waiting until a library patron had walked past them. ¡°The real question is whether Carrie¡¯s a willing participant or an ignorant pawn - perhaps Frank''s time machine comes equipped with a mind control device. Regardless, I cannot presently trust her. Fortunately, with my transmitter now in place," she concluded, fishing the small receiver device out of her pocket, "I''ll at least know where Carrie is at all times.¡±


    "She''s here in the library," Clarke said.


    Julie looked closer at her receiver. "No, she seems to be at Frank''s house. I¡¯ll have to ask about that later.¡±


    "No, she''s here in the library," Clarke reiterated, placing a hand on Julie''s shoulder to halt her advance. "I''m pretty sure that''s her up there in the records area."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Julie shifted her gaze to the room ahead of them. "You''re right!" she gasped. She grabbed Clarke''s hand, pulling them back into a row of nearby bookshelves before they were seen. "And was that Frank in there with her? How could they beat me here? And what''s Carrie''s hairband doing back at Frank''s house?!"


    "There could be two of her again," Clarke offered.


    "Good point," Julie acknowledged. "Perhaps I should call Frank''s place to--" She stopped speaking as the signal from the transmitter vanished off her screen. It was now totally blank, as she had previously deactivated the sixty year old device they¡¯d obtained last Thursday.


    ¡°Hm. Low battery?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Julie said, shaking the receiver. "Damn it, the thing¡¯s brand new, how can it be... of course.¡± Julie smacked her palm against her forehead. "How stupid can I be? If Frank really has a time machine, he has access to the future. He must have learned about the tracking device!¡±


    She let out a quiet curse. "No wonder they seem to be two steps ahead of me. They¡¯re probably in the library now to destroy certain records before anybody can find them.¡±


    "Jewels... stay calm..."


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s even Frank''s future self who invented the time machine," Julie reasoned, ignoring Clarke''s plea. ¡°Leaving it back here in our present. But, in changing his past, he may not yet realize how much he¡¯s revealed to me. If I¡¯m careful, I can still recover from this!¡±


    "Jewels..."


    Julie snapped her gaze over to Clarke. "Phil, do me a favour? Stay here and let me know what Carrie and Frank do? I have to go back home and adjust my timelines."


    "But don''t you think you''ve been working too hard already?" Clarke protested.


    His words fell on deaf ears, as Julie had already spun on her heel and was heading back towards the stairs. He watched her retreating form with sadness in his eyes.


    ***


    Luci drummed her fingers absently on the tabletop. Would Frank be in the library already? In order to avoid running into him there, how long should she stay at the cafe?


    "Everything all right?" asked Theresa, interrupting the young teenager¡¯s thoughts.


    Luci blinked up at the waitress and smiled faintly. ¡°Yes, the sandwiches are fine, thanks."


    Theresa nodded. ¡°Let me know if there''s anything else I can do for you then.¡±


    Luci started to nod, but instead asked, ¡°Don''t you get tired of talking to people, day in and day out?"


    Theresa laughed lightly. "No, not really," she admitted. ¡°This job is an interesting study into human nature. For instance, many people have similar problems, and yet I find each individual is also unique in their own way."


    Luci tilted her head to the side. "Unique how?¡±


    "It depends. For you, the first thing that leaps out at me is your eyes," Theresa admitted. "They show such... intensity. And intelligence. Plus it''s like they''re both green and blue at same time. Quite a remarkable effect, really."


    "I''ve been told that''s genetic," Luci acknowledged. ¡°Though with me being adopted, I don¡¯t know for sure."


    Theresa nodded. "A first for me, anyway. Of course, maybe I''ll eventually become jaded and cynical... but when I stop seeing customers as individuals, it might be time to move on to another line of work." She smiled. "Speaking of which, I''d better get back to it. Let me know when you''re ready for the bill."


    This time Luci nodded, and Theresa moved off. The waitress was an observer, Luci reflected - a trait the young girl could readily identify with.


    ***


    "You know Frank, I''ve been thinking," Carrie remarked as she plunked down another large book full of old news accounts. "Why can''t we go into the future to figure out what the outcome of all your time experiments will be? After all, we''re looking for records of what happened in 1955 to help Beth. We should be able to apply that same principle to ourselves."


    "The time machine only travels into the past," Frank reminded her, without even looking up from his own book. He wondered idly what it was Carrie had against silence. At least she wasn¡¯t grumbling about the 1950s outfit any more, as they¡¯d dropped by her house for a change of clothes before coming to the library.


    "Correction, it travels to whatever time period you have coins for," Carrie rebuffed. "We should be able to travel as far forward as December 31st of this year.¡±


    Frank did look up at that. "True," he conceded. "But, okay, say I go a month into the future to do as you say. That means there is now no need for me to do any testing. It invokes a time paradox, whereby I''ll have the results without ever doing the experiments.¡±


    Carrie shrugged. "Having the results doesn''t mean you can''t perform the experiments. In fact, we''d be prepared for the outcomes, and at the same time, we could put the information we¡¯ll have got to better use.¡±


    Naturally, her tone implied that ¡®better use¡¯ meant dealing with her missing mother. ¡°Carrie, knowing beforehand might mean we do something which nullifies an experiment, or results in there being a completely different set of results,¡± Frank protested. "We can''t trust data for tests we haven''t seen!¡±


    ¡°Sure we can, your future¡¯s unchangeable, right?¡±


    ¡°Data obtained that way could still be faulty.¡±


    "You have no sense of adventure,¡± Carrie argued.


    "You have no sense of responsibility," Frank fired back.


    "You have no sense of fun!"


    "You have no sense of paradox!"


    "You... shut up!" Carrie said, giving Frank¡¯s shoulder a shove. He fell off his library stool. "You have no sense of balance," she declared triumphantly.


    Frank closed his eyes and counted to five. ¡°Is there some reason you always have to get your way?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t always have to get my... um..."


    Frank reopened his eyes and looked back up at her. She was frowning, her lips drawn in. Could it be she was actually reflecting on her actions? He stood back up, deciding to press the advantage.

 Part 15b: With Kaleidoscope Eyes 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.3 - Of Her Impact


    PART 15b: WITH KALEIDOSCOPE EYES 2


    "Look, Carrie, this time travel stuff is more complicated than you''re making it out to be,¡± Frank said. ¡°Take the apple for instance."


    ¡°What apple?" she grumbled back at him.


    "Last Sunday you caused an apple to appear and disappear at my house. You dropped it off early in the day, then picked it up later in the day, only to travel back and drop it off. I honestly haven''t been able to figure out where it came from. I tried duplicating the experiment this week, and well... I couldn''t. So, can you identify where the apple originated?"


    Carrie¡¯s forehead creased. ¡°What are you going on about? I¡¯d been thinking about having an apple, and you had one. If it wasn''t yours... well, I don''t know. It must have come from somewhere."


    "But it didn''t," Frank insisted. "That''s my whole point, it originated and vanished with you. A sort of temporal paradox. In a similar vein, your information passing with respect to your trip to the day of the fire alarm bears scrutiny. How did you learn of my theories? Because of your future self. But how did your future self know? Because they heard it when they were your past self. So where did the information truly originate?"


    "Frank, stop, you''re going to give me a headache."


    He leaned against the table in the library¡¯s records room. ¡°I¡¯m trying to show you how complicated time travel can be. Honestly, you need to consider your actions more carefully. It''s almost like you have some... some personal affinity for these causal loops."


    Carrie pressed a hand to her temples. ¡°Fine, good for me then," she sighed. Her gaze fell back down to the book before her. "Though, wait a minute... could we apply one of these paradox loops to our research here then? After all, there''s no need to look up all this stuff on 1955 when I mostly remember what I¡¯ll already say! Right?"


    Frank''s eyebrow twitched. "Carrie, you missed my point. We want to AVOID these situations, not create more of them. Besides, I¡¯M the one who has to convince Beth of the situation. And unless I see proof with my own eyes, I''m not going to be convinced, let alone be able to convince her."


    "But since I remember most of what you said to her, I could write out... hey, wait, here¡¯s a paradox for you,¡± Carrie said, brightening. "What if we were to decide NOT to go back to 1955. Never becoming our future selves! What would THAT do?"


    A pained expression crossed Frank''s face. Getting Carrie to think about time paradox might not have been so smart after all. "One I don''t even want to start thinking about," he concluded. "We are going back, Carrie, and we are learning this stuff through research. Keep checking the newspapers. Please?"


    ¡°Oh, fine,¡± Carrie sighed. ¡°Though I wish the library would digitize this stuff already. At the very least, next time around I should make sure to mention to my past self where I found the references to Peabody''s trial. I mean honestly, shouldn¡¯t two angels being involved have drawn a little extra attention?"


    Frank winced. "Actually," he began tentatively. "Now that you''ve brought that up, I, er, have been a little worried about us being portrayed in that manner."


    "Uh-oh," said Carrie suspiciously. "Is this going to turn into a quasi-religious debate? Because I''m not sure I want to go there..."


    ***


    Luci entered the library a little later that day and made her way downstairs towards the section where old records were kept. At long last, things seemed to be coming together nicely, both in her own mind, as well as in what was going on around her. She hoped the trend would continue.


    "Yo, short stuff!" came a voice interrupting her thoughts. "What brings you by the book nook?"If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Luci turned to see her classmate from school, the one who always had somewhat unruly hair, stacking books nearby. "Hello Lee," she responded. "Actually, I was wondering whether Frank was around."


    Lee scratched his head. ¡°He was here earlier on in my shift. Him and the track tease. They may''ve left by now though. If I spot the math whiz again, should I mention you''re on the prowl for him?"


    "No, I''d rather you didn''t."


    "Okee-dokee, no problemo," Lee affirmed with a grin. "Hey, speaking of math, how''d you do on that last test? Only pulled off a 73 myself, think I rounded too much on the circle questions."


    "81," Luci countered. Which had been the mark she''d been aiming for, by making those few mistakes. Not that she was about to admit that to anyone.


    "Whoa, good show! Spend much time studying?"


    "Enough," she answered. "Look, Lee, I''d rather not talk now."


    "Oh, okay," Lee said. "I''ve gotta get back to shelving these self-help books anyway... hey, maybe I can make up a big sign for ''em that reads ''Help Yourself!''. What do you think?"


    Luci smiled. "Whatever makes you happy, Lee."


    "Nah, more like whatever makes the librarians happy," Lee concluded, shrugging at Luci before turning away.


    The young girl merely shook her head slightly before continuing towards the rear of the library. Hoping that the record books Frank had been using had not yet been re-shelved.


    ***


    "Carrie and Frank were in the library for at least three hours,¡± Clarke reported. ¡°Based on what they left out on the table, they were researching this area in the mid to late 1950s."


    "The ''50s?" Julie said in surprise. "That far back? What could possibly be of interest to them from that time period?"


    Clarke shrugged. ¡°No way to know. The town itself was barely a town back then. I think it originally sprung up from being a convenient place for a railway station or something."


    "Huh. Well, maybe Frank was looking for a good time period to leave my transmitter; he didn¡¯t count on my still being able to find it. Anything else to report?" Julie pressed. Clarke shook his head. ¡°Then you could have told me this over the phone," Julie concluded. "Why come here? Are you about to get on my case again about how I''m pushing myself too hard?"


    ¡°Apparently I don¡¯t have to," Clarke indicated. ¡°Honestly, would it be so bad to declare a break for the rest of the afternoon? We could go to the cafe and share a hot chocolate.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t afford any downtime now,¡± Julie said brusquely. Perhaps seeing his expression, her voice softened. "Though... maybe once the worst of this is over, I''ll take you up on the offer."


    "And when is the worst of this over?"


    ¡°Less than two months, by my modified schedule.¡±


    Clarke sighed. He considered pressing the point that Julie should relax, but he knew Julie, knew her moods, and knew that continuing this argument would only serve to push her away. Moreover, this might be a good opportunity to press another point.


    "All right," Clarke relented. "But if you''re about to go to work on some big plans taking up the entire month of October... can''t you at least tell me why?"


    "Because," Julie simply replied. Clarke stood quietly, waiting for more. Julie opened her mouth again, perhaps to give another typically evasive retort, but then her lips closed. She turned away.


    "Phil," she continued at last, "Have you ever had anyone tell you that you were worthless? Insignificant? Someone who could never amount to anything in this world?"


    "No," Clarke responded, quite taken aback.


    "Good. Count yourself lucky," Julie stated sharply. With that, she strode out of the sitting room, not even looking back as she concluded, "Jeeves can show you out."


    ***


    The brunette quickly retreated back down to her ''play room'', collapsing into the lone chair she kept there. She was annoyed with herself. Why had she said that to Phil? Was she weakening under his constant barrage of questioning?


    Julie shook her head. No - she hadn¡¯t revealed anything, and now he would get off her back for a while. Which was what she wanted. Right?


    Julie shivered. For one alarming moment, she wasn''t sure what she wanted anymore. Her gaze turned to the wall that had the map of the school on it. "Damn them. Damn them all,¡± she whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll have my way, I will...¡± Her gaze shifted to the lower drawer of one of her filing cabinets. ¡°You¡¯ll see. Both of you, you¡¯ll see, damn you," she finished. Her hands balled into fists.


    Less than a minute later, Julie sat up. Quickly wiping her cheeks dry, she began shuffling back through some of the papers that had been holding her attention less than an hour ago.


    ***


    Luci walked up the driveway of Frank''s house feeling equal measures of confidence and anxiety. The anxiety annoyed her; Frank''s house wasn''t currently being watched, Frank was (probably) home, and Carrie was (probably) not around. There was no logical reason to be nervous.


    Unless you factored in how this was liable to be more than a random study session... with someone two years her senior. Shaking her head in annoyance at her own inner turmoil, Luci rang the doorbell.


    Frank''s father answered the door. Luci elected to wait by the doorway as he went to call upstairs for his son. When Frank appeared, he looked a little tired - no surprise - and maybe even a little worried. Though his expression cleared when he saw her.


    "Luci,¡± Frank said in greeting. "Er, what brings you by here? Were we supposed to talk math?¡±


    "No Frank," Luci said. She checked to make sure neither of his parents were within hearing range before continuing. "I''m here to discuss the time machine with you."

 Part 16a: And Logical Mind

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.3 - Of Her Impact


    PART 16a: AND LOGICAL MIND 1


    "Uh... time machine?" Frank answered uncertainly. His dad had returned to the sitting room and his mom was in the kitchen, but he kept his voice down regardless.


    "Yes," Luci stated. "And please don''t bother trying to cover it up. I overheard you discussing it with Carrie a few hours ago."


    "A few hours ago? But..." Frank stopped. Could Luci have been hiding near the library records room?


    "Having trouble remembering where you were a few hours ago?" Luci inquired, half-smiling. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I was yielding to your own time continuity. A few hours ago for you and Carrie, it was late August. One month ago. Now, while you''re obviously feeling a bit time lagged after having been then, and in the 1950s before that, I''d appreciate being able to see your data on the time machine before this day is out?"


    "Ah." Frank decided he couldn''t be feeling more off balance had Luci simply shoved him down onto the floor. Well, at least she hadn¡¯t opted for that literal option, the way Carrie would have. "Luci, why don''t you come down to my lab?" he finally offered.


    ***


    A little over a month ago, in the ravine out back of Carrie''s house, two teenagers were arguing.


    ¡°Admit it Frank, you screwed up," the blonde insisted. ¡°Could happen to anyone. Late August, late September, easy mistake. Granted, annoying as all hell, and better not happen again..."


    ¡°Carrie, I¡¯m telling you, I set the circuits for... wait, of course, I know what happened," Frank realized. "Remember how this machine has an inherent random element to it? We''re not so much setting a date as rigging the game. And this time, we didn''t hit the jackpot.¡±


    He rubbed his chin. ¡°Honestly, I''m a bit surprised it hasn''t happened more often. Maybe I¡¯m getting better at setting it. Or the odds are more in our favour than I figured."


    Carrie rolled her eyes. "Oh, GREAT. Any MORE good news?¡±


    "Carrie, I - we - are still trying to understand this machine," Frank reminded with a sigh. "It''s not possible to have time travel down to a fine science in the span of a week.¡±


    "No kidding. Still can''t pick an arrival time, still seem to have no clue about where we''re going spatially..."


    "Wait, did you hear something?"


    "Don''t interrupt! And now, even some of the stuff we supposedly know, we still can''t control," Carrie groused. ¡°We can¡¯t keep doing this. Have you noticed how this is messing with my circadian rhythms? And presumably yours too? Today I woke up, spent a few hours in the present, spent four hours tooling around in ''55, then over three in the present doing research in the library. Followed by another four hours or so in ''55, and now we''re doomed to spend more time in August while the machine charges! I''m going to need supper and some sleep when we get back to the present, regardless of the actual time of day when we get there.¡±


    "Well what do you want me to say?" Frank shot back in exasperation. ¡°It was your idea to go back to ''55 again!"


    "Yeah. Well... the good we did there is starting to feel more like a hassle,¡± Carrie sighed. ¡°Paradox be damned, how come our future selves haven''t at least come back from sometime in December to tell us more? Seems really irresponsible of us."


    ¡°Has it occurred to you that it¡¯s because we¡¯ll run out of present day coins before December?¡±


    Carrie¡¯s gaze snapped back to him. ¡°No,¡± she admitted, her voice tight. ¡°How many more of them do we have?¡±


    Frank ran a hand back through his hair. He wished he hadn¡¯t brought that up. ¡°Ten,¡± he admitted. ¡°Actually, nine, thanks to this detour. Unless you have more?¡±


    ¡°And how many of those will you need for your testing?¡±


    Frank tried not to meet her gaze. ¡°We can probably find more by buying stuff... I got three as change this month."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°No, Frank,¡± Carrie reached out as if to grab his shirt, but then seemed to think better of it and pointed at him instead. ¡°You HAVE to keep some of those coins around for MY trip. The ones I had are used up, poking those holes in your timeline theory.¡±


    "But Carrie..."


    "No ''but''s, Frank,¡± Carrie said firmly. ¡°In fact, let me give you a deadline. Seven more days of tests, and then I¡¯m going. By myself if I have to.¡±


    ¡°Carrie!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Frank,¡± Carrie said. ¡°At this rate, we''ll never do anything. This is where it ends. One week."


    Frank sighed. ''Perfect,'' he thought to himself. ''Just perfect.''


    ***


    Back in the present, Luci followed Frank down the stairs to his basement. ¡°So, was that you I heard in the bushes back then?¡± he asked her.


    "Of course," Luci answered. "I was sitting in the park when a flash of light caught my eye, so I went into the ravine to investigate. Granted, I couldn¡¯t hear your whole conversation, and I slipped away once Carrie started rattling off ¡®Barenaked Ladies¡¯ tunes, but I caught enough to be able to piece the rest together over time.¡±


    Frank rubbed the side of his head. "Just how much DO you know then?" he inquired.


    "I know that you and Carrie recently came into possession of a time machine," Luci began. "It had already happened by the math test a couple Fridays back, given your reactions to each other on that day. Moreover, when I called your house that evening, I was told that Carrie was there. On a hunch, I then phoned her house, and she answered. Meaning at least one Carrie was out of her proper time."


    "Good catch," Frank said, looking startled.


    "Simple logic," Luci countered. "You two weren''t even trying to cover your tracks. I then decided to come by your house last Sunday afternoon. Which is when I saw Carrie arrive with what I can only assume was the time machine. At the same time, I learned indirectly, via Clarke, that Julie was becoming interested in your activities. Which should hardly come as a surprise, given her ties with Carrie."


    Frank nodded. "Yes, the... Julie angle was pointed out to me."


    "If you''re referring to the mysterious phone call you received, that was from me."


    "What?" Frank said, startled anew.


    Luci allowed herself another smile. "I used electronics to simulate a male voice. I wanted to warn you about Julie without involving myself directly. Which seems silly, until you realize that the conversation I¡¯d heard was still to come in your future. A future where I hadn''t been mentioned, so I didn¡¯t want to risk a possible time paradox."


    "Ah! Thank goodness, someone who finally understands the danger of paradox,¡± Frank said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Except... wait, if that was you on the phone, do you know anything about a shady man in some woods two years ago?"


    Luci stared. "Pardon?"


    Frank shook his head. "Never mind, another puzzle which I thought had been connected to the call - guess not. Okay, so what made you realize that today was the day to come and tell me all of this in person?"


    "A simple matter of figuring out when that August incident would catch up with you," Luci explained. ¡°I already knew, based on some of the things Carrie had been saying, that it would occur on a late September day when you both spent some time in the library. Observation and occasional discussion with Lee and the librarians revealed today as being that date. Hence I waited until I was reasonably sure you''d already taken your time trip to the ¡®50s, and I come to you now before any other time puzzles can turn up to complicate matters."


    "Luci... you amaze me," Frank concluded. "You know, with your ability to deduce all of this, it''s surprising that you can still have occasional difficulty with your academics.¡±


    Luci hesitated, deciding to sidestep that comment. ¡°So, you currently have a problem. Several problems, really. Ergo, unless you have an objection, I''d like to help you out.¡±


    Frank nodded slowly. ¡°A fresh perspective on all this might be exactly what we need," he admitted. "Though I should really consult with Carrie before I say anything."


    Luci felt the side of her mouth twitch. "Carrie''s probably busy, she wouldn''t understand the technical details, and I seem to recall her saying something to you about a deadline,¡± she fired back.


    "Er, well, true," Frank replied. "But all the same, she did find the machine and introduce me to the situation two years ago... and she does have a personal interest in this."


    "Wait, HOW long ago?" Luci said, for the first time caught unawares. "But that means... no, of course, it actually makes more sense now," she continued, vocalizing her own thoughts. "She didn''t go to you because you had been researching time travel. You''d been researching time travel because of a past encounter with her."


    "Essentially," Frank admitted. ¡°Is our connection becoming that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Only if you¡¯re paying attention. But it won''t be long before even casual observers notice that something''s up. Carrie''s acting different. You''re acting different. What was up with that evasive act you pulled in the hall last Thursday?"


    "Oh. That technically wasn''t me," Frank said sheepishly. "I was testing the time machine later that night and it dropped me back right in the middle of the school. I was lucky it was a few seconds before the bell signifying class change, as opposed to after, otherwise someone could have seen me arrive."


    "But you can''t keep relying on luck that way,¡± Luci protested. "Otherwise, sooner or later, someone else is going to work out what''s going on.¡±


    Frank spread his hands out in a gesture of helplessness. "There''s not much I can do about that. We''re only in Grade 11, Luci... heck, age wise you should be in Grade 9. We¡¯re not equipped to understand the technical details of a time machine at a glance - we need more data. Unless you¡¯re suggesting we get some adults involved?"


    "Not necessarily. But I gather that some of your time traveling problems are due to an inability to set direct co-ordinates in space-time?¡±


    "Er, yeah..."


    "Then why not integrate your own clock and map into the device?"

 Part 16b: And Logical Mind 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.3 - Of Her Impact


    PART 16b: AND LOGICAL MIND 2


    "I can''t integrate new circuits into a device I don''t understand in the first place,¡± Frank objected. ¡°I might blow the whole thing up.¡±


    "Possible," Luci conceded. "But I don''t think that will happen if we take precautions. After all, most good programmers have some sort of error handling in their applications, so that when a particularly stupid, or at least ignorant user tries to use their system in the wrong way, the entire program doesn''t become corrupted."


    ¡°That¡¯s a software thing. This is more of a hardware thing," Frank observed.


    Luci shrugged. "I don''t see why the situation can''t be a parallel. Plus making our own circuits will prove less risky in the long run, as more control will allow you to avoid startling people by appearing out of nowhere.¡± She drew in a deep breath. ¡°Also, no offence intended, but if you execute a program twenty times without understanding it, why do you think you¡¯re any more likely to understand on the twenty-first execution?"


    "I guess there''s that.¡± Frank smiled. ¡°Sound logic. But, do you really think it''s possible to integrate a map into the device?"


    "I won''t know that until I see it up close,¡± Luci pointed out. "Besides, a clock would be safer to attempt at first."


    "Oh? How do you figure?"


    ¡°Think about it. We''re already dealing with time, so it shouldn''t be too hard to pin down more specific co-ordinates. Whereas spatially, our Earth is spinning. It''s also rotating around the sun. Our galaxy rotates, taking our solar system along with it. The galaxy moves through the universe. Where we were at 8am last month probably isn''t even remotely close to where we are now. Hence if the device is somehow targeting our town, we don¡¯t want to mess with that.¡±


    Frank opened and closed his mouth. "Good lord," he finally remarked. "Of course, you''re absolutely right... it never occurred to me." He peered more closely at her. "Luci, you''ve been giving this serious thought, haven''t you."


    "Well, yes," Luci admitted. She could hardly deny that at this point. "I mean, I''d hate for something bad to happen to you while you''re fooling around with this thing."


    Frank continued to stare at her, surprise and admiration on his face, and Luci realized her cheeks were becoming warm. The anxiety she''d felt approaching Frank''s house was back.


    "Look, uh, the time machine then?" she requested quickly, tugging idly on the end of one of her twin ponytails.


    Frank looked upstairs, then over to a sheet in the corner of the room. "Oh, sure, why not," he relented. "You seem to have earned as much."


    He walked over to the sheet, pulling it away to reveal what had to be the time device. "As long as you don¡¯t let this interfere with your school studies. You know, I¡¯ve always thought that if you were to apply yourself a little more, you could significantly improve your grades. Even get them as high as mine.¡±


    Again with the grades. Luci opened her mouth to indicate that she didn''t want to improve her marks, that she didn¡¯t want to be seen as smart any more, that she was tired of not fitting in anywhere... and it was only with effort that she curbed her natural desire to be blunt. She took in a deep breath instead. "I''ll keep that in mind," she heard herself say feebly.


    Frank set the black box time machine out on his lab table, then glanced over at the clock on the wall. "We''ve probably got enough time for me to cover the basics. You can always come back tomorrow."A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Right," Luci acknowledged, tearing her gaze away from Frank and over to the table. She worked at reestablishing her sense of inner calm. "What have you learned so far?"


    ***


    Julie ran her hands back through her hair before leaning her forehead in against a filing cabinet.


    To this point, she had figured on there being two reasonable ways of dealing with a time machine. The first being to somehow get it away from Frank and Carrie, and hence remove their advantage from them. Julie had effectively rejected that plan.


    After all, even assuming that she could get her hands on their device - which seemed unlikely given how any intelligent owner should have the ability to see that coming - would she be able to understand it? Her grades were good, but not that good.


    And before she could destroy the thing, some Frank or Carrie in another time period would likely try to reclaim it. Worse, they would have to do so by targeting her directly, rather than indirectly, as seemed to be the current situation. She didn¡¯t need those sorts of complications.


    Which brought Julie to the second way of dealing with this information, namely using its existence to her own advantage, instead of allowing the advantage to be theirs.


    ¡°That¡¯s feasible,¡± she murmured, trying to reassure herself. ¡°It¡¯s easier to predict reactions, over actions. Particularly for Carrie.¡±


    Julie pushed her way back off the filing cabinet, reflecting briefly upon her selection of Frank as the first "sacrifice" of the year. The choice had been arbitrary; if she''d decided to go after someone else, would all of this have happened?


    Then again, had Frank been setting her up all along, by annoying Carrie? Was she even now playing into his hands??


    ¡®Stop,¡¯ Julie thought. ¡®Second guessing to THAT extent is the direction of madness.¡¯ She turned and looked back down at the rough revisions she¡¯d made. Her one year timeline, now compressed down into one month.


    It would work. With Carrie¡¯s allegiances in doubt, Corry Veniti would be the key. By involving him and his twin sister in just the right way, the guy would almost certainly set out on some all out attack against her.


    Julie grimaced. On the one hand, she hated going that far. There would probably also need to be an ultimatum, something she had really hoped to avoid. But desperate times called for desperate measures. These last two years, they couldn¡¯t have been for nothing!


    Julie left her play room and went back upstairs - she could deal with the finer details of her plan later. Neither Jeeves nor Mimi seemed to be about; the silence in the big house was almost oppressive.


    She made her way to the kitchen and pulled Mimi''s meatloaf out of the fridge, where she''d asked the household maid/cook to leave it a few hours ago. Popping the dish into the microwave, Julie sank down into a stool at the kitchen counter and finally allowed herself to relax somewhat.


    ¡®What if you fail?¡¯


    That annoying thought took the opportunity to fully assert itself. After all, failure was always a possibility where Corry was concerned.


    Interestingly, at that point, Julie realized that she might as well try to obtain the time machine. By any means necessary. Because while mucking about in one''s own history sounded rather reckless and foolhardy, it would surely beat the present.


    Besides, Frank and Carrie were messing with history now, and they didn¡¯t seem to be experiencing any side effects. Not that they¡¯d ever go as far as she would...


    ¡®Okay,¡¯ Julie reasoned. ¡®I should expend some effort in an attempt to learn more about the time travel device. Should that be possible, without stretching myself too thin.¡¯


    Julie abruptly realized that the microwave had been beeping at her for the last several minutes and she hurried to rescue her dinner.


    ***


    Luci walked home, lost in thought. She could see now why Frank had been a little reluctant to poke around inside the time machine. It WAS a rather complex piece of machinery.


    The more complete back-story he had given her worried her to some extent too. Were there mysterious people from the future observing them? Or could secret government agents be keeping tabs on things?


    Setting that aside for the moment, Luci was reasonably certain that - with Frank¡¯s help - she could incorporate more reliable circuitry into the device. That would solve a lot of the existing problems. Meaning, as long as nothing terribly unexpected happened in the next little while...


    "Luci!" came a voice from ahead. The young girl looked up as she approached her house. Another teenager stood there, wearing many colourful bows in her pink hair, along with a multi-coloured dress to match. What didn¡¯t match was the worried expression upon her face.


    "Chartreuse?" Luci countered, more than a bit surprised. Aside from being in the same homeroom, the two of them never spent any time together. For good reason. Their personalities were hardly compatible.


    Chartreuse took a step forwards, absently fingering the little meditation crystal hanging around her neck.


    "Luci," she repeated a bit nervously, a tinge of fear evident in her voice. "I¡¯ve sensed that there is a war coming.¡± She paused dramatically. "And I think we''ll, like, need your help to deal with it!¡±

 Part 17a: Observer Effect

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.3 - Of Her Impact


    PART 17a: OBSERVER EFFECT 1


    In a corner of the high school¡¯s library sat a young girl with short, dark hair, alongside a slightly older, more heavyset girl with bright pink hair done up in braids and bows. Neither spoke. Until the former finally looked up from her book. "Maybe he''s not coming?"


    "He''ll be here," Chartreuse assured, holding a small crystal up to the light. Luci merely shook her head and resumed her reading. After all, there was still a good twenty minutes left in their lunch, it might as well be productive.


    About five minutes later, a depressed looking blonde student entered the library, hesitated, then walked up to the two girls. Both looked up at him expectantly. "I-I-I-It..." The boy paused to clear his throat. "It''s tonight. Julie''s making her move tonight at the d-dance."


    "Excellent!" Chartreuse declared, slapping her palm against the table with enough force to make Luci jump. "This means we can be, like, ready for her.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Luci countered. "I already speculated on Julie taking some action at the dance when you came to me last weekend. All Tim¡¯s done is confirm it. We still don''t know WHAT she''s doing. Unless you have additional information?" she asked, looking back at the blonde boy.


    Their newest companion dropped his gaze to the floor. ¡°N-No. Clarke didn''t give me d-details.¡±


    Chartreuse sighed. "Luci, you''ve got to stop giving off these negative vibes," she observed. "Otherwise it''ll be real difficult to function as a unit here, you know?"


    ¡°All I''m saying is there''s no way to be ready,¡± Luci said defensively. "I mean, we weren''t ready on Tuesday when Corry started up that rumour that Julie carries a teddy bear around with her."


    "But we couldn''t, like, anticipate that one," Chartreuse protested. "I mean, who knew that Julie would leave a stuffed animal in her backpack where Corry could see it?"


    "B-But isn¡¯t that the kinda thing you normally foresee?" Tim broke in. "Using your, um, psychic abilities?"


    Chartreuse shook her head, starting to absently roll the crystal she was holding around in her hand. ¡°My visions don''t work like that," she explained. "Not unless I, like, get into serious meditation. Instead, I get impressions from things or people. Like how I did from Corry last Saturday.¡±


    ¡°An impression relating to an upcoming ''war''," Luci remarked dryly.


    "Look, I was visiting Laurie, passed by her brother in the hallway, and POW!" Chartreuse made an expressive hand gesture to demonstrate. "There it was, this, you know, real bad sensation relating to him, Julie and Carrie.¡±


    "Corry and Julie have never gotten along."


    ¡°Luci, this was more than that,¡± Chartreuse insisted, genuine fear creeping into her voice. ¡°I mean, Julie and Carrie have NEVER been at odds, yet that was there too! I wish I could be more specific, but I can¡¯t. It was like, whoa, we''re coming to a crossroads here, and if we don''t do anything, the consequences could be disastrous. War is, you know, the only way I can think to describe it.¡± She slapped the table again. ¡°Trust me, it''s up to the three of us to do something to prevent that scenario!¡±


    Luci took a moment to reflect. She would have written all of this off as stupid mystic mumbo-jumbo by Chartreuse - if it weren''t for the fact that, due to the time machine, she had been paying additional attention to Carrie. Some of what Chartreuse was saying had a ring of truth to it.


    The Julie-Carrie relationship was being strained. Exactly the sort of thing that Corry Veniti would take advantage of. For that matter, the teddy bear situation this week had been uncharacteristically sloppy of Julie. Was it due to distraction? Had it been a harbinger of things to come? Would today¡¯s dance actually be a turning point?


    ¡°W-Why us?" Tim asked, breaking Luci¡¯s concentration.


    "Oh, that was laid out in the stars,¡± said Chartreuse brightly, the tinge of fear vanishing. "After all, I''m friends with Laurie, who''s Corry''s sister. Tim, you''re friends with Clarke, who''s close to Julie, sorta. And Carrie, well, she never sticks around anyone for more than a month... but I heard last week that Frank was, you know, helping her with some math, and Luci, you''ve also studied with Frank, so you might come across something. That makes us the two degrees of separation group!"


    Chartreuse paused. "Hey, that''s kind of a neat name. Maybe we should, like, make it an official club... perhaps create a logo?"


    "B-But surely others would be a better choice."


    Chartreuse shook her head. "Tim, don''t look so worried. We can hang out naturally, because we¡¯re all in the same homeroom. Also, you two are, you know, pretty inconspicuous normally, so.... Oh! How about 2DEGS as a passcode or something?"This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "We¡¯ve strayed from the point," Luci observed.


    "Right," Chartreuse said, switching tracks without missing a beat. "So, we now know positively that Julie''s gonna do something tonight at the dance. Which will involve Corry. Or Carrie. Actually, I bet both of them. To stop it, we¡¯ll make casual inquiries while we¡¯re there, keep an eye out, and above all keep calm so that we can head this thing off at the pass.¡±


    Luci frowned. ¡°I won¡¯t be at the dance," she objected. "They''re... not my thing."


    Besides, she''d had some hopes of being able to look more into the time machine situation at Frank''s house. She felt like they were making progress with the new circuitry.


    "I wasn¡¯t going to go either," Tim chimed in quietly.


    Chartreuse''s face fell. "But guys... I, like, totally need you there. The school needs you there! And I mean, how about your friends, Clarke, and Frank? You don''t want them getting, you know, dragged into the coming apocalypse, do you??"


    Luci rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. Chartreuse was visibly overdramatizing. And yet... there was still that ring of truth... what was Julie really up to? For that matter, observing Julie a bit more at the dance might be helpful for Frank.


    The short-haired girl bit her lower lip and exchanged a quick glance with Tim. His expression implied that he was leaving the decision up to her. "I... the dance starts at 8, right?" Luci said in resignation.


    Chartreuse beamed. "That''s the spirit! Whatever Julie has in mind, she can''t have factored in the actions of the 2DEGS.¡±


    She thrust her hand out enthusiastically towards her companions. Off of her expectant look, they placed their palms on top of hers. "Go team!" Chartreuse said cheerily.


    ***


    "Go Team!" cheered Carrie along with others from her squad. "Defense, defense, take that ball away!"


    The point was almost moot. Even if they could get the ball back, it was unlikely that they''d be able to score the necessary 10 points for a win in the last two minutes of the game. But hey, there was something to be said for enthusiasm, particularly on away games. Carrie even wagered that her handful of people was doing a better job than the home squad; certainly their uniforms were better.


    ¡°Will we be doing another lift?" inquired the boy next to her.


    Carrie shook her head. "Nah, no point, Steve. Things are winding down and we don''t want to show up the home team TOO much, do we?" She winked.


    Steve fired back a grin of his own. "I guess not. Good thing for their sake that we didn¡¯t bring a full complement."


    Carrie nodded. It was fortunate that a couple of their guys had been able to make it out here, they were involved in a few of the best routines. ¡®I wonder what their incentive was?'' Carrie thought to herself with a smirk, raising a hand to her hip and shifting her weight to make it jut out saucily.


    She wondered if Steve was still watching her. It occurred to her that if he was, he was probably thinking that she was behaving like mere eye candy. That thought irritated her. She was more than that, right?


    Sure. She was also egotistical, needing to have everything go her way. Carrie resumed her prior position, feeling betrayed by her own thoughts. What the hell was wrong with her lately? She had to stop talking with Frank. Except she couldn¡¯t do that; she needed him.


    It was a weird feeling, that need. Being popular, she¡¯d seen people within cliques as being interchangeable. There had been no need to focus on the individuals, beyond what they could do for her. After all, no one had ever cared about her, so why should she do more than pretend to care about anyone else in turn?


    Now, because of the time machine, it wasn¡¯t like that any more.


    Carrie grimaced. The more she thought about her situation, the more she hated thinking about her situation. So when the final game whistle blew, she shunted those thoughts to the back of her mind.


    Sure enough, their team had lost another one; Coach Masterson would be beside himself. As the players gathered together for a post-game briefing or whatever it was they did, Carrie motioned for her small squad to join the other spectators from their school, returning to their chartered bus.


    Their bus was separate from the one the football team used; it was funded through selling tickets to interested fans and spectators, with the incentive being a chance to root for their team, as well as get out of last period class. Granted, the bus hadn''t been completely filled, however, Julie had indicated to both Carrie and the athletic department that she could pick up some of the slack, if necessary. It was handy having a rich friend on your side.


    The voice in her head poked at her again. And what was the deal with Julie? She¡¯d been acting different this past week. Their lunchtime conversations seemed to have changed in tone. Carrie was doing most of the talking, and she didn''t think it had always been that way. Had it?


    Then there was the whole teddy bear thing. Carrie was certain that Julie had never carried such a stuffed animal with her, and had decried Corry''s claims of such. Yet Julie had hardly reacted at all to the accusation, and she¡¯d only allowed a visible inspection of her backpack the day AFTER the incident. What was the deal? Was Julie up to something?


    ¡®Stop overreacting,¡¯ Carrie ordered herself. ¡®Anyway, Julie¡¯s mood will improve after I¡¯ve passed on her suggestion.¡¯


    Taking a seat near the front of the bus, Carrie waved off a couple of requests by people to sit next to her, instead motioning to a member of her cheerleading squad who was the same age.


    The girl with shoulder-length red hair and freckles turned to look behind herself in confusion as Carrie beckoned. It took another few seconds for Laurie to realize that, yes, Carrie had indeed meant her. The redhead finally slid into the seat next to the head cheerleader.


    "You really want me to sit here next to you?" Laurie asked in breathless excitement. "Golly. I mean this is... golly." She paused. "Wait, this isn''t about my brother and the teddy bear thing, is it? Because I don''t have any control over what Corry does he''s only my brother and besides he¡¯s nice, he helps me out in school since as you well know I can''t wrap my head around math, especially when we get into those fractions I mean that stuff is so hard that I can¡¯t..."


    "Laurie, you''re babbling."


    Laurie blushed lightly. "Yes Captain, sorry Captain, I''ll shut up now," she said quickly, dropping her eyes down to the floor. Her hands moved to play with the hem of her cheerleading skirt.


    Carrie suppressed a sigh. In some sense, Laurie¡¯s irritatingly perky and innocent demeanour was the perfect complement to her fraternal twin''s more sour, jaded outlook on life. Yet in another sense, Carrie couldn''t understand how the two siblings managed to live in the same house together.


    "Laurie, I don''t want to talk to you about the whole bear thing," Carrie assured. "But I do want to talk briefly about your brother."


    Laurie raised her eyes back up. "What about him?"

 Part 17b: Observer Effect 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.3 - Of Her Impact


    PART 17b: OBSERVER EFFECT 2


    "I''ve heard that Corry¡¯s been trying to start up some little ensemble band at school,¡± Carrie prompted.


    "Oh, good golly, yes!" Laurie said, now nodding eagerly. ¡°Of course he''s already in the regular band and the choir too but you obviously don''t get to sing in the band or play in the choir, so he was thinking of trying to get some people interested in a small ensemble but there hasn''t been enough interest yet or not enough for Mrs. Willis to shell out any money for music, besides my brother can only play flute and keyboards so he obviously can''t be a one man band which is sort of a shame because I think it''s a really great idea, don''t you?"


    Carrie would swear that, despite a semblance of commas, Laurie had never taken a breath through all that. The blonde stopped biting her tongue long enough to speak up again.


    "Indeed. In fact, we''re having a dance tonight, right? Corry could take the opportunity to generate more interest in his ensemble by gracing all of us with a number or two."


    Laurie blinked. "Huh? I don''t follow."


    Carrie mentally added another checkmark next to the times she¡¯d felt like physically smacking someone, but was able to resist. Fortunately, only a few choice people tended to bother her to that degree.


    ¡±If Corry were to sing a few songs at the dance," Carrie explained patiently, "It might get others interested in joining a small ensemble with him. Right?"


    "Oh!" Laurie seemed to reflect on that. "That''s a pretty good idea,¡± she decided.


    "Yes," Carrie concluded, leaning back in her seat with a sigh. "I thought so." Julie had thought so too, being the one to propose this plan.


    Julie had indicated that if Corry pulled off his whole ensemble thing, he would probably be too busy to bother her. Plus it would take attention away from the teddy bear rumours now circulating. That last seemed a bit optimistic, but Julie always seemed to know what she was doing, so Carrie wasn''t about to start second guessing now.


    "I think I''ll mention that to my brother," Laurie added brightly.


    "You do that," Carrie indicated.


    "You''re all right, you know that?" Laurie continued. "I mean, sure, things got off to a rocky start between us and some people around the school say nasty things, but golly, stories like that always get blown out of proportion, plus lots of the people are Corry''s friends so they only say mean things about you because you hang around with Julie so you can''t totally believe them. What I mean to say is I always knew that deep down you were an okay gal and I just want to say again I''m really pleased that you''re letting me sit next to you here, don''t think that I''m unaware of the honour involved!"


    "Laurie..."


    "Yes, Captain?"


    "PLEASE stop babbling," Carrie said, flexing her hands in restraint.


    "Golly, sorry again, you¡¯re right, I¡¯ll do that, definitely I will, you just watch me now, here I go," she affirmed, reaching once more for the hem of her skirt.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Carrie found herself praying that they would manage the rest of the trip home without further outbursts. ''I think Julie owes me for this favour,'' she reflected. ''She reeeeeeeally owes me for this one.''


    ***


    The dart flew through the air, striking Julie between the eyes. Or that''s where it hit in Corry''s mind anyway, as he''d mentally projected her smirking face onto the dart board.


    ¡°What. Is. Your. Deal?¡± he muttered for what felt like the thousandth time since their first encounter. He reached up to brush some of his shoulder-length red hair back off his ear. He preferred to keep it the same length and style as his sister - not because of any real concession to them being twins, so much as the occasional confusion (and amusement) it afforded him when one of them was viewed from behind.


    He could still remember the time last year when that football player had been incessantly hitting on Laurie. No one did that to his sister. So, Corry had given the guy the opportunity to corner her for a date - only to discover in the moment that he''d cornered Corry instead.


    Corry smiled. He had engineered that flawlessly, and the expression on the guy''s face when he''d discovered the switch had been priceless. The date hadn''t been bad either, if you liked that sort of thing. Not that Corry swung that way, but a deal was a deal - he hadn¡¯t let the guy squirm his way out of the invitation.


    If only Julie was as easy to manipulate.


    Julie. Corry flung another dart at the board. The girl who required that everything work out HER way. Such arrogance! Of course, the real annoying thing was how Corry rather preferred to have things go HIS way. But not all the time, like her. Only half the time. Maybe up to three quarters of the time. Then occasionally 90% of the time.


    Corry grimaced. Fine. Maybe he''d taken that initial dislike to Julie because he''d sensed some of his more questionable qualities in her. He threw his final dart.


    His bedroom door opened and his sister stuck her head in, knocking as she did so. "Laurie!" Corry shouted out in warning.


    The redheaded girl flinched as the dart whistled by her face and embedded itself in the dartboard hanging by the doorframe. "Golly," she remarked, peering at the dart''s final resting place with a stunned look.


    Corry exhaled. "Damn it little sis, how many times do I have to tell you, knock first, THEN open the door, not both at the same time?"


    Laurie looked back at her brother. "It wasn''t locked," she replied petulantly. "And don''t get into the little sister thing with me again. You''re only two minutes older."


    Corry rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine," he grumbled. He didn''t really feel like arguing. He moved to retrieve his darts, deciding to find a better place for the board. "Then what''s so all fired important that you felt it risked putting an eye out?"


    "Oh, it''s a great idea concerning the dance and your proposed band ensemble,¡± Laurie said, clasping her hands. She briefly - or briefly for his sister - outlined the idea, and it¡¯s origins.


    "I see," Corry responded dubiously. "So Carrie mentioned this, did she? She wouldn¡¯t do that for no reason. Did Julie factor into it?"


    "I didn''t think to ask," Laurie realized. She frowned marginally. ¡°Julie can¡¯t be up to something involving you again, can she?"


    "I don''t know," Corry admitted. The main reason Julie was on his mind now was due to the ''teddy bear affair''; she might want to get back at him for it. Corry supposed he could have employed a little more tact and restraint in his remarks. But damn, taking Julie down a peg or two had sure felt good.


    "Maybe you shouldn''t come to the dance tonight," Corry decided. "If she is up to anything, I don''t want you involved."


    "Aw, geez, Corryyyyyy," Laurie protested. ¡°It''s the first dance of the school year and the first major social event not counting Julie''s party which we can''t really count seeing as we weren''t invited, plus Chartreuse is expecting me there and I recently got this cool new pair of shoes that I was planning to wear, besides I can take care of myself so just because YOUR silly feuds are hinting at trouble it doesn''t mean I shouldn''t be able to go and have a good time.¡±


    "Okay, okay, enough already,¡± Corry said, raising his hands in resignation. "Do whatever you like then, see if I care!" Julie wouldn''t stoop so low as to use his sister against him anyway. He was getting paranoid.


    Laurie hmmphed and turned away, though she turned back a moment later. "So, will you sing at tonight''s dance then?"


    Corry pursed his lips. "I''m not sure," he concluded, looking down at the dart in his fingers. "I''ll decide when I get there."


    ***


    In a dark basement room, the final touches were put on a small device, before it was slipped into a jacket pocket. The owner smiled - so far, everything seemed to be going according to plan.

 Part 18a: Dance Dance Revolution

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.3 - Of Her Impact


    PART 18a: DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION 1


    "Luci! I didn''t expect to see you here," Frank remarked. As a member of the school business club, he had volunteered to help man their coat check/concession booth once again this year. "You don''t normally come to dances, do you?"


    "No," Luci admitted. "They''re not my thing. I''d much rather be at your place."


    Frank blinked. "My place?"


    "Oh! I don¡¯t mean... that is, it¡¯s to do with the... you know," Luci attempted to clarify, glad no one else was in earshot. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I... that is, to change the subject, has Carrie said anything to you recently about Julie?"


    Frank shook his head. "No. Should she have?"


    "No. Maybe not. Never mind, I''ll... I''ll see you later," Luci finished, turning and hurrying away. She knew she was blushing now and she hated herself for it. It was hardly appropriate. She found herself wishing, not for the first time, that she could be a couple of years older.


    "What was that about?" Joe Drew asked, returning to the counter next to Frank after hanging up a jacket.


    Frank shrugged at his fellow business club member. "Nothing. Luci being herself," he remarked.


    ***


    On the other side of the cafeteria (which had been cleared of benches and tables for the dance), Lee leaned up against the wall next to Chartreuse. "Sooooo, glitter girl, feel up to a dance?" he inquired with a grin. He tugged on the lapels of his well-worn jacket, then gestured towards the middle of the room, where a handful of people were swaying in time to the beat.


    Chartreuse adjusted the straps of her sparkling green gown. "Maybe later, Lee, ''k?" she said with a half smile.


    Lee snapped his fingers and pointed towards her. "Gotcha," he confirmed with a wink. He immediately turned away as a couple other girls passed by. "Ladies! Care to dance?" he inquired, following them.


    Chartreuse turned her attention to Luci and Tim as they approached. ¡°Okay guys!" she whispered excitedly, still managing to be audible over the music that had started up nearly a half hour ago. "Any news?"


    Luci shook her head. Tim merely shifted his weight back and forth uncomfortably. "Tim?" Chartreuse prompted encouragingly.


    Tim ran a hand back through the soft curls of his blonde hair. "I-I-I haven''t talked with Clarke since this afternoon. Sorry. He''s seemed more worried about Julie than usual. I don''t want to distress him more."


    "No news then," Luci summarized. She sighed, feeling very conspicuous in her T-Shirt and jeans next to Chartreuse¡¯s sequinned outfit. "This is silly. We shouldn''t have come. There''s always next week."


    Or if it really came down to it, convincing Frank to use the time machine as a more effective alternative.


    "No, no, this is the turning point," the pink-haired girl insisted, reaching out to clasp Luci¡¯s hands. "We must do this, for the good of everyone.¡±


    Chartreuse looked up as she heard a familiar murmur run through the crowd. ¡°Ooh! Sounds like Corry and Laurie are, like, here now, so that should provide a clue. How about you two dance together or something while I check it out?" She smiled brightly at them and ran off.


    Luci exchanged a glance with Tim. He was approximately the same height as her, despite their age difference. "I don''t dance," she stated quickly.


    "Yeah, me neither," Tim echoed. ¡°Uh, medical reasons.¡± There was a pause, then the two teenagers leaned back against the wall next to each other.


    ***


    "Chartreuse,¡± Laurie said happily, catching sight of her friend exiting the cafeteria. "Golly, you look great, that dress really suits you though you know you don''t have to dress up for these things, it''s not like they''re formals, though of course I bought new shoes so who am I to say anything anyway and we''re probably not the only ones to do stuff like that, so at any rate who''s all here and have you danced with anyone yet?"Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    As Laurie and Chartreuse moved off together, Corry reached into his pocket and flipped a loonie to one of the guys standing near the doors. "Hey, Tommy," he remarked. "Go buy me a pop, would you? The usual."


    Tommy willingly went inside to purchase the item in question as Corry turned his attention to another student. "Quick, what comes to mind when I say improv singing?"


    "Screw you," the student shot back sullenly.


    "Mmmmm. Say ''hi'' to Julie for me, would you? I do hope she''s ''bearing'' up," Corry concluded. No hesitation, no smugness in that guy''s tone; if Julie had plans against him, the news hadn''t filtered down to some of her more well known supporters. Corry hadn''t really expected it to, but it never hurt to check. He proceeded into the cafeteria himself.


    ***


    Larry Fisk monitored Corry¡¯s arrival with a sour expression on his face. Kids these days, the science teacher mused. Hard to tell what they were getting up to half the time, but Corry Veniti and Julie LaMille? They were the worst.


    Of course, given their place in the social hierarchy, few other students risked doing anything that might annoy them ¨C which paradoxically kept the school relatively peaceful. Meanwhile, the mutual (if guarded) respect that Corry and Julie had for each other kept their own disagreements from escalating too high.


    Regardless, Larry had told the principal, Dell Hunt, that some teachers should intercede. But Dell seemed to believe that, as long as the faculty didn¡¯t take sides, the teens would eventually work things out themselves. Was that possible?


    Larry had his doubts, and the dance chaperon knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep from grimacing whenever he saw either one of the two ringleaders. It disturbed him to think about what might happen if the tenuous balance between them ever changed.


    ***


    Inside the cafeteria, Phil Clarke was having similar misgivings. All that he¡¯d been able to get from Julie about the dance was that she would be taking steps towards dealing with Corry once and for all. She hadn''t elaborated on how this related to her problem with Carrie and Frank. It felt like Julie was aiming for a diversionary tactic. But why?


    It came back to her ultimate goals. Clarke had never thought that figuring out why Julie was so bent on her plans would come under a time constraint, but he was realizing now that time played a factor. Ironic in a way, if Julie''s claim of a time machine was true.


    Scanning the room to try and otherwise occupy his mind (even if only temporarily) Clarke caught sight of Tim. That surprised him. Tim had never been one to come out to social events.


    Heck, Clarke had befriended the boy after realizing how much Tim tended to be socially shunned. In retrospect, perhaps Tim''s earlier question to him, regarding whether Julie was likely to do anything troublesome tonight, made some sense?


    Then again, it didn''t, because Clarke had admitted that there was a very good chance for something to happen. So why would Tim pick tonight as the first dance he would attend? Clarke then noticed Luci standing next to him. Was she the reason? A date?


    "Clarke?"


    The tall basketball player turned to see Laurie standing next to him. "Er, yeah?¡±


    "Would you... are you... that is, you''re not dancing at the moment, but..." The redhead stopped, unable to complete her thought.


    "Was I planning to?" Clarke attempted to finish for her. Laurie nodded mutely.


    Her request didn''t surprise him. Laurie had previously indicated an interest in him. Except, given his current ties with Julie, he couldn¡¯t afford to be connected to Corry¡¯s sister, even casually. Besides, the redheaded girl had a tendency to talk a lot, something Clarke had trouble dealing with.


    Yet even as he tried to think of how to turn her down gently, he realized that Laurie had been curbing her babbling tendencies of late, at least around him. And Julie wasn''t here yet.


    Clarke opened his mouth to respond - when the word rippled through the attendees. Julie and Carrie had arrived outside. "Maybe another time," he said apologetically, turning to head for the cafeteria door.


    "Yeah, okay, right, sure, no problem, I''m fine with that... just fine..." Laurie murmured, even after Clarke was out of earshot. Her eyes fell down to her fingers, where they began to twist around the folds of her skirt.


    Chartreuse, for her part, had left Laurie in order to check in with Luci and Tim.


    "Okay guys,¡± she said eagerly. ¡°Laurie says there''s, like, some singing thing which Corry might be doing tonight. That''s so likely to be when Julie strikes! I think Julie''s arrived too, so let''s split up and give a scan of the DJ''s stage area right quick.¡±


    ***


    Despite the undercurrent of escalating tension, an hour and a half later, everything was still normal. Chartreuse was baffled. "I know I''m not wrong," she murmured. "Something is starting here. I can almost sense it about to happen. But, if Julie¡¯s the instigator, how is she going to DO it?"


    "Stage area''s unchanged,¡± Luci offered up as she approached.


    "Are you, like, SURE?"


    "If there''s one thing I''m good at," the young girl shot back. "It''s observation. There¡¯s nothing out of place.¡±


    "Can I-I-I go now?" Tim lamented. "I haven''t done any good. I can¡¯t even talk to Clarke now that Julie¡¯s here."


    Chartreuse fell back against the wall, a frustrated look on her face. "But... oh, sure," she said, defeated. "Look, guys, sorry if I dragged you out here for nothing. I mean, I know I''ve been, like, wrong about mystic stuff before. I just never dreamed I could be THIS wrong."


    "Your attention please," came a voice from the stage as a song wrapped up. Everyone in the cafeteria turned to look at Corry, who was holding the microphone.


    "Some of you know that I''ve been trying to start up a band to perform some cover songs at upcoming school events." Corry grinned. ¡°And while you¡¯re equally aware that I could exert some pressure to make this happen, I''ve been trying to acquire musical support on a voluntarily basis. After all, you''d be giving up your free time to be with me, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be paying you, no matter how well you drum."


    There was a smattering of laugher before Corry continued. "As you may also know, I¡¯ve declared myself the lead singer. If that¡¯s what¡¯s making you hesitate, I thought I''d take this opportunity to demonstrate how I''m more than a simple choir member." He turned to say something to the DJ.


    "Oh, and Julie?¡± he added, turning back. ¡°If you''re thinking of trying something here..." His face darkened. "Don''t."

 Part 18b: Dance Dance Revolution 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.3 - Of Her Impact


    PART 18b: DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION 2


    Moments later, the tune of a relatively recent song began - karaoke version. Corry tossed the microphone back and forth briefly between his hands before starting to sing...


    ~¡±I once wished to travel through time


    To have such a power seemed really sublime


    But I never imagined the problems I''d face


    So now I''m lost in time and also in space.~


    ~I''m three days older than I was last night


    Wondering if I put wrong what once went right


    And I would hit rewind but time''s being unkind,


    Destinies intertwined now I''m losing my mind!¡±~


    Tim lifted a brow. "He''s pretty good," he noted.


    "Interesting song selection," Luci murmured. She tried to remember which group had made it popular.


    "Short stuff?" came the voice of Lee. "Hey, it is you. You''re fast, I just saw you out in the hall."


    Luci turned to Lee, feeling her heart rate increasing. "What?"


    ~¡±I can speak of tomorrow but not yesterday


    For when history changes your past goes away


    I altered one thing that was causing me strife


    The tapestry tore changing everyone''s life.


    Maybe that''s fine, maybe it''s not,


    Who draws the line, who calls the shot?¡±~


    "I''ve never been able to make sense of this song," Carrie grumbled. "Pretty lame selection, huh Julie? Julie?"


    Carrie was sure Julie had been within earshot a couple minutes ago. Where had her friend gone?


    ~¡±Is there some higher power involved around here?


    I don''t know if they helped or are something to fear.


    I see now that these forces can''t be understood


    I''d return things to normal if only I could,


    But the ramifications have damaged my brain


    It won''t be long now before I''ve gone insane.¡±~


    "Tracked down where''s that ringing''s coming from then?" Joe inquired.


    "Yeah, a cell phone," Frank said. ¡°In Carrie Waterson''s jacket."Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Well, answer it," Joe concluded. "It¡¯s not going to voicemail, and whoever''s calling, they don''t seem to want to hang up on their own."


    ~"None of this should have happened, I know in my gut


    Yet our future is hist''ry, and I''ve lost what''s what.


    We must now beware, time is not playing fair,


    I would solve this crime it''s just I''m...


    outta time... outta time... outta time..."~


    Corry concluded his song. There was a brief pause, then the silence was broken - not by applause, but by the voice of Laurie Veniti coming through the sound system.


    "I''ve figured out where the test papers are,¡± she stated. "They''re in the bottom drawer of Ms. Adams'' desk in the math office which she keeps locked but Chartreuse heard from Katie that George said she keeps a spare key at the back of her pullout drawer in class in the event that she forgets her key ring because it apparently happened once a year ago and they had to force the drawer and it was a real pain and stuff but anyway that''s where you can find the math tests!"


    "That... that can''t be me,¡± Laurie cried out from the back of the room, feeling the blood drain from her face.


    "Oh, I won''t find them there," Carrie''s voice retorted through the speakers. "You will. You''d probably appreciate them more than me, after all, given your marks. Besides, you''ve come this far, why not prove yourself by going all the way?"


    "What the hell?" Carrie gasped in response to hearing her own voice.


    Laurie''s voice returned. "But... I thought... it''s been sort of fun to this point but to actually steal...?"


    ''That''s pre-recorded,'' Corry realized, shaking off his momentary paralysis. He spun to the DJ. "Turn off all your audio equipment,¡± he snapped.


    "Oh, feeling a little chicken? Well, maybe your brother would be more willing to do this instead," Carrie concluded.


    "No! Don''t tell him about any of this. I''ll... I''ll take the papers if you really want..."


    "SOMEONE TURN THAT GOD DAMN RECORDING OFF!" Corry yelled.


    The power all around the stage immediately went dead. For a moment, another complete silence descended upon the room. No one seemed to know what to say. Though many looks automatically went to a couple of specific faces.


    "I never cheated," Laurie murmured. Her face was a deathly white and she seemed to be in danger of hyperventilating. "That, that was over a year ago. Okay, I... I did take a copy of the test. But I never looked at it. Never, ever! I would never... never... oh God... I... I''m so sorry!"


    The redhead buried her face in her hands and sprinted for the door.


    "Laurie!" Corry cried out from the stage. He quickly started shoving his way through the crowd of still shocked spectators towards the back, only to find himself face to face with Carrie. As if sensing that they were in a danger zone, everyone standing nearby immediately took two steps back.


    Corry''s hands balled into fists. "You and Julie have crossed the line this time," he seethed at the blonde. "Don''t think you¡¯re getting away with it.¡±


    "You think it was MY idea to be portrayed that way to the entire school?" Carrie fired back angrily. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that conversation had ever been recorded.¡±


    ¡°Then you admit it happened?" Corry barked. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ll be spending a little extra time at home this term.¡±


    Carrie''s eyes narrowed. "If you''re implying that some sort of suspension is coming my way, be aware that your sister sounded a LOT guiltier than I did.¡±


    "Are you threatening me, Waterson?!"


    "You''re smart, you figure it out! For that matter, you were the one up at the stage, with the equipment. How do we know you''re not playing innocent here? Trying to create more trouble for me and Julie?¡±


    "How DARE you try to pin the blame back on me,¡± Corry shot back, face going as red as his hair. "Waterson, I''d be VERY careful about what actions you take over the next few days.¡±


    With that, Corry shoved his way past her, charging towards the door through which Laurie had exited.


    ***


    Carrie resisted the urge to respond to Corry¡¯s shove with a tackle, instead taking a few deep breaths before calling out, "Julie?" She turned to look about her, finally grabbing onto the shirt of the person standing closest, decorum be damned. "Did you see where the hell Julie went??"


    The kid shook his head several times, returning the expression on Carrie''s face with one of abject terror. Useless. The blonde shoved him back out of the way, deciding she¡¯d have to look for the brunette herself. Because Corry had been right about one thing: Julie had crossed the line.


    Whether Julie had been the one to play that recording, or whether it had been Corry - her friend had apparently sensed what was about to happen, and made a quick exit. However, instead of offering any warning, or even returning to back Carrie up, Julie had left her high and dry. Carrie was not pleased by that. Not one bit.


    The blonde stalked out of the cafeteria through a different set of doors than those used by Corry.


    ***


    As murmurs began to spread through the crowd, Chartreuse could only stare in horror at the door through which the Veniti twins had departed. "We''ve failed," she realized. "The 2DEGS have totally failed. Now, it¡¯s... war."


    The steadily increasing sound of student mutterings was cut off by the sound of feedback from near the stage, power having being restored. It was followed by the voice of science teacher Larry Fisk at the microphone. "This dance," he stated, "Is over. Please clear the cafetorium as soon as possible."


    ***


    In a dark, abandoned classroom, the brunette girl smiled to herself. She collapsed the antenna for the remote she was carrying. It sounded like everything was working out more or less as anticipated. Thus phase one was complete: the revolution at the high school had begun.


    Julie found herself shivering in anticipation, but she forced herself to stay focused. There was still work to be done... so much work to be done...

 Part 19a: Dance Dance Redux

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.4 - Of Herself


    PART 19a: DANCE DANCE REDUX 1


    Luci peered into the black box sitting on Frank''s lab table. She smiled - being done a little ahead of schedule meant a chance to chat with Frank this evening. They¡¯d been so focussed on their work, both Saturday and today, that there hadn''t been much opportunity for idle conversation.


    Then again, Luci still felt awkward whenever talk shifted to personal lives - partly because of how Frank tended to talk about Carrie. Luci wasn''t quite sure what to say about that.


    Why did Frank think that Carrie was anything more than the shallow persona she displayed at school? Even as Luci pondered this, the basement door opened and she heard someone coming downstairs. She looked up, reading the expression on Frank¡¯s face.


    "She''s coming over then?" Luci guessed.


    Frank nodded, running a hand back through his hair. "Carrie''s on her way," he affirmed.


    ***


    Several blocks away, Carrie threw on her jacket as she headed for her front door. "I''m going out, Dad," she called out in passing.


    "Carrie, wait," her father requested.


    The blonde poked her head back around the entrance to the living room. "Yes?" she said with thinly veiled annoyance.


    Hank Waterson folded up his newspaper and set it to the side of his chair. "We still haven''t talked about the matter of Friday''s dance.¡±


    Carrie sighed. "It''s like I told you yesterday, there''s nothing to discuss. In fact, by the end of the weekend, you''ll have forgotten all about it." She smiled at her inside joke.


    "Carrie, when your school calls to tell me that my daughter may have been involved in a case of cheating, this is not something I will casually dismiss!¡±


    ''Why not, you do that to everything else about me,'' Carrie thought to herself. Aloud, she responded, "Dad, please. It was almost two years ago, and they have no proof it actually happened. The whole thing''s been blown out of proportion. You know how school does that with me.¡±


    Her father hesitated. "Still, I''d hate to see something like this escalate, and damage your permanent record. I got the impression that your school contacted me to ensure that such a thing won''t happen."


    "It won''t," Carrie asserted. "Don''t worry, Dad, I know cheating is bad. Also, drugs are bad and sex is bad. I''ll be a good girl, okay?"


    "Carrie! Be serious with me.¡±


    "I am being serious!¡± Also snarky, her head voice added. Tone it down with him, for once? ¡°Look, I''m sixteen, I can take care of myself without a lecture from you. Okay?" Carrie attempted another smile. "Now can I PLEASE go to Frank''s house? He''s expecting me. It¡¯s math stuff." Time travel involved math, right?


    Her father appeared to wrestle with this internally. "Be back by ten o''clock," he concluded.


    "Ten? Since when do I have an actual curfew??"


    "Since there are consequences to your actions. I¡¯m only allowing the trip at all because it¡¯s related to your schoolwork."


    "But... oh, fine," Carrie sighed, deciding to hurry for the front door rather than stay and argue.


    Honestly, why did her dad even try? It was obvious he didn''t care much for her, as highlighted by the fact that it took a problem like this for him to pay attention to her. Or was it more like, for her to pay attention to him? ¡®Shut up, voice inside my head,¡¯ Carrie grumbled.


    ***


    After the front door slammed, Hank slumped back down in his chair. He turned to look at the picture sitting on the table beside him. "She''s so much her mother''s daughter," he murmured. "I don''t know how to handle her, Elaine... not since she found out you wouldn¡¯t be coming back. What would you have done if you were here? Would you have let her go? If only you could guide me somehow..."


    The picture didn''t answer. He hadn''t expected it to. A few minutes later, Hank retrieved his newspaper back from the floor with a sigh.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ***


    Frank closed up the time machine. The new circuits looked fine. Great. Now came the tricky bit. He turned to Luci. ¡°Okay. So. Uh, if you want to head out before Carrie gets here, that''s understandable. Seeing as the two of you... haven''t been getting along."


    A huge understatement. He could still recall Carrie''s reaction from last Monday, when he had called her over - then revealed that Luci was going to be helping out with the time machine.


    "Luci?!" Carrie had yelped at him. "Luci is going to be messing with the time machine? Frank, we''d agreed NOT to tell anyone about it! If this device was too much for you, you could have said so, rather than call in little miss ''I-know-so-much-that-I-skipped-grades¡¯. I mean, what''s she going to do for us, integrate a high-tech lollipop dispenser into the thing?¡±


    All that - with Luci in the room. Fortunately, Luci had taken it in stride, retorting, ¡°I¡¯d promise not to show you up, Carrie, but that would entail me doing even LESS than nothing."


    A comment which hadn¡¯t endeared Luci to the blonde. It had taken Frank¡¯s explanation, of Luci discovering the machine¡¯s existence herself in August, along with a reminder of Carrie¡¯s ¡°one week deadline¡±, to get Carrie to capitulate.


    "No, I''m going to stay," Luci now asserted. "The trip you''re both planning, it''s back to Friday, right?"


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Frank admitted, pulling himself back to the present. "After all, Carrie¡¯s taken issue with what happened at the dance. So it¡¯s a good a date as any to test out our new circuits.¡±


    Luci shook her head. ¡°Is it really? Or is that what she says? Because you don¡¯t need to go to Friday - heck, even if Carrie somehow prevents that recording from being played, it doesn¡¯t change what she did to Laurie in the first place!¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± Frank assured her. ¡°But there¡¯s more to Carrie than how she acts.¡± After all, she had... well, helped that girl Beth in 1955? Frank ran his hand back through his hair. He was starting to wonder if his defence of Carrie was becoming more a defence of his own choice to work on time travel for the last two years.


    Luci sighed. ¡°What exactly did Carrie say to you when she came by yesterday?"


    ¡°Nothing mean. Not really. She was upset about the dance, that¡¯s all. And about how we couldn¡¯t use the machine yet, because we were in the process of making adjustments."


    ¡°So she showed up ONLY for the time machine,¡± Luci pointed out. ¡°Can¡¯t you see how that girl¡¯s all take and no give? I mean, really.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s also her unique perspective on time," Frank protested. ¡°She sees things differently. Plus, something bad happened in her past.¡± Luci looked at him expectantly. ¡°It¡¯s not my place to go into detail.¡± Detail that had been filtered through his younger self. Were his memories even accurate?


    ¡°Uh huh.¡± Luci put her hands on her hips. ¡°Fine. Then I¡¯m not only staying now, I¡¯m going back in time with you both.¡±


    Frank stared. "What?¡± Yet again, Luci was surprising him.


    ¡°Even setting aside how Carrie¡¯s been manipulating you, based on past experience? I suspect neither of you have much of a plan as far as a trip to the dance goes. You could end up getting yourselves into even worse trouble. I figure someone has to be around to talk sense.¡±


    Frank shook his head. ¡°The dance is a familiar environment. And since I still believe that we can¡¯t change the past, we can''t get into any more trouble than we''re in already."


    Luci crossed her arms. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not sold on your unchangeable theory about time. And even if I were, there could still be repercussions as yet unseen. So - I¡¯m going! If you¡¯re worrying about how to pitch it to Carrie, I¡¯ve spent at least 24 hours fiddling with this machine over the past week. Am I saying you two owe me this trip? No... but if something goes wrong with the new circuits, it might be good if I''m there too, right?"


    ¡°That''s... a fair point,¡± Frank conceded. He let out a long breath. "All right. We¡¯ll see what Carrie says."


    ***


    "No! Absolutely not.¡±


    "Carrie, let me finish. Luci knows more about the new--"


    "So IF something comes up, we¡¯ll give her a phone call Friday night," Carrie interrupted. "For that matter, I can do the same with you, Frank. Neither of you need bother coming. I can take this trip myself.¡±


    From her position, sitting on the lab table, Luci fought down the urge to comment. After all, it would be better for all of them if she let Frank assert himself here. Right?


    ¡°Carrie, be reasonable. You haven¡¯t been able to set the machine by yourself yet. And you can¡¯t paradox your way through this, I don¡¯t remember seeing you on Friday.¡±


    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t remember seeing me YET. But fine - you¡¯re testing stuff, so you can still come. ONLY you.¡±


    Frank merely sighed. And Luci could no longer hold her tongue. ¡°Carrie," she broke in. "Do you even have the faintest idea of what you''ll be doing to try and reverse things on Friday?"


    "How odd. Frank, did you just hear a noise?"


    "I''m right aren''t I?" Luci pressed. "You probably don''t even know the recording was all a plot by Julie.¡±


    "What?" both Carrie and Frank chorused, turning to face her.


    Luci looked back and forth between them. "Surely that can''t come as a complete surprise to BOTH of you?" Even without the extra tip-offs through Chartreuse, Julie''s involvement had seemed fairly obvious.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely,¡± Frank admitted. "But I also heard some people talking as they left. They seemed to think Corry had set it up, as an attempt to regain sympathy after his unfriendly remarks about Julie''s teddy bear."


    "I actually challenged Julie about it that same night," Carrie added. "She said she left after Corry''s statement to the effect of her not trying anything, figuring it would be prudent to leave. She didn''t know he was going to play that recording of me, and she apologized for not coming to my rescue. Said she''d make it up to me somehow this week."


    Luci boggled. ¡°Carrie - are you actually that stupid?"


    "Now you listen here, little girl..."


    ¡°Carrie, stop,¡± Frank said, stepping between the two of them. ¡°Please? Let¡¯s all be civil about this? Please?¡± His uncertain gaze went from Carrie back to Luci. When neither of them spoke, he ventured, ¡°Now, Luci, why do you say it wasn''t Corry?"


    "Because of how it involved his sister," Luci answered easily. "Corry doesn¡¯t always show it overtly, but he''s very protective of her. Remember that whole mismatched date thing he set up last year? He''d never hurt Laurie the way that recording did. And once you eliminate him, it''s down to Julie. With the possible exception of one other person."


    "Ha! So it could be this other phantom person and not Julie?" Carrie challenged.


    "Yes,¡± Luci yielded. ¡°But that other person is you, Carrie."

 Part 19b: Dance Dance Redux 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.4 - Of Herself


    PART 19b: DANCE DANCE REDUX 2


    "What?" Carrie and Frank chorused again, Carrie adding a "how DARE you imply such a thing!"


    Luci sighed. ¡°Oh my God, you two. Think about it, seriously. Who led the outcry against Corry all last week regarding the teddy bear? Carrie. Who had the most opportunity to record the Carrie/Laurie conversation we heard? Carrie. Who had words with Corry immediately following the incident? Carrie. Who is the most mean spirited cheerleader on the face of the Earth?¡±


    ¡°Luci!¡± Frank said.


    ¡°Nope, not me! I bet Carrie was even the one who suggested karaoke to Corry. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Okay Luci, enough.¡±


    It was Frank¡¯s tone more than anything that caused Luci to purse her lips shut. He seemed to be troubled. Indeed, she could now see that Carrie¡¯s face was also an interesting mix of emotions - ranging from anger to confusion. "I was equally incriminated on that recording,¡± the blonde finally managed.


    Again, Luci couldn¡¯t stop herself. ¡°The school has no proof. Technically, the worst they can do is a slap on the wrists, maybe a phone call home. The only hitch in my reasoning is how I know for a fact that you aren''t smart enough to pull something like this off.¡±


    ¡°Shut it, brainchild! I¡¯ll have you know that I''ve been able to record incriminating information before. Remember, Frank?"


    Frank winced. ¡°Yeah, um, you mean that time with Julie in that chemistry lab affair?"


    "I stand corrected then," Luci acknowledged. ¡°You could have pulled it off. Corry will be pleased to learn that, I''m sure."


    ¡°OOoh! I said shut it, or I¡¯ll shut it for you,¡± Carrie shouted, trying to reach around Frank to grab for the shirt of the younger girl.


    ¡°No, stop this,¡± Frank pleaded, putting his own arms out to block her. ¡°Please! Luci, you stop baiting her, and Carrie... you HAVE to admit, insults aside, that what Luci says about Julie makes some sense! Julie may even suspect about our time machine.¡±


    Carrie¡¯s gaze snapped back to him. He lowered his arms slowly. ¡°Oh. Yeah, uh, I¡¯ve been watching her the past couple of weeks. She kinda worries me. I even talked to Clarke about her.¡±


    Carrie worked through a few more choice facial features. ¡°I tell you Julie wouldn''t set me up like that. She doesn''t treat her friends that way.¡±


    Luci bit down on her tongue, and was glad when Frank spoke up instead to ask, ¡°Are you one hundred percent sure?¡±


    Carrie fumbled for a strand of hair, which she then started twirling about her finger. "Okay. Say it''s Julie," she said, doing her best to sound nonchalant. She wasn¡¯t successful - Luci could tell that Carrie was getting worried. ¡°How did she pull it off? She wasn¡¯t even in the room.¡±


    "Well, er..." Frank turned helplessly back to the younger girl.


    Luci decided to look back at Frank, rather than at Carrie, to keep her focus. ¡°I don''t know how Julie did it,¡± she admitted to him. "What I''ve told you has all been worked out in hindsight. Which I grant may be part of the reason why I want to go back there with you. I¡¯m missing something.¡± Also, Chartreuse deserved an explanation.


    Luci sensed Carrie glaring at her, but she kept staring at Frank. At his glasses, his jawline, his lips... she shifted her gaze to the ceiling.


    ¡°Fine," Carrie murmured at last. ¡°Fine, Frank. Luci can come too, if she wants to. I mean, why should I care, right? I¡¯ve already won at being the meanest cheerleader on the face of the Earth. Why continue to prove it?¡±


    Okay, Luci couldn¡¯t ignore that pitying tone. ¡°A sympathy act? REALLY, Carrie?¡± she fired off.


    As she turned back though, Luci was surprised to see genuine distress on Carrie¡¯s face. Was Carrie upset because Luci had called out her act? Or, the younger girl wondered, had she actually managed to hurt Carrie¡¯s feelings somehow?A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Okay! Well then, let''s all travel now before anything else happens," Frank decided, clapping his hands together and smiling hopefully.


    ***


    The previous Friday evening saw three figures materialize in a residential backyard. One of them collapsed immediately to the ground, while another slipped over to the fence nearby. The third set down the time machine and popped it open for a quick glance. "So far so good on the new circuits," Frank said.


    ¡°And the school is right over there," Carrie added, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. "Let''s go. I figure, if I cut power to the whole stage early, the recording can¡¯t play after Corry¡¯s song. Good enough plan?¡±


    So she had thought about it since they¡¯d spoken on Saturday. ¡°Actually, yeah. But hold on, Luci''s fallen unconscious," Frank indicated.


    Carrie sighed. "It''s always something with her.¡±


    "The same thing happened to us the first few times we used the time machine, remember?" Frank pointed out, tapping Luci lightly on the cheek. "Besides, she adjusted her new circuitry for 9:30pm, so we should have over half an hour. The school¡¯s right there, so what¡¯s the rush?"


    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± There was a moment of silence. ¡°Look, Frank, do you truly think I¡¯m so mean as to...¡±


    Carrie stopped as Luci groaned and began to stir. Then the young girl¡¯s eyes shot open, and she sat up quickly, looking around. "Wow. What a rush,¡± Luci exclaimed.


    Frank smiled. "I guess it can be, at that."


    "Peachy,¡± Carrie interjected. ¡°Let''s get going.¡±


    The three teenagers were soon over the fence and creeping towards the school. "Wait," Frank said. "With our past counterparts already inside, how are we going to walk in without drawing any attention? Particularly given how I now have the time machine and our backpack of provisions."


    "I chose to wear the same clothing today as I did at the dance," Luci offered. ¡°On the off chance I¡¯d get to come back with you. I¡¯m also not very noticeable, so I''ll walk in and go around to the doors closer to the gym. I can let you in there."


    "Well, haven''t you thought of everything,¡± Carrie grumped.


    ¡°No, but I have actually THOUGHT,¡± Luci retorted, heading off to the main doors.


    Once Luci was out of earshot, Frank turned back to Carrie. ¡°Can¡¯t you be a little nicer to her? She¡¯s majorly helped us out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but... you know, Luci¡¯s not a very nice person either. Given some of the things she says. And can she run the hundred metre dash in twelve seconds? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Frank wondered if he¡¯d missed a segue. ¡°What?"


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, nobody¡¯s perfect,¡± Carrie said defensively. ¡°At least I¡¯m not trying to impress you the way she is."


    "Impress me?"


    "Yes, it''s painfully obvious what her intentions are.¡±


    "Why would Luci be trying to impress me?"


    Carrie did a double take. "Are you serious?"


    "Of course."


    Carrie shook her head slowly. "Good grief, it''s a wonder geeks ever reproduce," she muttered under her breath.


    "What?"


    "Look, never mind, none of this is important. Let¡¯s get over to the gym doors." She immediately jogged off, setting a quick pace.


    Frank followed after, giving up on understanding. In short order, the three time travellers had reunited inside the school. "We have about ten minutes," Luci informed the others. "Apparently my time setting was also subject to some random variation, we must have arrived closer to 9:45."


    "Or your stuff never worked and this is a fluke," Carrie observed. Frank opened his mouth to protest, only to have her add, "But, benefit of the doubt, good job and all that. I''ll be off to the circuit breakers near the stage now."


    "Try not to, you know, bump into yourself or cause too much trouble?" Frank pleaded.


    Carrie grinned. ¡°Tempting, but in this instance, why bother? I¡¯ll rendezvous with you guys in that classroom there in twenty minutes."


    ¡°Okay. In the meantime, we¡¯ll re-adjust the time circuits," Frank offered. Entering the abandoned room in question, he opened up the lid of the machine. ¡°Still stable. You really knew what you were doing, Luci," he remarked as she came up behind him. "Ah, if you were trying to impress me, I¡¯m impressed."


    Luci opened and closed her mouth, then cleared her throat. ¡°Yeah, so, while I have this opportunity, I''m going to go tail Julie."


    Again, Frank was sure he was missing leaps of logic. "What?"


    "She left the cafeteria before everything happened. I figure it was to set things in motion, because there was no way for her to know in advance what song Corry would sing. I have to know what she did."


    "Luci, are you sure that''s wise?"


    ¡°Unlike Carrie, I''ll be careful. Be back ASAP,¡± With that, she slipped off towards the cafeteria.


    ***


    As she walked, Luci reflected on the fact that there were two reasons why she felt she had to do this. The first being for the benefit of Chartreuse. The poor girl had seemed rather crushed by the defeat of their little group. Perhaps if Luci could show her that there was nothing they could have done, it would make Chartreuse feel better.


    But the second reason was for the benefit of Frank. After all, if Julie WAS initiating some sort of war - Frank¡¯s current ties to Carrie were liable to put him in the blast radius. Maybe. Luci wasn¡¯t sure - she had to know more.


    There were a few people milling about in the hallway outside the cafeteria when Luci unobtrusively took up a position there against the wall. About five minutes later, inside the cafeteria, she heard Corry get on the microphone. This was it. Her eyes turned to the exit, peering attentively for Julie.


    There she was. Luci reflexively held her breath as Julie passed by, then inched after her along the wall, keeping the brunette in sight. Which was when she heard the familiar voice.


    "Hey, short stuff! Sounds like Corry''s up to something, want to come in with me and check it out?"

 Part 20a: Fallout

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.4 - Of Herself


    PART 20a: FALLOUT 1


    Luci''s gaze snapped away from Julie and onto Lee, who was now standing in front of her. "Lee!" she said redundantly. "No, I... there''s something else I need to do right now,¡± she said, scrambling for words.


    "Yeah? Hey, I''ve been meaning to ask you, what brings you here tonight, don''t recall seeing you at these..."


    "Later Lee, okay?" Luci interrupted. Julie was almost out of sight.


    Lee shrugged. "Okay, whatever. You''re looking stressed though, you shouldn''t be stressed at a dance."


    ¡°Y-Yes... I''ll work on that," Luci said.


    Lee snapped a finger and pointed at her. "Good idea." He moved to follow a few others into the cafeteria while Luci hurried back down the hall in the other direction. But by the time she''d reached the hallway junction point, Julie was nowhere to be seen.


    ***


    Julie strode purposefully down the hall, keeping one eye ahead of her and one behind. There was no point being sneaky - that would only draw unwanted attention. However, there was also no point being slow.


    She didn¡¯t stop until she saw the unexpected shadow back in the hall, outside the stairwell near the gym. Having climbed five steps to gain the high ground, Julie turned around, folding her arms. "Come out, come out, no point in hiding."


    A couple seconds passed. She didn¡¯t budge. Then, Frank stepped out. ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Julie."


    "Do what?" Julie protested. ¡°Shouldn''t you be back monitoring the coat check?"


    "Never mind that. What you¡¯re going to do..." Frank hesitated, then raised his hands in what she supposed was an attempt at an offensive stance. It looked more like he was about to give a ¡®thumbs up¡¯. "I can''t let you."


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Julie countered, pretending to fumble nervously among the pleats of her skirt. In the process, she tapped the button on the miniature remote she''d secreted away.


    "You are about to play a recording that''s damaging for both Carrie and Laurie," Frank clarified.


    "Me? How could I EVER do such a thing?¡± Julie protested, a hand now to her heart. "You must have me confused with Corry. Or Carrie herself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too late, Julie. Consider the consequences.¡±


    ¡°I have. You haven¡¯t," Julie countered, shifting her tone to serious. "Better go, Frank. There''s a cell phone ringing in your cloakroom."


    Frank blinked. "What?"


    Julie smiled. "Ring, ring," she whispered. "I wouldn''t hit that talk button if I were you. Might set off a terrible chain of events.¡±


    Frank shuddered. "You can''t mean... you didn''t. You couldn''t have!¡±


    "You start pushing buttons on that phone and it¡¯s not me who will be responsible for consequences,¡± Julie said, narrowing her eyes. "Now, if you''ll excuse me, DON''T follow me again... you time tripper."


    She hurried upstairs, leaving Frank behind.


    ***


    Carrie bit back a series of curses. Of COURSE the circuit breaker would be locked, why had she thought otherwise? She couldn''t simply rush the DJ and unplug all his equipment either, he''d stop her, and then nothing would change except that she''d be in even bigger trouble. Not only temporally, but because there would be tangible evidence of her doing something on the stage. Carrie didn¡¯t fancy talking herselves out of THAT situation.


    She might still have a chance though. If she could shut down the main speakers by pulling out the leads at the right moment, there wouldn''t be any sound available after Corry''s song. Hence no way for the recording to be heard.


    Edging cautiously into a position behind the stage, Carrie located the cables in question then fidgeted slightly, waiting for Corry to hurry up and finish singing.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ~¡±None of this should have happened, I know in my gut


    Yet our future is hist''ry, and I''ve lost what''s what.


    We must now beware, time is not playing fair,


    I would solve this crime it''s just I''m...


    outta time... outta time... outta time..."~


    "Yes, you are," Carrie whispered, grabbing the cords for the main speakers and giving them a hard yank. The leads popped free from the stage setup. Carrie smiled to herself in the brief pause that ensued.


    Then the silence was broken, not by applause, but by the voice of Laurie Veniti coming through the sound system.


    "I''ve figured out where the test papers are,¡± she stated.


    Backstage, Carrie reeled. She quickly traced the cords in her hands back towards their source. She had the right ones. Those speakers out in the cafeteria should not be projecting sound! Her gaze flickered back and forth over the setup in front of her, even as she realized she wasn''t going to have time to do anything more.


    "What the hell?" Carrie whispered almost inaudibly in response to hearing her own voice coming from the sound system. Could someone have actually gone to the trouble of setting up a secondary feed? Or an alternate second set of hidden speakers? Who? Julie?


    "Turn off all your audio equipment,¡± Corry snapped at the DJ.


    ¡°It''s not his audio equipment," Carrie grumbled. She''d better get out of here though - Mr. Fisk was coming. Carrie beat a hasty retreat to the shadows on the far side of the stage.


    "SOMEONE TURN THAT GOD DAMN RECORDING OFF!" Corry yelled.


    ''Temper, temper,'' Carrie thought to herself. Actually, Corry''s act was really convincing, now that Carrie got a better look at it. She hadn''t been paying that much attention the first time. And Luci''s comment about how Corry was protective of his sister came unbidden into Carrie''s mind, casting further doubt on the whole situation.


    But if it wasn''t Corry... no, it couldn''t be Julie either. I mean sure, maybe her friend had been acting a little weird lately, and should have given Carrie a heads up of some sort, but to outright lie about this later? No way!


    No way...


    Burying that unnerving thought, Carrie ducked out of the cafeteria whilst everyone''s attention was drawn to Corry meeting up with her prior self.


    ***


    "Run that by me again?"


    "I think Julie rigged a cell phone to act as a trigger for her recording,¡± Frank repeated.


    "When did you run into Julie?" Luci pressed.


    "She passed right by this classroom. I¡¯d hidden the time machine, and didn''t see you, so I tried tailing her myself. Except, uh, she saw me. We talked briefly. And although she never admitted to anything... I think she set me up along with Carrie.¡±


    Luci frowned. ¡°I guess I¡¯m glad that one of us spotted her. I should have remembered when I''d run into Lee.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Still, rigging a cell phone? That¡¯s overkill.¡±


    ¡°But it fits,¡± Frank insisted. ¡°A cell phone rang towards the end of Corry''s musical number, I tracked it to Carrie''s jacket, and Joe said to answer it. I didn¡¯t hear anyone on the other end of the line, and when I hung it up, that¡¯s when I heard Laurie''s voice in the cafeteria. Me using the cell phone, that must have triggered it.¡±


    Luci leaned back against the classroom wall, crossing her arms. "No, I still don''t buy that," she said at last. "Too risky. Even if we assume that Julie has Joe Drew working for her, too much could go wrong with that scenario.¡±


    "Luci, how else could Julie have known about the phone?"


    "Oh, she planted that, obviously," Luci agreed. "But only, I think, in order to play with your mind. To distract you." She paused briefly. ¡°Which means maybe I haven''t been giving Julie enough credit. Which bothers me, seeing as I''d already given her more than I felt she was due."


    "I don¡¯t even remember where I put the phone after that," Frank added. "I should ask Carrie if she got it back."


    "Got what back?" Carrie inquired, entering the room.


    "Your cell phone."


    "I never lost my cell phone. What are you babbling about?"


    "Your, er... you had a cell phone in your jacket pocket at the dance Friday. Today," Frank amended. "I answered it when Corry''s song ended."


    Carrie lifted up an eyebrow. "Can''t have been my jacket. I wouldn¡¯t leave my phone in there."


    "But I''m sure the jacket was yours,¡± Frank protested. "I''ve seen you wearing it.¡±


    "Carrie, could Julie have slipped the phone in your jacket pocket?" Luci inquired, now pacing back and forth.


    "Oh, great. Here we go blaming Julie for everything again."


    "Actually, wait, it doesn''t matter. She could have gotten Joe to do that later,¡± Luci amended.


    "Frank, could you remind the gifted little girl here that people should remain innocent until proven guilty?"


    ¡°Wow! Exactly when did that become your philosophy on people?¡± Luci countered, looking back up at the blonde.


    "Okay, come on, we are NOT doing this again," Frank said desperately. ¡°You¡¯re both right, okay? After all, we haven¡¯t proven guilt... but Carrie, I did run into Julie in the stairwell. And she all but admitted she knew about our time machine.¡±


    Carrie''s mouth twisted into a hard line. ¡°That means she didn¡¯t admit to the recording. And before either of you suggest Julie paying off the DJ, the sound still played even after I cut the connection going to the speakers he was using. So it wasn¡¯t that.¡±


    "You... what?" Frank said.


    Luci resumed her pacing. ¡°This is bad," she observed. "To account for the speakers too...? Well, Julie certainly has the funds to set up a secondary system and listening devices, but... wow. I hate to say it, but I finally understand how Chartreuse felt all last week."


    "Oh, by all means, let''s mention the nutty psychic in our conversation as well," Carrie said, throwing her hands up in the air. ¡°Seriously, what is with this vendetta you people have against Julie?¡±


    Luci whirled on her heel, eyes alternately flashing green and blue in the dim light of the classroom. ¡°Julie¡¯s dangerous, Carrie! For whatever reason, this year she¡¯s started causing people real emotional pain. Don''t you give a damn about your classmates? Or do you truly only give a damn about yourself??¡±


    Carrie didn''t back down, rather she took a step forwards. ¡°Julie¡¯s our classmate too! And for all your talk, you don¡¯t seem to give a damn about her - so if she IS behind this, it has to be for a good reason.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it, Carrie? By all means, she¡¯s your friend, so you tell us, what is it??¡±

 Part 20b: Fallout 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.4 - Of Herself


    PART 20b: FALLOUT 2


    Carrie struggled to speak. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she finally admitted. ¡°Okay? All I know is that my life was a lot easier to deal with before you two! I''ve... I¡¯ve had it.¡±


    Her gaze snapped over to Frank. ¡°Time for me go back to the past now, okay? You know why - to fix that event that I wanted to fix in the first place. The week¡¯s up, so I can do that now, right? Testing''s done?"


    Frank cleared his throat nervously. ¡°One successful test doesn''t necessarily mean anything..." Carrie took a step towards him, narrowing her eyes. "...but on the other hand..."


    "You stand your ground," Luci interjected on Frank''s behalf. "Don''t let your actions be dictated by this self-serving egomaniac.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me,¡± Carrie protested. ¡°Okay? So STOP telling me what a horrible person I am, because you DON¡¯T KNOW ME!¡±


    ¡°Girls, please,¡± Frank gasped, ¡°Someone will hear..."


    ¡°Shut up, Frank!" both of them chorused. He shut up. Carrie and Luci glowered at each other in silence for a few more moments.


    "I think," Luci began coldly, "that it would be best if we all returned to the present before doing anything else.¡±


    "That¡¯s the first thing you''ve said I agree with," Carrie retorted, equally as icily.


    "Yes, that''s, er, sort of what I was going to suggest," Frank said, smiling weakly. It did nothing to alleviate the tension in the air.


    ***


    At 9:35 that Sunday night, the park bordering the ravine near Carrie''s house had three unanticipated visitors. The shortest collapsed onto the ground almost right away, unconscious.


    "Okay, she¡¯s out,¡± Carrie said. She looked at the digital readout of the time machine. "And we''ve hit the mark for a second time. Your testing¡¯s done. Next stop, the airport.¡±


    "Carrie, we can''t simply leave Luci on the ground."


    "She''ll be awake in, what, ten seconds?? Come on! I''ve been looking forward to this, Frank. To the day when I can finally fix this mess that is my life. We pull this off and my mom will be there for supper tomorrow. And who knows what else will get fixed along with it? So hurry up and reset these circuits for me.¡±


    With that, Carrie pushed back on the lever of the time machine, opening the device... and allowing a plume of smoke to billow out. She fell back, coughing.


    Frank leapt for the machine, catching it and fanning a hand overtop to clear the smoke. She watched as he then peered down into the device. "One or two of the circuits fried," Frank said slowly. ¡°Uh, and not the new ones. So it will take some time to fix them, assuming..." He stopped himself.


    ¡°Assuming you can,¡± Carrie finished quietly.


    ¡°Kinda, yeah.¡± Frank looked up at her uncertainly.


    So that was that. In the blink of an eye, everything she¡¯d been hoping to accomplish, gone, vanished along with that puff of smoke.


    Had the device always been fated to burn out? Was this some sort of cosmic karma, after she¡¯d effectively rejected her ¡®trapped in the woods¡¯ resolution to be a better person? Or had it been the fault of Luci, the know-it-all girl with her new circuits, screwing up the existing ones?


    Carrie''s gaze shifted over to Luci, who was now awake, and staring over at Frank with a concerned look on her face. Carrie knew what she wanted to believe. ¡°This is your fault," the blonde accused.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Except it wasn¡¯t, the voice in her head warned her. This was Carrie¡¯s own damn fault, for wanting to rush things. In order to push Frank away, like she did with practically everyone else.


    Because she was selfish. And short sighted. A perfect match with her plans for time travel, which had also been selfish and short sighted. Only about benefitting her. Changing her own life. Worse, that desire to change the past implied she¡¯d given up on trying to make the most of what she had. Because of that, what did she have left? Nothing. Possibly not even Julie.


    ¡°My fault?¡± Luci countered. ¡°Frank said it wasn¡¯t my circuits that failed."


    ¡°But everything was going great before you two,¡± Carrie said, feeling herself start to shake with equal parts rage and despair. She used her rage to try and silence the damned voice of reason inside her head.


    ¡°Now, you¡¯ve not only screwed up the time machine, you¡¯ve turned Julie against me. Without her - you¡¯ve destroyed everything, EVERYTHING that was good about my life!¡± Me, me, me, still all about me...


    Luci met Carrie''s gaze evenly. "Then only now can you understand how crushed someone like Laurie must have felt.¡±


    Two strides later, and Carrie had backhanded Luci across the face. "Carrie!" Frank shouted in horror, jumping up to grab her arm. Feeling a strange sort of disconnect, Carrie looked over at her hand. Yes, she¡¯d really done that. Why couldn¡¯t she control herself?


    At the same time, Luci turned her face slowly back to look at the blonde. ¡°Nice. Does beating up people younger than you make you feel better?"


    ¡°Luci!¡± Frank admonished.


    ¡°No. It doesn¡¯t,¡± Carrie admitted. A light breeze blew through her hair, and as Frank released her arm, it fell back to her side. ¡°It makes me feel in control. Except perversely, I¡¯m discovering that I¡¯m not.¡± She turned away. ¡°So, fine. I¡¯m sorry, okay? I¡¯ll be leaving you now. Please, don¡¯t either of you ever come near me again.¡±


    There was nothing for it. With the time machine out of commission, she didn¡¯t need them any more - and they sure didn¡¯t need her. Of course, given some of her recent activities, was there anyone left who would want her around? She sprinted towards the tree line, a lump in her throat.


    ***


    Carrie was nearly out of sight before the full impact of her statement had sunk in. "Wait... Carrie!" Frank called out after her. "We can fix the machine. I can fix it! Carrie, running away isn''t going to solve anything either."


    ¡°Oh, let her go, Frank," Luci sighed, finally standing up. ¡°Remember all of the problems she¡¯s caused you? Besides, she¡¯ll be of no help fixing anything. Let her work through her anger issues. It will allow us to do some proper tests.¡±


    ¡°But..." Frank''s voice trailed off.


    "But?" Luci prompted.


    Frank struggled to find the words. ¡°She''s a part of this."


    ¡°So she''ll come back to her senses in a day or two.¡±


    "Perhaps," Frank said, not totally convinced.


    Luci reached out to touch Frank''s arm. "Come on, I''ll help you carry the time machine back to your place, okay? We can give it a once over before I head home. Assess the damage. See if we really can repair it.¡±


    Frank turned back to look at the young girl, finally nodding slightly in agreement. "Okay. Maybe that''s best," he conceded.


    ***


    Carrie sat on the floor of her room, hugging a pillow and staring at her telephone. She refused to cry, even though she felt like crying. There had been one tear, and it had been more than enough. She was stronger than that. She had to be.


    Troublingly, the few prior occasions she''d found herself sinking into moods like this, a call to Julie and a little chatter usually helped to perk her back up. Now, Carrie didn''t think that was going to work. Because despite how fiercely she''d denied that Julie could be doing something underhanded behind her back... she knew they were right. It only made sense that Julie had been upset with her, owing to her keeping secrets.


    Yet perhaps it wasn''t too late. Perhaps she could salvage something from the wreck her life was becoming. Two years with Julie, it had to count for something, right?


    Carrie found her fingers dialling the mansion almost before she realized it. Soon Jeeves was summoning her former(?) friend to the phone.


    "Hello?" Julie''s voice inquired.


    "Julie?" Carrie said softly.


    "Carrie, that you? Is something up?"


    "Yes." Carrie paused. Her free fingers obtained a complete stranglehold on a lock of her hair. "Julie, are you responsible for what happened at the dance?"


    "What? I thought we covered this, of course not."


    "You''re lying," Carrie contested. "What''s more, I think you¡¯ve been setting me up."


    A laugh. "Whatever gave you that silly idea?"


    "Time travel."


    Silence from Julie''s end. Then, "Interesting answer."


    Carrie drew in a breath. "But I''m not time traveling any more," she continued in a rush. "It''s all been screwed up, and I told Frank to take a hike, and so I''d like for things to go back to how they used to be now. Okay? You don''t have to keep doing whatever it is you''re doing, and we can go back to being best friends again. Okay? Sound good?"


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Julie replied, still in a neutral tone. "But how do I know you''re sincere about all that you''re saying?"


    "I... I just am. I¡¯ll tell you all about the things that happened if it''ll help convince you. Every detail."


    "Okay, then let''s meet," Julie said quickly.


    ¡°Tomorrow at school?"


    ¡°No, tonight. Now. You sound like you could use the company. I can drop by, it''s no trouble."


    Carrie scrunched her knees up to her chest, yanking her fingers free of her hair, a couple strands coming out by the roots. She winced. "Yeah, okay, I guess. You¡¯ll have to use the tree though, my dad¡¯s gone curfew on me."


    "I''ll be there in fifteen minutes. Sit tight, Carrie. Everything¡¯s going to be all right,¡± Julie concluded. There was a quiet beep as she hung up the phone.

 Part 21a: Serious Matters

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.4 - Of Herself


    PART 21a: SERIOUS MATTERS 1


    Corry reached out a hand to knock on the bedroom door. "Laurie?" he called out. "Laurie, Chartreuse is here to see you." There was no answer.


    Corry turned to the pink haired girl. ¡°Just go in. She doesn''t want to see me after what happened at Friday¡¯s dance, and the subsequent phone call by the school didn''t help matters. Seeing as we¡¯re already into Sunday... well, hopefully there''s something you can do for her.¡±


    Chartreuse nodded, reaching out for the doorknob. "Laurie?" she ventured. "How are..." The door was unlocked, and her voice trailed off as she peeked around the frame, getting her first look inside. "Omigod. Laurie!"


    Giving a curt nod to Corry, Chartreuse hurried into Laurie''s bedroom, shutting the door again behind her. She bent down near to where Laurie was huddled in the corner and reached out to grab the hand of the red-haired girl.


    "Laurie, honey, you look terrible. You''re not still beating yourself up over what happened at the dance, are you?"


    Laurie slowly lifted her green eyes, which Chartreuse saw were red rimmed from crying. "Why not?" her friend lamented softly. "I was so stupid. I''m always so stupid, stupid, stupid! Go away Chartreuse, before my stupidity rubs off on you."


    "You''re not stupid," Chartreuse soothed. "Besides, that whole math test thing was from, what, like, grade nine? Ages ago."


    "I still let Carrie dupe me into getting Corry to sing," Laurie countered. "That happened less than two days ago."


    "Well... Carrie can, you know, be sneaky sometimes. Julie has that effect on her."


    Laurie''s gaze fell back down to her feet. "Carrie asked me to sit next to her on the bus that day," she murmured. "Coming back from cheerleading. Golly, I felt honoured. I thought that maybe after all this time, she''d started taking a liking to me." She bit her lip. ¡°It was all lies."


    "You still look up to her, don''t you," Chartreuse realized.


    "Carrie does practically all the same stuff I do - and she does it so much better! I mean... wow, she has such talent. Such authority. She commands so much respect around the school too, one can''t help but be impressed by her.¡±


    "Wait, back up. You are NOT going to tell me Carrie''s a better artist. There''s, like, no WAY she could paint something as beautiful as that," Chartreuse said, pointing to one of the pictures on the wall of Laurie''s room. "Or that one there. In fact, I bet there''s no one in the school who can, you know, top you in art."


    "Art. Big deal. Don''t have it this semester."


    "Laurie, come on," Chartreuse pleaded. "You can''t let Carrie, like, get to you this way. Corry''s real worried about you, as are your parents."


    Laurie scrunched up a little tighter into her corner. "They''re only upset that I never told them about the cheating thing earlier," she murmured.


    "Nuh-uh. It only, you know, took everyone a bit by surprise. No one, like, blames you for it."


    ¡°They should. It was my fault."


    "I don''t believe it," Chartreuse declared. "You''ll have to convince me. Tell me what really happened."


    "I took test papers from Ms. Adams'' desk," Laurie murmured.


    "No, no, no. Tell me the whole story, in one of those cool no breath run-on sentence dialogues of yours that I like so much."


    Laurie looked back up to see Chartreuse''s hopeful expression and choked out a partial laugh. "Oh, please. You get as tired of my babblings as everyone else."


    "Humour me anyway," Chartreuse insisted.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Laurie stared silently at her for a long moment before uncurling slightly from her ball. "Well, like you said, it was back during that first January of us being in high school," she began. "I''d been talking to Carrie about a couple of the classes we had together, including math."


    She hesitated. "Carrie challenged me to figure out where Ms. Adams might be keeping Friday''s tests. She didn''t think it was possible to find out, and at the time I wanted to prove I could be, well, a worthy friend, so I agreed to look into it. It wasn¡¯t hard, I asked a few teachers and observed Ms. Adams one morning, then as to the key thing I remembered something you''d said in a conversation about how teachers mess up sometimes and I double checked to learn about the spare key thing at which point I told Carrie in...¡°


    Her long sentence faltered. ¡°In that conversation that... that everyone heard at the dance. I didn''t know Carrie was recording it." Laurie stopped talking, digging her fingers into her palms.


    "So Carrie made you steal the papers?" Chartreuse coaxed.


    Laurie nodded slowly. ¡°A smarter person would have known. I thought it was all in fun, maybe an initiation rite - until she actually wanted me to go through with the theft. I couldn''t refuse once she mentioned Corry either, because he was trying so hard to establish himself as an important person back then too, so to find out his own sister was socializing with the enemy it would have been a real blow which is why I took a copy of one of the papers and gave it to Carrie..."


    Laurie stopped to pound her fist into the ground. "Golly, I''m SO STUPID.¡±


    Chartreuse reached out to take Laurie''s hand again. ¡°Stop saying that,¡± she countered. "You were taken advantage of, and you know, I bet you weren''t the only one back then. Besides, at the dance, didn''t you say you''d never looked at the test yourself?"


    Laurie bit her lip. "I didn¡¯t. But some scores were up that week. Had to be my fault.¡± She wiped her free arm across her eyes. "Chartreuse, why do people take advantage of other people? Carrie, Julie, even my own brother, they all do it. Why? WHY? I don''t understand.¡±


    "I know you don''t, Laurie," Chartreuse said, pulling the other girl into a hug. "That''s why you''re one of my closest, most specialest friends. Don''t ever change, okay?¡±


    The two girls embraced silently for a minute. "Chartreuse?" Laurie finally ventured.


    The pink haired girl pulled back slightly. "Yes?"


    "Could you maybe stick around the rest of today? Possibly even sleep over or something? I don¡¯t think mom will mind, and with two teenagers in the house she¡¯s always making tons of food..."


    Chartreuse smiled. "I''d love to."


    ***


    Chartreuse slipped out of Laurie¡¯s room. ¡°How is she?" Corry asked, still leaning back against the opposite wall.


    "She''ll pull through," Chartreuse asserted. "I''m just going to, like, go home and get some of my stuff now, pal around with her for the rest of the day, maybe stay the night."


    Corry let out a breath. "Thank goodness. I don''t think she''s ever given me that much of a scare before. What the hell was she thinking anyway, dealing with Carrie?"


    Chartreuse frowned, recognizing his tone. ¡°Look, Carrie has always been kind of a popular girl," she pointed out. "Leads the cheerleaders now too. Don¡¯t do anything, you know, rash.¡±


    Laurie had previously made Chartreuse swear never to tell Corry about the respect she held for Carrie. After all, Laurie had once mentioned to Corry about how much she liked Clarke. That had only served to add fuel to the Corry-Julie rivalry, once it became apparent that Clarke had chosen the brunette. Adding Carrie to the mix was simply asking for trouble.


    "Carrie''s popular for all the wrong reasons," Corry retorted. ¡°In her own way, she''s as bad as Julie. She''ll soon regret what she''s done to my sister.¡±


    Chartreuse shifted her weight back and forth uneasily. "I''m pretty sure Laurie doesn''t want revenge, you know."


    "You''re probably right," Corry admitted. "But she doesn''t understand how the world works. If I let this affair pass without incident, it''ll only happen again. People must know that NO ONE can take advantage of a Veniti and get away with it. It''s a matter of family honour.¡±


    Chartreuse peered a little closer at the red haired twin. "It''s not though. Not really. And if you really care about your sister, you''ll let this one go. Before the situation, like, gets out of control."


    Corry set his jaw. ¡°No way. She''ll understand, in time."


    Chartreuse tried to find the words. "You know, in some ways, you''re more dangerous to Laurie than Carrie could ever be."


    Corry¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Stop being overly dramatic. I thank you for your assistance, and hope that you and Laurie have a wonderful afternoon meditating. However, now that she¡¯s improving, I have more important things to attend to.¡±


    With that, Corry spun on his heel and stalked off into his own bedroom, closing the door behind him.


    Chartreuse stood quietly for a moment. "You know, I do hope I''m overreacting," she murmured to no one in particular. "I really, really do. But... I don''t think I am."


    ***


    It was after ten o''clock that night when Julie arrived at Carrie''s house. Carrie let her in through the window, whispering, "Sorry about this. But once Dad''s gone to bed, I can let you out through the front door."


    Julie nodded. ¡°No worries... aw, you''re really looking worse for wear," she remarked. ¡°What did Frank do to you?"


    Carrie moved to sit on her bed, gesturing for Julie to join her. Instead, Julie pulled out the chair at her desk. "Frank didn''t do anything, really," Carrie answered. "Aside from bringing in Luci to screw things up."


    Julie froze, halfway to a seated position. "Luci?" She nodded slowly then sank into the chair. "Luci. Very well. What happened with her?¡±


    Carrie grabbed one of her pillows, hugging it. "The infuriating little know-it-all mucked with the circuits of the time machine, dazzling Frank with her know how while frying the machine in the process. It¡¯s broken now.¡±


    Julie sat rigidly for a moment. "Okay," she said, managing a smile. "You can confirm the existence of a time machine then?"

 Part 21b: Serious Matters 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.4 - Of Herself


    PART 21b: SERIOUS MATTERS 2


    Carrie nodded. "Yeah, I found the device in the ravine a little over four... no, less than three weeks ago. Seems longer, but what with the time travelling, I guess it has been."


    Julie¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You... FOUND it?"


    Carrie nodded again. ¡°Though Frank said you''d figured that much anyway. Right?"


    "Not exactly," Julie admitted warily. "I mean, could the machine have been planted there for you to find?"


    "Oh, possibly," Carrie said. She set her pillow aside. "Which reminds me - there could be strange government agent types keeping an eye on things. That''s why I didn''t tell you anything. It''s probably better if you don''t tell anyone else about the machine either... you understand, right? For your own safety?¡±


    Julie lifted an eyebrow. "Right. Isn''t the point moot, though? You said Luci broke the time machine."


    "Yeah. But, maybe not permanently. I don¡¯t know. That girl is so infuriating sometimes, huh? You¡¯ve never been sure how to factor her into your plans,¡± Carrie said, attempting to change the subject.


    "I can understand how troublesome Luci must have been if Frank was involved... speaking of which, are you sure you weren¡¯t being manipulated by him?"


    Carrie blinked. "What, by Frank? Please,¡± she scoffed. "If anything it''s been the other way around."


    "If he''s selecting the destination times though..." Julie said, her voice trailing off.


    Carrie shook her head. "Nah, Frank only programs the machine, and even then it¡¯s got some random component such that he can¡¯t do it properly half the time.¡±


    For a second time, Julie stared, wide eyed. ¡°SERIOUSLY? Then you can¡¯t... you haven¡¯t been... how do you know this for sure?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯d know if he was faking it. In the beginning, neither of us even knew about the deal with the coins.¡±


    "Coins?"


    Carrie gestured vaguely. "Coins, yeah, they power the thing and set the year. It reads the dates... off of them... or something," she finished as she realized that, once again, she was doing most of the talking. Like their lunchtimes lately. "Look, I''m done with all that now," Carrie insisted. "So why are we still talking about it?¡±


    Julie smiled. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get some idea of what would be a good way of striking back at Frank and Luci on your behalf. Perhaps mess up their next trip, assuming they fix the machine?¡±


    Carrie reached again for the pillow. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps we shouldn¡¯t do anything. I mean, Frank has been pretty patient with me overall, and Luci... okay, she sucks, but she likes Frank and maybe Frank likes her.¡±


    ¡°We are still talking about the Frank who spent a week stalking you?"


    Carrie clutched the pillow tighter. ¡°There were extenuating circumstances there too. Look, can we not talk about scheming any more? Or at least, not against them?"


    Julie leaned forward in her chair. "Are you sure that''s what you really want?"


    "I... yeah, sort of," Carrie amended, suddenly feeling like Julie had her under a microscope. She wondered how she could properly justify her request to her friend. Carrie licked her lips.


    "It¡¯s only, maybe there¡¯s stuff we don¡¯t know about people, you know? Reasons why they act the way they do? Because there¡¯s stuff about me - us - that they don¡¯t know about either. And I¡¯m now thinking that, after high school, maybe that¡¯s the sort of stuff that matters more.¡± Carrie swallowed. ¡°What do you think?¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Interesting theory.¡± Julie pressed the tips of her fingers together. ¡°Fine, no going after Frank or Luci.¡±


    Julie leaned back in her chair again, and the tension in the air seemed to lift. Carrie let out a sigh of relief. ¡°On to other things,¡± Julie continued. ¡°At this point, I am in a position to manipulate the situation in a couple of ways. As you may have suspected, one of the outcomes does involve implicating you, since I couldn''t be certain I had your full support."


    Carrie blinked. "Well, you''ve got it. I only want things to be the way they used to be between us!¡±


    "I''m sure you do," Julie said. She smiled, scooting the chair closer in order to place her hand on Carrie''s knee. ¡°Don''t worry, Carrie. I¡¯ll make sure Corry is dealt with.¡±


    Carrie returned the smile, grasping Julie''s hand. "Thank you, Julie. I knew I could count on you." Yet at the same time, some part of Carrie warned her that it would be wise to not take her eyes off of Julie in the coming days. Not if she wanted to get through them completely intact.


    ***


    "Laurie? Are you, like, asleep?" Chartreuse whispered quietly. There was no answer. Upon standing up, Chartreuse could see her friend dozing peacefully. Chartreuse, on the other hand, found herself unable to do so.


    The unrest she had sensed all last week, despite being mostly dispelled by Friday''s dance, was building again. Being in the Veniti house seemed to be amplifying the disquieting vibes. The turning point she had foreseen, that was now in the past, yet somehow, it was as if the worst was yet to come.


    "I guess I have no choice then," Chartreuse murmured aloud to herself. "I have to do it." Moving her sleeping bag aside, she reached into her overnight bag and pulled out a few curiously shaped and highly polished stones.


    Chartreuse idly recalled the way Tim had brought up her ''abilities'' on Friday. Her reply, that she couldn''t purposefully tap into any visions without serious meditation, was true. But there was more to it than that.


    In fact, using her powers that way was something she preferred to avoid whenever possible. Because even positive events could be painful for her to foresee.


    In retrospect, however, perhaps doing a vision would have helped her to prevent what had happened at the dance. The cursory probing to find her group of helpers had certainly been insufficient. So, given the sensations she was having now - yes, she had to do this. Surely a vision would help to minimize the damage that would occur within the coming weeks. Surely.


    Having rationalized this much to herself, Chartreuse placed the stones out in a circle around her. She then sat in a lotus position, bringing her hands together in front of her, palms touching.


    It was verging on midnight, so it was very quiet, helping Chartreuse attain the necessary tranquil, meditative state. She figured that being able to do it here in the Veniti household, and in Laurie''s room, would help even more in terms of focusing her mind towards their role within the coming days. Chartreuse closed her eyes.


    "Ohm, ohm, oh my," Chartreuse murmured quietly to herself. "Spirits from beyond... show me... what is to come."


    Seconds passed, turning into minutes. Chartreuse remained sitting quietly on the floor, breathing regularly, waiting for the divine guidance she required.


    It was impossible to rush these things. Sometimes they didn''t even work at all. But given all the vibes she''d been sensing, it seemed likely that...


    ***


    Chartreuse''s eyes snapped open, wide, unseeing. The school was there before her. She felt herself being drawn into it, the scene blurring around her.


    Now she was in front of a locker. Corry was there too, though Chartreuse had the feeling that the locker was not his. Yet he was putting something into the locker.


    Then it was later, and Julie was there, removing something from the locker. Then, even later, someone Chartreuse recognized as a teacher was at the locker. He was also removing something. That was the source of the upcoming disturbance.


    Yet at the same time, it wasn''t.


    The events surrounding the locker seemed to be merely another spike on the "roller coaster ride" everyone now seemed to be on. Chartreuse wondered if she dared to push forwards towards the true climax.


    The lure to do so was powerful, not simply in terms of an attempt to find a solution, but because of the forces with which Chartreuse was currently playing. They had a way of drawing you in. It was a potentially dangerous addiction, as Chartreuse had once found out the hard way.


    Indeed, even as Chartreuse contemplated pushing on, she found that it was already happening. The days after the locker incident slipped into weeks, events and people blurring as Chartreuse homed in towards the final outcome, the ultimate source of all the chaos she was sensing. Her eyes fell upon an object.


    It was a gun. A gun in someone''s hand. Someone she knew, possibly even someone from her homeroom. But who? Who was holding the gun? Where were they pointing it?!


    Chartreuse lifted her eyes to see, but even as she did so, she realized that knowing any more than this would be too much. Too much, too soon, more than she could handle.


    Teetering on the brink of a metaphorical cliff, Chartreuse desperately tried to wrench herself back away from the scene at hand, to avoid seeing the face. The body sitting on Laurie''s bedroom floor twitched visibly as Chartreuse forced her spiritual form to return to it, fast.


    The gun went off.


    Letting out a soundless scream, Chartreuse collapsed back onto the floor of Laurie''s room, dead to the world.

 Part 22a: Locker Up

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.4 - Of Herself


    PART 22a: LOCKER UP 1


    "Chartreuse? Golly, Chartreuse, are you okay?"


    The pink haired girl blinked her eyes open to see Laurie kneeling next to her. Laurie held her shoulder, and had been shaking her. Sunlight streamed in through the bedroom window. Chartreuse felt a shudder pass through her body.


    "I''m... I''m okay," Chartreuse murmured, pushing herself up into a sitting position. "I..." The memories of the previous night flooded back to her and her stomach wrenched. "Excuse me," Chartreuse managed to get out, even as she stumbled to her feet and ran for the bathroom.


    She emerged some minutes later, having cleaned herself up following a reencounter with the previous night''s dinner. ¡°Chartreuse, I don''t think you''re okay," Laurie observed, moving to offer physical support.


    Chartreuse smiled weakly. "Well, I will be. It was, you know, only a bad dream," she assured.


    Laurie frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t even. I saw your vision stones out on the floor, it was more than a dream, wasn''t it?"


    Chartreuse leaned back against her friend. "Yeah," she admitted after a moment. "It was. I''d been picking up, like, bad vibes. I wanted to figure out where they were coming from."


    "Golly, Chartreuse, it wasn''t a deep vision, you did, was it? I thought you''d given up doing real deep vision encounters, aren''t they dangerous, didn''t you say something about them being dangerous or painful or something sometime?"


    "It''s fine if you know what you''re doing," Chartreuse interjected. ¡°But yeah, it¡¯s been a while - that¡¯s probably why I¡¯m having the bad reaction."


    Laurie reached out to take Chartreuse''s hand, squeezing. "Are you sure that''s all? I mean, you didn''t see anything bad, did you?"


    Chartreuse resisted the urge to collapse back to the floor, instead offering up a cheery smile. She couldn¡¯t burden her friend with this. Not until she had more information. "Nothing you need to worry about, Laurie. Come on, we should, you know, get ready for breakfast and school and stuff."


    "You SURE you''re sure...?"


    Chartreuse nodded. "Your mom still make the best pancakes on the block?" Gesturing the way back to Laurie''s room, she followed her friend as the redhead launched into a soliloquy about the aforementioned pancakes.


    Thank goodness Laurie seemed to be feeling better. It allowed Chartreuse to think about something else. Namely, the people who might be able to provide her with the necessary additional information.


    ***


    "I d-don''t understand," Tim murmured. "You''re worried about a locker?"


    Chartreuse nodded. After taking a full day to think things over, she had called Luci and Tim on Monday evening, getting both of them to meet her in the school library before Tuesday classes. Where she had explained to them about her vision Sunday night. To a point.


    The mere thought of the gun spooked her, so Chartreuse was holding out hope that they''d be able to avoid that outcome by playing the locker situation the right way. "A locker will be majorly important in the coming days, for sure," Chartreuse reiterated.


    Tim sighed. "I kind of thought this stuff would end after the dance."


    "Whose locker did you see?¡± Luci piped up.


    "I don''t know," Chartreuse admitted. "It''s never that easy to, you know, see details. But I¡¯m betting that it¡¯s either Julie''s or Carrie''s since they''re at, like, the centre of Corry¡¯s wrath.¡±


    Luci leaned forwards. ¡°Well, from what I know of Corry, he would target Carrie first. There''s more signs pointing to her, and there¡¯s some question as to whether Julie will even stick up for her associate. She¡¯s staying tight lipped for the moment.¡±


    "B-But Chartreuse didn''t see Carrie in the vision," Tim put forth. ¡°Only Corry and Julie. And if Julie was removing something from the locker, it could have been hers.¡±


    Chartreuse began rolling one of her crystals between her fingers, trying to keep her mind focused. "I don''t know if there''s any way to tell. There''s also the question of whether Julie was removing the same thing Corry stuck in. I think so? But I''m not sure."This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Which raises the question of what was left for the teacher to find," Luci remarked.


    "Isn''t there anything you can say for sure?" Tim wondered.


    Chartreuse bobbed her head. ¡°Oh yeah! I¡¯m sure we''re heading for, like, real deep, dark places... so is there any way we could all, you know, make discrete inquiries? Or at least keep an eye on both lockers for the rest of this week?" She smiled hopefully.


    Tim ran a hand back through his blonde curls. ¡°If w-we know this stuff, how about confronting Julie or Corry with it? Get them to stop that w-way?¡±


    "They''re more likely to simply change their strategy if we call them out," Luci countered. ¡°Julie in particular seems to have lots of backup plans in place. To the point where the dance outcome might have been inevitable.¡±


    "We cannot lose our advantage," Chartreuse agreed. "So we''ve gotta be, like, sneaky, sorta. But... Tim¡¯s right. This is turning into a longer term commitment. That wasn¡¯t my original deal. So, if either of you want to cut out here, that''s, you know, all right." Chartreuse tried to keep the disappointment out of her tone; she had the feeling she was less than successful.


    Luci and Tim exchanged a glance. "Well," Luci began, "I''m willing to continue on. Except..." Her face clouded. "Carrie had a falling out with Frank over the weekend. He told me he tried calling her last night, and she wouldn¡¯t even take the call. So I''m not sure I''ll be as much help as you originally thought."


    Chartreuse nodded, eyeing the soothing sparkles within her crystal. "Well, your input will still be, you know, valuable," she said with a sigh. "I mean, it''s not your fault that Carrie can get like that." When Luci''s face clouded even more, Chartreuse shifted her attention to Tim. "How about you?"


    Tim squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. "I-I-I''m not used to groups," he explained. "But if this is really as important as you say, I... I guess I can keep helping out."


    Chartreuse smiled. "Thanks guys. If we stick together, I know we can beat this! Or, you know, minimize the damage." She reached out her hand towards the others in imitation of her gesture from Friday. "Here''s to us then, the 2DEGS. Still together!"


    Luci placed her palm on top of Chartreuse''s. Tim hesitated. "There''s... maybe one more thing," he said.


    Chartreuse withdrew her hand. "What is it, Tim?"


    "A-At the dance..." He stopped. "You''ll think I''m nuts."


    "No, we won''t," Chartreuse assured. "I mean, hey, you''re talking to someone who reads auras and sees the future. I''m, like, as nuts as you get!" She winked at him.


    Tim smiled weakly. ¡°I guess. Except, well, no, but... okay. Know when everyone''s attention was drawn to that blow out between Corry and Carrie at the dance? Well, I was trying NOT to look... and so I swear I saw Carrie slipping out of the cafeteria, over by the stage."


    "What, you mean, like, after they argued?"


    "No. During," Tim explained. ¡°As if there were two Carries there. Dressed differently. Which I KNOW sounds nuts and I wouldn''t even bring it up - if Clarke hadn''t had a similar experience a few weeks ago." Tim paused again.


    "He did?" Chartreuse prompted.


    Tim bit his lip. "Promise not to tell this to anyone else??¡±


    Chartreuse nodded, then glanced over towards Luci, who was still frowning. Off a gentle nudge with her elbow, Luci nodded too.


    "Well, as I say, this was a couple weeks back," Tim continued. "Clarke went to the drug store for me on his lunch, to pick up some over the counter medication. While there, he ran into Carrie, looking sick. Yet at the same time, Carrie was apparently also having lunch here in the cafeteria, and was not sick.¡±


    ¡°So there¡¯s been two cases of two Carries," Chartreuse summarized.


    Tim nodded. "Clarke thought he had made a mistake, and he told me not to mention it to anyone else after having had some conversation with Julie. I''d even forgotten about it until what I saw Friday. I only mention it now in case it''s relevant to your... your apocalypse thing. So don''t tell anyone else, please! I don¡¯t want Clarke to be in trouble.¡±


    Chartreuse smiled again. ¡°Your secret''s safe with this group.¡± She turned to Luci. ¡°What do you make of that?¡± Their youngest member remained silent. "Luci?"


    "Oh! Sorry," Luci apologized, squirming in her chair. "Well, um, it could be someone''s dressing up like a duplicate to cause mischief? I agree that not saying anything is by far the wisest course."


    Chartreuse nodded. "Okay. Let''s all keep our eyes peeled though, ''k?" She repeated her earlier hand motion, and this time the three of them touched palms.


    ***


    The next couple of days passed without incident. Chartreuse was on pins and needles throughout. She had seen Julie go into Carrie''s locker a couple of times, while Luci had observed Corry fiddling with the lock on Julie''s locker the other day.


    By Thursday morning, Chartreuse was trying to use logic: If Corry was going to strike against someone this week, he would wait until Friday, to avoid the chance of immediate retaliation. Meaning he would hit Thursday if they thought he''d be waiting until Friday! Or did that mean nothing would happen until next Monday?


    Damn it, last time she''d known the when but not the what, this time she knew the what but not the when! She could hardly find out through Laurie either, since Laurie was still innocent of all the goings on, bless her heart.


    At least the gossip around the school with regards to the dance had started dying down, with more suspicions having been directed towards Corry than Carrie. Even less so towards Julie, perhaps due to the brunette saying relatively little. Chartreuse and the 2DEGs had to nip this madness in the bud.


    It was last period on Thursday when Chartreuse spotted two fingers waving frantically from beside the door frame of the music room. The group symbol she¡¯d thought up.


    The funny honking noise that came out of Chartreuse''s clarinet at the sight was enough to attract the attention of their instructor. "Mrs. Willis,¡± Chartreuse said quickly. "I, like, need to get another reed from my locker."


    Their music teacher glanced at the clock. "The school day''s almost over, Chartreuse. Don''t worry about it."


    "I really need, er, at least a drink though, you know?" Chartreuse countered, coughing.


    "Oh, very well," Mrs. Willis sighed.


    Chartreuse hurried out the door, pretending to go for the fountain. "Tim? What''s going on?" she muttered as she spotted him. They moved a bit further down the hall.

 Part 22b: Locker Up 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.4 - Of Herself


    PART 22b: LOCKER UP 2


    "I''m cutting class," Tim replied, looking disturbed. "I¡¯m supposed to be in Geography. Clarke''s probably wondering if anything''s happened to me by now."


    "Tim! Is this, like, something to do with the locker?" Chartreuse pressed.


    She now recalled that, at the beginning of the music period, Corry had needed to return to his locker to get his music. Of course, a perfect opportunity! All Chartreuse could say in her defence was that apparently Luci, who was also in their class, hadn''t picked up on his action either.


    Tim nodded in reply. "Yeah. I noticed Julie was out of class for at least fifteen minutes at one point. It occurred to me that maybe she knew something, so I figured why not, I excused myself to go to the bathroom and went by both Carrie and Julie''s lockers. Just to see. One of the science teachers was at Carrie''s, and as I went by I saw him take something out of it." Tim shifted his weight back and forth uneasily.


    "Nuts,¡± Chartreuse cursed. "Then we''ve missed it. Did you at least notice what the something was?"


    Tim nodded again. "Mr. Fisk tried to hide it from me and g-got upset that I was in the hallways between class, but I saw. It... it was a little bag of drugs, Chartreuse. Like, an assortment of p-prescription medications."


    Chartreuse felt her throat go truly dry. "Dear God," she whispered. "What are we going to do about that?¡±


    The public address system came on with closing announcements for the day. The very first one was a request for Carrie Waterson and Julie LaMille to come to the principal''s office immediately. Tim bit his lip. "Apparently, nothing," he observed.


    ***


    "I wonder what the hell this is about," Carrie groused to Julie as the two of them walked to the office. "Do you think it¡¯s Corry''s doing?"


    "Yes. I do."


    Something in Julie''s tone made Carrie stop in her tracks and turn towards her friend. "Julie... you know what''s going on here?"


    "Yes. I do."


    Carrie frowned slightly. "Well, care to let me in on things before we face ol'' Hunt?"


    Julie stopped a few paces away and turned back to face Carrie. Her eyes were cold and unfeeling. "No. I don''t," she said simply.


    Carrie felt a shudder run down her back. She forced out a smile. "Uh, Julie? You''re starting to unnerve me here."


    Julie didn''t bat an eyelash. "Yes. I am."


    Carrie visibly flinched. "Julie, what''s going on? I thought things were getting back to normal between us."


    "Yes. You did."


    "Damn it, will you stop that?"


    "Stop what?"


    "You know what! Speaking so... so terse and ominously. What''s going on? What''s about to happen?"


    Julie appeared to size up Carrie for a moment. "Let me tell you a story, Carrie," she began slowly. "There was once a very powerful wizard. This wizard had an apprentice."


    "Julie..."


    "One day," Julie continued undaunted, "the apprentice was tempted away from the wizard''s castle. However, the girl quickly realized the error of her ways and returned, seeking the wizard''s forgiveness. The wizard, being a kind sort, took the apprentice back in."


    "And they lived happily ever after?" Carrie offered. She attempted to follow up her comment with a laugh but the intensity behind Julie''s stare caused the noise to die in her throat.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "No,¡± Julie stated. "The apprentice then stabbed the wizard in the back, deciding she''d really preferred that other way of life after all. Demonstrating the true danger of trust, and the folly of the wizard in not striking first.¡±


    Julie took a deep breath. ¡°Carrie, you¡¯ve changed. You will get no help from me in this affair against Corry. It''s really a pity you weren''t more up front with me from the very beginning."


    "Julie, this isn''t funny."


    "No. It''s not."


    "STOP THAT!"


    "Hey, pipe down in the hall please, the bell hasn''t quite rung yet," came the annoyed voice of a teacher, poking his head out of a nearby classroom.


    "We''re moving on," Julie assured, spinning on her heel and continuing towards the office.


    "Julie... Julie, wait, you were called to the office too," Carrie pointed out, hurrying to catch up. "You''ve been implicated. What are you going to do about that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ve been called in due to a slightly different personal matter."


    "You sound awful sure of that."


    "Yes. I am."


    The chill Carrie felt seemed to be taking up permanent residence inside her. "You knew what Corry would do,¡± she realized. "Yet you never had any intention of helping me get out of it.¡±


    Julie said nothing.


    "For how long have you felt this way towards me, Julie, since Sunday? Longer? Why, Julie? We''ve been friends for two years. Why are you ending it this way, why didn''t you just tell me it was over on the weekend??"


    Julie merely kept walking, so Carrie reached out to grab her by the arm. "Damn it, Julie, I deserve an answer!"


    Julie turned, and something about her stance made Carrie not only release the brunette but take a physical step back. "If you must know," Julie said coolly, "The reasoning was simple." The corners of her mouth turned up. "Doing it this way allows me to see the priceless expression you''ve got on your face."


    The bell rang signifying the end of the school day.


    ***


    "What''s going on, Corry?" Luci said, looking at him pointedly as the two of them finished cleaning and putting away their flutes. "Are you responsible for Carrie and Julie being called to the office?"


    There had to be something amiss, given how Chartreuse had yet to return from her supposed drink.


    Corry smirked. "What business is that of yours?" he retorted. Luci opened her mouth to reply, but Corry cut her off with a wave of his hand. "I''m not saying anything. Word about this stuff always gets out, you¡¯ll have to wait along with everyone else." Luci frowned as he turned his back to her.


    Continuing to ignore her, Corry closed the case on his instrument, gathered up his music and books, headed for the door, and in his continued efforts to avoid her gaze, managed to trip over Lee''s music stand. Luci then allowed herself a small smile.


    ***


    Carrie was summoned into the principal''s office first, as Julie took a seat outside. The blonde knew Mr. Hunt¡¯s reputation for being both fair and compassionate, but there was also a strict side to his personality. His strict face was firmly in place as Carrie sat down across from him.


    "Ms. Waterson," he began, folding his hands upon his desk. "A matter of some importance has been brought to my attention. First, I must inform you that a search was performed upon your locker. It is school property, as per the agreement listed in your agenda."


    Still feeling a bit numb from her discussion with Julie, Carrie simply nodded.


    ¡°That said, is there anything you would like to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Uh... I¡¯ve been set up?¡± Carrie ventured.


    The corners of the principal¡¯s mouth twitched. "Do you know what was found?" he asked. Carrie shook her head, so he reached into the drawer of his desk, produced a small plastic bag, and set it down. Her eyes widened.


    "Now, I know of no medical condition which requires you to have any one of these pills with you, let alone a mix like this. That said, it appears that there are no substances in there which are actually illegal. So while I am obligated to inform the school¡¯s police liaison and guidance counsellor, there is still a chance we can resolve this matter internally. You have one chance to explain how these came to be in your possession. I suggest you use it to tell the truth."


    "Sir," Carrie said, mind spinning. "I swear to you that I have never seen that bag before."


    Mr. Hunt leaned forwards. "Ms. Waterson, I want to help you here. But unless you tell me the truth..."


    "Honest, the stuff isn''t mine, sir! I think it was planted there by--" Carrie caught herself in time. If it was indeed Corry''s doing, he was sure to have some way of dissociating himself from the act. And finger pointing would only make things worse for her among her peers.


    "Planted?"


    "It... nevermind, sir." She straightened her posture and looked the principal right in the eye, trying to keep her body from shaking. ¡°But I swear to you that those pills are not mine. I don¡¯t know how they got into my locker.¡±


    Mr. Hunt regarded Carrie silently for a moment. "I''m not sure why, but I''m inclined to believe you," he remarked. "Nevertheless, this is a very serious matter, particularly in light of what took place at last week¡¯s dance. Another event in which you had some involvement, as I recall?¡±


    Carrie could only nod. ¡°So, I cannot allow you to go unpunished,¡± the principal concluded. ¡°You are definitively facing detention, and probably a suspension - unless some better explanation is forthcoming?"


    Carrie slumped back in her chair. She wished she could think of something more to say. Then again, what was the use? Her life had essentially collapsed down into nothing. She wasn''t sure whether she wanted to slam her fist through a wall, wring both Corry and Julie''s necks, or simply crawl into a hole and die.


    "Well then," Mr. Hunt concluded. ¡°If you have nothing further to add, I regret to inform..." He paused as there was a slight commotion outside. Then Chartreuse burst through the door to his office.


    "Sir,¡± the pink haired girl said breathlessly. "It''s my fault, Mr. Hunt, sir! The drugs you found in Carrie''s locker, they¡¯re not her''s - they¡¯re mine.¡±


    Both Carrie and the principal blinked back at Chartreuse, expressions of surprise and confusion upon their faces.

 Part 23a: Rock Bottom

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.4 - Of Herself


    PART 23a: ROCK BOTTOM 1


    Principal Dell Hunt rose, his gaze shifting away from Carrie and onto the new arrival in his office. "Excuse me...?" he said pointedly.


    "It¡¯s Chartreuse. Chartreuse Vermilion."


    "Yes, I am aware of who you are. Am I to understand that you are claiming responsibility for what was discovered?" The principal waved off the office staff member who was now standing uncertainly at the door. She nodded and left, closing the door again behind her.


    "That''s correct, sir," Chartreuse said. "Though in fact, I don''t own the drugs either. So, well, okay, like, you might want to take a seat, this is sort of complex what I''m about to say."


    Mr. Hunt slowly sank back down into his chair. "I had a feeling." He gestured at the seat next to Carrie.


    Chartreuse moved to sit down as she spoke. ¡°See, I actually found the bag in question this morning on my way to school. I thought ''whoa! I''d better, you know, turn these in somewhere'' so I put them in my bookbag."


    "In your bookbag."


    "Yes, sir, just temporarily. I figured I''d better get them out of the area lest the dealer, like, double back and retrieve them.¡±


    "Indeed," Mr. Hunt said dryly. ¡°And where was it that you found this bag?"


    "Yes, it was... well, Carrie do you remember where I said I''d found it?" Chartreuse said a bit desperately, turning to the blonde next to her.


    Carrie simply blinked at Chartreuse in confusion. Chartreuse lifted an eyebrow, jerking her head in the direction of the principal.


    "Oh,¡± Carrie said at last, turning her gaze back to Mr. Hunt. "Well... sir, you of course remember how I said I had never seen that bag before? I''d forgotten that Chartreuse had given me a package to put in my locker. It contained something she said she''d found in the ravine earlier, that must have been the bag."


    "Right, I found it in the ravine," Chartreuse confirmed. "I took a walk through the ravine before school. Part of a thigh building exercise."


    Carrie fired a pointed look back towards Chartreuse, who shrugged. Mr. Hunt folded his arms across his chest. "And why is it you never got around to reporting this until now?"


    "Ah. Good question," Chartreuse agreed. "In fact, I was... going to be late for class. Because of, you know, being in the ravine. I didn''t even have time to get to my locker. Which is why I, like, tossed my stuff into Carrie''s locker."


    "We both forget after that," Carrie remarked.


    ¡°Totally,¡± Chartreuse affirmed.


    The principal looked back and forth between the two girls. "Ms. Vermilion," he finally stated, "I believe you missed my introductory remarks to the effect of telling the truth." Chartreuse looked down at the floor, abashed.


    "However, I can recall no troubling incidents with you of late. Thus I must ask, how DID you know why Ms. Waterson was called down? And why the outburst on her behalf?"


    "I can''t explain, sir," Chartreuse murmured. "It all, like, relates to a personal matter."


    Mr. Hunt remained quiet for a time. "Perhaps I should simply suspend the both of you while we let the authorities figure this out," he remarked. Neither girl replied. There was more to this than met the eye - but then, he¡¯d known that after seeing the Waterson girl¡¯s initial reaction.


    The real question was, would a suspension get them any closer to the truth? The principal steepled his fingers and turned his chair away to face the window.


    "Two weeks detention for each of you," he concluded. "Effective immediately, so you will both now report to the detention room. Don''t make me regret this decision. If, during these two weeks, I hear of any negative reports concerning either of you, there WILL be suspensions involved. Please use the opportunity to resolve your ''personal matters¡¯ - in the guidance office if necessary."Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    In the reflection of the window glass, he saw Carrie¡¯s look of surprise. "Understood, sir,¡± she said.


    "Thank you, sir," Chartreuse chimed in, looking relieved.


    ¡°Now then, one of you please tell Ms. LaMille to come in on your way out," Mr. Hunt added, turning back towards them and opening his desk drawer.


    The two girls departed his office.


    ***


    Upon seeing Julie outside, Carrie immediately averted her gaze and walked out of the area. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chartreuse jerk her thumb at the principal¡¯s door and remark, "You''re, like, up next." The pink haired girl then hurried to catch up.


    "Carrie,¡± Chartreuse whispered as they walked out the main office doors. "What was that about?"


    Carrie spun. "Yes, what WAS that about?"


    "I asked first."


    "Why did you jump in to my rescue?" Carrie said, ignoring Chartreuse''s comment. "I never asked you to do that.¡±


    "I know. But when I found out, I just couldn''t, like, sit back and do nothing. Besides, we ended up an okay team, don''t you think?"


    "Yeah, great. What exactly were you expecting from me in return?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Nothing?¡±


    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s not always about you - see, there''s these powerful forces at work," Chartreuse explained. ¡°Meaning you should probably, you know, just take it easy for a few weeks, as the principal indicated. It might do you some good actually, your aura looks to be unbalancing."


    ¡°My..." Carrie pressed a hand to her forehead. ¡°Oh God, I¡¯ve sunk so low I¡¯m getting advice from the school psychic," she realized.


    ¡°So, what was the deal there?¡± Chartreuse pressed. ¡°Corry?¡±


    ¡°Who else?¡± Carrie said bitterly. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m obviously at the point in my life where I need to go and crawl into a small hole and die. Give my regards to anyone who actually cares.¡±


    ¡°Aw, Carrie, you¡¯re not skipping our detention, are you?¡± Chartreuse countered. ¡°After Hunt was kind enough to give us that out?¡±


    Carrie nearly said yes. Except... doing so might have repercussions for Chartreuse. Which seemed needlessly cruel. ¡®So what?¡¯ argued a small voice in her head. So - Chartreuse deserved better.


    Carrie fell back against the nearest wall, rolling her eyes heavenwards as she realized which voice in her head was now the most dominant. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going. I can always kill myself later."


    ***


    "Touchy, touchy," Lee mumbled to himself as he ambled down the hall, hands in his pockets. It wasn¡¯t like he''d purposely set out to trip Corry with his music stand. Hey, if the guy couldn''t look down and see what was lying right out in front of him, that was hardly Lee''s problem.


    Oh well. As usual, Lee had some time to kill after school, before his job at the public library. He supposed he might as well hang out at the coffee shop again. However, he''d better check his image first.


    Pulling a comb out of his worn sports jacket, Lee headed for the men''s washroom. Entering and proceeding to the basin-like object that passed for a sink, he was briefly taken aback by the sight of a bag of wet clothing sitting inside.


    "Odd place to do laundry," Lee noted with a frown. He peered into the bag and fished out a sports bra. "Totally odd," he concluded.


    ***


    "I think it''s cause for concern," Frank insisted.


    Clarke shrugged. "I''m concerned in my own way."


    Frank ran a hand back through his hair. "Well... yes, all right. But come on, don''t you know ANYTHING about why Carrie and Julie were called to the office? Like, maybe Corry has lashed out at the two of them, a revenge tactic after the dance incident," he said, thinking aloud. "Which means when I was calling Carrie this week about, ah, studying, she was ignoring me in order to keep me out of Corry¡¯s line of fire. What do you think?¡±


    Clarke leaned back against his locker, frowning. ¡°I think it''s possible that Corry''s not involved."


    Frank shot a look at Clarke. ¡°Okay, not helping. Don''t you care about what¡¯s happened to Julie?"


    Clarke glared back at him. "More than you probably realize. But why are you getting so concerned? I don¡¯t recall you ever having this much interest in Julie or Carrie before."


    "It''s..." Frank stopped to gather his thoughts. ¡°I happen to know that Carrie¡¯s been under some strain lately. So I suppose I''d rather she not get in more trouble on top of that. Look, sorry, I didn''t mean to sound judgemental, things all have been a bit confusing for me the last few weeks.¡±


    The tall blonde¡¯s expression became a wry smile. "You''re telling me."


    Frank adjusted his glasses. "Okay, Clarke, let me level with you. I have no quarrel with you, or Julie, but I¡¯ve been kind of pulled into this situation... meaning, I just might be forced into taking firmer action. Last resort sort of thing of course, but, uh, well, look, can''t you get Julie to stop whatever''s going on before I¡¯m forced to do something?¡±


    Clarke¡¯s frown returned. ¡°The thing is, Julie is as much a victim here as everyone else."


    ¡°I know she got called to the office like Carrie, but..."


    "Not like that," Clarke interrupted. ¡°It''s... it¡¯s something I can''t really explain. Even to myself sometimes."


    Frank blinked. "You''re not making sense."


    "Yo, guys,¡± Lee said as he approached. "You want things that don''t make sense? How ''bout some of Carrie''s gym clothes and her home ec recipe cards drowning in the men''s washroom.¡± He tossed the wet bag at Frank. "Here, math whiz. You know her better then me, right? Give the stuff back to her, ''k?"


    ¡°Whoa, what?¡± Frank protested. "Carrie and me, we''re not studying this week. We''re not even speaking.¡±


    Lee turned away with a vague gesture. ¡°Cool, that''ll give you something to speak about then. Sorry, can''t stay, places to be."


    Frank opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, but he was unable to find words before Lee had turned the next corner. He looked over at Clarke, who was now watching him with a slightly raised eyebrow. He then looked down into the bag he was holding. There was a bra sitting on top of the pile. He felt himself turning red.


    Upon exiting detention an hour later, Carrie was surprised to find a damp bag of her possessions tied anonymously around the lock of her locker.

 Part 23b: Rock Bottom 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.4 - Of Herself


    PART 23b: ROCK BOTTOM 2


    It didn''t make SENSE, Chartreuse reflected as she stared up at the ceiling of her room. Something about the drug affair felt WRONG.


    The thought had been bothering her right through her detention, right through her trip home, right through supper, right up until now. If only she could put her finger on what the problem was!


    It related to Julie, Chartreuse knew that much. After all, while Carrie had been in trouble, Julie apparently hadn''t been... or at least they''d been seen separately. What was the connection? Why had Julie been called to the office? Carrie hadn''t seemed to know, having just wanted to get away from the brunette.


    Folding her arms, Chartreuse sat up on her bed and looked over towards her dresser. Perhaps the trouble was that she was asking herself the wrong questions. After all, the discovery of that drug bag had been the central event.


    Okay - who knew it had been in Carrie''s locker? The principal, the teacher who''d searched the locker, presumably Corry, Tim, herself... and Julie. Yes, Julie HAD to have known - in her vision, Chartreuse had seen Julie taking something from the locker AFTER Corry had done his fiddling. Boy, that was cold, leaving the bag of pills there when Julie could have helped Carrie out.


    Yet, in that case, what had Julie taken out of the locker? Chartreuse had thought it to be whatever Corry had put in, but Julie hadn''t removed the drugs. So it had to be something else. Right?


    Yet that meant that something else had to have been inside the locker too. Something that Corry would have seen, whether he realized it or not. Was there any way to find out the identity of that something? Of course there was.


    Chartreuse sprang for a phone extension, only to discover that their land line was already in use. "Azure, get off the phone,¡± Chartreuse demanded.


    "I don''t hafta, I''m asking questions about homework," her younger sister replied.


    "Azure!"


    "Sorry Ben, you need to excuse my sister," Azure said. "She had detention today, it''s unsettled her karma and made her all cranky. Hang up now Chartreuse, or I''ll tell mom!"


    Sighing helplessly, Chartreuse hung up and went to grab her jacket instead. Her family didn¡¯t own cell phones, as their use tended to interfere with the abilities that they had. So she¡¯d need to drop by in person... seeing as she had to know now, one way or the other. Otherwise her sacrifice on Carrie¡¯s behalf could amount to nothing.


    ***


    "Nothing. A whole lot of nothing."


    "What''s that?" Theresa asked, leaning on the counter of the coffee shop.


    Carrie lifted her head to look blearily at the red haired waitress. "Why do you care?" she shot back.


    Theresa smiled disarmingly. "Part of my job is to help out the customers. There''s not too many people around right now and you look like you could use someone to talk to."


    "Well, I don''t need anyone. Never have. So take a hike," Carrie said indignantly. Theresa nodded slowly and turned away.


    Carrie gripped her glass tighter. "Wait," she amended. "I... I¡¯m sorry, that was rude. Maybe I do need someone. Because I don''t have anyone. Not anymore." Her gaze dropped back down into her lemonade. "In fact I have nothing left." She squeezed her eyes shut.


    Theresa leaned back onto the counter. "I''m sure that''s an exaggeration."


    "It''s not," Carrie said hollowly. "I don''t have my mom. I don''t have Julie. Without Julie, I don''t have friends. Not really. She¡¯s the only one I ever..." Carrie reopened her eyes and banged her fist down on the caf¨¦ counter, hard enough to make dishes rattle. "How could I let this happen? Why the hell didn''t I see this coming? I should have been listening more to my instincts on Sunday. Why was I so blind?"This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Sometimes truths can be painful to see," Theresa remarked.


    "Yeah, well, I wish I could go back a few days and beat some sense into my head," Carrie asserted.


    "You think you''d be better off then?¡±


    "Hell yes," Carrie affirmed. But even as she said it, she found herself considering the possibility.


    If she WERE to time travel back a few days, if she were to stop herself from calling Julie on Sunday for instance, would her situation now be any better? Or would Julie just have found an even more devilish way of getting to her? Would Carrie have even BELIEVED her present day self? Probably not.


    Carrie might be better off traveling back further and kicking the time machine into a really deep hole before discovering it. Except now, that would wipe out numerous events. Including any reason for her to travel back and do it in the first place! One of those damn paradoxes Frank loved to talk about.


    Frank. The guy who would probably benefit the most from having the time machine removed from their past. She¡¯d really done a number on him, hadn¡¯t she. Two years worth of a number! God, what might he have been able to accomplish without her messing up his past for her own selfish ends? She couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine.


    Ironically enough, Carrie abruptly recalled a time before Julie¡¯s party, when she¡¯d thought a time machine would solve everything. Instead, it had merely caused all sorts of new problems. There really was no quick fix for anything, was there. Especially not for the thing she most wanted to fix...


    Carrie flexed her fingers, then took a long draught of lemonade. Theresa was still there. "You know what?" Carrie decided at last. "Life simply sucks."


    The red haired waitress smiled. "I dare say that''s the most common problem I see around here. And while the cause is often different, talking about it usually does help people. So, anything else on your mind?"


    Carrie shook her head slowly. ¡°Nothing you¡¯d understand. Heck, I¡¯ve said too much already," she sighed, pressing her forehead into the palm of her hand.


    Theresa leaned in closer. ¡°If it¡¯s not something you can tell me, is there someone else...?¡±


    Carrie let out a quick burst of laughter. ¡°No way! I¡¯ve scared everyone else off! I have nothing left, nobody, nothing..." Her voice trailed off. The more she said it, the more she realized how true it was.


    Theresa pursed her lips. ¡°That sort of statement is rarely accurate,¡± the waitress countered. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything drastic, all right? Take some time to put things into perspective. It¡¯s probably not as bad as you think it is."


    With that, the waitress moved off to another section of the coffee shop where a customer was waving. Carrie was left sitting and staring into her drink, contemplating Theresa''s words.


    Okay, so she obviously couldn¡¯t talk to Julie - but there was only one other person who knew her the way Julie did. About her past, her present, her triggers and idiosyncrasies - and that one guy, the individual who had been subjected to more ¡°Carrie¡± than anyone else in the whole high school? He was better off without her. She squeezed her eyes shut again.


    She wasn''t sure how much more time passed before she heard someone addressing her. "What?" she inquired, opening her eyes and looking up.


    ¡°I said hey, track tease, have you talked to the math whiz yet?¡± Lee repeated.


    "To Frank?? Why the hell would I talk to Frank?" she snapped back, her thoughts spilling out unbidden from between her lips. "I mean, sure, he''s the only other one who knows about what''s been going on of late. And all right, so he''s someone who knows a good deal about me now. The trouble is, I¡¯m so short sighted that the lines of communication have become completely screwed up between us. To the point where I really doubt there''s a chance of ever restoring whatever small rapport there might have previously been, assuming he¡¯s even willing to do so!¡±


    Lee rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Wow, okay, if you say so. I only ask because I found a bunch of your clothes and stuff. Gave it to him to give to you. Guess you haven''t got it from him yet?¡±


    Carrie felt her cheeks warming and quickly turned away. "Oh. No, I..." She was reminded of the bag tied to her locker. ¡°Actually maybe... but I haven''t seen Frank since class,¡± she mumbled.


    "Lee?" Theresa said, approaching. "You were right, you did leave your drafting assignment here. It fell behind one of the booths."


    "Cool," Lee remarked, taking the papers from her. He saluted. "Thanks, speedy service sweetheart." He turned back to Carrie. "And hey, track tease, a final word of advice?"


    "Why is everybody a psychologist today?" Carrie muttered under her breath.


    "Just wanted to say, an aluminum foil hat''ll help you block out those alien mind control rays."


    Carrie couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°What does THAT mean?¡± she demanded.


    Lee shrugged. "I figure something''s messing with your mind. Otherwise you wouldn''t have such a warped opinion of how people like the math whiz view friendship. Anyway, see ya in class tomorrow.¡± Carrie found she could only gape as Lee waved and headed back out of the shop.


    "Interesting character, that one," Theresa remarked idly.


    Carrie nodded slowly as her fingers snared a lock of her hair. She yanked it. Hard. ¡°Theresa, what defines a friend?"


    The waitress turned back and cocked her head to the side. "That''s an unusual question. I suppose answers will vary. Why do you ask?"


    Carrie bit her lip. "I''m not sure," she murmured. Had Julie ever truly been her friend? Conversely, over the last few weeks, had she actually been becoming friends with Frank? No... now she was grasping at straws. But still. The time with Frank - it hadn¡¯t been like her previous social encounters, that was for sure. And who else was there, if not Frank? I mean really, who else? "What time is it?"


    "Coming up on 9:30," Theresa said.


    Carrie pulled her fingers free from her hair. "There''s still time before my curfew then," she said softly. She turned to the waitress. "I''ll settle up my bill now."

 Part 24a: Understandings

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.4 - Of Herself


    PART 24a: UNDERSTANDINGS 1


    "Chartreuse,¡± Mr. Veniti said in surprise. "We weren''t expecting you. I think Laurie''s upstairs, hold on."


    "I''m here to talk with Corry," Chartreuse clarified.


    Mr. Veniti blinked. "Corry?"


    "Hello, yes?" Corry inquired, poking his head out into the hallway behind his father.


    "Corry, we have to talk about what, like, happened today."


    "No, we don''t," Corry refuted with a wave of his hand.


    "Yes, we DO," Chartreuse insisted. "But NOT, you know, here in the hallway."


    Corry sized her up. Then he nodded. "Okay, fine, come in. It''s a band thing," Corry added for the benefit of his father. "Let''s go talk in my room, okay Chartreuse?"


    Chartreuse nodded again and the two of them retreated upstairs. Once in Corry''s bedroom, with the door closed, the redhead leaned back up against the wall, hands behind his head.


    "All right," he said. "You''ve got your serious look on, so I¡¯ll give you thirty seconds to convince me not to toss you out of here. Go."


    "Corry, it¡¯s, like, important I know exactly what you saw and did with respect to Carrie''s locker."


    "Bzzzt. I''m sorry, that is an invalid statement. Twenty-five seconds."


    "Corry, look, there''s something sinister going on here involving you, Carrie and Julie. Julie went into Carrie''s locker after you. She saw what you did and yet she didn''t, like, stop you. Don''t you think that''s telling?"


    Corry shrugged. "Tells me even Julie''s smart enough to yield to the inevitable. Fifteen seconds."


    ¡°Come on, don''t you think Julie would have stopped you if she could have? I mean, like, we''re not talking, you know, simple detention here. This was suspension, verging on expulsion!"


    "Chartreuse, I didn''t think it was possible for you to make less sense than usual. But what do you know, here we have it."


    "Are you honestly telling me you don''t think those drugs could have gotten Carrie thrown out of school??¡±


    "Time''s up," Corry said. "Please take your insane mystic ravings elsewhere." He reached for the doorknob.


    "Corry, this isn''t me being mystic,¡± Chartreuse protested. "Those drugs you put in Carrie''s locker would have resulted in at least a real long suspension if I hadn''t stepped in.¡±


    Corry paused with his hand on the doorknob, looking Chartreuse up and down. "Drugs," he repeated. "Geez, Chartreuse. I admit, at times I can be a cruel son of a bitch. However, I like to think I''m ethical enough not to threaten anyone with jail time simply because they''re a shallow brat with no respect for people like my sister."


    Chartreuse pursed her lips. ¡°Corry, a teacher found drugs in Carrie''s locker, last period of school today. You can, like, check the story out with whatever sources you have. It''s true."


    Corry''s hand fell away from the door. "Wait a minute. Is that why Carrie and Julie were called down to the office? Because I was hedging to see if I wanted to take the credit for that." He frowned. "Maybe I don''t."


    "But - what?" Chartreuse said, shaking her head in confusion. "If the drugs weren''t, like, Carrie''s and you didn''t put them there either, how did they, you know, end up in her locker?"


    There was a moment of silence. The answer came to both of them at once. "Julie!"


    "No, wait," Corry countered quickly. "Julie against CARRIE? Those two have been joined at the hip ever since Grade 9.¡±


    "Not anymore," Chartreuse asserted. "As I said, there''s, you know, something sinister going on. In fact, now I see what was wrong with my vision... Julie DID take out what you put in Carrie''s locker. But my vision shifted before I saw her put the drugs in.¡±


    "Chartreuse, please, no mystic spacing on me now. You were down at the office when Carrie and Julie were there, right? Was Julie being blamed for these drugs at all?"


    "Nuh-uh, Corry, not answering that. First I, you know, get to find out what you did do with respect to Carrie''s locker."


    "Oh, for crying out loud..."


    "I''ve, like, given you quite a lot of information in the last few minutes,¡± Chartreuse said. "You owe me this!"


    "You came to me, I don''t owe you anything,¡± Corry fired back. Chartreuse folded her arms and stood there obstinately. Corry finally sighed. ¡°FINE,¡± he grumbled.


    "If you must know, I actually took into consideration some of what you said on the weekend. All I did was go into Carrie¡¯s locker, pinch a bag of her gym clothes and recipe cards, then chuck it into the sink in the men''s washroom. I figured someone else would have some fun with that. I also left a threatening note behind, saying that if it even LOOKED like the blonde brat was crossing me or Laurie in the future, she''d get suspended so fast it would make her head spin.¡±


    He cracked his knuckles. ¡°A bit generous, I admit, but I''m pretty sure Julie was behind the actual recording. Carrie wouldn¡¯t have had that kind of foresight.¡± He paused. "In fact, if what you say is true, Julie took my note away. I''m not comforted."Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Chartreuse nodded slowly. "Well then, in response to your earlier question, I, like, don''t think Julie was at the office for the drugs. She was seen separate from Carrie."


    Corry grunted. "Still, I bet she was the one to tip off the teacher who found them - actually, that could explain her summons.¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°She seems to be playing for keeps all of a sudden. What''s her game?"


    "Apocalypse," Chartreuse murmured in reply. "With us as her pawns."


    "No bloody way. I''ll die before I become a pawn of Julie''s," Corry spat out. He then grimaced. "Still, hyperbole aside, the ante is rising alarmingly fast. I''d better make sure I''m keeping up.¡± He went over to his desk and flipped on a light. "You can go now, Chartreuse."


    Chartreuse blinked. "What are you going to do?"


    Corry turned back to glare at Chartreuse. "You can go," he repeated firmly.


    Chartreuse opened her mouth to protest, but seeing his expression she thought better of it and simply backed out of his room. The mysteries behind the events of the day had been resolved to her satisfaction. And it was possible that her intervention in the office had been enough to derail the future vision she¡¯d had.


    Yet at the same time... Chartreuse couldn''t help but wonder whether it had been a mistake, talking to Corry.


    ***


    "This is a mistake," Carrie whispered to herself even as she knocked on the door. "I shouldn''t have come here. I¡¯m making it about me again.¡± She turned to go but it was too late, as the door was already opening.


    "Oh! Carrie, isn''t it?" Mrs. Dijora said with a smile. "Did you need to pick up some notes from Frank or something?"


    "I... no, I... wrong house, sorry,¡± Carrie fumbled. "Goodbye.¡± Mrs. Dijora watched in confusion as Carrie retreated back down the driveway and ran off down the street.


    She couldn''t do it. Fellow time traveler or not, supposed friend or not, she couldn''t simply unload on her classmate, not again. "I''m sure he''s busy talking with Luci anyway," she murmured.


    Carrie¡¯s steps ultimately took her to Willowdale Park. The one near her house, on the other side of the ravine. Where she had first found the time machine, and where she had blown up at Luci and Frank less than a week ago.


    She wasn''t sure why she''d come here, but she was here now at any rate. There was a swing set nearby, so she sat down on one of the swings, scuffing her shoes slightly in the dirt.


    "I have nothing," Carrie reiterated quietly to herself. Unable to hold back any longer, she buried her face in her hands. Yet the tears wouldn¡¯t come. She¡¯d held them back for too long - and now she couldn¡¯t even cry properly. In the end, she didn¡¯t even have that. Pathetic. God, she wanted to die.


    "Carrie?"


    The blonde stumbled to her feet. "Who''s there?" she choked out.


    ¡°Me," came the quiet voice of Frank Dijora. He stepped closer, close enough for her to see him in the darkness. "My mom said you stopped by for some reason."


    A light wind started up, blowing through Carrie''s hair. As it had the last time they¡¯d been here. She pulled the hair away from her face. ¡°H-How did you find me?"


    Frank shrugged. ¡°A hunch. If you hadn''t been here, I suppose I would have tried your house." The two teenagers stared silently at each other.


    "Hey," Frank ventured at last, moving towards a patch of grass. "You know this spot right over here? Isn''t this about where we ended up, after coming back from those days trapped in the woods? Boy, that was some trip, wasn''t it. Good thing you had that first aid knowledge."


    Carrie stared. "Why? Why are you being so nice?¡± she whispered.


    Frank turned back towards her. "Because I''m guessing that things went badly for you in the principal''s office today. With that on top of everything else, uh, I¡¯m thinking you could use a bit of cheering up."


    Carrie shook her head. "I haven¡¯t spoken to you since I... look, you have no reason to do this. I¡¯m hardly in a position to be able to grant you any favours."


    ¡°I know.¡± Frank rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°But you realize it¡¯s never been about favours, yeah? And the Carrie I know - she tends to lash out at bad news. So I''d hate to see her lose control tomorrow and do even more stuff to people that she''d regret later."


    The wind blew more hair in front of Carrie''s face but this time she ignored it, her eyes fixated on Frank. "I really don''t understand people, do I," she realized. A pause. "I am sorry for some of the things I''ve said and done to you. Really sorry."


    "I wasn''t actually looking for an apology."


    "You still deserve one." Carrie paused again before gazing skyward. "It¡¯s more than me not getting close to people, you know? I avoid it whenever I can.¡± She bit down on her lip. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because, by keeping one''s distance, it never matters much when a person goes away. Or... disappears entirely.¡±


    She began digging her fingers into her palms. ¡°It¡¯s also easier to manipulate people for one¡¯s own benefit when feelings don''t enter into it. But now that I¡¯m on this side of the exchange - it hurts, Frank. Gods, I never thought I was hurting people like this."


    Frank shook his head slowly. "I don''t understand.¡±


    Carrie shifted her gaze from the sky to the ground. "Julie''s cast me aside, Frank. You and Luci were right about her. And with both Julie and Corry set against me now, by the weekend, I¡¯m going to become a social outcast." She swallowed, and only now felt a tear forming at the corner of her eye. ¡°It¡¯s been so long - I¡¯m not sure I can live that way."


    Frank stepped towards her and reached out, tentatively taking hold of Carrie''s hands and uncurling her fingers. "I don''t know," he said softly. "You may be underestimating your own strength."


    Carrie took in a deep, shuddering breath, shaking her head. "I don''t think so. I... I''m scared, Frank! Worse than when you saw me two years ago," she admitted, clutching back at his hands as he succeeded in prying her fingers loose from her palms. "Back then I could attribute the problem to being in the wrong time period. Now... now it''s the PRESENT I have no control over. And I can only imagine how many people at school have been waiting for this day to arrive."


    Frank released a hand in order to brush the errant strands of hair away from Carrie''s face. She finally met his gaze once again. ¡°There''s at least one person who won''t be celebrating.¡±


    Carrie choked back a sob. "Damn it, Frank! STOP being so nice to me, I don''t deserve it.¡±


    Frank smiled. "Maybe. Maybe not. People change. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re half as bad now as you used to be."


    His image began to blur in front of Carrie''s eyes. ¡°Oh God, I¡¯m about to cry,¡± Carrie realized. "Promise not to tell--" She cut herself off. "No. You wouldn''t say anything. Thank you."


    Carrie buried her face into Frank''s shoulder, allowing the tears to flow freely at last. Feeling Carrie''s arms encircle him, Frank instinctively imitated the gesture, holding Carrie close as she shook and sobbed uncontrollably. There was no way to tell exactly how long they remained like that, but eventually Carrie''s tears had run their course and she pulled away again.


    "Feel better?" Frank murmured.


    "Kinda," Carrie said, sniffling and wiping her eyes. "Except now I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve been out past ten, so dad¡¯s gonna be ticked." She blinked a few times. "And geez, I''ve totally messed up your jacket."


    Frank glanced down. "Eh, it''ll wash."


    Carrie smiled halfheartedly. "I guess." She reached up to loop a strand of hair back around her finger. ¡°And don¡¯t get the wrong idea here. If this is a... a friendship of sorts forming... it''s going to take some getting used to. At least for me. Probably for Luci too, come to think.¡±


    Frank smiled back. ¡°Makes sense, but let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. All in good time." He snapped his fingers. "Oh! Which reminds me. I''ve been wanting to tell you since Monday... the time machine IS reparable. But we¡¯ll need parts and stuff, so we won¡¯t be good to go until November. At the earliest."


    Carrie opened her mouth, then closed it again. "I see," she said at last. ¡°Then let me know if there''s anything I can do to help there. Because I feel like, somehow, time travel isn¡¯t finished with me yet.¡±


    Frank lifted an eyebrow. ¡°You say that like it¡¯s the time travel in control, instead of us.¡±


    She let out a slow breath. ¡°Yeah. I know.¡±

 Part 24b: Understandings 2

    TIME & TIED: AWARENESS


    ARC 1.4 - Of Herself


    PART 24b: UNDERSTANDINGS 2


    Carrie shook her head. ¡°Anyway, I... I promise I''ll be more patient with your efforts from now on. You''re allowed to hit me if I''m not, all right?"


    Frank chuckled. "I trust it won''t come to that.¡±


    ¡°No, seriously, hit me, you need to get more assertive,¡± Carrie insisted. ¡°It was bad enough when I was walking all over you - if you¡¯re not careful, Luci¡¯s going to end up doing the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Um... I¡¯ll keep it in mind then.¡±


    The two of them stood silently for another long moment. ¡°Okay. Well, I should get back home," Carrie said at last. ¡°I¡¯m late for curfew as it is.¡±


    "Yeah, I should go too," Frank agreed. He ran a hand back through his hair. "See you tomorrow then?¡±


    "See you then," Carrie affirmed. "And Frank... thanks. Really." They exchanged one last smile before going their separate ways.


    ***


    The rumours had already started to fly by Friday lunchtime. Not all of them compatible. Some said Corry had managed to break up the friendship between Julie and Carrie, by getting them in trouble. Another story went that Julie had broken it off with Carrie, because of something Frank had done to them. Others believed Carrie had broken it off with Julie, related to something Corry had done to her and Chartreuse.


    There was even a rumour that the breakup was a ruse, devised by Carrie, to pair off Corry and Julie, so that Clarke could date Laurie and Chartreuse could date Frank. It was all very confusing.


    Naturally, no one was confessing to anything. However, none of the big names were officially denying anything either, which made it even more difficult to figure out what was really going on. After all, you could never truly believe anything until it had been officially denied by Julie or Corry.


    By the end of the day, Carrie was so tired of all the questions she was getting that she was actually looking forward to the solitude of detention. She did take some small consolation in that her own changing social status was being lost in the shuffle, but she knew that wouldn''t last. The people staring and whispering around her, that was just the beginning.


    Worse, her father had indeed been upset with her arriving home late - and admitting to her detention hadn¡¯t helped matters - such that she wouldn¡¯t be able to socialize in the evenings for a while anyway. At this rate, Carrie rather hoped she was due for a run of good luck.


    She opened her locker door to toss in her books, only to have it immediately slammed shut again. Carrie blinked in surprise at Corry, who was now leaning against the locker in question. "We have to talk," Corry stated.


    "I have to get to detention," Carrie retorted. "Big surprise for you there, I''m sure."


    "What happened to you in the office yesterday was not my doing," Corry asserted, lowering his voice. Perhaps he need not have bothered, as people were again making a point of avoiding them. ¡°And I really don''t care whether you believe that or not, my point is how we seem to have a common enemy."


    Carrie crossed her arms. ¡°What, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? I don''t think so."


    Corry grimaced. "Thank heaven for that! Don''t get me wrong here, Waterson. I don''t like you. I think you''re shallow, self-serving and a terrible influence on my sister. After what happened at the dance, it''s taking a lot of willpower not to simply walk away, and let you swing in the breeze."


    "Nice talking with you, too."


    "But I''m not going to listen to that voice in my head," Corry said, narrowing his eyes. "Because that''s exactly what Julie would expect of me.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Carrie paused. "Okay, I''ll bite. Huh?"


    "It''s becoming obvious that Julie''s manipulating us. And I hate being manipulated even worse than I hate you. So here''s the deal. You help me out in dealing with Julie, I see that you don''t become a social pariah at school. Subject to a few conditions up front, with the understanding that my offer may be terminated at any time."


    "How nice. Doesn''t sound like I''m getting a lot out of this deal, does it," Carrie said dryly.


    Corry shrugged. "Assuming you don''t break the terms of our agreement, you¡¯ll get immunity from me for the rest of the semester. Julie won''t be able to touch you either, assuming I know she''s going to. I''m even willing to exert some authority to help you out at times. Within reason."


    Carrie hesitated. It seemed like he was serious. "Tempting," she admitted. "But let me be honest with you. I never paid that much attention to Julie''s plans. I doubt I''ll be of much help."


    Corry shook his head. "Don''t kid yourself. You know things, even if you don''t think you do. For instance, in all your time with her, have you ever known Julie to self harm?¡±


    Carrie flinched. ¡°What? No. Where the hell did that come from?¡±


    ¡°Nowhere, I¡¯m simply making my point. There¡¯s also the fact that you have your own supporters around the school - primarily in athletic circles - and while they''d probably drift to Julie in time, for now, they''re still with you. Meaning they¡¯re a potential asset to me. Now, can you honestly say you have no interest whatsoever in getting back at Julie?"


    Carrie weighed her options. Going it alone, they didn¡¯t look good. ¡°All right," she admitted warily. ¡°All right, I¡¯m interested. What exactly are you proposing?"


    Corry smiled. ¡°After making me look like the villain in breaking you two up, Julie has to know I''m gunning for her now, even more so than before. She''s going to be on her guard, using every possible resource to try and head me off at the pass," Corry explained. His smile became another grimace. "So, we wait. My next move will be dictated by her response."


    "Wait?" Carrie said in surprise. "You?"


    "Yes. Much like approaching you, she¡¯ll never expect it." Corry turned away. "I''ll be in touch."


    "Are you sure you know what you''re doing?"


    "Hurry up Carrie, you''ll be late for detention," was Corry''s only reply as he walked off down the hall.


    ***


    In the car parked across the street from the high school, the man pulled his hat down lower over his eyes. He tapped his pencil against the notepad he was scrutinizing.


    Carrie Waterson had been in possession of his device for a month now. Was that enough time? Moreover, had she taken that pivotal trip yet, the one for which he¡¯d gone into the woods to rescue her? Alas, there was no way to know for sure. All he knew was that he couldn¡¯t afford to rush things.


    ¡°On the bright side, I¡¯m pretty sure I know who to target for Phase Two now,¡± the shady character mumbled. His pencil circled the name scrawled at the top of his notepad. That of Julie LaMille.


    ***


    Clarke shook his head as he paced back and forth in front of the filing cabinets in the room. "Jewels, I don''t understand," he murmured. ¡°You let Carrie take a fall like that? Why?¡±


    Julie leaned back in her chair tiredly, staring at the ceiling of her ¡®play room¡¯. "I saw the signs. Fool me twice, shame on me and all that," she explained in a detached voice.


    ¡°You see, Carrie was no longer willing to act against people who had wronged her. I couldn''t risk that becoming a betrayal of me at her next moral conflict, thus decided it was better for the both of us to help Carrie realize whose side she was truly on. Better I do it now, while events are still highly predictable."


    "So, what, will I be the next person you cast aside?¡±


    Julie sat back up, eyes widening. "Oh, Phil, no," she gasped. ¡°You¡¯re not like Carrie. I wouldn''t do that to you. Even when you say things I don¡¯t like, you¡¯re always still so honest with me."


    "I''d like to believe you mean that," Clarke said slowly. "But frankly Jewels, you''re worrying me more and more with every passing day. For instance, this whole time machine thing - by your own admission, you blew it way out of proportion. Frank wasn¡¯t working against you at all. You¡¯re wearing yourself out here, and that leads to mistakes. And while I still want to understand, and want to help you out... you''re not making it easy."


    She stared back at him for a moment before looking away. "Okay. In that case, perhaps you will take some comfort in the fact that, for the moment, I''m finished. The time machine is no longer a factor, and I¡¯ve reached an understanding with Mr. Hunt. Meanwhile, Corry has to have an inkling of how I''ve been manipulating things by now. Thus the ball is firmly in his court."


    She let out a long breath. ¡°He¡¯s sure to do something. My next move will be dictated by his response."


    Clarke sighed. "And what if Corry does something to get you suspended or expelled? Where will this end, Jewels? Is it really worth all the trouble?"


    Julie nodded. "If I get the outcome I''m hoping for... everything will have been more than worth it. Finally, I¡¯ll have what I¡¯ve always wanted."


    ¡°What, victory over Corry? Look, he could do serious damage to you! How can you be so sure you''ll come out on top here?¡±


    Julie smiled sadly, as realization hit. "Oh Phil, I¡¯m sorry. You really don''t understand, do you. Ever since I started this chain of events, that week when I set myself up with that teddy bear? I''ve known that I wouldn''t be able to emerge intact. In fact, most of my plans haven''t even been tailored with a victory against him in mind."


    Her gaze fell upon her map of the school, hanging on the wall. "No," she finished quietly. "No, if things go as I anticipate... I fully expect to lose against Corry Veniti.¡±


    END OF "AWARENESS"


    NEXT: "TIME & TIED: ESCALATION"

 Author Aside on Awareness

    Forgive the indulgence of an aside here, but as we end the "Awareness" arc and move into the "Escalation" arc, there''s arather important topic coming up that I wanted to warn you about in advance. Consider this a"trigger warning", of sorts? Doing it this way makes it more clear than a "pre-chapter" note would. And hey, I thought I''d throw in some history while I was at it.


    "Time & Tied"is actually a story that I started writing in University. The writing got progressively slower as I looked for work, found a job, and got involved in other things... in fact, while the first 48 episodes were completed within a year or so, it took nine years for the whole 4-Arc-96-Part taleto come together. The story then spent another three years sitting on a shelf before being revamped and re-edited, partly because I''m now contemplating a sequel, and it doesn''t make much sense to have one of those if the original never appeared anywhere, or was seen as terrible by everyone. (I am possibly a bit older than you realized...?)


    The end of Part 24, where we are now, is as far as the story ever got when I put it on Wattpad. Some parts literally had zero views, and this was a decent break point, heading into a time skip, so I stopped. (If anyone''s thinking of trying their luck on that site, romance fares better, from everything I''ve read.) Obviously, I''m getting better response to T&T here on RRL, so we''re continuing on. Good news: The pace WILL pick up.IfI were starting to write this story today, that''s something I''d fix, introducing the whole cast and the temporal conflict sooner. Here''s some things you can look forward to in Arc 2:


    -Actual information about the "future war spilling into the present day" that my synopsis promised you. It''s still going to spool out slowly, but that conflict - and Carrie''s part in it - will finally become clear. (Yes, the shady guy in the car is connected to it. No, we''re not going to get huge battles with guns blazing, sorry.)


    -We get a resolution to the goals and intentions of Julie LaMille. The pieces are all there, but you''re probably having as much trouble as Clarke at piecing them together, because there''s also some misdirectiontossed in as well. Still, feel free to theorize.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    -The romantic issues betweenLuci/Frank and Julie/Clarke are dealt with, lest you fear that relationships in this story linger in limbo forever.


    -The issue of how the time machine locates geographically, a pervasive dangling thread going back to near the start of the story, does get dealt with.


    -There''s more aboutthe history ofCarrie''s mother, and Carrie''s relationship withher father.


    And here''s the big thing incoming, and the main reason behind this whole aside: Suicide. I worry that''s a trigger for some people. I''m not flagging the whole story with "traumatizing content", because the whole story isn''t about it, I''m not about to portray it as a good thing, and plusthere''s a temporal twist to it, but I wanted to give you the heads up. As I did in the earlier aside when Chartreuse saw the gun. Because here''s the thing.


    The strict definition of suicide is "The act of intentionally causing one''s own death." Time travel adds a whole new layer of "WTF" to that. Allowing us to approach the topic from 90 degrees (180 degrees?) towhat you might expect. But those scenes won''t be played for laughs either, and I urge you now as I will then, if you (or a friend) is ever considering suicide, talk to someone. I used to self-harm when I was young, it''s no laughing matter.


    Related, if older people screwing with the psyches of teenagers is something you find personally troubling (and we''ve seen hints of it already), I''ll understand if you want to bail. I think my cast of characters have pretty robust personalities though, and trust me, they will be pushing back. Hard. They''re the protagonists, after all. Also, Luci owns a cat! In case you thought there wouldn''t be any happiness or humour incoming.


    Thanks for taking the time to read through this aside. I hope you''ll stick with me going forwards, but I''ll understand if you decide to skip out. (You''re welcome to rejoin in Part 48, when things settle down. There''s a whole same sex relationship thing that begins then... which might also lose me some people... writing, it''s such a balancing act.) Oh, and it''s equally possible to start reading at Part 25, if anyone wants to tell their friends about the story, because I plan to continue the "previously"s.


    Coming up next: A time skip! Backwards! Because time travel!

 Part 25a: Missing Piece

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.1 - From the Past


    PART 25a: MISSING PIECE 1


    Despite Luci¡¯s best efforts, there were already a few students present when she reached her first period mathematics classroom. She¡¯d hoped to be the first one to arrive, in order to get a seat at the back, ideally near the door. Which would allow her to watch all the others as they came in.


    She needed to find a new niche in Grade Ten, to make a clean break away from the Grade Nines, now that she was skipping that grade entirely. Trouble was, she¡¯d taken the long way here, to avoid any awkward encounters in the hall.


    Fortunately, the desk she wanted was still available. As she slid into the chair, a brunette with long, naturally curly hair approached.


    "Hi! Who are you?" the brunette inquired.


    "Who''s asking?" Luci shot back, out of reflex.


    The unknown girl frowned, leaning her palms against the edge of Luci''s desk. "I asked first. I don¡¯t recognize you from last year, are you a transfer student?"


    Okay, now this girl was bothering her. "What business is it of yours?" Luci demanded.


    "Everything that happens around here is my business," the girl said with mounting annoyance. "You always answer questions with questions?"


    "What if I do?" Who WAS this girl?


    More to the point, why was Luci sabotaging their relationship right out of the gate? She bit the edge of her tongue.


    Naturally, both Luci¡¯s parents and her guidance counsellor had advised against starting high school by jumping into Grade Ten. It wasn''t because the young asian girl wasn''t intelligent enough. Far from it, as Luci had already read ahead in preparation. In fact, despite entering the school system one year late, this would be her third time skipping a grade. No, the real problem, as always, would be her social situation.


    Her outspoken nature had never been of much help, before or after her adoption. She¡¯d had no close friends last year, in Grade Eight. And so, in moving on to high school, Luci had put her foot down - new school, new circle of peers. Ones closer to being her intellectual equal.


    At the very least, this way she¡¯d be done with high school a year sooner. She¡¯d deftly shot down every argument that had been thrown at her. That had been the easy part.


    "Julie, don''t bother the newcomer," came a new voice. Luci turned to see a redheaded boy entering the classroom. He looked vaguely familiar.


    "I''m being sociable, Corry," Julie retorted, pushing herself away from Luci''s desk. Corry, mused Luci... why do I know that name? Right, back at MacKenzie King Middle School there had been a Corry Veniti in the grade ahead of her. He''d had delusions of grandeur, as Luci recalled... this had to be the same guy. Now in her grade.


    "Of course you are," Corry was saying to Julie. ¡°And by tomorrow, you''ll have the poor girl hauling your books to your next class."


    "Well, I didn''t know you were interested in her," Julie retorted. "By all means, convince her to carry your books instead."


    "Idiots," Luci muttered under her breath, even as the two of them ignored her in favour of glaring at each other. She could do better than people so petty. Right? Maybe?


    This small Canadian town wasn¡¯t helping. With very few other asians around, and her fitting a number of the racial stereotypes, she¡¯d trended even further into sarcasm when talking to people. Honestly, why didn¡¯t people THINK before opening their mouths? Though maybe it wasn¡¯t their fault. Okay, positive thoughts. Luci eyed the classroom door.


    As the five minute warning bell went off, Luci saw a girl who had to be Corry¡¯s twin sister enter, given the physical similarity. She was accompanied by another girl with a crystal necklace, who had pink hair. Except the redhead was saying her friend hadn¡¯t always had pink hair, last year it was green, though pink went better with her outfit, and oh God, their conversation seemed so boring and shallow. Rejected.


    Then a shorter boy entered by himself; he looked too introverted. Then a taller blonde boy; he gravitated immediately towards Julie. Then more students, and in all cases, Luci found that she was rejecting them as possible friends for one reason or another. In large part because it seemed like the cliques here had already formed. For the first time, the advice of her counsellor hit home: ¡®Skipping Grade Nine is a BAD idea.¡¯


    The teacher re-entered the room with a minute to spare, and people began finding seats. With less than thirty seconds before the final bell, there was a crashing sound in the hallway, and Luci turned again. A blonde girl with long hair was sitting on the floor. Next to her was a male wearing glasses, now slightly askew. Apparently the two of them had collided, running to class from opposite directions.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Pervert!" the blonde accused, moving to slap the male upside the head with her binder. "I felt that. How dare you try to cop a feel by crashing into me?¡±


    ¡°Ow! What? I was trying to keep myself from falling down,¡± the male protested, reaching up to adjust his glasses and rub the side of his head.


    ¡°Nice try,¡± the blonde retorted. She whacked his hand. "The last guy who fed me a line like that at least bought me dinner first!¡±


    The final bell chose that moment to ring, the two teenagers turning and blinking in the direction of the classroom. They jumped to their feet and leapt for the entrance, both squeezing through at the same time.


    As the announcements clicked on, the blonde hurried for what was apparently a reserved seat next to Julie, while the boy in the glasses slid into the closest available desk... right next to Luci. The young girl realized abruptly that she had yet to take her eyes off of him. She snapped her attention back to the front of the room.


    ''Okay.¡¯ Luci resolved. ¡®It¡¯s socializing with that guy or nothing!¡¯


    ***


    Luci next encountered Frank - she¡¯d obtained his name via attendance taking - during lunch. He was sitting alone in the cafeteria, poring over a book of some sort. Summoning up her courage, Luci set her tray down across from him.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to sit here?" she said, belatedly turning the assertion into a question.


    Frank looked up in surprise. "Hm? Oh, sure, sit where you like," he said.


    Luci nodded, sliding into the available space. Frank looked back at his book. "I see you''re interested in time travel," she continued, unwrapping her sandwich.


    ¡°What?" Frank said, looking up again. Luci motioned to the book he was reading: ''Time Machines'' by Paul J. Nahin. "Oh!" Frank realized. ¡°Yes, it''s a passing interest. Alternately, a long and complicated story... uhm, forgive me for asking this, but do I know you?"


    "No. Not yet,¡± Luci admitted. ¡°I''m new to the school. But we were sitting next to each other in math class. Luci Primrose,¡± she offered, extending her hand.


    ¡°Frank Dijora,¡± he responded, setting his book down to shake.


    "You know,¡± Luci continued. ¡°That girl had no right to hit you the way she did this morning. Outside class. You should have stood up to her."


    ¡°Oh, you saw that?¡± Frank said, wincing. ¡°That''s... well, yeah, maybe you''re right, except Carrie will be Carrie. Contrary to what some people say, she''s not all bad. Overly emotional maybe. It''s... never mind. Uh, did you transfer in from out of town?¡±


    Luci noted the change of subject, but decided to roll with it. She swallowed her bite of sandwich. "No, I skipped Grade Nine."


    Frank lifted an eyebrow. "I thought you looked young! Nine is an odd one to skip though, it must leave you at a bit of a loose end with respect to the school."


    "Yeah, kind of," Luci admitted. ¡°Which is why I¡¯ve been looking for someone to help me out. And you seem to be both nice, intelligent and..." She stopped herself before adding ¡®good looking¡¯, only to realize she was no longer sure where else to go with that sentence.


    Frank''s other eyebrow joined his first. ¡°And... so you want me to show you around or something?¡±


    "Yes. I mean no. I mean, I don¡¯t need a tour," Luci amended hastily. "But maybe catch me up on what some of our classmates are like? Friends, enemies, personalities?"


    Frank shook his head. "I''m not the person you want for that,¡± he countered. "For statistics, go to Julie. Rumour has it that she¡¯s got a file folder for every student. In our grade, and beyond.¡±


    Luci wrinkled her nose. "Julie, I met. Didn''t like her."


    "She can evoke that reaction," Frank agreed. "But she''s pretty popular. Does things for people, throws good parties - she''s a LaMille, you know."


    "A LaMille?" Luci said, taken aback. ¡°Related to that rich couple who own the old mansion in town?"


    ¡°Yup," Frank said. ¡°So if you¡¯re aiming for popularity, you¡¯ll need her on your side. Well, her or Corry Veniti. They¡¯re the most influential people in our grade.¡±


    ¡°See, this is exactly the stuff I need to know! Tell me more.¡±


    It took a bit of convincing, as Frank seemed wary of spreading misinformation, but Luci left their lunch period feeling a bit more confident in her ability to fit in. And in having found someone to talk to.


    That¡¯s when things took an odd turn.


    Luci opened her locker at the end of the day, to find a note taped on the back side of the door. This, despite how she had only bought her lock last Friday, and had told no one about the combination.


    Luci pulled the note off and scanned it. It read: ¡®I have important information. Willowdale Park at 9pm tonight. Come alone.¡¯


    "Something out of a bad movie," Luci muttered to herself. She flipped the paper over, but it was unsigned and she didn''t recognize the handwriting. Luci tapped the paper edge against her fingertips. "All right. I''ll bite," she decided. "But whoever you are, take care you¡¯re not underestimating me."


    ***


    The park was deserted when Luci arrived. As she was ten minutes early, she hadn''t really expected anyone else to be there yet. Seating herself in one of the swings, Luci took the opportunity to scan around in all directions, through the growing darkness.


    She first heard a noise at a minute to nine. "Hello? Who''s there?" she called out authoritatively.


    "Luci?"


    "Frank?" Luci''s tone turned to surprise as she stood. "Frank, is that you?"


    "Er, yes," Frank responded. She could now see him approaching her. "Sorry about this cloak and dagger act," he continued. "It¡¯s all rather complicated."


    ¡°Apparently,¡± Luci fired back. ¡°First things first, how did you know my locker combination?"


    Frank winced. ¡°You told it to me, Luci.¡±


    "I did no such thing.¡±


    ¡°No, you kind of did, actually," Frank countered.


    She crossed her arms. ¡°Explain.¡±


    He stepped closer. ¡°Right. See, I am, um, a secret government operative with the power to read minds. I was asked by my superiors to look into you as a potential recruit, due to your superior intelligence."


    Luci stared. Great, so she¡¯d decided to befriend a crazy person. ¡°Where¡¯s your proof?¡±


    ¡°Well, right now you¡¯re thinking that I¡¯m crazy."


    ¡°That¡¯s not proof! What agency is this? Why would it have a branch in Canada? What other science fiction books are you reading?¡±


    ¡°Okay, stop, that¡¯s a lot to answer at once,¡± Frank protested. ¡°We need to take this slowly, like where you think of a number, and I tell you what it is, and then after that we¡¯ll move on to shapes, and you know what, now would be a real good time, Luci!¡±


    Too late, Luci heard the noise behind her. She started to turn, but the cloth had already been slapped across her mouth and nose. The effect of the drug was almost immediate. After a short, futile struggle, the thirteen year old asian girl lay unconscious upon the ground.


    The fourteen year old asian girl, still with her hair done up in two ponytails, was left looking down at her own body.

 Part 25b: Missing Piece 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.1 - From the Past


    PART 25b: MISSING PIECE 2


    "Okay, sneaking up on one¡¯s past self now officially ranks as one of the CREEPIEST moments EVER,¡± Luci stated, shuddering.


    Frank shrugged helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s not like we could tell your prior self about the time machine. You''re not supposed to learn about it until next August. Which is before it¡¯s even discovered! Heck, my present day self knows about it, but we''re not telling him about this either.¡±


    The new Luci held up her hand. "Okay, okay, stop rationalizing,¡± she sighed. ¡°This WAS my idea. Anyway, what''s done is done, and so it had to be done again. Let''s just... get my past self out of here before anything has a chance to go wrong.¡±


    ***


    The next day found Luci Primrose arriving at school a full half hour early. She had spent a good deal of time the previous night looking back over her prior self''s diary entries, to try and get herself back in the right frame of mind.


    She only had twenty four hours here to find the information they needed in the future. Frank would be back in the park around 8:45 that night, for them to switch her back. And since he¡¯d jumped there directly using time travel, they couldn¡¯t change the plan now.


    Not that there was much of a plan. They hadn¡¯t had the time to come up with one. Fortunately, Luci still had a logical starting point, namely Carrie Waterson herself. Thus the reason behind her heading to the school''s outdoor track, where the blonde teenager was bound to be running some morning laps, in order to attract attention.


    Sure enough, Carrie was there, her form fitting lycra outfit netting her a small group of interested onlookers in the stands. Mostly male. Luci leaned up against the fence enclosing the track area and observed herself.


    The blonde slowed as she completed her final lap, reaching back to pull out the ribbon holding back her hair. The long blonde tresses cascaded out behind her, finally settling over her shoulders after Carrie shook her head. There were a few whistles and a smattering of applause as Carrie paused to fire off a wink towards the observers.


    Luci suppressed the urge to gag. "Forgot how much of a show off Carrie was last year,¡± she grumped. She hurried after the athletic blonde girl, entering the otherwise empty girls'' locker room after her. "Carrie!" Luci called out. "Got a moment?"


    Carrie turned. "Sure,¡± she said with a smile. "Let me guess, you were super impressed by my athletic ability, and want to learn just how I got to be so good? To be honest, a lot of it is natural talent. But I could give you some pointers if you and your friends put in a good word for me with Michelle... she''s the girl in the forerunning for the position of cheerleader captain this year. I''m pushing to be captain myself by next year, actually!¡±


    Luci bit her tongue to keep from making an immediate retort. "Actually," she said, "I was hoping you could answer a couple of questions for me about Julie."


    "Oh," Carrie said, her smile vanishing. She shrugged. "Maybe. Why, who are you anyway?"


    "Luci," Luci answered. "Luci Primrose. I''m new to the school but in your grade."


    ¡°Really? How''d that happen?" Carrie asked curiously as she began to peel out of her running outfit. Luci couldn''t help but turn away at that; she really didn''t need the blatant reminder of how little she''d developed in comparison with Carrie. Even if, despite the time travel, she was still younger than the blonde.


    "I skipped Grade Nine," Luci answered, fixating upon a point near the corner of the room. ¡°So do you think you''ll be able to help me find out some information?¡±


    "Depends what I''m getting out of it," the blonde replied.


    Right. Grade Ten Carrie. Luci pursed her lips. ¡°What were you thinking of?"


    There was a pause, during which Luci heard the blonde head to the shower area and start the water running. "Well... are you in any athletic circles?" Carrie called out at last. "Because I can always use more cheerleading support."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "You want more support, wear a better bra," Luci muttered.


    "Pardon?"


    Luci bit her tongue again. God, past Carrie was so self-centred! If only their Carrie were able to answer these questions... and remembering why that wasn¡¯t possible immediately focussed Luci''s attention back on the mission.


    "Nothing. Look, I can''t promise anything. But all I need is to find out who was working for the LaMilles when Julie was about nine years old. Do you know how I might do that?¡±


    "If you''re not promising, I can''t help," Carrie fired back. ¡°That''s not the way the world works."


    ¡°Oh, fine then," Luci retorted in exasperation. This had been a bad idea. She turned and headed for the door.


    ¡°Though to be honest, I don''t know that sort of stuff," Carrie admitted. ¡°So how about this? If you become part of Julie''s ''in'' crowd, you can ask her yourself."


    The shower turned off and Carrie emerged, wrapping herself in a towel. ¡°Step one, you¡¯ll need to dress more appropriately," she offered. "Your jeans and T-shirt look is SO tired. It¡¯s no way to be remembered.¡±


    Luci hesitated. Assuming she had no luck with her other potential sources, being inside Julie''s house was the only way to obtain the required information. ¡°Okay,¡± Luci agreed. ¡°How many steps before I could drop by the LaMille mansion?"


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it,¡± Carrie said, waggling her finger. ¡°Wait for Julie to throw a party. She¡¯s sure to have one this month.¡±


    ¡®Since I only have thirteen hours left, that''s no good,'' Luci thought. ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you on that,¡± she sighed, turning back towards the door, idly trying to recall to what extent her past self had ever followed up.


    ¡°And if you DO see Michelle, tell her how dedicated I am to practicing, okay?¡± Carrie called out as Luci departed the change room. The young asian couldn¡¯t keep from rolling her eyes. There were now only ten minutes before the first bell, and she had more people to talk to.


    ***


    "The LaMille domestics?" Clarke mused. "Never thought about it. Guess I assumed Jeeves and Mimi always worked for them. Why?"


    Luci shook her head. ¡°Random thought. Don''t worry about it." She hadn''t held out much hope for an answer ¨C the Clarke in her time hadn''t known. She was gambling that he¡¯d merely forgotten.


    ¡°What¡¯s Julie¡¯s house like these days anyway?¡± Luci continued. "I mean, who can get invited there... that sort of thing.¡±


    Clarke rubbed his chin. ¡°Actually, I imagine Julie''s a bit curious about you, since you¡¯re new in our grade. And I was planning on dropping by her place tonight, around eight. We could go together, if you like.¡±


    Luci almost agreed. But she forced herself to consider the offer. If they both went, and Luci was caught sneaking off to track down the necessary files, it might reflect badly on Clarke. They couldn¡¯t afford to take that risk.


    The Julie-Clarke relationship was still tenuous at this point in the past. Besides, even if their past relationship was NOT affected by her time travel, any repercussions could still lay within Luci¡¯s future.


    It was really too bad that it wasn''t Carrie who was going to Julie''s house tonight... they had an established relationship now, one which would fragment in the future anyway.


    "No," Luci answered. ¡°That won¡¯t work for me. Still, is there anything more you can tell me about the mansion?¡±


    Clarke shook his head. ¡°Not really my place. Talk to Julie.¡±


    Fine. Seemed like she¡¯d have to go right to the source. Luci continued down the hallway into homeroom.


    As she made for Julie, she saw that the brunette was apparently jotting down something down in a small black book. It was tucked away under her sweater before the younger girl got too close. "What do you want?" Julie demanded. "Corry send you to spy on me?"


    "No," Luci answered. "In fact, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be annoyed by my talking to you at all. But I have something to ask."


    Julie folded her arms across her chest. ¡°Ask away.¡±


    "I need to know who was working for your family about six or seven years ago."


    If Julie wondered as to the request, she didn¡¯t show it. "Why?"


    "I can''t tell you right now," Luci admitted. "But I can promise that the information won¡¯t be used against you. Moreover, if you need me to do something for you today in exchange, I am willing. As long as it''s only for today, and within the bounds of reason."


    Julie remained silent for close to a minute before speaking again. "Oddly tempting," she admitted. "But here''s a tip: I never give out information about my family. You want to learn more about the LaMilles? Read a newspaper." Julie turned away.


    "Wait," Luci said quickly, shifting gears as an actual plan occurred to her. "What if I were to demonstrate my good faith by warning you about a certain plot against you? Happening tonight?¡±


    Julie glanced back. "And I would believe you because of... your young girlish charm?"


    "And the fact that I ALSO know about the plots you and Corry have for embarrassing each other at lunch today."


    Julie smiled. "You claim to know a lot."


    "I''m an observer," Luci stated. "So, remember this conversation at around twelve o''clock today."


    Julie simply shook her head before turning away again. The five minute bell chose that moment to ring, and Luci stepped away, letting out the breath she hadn''t even known she was holding.


    This was where things became risky, as she entangled herself in the plots of Corry and Julie... made even more dangerous by the fact that Luci honestly couldn''t remember WHAT the two of them were doing ¨C only that there had to have been something... something during that missing day of her life. Which was now today.


    She had the rest of the morning to try and piece it together. If only there wasn¡¯t so much at stake if she failed.

 Part 26a: Time Zones

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.1 - From the Past


    PART 26a: TIME ZONES 1


    "What do you mean Chartreuse ran off for lunch with Laurie?" Julie said, slamming her locker shut. ¡°You said you could speak with Corry¡¯s sister during Home Ec.¡±


    "Sorry, Julie ¨C the mystic beat me to the punch,¡± Carrie apologized. ¡°You think maybe she used her weird powers to sense the future?"


    ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m not wholly convinced she can do that,¡± the brunette grumbled. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s irrelevant. Damn it, Carrie, the one week me and Corry have rescinded our truce in order to make a play for the freshmen ¨C and now I can¡¯t maneuver Corry¡¯s sister into whatever trap he had planned for me?"


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry. I thought you had contingency plans," Carrie said.


    "Oh, of course I do, but none will be quite so satisfying," Julie sighed. The two girls walked in the direction of the cafeteria.


    "We could always go somewhere else for lunch," Carrie suggested. Julie gave her a look. "Or not," the blonde amended hastily.


    "We''re not running away," Julie stated firmly. "No, Corry is sure to try and show me up at the start of lunch. All we''ll need is..."


    "Frozen yogurt?"


    Julie paused long enough to turn and regard the person who had spoken to her. "I beg your pardon?" she said with exaggerated patience.


    ¡°Want me to buy you a frozen yogurt, rich witch?¡± Lee said easily, leaning against the wall beside the cafeteria. "It would go nicely with your icy demeanour today."


    That comment would have been a cardinal offence coming from most people. But it was Lee, so Julie merely rolled her eyes and walked past without a second glance. She heard Carrie offer up the phrase, "Take a hike, Lee," before following after.


    Yet Lee was not so easily dissuaded. "Aw, I''m hurt, track tease," he protested, following the girls into the cafeteria. "Can''t you two take a joke? Look, I''ll buy you some fries instead, to make up for it."


    ¡°We need vigilance, Carrie," Julie said, pointedly ignoring Lee while maintaining a wary eye on her surroundings. ¡°This first week is critical, we can''t afford any slip ups."


    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯d prefer bananas? They do say you are what you eat," Lee piped up again. "Here, mind if I join you two?" Without even waiting for an answer, Lee slipped past the girls to sit down on Julie''s usual bench.


    It collapsed under his weight, dropping him unceremoniously to the floor. Julie''s eyebrows shot up, and she took a few quick steps backwards as all around them, heads turned and stared.


    "It''s all right! I''m fine," Lee said, glancing around and offering the crowd a quick wave. He tried to use the table to prop himself back up, but it too fell apart as soon as he''d put enough weight on it. "Aha," Lee concluded from the ground. "School''s gotta do something about these termites."


    Having edged a respectable distance from the action, Julie turned her gaze slowly in the direction of her redheaded nemesis. He was watching the proceedings with a frustrated look on his face. Nodding slowly in understanding, Julie plucked at the sleeve of Carrie''s shirt and went to sit at a different table. Julie continued to watch as Lee struggled to his feet again. His eyes went towards one corner of the cafeteria.


    Julie followed Lee¡¯s gaze. There was a young asian girl there, her hair done up in two ponytails. Luci Primrose. As Julie stared, the young girl gave a thumbs up to Lee, then beckoned to Julie before walking out of the area.


    Julie stood. "Carrie, watch my stuff," she ordered. "I''ll be right back."


    ***


    "Oh, Luci," Frank said in surprise as the young girl exited the cafeteria right in front of him. "Hi! How are you doing with things around the school today?"


    Luci seemed to flinch away. "Oh, ah, I¡¯m fine," she said, glancing furtively behind her.


    Frank nodded. ¡°Oh, good. Actually, I wondered if yesterday I was a bit, I don¡¯t know, abrupt with you, so I was thinking, if you want to talk about stuff again some time, like schoolwork..."


    "Frank, it¡¯s not a good time," Luci interrupted. "I''m meeting someone. Later, okay? I''ll... get back to you."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Oh, er... sure," Frank agreed even as Luci brushed past him to head down the hall. He watched as Julie strode out of the cafeteria moments later, following after.


    He nearly fell into step behind them, before deciding that it obviously wasn''t any of his business. More to the point, Luci seemed to be fitting in just fine without his help. He went in to have lunch by himself.


    ***


    Of all the times for Frank to approach her, it had to be RIGHT then? Luci sighed. She''d avoided speaking with Frank thus far, figuring that it would only complicate matters even more than they were already. What with her being a time traveling version of herself. But given that encounter, was it any wonder that they hadn¡¯t hit it off initially?


    Luci shoved those thoughts aside as Julie caught up with her outside the library. "All right Luci, what''s your game?" the brunette demanded, hands on her hips.


    ¡°To get your attention," Luci replied evenly. "I''m glad to see you recalled our earlier conversation."


    Luci didn¡¯t add that she had engineered things today by playing the odds. Namely telling Chartreuse to take Laurie out for lunch, followed by steering the one person who could defuse ANY situation into hanging close to Julie. Thank goodness Lee was such a good sport.


    As if she was reading Luci¡¯s thoughts, Julie fired back, "If you think I¡¯m going to be impressed because of how you got Lee to act out, that¡¯s normal for him. He¡¯s also a sucker for hard luck cases such as yourself. So don¡¯t start making demands of me.¡±


    "Don¡¯t I get some added respect for preventing a humiliating incident for you in there?¡±


    "No. Because I would have checked the bench, and that should have been Laurie, not Lee - in fact, for all I know, you¡¯re the reason Chartreuse got Corry¡¯s sister out of the way today,¡± Julie countered. ¡°You succeeded here only because I didn¡¯t factor you in. Furthermore, as to any plot against me tonight, I''ve checked with certain sources and found no indication."


    Julie had checked. Luci seized on that. ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t want to listen to a potential recruit here? One who has information so secret that not even your sources are aware of it yet?¡±


    Julie grimaced. They stared at each other. Two seconds became five, then ten... "Listening," Julie said, grudgingly.


    Gotcha. "Thank you," Luci said with a partial smile. ¡°So, you know how Clarke is planning on coming over tonight? Well, he won''t. And I think it would be in your best interests to find out why, by being at his place at 8pm."


    Julie''s eyebrow twitched. "What are you implying?" she challenged.


    "You''ll find out at 8pm," Luci countered smoothly. "That is, assuming you don''t ask Clarke in advance, or tell anyone else about this conversation. Not even Carrie. If you did, I¡¯m sure certain plans would... change.¡±


    "Is that so,¡± Julie said, folding her arms across her chest. ¡°Is this related to another of Corry''s plots?"


    "8pm," Luci repeated inscrutably.


    Julie glared again, but it quickly became obvious to her that Luci wasn''t going to budge. "Fine," the brunette concluded in irritation. "But don''t think that jerking me around is going to earn you special privileges.¡± She spun on her heel and stalked back towards the cafeteria.


    Once she was out of sight, Luci sank back against the wall. ''I cannot believe I pulled that off,'' she thought. ''Thank goodness there''s only a few more details to fix up.¡¯ Pausing only long enough to rub her temples, Luci went to find Clarke.


    ***


    "You''re sure Julie asked me to bring you to her house?" Carrie grumbled. ¡°Because she never said anything about it to me.¡±


    It was a quarter to eight that night. Luci and Carrie were on their way over to the LaMille mansion. At this point, Luci could only hope that the timing of the situation would work out. "Trust me," she reassuredher blonde companion. "It''s part of some master plan. And you know Julie and her plans."


    Carrie sniffed. ¡°Even so, she usually gives me more information. Well, I think she does. Look, you''re sure I wasn''t supposed to call ahead?¡±


    "Positive. Make a phone call to Julie, it will put the whole plan in jeopardy," Luci insisted. "Don''t worry, it''s not like anything bad can happen at her place, right? She has a butler and security and stuff.¡±


    "I guess," Carrie yielded. "But I''ve got my eye on you. Don''t try anything funny.¡±


    "Perish the thought." They walked the last two blocks in silence. Getting to the front door of the LaMille mansion wasn¡¯t actually difficult - if you didn¡¯t mind being under surveillance - the sticking point was how Jeeves would never let anyone in, unless they had an appointment, or he knew them personally. Fortunately for Luci, Jeeves knew Carrie.


    "Yes?" the LaMille butler said archly as he opened the front door.


    Carrie smiled broadly. "Heya Jeeves! I''m here with Luci, Julie''s expecting us."


    Jeeves frowned. "Is that so? Because Miss LaMille left about five minutes ago and gave no word."


    "Oh...?" Carrie turned to look suspiciously at Luci.


    "Julie''s very busy with a lot of things right now, it must have slipped her mind," Luci suggested. ¡°Maybe we can wait in the sitting room for her? I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t be gone long."


    There was a pause as Carrie glanced back and forth between Luci and Jeeves. "You ARE putting in a good word for me with Michelle, right?" the blonde athlete asked.


    "I... I¡¯ll try," Luci agreed. Even as she said it, she knew she had no recollection of ever having done so. But given the stakes here, this wasn''t the time to quibble over social niceties. No wonder Carrie would harbour a grudge.


    Carrie nodded. "We''ll wait inside." The butler inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement before ushering them in. Luci would have let out a sigh of relief, if only there weren''t so many other things that could still go wrong.


    ***


    "Surprise," Julie said, hands on her hips and one foot tapping on the ground. "I bet you weren''t expecting to find me here."


    "Oh! Well... no," Clarke admitted. He opened his front door a little wider. "I mean, I''m just on my way out. Is there a problem...?"


    "Depends where you''re going," Julie countered. "I know it''s not to my place.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s to the cafe. Tim¡¯s been concerned about some new rumour about me leaving town, so I¡¯m meeting with him now. I can still drop by your house tomorrow. Did Luci not pass on that message? I mean, it was her idea for me to meet with Tim in the first place.¡±


    ¡°It was..." Luci. In that instant, everything clicked. Plot against her indeed... it was a plot by Luci! ¡°I may have misunderstood what she said,¡± Julie realized. ¡°My apologies, Clarke - I have to get back home now. Thank you for your help here.¡±


    ¡°Uh, any time," Clarke replied.


    Julie supposed his confusion was natural, but she had to no time to explain. Luci was in big trouble! Julie pulled out her cell phone.

 Part 26b: Time Zones 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.1 - From the Past


    PART 26b: TIME ZONES 2


    The doorbell rang at the LaMille house at the same time as the phone. Being closer to the door, and knowing that their answering machine would pick up, Jeeves answered the former. He found a teenager wearing glasses waiting on the other side.


    "Uh, hi," the visitor said. "Is Carrie Waterson here?"


    ¡°Who should I say is calling?" Jeeves inquired.


    "Frank Dijora," Frank replied. "I mean, I hope I''m not disturbing, but I got this note, I think maybe from Carrie, saying that I should come here at this time, and that I''d know what it was about... so I''ve come to find out if I really do know and, uh, well, can you maybe tell Carrie that I''m here?"


    "No need, I can hear that you''re here," came Carrie''s voice. "The question is WHY?" Jeeves turned to see the blonde approaching from down the hall. He stepped aside in deference to her. The phone stopped ringing, so he continued to observe them.


    "Well, as I say, I got a note," Frank replied, sizing Carrie up as she reached the doorway.


    ¡°That''s both unoriginal and pathetic," Carrie said haughtily. "Either you¡¯re being pranked, and your gullibility is impressive, or you can''t think of a good excuse to save your life. Tell me Frank, why would I *ever* want to see you?"


    Frank shrugged feebly. "Uhm, I don¡¯t know. To learn about time travel?"


    Carrie sized him up in turn. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Why would I care about your science fiction stories?¡±


    "Right, of course. I''m going," Frank said hastily. As he started to turn, there was a loud thumping noise from upstairs.


    Jeeves frowned. "Mimi¡¯s out shopping. Carrie, is your friend Luci still in the sitting room?"


    "No, I was taking her to the washroom when I heard my name... oh, hell,¡± Carrie gasped.


    "Miss Waterson, how well do you know that girl?"


    Carrie closed one hand into a fist. "I''ll kill her. I¡¯ll kill both of you,¡± she amended, jabbing a finger at Frank.


    "What?" Frank said in confusion.


    "You both knew I''d be curious as to why a geek was calling for me at Julie¡¯s. You and Luci set me up, so she could get away! Jeeves, hold Frank here while I find the short one.¡± The blonde sprang for the stairs, taking them two at a time.


    ¡°Come in and stand right there,¡± Jeeves asserted.


    Frank edged in, looking nervous. "Ah, so, Luci''s here too?¡± he said in what Jeeves judged to be genuine bewilderment.


    ***


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe this is working,¡¯ Luci mused she crept down the hallway of the third floor. ¡®Of course, by involving Frank, he¡¯ll now think I¡¯m with Julie, even as I¡¯ll think he was connected to my memory loss... amazing how one single day can screw up a person''s life.''


    The light from her pocket flashlight cut out, reminding her there was still time for things to go wrong. When shaking it didn¡¯t work, she risked banging it against the wall. It didn¡¯t help, and she knew turning on lights would only advertise her location. ¡®At least I''m nearly at the right room,¡¯ she realized, quickening her pace.


    Except the records room was locked. Luci couldn''t believe how she''d overlooked such a tiny detail. She could now hear the sound of footsteps on the stairs down the hall.


    "Think, Luci, THINK,¡± the young girl hissed to herself. ¡°Use this high powered brain of yours.¡± Before the LaMilles had bought this mansion, it had belonged to one Professor Linquist, and he¡¯d been eccentric... hadn''t there been an old rumour about secret passages? Could she find one to hide in?


    Luci frantically pressed a few spots around the doorframe, ran her hands over the wall and pushed aside a plant in a nearby alcove. Underneath the plant was a key. Muttering a prayer of thanks, Luci snatched up the key and jumped back to the door. The key fit the lock.


    The next problem she faced was the complete darkness inside the records room. There were no windows, and without her flashlight, Luci knew she would never find what she needed in time. However, on a table by the door Luci could barely make out a candle and a box of matches. So there were still some temporal deities looking out for her.


    ***


    "Come out, come out," Carrie said through clenched teeth as she stalked down the hall. She opened another door, flicking on the light. No one there.


    Well, Luci couldn''t hide forever, she didn''t know the layout of the house as well as Carrie did. Though the girl HAD known enough to get to the upper floors via the back staircase... was she working with inside information? How? Obtained through Corry?


    ¡®If this is one of his plots, I am SO dead,¡¯ Carrie realized. As much as she hated to admit it, while her alliance with Julie had its advantages, the need for her to constantly be on guard at certain times of the year was bothersome. On the other hand, Frank¡¯s added presence implied Corry was not a factor - so far, that geek was unaligned.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Another room, and again nobody. Carrie forced herself to calm down - and in doing so, she realized that her systematic approach here was all wrong. She hurried back to turn off the light in the hallway, then scanned the darkness for anything unexpected. Nothing. No, wait - a flickering light coming from underneath the door at the end of the hall. Weren''t old records kept in there or something?


    Carrie ran down the hall. As she reached for the doorknob, she heard a voice exclaim, "I''ve got it!" Without hesitation, Carrie threw her weight against the door, bursting into the room.


    The lights weren''t on, so Carrie only saw the shadowy figure as she stumbled on top of her. Both girls tumbled to the floor, a candle and file folder falling to the ground next to them.


    Carrie immediately seized the advantage, pinning down her adversary. "All right Luci, who are you working for?" the blonde demanded.


    Luci met her gaze. "You, in a way," she replied after a moment¡¯s thought.


    "I think not,¡± Carrie scoffed.


    ¡°This will make more sense in about fourteen months."


    Which was when the candle set fire to the dossier.


    ***


    As Julie flipped on the third floor lights, she was greeted by the sight of an open door with smoke billowing out, followed by Carrie bursting out of a nearby bathroom with a basin full of water. The blonde charged into the smoky room, and by the time Julie had made it that far, Carrie seemed to be stamping out the last of some smouldering papers.


    "I am waiting to hear your explanation for this with great anticipation," Julie said dryly, surveying the damaged area. It didn''t look that bad - whatever had caught fire had been thrown into the metal wastebasket and subsequently drowned before the flames could spread. Still, those acts had rendered the pages completely unreadable. She desperately hoped it wasn¡¯t something her parents considered important.


    "It was that Luci girl,¡± Carrie said angrily, wiping her forehead with the back of her arm. "She got away after the fire started... we''ve got to go after her!"


    Julie held up a hand to stop her companion from rushing out. "What''s your hurry?" she said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s only us here. I sent Frank away, Jeeves is watching the front door, and even if Luci gets out the back, we know where to find her tomorrow. Please, take a moment to enlighten me."


    Carrie went into a hurried explanation, which became slower and more detailed as Julie asked her a number of pointed questions. Ultimately, the brunette leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms and thinking. "So, you don''t think Luci left with any papers?" she mused.


    "Not unless she put something in her pockets before I arrived," Carrie said. "Which is unlikely, as it sounded like she only found whatever it was she wanted as I got here.¡±


    Julie nodded. "In that case, our choice is clear. We do nothing."


    "We WHAT?"


    "Think, Carrie," Julie said patiently. ¡°I make a big scene over this, and Corry¡¯s going to figure out that I got duped by some twelve year old girl. I need time to gather more information on this Luci, so as to stop underestimating her. In fact, it won''t be difficult to cover up this incident completely. Frank is unlikely to say anything, Clarke wasn¡¯t involved directly, and only you and Jeeves even saw Luci enter the house. My suggestion? Put it out of your mind.¡±


    "But that little girl - she PLAYED us! What if she sells whatever information she got?" Carrie protested.


    "Without anything on paper, it''s her word against mine. Besides, the family records in this room are hardly as incriminating as the files on the school that I keep downstairs.¡±


    Julie reached out to touch Carrie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Carrie, this week we need to stay focussed on Corry and the Grade Nine freshmen. Luci¡¯s a wild card. We¡¯ll deal with her in time. Consider, I could ultimately discover her motivations by swinging her over to our side."


    Carrie shifted her weight back and forth from one leg to the other. "I... I guess that makes sense. But damn it, I bet she isn''t going to talk to Michelle at all, the scheming little know-it-all."


    "Come on, Carrie," Julie said calmly. "You''ve rubbed some soot on your face. Go clean it off while I tidy up in here."


    ***


    "Aha, here you are,¡± a voice said, cutting through the stillness of the ravine.


    Luci jumped back onto her feet, spinning around - only to see the face of Frank Dijora behind her. She let out a long breath of relief. "Damn it, Frank, don''t sneak up on me like that," she accused, jabbing out her finger.


    Frank took a step back. ¡°Sorry," he apologized. ¡°But it''s almost 9:15. I was starting to get worried as to where you were."


    Luci looked down at her watch. ¡°Shoot, I lay down and lost track of time. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s sorry. Did you have any trouble with, uh, me?"


    ¡°Nope. I left your past self up in the park. Kept an eye out from behind a tree until she regained consciousness. The younger Luci looked around, and then marched off home." He cleared his throat. "So, were you able to discover...?"


    Luci smiled. "I have the name," she reassured him, tapping the side of her head. "Also an address we can use as insurance. Funny thing, remember the small fire that messed up the files we needed? Carrie just inadvertently helped me to cause it. It happened today.¡±


    Frank frowned. ¡°Hold on. If by traveling back here we helped to cause the fire, while it was partly due to the fire that we came back here..."


    "It''s another of Carrie¡¯s causal loops," Luci concurred. "But I saw no choice but to involve her in this day. You too, actually. Um, sorry for that."


    Frank stared. ¡°Wait, so THIS was the day..." He ran a hand back through his hair. ¡°Huh. Kinda makes a person stop and think, doesn''t it. I mean, how many weird, unexplainable moments in our lives could be due to interference from future versions of ourselves?"


    Luci shrugged and reached out to touch the black box Frank was holding. ¡°One thing at a time. We still have to fix our present, before it¡¯s no longer there to be fixed.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Frank agreed. He pulled a coin out of his pocket.


    ***


    Thirteen year old Luci Primrose spun her pencil around on her fingers a few times, before finally bringing it down onto the page of her diary.


    ¡®¡¯I have found no explanation yet as to how I lost my memory for twenty-four hours.¡¯¡¯ she wrote. ¡®¡¯I haven¡¯t told anyone, lest they pin it on stress and try to shove me back into Grade 9 or something. Instead, I¡¯ve been trying to put the pieces together by observing my classmates this week. To wit:


    ''''Frank Dijora is... interesting. And kinda cute.'''' She erased the last sentence. ''''But despite his seeming confusion, he¡¯s tops on the list of those who may be responsible for my missing day. Meanwhile, one Carrie Waterson has acquired a grudge against me. That might be due to my dislike of her friend Julie LaMille, and their apparent feud with Corry Veniti. But maybe it¡¯s more? Since Lee and Chartreuse said I¡¯d been speaking with them about the feud too. They didn¡¯t know why. Fortunately, they¡¯re nicer. If weird. Lee¡¯s started calling me ¡°short stuff¡±.'''' Luci nibbled on the end of her pencil.


    ''''I still don¡¯t know who to approach for a friend. Maybe I should stick to this observing for a while? Seeing as it¡¯s the opening of my big mouth which gets me into trouble. That, and being the wrong age. Gods, if only my body would catch up to my mind. Damn it!'''' She sighed, spinning the pencil furiously around her fingers again. ''''Oh well. Here¡¯s hoping for a better future.''''


    Luci put her pencil aside and snapped her diary closed - wondering idly how her upcoming year of high school would stack up against someone who had actually experienced Grade Nine. The way the rest of her current classmates all had, one year ago.


    At that time, she had no way of knowing how much impact those Grade Nine experiences of Julie and Corry would end up having on future events.

 Part 27a: Flashbacks

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.1 - From the Past


    PART 27a: FLASHBACKS 1


    It was hate at first sight. Then again, no, perhaps hate was too strong of a word, Corry mused. But this was at least mistrust. Yet before the male Veniti twin could think any more about it, his thoughts were interrupted by his sister.


    "Golly, isn''t this exciting?" Laurie said, clasping her hands together. "High school. Grade Nine. A brand new school, with new teachers, new friends, new everything, even a new school notebook for me, I hope I don''t misplace it or get lost in the halls for that matter and oh what about classes, how hard do you think they''ll be I''m a bit worried about that but I can probably ask for extra help if I have to, or you could help me out if I run into real trouble I mean that would be all right, wouldn''t it, Corry? Corry?" She tugged on his shirt.


    Corry sighed softly. "Laurie, not right now. I¡¯m trying to size up the crowd.¡± He turned to look for the brunette girl again, but she had disappeared.


    ***


    Laurie sighed back at her brother. Here they both were, standing out in front of THE school, the only secondary public school in the small Canadian town where they lived, finally as high school freshmen... and he was fixated on people watching.


    She knew they both looked similar - at least in terms of their heights, their shoulder length red hair and freckles, and the fact that they were both wearing red shirts and dark pants. But the similarities ended with appearances. Laurie simply had no idea how the both of them could have ended up with such different outlooks on this pivotal moment in their lives.


    "Geeeezzz Corrrrrryyy,¡± she retorted. ¡°If you''d stop your resizing for a minute or two maybe you''d realize how cool this moment is. I mean why are you getting all wrapped up in recruiting followers already, we haven''t even made it to homeroom yet to see who¡¯s there, why don''t you relax and have fun like you used to?¡±


    "One can''t start too early with this,¡± Corry explained tersely, even as he turned once again to scan the crowd of students milling about the high school grounds. "Being in Grade Nine at the bottom of the social order is already a disadvantage. Add to that the fact that our middle school isn''t the only one with students coming here, and I can''t take anything for granted any more. Besides, I saw someone... some girl..."


    ¡°Corry, there''s more to life than position and statues!"


    "Status," Corry corrected absently.


    ¡°Ugh, whatever," Laurie said, gesturing dismissively. ¡°Look, this is our youth, we¡¯re supposed to enjoy... oooh, golly, there¡¯s Chartreuse, I recognize the green hair. Look, I''m gonna leave you to your moping and go say hi before the bell rings and all that, ''k?"


    Without even waiting for her brother to respond, Laurie hurried off to talk with her friend.


    ***


    Corry took a moment to watch his sister go, smiling despite himself at her enthusiasm before he resumed his inspection.


    ¡°Okay, that guy looks influential, could be someone to have in my corner," he muttered to himself. "While the girl there with the glasses could be roped in once I''ve gained some prestige. The guy heading for the doors looks to be a senior - I''ll deal with them through music extra curriculars, at least at first..."


    Corry stopped abruptly as he caught sight of THAT girl once more. She had long curly brown hair, and was wearing a conservative looking sweater. Again, he felt that sense of mistrust. There was something about her that he didn''t like.


    When he finally put his finger on exactly what that thing was, the answer surprised him: she appeared to be sizing up people in the same way that he was. Even as he realized this, she turned, and their eyes met. For a split second, it was as if they were the only two people standing in the area.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡®Who are you?'' Corry thought. He took a step towards her, but a group of people chose that moment to disrupt his line of sight. By the time he reached her former position, she had once again disappeared. Corry pursed his lips. He decided he didn''t like this turn of events.


    "Yo, Corry! High school, how about it?"


    "Tommy, I have a job for you."


    Tommy blinked. "What, already? Man, don''t you ever relax? We haven''t even started classes yet.¡±


    "There''s a girl, a brunette with curly hair down to about here," Corry said, turning to his former middle school ally and motioning partway down his back with his hand. "I think she''ll be in our grade. I need to you find out everything you can about her. But make sure no one knows I''m the one asking.¡±


    "Uh, okay," Tommy agreed. "She some new love interest?"


    "Just do it, please," Corry sighed. He glanced quickly around at the crowd of high school students once more, hoping to pick her out again.


    ''Where did you come from?¡¯ he wondered. ''More importantly, what''s your angle?''


    ***


    "Julie LaMille!"


    Julie turned to regard the red haired boy, who was leaning up against the side of the school building, right next to the door she''d exited. "Corry," she said simply. It was his name, after all.


    Corry pushed himself away from the wall. "You''re quite the mystery, you know that? All I¡¯ve got after a week of asking around is that you¡¯re part of the rich family who moved into the area about a year ago, after buying that mansion from old Linquist. A year, during which there''s never been any mention of the LaMilles having a daughter. Yet despite that, here you are.¡±


    "Are you coming to a point?"


    Corry shrugged. "Maybe." He walked slowly around Julie, allowing her about a metre of space. She simply stared back at him, coldly, impassively.


    "Forgive me," Corry said at last, "But as far as I can tell, you haven''t had the opportunity to make many friends around town yet. Now, I can help you out in that respect. I know people. I''m hoping to know more people. If you sign on with me, my friends can be your friends. We might even make a pretty good team, the two of us."


    A corner of Julie''s mouth quirked up. "Why Corry, are you proposing some sort of camaraderie between us?"


    "Interested?"


    Julie cocked her head to the side slightly, in order to make him think she was actually considering it. "No," she said at last. "You see, I''m afraid I¡¯ve determined that our motivations are fundamentally different."


    Corry blinked. "Different? How so?"


    "Mmmm, that would be telling." Julie now took the opportunity to pace her own circle around Corry. "Corry Veniti," she began, upon completing the circuit. "Fraternal twin to Laurie Veniti. Former student of MacKenzie King Middle School, with a reasonable number of followers, though most known in musical circles. Instrument of choice, the flute. Birthday, May 21st. Parents'' names..."


    "Stop." Corry''s eyes narrowed. "You''ve been busy."


    Julie allowed herself a small smile. "Being enigmatic is not without its advantages,¡± she explained. ¡°People seeking to resolve that sort of a mystery can be coaxed into talking."


    "So it would seem." A silence descended upon the two teenagers. As their eyes met, they practically dared the other to blink first. "You realize that if we cannot be friends, we will become enemies,¡± Corry said.


    Julie lifted an eyebrow. "A threat?"


    "An observation. You know, you have no dependable followers here yet, Julie. I do. I strongly urge you to reconsider my offer of partnership. I won''t make it again."


    "In that case, we have nothing further to discuss. You might as well run along home."


    Corry shook his head. "You''re making a mistake."


    "It wouldn''t be the first time," Julie remarked, mouth tightening. "However, you may find me a more formidable opponent than you think."


    "What, because your family is rich? I wouldn''t pin all your hopes on that."


    "Don''t worry. I won''t."


    Corry turned away first. "Fine then, have it your way," he concluded, a sour expression on his face as he walked off.


    "Until next time," Julie said, continuing to watch Corry''s retreating form without so much as batting an eyelash. "Until next time."


    ***


    Julie tapped her foot absentmindedly on the floor as she leaned back against the row of lockers. Much as she hated to admit it, Corry had been right about something during their encounter the previous week. She didn''t have any dependable followers yet. And sooner or later, people''s interest would wear off.


    Meanwhile, Corry had taken the opportunity over the last seven days to start planting hints, if that boy Clarke¡¯s remarks to her in the hall earlier today were to be believed. Phil Clarke had seemed a candid guy too, so she had no reason to doubt his word... being someone else not from this area, he could even be a good person to win over in the future.


    However, in the here and now, Julie needed to find herself a more devoted follower. Someone others in the school would know, perhaps trust, hence someone who had lived in the area for a while. Someone who was also reasonably intelligent, thus could take direction, yet at the same time be sufficiently self absorbed so as to not to pick up on everything that Julie was doing. If that someone was of questionable conscience it would be all the better.


    Julie had spent her first two weeks at school keeping an eye out for just such a person, and she now believed she had located a girl who fit most, if not all, of her requisite criteria.


    "Hello Carrie," Julie said with a half smile as the blonde with the long hair walked up to her.


    Carrie Waterson stared back. "Julie?" She glanced up and down the hall before looking back to the brunette. "Why are you at my locker?"


    Julie¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Because I have a proposition for you."

 Part 27b: Flashbacks 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.1 - From the Past


    PART 27b: FLASHBACKS 2


    "A... proposition?"


    "Yes." Julie stepped aside to allow Carrie to work her lock. "You seem surprised by my being here."


    ¡°As far as I know, this is the first time you''ve ever approached anyone of your own volition," Carrie admitted.


    Julie nodded. "I''ve been thinking of changing that. Moreover, I''ve been thinking of doing that with you at my side."


    Tossing her books into her locker, Carrie slammed the door shut. "Why me?"


    "Because Carrie, I believe you''re a relatively intelligent girl who has as much interest in status as I do. You already have some admirers, I have some ideas. By combining our efforts, well, let''s just say good things are sure to come our way." There was no point beating around the bush - her best approach here was the truth.


    Carrie gave Julie a wary look. "What exactly would I be getting out of this deal?¡±


    Julie spread her hands out. "What do you want?"


    Carrie laughed. "No, seriously, what would I get?"


    "I am being serious, Carrie. Right now, what do you want?"


    Carrie pursed her lips. "Right now? Revenge."


    "Revenge?" Julie repeated, not having quite anticipated that.


    Carrie nodded. "Someone broke into my room late last Friday night and broke a crystal swan I keep on my desk. I''m not sure who it was, but they seemed familiar somehow." Her mouth twitched and her hands briefly curled and uncurled. "I want revenge against whoever it was for what they did. I want them hurt, and hurt bad. Ideally without them ever knowing what hit them. Can you do that?"


    Inwardly, Julie laughed. Carrie was even more perfect for her purposes than she''d first suspected.


    Still, better to play things cautiously, at least to start. "Well," Julie began. "That isn''t much to go on, but I''ll see if there''s anything I can do. In the meantime, I assure you that if you join forces with me, steps can be taken to prevent such a thing from ever happening again."


    Carrie worked through a few choice expressions on her face. "What if I don''t like the way things start working out?"


    "Two week grace period," Julie said easily. "If, during that time, you don''t like the situation? You can walk away. However, I would hope that we can deal with any problems that arise together, resolving them to our mutual satisfaction." She winked. "Come on now, Carrie. What have you got to lose?"


    Carrie sized Julie up one last time. "All right," she agreed. "I''m in."


    ***


    Corry paced in front of the two other people in the empty classroom. "So," he began at last. "It''s been two days. What have you turned up on this Carrie Waterson? Sue?"


    "Bits and pieces," the brown haired girl replied. "As you must have figured out, she''s from the other major middle school that merges with ours at this high school. Casual inquiry has revealed that in many ways she''s your typical, shallow, blonde airhead. Unfortunately, the exception here is that her head isn''t filled with air."


    "She knows how to use what she''s got to manipulate people when she wants," Tommy chimed in. "Bit of a flirt too."


    Corry leaned forwards, placing his hands upon a desk. "Popular?"


    "Athletically, yes," Sue confirmed. "Fast runner and fair gymnast. However, her social life outside school is erratic at best. She¡¯s got an attitude, and the few people I spoke with indicated that the only parties of note Carrie''s ever been invited to were ones thrown by guys hoping to get to first base with her. What followers she has are at least 80% male."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "I don''t think she even gets out that much," Tommy added. ¡°Her mother is gone, either dead or divorced, which could be indicative of an unstable home life. That may be carrying over into her personality. Appearances are a bit deceiving around Carrie."


    "I see," Corry concluded. ¡°To sum up, a lively, yet somehow vulnerable person. Julie chose well... she''s obviously not about to go down without a fight. As a team, how much of a threat do you think they''ll pose?"


    Tommy and Sue exchanged a glance. "It''s too soon to tell, really," Tommy admitted. "I mean, they may bond instantly or Carrie may decide to move on next week... our data on Julie is just too sparse to make any accurate predictions."


    Corry grimaced. "Well, you two have been at my side the longest. I trust you implicitly. If anyone can turn up more about Julie, you''ll find a way. Don''t worry about Carrie for the moment either... I''ll deal with her tomorrow."


    ***


    "Waterson," Corry said as he approached her locker the following day. "Just the person I wanted to see. A few words?"


    "I have to get to class," Carrie retorted.


    "We''ve got ten minutes before the bell."


    Carrie hesitated, then shrugged. "In that classroom then," she said, gesturing. The two of them entered the vacant room.


    "So, you and Julie have hooked up together," Corry remarked.


    "Could be," Carrie said noncommittally.


    "I strongly advise you to reconsider that decision," Corry continued. "There is a lot we don''t yet know about her. She may well prove dangerous."


    Carrie laughed. "What, you leap to that conclusion merely because you don''t know much about her? Paranoid much?"


    "I''m being serious," Corry said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his tone. "I''ve been getting some bad vibes about the whole situation. Now, in contrast, I am willing to be perfectly candid with you."


    "I''m sure you are," Carrie said, nodding. "Mr. Corry Veniti, fraternal twin to Laurie Veniti, former student of MacKenzie King Middle School, well known in musical..."


    Corry slammed his books down onto a nearby desk. "Look, Waterson, Julie LaMille cannot be trusted! I''m sorry I didn''t get to you before she did, but believe me when I say it''s not too late to disassociate yourself from her."


    Carrie smiled. "Why Corry, are you proposing some sort of counter offer to me?"


    "Well... yes, I guess I am," Corry admitted. "If you''re willing to become another one of my backers, I''ll give you the associated benefits and speak out on your behalf once I''ve gained enough of a voice around here. Given time, I may even be able to advocate for you with more than mere freshmen."


    "Let me see your books," Carrie countered.


    Corry raised an eyebrow. "My books?"


    "I want to make sure you''re not concealing any sort of recording device that you''ll play back to Julie later."


    "Oh, please. Now who''s being paranoid?" Corry retorted.


    Carrie simply looked up at the ceiling and began whistling idly, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. Corry sighed. "Fine, fine, here," he grumbled, shoving his books in her direction.


    Carrie grabbed them and quickly flipped through the pages of his two texts, as well as his binder. Corry took the opportunity to lean back up against the wall. "Satisfied?" he said irritably once she''d finished.


    "Sure," Carrie agreed, reaching out to hand his stuff back. The textbooks slipped off the binder and fell to the floor.


    Corry sighed again. "Are you trying my patience deliberately?" he asked, stooping down to retrieve the fallen texts.


    "Not really. But about this deal of yours... you say follower. What about a partnership?"


    ¡°It may be possible someday," Corry yielded, adding under his breath, "assuming you''re not always like this." He stood and grabbed his binder back, stacking his texts on top of it.


    Carrie regarded Corry quietly for a moment. "But Julie''s offering me partnership. And - correct me if I''m wrong - you did offer HER a definite partnership, didn''t you?"


    "Hmph. Yes, of sorts," Corry admitted. "But Julie is a unique case."


    "Because you''re worried about her," Carrie said.


    "She has qualities of which I''ve taken some note, that''s all."


    "It''s all right, Corry. It is understandable, fearing the unknown," Carrie soothed.


    "I wouldn''t go as far as fear," Corry asserted.


    Carrie pressed a finger on her chin. "Oh no? Funny. If I were you, I might go that far. After all, she has your reactions predicted down to a tee."


    "But she... wait, what do you mean?" Corry asked.


    Carrie smiled again. "I mean this conversation is going almost exactly the way she predicted it would. You know, it''s fascinating, Corry. I did have some reservations about Julie. But now, looking at how well she can handle someone like you, well... I think my friendship with her just might work out after all."


    Corry grit his teeth. "You''re making a mistake. If you''re with Julie, you''re against me. Are you sure you want that?"


    Carrie flashed a patronizing look his way. "It''s okay, Corry. I think we girls can handle you." She then produced a number of papers from behind her back, and unceremoniously dumped them into the garbage. "Bye now!"


    As Carrie walked out of the class, Corry moved to see what on earth she had discarded. Lying on top of a few dirty Kleenex and a banana peel, he recognized his homework assignment for the day.


    Eyes widening, Corry flipped open his binder, looking at the pocket where his assignment should have been. In its place was a small yellow card which read simply: ''''Your move now. --Julie''''


    "All right," Corry seethed, clenching his hand into a fist. ¡°If it''s war you want... it''s war you get!" Grabbing his assignment from the trash, he wheeled and stormed out of the classroom.

 Part 28a: History Lesson

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.1 - From the Past


    PART 28a: HISTORY LESSON 1


    Carrie was in trouble almost immediately after her alliance with Julie became public knowledge. It was Monday morning, so at first, she¡¯d thought that she¡¯d merely misremembered her locker combination. But after two more attempts, upon peering a little closer at the lock, she noticed a white substance congealed around the mechanism. She frowned.


    "Here," Julie remarked, coming up behind the blonde. She tossed Carrie a new lock. ¡°Anticipated something of the type. Happened to me too. No sweat, we''ll get the janitor to cut off your old one before class."


    ***


    Three days later, Chartreuse chased Corry down the hall. ¡°Corry! Oh, Corry,¡± the green haired girl called out. ¡°I was sick yesterday. Could I, like, borrow your notes from science class? Please? You always take real good notes."


    Corry stopped walking and turned to her. ¡°That won''t be possible," he said tersely. "Seeing as I need to find someone with a fresh copy of the notes since Monday myself."


    Chartreuse blinked. "What? Why?¡±


    "I''d rather not talk about it," was Corry''s final word on the matter.


    ***


    The following week, Julie opened her locker at the end of the day, only to have two dozen condoms spill out onto the floor. She pursed her lips, as around her, people''s eyebrows went up. "Crude, but effective," the brunette murmured.


    ***


    A week later found Mrs. Willis growing upset with one of her students.


    ¡°Corry, will you PLEASE correct your tuning?" Mrs. Willis pleaded. "Your notes sound at least a semitone out."


    "But I''ve already tuned twice," Corry protested. "Maybe the flute is... wait a minute..." Corry leaned over to glance at the stand of the person next to him. Then he looked more closely back at his own music.


    His eyes widened, then he bit down on his lower lip. "I''m sorry, I don''t think this is the same part you handed out at the end of last rehearsal. Do you have another copy available?"


    ***


    The feuding continued like that right through into December.


    A week before Christmas, Carrie dropped by the LaMille mansion in advance of a shopping trip. She was easily persuaded to hang around long enough for a cup of hot chocolate, in order to allow her friend to finish working on something.


    ¡°Julie,¡± the blonde began tentatively as she leaned back in one of the plush chairs of the sitting room. "Can I ask something about school?"


    Julie glanced up from the coffee table, where she was making notes. "Hm? Sure, what is it?"


    "It''s about Corry. At this point, we have pretty clearly defined friends, and he has other friends, and yet there''s still this dominance thing going on between you two. Which seems to be continually escalating," Carrie added. "Yet a couple months ago, you said Corry would eventually cease to be a problem. So... I mean, how soon is eventually?"


    Julie half smiled. "You''re not questioning my plans, are you?"


    "Nah, nothing like that," Carrie said dismissively. "Just curious as to where this is going. I mean, you don''t want this to be a never-ending battle... right? Eventually some seniors will get caught in the crossfire, or lord help us, administration. And that Mr. Hunt, he can really freak a person out."


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Julie assured. She scrawled a couple more items down before adding, "I''ve got something in the works. The feud will end before our exams in January.¡±


    Carrie leaned forward once again. "I knew you had a plan! Come on, can''t I at least get a hint about what it is you''re up to?"Stolen story; please report.


    Julie sized Carrie up. ¡°Okay. You remember that picture of Corry I tacked up on the bulletin board last week?"


    Carrie grinned. "The cute baby picture? Yeah! Hey, where did you get that anyway, from his sister?"


    "No," Julie said, shaking her head. "But the source was someone close to Corry. Someone who has now proven that they are willing to assist me instead. Someone who will help bring things to a close."


    "Oooo, crafty," Carrie remarked. ¡°Okay then. Let me know if there''s anything I can do to help."


    "I will," Julie assured her. ¡°Patience. For now, simply wait and watch."


    Carrie nodded. "Okay, okay, sure." She tapped her fingers absently on the armrest as Julie resumed writing. "So, you almost done? I do want to get to the shops before they close."


    "Almost," Julie confirmed.


    ¡°I still don''t know what to get as a Christmas present for dad," Carrie grumbled. "It''s been a tie the last two years, maybe I should show more originality. Not that he''ll really notice... hey, what are you getting your parents?"


    Carrie turned back to Julie, only to find herself on the receiving end of an icy cold stare. "O-Oops," the blonde said meekly. "No talking about your family, right. Sorry. Slipped my mind for a moment."


    Julie set her pencil aside and stacked the pages where she¡¯d been writing. "I''m ready," she said simply, her expression turning back into a smile. "Let''s hit the mall."


    ***


    The New Year came and went. School resumed, for the final weeks leading up to semester one exams. And Corry opened his locker at the end of the day on Thursday, to find a note lying on top of his books.


    ''''Friday marks four months since we first saw each other. We both know that''s when it''s going to end. Meet me before school on the balcony section of the gym. 8am. No recording equipment, no tricks, no sidekicks. Let''s finish this.''''


    "Yes, let''s," the redhead murmured, picking up the note and crumpling it in his hand.


    ***


    The two teenagers stood staring at each other in the silence of the large gymnasium. As it had been back in September, their expressions were cold, neither of them willing to blink first. Ultimately, Corry succumbed. But Julie was the one who spoke.


    "This can''t go on," she began. "So it ends here. Today."


    Corry nodded. "I agree. One of us has to bow aside and let the other claim victory."


    Julie brushed some of her long hair back off her shoulder. ¡°I believe the winner will be based on the results of the Christmas fundraising drive. I''ve heard that those numbers are being announced today."


    ¡°Correct,¡± Corry agreed. ¡°It¡¯s a bit silly really, the band raising money by selling Christmas ornaments. Fruit, now that¡¯s where the real money is."


    "I¡¯ll take your word on it," Julie shrugged. ¡°Band isn¡¯t my thing. That said, you have managed to sell quite a number of those ornaments.¡±


    Corry grinned. "You did get that delivery then. Good."


    Hands moving to her hips, Julie began tapping her foot on the floor. ¡°What, precisely, were you hoping to accomplish by signing me up for $200 worth?"


    "Isn''t it obvious?"


    ¡°Yes, but go ahead and confirm my suspicions. I''m sure you''re dying to any way,¡± Julie said, gesturing Corry''s way.


    Corry inclined his head in acknowledgement. "It''s quite simple really. The fact that I got you to purchase such a large quantity of items from me would be seen by others as a lessening of hostilities. By paying me, you''re also implicitly accepting me in a position of authority. Thus there would be talk if you persist in rebellious activities following this incident. In particular, I would be most wounded and confused by any breach in our ¡®ornament agreement''."


    "I could always refuse to pay you," Julie countered. "Claim that you forged my signature. Seeing as you DID."


    "Oh! Such a lack of school spirit," Corry gasped, bringing a hand to his chest. ¡°Come off it, Julie. I wouldn¡¯t have done it without knowing that your family could afford it. Besides, I think you knew what I was doing, and did nothing to stop me. It¡¯s too late to cry wolf now."


    "Indeed," Julie said dryly. She shifted attention to a fixed point off to Corry''s right. "Not a bad plan, really. But here¡¯s the thing. I obviously have more school spirit than you think, since I paid for $300 worth of those useless ornaments."


    Corry lifted an eyebrow. "You think raising the stakes gets you out of this?"


    "Yes," Julie remarked, looking back at Corry. "Particularly when the records reveal that everyone only expected that amount to be $200."


    Corry frowned. "You can''t change the past though," he argued. ¡°And you only received $200 worth of merchandise. In a war of my word against yours, I win out."


    "Well, no," Julie countered. "Because I DID receive $300 worth, and my personal records show a loss of $300. Which gives me the stronger case. I wonder, where did that extra hundred GO, Corry? Surely you''re not using it for anything unscrupulous!¡±


    She brought her hand to her chest, mimicking his earlier action. ¡°Now, we can write it off a simple accounting error - that I had to bring to your attention - but only if you acknowledge that I¡¯ve come out on top in our little war of one-upmanship.¡±


    Corry narrowed his eyes. "Impressive. However, you couldn''t have managed something like that alone."


    Julie tapped a finger against her cheek. "Perhaps you''re right. Perhaps there''s someone you shouldn''t have trusted quite so much."


    There was a moment of silence. "You got to Sue," Corry concluded. "It''s the only answer. She''s one of the few who knew what I was going to do, but more than that, she offered to run the final tally sheets in to the company before the Christmas break. Gives her both means and opportunity. But what was her motive? What did you offer her?"


    "That''s confidential, I''m afraid."


    Corry pursed his lips. "I could take $100 from my personal savings to cover the situation."


    "Which still means that underneath it all, I win," Julie pointed out. "You have to acknowledge that."


    "True. Point, counterpoint, very nicely done. Except there''s one little detail we still need to cover."


    Julie¡¯s hint of a smile vanished. ¡°What might that be?"


    "The fact that I already knew Sue was working with you."

 Part 28b: History Lesson 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.1 - From the Past


    PART 28b: HISTORY LESSON 2


    "I''ve known for the past month,¡± Corry continued. ¡°It was my idea to have her defect in the first place."


    Julie tensed. "Really."


    "Oh, yes," Corry replied, a smile slowly returning to his features. "I even managed to suck it up for those couple of humiliating instances where Sue helped you out. Not the way I''d have preferred to go about things, obviously, but I''d hoped that an apparent defector would interest you. That it would pay off in the end. And it has, it really has."


    The side of Julie''s mouth twitched. "Indeed."


    "So, let''s review, shall we? You have $300 worth of little Christmas trinkets. I have a signed statement from Sue," Corry said, pulling it out, "to the effect of you chipping in that extra $100 over my $200. Along with the reason why, so don''t even try to claim that you did it to be gracious. Which means - and correct me if I''m wrong - that however much you decide to pay me, I''ve won!"


    Julie remained silent, so Corry tipped an imaginary hat her way. "I am sorry," he concluded. "But you see, it all came down to loyalty. A concept you don''t appear to fully understand. Must make things terribly lonely for you."


    "I should have known," Julie whispered at last, clenching and unclenching her fists as she glared at the paper Corry was holding. "Sue was always a little too eager to please. I should have seen through that.¡±


    "Well, don''t feel bad," Corry soothed. "I may still consider you a follower of mine sometime in the future. Though, based on what I heard from Sue, you have a ruthless streak. Got to make sure I don''t give you too much power, or people might get hurt." With a final parting smile, he turned away.


    "Wait," Julie retorted.


    Corry turned back. Not so much because he cared what she had to say, but because the tone of her voice had suddenly taken on a peculiar, even eerie quality. "I beg your pardon?"


    "You have won this battle," Julie said slowly. "Privately, I will admit that. And publicly, I will take no further direct action against you for the next couple of years. However, I ask that you do the same for me. No actions, and most of all, no lording this victory over my head. I concede... to a stalemate."


    Corry almost laughed. Except something about her demeanour was starting to spook him. "What possible motive could I have to do that?" he demanded. "Come on, accept that you lost, Julie. We''ll move on."


    "No." Julie began to roll up the left sleeve of her blouse, all the while staring at Corry. "I can''t lose," she said. "Not to you. Not like this. I have too much at stake. Again, I concede... no, make that I request a stalemate."


    "Julie, you''re not being reasonable."


    ¡°You can do this. You will claim that the $300 was a joint effort we''re using to put aside our differences. You will not reveal your ''signed statement'' to anyone. We will leave each other alone except in cases of indirect or third party involvement." The corner of her mouth twitched. "Note I would be most wounded and confused by any breach of this new ''agreement''."


    Corry spread his arms out. "Oh, please. And what are you going to do if I don''t comply with these ''rules''?" he challenged. Her smile was off kilter. What was up with that face?


    ¡°You will, because if you don''t comply... I''ll kill myself," Julie finished softly. She raised her right hand, which now held a razor blade in it.


    Corry''s eyes widened. "You''re bluffing," he retorted.


    Her movement was quick. Blood began to well up from the cut on Julie''s arm. Corry was next to her in an instant, grabbing her wrists and holding them apart as she lifted her gaze back up towards him. "The next cut might be lethal," Julie said. "Now, accept the terms of my stalemate."


    "What the hell are you doing, Julie?" Corry asked. For the first time in his life, he felt panic, like somehow he was in way over his head. ¡°High school freshman command structure is not something to kill yourself over!"


    "It''s as I told you in the beginning," Julie said quietly. "Our motivations are fundamentally different. Now, accept the stalemate."


    "Julie, you need help. This is not normal behaviour. Let¡¯s go see a guidance counsellor, okay?¡±


    "I''ll be fine. Once you accept the stalemate."


    ¡°Stop saying stalemate and listen to me. I''m not going to let go of you until you listen!" He shook her slightly. A drop of blood dribbled off Julie''s arm and onto the floor.


    "On the contrary," Julie continued calmly. Too calmly. ¡°I hear you quite clearly. Moreover, you''ll have to let me go sometime. Either that, or explain why you''re holding me with a cut on my arm.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The corner of her mouth turned up. "My version of events might not match yours there. So I say again, accept the stalemate." She tilted her head to the side. "Unless you are willing to let me die after all?"


    Corry worked through a few choice facial features. Never, in a million years, could he have anticipated that things would turn this dark. "This is blackmail," he pointed out. Julie didn''t respond.


    He eyed her arms ¨C there was no evidence of any other cuts there. This had to be a one time thing. Right? "Y-You won''t really do it," he asserted.


    No reaction. Damn, but that was creepy. It was like she didn¡¯t care at all. Corry let out a rush of air. "Fine, I won''t take you on directly but don''t expect me to step aside for you.¡±


    "Is that a yes?"


    "Yes, all right, I accept your goddamned stalemate! But I don''t accept YOU, Julie. Moreover, you need to get yourself some serious psychological counselling.¡± With that, he released her, remaining poised to act again should she lift the blade once more.


    Julie merely nodded, swaying slightly on her feet. "We''ll see." She produced a handkerchief, wiping off the the razor blade and putting it back in her pocket. Even as another drop of blood slid off her arm. "By the way, if you speak about this to anyone, I WILL deny that it ever happened."


    "Of course you will," Corry said. ¡°Which doesn¡¯t change the fact that your parents need to get you a shrink.¡± He glanced down again at the cut across her arm and a shiver ran up his back. Turning away, he stalked out the nearest door.


    ***


    Julie was left all alone. She glanced down at the pretty crimson stain she''d created. ¡°Maybe they do," she murmured. ¡°But for that to happen, I must first prove myself to them.¡±


    She finally used the handkerchief to apply pressure to her arm. ¡°If only I hadn¡¯t been forced to play this trump card so soon... now I¡¯ll need to find another one." She hurried off to find herself a better bandage.


    ***


    "Carrie, wait," Julie called out. She caught up to the blonde girl right before she could enter the school. The brunette smiled broadly. "There''s something I''d like you to do today, okay?"


    Carrie nodded. "Sure, Julie, what''s up?"


    Julie glanced around, to make sure there was no one nearby. "I''d like you to see about getting Laurie Veniti to discover, in advance, the location of the upcoming math tests."


    Carrie blinked. "Corry¡¯s sister? But what about last week? I thought you and him had resolved yourselves towards a stalemate or something."


    "Yes, but I played some of my cards a bit soon," Julie explained. "So I need a new ace. Please do this for me, without her brother finding out."


    "Okay," Carrie said with a shrug. "Keep you updated as usual?"


    "Of course," Julie acknowledged with a smile. "In particular, I want you to let me know when you¡¯ll end up meeting with Laurie to discuss the tests'' actual location. That will be really important."


    ***


    Monday lunch, Sue slammed her hands down on the cafeteria table. "What the hell is going on?" she demanded in cold fury.


    Corry looked up at her. "What do you mean?"


    "What do I mean? What do I MEAN? What you THINK I mean?" she hissed. "We had her, Corry, we had her in the palm of our hand, and you let her walk away! Why?"


    Corry looked back down at his lunch. "I''d rather not talk about it."


    "You''d rather not talk about it," Sue repeated. She shook her head. "I thought I knew you, Corry. Maybe high school has changed you. What did she give you anyway, money? I turned down a new wardrobe to remain loyal to you. Was that a mistake?"


    "Sue, I REALLY don''t want to talk about this right now," Corry insisted, the grip on his utensils tightening. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at ¡®things got complicated¡¯.¡±


    "Well, isn''t that nice. Especially considering all the times you''ve wanted to talk with me about this, that, or the other thing. Time I put aside what I was doing for you. To talk, or research, or whatever. Because I believed in your ideals, and the things you were doing."


    She leaned in closer. "So now I''m asking you, Corry, as a friend... why didn''t you expose Julie for who she really is?"


    "Because we don''t KNOW who she really is,¡± Corry shot back, angrier than he¡¯d intended to be. ¡°We don¡¯t know who she is, or what she might be capable of. Trust me. We have no idea."


    "Oh, lovely. Now you''re questioning my research. She really has a put a spell on you." Sue stared at Corry quietly for another minute. ¡°So, as much as it pains me to say this, I don''t feel comfortable working with you any more. Not under these circumstances.¡±


    "Look, what''s done is done, I can''t help that," Corry stated, closing his eyes and wishing he were somewhere else. "At this point, it''s too late for me to go back on my public word. It would have... consequences."


    At least, he suspected it would. Yet to see Julie today, you¡¯d never know she had suicidal tendencies. Assuming she honestly did. Was it possible that the whole episode had been a huge gamble on her part? He wouldn¡¯t put it past her.


    But then, he also wouldn¡¯t put it past her to lie if he actually told anyone about the incident. Worse, there remained a chance that she really might do something to herself... so, as he¡¯d said, he couldn¡¯t change the past. Merely work to improve the future.


    He reopened his eyes in time to see Sue shake her head. ¡°Okay, Corry. It''s been fun. I''ll probably freelance for a while, but don''t take it personally if some day, I end up working for Julie. After all, it looks like a little ruthlessness goes a long way." That said, Sue turned and walked away.


    Behind her, Corry clenched his fists. "Damn you, Julie," he whispered. "Whether you''re a lunatic or not, if you screw with my life to this extent again..." The plastic fork in his hand snapped in half. "No mercy."


    ***


    In early November, nearly twenty-two months later, two other students met in the balcony area of the school gymnasium, early in the morning. The male cleared his throat. ¡°Laurie?"


    The redhead turned, feeling her cheeks grow warm. ¡°Clarke.¡±


    ¡°Did you... that is, were you able to find out anything?¡±


    Laurie¡¯s gaze fell to the floor. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Clarke assured her. ¡°Particularly if you feel like you¡¯d be betraying your brother. It¡¯s only that, well... it¡¯s been a month since that recording played at the dance. Since Carrie switched sides. Since Julie... I don¡¯t even know. Initiated a cold war, to the benefit of nobody. It all hinges on Corry now. And any information I can get there is leverage I can use when talking with Julie.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Laurie said quietly. ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry. You, I¡¯ll tell.¡± She took in a deep breath. ¡°So I went into Corry¡¯s room when he was at band practice and he¡¯d flipped his calendar over to this month, and I saw he¡¯d marked a date there, circled it in red, and it was the twelfth.¡±


    She swallowed. ¡°So whatever it is, I think November twelfth is gonna be the day he moves against her.¡±


    ¡°Julie¡¯s birthday,¡± Clarke realized. He turned to look out over the balcony railing. ¡°Damn.¡±

 Part 29a: Growing Pains

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.1 - From the Past


    PART 29a: GROWING PAINS 1


    ''''Dear Diary,'''' scrawled Luci¡¯s mechanical pencil. ''''A lot has happened the past 24 hours. Enough to make me feel like it¡¯s spanned six years. Which... it has, in a way. It''s funny. And a good example of why you need to be careful about what you wish for, lest it come true. I hope writing things down here will help me to make sense of it all.¡¯¡¯


    The pencil stopped moving across the page at that, fingers spinning the writing implement around idly. ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s much else I can do now,¡± came a soft voice. The voice belonging to twenty year old Luci Primrose.


    Luci shook her head and leaned forward to continue writing, only to have one of her long ponytails slip around her shoulder and hide her arm under a mass of dark hair. She irritably grabbed at her tresses, flinging them back out of the way. "I should braid it, like Chartreuse does,¡± Luci grumbled. Then her lips pursed.


    ¡°I wonder, if I hadn''t considered having longer hair in my future - would it have been altered differently?¡± she mused aloud. ¡°That seems likely... I should be happy it didn¡¯t grow out everywhere. And that the dress in the back of Mom¡¯s closet actually fits me. And that...¡± Luci looked back down at her diary. ¡°Ugh, let¡¯s go back to the beginning."


    The twenty year old resumed writing. ''''It all started yesterday afternoon,'''' she scribbled. ''''Typical Saturday to start November. Finished my homework, then went over to Frank''s house to put the finishing touches on our repairs to the time machine. Carrie was there too, being annoying. What else would one expect?''''


    ***


    "Anything I can do?" Carrie asked, bouncing up and down on her heels.


    "You can stop asking that every two minutes," the young girl responded. The fourteen year old peered into the open black box sitting on Frank''s lab bench - the box being the time machine device Carrie had found back in September. "Frank, are you getting a reading there yet?"


    "Not yet," Frank asserted.


    "Hmph. I only want to help," Carrie pointed out.


    "Help by being quiet," Luci proposed.


    Carrie fell silent for another sixty seconds before speaking up again. "I have been looking over the circuit stuff you guys wrote out for the machine, you know," she said. "The resistors, capacitance and all that. I may soon be capable of setting the device myself. I am trying here.¡±


    Luci almost responded, ''yes, you''re very trying'', but she bit her tongue before the words could come out. Things had been easier last month, with Carrie making verbal attacks and literally smacking people upside the head. Luci had years of experience in defending against such things.


    But no, ever since that incident with the drugs in her locker, Carrie had developed some sort of "rapport" with Frank and was thus being "nice", so Luci couldn''t justifiably provoke her rival for his spare time. It was getting really hard to figure out how to handle the blonde cheerleader; Carrie had even switched sides from Julie to Corry in terms of school politics.


    "Carrie, there really isn''t much more to be done at this point," Frank chimed in. "After Luci makes these final modifications, we''ll be set to go."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Okay, I''m just saying, I want to help," Carrie reiterated.


    "Which is good," Frank said. "But right now, you''re being distracting."


    "Okay, okay," Carrie said, raising her hands in surrender. "Backing off." She turned her attention back to the schematics on the nearby table, still glancing over her shoulder at them every now and again.


    Breathing a silent thanks to Frank, Luci made a few more delicate adjustments. ¡°That should do it," she murmured, stepping back.


    "I''m getting something," Frank confirmed. "It''s... yes, hallelujah, we have power!"


    Luci brushed off her hands, smiling happily. "Excellent. I can¡¯t see how these new circuits would overheat the device like before, and it should now be possible to incorporate an item that displays exact time of arrival. Give or take three minutes, nineteen times out of twenty.¡±


    "You''re done?" Carrie asked, coming back over where they were working. "We can do more time traveling now?"


    "After running a few tests," Frank reminded her.


    "Oh. Testing, right, sure," Carrie said, making a face. ¡°Uh, I can try to help with that too?"


    "First things first," Luci decided. "Let''s double check what we''ve done so far." She reached out for the present day quarter sitting nearby, plunked it into the time machine, and peered back down inside the device. "Hmmmmm," she concluded.


    "Hmmmmm? What''s hmmmmm, good hmmmmm, bad hmmmmm?" Carrie asked, trying to look over Luci''s shoulder.


    "Frank, the machine''s not lighting up the same way here,¡± Luci said. She moved aside to allow him to look.


    "That''s funny," Frank confirmed, glancing into the device then back to the voltage meter he had hooked up. "Yet I am getting a power reading. In fact, the charge is increasing.¡±


    Luci again looked into the black box. "I don''t understand. This should have worked fine. It must have something to do with how we reconnected the assembly to those mystery electronics inside the handle."


    "Maybe. I''d still rather not probe too deeply into those," Frank said uneasily. ¡°Since that handle controls the time jump. You didn''t, I don''t know, reverse any positive or negative connections, did you?"


    ¡°Frank, please,¡± Luci said, shaking her head. True, he was better at hardware than her, but she was above such a basic mistake.


    "Maybe it''s something to do with a transistor?" Carrie piped up.


    "No, Carrie," Luci sighed. She paused. "Wait a minute, these wires don''t seem to be fully connected..." Grabbing a pair of tweezers, Luci reached in to gingerly nudge the ends closer together.


    There was a flash of light, and the next thing Luci knew, she was on the floor, halfway across the room.


    "Luci! Luci, are you okay?" Frank was saying, tapping her hand.


    Luci briefly squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head to clear it. "I''m fine," she said, slowly maneuvering herself into a sitting position. "Feeling a bit tingly, that''s all. What happened?"


    "There was a big flash and you got propelled back a few feet," Carrie explained. "You touched something you shouldn''t have."


    ¡°It could have been some sort of residual static charge," Frank guessed. ¡°Though if so, it was pretty massive.¡± After helping Luci back to her feet, Frank returned to the time machine. ¡°It¡¯s no longer lit up. Strange!¡±


    Luci shook her head again, trying to shake off the tingly sensation. "Strange indeed. I¡¯ve no idea why the machine''s acting this way."


    "Maybe we''d better look back over those technical notes we were writing up."


    "The technical notes AGAIN?" Carrie said in horror. "But it''s already after five o''clock! Not that I mind," she added hastily as Frank and Luci turned to her. "It''s only, well, I should tell my dad I''ll be sticking around a little longer than expected, yeah?¡±


    "Wait, did you say it was after five?" Luci turned to look at the clock. "Mom asked me to pick up a few things at the grocery store this afternoon. I''d better go do that... but I can come back here right after. I don''t need to have dinner with my family, I can grab a snack."


    Frank shrugged. "We could probably do with a bit of a break anyway. Go pick up your groceries and have dinner, Luci. Contact me after seven if you want to come back and spend another few hours on this."


    Luci nodded. "I''ll be back, count on that. I want to figure out where we went wrong," she asserted. The young asian girl turned and headed for the stairs.


    "I don''t really need a break," Carrie remarked. ¡°So I can stay long enough to help you tidy up a bit."


    ¡®You don¡¯t need a break because you didn¡¯t DO anything,¡¯ Luci thought. She turned around to say something of the sort, but Frank spoke first.


    ¡°Okay Carrie,¡± Frank relented. ¡°If you''re dead set on being helpful, want to give me a hand coiling up these wires?"


    Luci watched as Carrie nodded and moved next to Frank, smiling at him. A smile Frank returned. Luci''s grip on the stair banister tightened marginally. ¡®If only I were a few years older,¡¯ she thought. ¡®Then I''d mean more to him.¡¯


    The tingly feeling refused to go away.

 Part 29b: Growing Pains 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.1 - From the Past


    PART 29b: GROWING PAINS 2


    Gripping her pencil a little harder, the twenty year old Luci reached out with her free hand to take a sip from her nearby glass of water. Then she resumed writing.


    ''''So anyway, I went to the market, picked up a cauliflower, some ground beef and a few oranges. It was on my way back home that things first started to get out of hand...''''


    ***


    Luci shuddered as she walked. The tingling sensation seemed to be growing worse. She decided she''d better send Frank a message as soon as she got home, it could be a bad sign. Of what, Luci wasn''t sure, but given the unknown factors they''d been playing with in their reparations...


    Luci froze. Her stomach lurched, her fingers spasmed, and she dropped her bag of groceries onto the ground. A solitary orange bounced out, rolling down the street.


    Reaching out to lean against the building next to her, Luci heard a buzzing noise in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut. She gasped for breath. Something was happening to her, something she didn''t understand, couldn''t understand. She opened her mouth and cried out, the world around her inexplicably shrinking, like she was being pulled away, to another time...


    The feeling passed. Luci re-opened her eyes, breathing hard. Everything around her looked the same. What on earth had that been about? Seeing her bag of groceries on the ground, Luci stooped down to retrieve it, but she misjudged the distance and fell to her knees. She realized then that her jeans felt too short and too tight, particularly around the hips. Her bra was also too confining and her hair... her hair had grown out, past her shoulders.


    "What''s happening to me," Luci whispered, looking her body up and down. "I... I''ve aged a year or more..." She quickly made the connection. "It must relate to the machine. I''ve got to get in touch with Frank!"


    A pair of feet stepped into view, and Luci looked up into the face of a man with wild, white hair and wide, staring eyes. Eyes which were currently fixated upon her. They accompanied an expression of complete and utter astonishment. "I saw what you did," the well dressed male said. "Don''t think I didn''t see what you did.¡±


    "Please," Luci croaked out. "Whatever you''re thinking, it''s not like that. I need to make a phone call... help me up..." She extended a hand in the hopes of receiving some support.


    She didn''t get it.


    "You''re one of THEM,¡± he cried out. "You inhuman monster. I''ll kill you myself!¡± With that, he backhanded her across the face.


    Caught off guard, Luci fell to the side, misjudged again where the ground was, and knocked her head on the pavement. The last thing she heard before succumbing to unconsciousness was the man muttering, "I knew they had to slip up eventually."


    ***


    "Miaou?"


    Luci turned. "Taimu!" she said in delight. Setting aside her pencil, Luci leaned down to regard the small black cat which was currently cocking its head curiously at her. "You still recognize me even though I look a lot older, right Taimu?" Luci said.


    The cat seemed uncertain. It kept its distance, flinching back as Luci extended a hand. However, Taimu didn''t run off either. Continuing to size Luci up, he finally allowed her to scritch behind his ears. "I''m still the same old Luci inside," Luci explained softly. ¡°But something unusual has happened to me. You may never see fourteen year old Luci Primrose again."


    Taimu began to purr softly. Luci smiled. "If only everyone was as understanding. Unfortunately, I might have to go elsewhere to start a new life, to avoid curious people poking and prodding at me." She shuddered. "I hope I don''t run into Professor Linquist again any time soon."


    "Mrow?" the cat vocalized, tail twitching.


    "You don''t want to know," Luci assured her feline friend. Pulling away from Taimu, Luci resumed her seat, picked up her pencil and spun it idly around her fingers once more. Then, taking a deep breath, she continued to write.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ***


    Luci regained consciousness only to find herself tied to a chair, bound hand and foot. Moreover, she didn''t seem to be wearing the same clothing, she was dressed in some kind of hospital-style gown. She forced herself not to panic. One thing at a time. At least it didn¡¯t feel like the outfit was open at the back.


    Looking around, she saw that she was inside a sparsely furnished one room cabin structure, and was at present facing the rear wall. There was a table nearby with a loaf of bread sitting on it, making Luci realize how hungry she was. How long had she been knocked out? There was daylight filtering in through a window somewhere, so possibly all night.


    Luci tried to twist her body around to see what was behind her, only to have the man who had accosted her out move into her field of vision. He now seemed to be wearing a lab coat overtop of his button-up shirt and pants.


    "Good, you''re awake," Luci''s abductor said, mouth twitching slightly. "Had to keep you unconscious until now, hope you don''t mind."


    "Who are you?" Luci asked hoarsely. "Where am I, what''s going on?" She needed a glass of water.


    ¡°Tut tut, I''ll be asking the questions," came his reply. He looked down at a sheet of paper. "You are Lucille Isabella Primrose, correct?"


    "I prefer Luci," Luci responded. He¡¯d taken away her ID. Great. Worse, she was having trouble concentrating, and her body was tingling. She wondered fleetingly if she had a concussion, only to remember these sensations matched how she¡¯d felt before getting knocked out. In fact, Luci now realized that she''d had another strange growth spurt while unconscious. Perfect. "Can... can I have some water? My throat hurts."


    He peered at her. "Yes, all right, that might be all right." He backed away and Luci heard a fridge open. When he returned, he poured some water from a bottle between her lips. That helped her feel a bit better. "However, you''d best be co-operative now," he asserted.


    Luci stared at him, fighting the impulse to scream. "Why have you brought me here?"


    The man waggled his finger. "That''s not co-operative." He threw the bottle away into a corner of the room, making Luci jump, then began to pace back and forth. "I''m not the one tied to the chair, so I''m the one who gets to ask the questions. It only makes sense." He crouched down before her. "Now. Tell me, who are your parents?"


    Luci sized up her opponent. He didn¡¯t seem completely stable, and she wasn''t in much of a position to bargain. "Amy and Greg Primrose," Luci answered.


    "No,¡± her captor fired back irritably, jabbing a finger at her. "I''ve been doing some checking on you. You''re adopted! So, who are your REAL parents?"


    ¡°How the hell would I know?" Luci countered.


    He nodded. ¡°I knew it. Your true parents are aliens."


    Luci flinched anew. ¡°A-Aliens?"


    "Oh yes." The man began to rub his hands together. "That''s how they do it, you see. They leave their children on doorsteps and in orphanages, in the hopes they''ll be adopted, and brought inconspicuously into society. Very clever, very hard to trace. But I knew I had to come across one like you sooner or later. This was the most likely town for it!"


    Oh God. The guy was definitely a few chips short of a motherboard. "I assure you, I''m not an alien," Luci said, struggling to keep a neutral tone. ¡°Being an adoptee doesn''t mean someone¡¯s an alien.¡±


    "I know that,¡± he retorted. "I''m not stupid! But you¡¯re more than an adoptee. You look like an 18 year old to me today. Yet yesterday you looked to be a 16 year old disguised as a 14 year old. A little difficulty controlling how people perceive your form, hmmmm? What¡¯s your REAL age?"


    "I... I''m fourteen," Luci yielded. "Something strange has been happening to me, physically. But it''s not because I''m an alien. Come on, you''ve got to believe that.¡±


    He looked her up and down again, scrutinizing her closely. Too closely. It made Luci feel very uncomfortable, not only owing to her restraints, but also due to the ''new'' body she seemed to be in. She would apparently blossom quite nicely in her later teens.


    "I wish you hadn''t said that," he concluded. "Yes, you shouldn''t have said that, you''re making my life so much more difficult."


    Luci shook her head. "I don''t understand."


    "Aggggh," he grumbled, pulling back and rubbing the sides of his head. "It''s your DNA, don''t you see? I took a sample of genetic material. It''s in a state of temporal flux! That''s what I don''t get, I don''t get that, it could mean you''re a victim as opposed to a collaborator... so should I kill you, or not? Hm, wait, okay, tell me, were you recently abducted by aliens??¡±


    "Not before you." Luci immediately wished she could call that retort back. "But what do you mean my DNA is in temporal flux?" she continued, hoping to divert his attention. "How could you possibly determine something like that?"


    An off-kilter smile spread across her captor''s face. "Oh, I have methods," he remarked. "After all I''ve been looking into alien visitations ever since... hey, you''re asking questions again!"


    Luci attempted a shrugging motion. "Sorry," she said, averting her gaze.


    "Don''t you turn away from me!" With one step he was beside her, grabbing her chin, turning her head back. Luci gasped. "Your eyes, your eyes are most interesting to me, actually. Different colours. That, I think, might be significant."


    "Please, let me go," Luci whimpered, starting to lose control over her emotions.


    "Mmmm. Nope, nope, can''t do that I''m afraid. See, it''s important I know about you for sure, one way or the other."


    "Then how can I convince you I''m human...?"


    He stared at her silently for a moment before letting go of her chin. Reaching into a pocket of his lab coat, he pulled out a scalpel. "You can allow me to have a direct look at your brain." He turned the scalpel around in his hands. "Alas, at this point, I fear that''s the only way to be certain."

 Part 30a: Search and Rescue

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.1 - From the Past


    PART 30a: SEARCH AND RESCUE 1


    Luci dropped her pencil to flex her fingers slightly. She glanced down at the floor but Taimu had wandered off somewhere else. Noticing the clock, she realized her parents might be back soon. Her foster parents - they had left a note upstairs indicating that they were out looking for her. As to her real parents, who knew? Maybe they really had been aliens.


    Luci grimaced. Geez, what was she thinking? ¡°Let¡¯s get through the rest of this," she decided. The twenty year old scanned back over what she had written. "Though it looks like I''ll need to backtrack first." She resumed her writing.


    ''''However, something I didn''t know at the time: When I didn¡¯t show up for dinner, my parents contacted the Dijoras and the Vermilions. Then later in the evening, the police. A search was started, which as of Sunday morning, included Frank, Carrie and Chartreuse, all out looking for me.''''


    ***


    "We''re getting nowhere," Carrie stated.


    Chartreuse ventured a smile at the blonde. ¡°Not true. We, like, know that Luci made it to the store, and that nothing happened at the store. So whatever happened, happened after."


    "Brilliant," Carrie said dryly. "Peered in your crystal ball this morning, I see."


    "Carrie..." Frank said.


    Carrie sighed in exasperation. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry, but come on. Wandering the streets is not helping at this point. We need a plan of attack. For instance, wouldn¡¯t it be great if we could travel back in time a day to witness events ourselves?"


    Frank coughed. ¡°Too bad we don¡¯t have access to a working time machine," he said, looking pointedly between Carrie and Chartreuse. "Oh, um, offering to help us look around was very nice of you, by the way. It''s appreciated,¡± he added to the more heavyset girl.


    Chartreuse adjusted one of the bows in her pink hair. "Hey, least I can do, you know? Luci''s my friend too. Still, I fear Carrie''s right. This doesn''t seem to be, you know, helping. Maybe we should, like, directly question people around here?¡±


    She reached out to tap the shoulder of a man passing by. "Excuse me, sir, do you know anything about..." The words froze on Chartreuse''s lips as her hand made contact with him. A wave of emotion blasted through her, making her snap her hand back with a gasp. She stumbled and might have fallen if Frank hadn''t caught her.


    The wide-eyed white haired man turned. "What? Are you saying something?" he inquired.


    "No. Nothing. Carry on," Chartreuse gasped, trying to regulate her breathing. He blinked at her a few times, glanced at Frank and Carrie, then shrugged then continued on his way.


    "Okay, what the heck was THAT drama about?" Carrie inquired, after the pedestrian had moved off a little ways.


    "That guy, the one I tapped, who came out of the library ¨C he knows something about what happened to Luci," Chartreuse explained breathlessly. "I got this sensation that somehow, he, like, knows where Luci is.¡±


    "What? Where is she??¡± Frank asked.


    "I don''t know. This was an impression thing, you know, not a vision thing," Chartreuse said, still trying to regain her equilibrium. ¡°Don¡¯t ask him though. Something¡¯s off. It''s as if he knows WHERE she is but not WHAT she is, if that makes any sense."


    Carrie peered closer at Chartreuse. "Oh yeah. Lots of sense happening here."


    "You have to believe me! I mean, remember back when I, like, knew about the drugs in your locker?" Chartreuse reminded. Carrie flinched back.


    "Okay, it''s our only real lead so far," Frank concluded, looking up to see the man turning the corner. "Come on, quick, before we lose him.¡±


    ***


    ''''So they followed him, out towards the wooded area north of town,'''' Luci continued. ''''They lost him there, trying too hard to be unseen I suspect, and at that point split up to relocate him. Just my luck that Carrie was the one to stumble upon his cabin.''''


    ***


    "You can allow me to have a direct look at your brain." He turned the scalpel around in his hands. "Alas, at this point, that''s the only way for me to be certain."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Which was when Luci heard a door behind her burst open and a familiar voice shout out, "Freeze!"


    The man was instantly on his guard, crouching slightly. "Who are you?" he demanded.


    "I''m... the one telling you to freeze," Carrie¡¯s voice said. "Luci, is that you?"


    "Oh please, tell me you have backup," Luci groaned, her eyes fixated upon the twitchiness of her abductor. She watched as he circled around towards the right, sensing that Carrie was moving in from the opposite direction. Soon they were both in her peripheral vision.


    "Luci?! What has he DONE to you?" Carrie gasped as she finally got a good look at the asian¡¯s eighteen year old body.


    "Waiiiiit, wait, wait,¡± the man said. "Are you another of THEM? Come to take this one back to the mother ship?"


    Carrie quirked up an eyebrow. "Um. Yes, in fact, I am one of them."


    "Carrie!" Luci hissed. What the hell was she hoping to accomplish by provoking an insane person? The blonde merely waved her off, intent on her original target. The crazy man.


    "I should have known,¡± he said, growing visibly agitated, beginning to wave his scalpel around in the air. "I won''t let you win. I''ll kill you all!"


    "But wait,¡± Carrie continued. "I am not here for this girl. I am defecting! That''s why I''m here now, to warn you - there''s thirty of the others tracking you down at this very moment. You''ve got to get away, before it''s too late.¡±


    His mouth twitched. "You''re lying."


    "Yeah, they''re counting on you thinking that. It means they''ll finally be rid of your interference.¡±


    His eyes flicked back and forth. "I... I can take them."


    "Yeah, they''re counting on you thinking that too. Geez, get going while the going is good! Here, I''ll help you gather up your notes." She moved backwards.


    "Hey... DON¡¯T you TOUCH those!"


    With both Carrie and her captor now out of view, Luci only heard him running, a loud THWACKing sound, and the noise of someone falling onto the floor. Then, heavy breathing. Luci squeezed her eyes shut. "Damn it Carrie, why don''t you think before you act?" she whimpered.


    "Because if I did, he might have your brain in a jar by now," Carrie panted. Luci blinked her eyes back open as she felt her classmate start to undo the ropes keeping her in the chair.


    "Carrie! What... what just happened?"


    Carrie finally caught her breath. "Fortunately, our friend here had pretty copious notes, and they made for ''heavy'' reading. But what did he do to you, Luci? You look older than me!¡±


    "This wasn''t his doing," Luci explained as Carrie undid the last of the ropes, allowing her to rise to her feet. "It started before I saw him. This has something to do with the time machine."


    She could now see the rest of the room, including the apparent owner of the residence face down on the floor, a heavily bound book by his head. There were a number of other papers scattered about.


    "The time machine? You''re from the future?" Carrie said in confusion.


    ¡°No.¡± Luci took some tentative steps towards the prone figure as she fought to regain her sense of equilibrium. ¡°It''s from when I touched those wires yesterday. In fact, I¡¯m still tingling... this guy seemed to think my DNA was in flux." As she said that, Luci stumbled and fell, but she was close enough now to reach out and grab a few of the loose sheets.


    "Well, I hate to tell you this Luci, but this guy is a first class NUT. We''d better get out of here before he wakes up. I¡¯ll call in the police and let them deal with him."


    Luci shivered slightly as she saw what had to be a lot of her vital statistics listed on one of the sheets she was holding. She wondered what had happened while she''d been unconscious. Still, it was the name at the top which quickly caught her attention. ¡°Report by Professor Linquist," she said slowly. "I know that name."


    "Linquist?" Carrie frowned. "Yeah, wait a second. That''s the guy who lived in the LaMille mansion. Before they came to town."


    "I think you''re right. Wasn''t he supposed to be a reputable scientist?"


    Carrie shrugged. "He might have won a local award or two, but the guy was mysterious, solitary and I¡¯d say only slightly less whacked than he appears now. I mean, deciding to sell your mansion, in order to live out of a cabin in the woods? Hardly an upwards career move."


    Luci stared at the page. "But..." Then she froze as her stomach lurched. Oh no. Collapsing onto all fours, the buzzing noise returned.


    Luci squeezed her eyes shut, gasping for breath, crying out in pain and confusion as her surroundings shrank and her body experienced another time jump forwards.


    When the feeling passed, the first thing Luci became aware of was Carrie shaking her shoulder and calling out, "Luci? Gods, Luci! What the hell happened? Are you all right?¡±


    "The tingling. It''s finally stopped," Luci realized.


    "Okay, that actually sounds bad. Come on, we''re going to see Frank," Carrie decided. She must have taken off her jacket, as she now draped it over Luci¡¯s shoulders. "I''ll carry you if I have to. Though... maybe not, you''ve gained some weight with your age. But still, come on already!"


    ¡°We have to gather up all the papers about me first," Luci insisted. "I don''t want anyone else to have this information." She grabbed for her ID and personal effects, then any sheets which seemed to relate to her in any way. Carrie helped her scan through the pages.


    "Why are you helping me here anyway?" it occurred to Luci to ask, wishing the pounding in her head would subside the way the tingling had.


    "Because you''re another of Frank''s friends," Carrie answered. Papers dealt with, she helped Luci back to her feet, grunting a bit with the effort. ¡°Also, I¡¯ve learned it''s not good when bad things happen to semi-decent people. Now, pull yourself together and let''s get a move on! Oh, incidentally, Chartreuse is around here too. We''ll have to pass you off as your own long lost cousin, okay?¡±


    Luci stared at Carrie, trying to wrap her head around that response, before nodding and allowing herself to be led out the door. Carrie filled her in as they headed out of the woods.


    ***


    ''''In retrospect, Carrie''s actions were nice. In a Carrie-esque way. Is it possible some of my prior opinions of her were coloured by her associations with Julie? And her apparent grudge against me, which came out of nowhere after that as-yet-unexplained missing second day of high school?''''


    Luci nibbled briefly on the end of her pencil. She shook her head. ''''Anyway. Carrie sent a message to Frank. We all got back together, and then, to let me regain some more of my strength, Carrie and Chartreuse went off to handle talking to the police. This left me alone with Frank... all alone, with him sixteen, and me four years older than that.¡¯¡¯


    Her grip tightened. ¡®¡¯That''s when everything went horribly, horribly wrong.''''

 Part 30b: Search and Rescue 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.1 - From the Past


    PART 30b: SEARCH AND RESCUE 2


    "Okay, let me see if I''ve got this straight," Frank said. "Both you and Luci were kidnapped by this Linquist guy, but you managed to escape?"


    "Not quite," Luci admitted. "That was Carrie''s story for the benefit of Chartreuse."


    Frank grinned. ¡°It had the flavour of one of her stories. Is this why you wanted me to wait here with you?"


    "Yes. You see... Frank..." She took a deep breath. "I am Luci."


    Frank nodded. ¡°A future Luci.¡±


    "No. There was an accident with the time machine yesterday," Luci explained. "When I touched those wires it did something to me, something that''s caused me to age rapidly a total of three times now." Frank frowned and took a step closer, looking Luci up and down more carefully. She blushed mildly at the scrutiny. "Frank, I wouldn''t lie to you about this, honest."


    Frank coughed, stepping back again. "Sorry. But that¡¯s kind of crazy - what do you think could have caused this?"


    "It might have something to do with a genetics trigger in the machine,¡± Luci said tentatively, holding up the pages she''d retrieved. ¡°That Professor Linquist, he¡¯d picked up on the fact that there was a temporal signature fluctuating inside me."


    "Really?" Frank took the pages from Luci and scanned the top sheet. "Then do you think there might be a way we can use this information to change you back?"


    Luci stared. "Change me... back?"


    Frank looked back up. "Well, sure. You don''t want to stay in the body you have now, do you?"


    Luci licked her lips. "I... I don''t know. Why... what''s wrong with the body I have now?" she murmured.


    "Well... nothing I guess," Frank admitted. "It''s just not you, right?"


    ¡°On the contrary, there''s every possibility that this is how I''m going to look in six or seven years."


    "In six years, sure," Frank agreed. "But inside you''re still fourteen. Er, aren''t you?"


    Luci looked down at herself. "Inside... I''m not sure how old I am," she said softly. She turned away. ¡°Frank, I''ve always been an outcast. Too smart for people my age, and too young for people of comparable intellect."


    She brushed some of her long, black hair back off her shoulder. ¡°So this, it could be a blessing. My chance to fit in. The tingling inside me has stopped, so I don''t think I''ll get any older. So... so why can''t I continue my life from here as if I''m twenty?"


    "Luci..."


    She spun back towards him. "I mean, the time machine could have just matched my physical age to my mental age, right Frank? RIGHT? Maybe that¡¯s what it did. Because look at me. LOOK at me! In this body, I can be taken seriously. No more condescending remarks from older people, no more students whispering about me behind my back. I can start living life anew.¡±


    Frank stared at her for a long moment. "And what of fourteen year old Luci?¡± he said quietly. ¡°The one who''s gone missing, the one who has a lot of people worried? If you stay at your current age, you can''t reveal who you really are, you must realize that. Think of all the questions it will bring up."


    Luci looked down at her feet. "So I¡¯d have to move away. It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll leave a note for my parents, and there aren''t that many people who will miss the old Luci."


    ¡°I¡¯d miss her."


    Luci smiled. "Frank, don''t be silly... I can visit. You''ll know it¡¯s me."


    "No, I mean I''ll miss the Luci I used to know. The one I could study with. The one I could chat with over a juice.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "But I''m still that Luci, only better. Older," Luci asserted. She reached out to pull Frank closer to her. "In fact, I... I can be even more to you... like this..."


    Frank¡¯s gaze slipped down. He quickly jerked his head back up to look her in the eyes. "It''s all right," Luci murmured. "I don''t mind if you look there. In fact, I... I''ve wanted to be close to you like this for so long."


    Frank¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, Luci..."


    "In fact, I think I can finally say it. Frank... I love you." With that, she leaned in and kissed him.


    He didn''t react.


    Then he pulled away.


    ***


    A single tear splashed down onto the page of Luci''s diary. She pushed herself away from the desk. ¡°This writing is NOT helping,¡± Luci realized. ¡°It STILL doesn¡¯t make sense."


    Slamming the book closed, she stood and hurled herself back onto her bed, grabbing one of her pillows and hugging it to her chest. Her now too large chest. "Why?" she whispered. "Why did I do that? I suppose I thought I could live out my fondest dream... Except..."


    ***


    "Luci, this isn''t right."


    She stared at him. Trying to understand. ¡°You think I''m too old for you now?"


    "Yes. I mean no. I mean you''re... you''re not my Luci."


    "Frank, I really am her. And my feelings are real."


    ¡°Luci... I can¡¯t. This is too weird. Y-You¡¯ve just experienced something traumatic, w-we have to analyze that first..." He took a step backwards.


    ¡°Frank, wait!¡±


    "I... I''m just going to have a look at these notes, okay? I¡¯ll see if there''s anything I can do about what happened and I''ll... I¡¯ll let you know if I come up with anything. Okay?"


    "No... no, don''t be like this. Please don''t..."


    "Luci, to me you¡¯re still fourteen."


    "But Frank, I do love you!"


    "I can''t handle that right now. Not like this. I... I''m sorry, Luci." He turned and ran.


    ***


    Luci threw her pillow across the room. "WHY?" she screamed, seized by an uncontrollable rage, her tears starting to flow freely once more. "I''d just escaped from a lunatic, everything was getting better, we''d kissed... MY DREAM WASN''T SUPPOSED TO END THAT WAY!¡±


    Taimu, who had just peered around the door of her room once more, let out a yowl and backed away as he was almost hit by her second pillow. Luci didn''t even notice. Curling herself up into a ball, she simply cried. And cried. And cried.


    "It''s not fair," she choked out. "It''s not fair. I¡¯m the right age now, it wasn''t supposed to end like that...."


    It eventually occurred to her that she must present quite a sight, a twenty year old girl sobbing uncontrollably in the basement bedroom of her parents'' house. With them out looking for her. Worried about her. Yet she couldn¡¯t stay here. Not now. She swallowed hard, wiping at her cheeks, as another thought occurred.


    "Physically, I''m twenty,¡± she whispered. "Mentally, I''m at least that old. But emotionally... emotionally am I still fourteen? Is that the problem here? And what about socially? I mean, what¡¯s the point of being a brilliant scientist, if you have no friends to share your accomplishments with?"


    She rolled her gaze up to the ceiling. ¡°Gods, becoming this age... somehow, it¡¯s lost me everything. Even Frank. I¡¯m going to have to run away... and I don¡¯t want to. I want to stay here! To be myself again! Oh God, whatever am I going to do?!"


    Before her tears could flow again, her phone rang.


    It was Frank.


    ***


    ''''Dear Diary. Well, I look fourteen again. Go figure.


    ''''It¡¯s only ballpark fourteen, of course, as randomness dictates that I may be months off either way. It wasn¡¯t calculated so much as it was an apparent correlation between some readings off of Professor Linquist''s scans, and power readings we''d recorded the other day off of the time machine. Which led to, you guessed it, going through that whole tingly physical ordeal again, merely in reverse. JOY.


    ¡®¡¯I skipped school on Monday so that no one would notice my age regressing, stuck it all out in Frank''s basement - after giving my parents a call to tell them I¡¯d gotten away from the Professor and would see them once I¡¯d worked through some issues. Adding to the confusion, when the police went out to Linquist''s cabin, the guy had vanished. They didn''t find any evidence of his bizarre activities either. Hopefully he left town, and we won¡¯t run into him again.¡¯¡¯


    Luci spun her pencil.


    ''''Now. On to the important stuff. The relationship gates are open between me and Frank - and neither of us quite know what to do about it. Frank said he thinks of me as, "a close friend, it''ll take time to sort the rest out". I admitted that I went a bit overboard, and can wait on him for an answer. Particularly now that I''ve realized making myself older won''t solve anything. In fact, I think he asked Carrie about me today... she gave me a funny look when I left his place. Good! Let her wonder about me for a change.''''


    Luci smiled at the thought, but it faded quickly.


    ¡®¡¯Actually, about Carrie... I remember writing once that no good would ever come of her hanging out with Frank. That my separating them would be for the best. In that, I may have been... mistaken. I''m starting to realize what a positive influence he''s been on her, while she, in her own way, has been pushing him towards becoming more decisive. It sounds weird, but we might both have Frank''s best interests at heart. Ugh. Could be trouble for me, long term... but hey, I got in the first kiss!''''


    Her smile was back. ¡®¡¯To reiterate, what they say is true. Be careful what you wish for, lest you get it.'''' Luci set her pencil aside and closed her diary. But then she stopped, re-opened the book and riffled through to her last entry, taking up her pencil one last time.


    ''''P.S. : Since Linquist was apparently correct in his temporal analysis of me, where did he get the rest of his so-called data concerning "aliens"? Not that I believe I''m an alien, but the guy WAS once a legit scientist. Stands to reason that there was some truth to his ravings. Right? Meaning... the origin of the machine is extra terrestrial...?''''


    Luci stared down at the page silently for a moment, before shaking her head, closing the book once again, and reaching up to switch off her desk lamp.


    They had a fully working time machine less than three days later.

 Part 31a: Past Meets Future

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.2 - To the Future


    PART 31a: PAST MEETS FUTURE 1


    Julie twisted the Rubik¡¯s cube around. Perhaps if she... no, the colours weren¡¯t going to line up that way either. Frustrated, she threw the object across the room, where it bounced off one of her filing cabinets. She glared at it, knowing full well that she wasn¡¯t really upset with the puzzle cube.


    "Damn you, Corry," she seethed. "You have more stamina than I thought. I played the tape incriminating your sister at the dance. I set you up by putting those prescription pills in Carrie¡¯s locker. I opened myself up to attack, and despite that - you wait. You. WAIT. This is driving me NUTS! I thought for sure, on Halloween..."


    Julie raked a hand back through her hair and leaned back against the wall. "I can¡¯t lose to you if you do nothing, Corry. What the hell is wrong, idiot? You know you want to deal with me. You¡¯ve wanted it for two years, so COME AT ME already!"


    There was a knock at the basement door to her ''play room'', making Julie jump. "Who''s there?" she hollered.


    ¡°Me," came the voice of Jeeves, the family butler. "Clarke''s called you again."


    She¡¯d stopped taking cell phone calls; he¡¯d resorted to the land line. ¡°Then you should have told him I didn''t want to talk."


    "Indeed I did. But following that we had another call from your high school."


    "Then you tell Mr. Hunt he knows my price. I''m not budging an inch," Julie asserted, even as she slid down the wall onto the ground.


    "On the contrary, this time the principal recommended a good counsellor for you," Jeeves responded. "And frankly Miss LaMille, I''m starting to think that a wise course of action. I would hate to see a repeat of whatever happened three years ago, before you came to this town."


    Julie began to rock her body back and forth. "It won''t happen,¡± she called back. She swallowed. "I''ll do things right this time," she finished, too quietly for him to hear.


    "Very well," Jeeves concluded after a moment. "But your parents ARE still due to arrive next week. For your birthday. Ultimately, I believe the decision on counselling will be up to them?¡±


    Julie didn''t answer. Her eyes merely tracked back to the lower drawer of that one particular filing cabinet. "You''ll see. I''ll do things right this time," she repeated softly.


    ***


    Mrs. Dijora smiled as she opened the door. "Why Carrie, how nice to see you again!"


    Carrie flashed Frank''s mother a quick grin. ¡°Thanks, likewise! Frank in?"


    Mrs. Dijora nodded. "He''s downstairs with Luci."


    "Great," Carrie said, stepping inside. "Euhhh, I can come in, right?" she asked belatedly. Mrs. Dijora simply nodded again, looking mildly amused as Carrie hurried past her to open the basement door. The blonde took the stairs down two at a time, the individuals in Frank''s lab turning to look as she reached the bottom.


    "Don''t you ever knock?" Luci wondered.


    "I knocked on the front door," Carrie retorted. "Look, I¡¯m actually glad you''re both here. We¡¯ve got a new date we can time travel to as a test. Once you¡¯re finished with your final checks or whatever."


    Frank adjusted his glasses. "Oh? What date might that be?"


    Carrie took in a deep breath. "November 12th. Four days into the future."


    Frank stared back at her for a moment, then he turned to Luci. "Is there something going on here that I don''t know about?"


    Luci pursed her lips. "Hard to say, really."


    Carrie lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Okay, I know I¡¯VE missed any connection between me and the-- between me and Luci."


    "She suggested that same date to me yesterday," Frank explained.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Oh, she did, did she?" Carrie said, folding her arms.


    ¡°As I said to Luci then, even if it is possible, given how the device can apparently travel to any time during our current year... I''m not sanguine about travel to the future," Frank continued. ¡°It will substantially compound the number of unknown variables involved.¡±


    Carrie shrugged. "Immaterial if we outvote you two to one," she noted. "Though I would like to know exactly what Luci''s interest is with that date."


    Luci shrugged as well. "The same as yours?"


    "You mean Corry?" Carrie pressed. Luci nodded. ¡°So how did YOU know he''d be doing something then?¡±


    Luci hesitated only briefly. ¡°That would take a bit of explanation," she admitted. She boosted herself up to sit on the edge of the lab table, bringing her closer to Carrie¡¯s height. "And while I''ve considered saying something before, it¡¯s only now that the time machine is a factor again that it¡¯s relevant. Thing is, Carrie, you cannot reveal what I''m about to say to Corry."


    Carrie sniffed. ¡°No deal. At least, not if this relates to Julie, since the guy grills me on her every other day. I''m starting to think he''s got psychological problems."


    "It doesn''t directly relate to Julie," Luci assured. "It relates to Chartreuse. However, I cannot say anything more without assurance of your complete confidence."


    Carrie frowned, and looked at Frank, who shrugged. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll keep quiet either way," he pointed out. "Again, more concerned with the actual travel into the future.¡±


    Carrie fought briefly against her curiosity, but it was a losing proposition. ¡°Okay, Luci," she agreed. ¡°Nothing to Corry. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll ease off me after the 12th anyway."


    Luci eyed her for a moment, then nodded. "Okay then." She took in a breath. ¡°For the last month or more, Chartreuse, Tim and I have been working together. Trying to keep tensions from escalating too high at school between the Julie and Corry factions.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re doing a lousy job then," Carrie blurted out. "Julie was accused of stealing that potted plant from Mrs. Latour''s desk the other week, Corry was blamed for messing up Julie¡¯s law case files...¡±


    "It''s not easy,¡± Luci interrupted. ¡°People are ready to go off at the drop of a hat.¡± She leaned forwards. ¡°That said, we''ve been pretty sure that Corry''s had something on the back burner. Chartreuse finally got the date of November 12th from Laurie earlier this week.¡±


    ¡°Hrmph. Okay, you''re up on me then," Carrie grumbled. "Corry only gave me that date today. It makes sense though, that being Julie''s birthday," she added. Luci nodded slowly.


    ¡°Wait, hold on," Frank protested. "Why would Corry take action against Julie on her birthday?¡±


    ¡°When else?" Carrie retorted. ¡°Corry doesn¡¯t have experience with the long game, not like Julie. When she didn¡¯t do anything after I switched teams, Corry was shocked. Since then, he¡¯s questioned me about her motivations. Obsessively. Now, if you know Julie, you can see she¡¯s been gradually fraying around the edges - but in the end? No way was he going to outlast her. The date makes perfect sense in retrospect.¡±


    "What DID Corry come up with on Julie''s motives?" Luci wondered.


    "Can''t talk about it," Carrie shot back automatically. She then rubbed the back of her neck. "Mainly because I don''t know. Corry and I don¡¯t go beyond speaking terms. He only gave me the November 12th date because, once I realized he wasn¡¯t going to wait forever, I asked him to give me the courtesy of a few days heads up."


    "But... then what is Corry about to do?" Frank asked.


    ¡°Obviously, we don¡¯t know,¡± Luci said. ¡°Which is why I proposed going ahead to November 12th, to see something that might help clear things up for the 2DEGS."


    Frank blinked. "For the... what?"


    Luci blushed. "Uh, the 2DEGS. It''s, well, how Chartreuse refers to our little group of three," she admitted a bit sheepishly. "See, she, me and Tim, we all have two degrees of separation from... look, it doesn¡¯t matter," she decided as Frank and Carrie¡¯s stares become more incredulous. "Point is, I''ve always wanted to try a trip to the future too, to verify that it could be done. The time machine is functional again, so why not use it for a good cause like this?"


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Carrie shifted her gaze back to Frank. "Besides, aren''t you curious about the Julie-Corry feud? I say let''s go for it. I mean, for crying out loud, aren¡¯t you at least pleased that I¡¯m suggesting THIS instead of a trip back to deal with you-know-what?" Carrie had decided that there would be time enough for her mother once the school situation had been dealt with.


    Frank sighed. "Well, as you said, it appears I''m outvoted."


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Carrie said, rubbing her hands in delight.


    "There''s just one more thing," Luci said. "I decided to tell you all that for a reason. Basically, before we go anywhere..." She took in a deep breath. "I want to tell Chartreuse and Tim about our time travelling.¡±


    Both Carrie and Frank turned back to Luci. "What?" they chorused.


    ***


    The next evening, Tim was shown into the Dijora sitting room. Chartreuse was already there. She smiled brightly at him. "Glad you could make it."


    Tim smiled back weakly.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad we¡¯re getting to meet more of Frank¡¯s classmates,¡± Mrs. Dijora said, clasping her hands together. ¡°My son said he''d be upstairs shortly, can I get either of you anything while you wait? Juice maybe?¡±


    "I''m okay, thanks," Chartreuse said. "Tim?"


    Tim simply shook his head. Mrs. Dijora nodded and left the room, after which Tim heard her calling downstairs to her son. He turned to Chartreuse. "So why would Luci ask to meet us HERE?" he wondered.


    ¡°Dunno,¡± Chartreuse confessed. "But I would, you know, guess it has something to do with Corry and our upcoming doomsday." Tim nodded in resignation and took a seat. "Not a bad looking house here," Chartreuse continued conversationally. "It''s probably got, like, good fung shui."


    Tim shrugged. "I wouldn''t know."


    "Yeah, neither would I," Chartreuse concurred. "Not my area of expertise."


    She winked and smiled again, and Tim found he couldn''t help but smile back. For all her faults, Chartreuse did have a way of helping a person feel more at ease. Still, Tim found it difficult to get comfortable, particularly when not only Luci and Frank, but also Carrie walked into the room. All wearing sombre expressions.

 Part 31b: Past Meets Future 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.2 - To the Future


    PART 31b: PAST MEETS FUTURE 2


    "We''re clear," Frank remarked, looking down the hall. "Dad¡¯s out like usual and Mom''s gone upstairs for the moment.¡±


    "So what''s, like, up?" Chartreuse asked. "Do you all have some new..." Her voice trailed off as Luci motioned for quiet.


    "We''re about to let the two of you in on a big secret," Luci began. ¡°And while I trust you''ll both keep this quiet, there have been some reservations expressed." Tim saw the younger girl glance at Carrie. "So let me be perfectly clear. What I am about to reveal, you are NOT speak of to anyone else. It doesn''t go beyond the five of us. Okay?"


    Tim and Chartreuse looked at each other, surprised. "Okay, sure," Chartreuse agreed.


    "Not even to Clarke?" Tim asked.


    "Especially not to him,¡± Carrie insisted.


    Luci fully turned towards the blonde cheerleader. "Well... we are pretty sure he suspects anyway, via Julie," she pointed out.


    "All the more reason not to give Julie any more information,¡± Carrie challenged. "Clarke is not part of this agreement.¡±


    "We''d prefer you didn''t mention it to him," Frank offered up. "But we''ll take any other names under advisement, as we did when Luci suggested the both of you." Carrie sighed in exasperation, but said nothing more.


    Tim nodded. "O-Okay then," he said, biting his lip. ¡°The five of us.¡±


    Luci spoke up again. "Tim, remember how you saw two Carries at the school dance? That''s something that never got properly explained. And Chartreuse, you''ve asked me about that other person caught by Professor Linquist - the one who looked similar to me, yet older. Again, I couldn''t go into any detail.¡±


    The young asian girl began to pace. ¡°This secret will explain everything. My hope is that it will also lead you to believe any information that comes out of what we''re about to do. Plus, Chartreuse, there''s something you''ve been hiding from us in the last week." Chartreuse flinched. "Please take this action of mine as a gesture of faith towards revealing your own secret."


    "I... I''m not really hiding a secret," Chartreuse protested. "There''s only this, like, event that I foresaw over a month ago, and I''ve recently had the feeling that it may be, you know, close at hand. If it happens. I could be wrong about the whole thing."


    "Oh, get ON with this already,¡± Carrie groaned. ¡°Luci, if you''re going to tell them, do it before Frank¡¯s mom comes back down.¡±


    Luci rolled her eyes. "Okay, bottom line. Chartreuse, Tim... the three of us here have access to a time machine." She let the comment sit there for a moment before adding, "And we''re planning on using it to travel forwards three days in order to see what happens to Julie at school."


    "What?" Tim said, bewildered.


    "Cool,¡± said Chartreuse, without missing a beat. She leaned forwards. "How did you, like, get ahold of something like that?"


    Carrie, Frank and Luci all answered the question at once.


    "Government agents," Carrie said.


    ¡°Came from the future," Frank said.


    "Through alien technology," Luci said.


    The three of them turned to look at each other. "We''re not sure of its origins," Frank finally admitted.


    "You have got to be kidding us," Tim murmured.


    "We wouldn''t kid about this sort of thing," Luci assured him.


    Frank stepped forwards. "In fact, there was one key argument in favour of revealing the time machine to you now. With the three of us traveling to the future, if something unexpected happens, and we can''t get back... well, it seemed wise to have someone in our own time who knew what was going on."


    "Can we actually see this time machine thing then?" Chartreuse asked eagerly.


    Frank nodded. "It''s downstairs. Come on, we might as well explain to you what we''ve figured out so far."


    "Not that you''ll understand most of it," Carrie added under her breath. Still, she was loud enough that Tim heard her remark. And, based on his understanding of things to this point, he was inclined to agree.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ***


    Chartreuse peered closely at the black box on Frank''s lab table, even as he began to explain something about coins. "You know," she piped up when he paused. "I kinda thought a time machine would be, like, bigger. Aren''t you supposed to be able to ride in them?"


    "Wait, let me see if I understand," Tim said uneasily. "You drop a coin in that thing, pull the lever, and end up in the same year as when the coin was minted?"


    Frank nodded. "Exactly. We can rig the month and day internally, even set the time now thanks to some new integrated circuits of Luci''s. There IS random variance, but so far we''ve only been more than a day off target once or twice."


    ¡°Except when we ARE off by more, it can be for a month," Carrie grumbled.


    "Then what''s the pocket watch for?" Chartreuse wondered, pointing at it through the open top of the device.


    "Oh, that''s my contribution,¡± Carrie said, smiling as she leaned against the table next to Chartreuse. "It belongs to my family, and it¡¯s going to display the actual time of arrival.¡±


    ¡°Maybe," Luci yielded. ¡°Thing is, we tried a digital readout, but it risks an overheating problem. This mechanical stopwatch doesn¡¯t seem to affect the internal workings that way - and for whatever reason, it¡¯s hands twitch when the machine is charged. Carrie has a ¡®feeling¡¯, so we mounted it inside.¡±


    "Cool,¡± Chartreuse reiterated, deciding to ignore the skepticism in Luci¡¯s tone. "How long have you guys been, you know, working on this thing then?"


    "I found the machine back in September," Carrie revealed.


    "I did most of the initial work that month,¡± Frank added. "Though have been collecting coins for a few years."


    ¡°And I helped tinker all through October,¡± Luci finished. "Not always successfully. Which is why you saw me as a twenty year old that day, Chartreuse."


    "This really doesn''t seem that safe then," Tim put in. "You don''t know where it''s f-from, don''t know what it''s capable of, it''s got r-random variance, yet you''re actively USING it?"


    ¡°Some of us have a personal stake,¡± Carrie noted, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Plus we haven¡¯t had any major problems," Frank assured. ¡°And it''s in using it that we discover more about it."


    "So, like, how many trips have you made?" Chartreuse wondered.


    ¡°I haven''t been keeping track," Frank admitted. ¡°Initially we made a few little test trips. That said, right now, we only have a half dozen or so present day coins left. I¡¯ve seen fewer of them since they first started circulating, at the beginning of summer.¡±


    Luci cleared her throat. ¡°Respectfully - the questions could become endless, and they aren''t important right now. Chartreuse, Tim, I simply felt that you deserved to know."


    ¡°THANK you,¡± Carrie sighed. ¡°With that dealt with, let''s travel to the future before the future becomes the past. You''ve already set the device properly, right Frank?¡±


    Frank nodded. "For after school on the 12th. That way we can learn about things through the aftermath, avoiding details.¡±


    "Wait," Luci objected. ¡°Before we go - Chartreuse, that vision you mentioned...?"


    Chartreuse felt her mood crash. "My visions aren''t always accurate, Luci," she protested. "I mean, maybe you heard that in September, I forecasted that we''d finally have a winning football team? That never happened."


    ¡°I doubt you put much effort into that reading,¡± Luci observed.


    "Circumstances have, you know, changed over the last month too," Chartreuse continued desperately. "I mean, my own detention with Carrie after the drugs might have, like, invalidated what I saw."


    ¡°Regardless, Chartreuse - if you know something about the future we''re going into, we could use that advantage."


    ¡°Oh no, look, no, you don''t want this knowledge,¡± Chartreuse said, adopting her most serious posture. "You really don''t."


    "Maybe not. But I think we need to have it,¡± Luci said.


    "Luci, if she doesn''t want to tell us, fine,¡± Carrie broke back in, with obvious exasperation. "Is this really so important?"


    "It might be," Frank put in, now looking a little more closely at Chartreuse. "Because this sounds significant. Like, drugs in a locker significant.¡± Carrie pursed her lips at that.


    ¡°Chartreuse,¡± Frank ventured, ¡°we''ll be flying more blind than usual. If you somehow have insight into anything that''s coming... it really could be invaluable."


    Chartreuse shifted her weight back and forth. "Ooooh..." She exhaled, and decided to say it all in a rush. ¡°ISawSomeoneWeKnowFromSchoolFiringAGun!¡±


    No one spoke at first. Until Luci fired off the logical question, "Who?"


    "I don''t know," Chartreuse said sullenly, shaking her head.


    "When?" Tim gasped out.


    "I don''t know. Soon."


    "Did anyone get hit?" Frank wondered.


    "I don''t know."


    ¡°You really don''t know much at all," Carrie muttered, barely audibly.


    Chartreuse spun to face the blonde. "THAT¡¯S why I didn¡¯t want to say anything! You don''t know what it was like to see even that much, Carrie. I mean, if you''d, like, seen someone wielding a gun, could you ever look them in the eye again without thinking about that? I didn''t WANT to know more.¡± Never mind that even that much had overloaded her vision.


    Carrie seemed surprised at Chartreuse''s reaction, causing the pink haired girl to bow her head. "I-I''m sorry, Carrie. I didn''t mean to, you know, snap at you like that."


    ¡°No. It¡¯s fine, I think I had that coming to me,¡± Carrie yielded after a second. She turned to Luci. ¡°So, before I say something else I shouldn¡¯t, can we please GO already?¡±


    The younger girl reluctantly pulled her gaze away from Chartreuse. ¡°Okay. Yeah. I think all the secrets are out now,¡± she finished.


    Except there was too much tension in the air for Chartreuse. ¡°We five do make an odd group, don''t we?¡± she offered up to them. "Guess I''ll have to, like, change the name of the 2DEGS, huh? How about, er, the time trippers?" Everyone blinked at her.


    ¡°That makes it sound like we do temporal drugs," Tim objected. Carrie snickered, and to Chartreuse¡¯s relief, the others joined in.


    ***


    ¡°Okay,¡± Frank concluded, after he finished chuckling. ¡°So, any technical details should be answerable in the steadily growing pile of notes me and Luci have been making.¡± He gestured towards them. ¡°Chartreuse, Tim, feel free to glance over those while we''re gone."


    "Though we may be back before we leave," Luci remarked.


    Carrie plunked a present day nickel into the time machine device. ¡°We won''t get BACK unless we GO,¡± she reminded, grabbing the handle.


    With another nod, Frank grabbed for their backpack of supplies and moved to take hold of the handle too, right after Luci. On a count of three, they pulled, and Frank felt the temporal void sucking him in. The next thing he noticed were the bright headlights of a van bearing down on him, doing at least 30 kph.


    By the time this fact fully registered with him, Frank barely had enough time left to process being in the middle of the road. He realized then that he wouldn''t even be able to cry out.


    There was nothing he could do now, except get hit.

 Part 32a: Frequent Flyers

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.2 - To the Future


    PART 32a: FREQUENT FLYERS 1


    Frank fell hard against the pavement. As he collected his wits, he realized that his fall hadn''t been because he''d been hit by the van bearing down on them. It was because he''d been pushed from behind by Carrie.


    She''d shoved him out of the way - but wasn¡¯t next to him now. Hearing the squealing of tires, Frank twisted his head around, expecting the worst. "Carrie?" he called out. The van had stopped right past where they''d all been standing. "Carrie!" Frank repeated.


    "No need to shout, geez," came Carrie''s voice. Frank was forced to turn again, now seeing that Carrie - no, TWO Carries - were lying a short distance away, in the grass by the sidewalk. Along with the time machine.


    ¡°Thank goodness," Frank sighed. ¡°And Luci? LUCI?!"


    ¡°Present,¡± came Luci¡¯s voice. ¡°Nice to be remembered.¡±


    Frank now registered that she was lying rigidly on the pavement. She must have reacted fast enough to flatten herself down onto the ground, leaving the van to pass overtop of her. She seemed none the worse for wear; maybe breathing a bit harder than usual.


    ¡°I would have shoved you as well, Luci," one of the Carries said, also sounding winded. "But you seemed to be reacting fast enough."


    The shorter girl pushed herself up from the pavement. "Yeah, well, I¡¯d have pulled Frank down with me, but you were already ramming into his back.¡±


    ¡°Meanwhile, I had to tackle my younger self out of the way,¡± the second Carrie piped up. ¡°I¡¯m thinking I should get a thank you there?¡± She looked pointedly at her double.


    The first Carrie brushed some hair back off her face. "Uh, yeah. Thanks," she managed. A ''hmph'' was her only reply. Frank wondered idly if meeting oneself was something a person could ever get used to.


    "Vat yu crazy kids doin''?" a new voice said. It was the owner of the van, who had now exited his vehicle and peered beneath it, obviously concerned that there might still be someone else there. "Any body hurt?"


    Carrie - their version from the past, Frank decided, based on her clothes - waved her hand sheepishly. "No, we''re fine. Sorry, didn''t mean to cause trouble."


    "Won''t happen again. Please, drive on," the other present day(?) Carrie added. She helped her counterpart to her feet. Frank also stood up, brushing off his hands.


    The man blinked. "Vat you mean? Everything hokay then?"


    The teenagers exchanged a quick glance, then replied all at once, saying phases such as "sure", "oh yeah", "great" and "no problem".


    "But yu know, is bad idea to play in road," stated the driver. ¡°Be more careful in future.¡±


    "Don''t worry, we''ll be more careful while in the future," Luci quipped.


    The van driver stared at them for another moment before shaking his head. "Crazy kids," the driver repeated. He got back into his van and drove off, Frank idly noticing the licence plate read ''LARS 02''. He then looked around to get his bearings. They were on his street, near his house.


    "So anyway, welcome to November 12th," present (yet technically future?) Carrie said. "Now let''s hurry up and get inside. You need to tend to your scrapes and bruises, plus it''s about to pour rain."You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    They all headed off to Frank¡¯s place. None of them paid any attention to the thirty-something male sitting in the parked car nearby, as he scribbled on a notepad.


    ***


    "5:44," Frank said. He closed the pocket watch and moved to put it back in the machine. "You past versions got that? That''s the time you all appeared here, so that''s the time when Carrie will have to save herself today after you all go back."


    "You were expecting us then," the second Frank realized. ¡°That... makes sense. Good to know we''ll make a safe return trip." He rubbed his forehead. "Though I¡¯m having trouble understanding how we can be here simultaneously. I mean, it makes sense if we go into the past, making that the present, but now that our present is the future instead...?¡±


    In Frank''s sitting room there were now two Franks, two Carries, two Lucis, one Chartreuse and one Tim. Past Luci cleared her throat. ¡°Try thinking about why the pocket watch actually worked instead,¡± she offered. ¡°That¡¯s the part that¡¯s blowing my mind.¡±


    "This is going to be, like, a real weird conversation," Chartreuse realized. ¡°How do I even refer to you guys? Frank One and Frank Two?"


    ¡°The first time around we used middle names," Carrie said absentmindedly. "That is, the time we did this when I was you," she clarified, indicating her past counterpart. "I believe the explanation I gave was that it could become a useful standard for any other encounters? Any of us out of our present time can automatically revert to their middle name."


    "That makes sense," Carrie¡¯s prior self agreed. "I don''t mind being called Elizabeth."


    ¡°But, Carrie, you¡¯re messing with causality now!¡± the time displaced Frank protested. ¡°How does that idea even have an origin?¡±


    ¡°You know what? Screw it,¡± Luci decided. ¡°This means I¡¯m Isabella. I¡¯m putting that out there now, lest Carrie manage to create a new middle name for me.¡±


    Frank rubbed his forehead. ¡°But... fine. So I''m, uh, Bernard."


    Elizabeth lifted an eyebrow. "Bernard?"


    "My grandfather''s name," Bernard explained with a shrug.


    ¡°I like Elizabeth,¡± Chartreuse observed. ¡°Carrie, can I, like, call you Betty or Beth too?¡±


    "No," Elizabeth said, making a face. ¡°Elizabeth.¡±


    ¡°Things are confusing enough already," Isabella sighed in agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯m already lost,¡± Tim admitted, speaking up for the first time. "I mean, why are we here anyway, since you guys indicated nothing came of this discussion the first time?"


    ¡°Because while nothing came of it when I was Isabella," Luci explained, ¡°that doesn''t mean that talking now won''t trigger a revelation a little ways along in our present, which our counterparts wouldn''t have known, having already returned to the past."


    "Besides, we already had this discussion, so we have to have it again," Frank asserted.


    ¡°Oh." Tim lowered his head down between his legs. ¡°So do you really need ME here?"


    Chartreuse reached over to pat Tim on the back. ¡°Aw, hey, don''t sweat it. See it as, like, a whole new sort of experience. Besides, the discussion can''t go that long. Frank''s parents have to come home eventually, plus me and Luci have, you know, band practice later tonight."


    Bernard let out a breath. ¡°Then in the interests of expediting matters... our arrival here in the future was obviously expected, so our reason for coming must also be known. What''ve you got?"


    Carrie smiled. "That''s my cue!" she said, producing three identical flyers and handing them out to the three time travellers.


    Bernard looked down at the sheet in his hand. There was a picture of Julie on top. She looked a little younger, and was wearing what looked to be some sort of school uniform, like from a private school. Indeed, as Bernard began to read he realized that''s exactly what her clothing represented. "This is information on Julie''s past," he said in shock.


    "Corry figured all this out?" Isabella asked, looking back up.


    ¡°He both figured it out, and then printed up something like 500 copies of that to spread around the school," Luci confirmed to her prior self.


    "Oh, this is PRICELESS," Elizabeth said, letting out a laugh as she scanned over the sheet in her hands. "This stuff must have made Julie livid! Damn, it might have been worth the wait after all.¡±


    There was a brief silence, after which Elizabeth found that everyone was staring at her. Even her future self. She brushed some hair back off her shoulder. "What?" she said haughtily. ¡°Have we forgotten what Julie DID to me? She¡¯s hardly the heroine in our school soap opera.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fill the vacancy,¡± Isabella muttered.


    Bernard cleared his throat. ¡°Look, Carrie''s... er, Elizabeth''s grudge notwithstanding, Julie''s reaction IS the main reason for having this talk," he pointed out. ¡°What do we have on that?¡±


    Carrie took a step towards the middle of the room. "You need context first. So, here''s what I remember myself saying. Which was confirmed when Corry talked with me, so don''t you start into one of your time loop discussions, Bernard,¡± she added quickly, shaking a finger at him. Bernard raised his hands in deference to her.


    Carrie started her explanation.

 Part 32b: Frequent Flyers 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.2 - To the Future


    PART 32b: FREQUENT FLYERS 2


    "Corry has actually spent years trying to learn more about Julie," Carrie began. ¡°Ever since Grade Nine. More recently, he was able to track down a girl named Tracy Irving - you can see her referenced there at the bottom of the flyers. Now, this Tracy used to be close to Julie, back when Julie was attending a private boarding school in England."


    "Wait, close to Julie? Close how?" Isabella wondered.


    "A friend,¡± Carrie shrugged. ¡°I guess the same way I was. Basically, we''re not the first school to have faced Julie''s quest for domination.¡±


    ¡°England? But Julie doesn¡¯t speak with an accent,¡± Bernard mused.


    ¡°She¡¯s not FROM there, her parents sent her away. Rich, remember?¡± Carrie countered. ¡°Point is, Julie recruited Tracy to assist her in controlling her old boarding school.¡± She began to pace back and forth. "But after a few months, Tracy was put off by Julie¡¯s methods. Their friendship died. And that didn''t slow Julie down much... but what DID set her back was the actions Tracy took afterwards. When Tracy decided that Julie had to be dealt with. And asked to rejoin her.¡±


    ¡°Wait - was TRACY the wizard¡¯s apprentice in Julie¡¯s loyalty story to us?¡± Elizabeth asked. Carrie shrugged. Elizabeth frowned. ¡°I feel slighted.¡±


    "You know,¡± Chartreuse broke in, ¡°I¡¯m getting the impression that this Tracy has, like, a fair bit in common with Corry. They both sound... kinda ruthless.¡±


    ¡°Could be how they finally found each other," Carrie acknowledged. ¡°The internet is funny that way. Anyway, long story short, Tracy begged forgiveness of Julie, she was let back in, and she formed a counter alliance within Julie¡¯s ranks. If you look at paragraph three of that printout, you''ll see how Julie''s tactics have included coercion, bribery, even blackmail. Except people also join her voluntarily, so you never know who''s with her for what reason. And Julie makes a point of not revealing that information - or it was like that until Tracy. And now Corry.¡±


    "Julie has some serious issues she should deal with,¡± Bernard said.


    "Wait, I... I''m getting lost again,¡± Tim sighed. "Why did Julie even accept this Tracy back? She never accepted you back, Carrie."


    ¡°Younger Julie. Sloppier. Learned her lesson, and then took it out on me,¡± Elizabeth decided.


    "Or maybe Julie underestimated this Tracy," Luci proposed. "Blind to the fact that she could ever lose."


    ¡°Wait.¡± Chartreuse tapped her fingers against her temples. ¡°Corry obviously didn¡¯t get HIS information from, you know, infiltrating Julie. So unless Carrie provided him with a LOT more stuff than Julie thought was possible, how did Corry, like, come up with the flyer? Because based on how people reacted today, I don¡¯t think the info was, you know, faked.¡±


    ¡°Extrapolation,¡± Carrie said, before Elizabeth had a chance to speak. ¡°Corry combined what Tracy told him with what he already knew about our school. After all, Julie¡¯s methods haven¡¯t changed outright. Corry was able to draw as many parallels as he could, and quiz me endlessly on some of the gaps. Then he got Tracy to send him that old picture, and BOOM. Despite the flyer not naming names, Corry¡¯s put Julie¡¯s ranks into chaos. He got the whole school wondering who the real Julie LaMille is.¡±


    Bernard spoke in the silence that followed. ¡°Context aside, what of Julie¡¯s reaction?" he pressed. ¡°That¡¯s part of why we¡¯re here. Is she about to lose her mind and start attacking people?"


    ¡°No,¡± Frank answered himself slowly. ¡°Her reaction wasn¡¯t what any of us expected.¡±


    Elizabeth shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m betting Julie simply denied everything, and made people doubt this Tracy person ever existed outside Corry¡¯s imagination. Yeah?¡±


    The five people in their proper time exchanged a glance. "No," Frank repeated. "That''s just it. She not only confirmed what was in the flyer, she pointed out an ERROR Corry had made. It seems he had overestimated the number of her voluntary followers."


    The three time travellers stared back. ¡°But that¡¯s CRAZY,¡± Isabella protested. "If even half of what I''ve seen written on this flyer is true, practically every student is going to eventually turn against her.¡±


    "Was Julie hoping for leniency?" Bernard guessed.


    "We have no idea," Carrie said with a shrug.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Actually, I even heard Julie, like, voluntarily scheduled herself in for counselling sessions tomorrow," Chartreuse added. "Something that had been recommended by the principal."


    There was a moment of silence. "Well, I guess we''re done with this time trip then," Elizabeth concluded. "I got to see what was going to happen, you got to see travel to the future, turns out everyone will live happily ever after, the end. At the risk of sounding trite, when do we go back?"


    Isabella crossed her arms. "No. NO. I don''t like it," she said bluntly. "It''s too perfect."


    "I agree, unsurprisingly enough," Luci said. "However, Elizabeth does have a point. Wasn''t this the outcome we were hoping for? A nice, non-apocalyptic, non-gun wielding conclusion to everything? Hey, here it is, and we didn''t have to lift a finger to create it."


    "In fact, if you three try to lift a finger, this could turn into a disaster," Frank pointed out. "And I don''t mean at the school. Consider the following: You change something. Because of that, Carrie is unable to save herself from the van at 5:44. It would at minimum change this conversation, and in the worst case, an injured Elizabeth could make for a nasty time... loop? Paradox? I don¡¯t even know. Thus it''s in all our best interests to act like your trip never happened. I know I''m going to. Er, going to have that is."


    The three time travellers again exchanged a glance. "I''m right," Bernard realized. "We can''t do anything to disrupt this future from happening. The timeline needs to unfold this way.¡±


    "Lovely," Isabella said, smacking her palm to her forehead. "Honestly Carrie, it¡¯s always something with you! I guess that means we won''t be able to tell past Chartreuse and Tim about any of this either.¡±


    "What? Luci, I''m hurt,¡± Chartreuse protested. "Seeing as nothing''s going to come of this, why can''t I, like, know earlier?"


    "You really think you can fake your way sitting through that explanation, when you would already know it?¡± Frank asked.


    Chartreuse paused. "Welllll..."


    "Chartreuse, if we leave it like this, it gets us out of the discussion in a consistent way," Tim pleaded. "Please, right now that''s what I''m hoping for the most."


    "Okay then," Chartreuse sighed. "I guess I can accept it. Though it means I¡¯m now, you know, in on a secrecy conspiracy against myself." She brightened. ¡°Which, come to think, is kinda neat.¡±


    "Did I at least take one of these flyers with me to study?" Isabella questioned. Her counterpart nodded, and Isabella pocketed the information.


    "We¡¯ll clear out of your way now," Bernard decided. "I only hope that this future turns out to be as good as it looks."


    "You worry too much," Elizabeth said airily. "Let''s not look the gift horse in the mouth, okay?" Five minutes later, after the time machine had been reset, Elizabeth, Bernard and Isabella pulled the handle to head back into the past.


    ***


    ¡°That''s cleared some of the clutter out of here," Carrie observed, dusting off her hands.


    Frank walked over to the sitting room window. "It was certainly a bizarre experience, meeting oneself that way," he reflected, watching large droplets of rain splatter against the glass. At least it wasn¡¯t cold enough for snow yet.


    "It was pretty amazing I''d say," Chartreuse noted. "You know, I think I''d like to try a time trip myself next. If that''s okay with you guys, of course."


    "I''m just glad it''s over with," Tim sighed. "Not only the time travel but also the mess with Julie. Maybe life can get back to normal now."


    Chartreuse turned her gaze upon him. "Aw, Tim, I''m so sorry you, like, didn¡¯t enjoy any of this. I hope you can forgive me and that we can still, you know, be friends?"


    Tim hesitated only briefly before smiling back at Chartreuse. "I-I''d like that," he admitted. ¡°And it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t enjoy it, Chartreuse! I mean, I did agree to come here. It''s only... it¡¯s a lot to take in. It¡¯s easier for me to handle social stuff when it¡¯s just me and Clarke, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Time travel is overwhelming no matter who you are," Frank remarked. He turned away from the window. ¡°Before you all go, the logical question we need to ask now is - is there anything further to say about Julie''s reaction?"


    No one spoke. Then Luci let out a sigh of resignation. "It doesn''t look like it, much as I wish that weren''t the case," she said. "I mean, we all saw Julie today. She should have been incensed, and she wasn''t. She was smiling. Smiling in a weird, contented way, like she got what she wanted. My past self was right, it''s too perfect. We''re missing a piece of the puzzle."


    "It was her birthday," Chartreuse pointed out. "Maybe Julie decided to, like, accept that the skeletons were out, in order to restart her life at sweet sixteen.¡±


    "Maybe," Luci said, unconvinced. "I guess I was holding out too much hope that, upon seeing our previous conversation from this side, something else would be triggered."


    ¡°Yeah, well, I got nothing,¡± Carrie declared. ¡°So we might as well wrap this meeting up.¡±


    Chartreuse looked over at the clock. "Probably best. Me and Luci have, like, less than a half hour until band rehearsal. We''d better get a move on."


    "I don¡¯t want to overstay my welcome either," Tim said, standing up. ¡°I bet your parents will be back soon.¡±


    Frank pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. ¡°All right then. Thanks for coming," he concluded. "Also, Tim, Chartreuse, now that you know about the time machine, I see no reason to exclude you from any new incidents that come up. All we would ask is that you continue to keep the secret."


    "Of course," Chartreuse agreed. "As long as you consider letting me time trip.¡±


    "I''ll keep the secret," Tim added. "But don¡¯t feel you have to call me in. Keeping me updated through Chartreuse is fine.¡±


    "Fair enough," Frank said.


    Everyone proceeded out of the sitting room.


    "Oh yeah, Frank, there was an actual math question I wanted to ask you about," Carrie remembered, snapping her fingers. "Can you spare a few more minutes?"


    "Sure," Frank agreed. "It''ll be nice to do something mundane for a change."


    Carrie pulled her notebook from her bag while the others retrieved their belongings and headed out the front door. With only a brief backwards glance, Luci joined Chartreuse under her umbrella in her walk towards the high school. His own umbrella open, Tim followed for a short distance before turning away to head for his own place of residence. Meanwhile, Carrie and Frank adjourned back to the Dijora sitting room.


    At that moment, none of them felt particularly concerned about the future.


    Ten minutes later, the gun went off.

 Part 33a: Julies Secret

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.2 - To the Future


    PART 33a: JULIE¡¯S SECRET 1


    Principal Dell A. Hunt let out a sigh as he drove in to work. His job had its ups and downs, to be sure, yet for some reason the downs were outweighing the ups of late. Especially surrounding that one student: Julie LaMille.


    Her requests were becoming persistent, and he couldn''t get any information from her parents, as he had been unable to contact them directly. "I wonder what she''ll have to say this week," he mused aloud to himself as he pulled into the school parking lot.


    She wasstanding near his parking space. Over an hour before classes would start. ¡°We¡¯re starting early today," he realized. Upon exiting his vehicle, Mr. Hunt leaned back against it, letting her approach and have the first words. She cleared her throat.


    "It''s November 12th. We have to end this today," Julie stated simply.


    Mr. Hunt pursed his lips. "Inside," he decided.


    ***


    When Mr. Hunt made the offer to sit down, Julie accepted. She hoped that the concession to his current position of superiority would make him more amenable to her news.


    She then waited patiently as Mr. Hunt closed the door to his office, and walked around to stand behind his desk. "All right," the principal said. "Explain. What do you mean by ''we must end things today''?"


    "Very simply put, the date I''ve been anticipating has finally arrived," Julie responded. ¡°Something will occur today, a major event, one that cannot be resolved peacefully unless you have my cooperation. You know what that means."


    The principal leaned forwards, placing his palms flat on his desk. "Miss LaMille. I grant that you have been "predicting" events for me for over a month. From incidents as large as the discovery of those drugs in one student¡¯s locker, down to Mrs. Latour''s missing potted plant. I also grant that the incidents are too varied to be traced back to you directly, and that the faculty have been unable to prevent them. Yet do you remember what I said to you in this very room, after school, on the day we discovered those drugs?"


    "Of course. You told me that you would not grant any requests merely because I provided you with some advance information," Julie recalled.


    ¡°My position on that has not changed."


    "But this is IMPORTANT!" That sounded too desperate. She worked to reign in her emotions. ¡°You need me on your side today," Julie continued more calmly. "If I don''t defuse the situation, hostilities may well break out between certain factions of students."


    Mr. Hunt regarded her quietly for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s go off the record here,¡± he decided. ¡°Contrary to popular belief, I am not blind as to what goes on in my school. I know about your disagreements with Corry Veniti, and I know that the two of you have spent years polarizing the student body. To that end, it seems likely that you - or your friends - have had a hand in most, if not all, of your "predicted" events. Granted, I have no proof. Still, if this major event today is in the same vein, and you are using it to threaten this administration..."


    "No,¡± Julie gasped. She took in a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°Okay. Cards on the table.¡±


    She met his gaze anew. ¡°You¡¯re right. I may have played a part in some of the events I revealed to you. But you of all people must realize that knowing about something, and being able to stop it - those are two very different things. I can guarantee to you that I will have no say in what happens today. Only in how the events play out around the school. And I''m willing to be on your side. To keep damage to a minimum. All it takes is a simple signature.¡±


    The principal slowly shook his head. "Miss LaMille, your continued requests for my signature on that document are unreasonable. It would give you full control of the school."


    He paused to size Julie up once again. ¡°Know that I am not unsympathetic. I do want to help you. That is why I have allowed things to go on for as long as they have. However, until you agree to see a guidance counsellor, or some other specialist concerning these control issues of yours... there is nothing further for us to discuss here.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "But..." Julie flexed her hands, mind whirling. She was fast running out of options. However, a last ditch idea was taking shape in her mind. ¡°A compromise then. Sign the school over to me, for today. Just for today. If you do that, I... I will voluntarily attend your guidance sessions. Starting tomorrow."


    "I will not be blackmailed."


    "It''s NOT blackmail!¡± Julie protested. She fought down the urge to scream. "Listen, give me today. You don''t even have to change your routine. Whatever you do, you merely tell me first, so that I can make a point of approving it. I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t contradict you - why would I need to? In return, I will seek whatever counselling you recommend."


    Silence. Then, ¡°What guarantee--"


    "I''ll co-sign a separate paper with you on the counselling subject," Julie interrupted. ¡°You get what you want, and I get what I want. In fact, you get more, because with me controlling the school, I¡¯ll have to take care of the upcoming situation with Corry in the most diplomatic way possible. Consider this a learning experience for me. Please, Mr. Hunt. You might even be surprised by some of the things I know, not only about everything that happens in this school, but about how to run an organization smoothly.¡±


    Julie took in a deep breath, feeling her nails digging into her palms. "Also, it''s my birthday today,¡± she admitted. ¡°So if you find yourself needing an excuse to fall back on for the faculty, you can use that. All right? How about it? What do you say?"


    ***


    Mr. Hunt finally sat down in his chair. Julie¡¯s tone held more than a hint of desperation - but her gaze was determined. More to the point, he saw pain lurking behind her outward expression. This teenager needed help. Was agreeing to her request the only way to ensure that she got the necessary treatment? It was starting to look that way.


    He knew the LaMille girl well enough by now to recognize that she wouldn¡¯t simply dismiss any contract she put her name to. Moreover, her proposal actually made sense, to a certain degree. ¡®This also wouldn¡¯t be the first time I¡¯ve ever gone out on a limb to help a student,'' the principal reflected.


    "Miss LaMille," Mr. Hunt began. "I will agree to your proposal, subject to three conditions."


    "Name them," Julie said.


    "First, I want copies of any documents we sign. Particularly the one which ensures your compliance with a counselling session."


    "Done," Julie agreed quickly.


    "Second, I want your assurance that no one will be harmed by any action you take while at school today. Such an event would void our agreement."


    ¡°That¡¯s fair," Julie yielded.


    "And finally... I would like to know why this one act of scholastic control means so much to you."


    ***


    Julie felt her heart drop. She had never revealed her true motive to anyone before. Even at that boarding school in England, she¡¯d never gone into detail. However, she couldn''t take the risk of lying now! Not with so much at stake. So... perhaps a half truth would be enough.


    "It''s..." Julie faltered, as she felt her body start to shake. No, not now, get ahold of yourself, stupid! Swallowing hard, Julie sat up straighter in her chair.


    "It''s my parents," she explained softly. "I have to show my parents that I''m a capable d-daughter. They... I have to show them this." She swept some hair back off her shoulder, in the process reestablishing her mental control. "Now, will you sign the necessary papers?"


    Again Mr. Hunt looked back at her in silence. Three seconds passed, then five, then... he nodded to her in agreement. It took all of Julie''s willpower not to burst into tears.


    ***


    The school was hers. Her father had thought it couldn''t be done, but she had done it. She had the paper in her pocket to prove it. For so many years, she had been striving for this moment, handling setbacks from students and teachers alike, tiptoeing carefully around administration... and then there had been the time machine, forcing her to accelerate her plans prematurely. To prevent any discovery of her goals and motivations. Yet though it all, she had prevailed.


    The principal had called her out of French class last period, in order to advise her about a requisition from the science department. She had of course given her go ahead for the purchase of new supplies. She had also agreed with how Hunt was handling an issue with a concerned parent, to the point of seeing no need have him provide her with the actual name.


    The irony was, she couldn¡¯t have succeeded here without Corry. Julie had required his final act against her that morning, the distribution of that flyer, in order to clinch things. The one thing she¡¯d had no control over, that was what had given her control... and now that she was running the school, she¡¯d make sure it didn¡¯t fall apart through any misguided attempts to avenge her name.


    Thank goodness Phil had pointed out the date to her, which had snapped her out of her constant over-analysis of the situation... Julie winced at the thought.


    Phil Clarke. She¡¯d been avoiding him. Would he even remain her friend after this? Well, as long as she had the paper in her pocket with Mr. Hunt''s signature on it, the rest didn''t matter. Right? No, the rest didn''t matter to her at all.


    "So, LaMille. Do you yield?"


    It was Corry''s voice. Julie looked up from her lunch, vaguely aware of everyone else in the cafeteria edging away from their position.


    The brunette allowed herself a tiny smile. "Yes," she answered quietly. "You win. Do whatever you like now, Corry. Thank you."


    Regrettably, Corry turned out to be something of a sore winner.

 Part 33b: Julies Secret 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.2 - To the Future


    PART 33b: JULIE¡¯S SECRET 2


    At the least, whatever response Corry had been expecting, Julie supposed it hadn¡¯t been that. The redhead glanced around the area briefly, perhaps wondering whether he''d come to the right table. "You... you wanted to have your network of deceit exposed to the entire school?" he said, incredulous.


    Julie shrugged. ¡°When you put it that way, no," she admitted. "However, what''s done is done. So you win. Though I will say that when you calculated out the number of my voluntary followers on that flyer? You overestimated by about five percent." She placed a forkful of salad into her mouth.


    Corry''s eyebrow twitched. "You''re planning something. You already have retaliation in mind. What¡¯s your game, LaMille?"


    "On the contrary," Julie said, swallowing. She raised her voice. ¡°Let me once again make it clear to EVERYONE here that any action of vengeance taken against Corry today? Will result in me giving out a punishment of MY OWN. And trust me, you do NOT want that.¡± Heck, she even had the power to give suspensions today - though she probably wouldn¡¯t use it.


    ¡°Yeah, because you want to deal with this yourself,¡± Corry deduced. "But it''s too late! Some of your more embittered followers are already massing together to take you down, now that they know they''re not alone.¡±


    "Let them come," Julie countered. ¡°It can''t happen overnight. They¡¯ll need at least a few days to get themselves organized."


    "And you''re not concerned about that?"


    "I have what I want. The rest doesn''t matter."


    Corry''s jawline tightened. "What the hell, LaMille?" The plastic fork in his hand snapped in half. "How could this POSSIBLY have given you what you want??"


    Julie poked at her salad. "It''s like I told you in Grade Nine, at the very beginning of all this, Corry. Our motivations are fundamentally different. Now, if you don''t mind, I''m eating my lunch."


    Corry jabbed a finger at her and seemed about to reply to that, until it presumably occurred to him that there wasn''t much he could say without looking like the bad guy. He settled for a "Damn you!", after which he threw the remains of his fork towards her and stalked off.


    Julie belatedly found herself hoping Corry wouldn''t do anything more drastic now, on account of her subdued reaction. It''s not like she was acting that way out of spite.


    Oh well. Even if he did something tomorrow - she still had today.


    ***


    "Jewels, wait up!"


    Julie turned to see Clarke approaching. The day was over, so there was still time to run out the school doors, to avoid him again... no. That felt cowardly. She was no coward.


    ¡°H-Hi Phil," she said, greeting him with a hesitant smile as he ran up to her.


    "Jewels... what''s going ON?¡± Clarke asked. "I mean, I¡¯ve spent the day trying to figure this all out but... but I got nothing. Is what Corry says in here true?" He held up one of the flyers.


    Julie nodded. ¡°It is,¡± she admitted, straightening her posture. "I have bribed. I have blackmailed. I have tried to keep this from people. From you most of all, actually."


    Clarke shook his head. "But... but WHY, Jewels? I mean, I always knew you did things your own way but THIS? This is... well... now I''m not sure what to believe about you any more.¡±


    Julie felt her heart sink. "You''re disappointed."


    Clarke ran a hand back through his hair. "I''m confused. You''ve put so much effort into keeping your past quiet. Whenever I''ve asked, you''ve pushed me away. Yet now that it''s all come out here... you don''t seem to care at all." He paused, visibly frustrated. "So, if this didn''t matter to you, why didn''t you tell me about it in the first place? Merely because you thought I¡¯d hate you for it?¡±


    Julie looked up at the blonde boy, the one person who was perhaps the closest she¡¯d ever come to having to a friend, the one who had not only stuck by her through all of this, but had even tried to UNDERSTAND her. No one had ever done that for her before. No one.


    She couldn¡¯t push him away any more. "Come with me,¡± she said, tugging at his arm.


    "What?"


    ¡°Come," Julie repeated, leading Clarke back into an abandoned classroom. She didn''t speak again until after checking to ensure that they were alone. "Phil, it''s not that it didn''t matter," she explained. "It''s simply that, as of this morning, the whole situation changed."


    "Situation?" Clarke wondered. Julie pulled the precious paper out from underneath her sweater and handed it over to him. He unfolded it, and gave the document a quick scan. His eyes widened. "Hunt authorized you to run the school today?"


    "Provisionally, yes."


    Clarke looked back up. "That''s why you got called down to the office so many times.¡± Julie nodded. "Thank goodness," he sighed. "I thought that somehow you were getting into worse and worse trouble."


    "Because of Corry''s flyer?" Julie clucked her tongue. "Phil, you should know better. As devastating as it is, it''s all supposition and circumstantial evidence. No one¡¯s even named in it, except for that Tracy.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Which won¡¯t stop people from coming after you - perhaps with good reason.¡± Clarke glanced back down at the document he held. ¡°Are you hoping this agreement with Mr. Hunt is going to protect you somehow? Because I don¡¯t see--"


    ¡°No,¡± Julie said, shaking her head. She held out her hand, and he returned the sheet to her. ¡°This agreement is for a more... personal matter, separate from Corry.¡±


    Clarke leaned in closer, staring at her. ¡°You''re still holding something back," he realized. "Jewels... Julie... please. Tell me.¡±


    "I..." Julie felt her throat go dry. She wanted to tell him. To tell someone who knew her, before she would be forced to spill all about her life to some counsellor who was liable to completely misunderstand. Yet even so, the words wouldn¡¯t come. "I... c-can¡¯t..."


    Clarke stared at her for another long moment. "Then I don''t know what to do," he said at last. "I want to help you. I''ve always wanted to help you. You know that. I''ve also believed that, deep down, you weren''t a bad person. That you weren¡¯t using people. That you weren''t using me."


    He turned away. Julie found her breaths becoming shallower. ¡°But now?¡± he continued. ¡°Julie, I¡¯m at a loss. Maybe Corry''s right after all. Maybe the only person who ever mattered to Julie LaMille was Julie LaMille. And if that''s true, then... then she sure doesn''t need me hanging around her any more.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Julie gasped. Clarke didn¡¯t turn back. But he didn¡¯t walk away.


    She swallowed again, yet somehow her throat was still dry. "Phil, don''t be like that," she pleaded. She didn¡¯t understand why this conversation hurt so much. Because they were breaking up? Had they ever truly been together?


    "Then tell me," Clarke said, turning back to her.


    Fine. My parents. ¡°My..." Two words. Not hard. ¡°My..." Julie felt a tear forming and she wiped her palm over her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s my..." Julie shook her head. ¡°God Phil, I CAN¡¯T, okay?¡± She spun to face the chalkboard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Just break up with me already and go.¡± He was too damn good for the likes of her anyway.


    She expected him to sigh in resignation and walk away. And she heard him take a step. But even as she realized he was moving closer, Clarke was pulling her into an embrace from behind. ¡°Jewels, even if I assume we¡¯re going out, I would never break up with you on your birthday,¡± he murmured near her ear. ¡°So if you need any assistance, anything at all... I¡¯m still here for you. At least for now. The flyer doesn¡¯t change that.¡±


    Julie felt her legs go weak, and for the second time today, it took all of her willpower to keep her emotions in check. This didn¡¯t make any logical sense. ¡°Phil, no,¡± she protested. "How can you possibly still be so nice to me? After everything I''ve done?¡±


    Clarke lowered his chin to her shoulder. "Maybe I''m a glutton for punishment," he replied. ¡°Or too naive to understand how bad things really are. But honestly... I¡¯ve seen you smile. And I still think that deep down, you''re not half as bad as you think you are. Not really."


    Julie turned, and she found her own arms encircling Clarke as he straightened, and she rested her own head upon his shoulder. The silence that followed his comment seemed to stretch on for an eternity. It might have been seconds, or hours, Julie didn''t know. However, once the words started to spill out of her mouth, she found that she couldn''t stop them.


    "It''s my p-parents, Phil," she admitted, a lump forming in her throat. "They don''t love me, you see. They never have. Never even wanted me. My mom, she hates me, and my dad, he wanted a son. And as their only child, they''ve never, ever let me forget that."


    ***


    Clarke pulled back slightly in order to look Julie in the eyes. He searched them for any hint of deceit, and found none. "Did you just say what I think you said?"


    Julie looked up at him. She didn¡¯t speak, only bit into her lower lip. His first instinct was to say she must be misinterpreting things, that no one¡¯s parents could be that mean, but she looked so earnest. Then he remembered something.


    "You mean to tell me that, the time you were told you were insignificant... and that you would never amount to anything... it was your parents who said it?"


    Julie managed a small shrug. "Yeah, well. That''s life."


    ¡°Like hell it is,¡± Clarke countered. "My God, Julie, why haven''t you ever mentioned this?"


    "You''ve met my parents," she reminded him. "During the summers and on the few other occasions they''ve visited. Did you ever get the impression that they didn''t care for me? Or that they¡¯d sent me away, so that they didn¡¯t have to deal with me in person?"


    "I... well... no," Clarke admitted.


    "Exactly. It''s like they have two faces, you see. The one they present to the public, and the one they present to me. So no one else ever gets to see how they really feel." She smiled then, but it was a sad smile. "Come to think, maybe that deception is a trait I get from them, I don''t know. Still, it''s why I can''t stand anyone talking to me about my parents. On some level, their fakery disgusts me."


    "We have to do something about this then," Clarke decided. "Talk to a counsellor, or child services or something.¡±


    "And tell them what?" Julie asked. She shook her head. "My parents don''t physically abuse me. And you can¡¯t prove a case of my word against theirs. Anyway, it''s not their fault. It''s mine."


    Clarke felt a knot forming in his stomach. "Jewels, no."


    "I''ve been a major disappointment from the beginning. Not the sort of person who could carry on the LaMille family line. As a child, I was weak and helpless in the face of confrontation. I even sucked my thumb until I was three years old. But I''ve been working hard over the years. And now, at long last, I''ve had an entire school and faculty under my control.¡±


    She clenched her fist. ¡°My parents will have to acknowledge me now. They thought it couldn''t be done. That a girl like me could never accomplish anything. But I did it. This PROVES that I¡¯m worthy! So finally, it will be okay. It will all be okay." Julie smiled, and the smile was sincere, and Clarke couldn¡¯t bear it.


    "Oh God, I never knew," Clarke choked out. "I never even suspected. I''m so, so sorry, Jewels. Can you ever forgive me?"


    She looked back up. "Forgive you? Phil, what are you talking about? Why are you crying?"


    He reached up, only now discovering that his cheeks were wet. "I... I can''t help it, Jewels. I love you, and I hate seeing what you''ve become on account of your parents.¡± He pulled her close once more, and Julie hugged him back. Again, there was silence.


    "Phil?" Julie ventured at last. "You mustn''t tell anyone else what I''ve told you. Okay? NOBODY. Promise me that."


    "Jewels... oh God, don¡¯t ask that..."


    "No one, Phil. Please. PLEASE," Julie insisted quietly, her hug becoming something of a death grip. ¡°Because no one will believe you. You¡¯d only get in trouble. It¡¯s all going to be okay after tonight anyway. Now that I have the agreement.¡±


    ¡°What do you-- your parents are back in town, aren''t they,¡± he realized. Julie nodded. Clarke set his jaw. ¡°I¡¯m going home with you. You don''t have to face them alone."


    "No. You can¡¯t,¡± Julie pleaded. ¡°With you there, they''ll go all fake again. But don¡¯t worry, Phil! As long as I have the principal''s signature on that paper, it''ll be okay."


    Clarke swallowed. "Right," he said. He squeezed her a bit tighter before pulling back. ¡°Look, I won¡¯t say anything for now, but this conversation isn¡¯t over yet, okay? I¡¯m going to call you tonight.¡±


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, neatly wrapped package. ¡°In the meantime, here''s something to remember me. Happy birthday.¡±


    Julie smiled again, and he felt his heart breaking. "Thanks, Phil. For remembering... and for everything these last couple years, I suppose."


    He shook his head in awe. ¡°You are SO strong, Julie. Stronger than I realized. Just remember, there are people out here who love you, okay? We¡¯ll talk more later tonight."


    "Sure we will,¡± Julie agreed. "I''m looking forward to it already."


    They didn''t speak again that day.

 Part 34a: Shots Fired

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.2 - To the Future


    PART 34a: SHOTS FIRED 1


    Julie stared up the driveway to her house. Despite her earlier assurances to Clarke, she realized she was feeling more than a bit anxious. "I''m being silly," she chastised herself. "Probably unsettled because of those storm clouds moving in.¡± Taking in a deep breath, she approached the front door and entered the mansion.


    "I''m home,¡± Julie called out. ¡°You''ll never guess what happened to me today.¡± Her father came around the nearest corner, heading for the front door. "Hi Dad," Julie greeted. "Jeeves and Mimi already get the evening off?"


    Her father didn''t immediately reply. Instead, he glanced outside, closed the front door, and allowed his gaze to fall upon Julie. He looked upset, but then, that was normal when it was only the two of them. Finally, he spoke. ¡°So what in the hell have you been up to?¡±


    Julie swallowed. ¡°Wh-What do you mean?"


    "Jeeves has been informing us of your principal¡¯s calls to the house,¡± he clarified, crossing his arms. ¡°Damn it girl, can''t you ever stay out of trouble at school? We''re running out of places to send you.¡±


    "What did you expect, dear?" came a new voice. Julie¡¯s mother entered the hall, idly filing her nails. "She''s your *daughter*, after all."


    ¡°Juvenile delinquent," her father spat out. "Well, you''ve forced the two of us to use your birthday as an excuse to come back here to handle things. I hope you''re happy."


    ¡°N-Not exactly," Julie said, her confidence eroding fast. "And it¡¯s been over two years since you last heard from any school administration."


    ¡°Meaning you haven''t been caught until now," her mother observed, blowing on her fingertips.


    Julie swallowed. "I guess," she yielded. She had done some rather terrible things. "But... but it¡¯s fine now. I got everything resolved with the principal today.¡±


    Her father turned. "Did you hear that, dear?¡± he remarked. "She got everything resolved. Everything. There was no need for us to come home after all, our daughter somehow accounted for every last little detail.¡±


    "Your daughter," Julie''s mother reminded. She finally put the nail file away and came closer, directing a look towards Julie for the first time. ¡°But you¡¯re right. It¡¯s good that we came. She can''t have any idea just how complicated things are in the real world, after all."


    "No, I... I d-do,¡± Julie stammered. "I''ve been reading and learning and... and today, today I was running the whole school,¡± she blurted. ¡°Look!" Julie fumbled within her sweater, pulling out the precious agreement. However, she was developing a case of the shakes, and it slipped through her fingers before she could hand it to her father.


    He reached down and scooped it up off the floor before she had time to retrieve it, letting out a sigh of exasperation in the process. Julie bowed her head, biting her lip as he scanned over the paper.


    This was it then, the moment of truth. The culmination of six - seven? eight? - years of effort. So many setbacks. But now - they had to understand. They had to see that she was capable, that she was worthy of being their child, that she deserved their love and attention...


    "What damn fool stunt are you trying to pull?"


    Julie snapped her gaze back up. "W-w-w-what?"


    "Honey, have a look at this," her father remarked, handing over the paper. "She actually believes she was running the school today because the principal signed some agreement. Assuming it¡¯s not forged.¡±


    "Lovely. Something even more troublesome than usual to clear up," said Julie''s mother dryly, scanning the paper herself.


    ¡°N-No, it''s true," Julie assured them. "Mr. Hunt asked me about every decision today. I also kept other students from committing any violent acts. I was handling it, I was handling it all!"Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Her mother sighed and pressed a hand to her temples. "Dear, you deal with this today, all right? It¡¯s going to give me a headache, I¡¯m sure of it. I''ll see you back in the kitchen." She returned Julie''s signed agreement to her husband and flashed him a smile, before spinning on her heel and stalking back down the hall.


    Julie''s father returned the smile before resuming his severe expression. "Now see what you''ve done to your mother?" he accused of Julie. "I hope you have a VERY good explanation as to why you did something so idiotic."


    Julie felt herself getting lightheaded. Was this even really happening? "I did it for you," she said quietly. "Don''t you remember? When I was young, you used to tell Mom that if I''d been a son, I would have been able to run an organization before even graduating from high school. So, even though I''m not a son, I... I did it. I ran the high school. So doesn''t that document prove to you that I''m every bit as good as a son would be?"


    ¡°What?¡± Her father shook his head. "Leave it to a girl to take things too literally," he concluded. "I mean honestly, what WAS going through that empty head of yours?¡±


    "I... I..." Julie swallowed, no longer sure what to say.


    "Let me show you how important this little piece of paper is," her father concluded. With that, he tore the document in half.


    Julie felt like she was being torn in two. ¡°Dad, no!¡± she choked out, reaching out towards him. Her father simply stepped back, out of reach, and then he tore again, and again.


    Julie fell to her knees. The document she''d signed with the principal that morning was soon scattered on the floor like so much confetti. A tear ran down her cheek. ¡°No..."


    "I will deal with this situation now," her father concluded. "Pray that it''s not as bad as it sounds. You will go to your room. Make sure I don''t see your face again tonight." With that, he turned and walked away.


    Julie was left behind, a crumpled mess on the floor.


    ***


    The ¡®play room¡¯ was a shambles. Her maps had been torn from the walls, file cabinets had been tipped over, electronic gadgets had been thrown against the floor, a couple of legs had even been snapped off of the central table.


    In the middle of the room stood Julie, breathing hard.


    Interestingly, she didn¡¯t feel angry. Or sad. If anything, she felt numb. And not the happy, lightheaded numbness from earlier today, it was... well, nothing. Emptiness. Complete and utter void.


    Julie sank back down to the ground. Destroying this room, it had felt like the right thing to do. Perhaps she should start a fire too, to burn up all of the useless information she''d accumulated. But no, such a blaze could prove dangerous. Dangerous.


    The thought of her doing something dangerous struck Julie as funny, so she laughed. Later, she stopped. Then she fell back onto the ground in a completely prone position.


    "All for nothing. All of it," the brunette whispered. She wondered if that was funny or not. Should she giggle? She couldn¡¯t decide. Instead, she let her head fall to the side.


    An item caught her eye, and she realized that during her destructive rampage, it must have fallen out of the lower drawer of the file cabinets. Julie crawled over towards it, then looked down upon the smiling faces of her mother and father. She traced her finger over the glass. A tear splashed down.


    Then the glass covering the image cracked as the picture was thrown forcibly against the wall. "Should have stayed in that cabinet," Julie shrieked at the object, hands clenching into fists. ¡°We were both better off!¡±


    She curled up into a ball on the floor for a while.


    Gradually, she became conscious of something poking her in the side. It was starting to get annoying, so Julie decided to see what it was. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small neatly wrapped package. That¡¯s right, Clarke had given it to her earlier that day.


    "Happy birthday to me,¡± Julie murmured. She decided to stop staring at the package long enough to sit back up and remove the wrapping paper.


    Inside she found a silver brooch in the shape of a rose. ¡°So pretty," Julie gasped. She pinned it onto her sweater. "He really shouldn''t have though," she said sadly. "He''s too good to me..."


    ¡°You¡¯re not half as bad as you think you are.¡±


    Julie spun. "Phil?" she breathed. When did he get here?


    "You are SO strong, Julie. Stronger than I realized."


    How could he be standing there behind her?! It didn''t matter. Julie stumbled to her feet. "Phil,¡± she repeated.


    ¡°This conversation isn¡¯t over yet, okay?¡± Clarke continued. "In the meantime, here''s something to remember me by."


    Julie reached out for him, but the image of Clarke faded from view before she made contact. She stumbled and fell against the wall. ¡°Wow. Now you¡¯re hallucinating, you idiot,¡± she breathed. Her fingers traced over the silver brooch. Well, at least he was going to call her.


    "He''ll call, that''s right,¡± Julie gasped, head snapping back up. What had she done with her phone?! She¡¯d left it upstairs before sneaking down here, so as not to damage it, or get it confiscated. She was making so many bad decisions today! "I''ve got to make sure I can answer the phone,¡± she gasped.


    Julie sprinted out of her play room, back upstairs. She didn''t know if talking to Phil Clarke would do any good. She didn''t even know if the phone had already rung that night - was it even night yet? It seemed to be raining outside. She found her phone. Less than two hours had passed. Clarke hadn¡¯t phoned yet. Should she phone him? No. Too needy.


    She waited, her finger over the button to accept the next call. Her hands were shaking. She made them stop. It was fine. He would call. He had to call. Please, he had to call. He had to know she was waiting for him now. Right? Please?


    When the phone rang, Julie hit answer before seeing who it was. "Phil?" she breathed. "Phil, are you there?"


    It wasn''t him.

 Part 34b: Shots Fired 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.2 - To the Future


    PART 34b: SHOTS FIRED 2


    "Julie LaMille?"


    It was an older male voice on the phone. Someone she didn''t recognize.


    "Julie, don''t hang up," the voice continued. "Okay?"


    Julie bit her lip. "O-kay?" she said tentatively.


    "You are going to do something for me now. Listen carefully. You are going to sneak out of your house, and meet me at the corner of Parkside and Erb. You will receive further instructions there. Do you understand?"


    "I will receive further instructions at Parkside and Erb," Julie acknowledged, feeling a curious fog in her brain. "What... what instructions? What''s going on?"


    "You are not ready for answers yet. All in good... time."


    "I am not ready for answers yet. All in good time,¡± Julie repeated back.


    "You will receive further instructions at Parkside and Erb."


    "I will receive further instructions at Parkside and Erb."


    "You will go there now."


    "I will go there now," Julie confirmed, feeling her body swaying from side to side.


    "Goodbye."


    "Goodbye."


    Julie obediently hung up the phone and went to find her jacket. Her parents didn¡¯t notice when she left.


    ***


    "Oh, shoot," Luci muttered.


    Chartreuse glanced over at her companion. "What''s wrong?"


    "I took some music out of my bag to look over while waiting at Frank''s, and I never put it back in," Luci sighed. "You go on ahead, I''m going to run back and get it."


    "You can always, like, look on with someone else," Chartreuse pointed out.


    "Yeah, but my music has all my little pencil markings on it," Luci noted. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not raining that hard now, and it¡¯ll only take me, what, ten extra minutes? I''ll meet back up with you at practice."


    Chartreuse shrugged. "Okay, see you there then."


    ***


    Frank set the pencil back down. "So that''s the equation you come up with," he concluded. "Understand?"


    Carrie leaned against her hand. "No," she admitted, eyeing the page. "What''s the x mean?"


    "That''s the length of the ladder."


    "Uh huh. Remind me, why do we use x?"


    Frank shrugged. "Why not x? Doesn''t matter. We have to solve for something.¡±


    Carrie drummed the fingers of her free hand against the table. ¡°See, x is a stupid convention, if you ask me. It always makes me think of multiplication."


    "Well, you can pick another letter if it makes you happy," Frank said with a smile. The doorbell rang, interrupting his train of thought. "One of the others must have forgotten something," he remarked, glancing at the clock. "Be right back."


    "Okay," Carrie decided. ¡°While you do that, I¡¯m going to trig this thing up again using h."The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "You do that," Frank said as he walked out of the sitting room. The grin on his face faded as he opened the front door. "Julie?" Frank greeted.


    "Carrie still here?" the brunette asked blankly.


    "Er, well, yeah... Julie, your hair''s dripping wet, don''t you have an umbrella?"


    "I must see Carrie," Julie said. She pushed her way past Frank and advanced into the hall.


    ¡°Um, come in? Julie, what''s going on?" Frank wondered, closing the door and hurrying after her. Julie stopped at the entryway to the sitting room.


    "Julie!" Carrie said, standing up as she caught sight of the visitor.


    "Carrie Waterson," Julie responded evenly.


    The two girls stared at each other across the room. Frank hesitated, not sure whether to intercede or not.


    "Look Julie," Carrie said at last. "I hope you''re not coming to me with any thoughts of rejuvenating our friendship. Because honestly, I think you got exactly what you deserved today. In fact, I couldn''t care less about you, now that I''ve started to get my life back together. So, know what? It''s probably in both of our best interests for you to turn around, and walk back out through that front door."


    Julie didn''t bat an eyelash. "Shut up," she said calmly. She drew the gun out from underneath her jacket, aimed, and pulled the trigger.


    ***


    Carrie stumbled back a step, reflexively bringing her hand up to her side. Her eyes dropped down to the redness that was starting to stain her shirt. ¡°Then again, maybe we can negotiate," she gurgled out, before collapsing down onto the floor.


    "CARRIE!" Frank¡¯s voice screamed. She heard him running into the room, and then he was pulling her back up into something of a seated position, leaning her against the table. "Carrie, are you all right? Speak to me!"


    "I... I seem to be bleeding," Carrie murmured, pulling up her shirt to see. She tried to apply pressure to the wound. The gunshot wound. Wow. They hadn¡¯t covered this yet in health class...


    "What? What happened?" someone gasped - Julie gasped?


    "What HAPPENED? YOU JUST SHOT CARRIE, DAMN YOU!"


    ¡°Frank, don¡¯t antagonize the crazy person,¡± Carrie suggested. Okay, talking hurt now. She squeezed her eyes shut.


    "N-n-no," Julie whimpered. Carrie reopened her eyes, in time to see that her former friend was now staring at the gun as if she was seeing it for the first time. That didn¡¯t make much sense. However, when Carrie saw Frank rising to his feet out of the corner of her eye, Julie quickly cocked the weapon back up at him. "D-D-Don''t move,¡± Julie warned.


    Unlike before, the gun was now wobbling all over the place. Then again, Carrie decided it was equally possible that her vision was wobbling all over the place. Should she call 911? Wow, yeah, someone should definitely do that...


    As if reading her mind, Frank said, ¡°Julie, let me get my phone out. Carrie needs medical attention.¡±


    "This is not how my birthday was supposed to go," Julie countered. With that, Carrie decided that both of them were shaking. "This is NOT how my birthday was supposed to go. This IS NOT how..."


    "Julie, put that gun down, so we can straighten all of this out," Frank suggested.


    "NO!" Julie shrieked. Her head snapped from side to side. "I''ll fix this,¡± she declared. "I''ll fix it all. Where''s your time machine?"


    "Wh-What?"


    "I KNOW you have one! Carrie told me all about it, you MUST have fixed it by now, so WHERE IS IT?" The brunette was no longer whimpering but practically screaming, while holding the gun in both hands. Even that wasn¡¯t helping to keep it steady. Heck, Julie¡¯s whole form was starting to look blurry. Wait, no, Carrie realized everything was getting blurry...


    ¡°D-Downstairs," Frank said.


    "Downstairs," Julie repeated. She swallowed. "I know how to make everything better. I never should have been born."


    "Julie..."


    "NO!" Julie shrieked again. "I can''t LIVE like this any more!"


    She fired the gun a second time. Frank stumbled back as the bullet slammed into the carpeting somewhere by his feet, and Julie took the opportunity to run out of the room.


    It was as Carrie heard the new voice calling out from the front of the house that she discovered her unfocussed gaze was drifting up towards the ceiling.


    ***


    "Frank??"


    That was Luci¡¯s voice! "In here," Frank called out to her.


    "Frank, I came in because I thought I heard a... holy geez!" Luci gasped out as she rounded the corner and spotted both him and Carrie.


    "Julie''s gone crazy and she''s after the time machine," Frank explained to her, fumbling with his phone. "See if you can tell what she¡¯s doing as I call Carrie an ambulance, but BE CAREFUL. Julie got herself a gun from somewhere.¡±


    Luci nodded wordlessly, and ducked back out of the room.


    Frank finished dialling 911, requesting aid for a gunshot wound, and giving them his address. He winced, as he now recalled that their time machine was sitting out in plain view, on his lab bench.


    "Frank?" he heard Carrie rasp. "Frank, it''s getting cold. Did your parents not pay the heating bill?"


    Frank pulled the phone away from his mouth. "Yes, Carrie," he replied, tears stinging at his eyes. "But we''ll get it fixed, so you make sure you stay conscious until then, okay? You promise me you''ll stay conscious!"


    "Okay," Carrie agreed quietly. ¡°Okay, yeah... I''ll... try... that......"


    "You won''t just try, you WILL," Frank pleaded. He saw movement by the entranceway, and whirled towards the source.


    "It''s me," Luci said, raising her hands.


    "Julie...?"


    "She''s... gone,¡± Luci admitted quietly. "I saw her grab about half of our notes, take a coin for a particular year from your collection and then she activated the time machine. I¡¯m not even sure what time period she selected.¡±


    Frank ran a hand back through his hair. ¡°From what she said, I¡¯ve got a pretty good guess,¡± he admitted. "But... without the machine, we can''t follow her."


    "Right.¡± Luci swallowed. ¡°So... so what do we do?"


    Sirens began to wail outside. ¡°I wish I knew," Frank replied. "I really wish I knew."

 Part 35a: The Wounded

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.2 - To the Future


    PART 35a: THE WOUNDED 1


    His pencil tapped idly against the pages as he looked down at what he had written. There no longer seemed to be any clear cut way to extract his characters from the situation into which they had been placed.


    "I hate it when that happens," Hank Waterson grumbled. He finally tossed his pencil aside and left his novel behind in the study, figuring he could use something to drink. The phone rang on his way to the kitchen, so he stopped in the hall to answer.


    "Hello? Yes, this is Hank Waterson," he replied absently. His knuckles went white. "There was a what? Where is she?? Oh my God... okay, I-I''ll be right there!"


    Slamming the phone back down, Hank turned and charged out of his house, coming back only long enough to grab his car keys.


    ***


    ¡°Where is she? Where is my daughter?" Hank Waterson demanded as he charged up to the front desk at the hospital, breathing hard.


    ¡°Take a moment to calm down, sir," the receptionist advised. ¡°Then tell me your name."


    "Mr. Waterson!"


    Hank turned to see who had spoken. It was some teenage kid with glasses. No, wait a minute, he knew that guy. Nice kid, they''d met about a month ago. He came to see Carrie every so often, to help her with math. What was his name? "Frank?" ventured Carrie''s father once he''d managed to catch his breath.


    Frank nodded. "They... Carrie¡¯s still in emergency. It''s supposedly not as bad as it looked to me, but..."


    ¡°You mean you were there when it happened?¡±


    Frank bit down on his lip as he nodded again. ¡°It all took place so quickly, sir. I-I''m sorry, there was nothing I could do."


    "It''s fine. It¡¯s not your fault," Hank assured, resting what he hoped was a comforting hand on Frank¡¯s shoulder. "Still, if... if possible, I''d like to hear more. Once I¡¯ve checked in with the appropriate people.¡±


    "S-Sure, I''ll be over there," Frank noted, gesturing to the nearby waiting area.


    ***


    When Carrie¡¯s father came over a little while later, Frank felt his body tense up. It was fine though, he told himself. He¡¯d repeat the same story that he¡¯d given to the police.


    ¡°Good news,¡± Mr. Waterson said. ¡°They''re doing everything they can for Carrie.¡± He paused. ¡°There''s every chance she''ll pull through."


    "You don''t sound that confident," Frank pointed out.


    ¡°I..." The tall man sighed, and sank down into an adjacent seat. "I guess I''m not," he admitted. "I mean, they''re doing their best, of that I¡¯m sure. It''s only, I heard similar things after my wife..." He stopped. "You don''t need to hear about that. What DID happen then? It was at your house, I''m told?"


    Frank swallowed. Time to lie again. "It''s... all kind of hazy, actually," he said. "It¡¯s like I told the police, someone got into the house - I guess they were trying to rob us - and they surprised me and Carrie in the sitting room. A couple of shots were fired, the person escaped, and I called 911."


    Carrie''s father nodded, and reached out to touch Frank¡¯s knee. ¡°Thank you for doing that. I''m sure every second counted. Oh, and good to see that you weren''t hurt either," he added. "I suppose this was somewhat traumatic for you too... where are your parents?¡±


    ¡°Around," Frank said. He¡¯d made them drive him to the hospital, after making a preliminary report for the police. ¡°But I told them I¡¯d feel better without them hovering. I am here with another classmate.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Me.¡± As Luci walked up and held out a can of juice from the vending machine towards Frank, Carrie¡¯s father turned his gaze upon her.


    Perhaps sensing the older man¡¯s scrutiny, the ponytailed asian girl jerked her gaze back over at him. ¡°Hello, YES?¡± she said pointedly. Mr. Waterson pulled back at her manner, and Frank belatedly realized they might not have ever met.


    "Oh! Er, Luci, this is Carrie''s father... Mr. Waterson, this is, er, Luci Primrose, a mutual friend," Frank said hastily. He took the proffered juice can from her.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Luci..." Hank said slowly. "Oh, of course! You''re the young, intelligent one Carrie''s mentioned on occasion."


    "I suppose so,¡± Luci replied guardedly, still sizing him up.


    Mr. Waterson lifted an eyebrow. "Um... Luci, is everything okay? Have I said something wrong?"


    Luci shook her head. "No," she vocalized at last. "It¡¯s only that I''m a bit surprised to see you here."


    "Luci!"


    Mr. Waterson raised a hand to forestall Frank''s protest. "Why do you say that?" he asked.


    Luci glanced back in Frank''s direction only briefly before looking back at Carrie''s father. ¡°I figured it would take you longer to arrive. After all, from what I''ve been able to learn through Carrie, you never took much of an interest in her.¡±


    Frank stood, aghast. "Luci, maybe we should find my parents and go--"


    "No, that''s all right," Mr. Waterson interrupted with a sigh. ¡°After all, she¡¯s not wrong."


    Frank winced. "Oh, I don''t know..."


    "If it takes a life or death situation for me to meet someone¡¯s Carrie''s been spending a lot of her time with, I can hardly claim otherwise, can I?" he retorted wryly. He smiled at Luci. "You certainly share Carrie''s spirit and determination. The two of you must be close.¡±


    The corner of Luci''s mouth twitched, but the elder Waterson missed it, having already looked at the floor. "I fear that ever since her mother left us, me and Carrie have been drifting further and further apart,¡± he admitted. ¡°It¡¯s on me. I have tried to be the best father I can, yet I seem to make all the wrong decisions at crucial times."


    "I''m sure you''ve always tried your best," Frank assured, sitting back down. He placed his own hand back on Mr. Waterson¡¯s knee.


    "I can still remember back when we had it all worked out,¡± Carrie¡¯s father continued, seemingly to himself. ¡°My wife worked during the day, while I took care of Carrie and did periodic work on my novels. In the evenings, Elaine would take over at home, while I worked part time at a phone call-in centre. We only really saw each other on the weekends, but at the time, it was enough. It was only supposed to be until we''d raised enough money to give Carrie a good life anyway. The trip to Bermuda, that was going to be the turning point." He paused. "I guess in a way it was."


    Frank and Luci exchanged looks. "I was sorry to hear about your wife''s disappearance down there," Frank ventured.


    ¡°She TOLD you about that?¡± Mr. Waterson said, looking back at him with a measure of incredulity. Frank nodded. The adult continued to stare for another few seconds, then returned his gaze to the ground.


    "I should have told her myself, back then,¡± he said. ¡°I simply couldn''t believe it had happened.¡± He smiled sadly. ¡°It''s funny, really. Before I met Elaine - Carrie''s mother - I''d never even considered marriage. Then after we met, I couldn''t imagine life without her. I always thought that somehow, that meant I''d know if she died... that I''d feel it somewhere. Yet I still haven''t, not to this day."


    Luci cocked her head to the side. "Have you ever expressed those feelings to Carrie?" she wondered.


    Carrie¡¯s father shrugged. "She won''t listen. I can''t blame her. For years, I had her convinced that her mother would be coming home. We didn''t even attend the memorial service. I was so sure that Elaine would be found...!" Hank briefly clenched his fist, then let it drop open. "Carrie''s never forgiven me for hiding the truth the way I did. And there¡¯s no way I can make that up to her."


    There was an uncomfortable pause. "Well, I''m sorry to say this, but you''re probably right," Luci said at last. "However, that''s no reason to pull away from Carrie. Avoiding her now isn''t helping matters."


    "Avoiding?" he frowned. "Have I been avoiding her? Hm. Perhaps I have been, at that. She''s been reminding me more and more of her mother of late... not only in appearance, but in her willpower, and her drive to shape the world the way she wants... how can one lone man even handle that?" His smile became genuine. ¡°It reminds me of a story my wife once told me, from back when she was young herself. Elaine nearly brought a whole orphanage down to it¡¯s knees."


    Frank sat up straighter, even as Luci blurted out, "Did you say ORPHANAGE?"


    Mr. Waterson nodded. "Yes, Carrie''s mother spent the first several years of her life in one. She was left there as a baby, never knowing who her real parents were... a bit of a shame, really." Hank stopped at the expression on Luci''s face. "I''m sorry Luci, now I HAVE said something wrong."


    "N-No," Luci stammered out, shaking her head. "It''s nothing."


    "Luci doesn''t know who her real parents are either," Frank offered up.


    "Oh. Well, you seem to be dealing with it all right, that''s good to see," Carrie¡¯s father said. He paused as he caught sight of his watch. "But look at me, babbling on endlessly to the two of you about irrelevancies when you should be getting back home. I can keep your families updated with information, so there¡¯s no need for you to stay here personally. Dijora and... Primrose, was it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Frank said. Still, it didn¡¯t feel right to leave.


    Mr. Waterson seemed to pick up on his hesitation. ¡°They probably won¡¯t even let you see Carrie, outside of visiting hours,¡± he pointed out. ¡°Go. I¡¯m sure everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Luci challenged.


    This time, Carrie¡¯s father didn¡¯t flinch back from Luci¡¯s scrutiny. ¡°Because after losing my wife - I''ll be damned before I let anyone take my daughter away from me too."


    ***


    Frank tossed the empty juice container into the trash receptacle. He and Luci had moved out of line of sight of the elder Waterson. ¡°Okay Luci, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± he asked. She¡¯d had that partly thoughtful, partly annoyed look on her face for several minutes now.


    ¡°You want Issue A first, or Issue B?¡±


    ¡°Issue B,¡± Frank said. He was pretty sure he knew what ¡°A¡± involved.


    "Fine. The bit about Carrie''s mother being an orphan? It reminded me of Linquist," Luci stated.


    Frank adjusted his glasses. "Linquist did come to my mind too. Except Carrie''s mother disappeared over thirteen years ago. Even if Linquist was checking over adoptees back then, which seems unlikely given how his interest is more recent, what are the odds that his crazed ravings are in any way connected to fact, let alone to her? And could he really have made an entire plane vanish?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely,¡± Luci yielded. "You''re right, of course.¡± She frowned. ¡°Just a funny feeling, that''s all." She fell silent for another few moments. ¡°Okay. So. Did you tell Mr. Waterson about Julie?"


    Frank let out a long breath. Back to Issue A. "No," he admitted. ¡°Luci, we need to keep that quiet."

 Part 35b: The Wounded 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.2 - To the Future


    PART 35b: THE WOUNDED 2


    Luci shook her head. "Frank, WHY?¡± She paused to make sure there was no one in earshot before whispering, ¡°Julie shot Carrie! Should we defend that simply because she escaped into the past with our time machine?¡±


    ¡°There''s more to it than that," Frank protested. "It''s as I told you before the ambulance showed up, Julie was acting funny."


    "Frank, Julie''s never been normal. Remember the flyer?¡±


    Frank shook his head. "No, listen, the whole incident didn''t make sense.¡± He slapped his index finger into his palm, deciding he had to justify this as much to himself as he did to her. ¡°First, Julie arrived at my place totally calm and collected. Then she was shaking like a leaf. Why?¡± He added a second finger. ¡°Second, she shot at Carrie knowing I was there and could I.D. her, yet she took no direct action against me - not until I provoked her. None of which sounds like a typical Julie plan.¡±


    Luci opened her mouth as if to interject something, but Frank kept talking, adding a third finger to his tally. ¡°Third, and most importantly, what on earth was her motive? Why shoot Carrie, and then decide to undo, well, everything? Why not simply avoid shooting anyone in the first place, meaning there¡¯s nothing to undo?¡±


    Luci stared, seemingly wondering if he was going to add another point. "So, what, you think Julie was set up?" she asked at last.


    "I don''t know," Frank admitted, spreading his arms out, wondering if he sounded as frustrated as he felt. "So until we DO know something, we keep Julie¡¯s name out of it. There was a robber. You didn¡¯t get to my house in time to see anything, and then you came here to the hospital. End of story."


    Luci rubbed her nose. ¡°For THIS, you don¡¯t compromise,¡± he heard her mumble. She looked back up at him before he could think to comment. ¡°Okay, look. You HAVE to realize that as soon as Carrie regains consciousness, Julie¡¯s name is going to come up.¡±


    Frank nodded. "True. But this delay? Will give me enough time to talk with Clarke."


    ¡°With..." Luci¡¯s vexed look became thoughtful. ¡°Hm. What do you think Clarke knows? How much are you planning on telling him about what happened? Are you going to mention the time machine?"


    ¡°Clarke gets the whole story.¡± Frank rubbed the back of his head. ¡°So I¡¯ll have to mention the time machine. But as you pointed out to Tim a few days ago, we''re pretty sure Clarke knows already.¡±


    Luci nodded. "True enough." The young girl rocked on her heels for a moment. ¡°And the only person who might object is Carrie, and she can''t exactly vote right now. Thing is, if you¡¯re right? If someone blackmailed Julie into what she did? Something big is going on. Maybe bigger than we can handle."


    "Hey, if you have other options, I''m open to suggestion here.¡±


    Luci opened her mouth to respond, but ultimately shook her head. "Nothing comes to mind," she sighed. "I''ll keep thinking though.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Frank agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know how it goes with Clarke.¡± He glanced over towards the clock. ¡°So unless there¡¯s anything else...?¡±


    Luci started to shake her head in the negative, but then she grimaced. ¡°Okay, yeah, one other thing I want to ask.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Sure, Luci, anything."


    The young girl pursed her lips. "Carrie and me, we''re not so alike, are we? I mean, we''re not ''close'', like her father said, right? After all, she¡¯s so... so... while I¡¯m so... I mean, I¡¯m not like her, am I?¡±


    Frank felt at a loss as to what the actual question was there. ¡°Not really. Why, does something about the comparison bother you?"


    ¡°It annoys me that her father said we were close, within minutes of my first meeting him," Luci said. She crossed her arms. ¡°I mean, you don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be like Carrie two years down the road, right?"


    Frank grinned, as he tried to picture Luci spinning her hair in her fingers and batting her eyelashes, trying to get random boys in the hall to carry her books for her. "Trust me, Luci," he said reassuringly. "I don''t think you have anything to worry about."


    ***


    Lee whistled absently as he finished reshelving the last of the books. A quick glance at his watch told him he was just in time, the library would be closing in another two minutes. "Another day, another dollar," he remarked aloud. He quickly wheeled the book trolley back to the rear of the building, resisting the urge to ride on it.


    It was as he walked back to the stairs that some movement caught his eye back in the records section. "''lo? Anyone there?" Lee called out.


    He saw the movement again and decided to check it out. "Hello?" he called out again. "Library''s closing in under a minute, get going while the getting going''s good."


    There seemed to be a figure standing in the shadow of the main shelves. "Time''s up today, buddy," Lee continued. "Come back tomorrow." The figure didn''t respond. "Look, I can totally see you," Lee observed. "And the library is closed, so I''m going to have to ask you to leave."


    The figure finally stepped forwards. It was a person wearing a cowl which concealed their face; Lee couldn¡¯t make out any features. "You are going to do something for me now," he - it was a male voice - said. "Listen carefully. You will turn around, and forget that you ever saw me. Understand?"


    "Uh huh," Lee replied. "Sure, buddy. You been reading ''Hypnotism for Dummies''? Come on, I''m serious, library''s closed.¡±


    The figure stepped closer. ¡°I SAID, you will turn around, and forget that you ever saw me," he repeated. ¡°Understand?"


    Lee rolled his eyes. "Hey, Judy,¡± he shouted out, hoping the head librarian would hear. "We''ve got a stowaway back here. Looks to be part of some weird cult.¡±


    Said stowaway quickly reached up and pushed back his hood, allowing Lee to take in the features of a nondescript thirtysomething male with longish, dark hair. "I am not part of a weird cult," the man said in obvious irritation.


    Lee grinned. "Customer''s always right, of course. I simply call ''em as I see ''em."


    The man glared. "You have a very closed mind, and little to no understanding of what''s really going on around you."


    "Yeah, that''s what my friends always say. Now, are you gonna leave the library or not? You can always come back tomorrow, you know. This is how libraries work."


    "Oh, very well," came the grudging reply. "What time do you open?"


    "Hours are posted out front," Lee said automatically. The man let out another quiet grumble and began to move past him. "Oop, hold on," Lee remarked, extending his hand to block the way. "Is that a book of bound newspapers in your hand? Those can''t leave the library, sorry."


    The man turned. "I need some of these articles."


    "Well, take a snapshot or photocopy them then," Lee replied. The man nodded and moved off towards the photocopier station. "But not now," Lee added. "Seeing as the library closed five minutes ago."


    "You really are trying my patience."


    "Is there a problem here?" came a new, female voice.


    Lee turned to see the head librarian approaching. "No problem, Judy,¡± he assured her. "Whatzizname here was looking to photocopy old newspaper clippings, except he left it a bit late."


    Judy nodded. ¡°Right, the photocopiers will have powered down by now," she stated. "Can you come back tomorrow, sir?¡±


    "Oh, well, fine!" the thirtysomething said. He tossed the book of bound newspapers angrily into Lee¡¯s arms, with enough force to make Lee stumble, then stalked off towards the stairwell.


    ¡®Now there,¡¯ Lee mused, ¡®goes a guy accustomed to getting his own way.¡¯


    "I''ll follow him to make sure he gets out,¡± Judy said. ¡°Can you possibly reshelve that volume before you leave yourself?¡±


    Lee nodded. "No problemo," he affirmed with a grin and a thumbs up. Judy smiled back and headed off, while Lee quickly tracked down the proper place for the records he was holding.


    It was as he was sliding them in that he noticed a piece of paper sticking out. Likely a bookmark of sorts. Vaguely curious, Lee pulled the volume back out and flipped open to the page in question. He frowned.


    The three year old headline referred to the recent purchase of their town¡¯s biggest house, by a wealthy out-of-town family.


    "Bizarre," Lee murmured. "Why¡¯s a creepy dude like that reading up on the LaMille history?¡± After a moment of thought, Lee shrugged, replaced the volume, and returned to the library''s front desk to sign out.

 Part 36a: Question Everything

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.2 - To the Future


    PART 36a: QUESTION EVERYTHING 1


    Clarke stood staring out the classroom window for several minutes. At last, he turned to face Frank again. "I see why you preferred to tell me this in person," he remarked. The two of them had agreed to meet that morning before classes started.


    "You believe me then?" Frank asked.


    Clarke considered the question, and ultimately shrugged. "You have no reason to lie," he said. "It also helps explain why I couldn''t reach Julie last night. I didn¡¯t really buy her parents¡¯ excuse that she was asleep.¡±


    Frank nodded. "So, what do you think then? Is there any chance that Julie was, I don¡¯t know, coerced or possessed or something?¡±


    "That," Clarke said slowly, "is a very good question." He thought for another long moment. What should he say? Julie had asked him - PLEADED with him - to keep quiet about her family situation. He couldn¡¯t betray that. Not when Julie was no longer here to give permission.


    "I can tell you this much,¡± Clarke yielded. ¡°Julie had a lot riding on a discussion with her parents last night. If that went badly... I''m not sure what mental state she would have been in. However, Julie hasn''t even been thinking about Carrie since the two of them split, over a month ago. There was no reason to shoot her. Unless Carrie has done something to annoy Julie recently...?"


    "Not as far as I know," Frank said. ¡°I mean, she did indirectly help Corry with research for his flyer."


    ¡°Julie would have targeted Corry for that, and even then, non lethally,¡± Clarke countered. He tapped his foot on the ground. ¡°No, I¡¯m as puzzled by Julie¡¯s actions as you are.¡±


    Frank ran a hand back through his hair. "I see. Damn. I... I guess I thought this conversation was worth a shot. Thanks anyway."


    "You know, I appreciate how you didn''t jump in and persecute Julie," Clarke added. "Most wouldn''t be half as kind right now.¡±


    "Well, while I can¡¯t forgive Julie for some of the things she¡¯s apparently done - this doesn¡¯t add up. And since you¡¯ve always been advocating on her behalf, I figured that had to mean something."


    ¡°Thank you." A thought struck Clarke, and he leaned back against the wall. "Though, hold up a sec, you said that after Julie shot Carrie, she took your time machine to try and undo everything. Right?"


    "By erasing her own existence, that''s correct," Frank confirmed. "I am sorry, Clarke."


    "Yet I still remember her," Clarke continued. "You still remember her. Carrie''s still in the hospital. Obviously Julie still existed. So if her intention was to wipe herself out, it didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Which does fit with my timeline theory,¡± Frank noted. ¡°It''s impossible for anyone to affect their prior self that way."


    "So if she can''t do it, why hasn''t she come back?" Clarke questioned.


    Frank shrugged. "Maybe she hasn''t realized the problem yet. Or has no money to return. Or our machine¡¯s random variance meant she¡¯s stuck in the wrong time period. We have no way of knowing what happened.¡±


    Clarke slowly shook his head. "But we HAVE to know, Frank. We''re now in Julie''s future. We should immediately know the results of her time traveling."


    "Er... okay, good point," Frank yielded. "Well, it could be that the machine broke down... so she decided to take up residence in the past... and is currently living a new life somewhere else?"


    "Even if that¡¯s so, we should STILL be able to find out," Clarke insisted. "Right? I mean, in historical records, newspapers, that sort of thing? Maybe Julie even left a message for us somewhere!¡±


    "I... I suppose that''s logical," Frank granted.


    "That''s what I¡¯m going to do then,¡± Clarke decided. "I''m going to research, and track Julie down. I''ll let you know if I find out anything.¡±


    ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± Frank admitted. ¡°Okay... you can also talk with Luci, Chartreuse or Tim. They''re the other ones who know about the time machine."


    "Tim??"


    "Sort of a long story. Chartreuse related. I¡¯m sure he''d be more than happy to tell it to you himself.¡±


    "He probably would," Clarke agreed. ¡°Okay. One more thing - could we maybe keep on keeping Julie¡¯s name out of this? While I look? Things are bad enough for her already.¡±


    ¡°I..." The first bell rang, warning students to head to their homeroom classes. ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± Frank agreed. ¡°Talk to you this evening then?¡±


    "Right, until then," Clarke confirmed. With that, the two teenagers headed off to their first class.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ***


    Hank Waterson dropped his daughter''s hand and rose to his feet as the nurse entered the room. "She''s still unconscious. Why is she still unconscious?" he demanded of the man. "Is there something wrong? She''s been in recovery for over two days now!"


    "Mr. Waterson, please, shouting at me is not going to do anyone any good,¡± the nurse said, moving to check on the instruments by Carrie''s bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not shouting!¡± Hank paused before sinking back down into the chair next to her bed. ¡°Fine, maybe I¡¯m raising my voice. The thing is, I''m starting to get the distinct impression that you all know something I don¡¯t.¡±


    The nurse finished taking his reading and marked something down on a clipboard. "I assure you, Mr. Waterson, we are being quite transparent. Your daughter¡¯s wounds have been treated and there''s every chance she will make a complete physical recovery." He made some additional notes.


    "Then why is she still asleep?" Hank protested. "Is she in some sort of coma? Are you giving her too much morphine??"


    The nurse shook his head. "As far as we can tell, this deep sleep is exactly what it looks like. As to why she¡¯s not waking up... I grant, that is a good question.¡±


    ¡°Is the fact that I don''t have a genetic history on her mother''s side of the family important? Is there anything there that might allow for Carrie''s current condition?"


    The nurse sighed. "Possible, but unlikely. Mr. Waterson, why don''t you go home and get some sleep? I''m sure it''s simply a matter of time until..."


    "TIME!¡±


    The nurse physically recoiled as Carrie¡¯s eyes snapped open. Hank barely registered the man¡¯s shocked expression, attention already back on his daughter. "Carrie,¡± he said happily, grasping her hand again. "Carrie, it''s me, it''s your father! A-Are you all right?"


    Carrie sat bolt upright on the hospital bed, her eyes wide, yet unfocussed. "Time," she repeated. "Time, time... I can see it, oh God, why can I see the flow of time..."


    Hank exchanged a brief glance with the hospital official. Now the man merely looked nervous. "Carrie, stay calm," Hank continued slowly. ¡°Lie back, you''ve been through a somewhat traumatic..."


    Carrie''s unseeing gaze snapped over to him, bringing him up short.


    "It''s all wrong," Carrie continued. She started to shake. "This is the wrong timeline. You... you''ve got to fix it. Please, you''ve got to fix this for me." Her heart machine began to beep faster.


    "I¡¯m going to get someone," the nurse decided, hurrying away.


    Hank Waterson squeezed Carrie''s hand a little harder. "Okay hon, don''t worry, whatever it is, I''ll fix it. First, please lie back down."


    "No, no, no," Carrie said, shaking her head. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "It hurts, it hurts, you''ve got to fix it now, please, PLEASE someone''s got to fix it NOW.¡±


    "Okay," her father soothed, not sure what she meant, but hating to see his daughter in such pain. "We can give you stronger painkillers. Don¡¯t worry, the doctors have assured me you''ll make a full..."


    "No, no, it huuuuuuuuurts,¡± Carrie sobbed, yanking her hand free from her father''s grasp and pressing both palms against her temples. She began to rock back and forth. "Change it back, you''ve got to change time baaaaaaaack... please pleeeeeease someone change time baaa-aaa-aaack..."


    "Change what time back?" her father asked. ¡°Like Daylight Savings? Does your head hurt, dear, is that the problem?"


    "Huuuuuurts,¡± Carrie sobbed. ¡°They can''t change the past, they can''t change..." She threw back her head and began laughing hysterically.


    "Carrie... Carrie, honey, what''s wrong? What¡¯s so funny? How can I help you?¡± Hank asked desperately.


    She didn''t even seem to hear him, she merely kept on laughing. He started to stand up, to try and get that nurse to come back.


    Her hands had grabbed him by the lapels of his shirt before he realized it. Carrie now silently stared up at her father, tear streaks on her cheeks and a haunted look in her eyes. She spoke again. ¡°There IS no NOW. But she''s NOT supposed to be DEAD. WE... MUST... CHANGE... TIME... *BACK*.¡±


    And the glass of water next to Carrie''s bed inexplicably shattered into a hundred pieces. With its contents no longer confined, the liquid unceremoniously spilled out all over the tabletop and down onto the floor.


    Hank Waterson jumped at the noise, and with his attention diverted, it took him a few seconds to realize that his daughter had fallen unconscious once more, her fingers still twisted in against his shirt.


    "Dear God," Hank whispered, gently lowering her body back down onto the hospital bed. "What... what was all that about?"


    ***


    "It''s a mystery," Frank decided.


    "No, it''s not," Luci countered. She reached out to point to the equations. "See, this chemical acts like a catalyst, that''s why we were able to observe the change."


    Frank blinked. "Oh, right. Uh, I knew that."


    "Yes, you did," Luci agreed. "What''s wrong, Frank? You''ve never been this inattentive about your science homework before."


    He was unable to hold back a sigh. "I''m sorry, Luci. I suppose I can''t get my mind off of the whole time travel mess.¡±


    Luci rested a hand on his shoulder. "Frank, there''s nothing more we can do about that. It''s been over a week since the shooting. Time to start thinking about living our normal lives again."


    Frank could scarcely believe she¡¯d suggested it. ¡°HOW?" he protested. ¡°You know Carrie''s condition! The few times she¡¯s been conscious, she¡¯s been raving about time and disrupted timelines. And her physical state remains poor due to the apparent mental strain she''s under. Now, there''s got to be some connection between that and our time trips.¡±


    "There probably is," Luci acknowledged, her grip on him tightening. "But we have no way of knowing what it might be. Nor do we have the time machine, so telling anyone about our trips is liable to get us locked up in some psychiatric ward."


    "Along with Carrie, you mean," Frank said dejectedly.


    ¡°No, Frank, I don''t mean that,¡± she asserted, pulling her hand away. ¡°Carrie¡¯s not there yet.¡±


    "She probably will be soon." Frank slammed his own hand down onto his sitting room table. "Damn it, Luci, if only I hadn''t left the time machine out. Hadn¡¯t let Julie get her hands on it! If we had it now, we''d be in a position to DO something.¡±


    "And maybe we wouldn¡¯t. And maybe you¡¯d be dead. Besides, you warned me Julie was headed for the basement, I¡¯M the one who let her activate the damn thing. So it¡¯s my fault than anything!¡±


    "Don¡¯t be silly, you..." Frank stopped as he looked over and finally registered the pain in Luci¡¯s expression. "You''re feeling guilty too," he realized.


    "This surprises you? Don''t forget, I also suspected everything was too perfect with Julie. Yet I wasn''t able to determine what was really going on! Now look where we are because of it."


    "But Luci, you couldn''t have predicted this," Frank protested. ¡°No one could have predicted this!¡±


    "Maybe, maybe not." Luci¡¯s expression became a wry smile. ¡°For instance, Chartreuse thinks she could have. And Clarke¡¯s upset he hasn¡¯t found anything on Julie yet, and Tim wonders if he should have been more involved, and trust me, Frank, there''s enough guilt to go around our little group already. Too much, if you ask me. Which is why I wanted to work on chemistry. Why I wanted to avoid thinking about it for a change.¡±


    Frank looked back down at the science questions. ¡°I see your point.¡± He swallowed. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I can do this. Not yet. I¡¯m sorry, Luci - could we give it another go tomorrow?"

 Part 36b: Question Everything 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.2 - To the Future


    PART 36b: QUESTION EVERYTHING 2


    "I suppose," Luci agreed. She offered up a small smile. ¡°Please, don''t think I''m unsympathetic. I really wish there was something more we could try. But with no time machine, no information about Julie¡¯s whereabouts, and no way for us to understand, let alone treat Carrie''s condition, we HAVE to move on. If we obsess... I don¡¯t know. Maybe we will all go nuts."


    ¡°I hope not,¡± Frank sighed. ¡°Give me one more night though. To reflect. Inspiration could strike."


    Luci rubbed her thumb and index finger in against her eyes, finishing by pinching the bridge of her nose. Then she reached out to close their textbook. ¡°Sure. And if it does strike, or even if you simply want to talk - you know my number. I-I¡¯m here for you, Frank. Yeah? You haven¡¯t forgotten about how I feel about you, right?" she added more softly.


    "I haven''t," Frank assured. "Thanks, Luci." He smiled back at her, and the two of them hugged. Unfortunately, his expression held up only as long as it took for Luci to pack up her things and leave the Dijora household.


    ***


    Frank was still frowning after dinner, as he lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. ¡°Okay,¡± he asserted. ¡°Tomorrow, I am going to time travel back to NOW, so that I have a time machine NOW that I can use tomorrow to time travel back to NOW.¡±


    And ... nothing changed. He idly wondered if they needed Carrie to make something like that work. ¡°I don¡¯t even know when we¡¯d need to start changing things for her, even assuming we could,¡± Frank groaned, rolling onto his side.


    His phone rang. He grabbed for it, wondering who would be calling - and for some reason, there was no data available. ¡°Hello?¡± he said, answering anyway.


    "Frank Dijora?"


    Frank frowned. It was an older male voice. Someone he didn''t recognize. "Yeah, speaking," he confirmed.


    "Frank, you need to tell the police about Julie LaMille."


    Frank was instantly sitting up. "Who is this? What do you know about Julie?" None of their group had said anything, and Carrie had never been lucid enough to give a statement. Officially, Julie was simply a missing person.


    "If you don''t reveal the whole story about Julie, Carrie''s condition will continue to deteriorate."


    Frank''s grip tightened. ¡°Y-You know something about Carrie''s condition too?!"


    The voice sighed. ¡°Listen, Frank - you and your friends are playing with forces you don''t understand. Only by revealing Julie¡¯s part in this can we help set time back on its proper course."


    ¡°Set time... proper course... are you from the future?"


    "Immaterial. Are you even listening? I don¡¯t want to force the issue here, but I will if I have to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not making any sense,¡± Frank protested.


    ¡°Frank, you will now scratch your nose,¡± the voice interrupted.


    ¡°I will now scratch my nose,¡± Frank agreed, doing so. ¡°But how does that even--¡° Frank froze. He looked down at his hand. Why... why had he done that?


    ¡°Again, I don¡¯t WANT to force the issue here. But I WILL if I have to.¡±


    Frank swallowed hard. ¡°W-Who... Who are you?¡±


    A pause. ¡°Let¡¯s call me Carrie¡¯s Guardian Angel. After all, I did manage to save her once before, when she took a time trip out into the middle of Algonquin Park. Without coins. Did she ever mention that trip to you?¡±


    Frank almost replied in the negative - only to have all the pieces fall into place. June, two years in the past, one of their first trips, when they¡¯d both been trapped in the woods, and Carrie had run into the guy with the nickel who had said ¡®Guard it¡¯. Was it possible? Could this be the same guy? ¡°Maybe,¡± he realized.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Fine. So, you will set the record straight concerning Julie?¡±


    ¡°ONLY if you answer a few questions first,¡± Frank retorted, hardly believing his own audacity.


    Silence. Frank tensed. Had he blown it? But then, a response: ¡°If I do that, you will do as I ask?¡±


    Frank cleared his throat. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll allow three questions.¡±


    ¡°Three?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be nice and not count that as one of them.¡±


    Frank closed his eyes. He forced himself to slow down and think. He had an opportunity here. But with a question limit, there was no point in asking anything which he might now be able to deduce.


    First, this guy - Carrie had referred to him as a ¡®Shady¡¯ guy back then, and it seemed a good enough moniker - knew too much. Odds were good that Shady was another time traveller. Or knew someone who was. So, were others changing the past too? Is that why Carrie had said something to her father about the wrong timeline? Or was it changes by Julie causing the problem?


    Shady¡¯s request implied the latter. Despite being suspicious of the messenger, he had to get more information about that first.


    ¡°First question,¡± Frank said. ¡°What is it Julie changed in the past, which is causing Carrie to react in our present?¡±


    ¡°Julie died.¡±


    Frank nearly dropped the phone, Shady¡¯s response had been so cavalier. ¡°I¡¯ll need proof,¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Her teenaged self died on November 9th, precisely three days before she was even born. I thought you might ask, so I checked in the library. You can look it up in the newspaper published by her home town. Though of course, they didn¡¯t know the person was Julie. She was simply listed as a Jane Doe.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°Proof that time doesn¡¯t like it when people attempt drastic alterations to their own histories. Ironic, in a way.¡±


    Frank forced his emotions down. Two questions left, and he now had a lot of new information. New fact: Shady couldn¡¯t time travel at will. If he could, why bother looking things up in old newspapers? Further, his ¡°ironic¡± implied that what was on the surface here contrasted with what was really happening... to the point of being a complete opposite. Could that imply that Shady was also changing history, more subtly?


    Shady coughed. ¡°Are you still there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to parse the fact that you¡¯re saying someone I know is DEAD,¡± Frank sniped. He got another sigh in response.


    Okay, where to go with this? Well, if this guy could effect changes like making Frank scratch his nose, surely he could convince the police without Frank¡¯s help. So why hadn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Second question,¡± Frank said. ¡°Since you can seemingly force your will onto people, why even give me the option here?¡±


    ¡°Mmph,¡± Shady grunted. Frank got the impression he didn¡¯t like this question. ¡°So, there are limits. Sure, I could make you tell the police yourself the next time you see them, but depending on how they react, you might end up coming across as a robot, or coerced or something. That would be bad. Besides, free will is important! It¡¯s the whole reason I..." His voice trailed off.


    ¡°It¡¯s the whole reason you what?¡±


    ¡°Is that your last question?¡±


    Frank grimaced. ¡°No.¡± Damn. Shady was getting canny.


    So, Shady could influence individuals, but he didn¡¯t necessarily have control over how things played out? Interesting. Not to mention a stronger case for him being behind all of this in the first place.


    Frank decided his last question had to be about Carrie. Shady didn¡¯t seem to care that Julie was dead - did this ¡®Guardian Angel¡¯ truly care about Carrie, or was she a means to an end?


    ¡°Third question.¡± Frank paused to frame it in his mind. ¡°How do you know for sure that Carrie will be all right, once the truth about Julie¡¯s role in her injury comes out?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    Frank stared at his phone, but there was no immediate follow-up. He clenched his jaw. ¡°That¡¯s not an acceptable answer.¡±


    More grumbling. ¡°Carrie Waterson is having trouble rationalizing the sequence of events surrounding the awakening of her powers,¡± Shady said at last. ¡°Because Julie was the trigger this time, and--"


    ¡°THIS time?¡± Frank interrupted. His certainty about a fixed timeline was eroding fast.


    ¡°Because Julie was the trigger,¡± Shady amended swiftly, ¡°And because Julie was temporally displaced so soon afterwards, Carrie is experiencing a disconnect between present and past. My most reasonable hypothesis is that she now believes herself to be in the past too. So if we construct a present where Julie is a fugitive rather than merely missing, Carrie will be more grounded, and her disconnect can be resolved.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I said that already. There are a number of uncertainties here, including how far that-- how far your Carrie¡¯s insanity has progressed.¡±


    Frank bit down on his lip. ¡°Seems like we should use time travel to prevent the shooting in the first place then.¡±


    Shady grunted. ¡°Okay, free information since it scares me to think that you might actually try something that STUPID.¡± He actually sounded worried. ¡°You rewrite what has happened to this point? Carrie will be faced with simultaneous futures, one in which her powers are awakening, and one in which they are still dormant. The resulting temporal stress would destroy her mind. From the inside out. Likely taking this whole town along with it.¡±


    "Oh..." Frank swallowed. ¡°But what powers--"


    "No more questions,¡± the man retorted. "Your turn to keep up your end of the bargain.¡±


    Frank winced. ¡°Fine, Shady, I-I¡¯ll tell the police before next week.¡±


    ¡°Shady?¡± the guy yelped. ¡°What is WITH you teenagers and your labels? And you want to wait until-- Look, Frank, you bear THIS in mind! Every MINUTE you wait is one MORE minute for your precious Carrie to slip further away. Understood?¡±


    And the line went dead.


    Frank collapsed back onto his bed. That whole conversation had been... surreal. Beyond insane. He had to write this stuff down, before he forgot. No, wait - better idea. Frank reached back for his phone, dialling another number with a shaky hand.


    "Hello... Luci?" Frank said as soon as he heard the familiar voice on the other end. "There''s been a new development."

 Part 37a: Geography and Geometry

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.3 - To the Past


    PART 37a: GEOGRAPHY & GEOMETRY 1


    Hank Waterson stared down at the prone form of his daughter, lying on the hospital bed. For once, Carrie seemed conscious, but her eyes were blank. She didn''t seem to be aware of her surroundings.


    "Carrie?" Hank whispered to her, again taking her by the hand. "Carrie, it will be all right, do you hear me? I''ve got the doctors doing everything that they can. So stay strong, honey, we''ll get through this. And then... then maybe we''ll go to a hockey game? Or anywhere you like. Okay? Please, you''ve got to stay with me."


    Hank squeezed his eyes shut to try and hold back the tears. ''I can''t lose her now, not like this,'' he pleaded silently. ''Please, someone... find a way to help my daughter...''


    The teenagers in Frank¡¯s basement couldn¡¯t hear Mr. Waterson¡¯s plea. But they were working on a plan.


    ***


    ¡°Right then," Frank said, placing his palms upon the lab table. He looked out at the faces of Luci, Tim, Chartreuse and Clarke. "Let''s get this meeting underway."


    He turned to Chartreuse. "Do you have any further news concerning Carrie''s condition?"


    Chartreuse shook her head. "I did another vision quest last night but got, you know, the same results," she reported. "Namely that Carrie won¡¯t get any worse until after this weekend. It could be as early as Monday that she, well..." The pink haired girl bit her lip.


    ¡°So, if this doesn¡¯t come together, I¡¯m revealing the truth about Julie being her shooter tomorrow. Sunday night," Frank decided. He glanced at Clarke. "You realize we''ll have no choice."


    Clarke nodded. "I... I understand," he said. "It is nice that you''re still giving Julie every chance."


    Frank rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Honestly? I nearly told the police the morning after Shady called. Luci talked me into waiting through the weekend, as I¡¯d originally intended.¡±


    "I simply don''t trust this Shady guy who called Frank," Luci piped up. "He seems to have his own agenda, and doesn''t care about the rest of us at all. Besides, we have our own future divining rod.¡± She smiled over at Chartreuse.


    "W-what is it that you''re proposing then?¡± Tim wondered.


    "We''re coming to that," Frank replied. "First of all, Clarke, were you able to verify at least part of Shady''s story?"


    Clarke nodded. ¡°Yeah. It wasn''t hard to track down the article, once I knew what to look for." He produced a sheet of paper. "I made this copy for the rest of you." The others crowded around to have a look.


    "Mysterious girl hit by ambulance?" Chartreuse read in horror. "That''s, like, terrible! Though... you¡¯d think she¡¯d have been close enough to receive medical help?"


    ¡°I guess Julie''s wounds were too severe," Clarke said, swallowing. ¡°Besides, no identity, no insurance, and not the biggest hospital in her hometown."


    Frank eyed the article. ¡°The state of Illinois? Hold on, Julie''s American?"


    Clarke nodded. "That''s where she was born, anyway. When Jeeves told me, I was as surprised as the rest of you. Not sure how long she stayed there, as her parents moved around quite a bit."


    "I-Is there any chance that this article isn''t about Julie?" Tim asked. ¡°Maybe this ¡¯Shady¡¯ lied.¡±


    ¡°There''s always a chance," Clarke admitted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t give her name. But... it seems unlikely."


    "Long curly brown hair, wearing a dark green sweater... sounds like Julie on the day she left our time," Luci agreed.


    The five of them stood staring at the article for a moment. "Okay then," Frank said at last, pushing the paper aside. "Here''s the plan. A bunch of us travel back in time, save Julie, and return to the present with her. If Carrie''s condition is a result of some ability to sense Julie''s untimely death in the past or present or whatever - problem solved."This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Uh, wait,¡± Chartreuse objected, raising her hand. "Julie, you know, took the time machine. So how can we travel back?"


    ¡°Consider Clarke¡¯s logic about our present being her future,¡± Frank countered. ¡°And recognize that Julie can''t still be using the time machine if she''s no longer alive." Chartreuse still stared at him in confusion. ¡°Basically think of it this way," he decided. "Have you ever seen Back to the Future, part three? If so, picture us as being in 1955, having to go back to 1885 to prevent the Doc''s death."


    "Oooooooh,¡± Chartreuse said, comprehension dawning. "You mean we just have to figure out where Julie left the time machine in the past. Knowing that, we can track it down in the present.¡±


    "Exactly," Luci confirmed. "That time machine must now exist somewhere in our world. The idea occurred to me and Frank, after we realized how Shady seemed to think it was possible - if inadvisable - for us to go back and mess with the day Carrie got shot."


    "B-But Julie didn''t leave us a note telling us where to look,¡± Tim objected.


    "True," Frank admitted. "Which is why we requested that you do that additional research yesterday, Tim..."


    Tim face-palmed. ¡°OH. Of course.¡± His gaze fell to the floor. "I... I wasn''t able to turn up anything though. No w-weird occurrences in early November of that year, no indications of unknown scientific devices in public records, no discussions out on the Internet about the device... I''m s-sorry, I don''t think I even have the beginnings of a lead to follow up on.¡±


    Frank exchanged a glance with Luci. ¡°I suppose it was too much to hope that it would be that easy."


    "I''ll keep searching though, if it w-will help save lives,¡± Tim assured. "All w-weekend if need be.¡±


    "I''m sure you''ve been doing your best," Clarke said, resting a hand on Tim''s shoulder. "And having exhausted the Julie angle, I can help you now. If you like." Tim nodded eagerly back at his friend.


    ***


    Luci walked around the lab bench to stand by Frank. ¡°Setting that aside for the moment then," she remarked, "we have one additional problem. Temporal-spatial relocation. Which is particularly bad if we want to end up in Illinois."


    Frank winced. "Oh, DARN. I knew this plan was coming together too well... how are we supposed to end up in the United States?"


    Chartreuse waved her hand frantically in the air again. ¡°Wait, what''s that about temporary specials?"


    ¡°Time-space relocation," Luci reiterated. "See, whenever we use the time machine, we don''t stay in the same place. Sometimes we travel a few blocks away, sometimes we wind up at the school - Frank and Carrie have even been on trips taking them out of town."


    "So, if you''re not careful, you could end up in the m-middle of the P-Pacific Ocean?" Tim said, eyes widening.


    "Quite true," Luci confirmed. "However, Frank has a working theory relating to the machine¡¯s destination. We¡¯ve checked it out in retrospect, and it''s held up for every single trip."


    "I should have realized it after Luci was abducted,¡± Frank admitted. ¡°Once we discovered that the readings Linquist had on her were somehow related to the electronics in the time machine¡¯s activation handle. But it took Shady¡¯s mention of Algonquin Park for things to really click. Now, granted, we don¡¯t have the machine to test this theory out..."


    "Still, the answer is so obvious, I''m sure it''s correct," Luci interjected. "I mean, I feel pretty stupid for having missed it in the first place."


    "Care to, you know, clue us in then?" Chartreuse pressed.


    Frank nodded. "Okay. Consider, the time machine needs to pinpoint its destination location in four dimensions, three in space and one in time." He went over to the nearby chalkboard. "That last is taken care of with the year of the coin used to power the device. The other three... those are actually the trickier ones."


    "The earth spins," Luci elaborated. ¡°And moves around the sun. The point we''re at right now, spatially, is different from the one we were at even five seconds ago."


    "Right," Frank confirmed. He drew a line across the chalkboard, giving it a very sharp crest on the left and a long runoff to the right. "Now, this represents the ravine running through our town. Here''s Carrie''s house." He marked an ''x'' on the left of the board, near the top of the sharp crest.


    "A lot of her trips remained near her house, or took her into Willowdale Park, on the other side of the ravine." Frank shaded in the small area just under the crest and marked in ''park''. "When I traveled with her, there were a number of times that we also ended up in the park. The explanation for that lies in the position of my house, about two blocks away from the ravine, but on the opposite side." He marked in a second ''x''.


    "Okay, so... the park''s kinda halfway between your houses," Chartreuse observed.


    "Then it''s locating based on where you live?" Clarke mused.


    Luci shook her head. "Not where we live. Where we ARE. Tim, Chartreuse, you remember the trip that me, Frank and Carrie took to the future? We ended up on the street outside, near our meeting place. The time before that, when the three of us traveled to the school dance, we ended up less than a block away from the school building."


    ¡°And then there was my second trip with Carrie,¡± Frank added, tossing aside his chalk. ¡°On a day when past me was visiting relatives in Sudbury. I asked Carrie¡¯s father, and he says it¡¯s possible he and Carrie had spent that day in Ottawa." He raised his two index fingers, and slowly brought them together. "With Sudbury and Ottawa, the midpoint is..."


    "Algonquin Park," Clarke finished.


    Frank nodded, pointing at the blonde boy. "Bingo. Everything fits. Even a trip we took to an airport. It also explains why recent trips are occurring in town. No one¡¯s left here in the last couple of months."


    ¡°B-But how is this possible?" Tim protested. ¡°Like, what if you travel to a time where you aren¡¯t, um, there? Can you only travel back and forth within your own lifetime?¡±

 Part 37b: Geography and Geometry 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.3 - To the Past


    PART 37b: GEOGRAPHY & GEOMETRY 2


    ¡°Valid question,¡± Frank yielded. ¡°Given one could time travel forward with no plan to return. Except, I did travel with Carrie back to the 1950s. We stayed in town. Meaning either there¡¯s some sort of geographic failsafe, or, I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s doing geometry based on similar DNA. Found in our ancestors or other relatives.¡± He shrugged. ¡°We¡¯d have to test that empirically.¡±


    ¡°More to the point, what if you take the same trip twice?¡± Luci put in. ¡°The machine seems to account for the structures around us, but what about the danger of overlapping its own arrival?¡± She smiled. ¡°THAT is where the random variance comes in. By randomizing the time by a few minutes, along with the space within a certain radius, you shouldn¡¯t have to worry about rematerializing on top of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Julie¡¯s death,¡± Tim realized with a start. ¡°That fits your pattern. She died back in the town where her parents were.¡±


    Chartreuse let out a low whistle. "This is SO COOL,¡± she said. "The inventor must have, you know, put a lot of thought into this thing.¡±


    Frank came back to the table. "As you say. It also means that we¡¯d better not play with the electronics in the handle, as I have no idea how the heck this device is scanning all of space for its users, then accounting for the curvature of the Earth and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Clarke mused, nodding slowly. ¡°It would suck if your past selves were on opposite sides of the planet, leading to the machine placing you under the Earth¡¯s crust or something.¡±


    Frank nodded. ¡°Unfortunately,¡± he added, ¡°this makes our trip to retrieve Julie that much more difficult. I mean, short of recruiting her parents..."


    ¡°Bad idea,¡± Clarke asserted, with some bitterness. ¡°Hell, they didn¡¯t even stick around town past Day 3 of the search for their missing daughter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Frank looked to Luci, then back at Clarke. ¡°Then we¡¯re either going to have travel down to Illinois the long way - which is problematic in our present and a pain in the past - or we get fancy with geometry."


    ¡°And for that,¡± Luci summarized, ¡°we¡¯re going to need all of your birth places.¡± She sighed. ¡°Of course, since I¡¯m younger than Julie, and I don''t even know who my parents were, I can''t join the rescue mission. It adds too much additional randomness to the calculations.¡±


    ¡°You can co-ordinate our efforts here, Luci,¡± Frank noted, reaching out to touch her shoulder before looking at the others. "Now, I had a map of Canada, but if Julie was born in the States, that''s not going to be big enough. I¡¯ll run and get an atlas."


    He hurried off upstairs.


    ***


    "Tim, what¡¯s up?" Clarke inquired, after scanning everyone¡¯s expressions. "You''re looking unusually pensive."


    Tim flushed slightly. "Oh, w-well... I g-guess I''ve gone back to wondering where the time machine might be." He paused. "I mean, since it''s so important that we find it, can''t you do it, ah, temporally? L-Like, declare that whoever goes back to save Julie, they''ll place the device somewhere that it can be easily found now or something?¡±


    "Set ourselves up you mean?" Luci piped up. She shook her head. "We haven¡¯t been able to do that yet. Frank''s tried, and to a lesser extent, so have I. And while Carrie is a different story - she''s somehow adept at paradox without even trying - at present, she''s obviously incapacitated."


    "Hey, you think maybe Carrie''s connection to paradox is, like, part of the reason she''s having trouble now?" Chartreuse proposed.


    "It wouldn''t surprise me," Luci agreed.


    "Okay, I''ve got an atlas," Frank called out as he hurried back downstairs. "The map of North America is a bit crude but will hopefully serve for our purposes."


    He laid it out on the table. "Now, I was born in Ottawa, Ontario," he began, drawing a circle around the nation''s capital. "And with Luci staying here, I¡¯d better go as a specialist on the time machine. Clarke, it''s probably best if you come too, since Julie''s unlikely to respond well to anyone else. Where were you born?"If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Vancouver."


    Frank let out a breath. ¡°British Columbia. Of course.¡± He circled the west coast city, pulled out a ruler, and connected the two points. "Which means that according to the midpoint theory, we end up somewhere southwest of Winnipeg, Manitoba.¡±


    "I was, like, born here in town," Chartreuse added.


    "Okay, so if we do a triangulation and take the midpoint of that... hm, practical use for this math stuff." Frank located the centroid. ¡°Okay, I think it pulls us closer to Thunder Bay," Frank concluded. "Tim...?"


    "T-Toronto."


    Frank drew a few more pencil lines on the map. "Er, second triangle then... uh, with me, Clarke and Tim, the arrival point borders Lake Superior? Then if we add Chartreuse back... hm, quadrilateral. How does this work... we should automate these calculations..." More lines were drawn. "Okay, er, I think we''d be IN Lake Superior." He frowned, staring down at the map for a few seconds. "This isn''t going to work at all, is it."


    ¡°There¡¯s also the fact that, since the Earth''s surface is curved, the shortest distance between two points isn¡¯t such straight lines,¡± Luci realized. ¡°Or maybe we¡¯re supposed to use the circumcenter, not the centroid?¡±


    ¡°Is there NO way to work aroundthat part of the locating procedure?¡± Clarke asked.


    Frank shook his head. ¡°Figuring that out would take time and effort, both things we don''t have, given how we still have to track the machine down in our present in the first place!"


    "If I might, you know, offer a suggestion?" Chartreuse piped up.


    Frank gestured back in her direction. "Go ahead."


    "It seems that what we really need for the time trip is a point somewhere south of Julie. To pull us into the States. So, like, how about Miami? It looks like you might get good results if you, you know, calculate a position including that city."


    "But we don''t know anyone from Miami," Frank protested.


    "We might. Calculate it," Chartreuse insisted.


    Shrugging, Frank drew in more pencil marks and triangle medians. "All right, well, if we calculate right back to me, Clarke and ''Miami''..." He blinked. "Illinois. West of Chicago. A little too far west, but it''s the closest yet." He frowned. "Still, as I said, we''d need someone in Miami."


    Chartreuse pursed her lips. "Well, actually... Laurie Veniti was born there."


    "Oh boy.¡± Frank flipped the pencil forward onto the table and pressed his hand to his forehead.


    "See, the Venitis had an uncle living here in town who, like, died when the twins were five," Chartreuse continued earnestly. "He left his house to their family, so they all, you know, decided to move into the area at that time. But originally, they were born in America too.¡±


    ¡°Y-You think Laurie will be okay with this insanity?¡± Tim asked.


    ¡°Or CORRY?¡± Luci added.


    ¡°Yeah, why would Corry allow anything that might help Julie out?¡± Clarke agreed.


    ¡°Stop going on about Corry - Laurie will help if I tell her it¡¯s going to help Carrie,¡± Chartreuse countered. ¡°And if I go along as well, I can make sure my friend isn''t any trouble."


    "Except - you can''t go with her,¡± Luci interjected. She had retrieved Frank''s pencil and drawn in a couple new lines herself. ¡°If you do, everyone ends up in the middle of Lake Michigan."


    "Those Great Lakes keep getting in our way," Tim observed.


    "Okay, so... what if Tim, like, joins all of us too?¡±


    "Stop, this is out of control," Frank protested. "First things first, do we really want Laurie, and potentially Corry, to find out about the machine?"


    "Well, the situation HAS changed," Luci yielded. "Not only are we pressed for time, we¡¯re under surveillance by some guy from the future. Extra help from a truly unexpected quarter could come in handy. Assuming we can trust the Venitis to keep quiet."


    ¡°I guess,¡± Frank said dubiously. ¡°But you know how Laurie tends to babble. This isn''t something we want the whole school to find out about."


    "Hey! Laurie can, you know, keep secrets,¡± Chartreuse protested. "And she''ll see the importance in not telling anybody.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you think her brother would take advantage of the situation?" Clarke insisted.


    "S-Seems to me that Corry is the bigger question here," Tim agreed. "I mean, even if we only tell Laurie, won''t he figure it out eventually?"


    Frank drummed his fingers on the table. "Probably." He frowned. "Okay Chartreuse, you probably know Corry best. If he were to find out about the time machine, what would he do?"


    Chartreuse pondered. "Well, he does know how to listen to reason. Though it might be touch and go, given Laurie''s potential involvement. Still, yeah, if we can¡¯t keep him out of this indefinitely, I guess it''d be better to, like, be up front with him about it."


    "We certainly want to avoid him discovering things in a manner similar to Julie," Luci concurred.


    ¡°So should we put off deciding anything until we find the time machine?" Tim offered. "I mean, if we can''t find it, this is all moot."


    Frank shook his head. ¡°Annoyingly, time is against us. Remember, come tomorrow night, I talk to the police and the situation changes again. So once the time machine turns up, we''ll want to take the trip, not waste hours on explanations."


    "Okay, I propose the following plan," Luci declared. "Chartreuse, you tell Laurie - discretely - about the trip to rescue Julie. If she''s agreeable, we ALL go to present a united front to Corry. That way we''ll know straight out if he''s going to cause us trouble. In the meantime, the rest of us can try to figure out what happened to the time machine between Julie¡¯s arrival in the past, and our present."


    Glances were exchanged. ¡°It sounds like our best shot," Frank agreed.


    "Then let¡¯s do this, for Julie!¡± Clarke chimed in.


    ¡°A-And Carrie too," Tim added.


    "I''ll totally make that unanimous," Chartreuse concluded, beaming. She thrust her palm out into the middle of the group. "So let''s, you know, make it official!"


    Luci and Tim instinctively reached out to place their palms on top of Chartreuse''s. Frank and Clarke blinked in surprise, but then added their own hands to the group. "To the future!" Chartreuse declared.


    "You mean the past," Luci observed, amused.


    "Like, whatever," Chartreuse countered with a wink. She left for the Veniti house minutes later.

 Part 38a: Coming Together

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.3 - To the Past


    PART 38a: COMING TOGETHER 1


    Laurie finished shading in her drawing, then leaned back to get a better overall look. The kitten stared up at her from the page with small, sad eyes. "Oh, who am I kidding?" Laurie whimpered. She pushed aside her sketch pad and leaned over her desk, cradling her head in her arms. "Drawing isn''t going to cheer me up. I... I should get back to my math."


    The redhead reached out and flipped open her textbook, pulling it over and staring down at it blankly. Golly, this unit was hard to figure out! It was bad enough trying to understand math under normal circumstances... now, what with Carrie in the hospital, and Clarke withdrawing, no doubt due to Julie''s disappearance...


    "I can''t concentrate,¡± Laurie wailed aloud. She pushed the textbook away and picked up her pencil again. However, after less than a minute of doodling, Laurie had tossed it aside once more.


    "I''ll see what Corry''s up to," she decided. Heading out of her room, she went down the hall, making a point of knocking on her brother''s door.


    "Who''s there?" Corry called out.


    Laurie turned the knob and peered around the corner. "Who d''you think?" she answered.


    "I said ''who''s there'' not ''come in''," Corry observed dryly, turning away from his own desk. He reached out and hit pause on his music player, cutting off the sound of classical music.


    "Close enough,¡± Laurie said. ¡°I did knock.¡±


    Corry rolled his eyes. "Guess that¡¯s what confused me. Okay little sis, what''s up?"


    She didn''t even think to call him out on the ''little sis'' remark. "I guess I was wondering what you were up to.¡±


    ¡°Finishing my chemistry write-up," Corry noted. "It''s due soon, and I''ve been putting it off."


    "Oh." Laurie edged a little further into the room, glancing over at the music player then back at her brother. "So... that was Beethoven, right? One of his symphonies?"


    Corry nodded. "Glad to see I''m finally having a positive cultural effect on you."


    "But you only listen to his symphonies in order to calm down when you''re upset about something," Laurie pointed out. "So... so does that mean you''re troubled about recent events?"


    Her brother looked away. "Troubled? No, I wouldn''t say troubled. It''s been an interesting few weeks, that''s all."


    Laurie leaned back up against the door frame. "Oh."


    He looked back. "Laurie, are you feeling troubled?"


    She shifted her weight back and forth. "Maybe."


    "About Julie or about Carrie?" Corry prompted. Laurie didn''t reply, merely shifted back and forth again. Corry sighed. "Look sis, there''s no point in getting all worked up over those two," he continued. "After all, whatever''s happened with them, there''s nothing we can do about it."


    "Yeah... I know," Laurie admitted. ¡°Still it''s... well, it''s upsetting, don''t you think?"


    "If you ask me, it''s nonsensical," Corry countered, annoyance creeping into his tone. "Julie disappearing without a trace? Carrie going stir crazy in the hospital? I don''t get it. Makes no sense. So, better to put it all behind us and move on."


    "But... but how can you just DO that??"


    "Simple, look towards the future. Not back at the past. For instance, have you started your math homework yet?"


    "Kinda," Laurie admitted sullenly. "It''s too hard though."Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Tell you what then," Corry continued. "Give me a half hour to finish up my stuff here, and then I''ll help you out with it. Okay?"


    "O-Okay. I guess."


    Corry smiled reassuringly. "Cheer up, Laurie. Whatever''s happened, I''m sure it will work itself out in time. Until then, we have to move on with the rest of our lives. I''m sure Clarke would want you to do that, right?"


    Laurie pursed her lips, then nodded again. ¡°Yeah. Okay," she repeated. "I''ll see you in half an hour then?"


    Corry nodded, and Laurie slipped back out of his room, closing the door behind her. She still couldn''t bring herself to smile though. What was she going to do for the next half hour anyway? Maybe she should call Chartreuse. Yes, that was a good idea, Chartreuse always helped her feel better.


    Laurie headed back to her room. However, before she reached it, she heard the doorbell ring. Straining to hear who the visitor was, Laurie heard a familiar voice speaking to her mother.


    ***


    "Chartreuse, I was just going to call you,¡± Laurie said, bouncing down the stairs towards her. "Maybe this is one of those psychic ESP phenomena you''ve talked about?¡±


    Chartreuse smiled at her red haired friend. "There must be some good alpha waves going on," she agreed. "Though I''m kinda here on a mission too. Mind if we, like, have a quick talk about something? In your room?"


    As they walked upstairs, Chartreuse debated possible ways to broach the subject of what had happened to Julie. The direct method was probably best. Right? Except Laurie still looked a little distraught. Could she handle direct?


    "So, what''s up?" Laurie asked, moving to sit cross-legged on her bed.


    "Well, it''s, you know, something very secret," Chartreuse began tentatively, as she closed Laurie¡¯s bedroom door. She forced herself not to pace back and forth. "Along the same lines as your dream to become a professional animator."


    Laurie''s eyes widened. "But... you''re the only person I''ve ever told that to. Not even Corry knows about it.¡±


    "And he can''t know about this either. Not right away," Chartreuse asserted. "So promise you''ll, like, keep this quiet forever n'' ever, or, um, at least until circumstances change?"


    Laurie nodded wordlessly.


    Chartreuse took in a deep breath. Yeah, best to simply say it. "Okay then. So, Frank, Carrie and Luci had a time machine. But Julie took it to, like, escape into the past. So now we need your help to get Julie back. You follow that?¡±


    Laurie stared. Her nose crinkled. "Waaaait... TIME machine?? And... me? Why me?¡±


    "It''s got to do with some, you know, tricky spacials stuff. It hinges on the fact that you were born in Miami during the right year," Chartreuse explained. She was having trouble figuring out if Laurie was more confused or excited.


    Laurie¡¯s frown deepened. "But... okay, well, I was obviously only in Miami from May 21st onwards, because birthday, so how does that connect and where did this time machine come from, did Frank and Luci invent it and how did you find out about it, for that matter how long have you known and does this have anything to do with why Carrie''s in the hospital now because oooooooh, golly, hold on, she wasn''t shot because of this machine WAS she, I mean there aren''t international spies running around trying to get it back from you are there, is your life in danger or is Julie''s, or was Julie in on it and is that why she was usually able to best my brother - it could explain some things - though it raises a lot of other questions too and golly I''m not really sure where to begin anymore but give me a second to keep processing this--"


    "Laurie, hold on,¡± Chartreuse cut in quickly as Laurie paused for a lungful of air. At least the nonstop talking was a really good sign. "All your questions will be answered. For right now, what I have to know is... are you willing to help us out? Because it could be dangerous."


    Laurie¡¯s lips pursed. "Seems like if I don''t help, nothing will get better for Carrie or Julie. Right?"


    Chartreuse nodded reluctantly. "Probably. But regarding time travel, there''s a lot of stuff we''re still not sure of. So don''t, like, base your decision only on them... you''re hardly close friends."


    "Chartreuse, how long have you known me?" Laurie said indignantly. "If I can help make people feel better, I want to do it. Doesn''t matter if they''ll thank me or not, what goes around comes around, and I know there''s loads of times when I''ve needed people to help me out too.¡±


    "Right... I should have, you know, figured on you saying that," Chartreuse admitted. She should have found a way to phrase things better.


    "So when do we leave?" Laurie asked, uncrossing her legs.


    "Whoa, hold on,¡± her friend protested. "We don''t even, like, have the machine back yet. In fact there''s a lot of stuff still being organized, and... well, we¡¯ll have to talk to your brother first."


    Laurie folded her arms. ¡°Chartreuse, you JUST said that this was a secret that he can¡¯t know about!¡±


    "Welllll... it¡¯s more we don''t want him finding out at a time which isn''t of our choosing," Chartreuse corrected. "Otherwise he might react badly, given how Carrie and Julie are involved too.¡±


    Laurie shook her head. ¡°That makes NO sense. If you have a time machine, how can it NOT happen at a time of your choosing?" she protested.


    ¡°Okay, it''s not as simple as that," Chartreuse sighed. ¡°Again, we don¡¯t have the machine now, plus I also said this was, you know, tricky and dangerous.¡±


    ¡°But you''ve travelled through time, haven¡¯t you? And you look okay!¡±


    Chartreuse blinked in surprise. "No," she corrected. "I haven''t done any time traveling yet.¡±


    "Oh.¡± Laurie thought on that for a moment. "Why not? I thought you¡¯d jump at the chance.¡±


    Chartreuse took a moment to try and phrase things right this time. "The opportunity never really, I don¡¯t know, presented itself."


    "So when the two of us go, it will be your first time too?"


    Chartreuse realized she still hadn¡¯t properly explained the situation.

 Part 38b: Coming Together 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.3 - To the Past


    PART 38b: COMING TOGETHER 2


    "Laurie, wait. This time trip that we need your help for, it''s very possible that I won''t be able to come along. You''d be with Frank and Clarke,¡± Chartreuse clarified.


    "Oh," Laurie repeated.


    Which was when, looking into Laurie''s innocent green eyes, Chartreuse really began to wonder whether bringing her best friend in on this had been the best idea. If something did happen to Laurie now, would Corry ever be able to forgive her? Would Chartreuse ever be able to forgive HERSELF?


    Maybe she should do another vision quest to ensure that Laurie would come through this safely. Though after reading Carrie, another experience so soon after would be quite a strain on her system. And would it even work, since she forecasted the future, while Laurie¡¯s future would be in the past?


    "Chartreuse?"


    Chartreuse refocussed. "I''m sorry, what was that?"


    "Why can''t you come?" Laurie asked again, softly.


    Chartreuse sighed. "More tricky spacials stuff," she said. "You know Laurie, it''s not too late to back out. We... we might be able to manage without you." Oh yeah, THAT was convincing.


    Laurie bit her lip, yet at the same time she shook her head firmly. "I still want to help," she declared, although it was apparent that some of her earlier eagerness was being replaced by worry and doubt.


    As it should be, Chartreuse reasoned. So why was she starting to feel so bad about this? "Look, Laurie, let¡¯s put the time travel stuff aside for now, okay?" she proposed. "I''ll, like, get back to you on details either later today or tomorrow. All right?"


    The redhead hesitated, but ultimately nodded slowly in agreement.


    Chartreuse smiled encouragingly. "Great. So, how about some meditative exercises? Might, you know, help to take your mind off of things?"


    Laurie shook her head again, surprising her friend. "I don''t think so," she said quietly. "That is... maybe later, but right now I think I still want to spend a few minutes thinking about this. By myself. Okay? Maybe you can get us a couple glasses of water?"


    Chartreuse looked closely at Laurie¡¯s expression before nodding back. "Okay, sure," she agreed. ¡°Maybe even some orange juice instead?"


    Laurie agreed to that, so after squeezing her friend''s hand supportively, Chartreuse headed out of Laurie''s room and down towards the Veniti kitchen. Yet she had only reached the top of the stairs before a voice stopped her in her tracks.


    "Chartreuse. We have to talk."


    Chartreuse turned to face Laurie¡¯s brother, offering a quick smile. "Hi Corry!" she greeted him. "Sorry, can''t stop, I..."


    The words froze on her lips as she got her first good look at the expression on Corry''s face. It was in that instant that Chartreuse realized that he knew... that he had somehow overheard part of her conversation with Laurie. Oh no. Was he bugging his sister¡¯s room?!


    "We have to talk," Laurie''s twin repeated icily. "Now."


    Chartreuse wondered fleetingly if things could get any worse.


    ***


    "It''s worse than we thought," Clarke agreed. "There aren¡¯t ANY useful scientific records for the area and time period in question.¡±


    Tim sighed. "I d-didn''t think there would be much call for small town American newspapers in our library anyway,¡± he said resignedly. "Still, given you found that one about Julie¡¯s death, it was worth a shot.¡±


    The shorter blond boy sat down at the table in the records room. ¡°So... what now? The internet¡¯s hopeless when you only have vague search terms, and we¡¯ve now exhausted our library.¡± He frowned. ¡°What¡¯s even the point in continuing to search like this?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Clarke flinched. "I beg your pardon, Tim?¡±


    Tim looked momentarily embarrassed. "Oh, d-d-don''t get me wrong. I still want to help Julie, it¡¯s more... well, listen Clarke, what if the time machine we need really IS still around in this present time? Will that do us any good if we learn the machine is still located somewhere in Illinois? Or in Area 51?? We now have less than forty-eight hours to somehow recover it, a-and we can''t do that, not with our limited resources.¡±


    Clarke paused to consider the blonde boy''s words. ¡°That makes sense," he yielded. ¡°But if I understand Frank¡¯s logic, once we¡¯re SURE about where the device is, someone could leave town to go there, and then use the machine¡¯s spatial sense to time travel back to now, when the rest of us can use it."


    Tim began to drum his fingers on the table. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m obviously still having trouble wrapping my head around those time travel rules. So... so maybe our best move is to ignore them. To play for the chance NOW."


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost me,¡± Clarke apologized.


    "It''s l-like in the game of bridge," Tim explained. "What if the only way you can make your contract is if your opponents'' hearts are split 3-3? Obviously, you play for that chance, since it''s the ONLY way you''ll win. S-So... what if the only way we''ll win here is if the time machine has already found it¡¯s way back to us?¡± He pushed himself back to his feet.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he continued, enthusiastically. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be figuring out where the time machine COULD be. We should start with the assumption it¡¯s already HERE. In town. After all, we¡¯re the source of the problem. And this is where Carrie is. I mean, okay, Luci said we can¡¯t set ourselves up, but why can¡¯t fate or time or something be intervening on our behalf? Because otherwise... w-well, otherwise we''re wasting time looking for the needle in a haystack." Tim paused, becoming unsure of himself. "R-Right?"


    Clarke couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d seen Tim that animated. But did that mean his reasoning was correct? "Maybe," he agreed hesitantly. ¡°But if that¡¯s so, what do we do about it?"


    ¡°A local news search,¡± Tim proposed. ¡°Mysterious arrivals of people or occurrences here in t-town over the last seventeen years. Or since the LaMilles arrived. It c-could point us in the right direction."


    "Agreed," Clarke stated. "It''s worth a shot." His eyebrow lifted. "By the way Tim, when did you start playing bridge?"


    ¡°What? Oh, I d-don¡¯t,¡± Tim assured him, looking embarrassed again. ¡°But I read a lot, and I enjoy that c-column.¡± He licked his lips. ¡°For that matter, the whole idea of acting on a chance... I never quite understood it. I mean, if taking the chance could leave you worse off than if you¡¯d done nothing, why do it? But maybe I get it now. Now that it¡¯s important, now that people¡¯s lives are involved - we have to try this. Don¡¯t we?¡±


    Clarke smiled. ¡°We do. Stop doubting yourself, it¡¯s a good thought.¡± He cracked his knuckles. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it.¡±


    ***


    Over an hour later, Tim¡¯s doubts had fully reasserted themselves. They¡¯d tracked back five years, and still hadn''t found anything that looked very promising. ¡°M-Maybe we need to make it even more personal," Tim piped up at last. "Could we have missed something ourselves in events over the last month...?"


    Before Clarke could answer, the voice of Lee cut in through the book stacks. "Beats me," the library employee said. "But whatever you''re missing, I hope you find it in the next ten minutes. That''s when the library closes."


    Clarke looked at his watch, then over to Lee as their classmate ambled into view. ¡°Damn. When does the library open again tomorrow?¡±


    "Hours are posted right out front."


    "B-But we need to keep searching these records,¡± Tim stammered out. ¡°It¡¯s important! C-Can¡¯t you make an exception? Or let us check some of them out tonight?"


    "Nope," Lee said apologetically, as he glanced down at the bound books of newspapers. "Those sorts of papers can''t leave the library. Though you can probably photocopy stuff, if you''re quick enough to avoid my deja vu."


    ¡°Your... what?" Clarke asked.


    Lee flashed a grin. "Sorry. You¡¯ve reminded me of this incident over a week ago, when this weird cult-like guy was back here researching newspaper records too. Similar books, also happened as the library was closing. Say, you don''t know the guy, do you?"


    Clarke and Tim both shook their heads. "B-But, wait, this guy..." Tim began slowly. "I d-don''t suppose he was reading anything related to a s-strange black box, was he?"


    Lee quirked up an eyebrow. "Nope. He was reading up on the LaMilles. Granted, I once got a strange black box from them, but the cultist couldn¡¯t have known that.¡± He chuckled.


    Clarke took a step forwards. ¡°Stop. Lee, you got a black box from the LaMilles?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lee said, gesturing dismissively. ¡°My mom bought it from the LaMille yard sale. You know, that big one their family had soon after moving into the mansion? If you ask me, I think they mixed in some old, broken stuff they¡¯d been keeping in storage along with Linquist¡¯s clutter. Hoping to take advantage of us small town Canadians.¡±


    ¡°Lee,¡± Tim said, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. ¡°What did this black box look like?"


    Lee thrust his hands into his pockets. "Oh, kinda like a flattened jack-in-the-box, except jack never popped up when you yanked the lever. Maybe because the digital readout was broken? Who knows - there weren¡¯t any screws or other means of getting inside to fix the darn thing, so I... uh, did I spill something on myself? Why are you two staring at me like that all of a sudden?"


    "Lee, this may be VERY important. Do you know where that box is?" Clarke said, reaching out to take him by the shoulders.


    ¡°Somewhere in my house," Lee said, in obvious confusion.


    "C-C-C-C-C-Could we s-s-s-see it?" Tim forced out.


    "Maaaaybe," Lee replied slowly. "Why? What''s this all about??"


    Clarke let out a breath he seemingly hadn''t realized he was holding. He smiled at Tim. "It''s about playing for a chance," he explained. "As well as saving a couple of our classmates¡¯ lives."


    To Tim, it looked like Lee wanted to make some sort of joke. Except the seriousness of Clarke''s tone had him at a loss for words. Tim leaned back in his chair, wondering how everybody else would feel about letting one more person in on their time machine secret.

 Part 39a: Recovery Mode

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.3 - To the Past


    PART 39a: RECOVERY MODE 1


    Corry Veniti tapped his pencil on the page before him as he contemplated the conversation he''d had with his sister. Despite telling her to put the whole Carrie/Julie situation behind them, Laurie''s demeanour had suggested to him that she wouldn''t be able to do that.


    Truth be told, the unanswered questions were gnawing at him too. He¡¯d never been fond of mysteries relating to Julie. How was it no one at school knew what had happened to her? Could she have been kidnapped by someone? On account of those flyers he''d printed? Was her disappearance his fault?


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Corry admonished himself. ¡°This isn¡¯t my problem. It¡¯s HER problem.¡± He reached out to resume the play of Beethoven''s fifth. Then stopped it again minutes later. "I brushed Laurie off too quickly though," he decided. "I should have done something more to distract her."


    Making up his mind, Corry rose from his desk, leaving his chemistry unfinished. However, as he reached his sister¡¯s bedroom, he heard Laurie exclaim something which sounded like "TIME machine?". Chartreuse''s voice followed, mentioning "tricky special stuff".


    With his hand raised to knock, Corry instead found himself leaning in closer to the door, to catch more of whatever was going on. He didn''t like what little he heard. He decided to challenge Chartreuse about it as soon as he had the chance.


    ***


    "We have to talk," Corry repeated icily. "Now."


    Chartreuse eyed him uncertainly. "Whatever you''re thinking, it''s probably, you know, wrong," she ventured.


    "I think you''re creating some sort of time travel delusion for my sister, so that she feels better about whatever''s happened with Carrie and Julie," he said. "And while I''m all for improving her mood, I don''t think now is the time for such silly, mystic games. Particularly if they''re as "risky" as you seemed to be implying."


    The pink haired girl¡¯s nose crinkled up. ¡°How do YOU know what I was implying? I mean, I know you look out for Laurie, but are you seriously, like, bugging her room now?¡±


    ¡°What? No, hearing you was an accident,¡± Corry said defensively. And a bit too loudly; he lowered his voice as he moved closer to his sister¡¯s friend. "I was merely coming to Laurie¡¯s room to speak with her, and overheard some of your talk. Don''t change the subject. What nonsense are you getting my sister mixed up in?"


    Chartreuse shifted her weight from foot to foot. ¡°Ummm... okay, so... it is kinda like what you think, except there''s no nonsense here," she yielded. "There really is a time machine. Sort of.¡±


    ¡°Sort of?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, like, missing.¡±


    Corry stared. "You must think I was born yesterday."


    "Oh, not at all,¡± Chartreuse assured, perking up. "Since if you were, we wouldn''t be able to use your family DNA to travel back to recover Julie."


    Corry felt taken aback by her sudden certainty. "My what?"


    "Okay, it has to do with spacials and.... you know, is it too late to say this was part of a Home Ec project?"


    "Yes," Corry replied, frown deepening.


    "Figures.¡± She licked her lips. ¡°Thing is, Luci, like, explained this part better.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean recover Julie? Is this one of her plots?¡±


    Chartreuse opened her mouth, then closed it, then crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. ¡°Know what? Not gonna tell you,¡± she decided. ¡°Not here, not now. After all, you have, you know, a blind spot where Julie is concerned.¡±


    Corry felt his hands curling into fists. ¡°Then you¡¯re not going to say anything more to Laurie either. I¡¯m nipping this H. G. Wells nonsense in the bud. She¡¯s upset enough as it is without your--¡°


    ¡°Corry, do you seriously think I¡¯m trying to hurt Laurie here?¡± Chartreuse interrupted, visibly frustrated. ¡°You know I care about her as much as you do. Thing is, without her help... it will cost the lives of two other people.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdramatize,¡± Corry scoffed. ¡°Now, I know Laurie looks up to you, and values the time you spend together, but really - at some point you have to stop deluding her with your mystic ramblings.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Chartreuse stamped her foot. ¡°Okay, first of all? Laurie values her time with, like, everyone to some degree. Not only me, and perhaps certain people even more than you may realize. And secondly? Merely because YOU don¡¯t believe in something, that doesn¡¯t make it a fantasy. I¡¯m speaking the honest truth here, Corry!¡±


    Corry peered a bit closer, to gauge her sincerity. She definitely seemed serious. Except the stories she was weaving - they were nonsense. ¡°Even assuming I believe you,¡± he decided. ¡°Your plans seem far too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you know, life can be like that. Besides, if Laurie wants to help someone, she''s going to do it. No matter what EITHER us has to say."


    ¡°Unless she¡¯s not given the option.¡±


    Chartreuse winced. ¡°Corry..."


    ¡°From this point forwards, whatever you have to say to Laurie about this matter goes through me first,¡± he decided. ¡°I will then decide whether it¡¯s worth passing on. Understood?¡±


    Chartreuse must have sensed his unwillingness to compromise, as her gaze dropped down to the floor. "Okay," she sighed. Then she looked back up at him. ¡°But, you know, think about this - what if I AM right? And what if, because of you, we do nothing, and people die terrible, needless deaths? How will you feel then? And how will Laurie feel when she learns about what you did?¡±


    She strode away before Corry had a chance to formulate any sort of reply, fleeing downstairs to the kitchen. He watched her go with a frown. Time machine? Family DNA? Needless deaths? Ridiculous.


    So where had Julie disappeared to? ¡°She¡¯s not my problem,¡± he asserted aloud, clenching his jaw. ¡°Not. My. Problem.¡±


    ***


    Lee shuffled home from the library, lost in thought. No matter which way he turned things around in his head, he couldn''t figure out what Clarke and Tim wanted with that old black box. It had been, what, two years now since his mom had grabbed it at the LaMille yard sale? So why were they asking about it today? And what did they mean, saying it could save lives? This was all very strange.


    Oh well. Clarke had said he could explain it, after getting the okay from some other people. So Lee had said he''d get the box to them, after which they''d gone their separate ways.


    ''Which is good,'' Lee reflected as he trudged across the railroad tracks. ''Since I don''t think many people have bothered to figure out my exact address, and I''d rather keep it that way.'' He proceeded further into the poorer section of town, finally stopping at an old two story house with a faded nameplate on the mailbox that read: ''King Residence''. Taking a deep breath, Lee entered the house and called out, "I''m home!"


    "LeeLeeLeeLeeLeeLeeLee,¡± came the excited voice of a young girl. Moments later she came tearing around the corner, jumping up into his arms. "Missed you,¡± she concluded, innocently batting her eyelashes as she stared up at him.


    Lee couldn''t help but smile as he looked down at her. "Hi Soh," he said, giving her a quick hug. "And how''s my favouritist youngest sister?"


    "I''m okay,¡± Soh said brightly as Lee let her back down to the floor. "We did finger paintin'' in class today an'' I made a palm tree." She giggled at her own joke.


    "Well, I''m sure you did a wonderful job," Lee assured. He glanced up. "What have you done with everyone else then? Playing a big game of hide and seek?"


    "No, silly,¡± Soh declared, blonde pigtails flicking back and forth as she shook her head. "They''re all upstairs. ''Cept momma, she''s cookin''." The young girl lifted her hand, counting each person off on her fingers. "Granmamma''s sleepin'', Sing''s readin'' her books, an¡¯ Faye, well, she''s sulkin''."


    Lee¡¯s heart sank. If the oldest among his younger siblings was sulking now, it meant only one thing: their father had cancelled out on them for dinner. Again. Poor Faye, she''d never been the same since the divorce. "And how about you, what are you doing?" Lee inquired genially, pushing those thoughts back out of his mind.


    "Colourin¡¯,¡± Soh said happily. "Come on, comeseecomesee, I''m even stayin'' inside the lines this time, kinda.¡±


    "Maybe a little later, okay?" Lee said, reaching out to pat her head. "I should check in with mom first." He winked. "And hey, don''t be too worried about those lines. Hate to see you become a conformist."


    "Silly," Soh reiterated. "I won''t be no confar miss." With that, she turned and skipped back into the dining room area. Lee headed for the kitchen, where his mother was stirring something in a pot on the stove.


    "He''s not coming then?" Lee said, leaning back against the doorframe. It wasn''t really a question.


    "No," his mother admitted, turning to flash her only son a tired smile. "He''s not. His excuse this time was work, keeping him out of town, but Faye''s blaming me as usual. Maybe you can talk with her?"


    "I can try," Lee said. "But not before dinner, I''m afraid. I told some friends I''d bring them something important. I¡¯m only here to grab it."


    "Oh? Then if you''re going out again, can you pick up your grandmother''s medication?" his mother asked. "She was grousing about needing a refill when I got home today."


    "I guess so," Lee said, scanning over the food on the counter. Looked like spaghetti again. Third time this week.


    "You won''t have to use your own money either," his mother added. "I was paid yesterday, so there''s some cash on top of the fridge."


    Lee nodded, moving to retrieve a couple of bills. "That reminds me, I might be able to work some extra hours at the library in the coming week,¡± he remarked. "Think the extra income would be of use?"


    "Well, your father IS supposed to be sending us another cheque soon," his mother answered. "But if it''s late again..."


    "Gotcha."


    "I''m SO sorry about this, Lee..."


    "Hey, no big deal, used to it by now," Lee said dismissively. He smiled and moved in to give his mother a quick kiss on the cheek. "I''ll try not to be gone longer than another hour. Keep some sauce on the stove for me?"


    "Will do," his mother assured.


    Lee proceeded out of the kitchen and upstairs; he then pulled down the additional flight of steps leading up to the attic, and continued up to his room. It didn''t take long for him to find the old black box - he knew it had been here somewhere, though he hadn''t realized it had been his end table.


    He moved his lamp off the circular panel and picked the object up, turning it around in his hands a couple of times. He absently pulled down on the lever. Nothing happened. "Well, okay, if it''s that important to you guys,¡± he muttered. "Not like I store tons of stuff on it anyway."

 Part 39b: Recovery Mode 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.3 - To the Past


    PART 39b: RECOVERY MODE 2


    ¡°How is Carrie?"


    "No change," Luci sighed as she approached him. "Though that does mean no worse. Any sign of Lee yet?"


    "Nope," Clarke replied, turning to glance around the main area of the hospital. "But this is where we agreed to meet, so I figure he should be along any minute."


    Luci nodded, turning to look around herself. She frowned. Then took a step back to lean against the wall.


    "You know Luci, I''m sure Carrie will pull through," Clarke offered up. "She has that sort of personality."


    Luci looked up at the tall blonde again. "Hm?"


    "You''re looking worried," Clarke said. "I''m assuming it has to do with Carrie''s condition?¡±


    "Oh! Right. Except no. That is..." Luci pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Carrie, but I have some other things on my mind today too."


    Clarke cocked his head to the side. "You mean like whether we''re going to be able to pull off this whole rescue operation?"


    ¡°Yeah..." Luci paused, then reached out to grab Clarke¡¯s shoulder, maneuvering him away from the people nearby. ¡°Maybe I need to talk to someone who¡¯s not Frank,¡± she decided, glancing briefly back over her shoulder before looking up to meet his gaze. ¡°Clarke - are we doing the right thing here?¡±


    Clarke frowned. "You don''t think we should save Julie?"


    "Oh no, it¡¯s not that," Luci corrected with an immediate shake of her head. "Not even Julie deserved to die this way. It''s more... what if we''re all being manipulated into doing it?¡±


    "Manipulated?" Clarke repeated back, raising an eyebrow.


    "Exactly. Think about it," Luci continued quietly. "This ¡®Shady¡¯ guy who spoke to Frank may now be manipulating things - by staying out of them.¡±


    ¡°I... think you already lost me.¡±


    ¡°When Carrie first got her hands on the time machine, Shady didn¡¯t step in with any tips, or helpful pieces of information,¡± Luci elaborated. ¡°Carrie had carte blanche to do as she liked. Then after she was shot, okay, he made the one call to Frank, but otherwise he has done nothing. This, despite his apparent power to ¡°push¡± his will onto others. Now, Frank thinks it¡¯s because Shady likes free will, but what if Shady¡¯s been employing some sort of reverse psychology? Maybe he¡¯s the one behind everything, and by trying to save Julie, we¡¯ll end up playing right into his hands.¡±


    She fell silent. Clarke seemed to consider her argument. ¡°Except,¡± he reasoned, ¡°by that logic, we''d have to second guess everything we do. And even then, if other people are second guessing our second guessing... well, er, it''s all kinda pointless in the end. Right, Luci?¡±


    ¡°I... guess?" Luci wrung her hands in the air. ¡°Yet I¡¯M the one who insisted to Frank that he wait on calling the police - and I can¡¯t even go on the time trip we¡¯re all organizing. So what if I¡¯ve made a mistake? Like I did with Carrie¡¯s personality and Julie¡¯s reactions and what if Frank gets HURT, all because of my stubborn resolve??¡± She dropped her eyes to the ground. "I know, I know. Silly thing to worry about."


    Clarke reached out to place a hand on Luci''s shoulder. "Hey, it''s not silly at all," he reassured. "In fact, you¡¯re finally making more sense. I¡¯m thinking you¡¯re not used to being wrong much?¡±


    Luci flinched. ¡°I... it¡¯s atypical, yes.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Me, I¡¯m wrong a lot,¡± Clarke said easily. ¡°And usually, it¡¯s not a big deal, so I keep trying - or if it¡¯s real important, and I¡¯m not sure? That¡¯s when I rely on others to take care of it for me. Heck, sometimes, to score the basket, you have to know when to pass the ball.¡± He smiled, and patted her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t second guess yourself, Luci. And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure Frank''s kept safe for you."


    Luci felt her cheeks getting warm again. ¡°I-I¡¯m not ONLY worried about him, y¡¯know..."


    "Whoa, there y''are," Lee said, choosing that moment to make his appearance. "Thought you''d be outside, but then I realized, wait, it is a bit cold for that. Oh, hey short stuff, you involved in this with the high guy too?"


    "So to speak," Luci said. Her attention was immediately drawn to the device in Lee''s hands. "So you DO have it," she breathed.


    Lee held out the black box. "Yeah, this what you were looking for?"


    "That''s it," Clarke confirmed off of Luci¡¯s reaction. She accepted the device, turning it around in her hands a few times. She tried pushing and then pulling on the lever, but nothing happened.


    "As I said, it''s broken," Lee noted.


    Clarke nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. You want to come with us then? The truth about all this might blow your mind.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Lee apologized to them. "Family errand stuff at the pharmacy. Can we delay the big scoop ''till tomorrow? Or whenever''s convenient for you?"


    He watched as Clarke turned to Luci, who shrugged. ¡°We probably don¡¯t need Lee,¡± she admitted. ¡°But then who knows what we''ll find in this thing.¡±


    "I will be working at the library on Sunday,¡± Lee reminded them. "So you can find me there if you have questions.¡±


    "Okay then," Clarke said, reaching out to shake his hand. "Thanks very much."


    ¡°Hope you save those lives you were talking about," Lee said, shaking back and flashing them both a grin.


    "Come on Clarke, let''s get this back to Frank''s," Luci said, already moving off. "Time is of the essence." Clarke nodded, and the two of them turned to leave the hospital.


    Lee watched them go, wondering even more now about this whole affair - but family came first. More to the point, he had to think of a good way of talking to Faye, once he got home.


    How was he supposed to explain to her that it wasn''t their mother''s fault dad didn''t visit more often? The man had been trying to distance himself from the family ever since Soh, the fourth King child had been born... but Faye couldn¡¯t see it.


    Lee shook his head and walked for the hospital exit. And stopped. Something had caught his eye. He scanned back over the crowd inside the waiting area a bit more closely, his gaze finally settling on a man who was sitting near the door. His quarry immediately pulled his newspaper back up in front of his face, but not before Lee got a good look.


    ''That was the same guy from the library,¡¯ Lee realized. ¡®The weird cultist who wanted that information on the LaMilles. Huh, so he can dress normal. But why would he be hanging around the hospital now? Is it related to Clarke and Tim... and that box?''


    Lee pretended to scan the area a bit more, then shrugged and turned away, hoping to present the illusion that he hadn¡¯t seen whatever he¡¯d been looking for.


    ¡®I¡¯ll mention this to one of those guys the next time I see them,'' Lee decided. ¡®Because I¡¯m starting to understand what they mean by this being a big deal...¡¯


    ***


    Frank rubbed the side of his head. "So, you all want the good news, or the bad news?" he asked. All the teens that Chartreuse had once dubbed ¡®time trippers¡¯ had gathered back in his basement lab, where they had finally managed to pry the lid off the time machine with a crowbar.


    "Let''s have the good news," Clarke said. "About time we had some."


    "Well," Frank began, looking up from his inspection. "I should be able to reconnect the lever mechanism to the top panel, making the time machine physically functional again."


    "A-And... the bad news?" Tim asked.


    "With regard to actually activating it, there''s a couple of rather important circuits missing. Now, I THINK we can replace them too, the same way we did in October..." Frank let out a long breath. ¡°Except the information for doing it was on those sheets of paper Julie grabbed before she left. So we¡¯ll be working from memory."


    "You think Julie took out those circuits on purpose?" Luci speculated. Frank could only shrug.


    "Then of course there''s the WORSE news, which is that Corry''s not going to let Laurie come quietly," Chartreuse moaned. "I''m SO sorry about him finding out, guys. Though, you know, even I''m starting to have second thoughts about Laurie''s participation."


    "Our work is cut out for us," Frank said dryly. He cracked his knuckles. ¡°But it¡¯s still Saturday night. We have twenty four hours. So, unless any of you think you''ll be able to assist with repairs on the machine? It''s best for you - and your families - that you go home, and get some sleep. I''ll do what I can overnight, while you all think about Corry. We can regroup tomorrow."


    ¡°I¡¯m staying,¡± Luci asserted. She continued on before Frank had a chance to protest. "Since I CAN assist with repairs, and more to the point, you''ll need to get some sleep tonight yourself, Frank. Don''t want you traveling into the past tomorrow night without having slept."


    ¡°I guess,¡± Frank yielded. "Okay. Let¡¯s meet back here tomorrow at noon. Alternatively, if you have any new ideas, or me and Luci make better time on the repairs, we can get in touch.¡±


    The matter was settled shortly thereafter. Not only at Frank¡¯s house, but also in a discussion taking place at the Veniti residence.

 Part 40a: Reparations

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.3 - To the Past


    PART 40a: REPARATIONS 1


    "Corry... I want to know what''s really going on."


    Her twin blinked back at her in surprise. "What''s going on with what?"


    For a moment, Laurie regretted saying anything. However, after both knocking AND waiting for Corry to invite her in, she decided she might as well see things through. She closed the door behind herself, to make it harder to leave.


    "What''s going on with Carrie and Julie," Laurie explained softly.


    Corry sat up on his bed. ¡°What has Chartreuse been telling you?¡±


    Laurie tried to remember; she shouldn¡¯t have left this talk for so late into the evening. ¡°Not much. But she said that you both talked, and that she¡¯d decided to tell you a bit about what was going on, and that you didn''t think there was any point her discussing more about the time traveling stuff with me today."


    "Okay," Corry said, visibly relaxing. "So?"


    "So... I''ve decided I¡¯m going to go see Chartreuse¡¯s other friends tomorrow. To learn more about this on my own.¡±


    Corry''s face clouded again. "I see. Why is that?"


    "Because I want to," Laurie stated. She forced herself to breathe, and speak in short sentences. "Because Chartreuse is right about stuff a lot more often than you give her credit for. And because I need to know what really happened to Carrie and Julie. Even if that means discovering that my own brother is behind it all.¡±


    Corry''s look became one of confusion, and he swung his legs off the side of the bed. "What?"


    Laurie took in another breath. "Look, I know I¡¯m naive, but maybe I''m not actually stupid," she asserted. "You''ve never been fond of Carrie. Then you led that whole flyer campaign against Julie. The next day, Carrie¡¯s in the hospital, Julie¡¯s vanished, and you barely investigate. So... so what part did you play in their conditions?¡±


    "You think I''m somehow responsible for what''s happened to those two?¡± Corry said. Now he looked shocked - but maybe he was faking it for her benefit.


    "Aren''t you?"


    "No! No, Gods no, Laurie, ruining a reputation is one thing, but have I ever done something that would threaten a person''s life?"


    He seemed legitimately horrified. Oh no. Laurie looked down at her feet. ¡°M-Maybe you''ve come close a couple of times."


    She heard Corry jump off of his bed and approach her. "Laurie... Laurie, look at me. Please,¡± he insisted, taking her by the shoulders. Slowly, her eyes came back up to lock with his. Okay, it didn¡¯t look like he was upset with her, more - scared?


    "Laurie, listen. I know sometimes I can get a little carried away. But you have to believe me, I would never, ever, do something that could outright kill a person," he said. ¡°Understand?"


    Laurie searched her brother''s expression for any sign that he was lying. If he was, she couldn''t see it. She nodded, relieved beyond belief. ¡°Okay. But then, if you''re not responsible for what''s happened - isn¡¯t it possible that what Chartreuse said is the truth?"


    Corry released Laurie''s shoulders, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no. Time machines? That¡¯s science fiction. Apply Occam¡¯s razor - meaning the simplest answer is likely correct. Carrie caught some disease after the shooting, and Julie ran away. And while I grant that I may have been indirectly responsible for the latter, it was Julie¡¯s decision to go.¡±


    Laurie shook her head. "No, Corry. The right answer isn''t always the one that makes the most sense - otherwise I''d have higher marks. Besides, remember when Chartreuse found mom¡¯s missing keys last August? Or when she had that premonition before our pop quiz in math class last month? Or when she predicted the Star Trek franchise coming back, despite the weak interest in that TV show ¡®Enterprise''?"The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Sis, predictions related to Scott Bakula do not imply that a person can leap through space and time."


    ¡°You KNOW what I mean,¡± Laurie protested, stamping her foot. ¡°And it¡¯s not only Chartreuse this time, apparently it¡¯s Frank, and it¡¯s Clarke, and so unless they¡¯re all crazy there HAS to be something to this. So why couldn¡¯t we at least talk more about that?"


    Corry took another long, hard look at her before speaking again. "You''re not going to drop this subject no matter what, are you," he realized.


    "No, I''m n-not," Laurie said, swallowing. She summoned up all of her resolve. "So please Corry, don''t blame Chartreuse for anything that happens now, because I''m doing it myself. You may be satisfied by your more simple answers, but me, I¡¯ve got to know more.¡±


    Corry frowned. At first, Laurie thought he was getting upset again, until he said, ¡°In truth, I¡¯m not that satisfied. All right, Laurie. If Chartreuse can somehow PROVE to me - to us - that her time travel theory is correct, I''ll go along with it."


    "Oh, thank you! I knew you''d be reasonable,¡± Laurie said, grabbing her brother in a big hug. ¡°Let¡¯s call her first thing tomorrow.¡±


    "But at the first sign of a setup, we''re both out of there, okay?" Corry added, hugging back.


    Laurie nodded. "Don''t worry," she said happily. "I''m sure Chartreuse''s explanation will make PERFECT sense!"


    ***


    "This doesn''t make any sense," Luci muttered to herself. "The circuit is closed, it should be getting power, so why isn''t it working?"


    "Problems?" came the tired voice of Frank Dijora from the stairway.


    Luci turned. "Frank, you said you''d get at least six hours of rest,¡± she accused.


    Frank yawned. ¡°I¡¯m surprised I managed five," he admitted. He gestured at the clock. ¡°Besides, it''s almost time for breakfast. My mom''s up and making pancakes. Though I can bring ¡®em down here if you don''t think we''ll make the noon deadline."


    "No, no, we¡¯re on track,¡± Luci sighed. ¡°But it¡¯s frustrating - whenever we replace parts, they¡¯re not as compact as whatever was in there before, and the wiring gets awkward. This would be so much easier using futuristic technology.¡±


    Frank smiled wanly. "Tell me about it. I''m sure you''ve done the best you could with it though." He moved next to her in order to peer down inside the black box himself. Luci felt her cheeks warming at his proximity, and was not entirely successful in hiding it. "Er, sorry... too close?" Frank said, taking a step back upon realizing.


    ¡°It''s all right," Luci murmured. ¡°Some silly worries I¡¯ve been having, which when coupled with my feelings... look, assuming we get this fixed, you make sure you''re careful while you''re back in the past, okay?¡±


    Frank seemed surprised. "Of course," he assured. ¡°And..." His gaze drifted away from her face. "Luci, I realize it''s been three weeks now since... since you made your feelings clear to me. So... so I''m sorry that I''m still trying to sort it all out. But there''s been a bunch of other things happening lately and... well..." Frank stopped, obviously at a loss for what to say next.


    Luci sighed. "It''s okay, Frank," she said, reaching out to touch his arm. "I''m a patient girl. It can wait until after we get through this crisis." She smiled, as a thought struck her. "Besides, with this impromptu sleepover, I got to spend the night with you, in a way. I''ll let that carry me through." She winked, and watched in amusement as Frank turned away to hide his own reddening cheeks.


    "Frank, there''s a Chartreuse on the phone for you,¡± came the voice of Frank''s mother from the top of the stairs. "She says it''s quite important - something about Laurie¡¯s brother?¡±


    The two teenagers exchanged a quick glance before heading back up the stairway together.


    ***


    "This is preposterous," Corry said dourly. "You expect me to believe that pile of junk is a time machine? I mean, aren''t you supposed to be able to ride in them?"


    "You can, you know, believe whatever you like," Chartreuse declared. "The fact remains, it''s true."


    Corry hmphed, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the wall of Frank''s basement. Frank and Luci seemed to be in the process of some sort of repair work on the thing. Tim, who was apparently mixed up in this as well, had been delayed. Which meant the Veniti twins were being brought up to speed by, of all people, Chartreuse and Clarke.


    Corry glanced sidelong at his sister - she looked skeptical, but it still seemed like she wanted to see things through. Fine. He shifted his gaze to Clarke, the tall boy seeming the saner choice. "So let me see if I have this straight," Corry began.


    "Carrie found a time machine last September. Julie found out about it, shot Carrie, and then used the thing to time travel back to the year of her birth, where she died. Carrie''s present condition is related to the fact that Julie''s death was not supposed to take place.


    "Add to this a mysterious caller from the future, the rediscovery of your time device back here in town, and the fact that you need someone who was in Miami at the same time Julie was born to end up in the correct geographical location for this rescue operation. Is that right?"


    "Yeeeeah," Clarke said. He frowned. ¡°I grant it doesn''t sound so plausible when you put it together like that."


    "So me, Frank and Clarke would be trying to track down Julie in Illinois?" Laurie said, chewing nervously on her lower lip.


    "Right,¡± Chartreuse confirmed. ¡°We need you, otherwise they¡¯d end up in the wrong place. Though even so, you''ll probably be, you know, several kilometres off where you have to be, that''s why you''ll bring, like, bikes and rations and stuff along.¡±


    "Miles, Chartreuse, they use miles in the States," Corry reminded. He glanced around the room, scrutinizing everyone present.


    "You''re all insane," he decided. "I mean, it''s a fun little fantasy story, but you have yet to offer us any concrete proof. So please, give us an example of your magical ''time travel'' abilities?"

 Part 40b: Reparations 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.3 - To the Past


    PART 40b: REPARATIONS 2


    ¡°A demonstration is going to be a problem," Luci said. She turned, tossing aside a screwdriver. "Because even though we¡¯re finally done here, I can''t see the machine holding up for more than two, maybe three time trips.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gazes shifted over to where she and Frank had been working.


    "I''m forced to agree," Frank said with a sigh. ¡°Meaning there and back. Besides, we don¡¯t have enough coins from the present year to waste on demonstrations anyway. You¡¯ll simply have to take our word for it, Corry.¡±


    "How convenient," Corry observed, rolling his eyes.


    "So you... you can''t prove it to us?¡± Laurie asked quietly. Her gaze was pleading, but Frank and Luci shook their heads.


    "Well then," Corry concluded, pushing himself away from the wall. "Either you are making this up, and trying to ridicule me and Laurie with your ludicrous tales, or you are serious, and thus hope to get my sister to participate in a potentially lethal trip, chasing after my bitter rival. Does the phrase lose-lose situation mean anything to you?"


    "Look, there is a better way to put this," Frank insisted. He paused. "I just... don''t know what that is."


    "It doesn''t matter,¡± Chartreuse shouted. She reached out to seize Laurie''s hands. "You believe everything that we''ve been saying, right? You''ll help save Julie and Carrie no matter what Corry thinks?"


    Corry grimaced, but he held his tongue, wondering what his sister would say. Laurie opened and closed her mouth a few times before actually speaking.


    "I... I want to," she said at last. "I really do. But..." Her gaze slipped away from Chartreuse and down to the floor. ¡°This whole thing is getting more crazy and more serious, and I didn''t think it would be exactly like this, and Chartreuse, I... I''m scared."


    "But it won''t be, you know, so bad,¡± Chartreuse said, desperately. "I mean, Clarke would be along, and you like him, and he can make sure nothing real bad happens."


    Corry moved to put an arm around his sister''s shoulders, at the same time firing an angry glare at Chartreuse. "Sis, don''t let anyone pressure you into doing something you don''t want to," he soothed.


    Laurie lifted her gaze back up to look at her brother, then she turned to regard everyone else in the room. She bit down hard on her lower lip, the conflicting emotions inside of her evident in the changing expressions on her face.


    "Come on now, why don''t we go home and put this whole sorry affair behind us,¡± Corry suggested.


    For a moment, there was silence. And when Laurie finally opened her mouth to reply, a new voice broke in instead.


    ***


    "G-G-G-Guys,¡± stammered Tim.


    Frank turned as he heard blonde boy nearly fall in his haste to get down the basement stairway. ¡°Tim?¡±


    Tim didn¡¯t seem to hear him. "Is C-C-C-Corry s-still here?¡± Tim called out desperately. ¡°I''ve g-g-g-got s-something s-s-so important!"


    Clarke moved to his friend''s side, at the bottom of the stairs. "Hold on now, Tim," he said calmly. "Everyone''s here, including Corry. Don''t stress yourself out. Take a few deep breaths, then tell us what''s happened."


    Tim blinked up at Clarke, then nodded and did as he suggested before looking out at all of the others in the room. He held up what looked like an old envelope. "It''s this m-message... it was l-left with my father''s l-law firm, sixteen years ago. I''m l-late today because he had been told to g-give it to m-me this morning... and it''s f-f-for you.¡± Tim concluded, bowing forwards slightly as he held the sealed envelope out towards Corry.


    The redheaded boy blinked in surprise. He glanced around the room, Frank noting how everyone else was basically as taken aback by this new development as he was. Snatching the envelope from the smaller boy, Corry turned it around suspiciously in his hands.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    It looked to be a perfectly normal envelope, with ''Corry Veniti'' written on the front. But then Corry¡¯s grip tightened. ¡°This is my handwriting,¡± he realized.


    ¡°Wait, Tim, you got this message through your father''s law firm years ago - when exactly was this left with them?¡± Frank asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Tim said. ¡°It actually came with some message from my Uncle Hubert, probably to appease my dad. Corry¡¯s envelope there was inside a larger envelope for me. With a note saying to b-bring it here.¡± He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve got."


    ¡°So we wrote ourselves a letter, telling us how to deal with the current situation,¡± Chartreuse said.


    "Hmmm... there is some logic in that," Luci agreed. "After all, we now have a working machine, which reopens the free will debate. And if the only trip we¡¯ll be taking is to get Julie, paying someone in Tim¡¯s family to send a delayed letter would be the best way to communicate with ourselves now. I think I even saw this on a TV show once..."


    "But then why address it to Corry?" Clarke objected.


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll know when he opens it,¡± Laurie proposed. She looked over to her brother. He sighed, then ripped open the envelope, pulling out a whole stack of paper. The redhead¡¯s eyes widened as he scanned over the top sheet of handwritten information.


    "This is... impossible..." he muttered. "It has to be trick.¡± Corry¡¯s gaze snapped back up. "How the hell did you all pull this off?"


    "Pull what off?" Frank asked.


    Laurie shifted position slightly so that she could see the pages over Corry''s shoulder.


    ¡°Well then,¡± Laurie murmured as she scanned across the page. "Either you are making this up, and trying to ridicule me and Laurie with your ludicrous tales, or you are serious, and thus hope to get my sister to participate..." Laurie stopped and looked back up. "The wordswritten here are the same as what Corry said earlier,¡± she said in surprise.


    "It''s what everyone said," Corry corrected, having flipped to a later page. His face had taken on a slightly paler shade than usual. "It''s a transcript, which includes Laurie''sfears, word for word... and what I''m saying right now...?!"


    "Oh, neat. So how will our conversation end?" Chartreuse asked.


    "I don''t know, it stops at what you said," Corry answered through clenched teeth. Throwing the sheets aside, he reached out for Tim, grabbing hold of his shirt. "How did you do that?" Corry demanded. ¡°Have you been upstairs listening in, did you learn to forge my handwriting?"


    Tim let out a strangled gasp. "N-No, I-I-I-I-I--"


    Clarke got a firm grip on the redhead¡¯s arm. "Corry, I suggest you let Tim go. Now. Whatever is going on, it''s not his doing."


    "Besides, even if Tim was listening, how could he write out a conversation still in progress?" Luci pointed out.


    "How could anyone write anything so precise?" Frank added, thoroughly confused. ¡°I¡¯m not recording down here, and it''s not like we could have time traveled back to plant listening devices... uh oh, do you think the government has found out about us?"


    Having released his hold on Tim, Corry now turned to Frank. "You mean you really don''t know how that could have been recorded?" he marvelled. Frank shook his head.


    Corry stared at him for another long moment before reaching into his own pocket. He walked over to the lab bench, slapping down a device. A miniature recorder. For a moment, no one was quite sure what to say.


    Laurie spoke first. ¡°So, um, hold on," she said. "Corry, you mean YOU recorded this whole conversation, in order to use it to convince yourself that everything being said was true, even though you don''t really think the conversation is true and you didn''t think that when you started recording it either?¡± She frowned. ¡°My head feels funny.¡±


    "Look, I was recording everything because I thought I''d better have an account of what really happened, in case someone here tried to claim otherwise," Corry stated. ¡°Standard procedure for me. Why a transcript should appear in a letter that claims to be over sixteen years old, I have no idea."


    "I d-do," Tim said, having stooped down to retrieve the pages Corry had thrown aside. He held up the final sheet, tapping at it. ¡°Did you r-read this at all, Corry?¡±


    Corry snatched the page back from him, scanning it over. His grip tightened, and his face went almost white. Laurie again crept in to read over her brother¡¯s shoulder, Chartreuse also joining her friend.


    "Now that I have your attention, I have a proposition to make," Chartreuse read aloud, for the benefit of everyone. "Namely that I, Corry Veniti, take the place of my sister on the trip. Not only to, like, ensure her safety in the present, but also the safety of Frank and Clarke in the past - based on what I know of Julie. Based on how she, you know, acted that one January, our first year of high school." She tilted her head. ¡°Corry, what did Julie do then?¡±


    When Corry didn¡¯t respond, Laurie continued to read. ¡°That said,¡± Laurie murmured, ¡°Feel free to exert free will and disregard this suggestion. All I ask is that I, Corry Veniti, now write it and send it back sixteen years in order to preserve the timeline."


    Corry slowly walked back to the lab bench, placing the page down next to his recording device. He leaned in against the edge of the table, lost in thought. Luci opened her mouth to say something, but Laurie held up a finger, shaking her head as she looked at her brother.


    ¡°Frank,¡± Corry said at last. ¡°Did Julie go back in time with the express intention of killing herself?¡±


    Frank flinched. ¡°How could you have known that?¡±


    Corry didn¡¯t immediately respond, staring back down, re-reading the passage over and over. Finally, he turned.


    "Okay," he said slowly. ¡°Okay, if this were to hypothetically persuade me that you''re not outright lying, and furthermore convince me that I should, in fact, join you in your efforts... can you please guarantee to me that time travel won¡¯t devise anything this CREEPY for me ever again?"


    "I wish I could," Frank sighed. "Believe me, I really, really wish I could."


    Corry raked his fingers back through his hair. ¡°Damn.¡± He glanced at his sister. ¡°But fine. When do we leave to save Julie?¡±

 Part 41a: Rescue Efforts

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.3 - To the Past


    PART 41a: RESCUE EFFORTS 1


    The wind blew through the empty field, bending the long grass back. A few clouds floated by overhead as the sun approached its highest point in the sky. There was no one around for kilometers - miles, even.


    Which is when, in the wink of an eye, three individuals appeared, along with a bunch of equipment. There was a brown haired boy with glasses, a tall blonde, and a redhead. Only the first of them was conscious. As such, only he was able to cry out in horror before all of them plummeted metres ¨C feet, even ¨C from the air down towards the ground.


    ***


    Clarke pressed a hand to his forehead. "Corry, that language isn''t going to improve the situation."


    ¡°Falling bloody well HURT,¡± the redhead fumed. "Damn it Dijora, you didn''t say we''d arrive in free fall. Good thing I DIDN''T let my sister go on this trip, she''s liable to have ended up with a broken leg for gods'' sake!"


    ¡°Clarke¡¯s right, calm down," Frank said, taking deep breaths to try and steady his own nerves.


    They were all regaining their bearings in the middle of the empty field where they''d fallen. "Obviously there was a little spatial problem with altitude that we didn''t account for," Frank reasoned. "But the long grass cushioned us, and I get the impression no one sustained any injures above some bad bruises."


    ¡°This from the guy who didn¡¯t half land on a BIKE,¡± Corry fumed. He flexed his arm, then rubbed his shoulder. ¡°Little altitude problem, my ass... I''ve half a mind to force you to take me back home right now.¡±


    "You mean back home to Miami?" Clarke asked. ¡°Since that is where you''re living at this time, right?¡±


    That remark finally shut Corry up, as he turned to regard the black box which had facilitated their arrival. Frank picked it up, turning it so that Corry could see the digital readout.


    "A week before Julie''s birth," Frank observed. ¡°Alternatively, four days before she gets hit by an ambulance and dies. Let''s hope it''s enough time to track her down and prevent that."


    "Son of a bitch," Corry muttered at last. "It really has happened, hasn''t it. We''ve traveled through time."


    Frank nodded. "We have."


    Clarke turned away from the both of them, starting to sift through the rest of their supplies.


    Corry rubbed his chin. ¡°Damn. I''m not sure I truly believed it until now. Even after getting that letter."


    "You thought you were lying to yourself?¡± Frank wondered.


    "No, no," Corry said, shaking his head. ¡°Bringing up my history with Julie convinced me I was serious. It¡¯s more that, writing the letter out myself, right after receiving it? Sort of took the edge off. Made it feel like it could be a prank.¡± He tugged his earlobe. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we simply bring the original back in time with us again?¡±


    "Because until you wrote it out, there was no original," Frank reminded. ¡°If the letter we have with us now had been the same one we received, it would have been created from nothing. And we couldn''t risk adding that kind of paradox, not on top of all the other temporal problems we''re dealing with at the moment.¡±


    "Oh yeah, right," Corry said, irritation creeping back into his tone. "Just like Tim had to obtain fresh copies of the required documentation on his end. I don''t know, it still sounds like a big waste of time to me." He sighed. ¡°And what was that other note Luci gave to you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Frank admitted, glancing towards his backpack. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to give it to Julie.¡± He frowned, remembering that conversation.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ***


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Frank protested. ¡°What¡¯s the point of this?¡±


    ¡°The point,¡± Luci said, tapping the envelope edge first on his chest, ¡°is that without Laurie going along, you¡¯ve become an all male team.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    The asian girl shifted to tapping the envelope on his forehead. ¡°Think, Frank. Julie might be a little intimidated by that.¡±


    ¡°Julie? She¡¯s in charge of half our school, Luci. Nothing intimidates that girl.¡±


    ¡°WAS in charge,¡± Luci reminded. She reached out for his arm, using it to pull out his palm before slapping the sealed letter down into it. ¡°Humour me. Call it a feeling. Give this message to Julie.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Oh well,¡± Corry said, scattering Frank¡¯s thoughts. ¡°On the bright side, I can''t feel my writers'' cramp any more - due to the pain in my shoulder!¡±


    "You know, Corry," Clarke said, moving close to them once more. "Me and Frank are here to save someone¡¯s life. Someone who is very important to me. If you''re only tagging along because you didn''t want your sister to be here, maybe you should wait in a hostel somewhere for the next few days. We can circle back to pick you up again before we go."


    "Hmph," Corry grumbled. "Thanks, but no thanks. At this point, I''m not letting either of you out of my sight.¡± He raised his hands defensively off Clarke¡¯s expression. ¡°Look, I AM here to help, okay? After all, as much as I dislike Julie, I know things. Plus the thought of her being in this twisted little suicide plan you''ve described... I can¡¯t let that go. No one should end up like that. No one.¡±


    "So, Clarke, how did our supplies fare?" Frank asked of the taller boy, hoping to change the subject.


    "We got lucky," Clarke replied, turning to him. ¡°A dislodged chain and a couple bent spokes, nothing I can''t fix. The compass is also fine, and between that and the maps we have, we should be able to find shelter in a nearby town before sundown.¡± Clarke shifted his gaze to the black box. ¡°What about the time machine, Frank?"


    "Good question," he realized, reaching out to grab the lever and pop the lid off. On the bright side, there was no smoke. On the down side... "Clarke, get me the small toolkit out of my pack," he requested worriedly, putting the machine down and crouching over it.


    "Uh oh," Corry said as Clarke complied. ¡°Another little ''calculation problem¡¯?¡±


    Frank didn''t reply right away, instead spending the next several minutes carefully poking around the wiring. When he finally looked up, he suspected his face was pale. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have known," Frank apologized. "I should have realized."


    "Realized what?" Clarke prompted. "What do you mean?"


    Frank took in a deep breath. "Remember how we figured on the time machine only being good for two, maybe three trips? Well, a sixteen year trip alters the recharge time, and puts more strain on the whole assembly which in turn..."


    ¡°Cut to the chase,¡± Corry interrupted. "What''s the situation?"


    Frank swallowed. ¡°The time machine is broken again," Frank stated. "And I don''t have the right materials to fix it here. So even assuming we rescue Julie... there is no way for us to return."


    ***


    Luci sensed Laurie''s presence behind her even before the redheaded girl sat down next to her in the school library. She chose not to acknowledge the arrival. Not even after Laurie had cleared her throat twice.


    "Okay," Laurie said at last. "You want to be alone all lunch then.¡± She rose.


    "Wait," Luci sighed, reaching out for Laurie¡¯s arm and missing. She looked up from the empty spot on the table where she''d been staring for the last half hour. "Stay."


    Laurie twisted her fingers together. "But if you''re upset..."


    "Better you talk to me than Chartreuse," Luci said, returning her attention to the tabletop. "I''m guessing she sent you over.¡±


    "Chartreuse did figure the two of us had something in common right now, what with it being both my brother and my longtime crush on the trip with Frank,¡± Laurie admitted. She hesitated, then sat back down. ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s on your mind, right? Whether they¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s on my mind,¡± Luci began slowly, ¡°Is that we¡¯ve failed. Again. We doubled down on our bets, and we failed. AGAIN.¡± She reached up to grab her twin tails in her hands, yanking hard on her hair. ¡°HOW? What did I miss? Why is this still happening? How do you normal people LIVE with the agony of knowing you can fail so SPECTACULARLY?¡±


    ¡°Whoa! C-Calm down, Luci,¡± Laurie pleaded, reaching out to touch her shoulder. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s Monday, but it was going to take the guys a few days to reach Julie in the past."


    ¡°Yes. In the PAST,¡± Luci reiterated. She turned to fully face the redhead. "Laurie, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but if they were coming back... they would be here already. They left Sunday night. They were going to return on the same day, so that Frank could call the police if he had to. Except now it''s Monday! Over twelve hours later." Luci clenched a fist. "They''re not coming back, Laurie, and it''s all my fault. I never should have let them leave."


    The redhead swallowed. ¡°Maybe they set that machine wrong? They could come back tonight instead.¡±


    "I don''t think so," Luci countered. She pulled the creased paper out of her pocket, shoving it back at her companion.


    Laurie unfolded the sheet. "It''s that article Clarke talked about,¡± she realized. ¡°Describing Julie''s accident with the ambulance. So?¡±


    "So don''t you see?" Luci said. "If the others had been successful, we would know right away. That article would never have been WRITTEN sixteen years ago. No, something has gone wrong." She squeezed her eyes shut. "Something has gone very, very wrong, and for all my supposed intellect, I can¡¯t figure out what. Let alone what to do about it.¡±

 Part 41b: Rescue Efforts 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.3 - To the Past


    PART 41b: RESCUE EFFORTS 2


    There was another long pause. ¡°You will,¡± Laurie decided.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You will figure it out,¡± Laurie concluded. ¡°You¡¯re smart, Luci, you¡¯ll figure it all out eventually. So don¡¯t give up hope. Okay?¡±


    "Laurie..."


    "Please?" Laurie said more insistently. "Please, Luci? Because if this is beyond you, I don¡¯t know where else to turn, and I... I want to stop thinking about it. Okay?"


    As she continued, her voice started to become more desperate. "I have to think it will work out, so I want to stop thinking about it, but all I can see is Chartreuse wondering about what they might be doing, and you being so worried and upset, and Chartreuse also being worried not only about them but about you, and about me, and I only want Frank and Clarke and Corry to be okay, so please can''t we all go and have some french fries for lunch and not think about this for the next little while, please, please, PLEASE Luci can we stop thinking about this now??" The redhead began to choke on her words.


    Luci looked up again. She was momentarily taken aback by the tears shimmering in the corners of Laurie''s eyes, instinctively reaching out to touch Laurie''s arm in imitation of the redhead''s earlier gesture.


    "I..." Luci stopped, not sure what she could possibly say that was reassuring. Maybe an apology would be enough. "All right,¡± she decided. ¡°I¡¯m not giving up. Let''s go get some fries.¡±


    The two of them met up with Chartreuse by the library doors. Their resident mystic had been fidgeting with some multicoloured crystals, but upon seeing Luci and Laurie approach, she quickly put them away and offered up a halfhearted smile. The three of them proceeded towards the cafeteria.


    Before they could arrive, Tim rushed up to meet them. "L-Luci. L-Laurie. Chartreuse," he said quickly, trying not to stumble over his own words, having become short of breath once more. "Thank g-goodness. We, we¡¯ve got to get out of here!"


    "Why, Tim?" Chartreuse prompted.


    "P-P-Police,¡± Tim forced out. He took in a long breath. ¡°I saw them going into the main office, and they were s-saying something about an anonymous t-tip concerning the attack on C-Carrie. They w-wanted to question Frank, p-plus any students who were close to Julie.¡±


    The three girls exchanged a quick glance. "Perfect," Luci murmured. "Just perfect."


    ***


    As expected, it wasn''t long before the disappearances of Frank, Clarke and Corry were remarked upon. The three time travellers had covered for themselves the previous night by leaving messages stating that the three boys were sleeping over at each others'' houses - just in case. But now?


    Chartreuse figured it wouldn''t be long before an investigation traced their missing friends'' whereabouts back to the same group of students who had met at Frank¡¯s the previous day.


    Thus, after Tim¡¯s warning, the group had all fled to the local cafe. Skipping their afternoon classes. From there, there¡¯d come up with a plan.


    Tim had agreed to take Laurie to the library. Extra research couldn¡¯t hurt, plus in all the excitement of Sunday, they hadn¡¯t ever clued Lee in as to what was happening. As such, and assuming he was working there later on, he might be the only one left who could afford to be seen out in the open. Meanwhile, Chartreuse and Luci had elected to go to the hospital.


    "It''s all about Carrie, after all,¡± Chartreuse concluded as she looked at the floor indicators inside the hospital elevator.


    "Hm?" Luci said.


    The elevator doors opened and the two girls stepped out onto the floor which housed Carrie''s room. "It''s all about Carrie," Chartreuse repeated. "I mean, you know, she found the machine, she does paradoxes, she''s supposedly in trouble because of changes to the past... like, why her, anyway? There¡¯s gotta be some answers with Carrie.¡±


    "The thought did occur to me," Luci admitted. "Unfortunately, unless Shady calls again, we¡¯ve got no one around to ask. Carrie herself is still in no condition to talk. Or at least no condition to make sense when she does talk.¡±


    The two girls reached Carrie''s room, Luci giving a tentative knock on the open door. Mr. Waterson looked up from his bedside vigil and offered back a tired smile through his two week old beard. No police, Chartreuse noted. Good sign!Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Hello there, Luci and... Chartreuse, is it?" Carrie¡¯s dad asked.


    Chartreuse nodded back. ¡°Totally. We thought we''d stop in right after school to, you know, see how Carrie was doing," she said.


    The older Waterson turned back to his daughter. "No improvement, I''m afraid," he said sadly. "Still unresponsive, with the occasional period of incoherent babbling."


    "Sorry to hear that," Luci said. ¡°But it means she''s not getting any worse, right?"


    Mr. Waterson rubbed his neck. ¡°Yeah. But considering they still don''t know what the trouble is, it''s hard to take comfort in that. Though the police are still following some leads on the shooting - they were by earlier, and said that Carrie''s friend Julie might have had something to do with it. That maybe she¡¯s run off somewhere now to hide out. Can you believe that? I don''t suppose either of you know anything about it?"


    Crud. Chartreuse looked to Luci, who winced. "No," Luci said slowly, almost painfully. ¡°We can''t help you there."


    "Oh well," Carrie''s father sighed. "Still, it''s fortunate you came by. I don''t want to leave Carrie alone, but I need to use the restroom... please stay with her until I get back, all right?"


    "Of course," Chartreuse assured him, stepping into the room.


    Mr. Waterson gave his daughter''s hand a final squeeze before standing up and releasing his hold upon her. "I''ll be right back," he said. The pink haired girl took his place in the chair, reaching out to take hold of Carrie''s hand herself.


    "Chartreuse... do you think YOU can reach her? Mystically?¡± Luci asked, once Mr. Waterson had departed.


    Chartreuse bit her lip. ¡°Whenever I¡¯m here, I always hope I¡¯ll get an impression or something from her. But still nothing.¡±


    ¡°Can you force it?¡±


    Chartreuse turned and blinked at the younger girl. "What do you mean?"


    "I don''t know. Supposedly, she has powers. You have powers. Maybe you can... interface? I know, I¡¯m grasping at straws here, but straws seem to be all we have left."


    Chartreuse looked back down at the blonde cheerleader. She was reminded of her classmate''s condition during the vision quests she''d done the previous week. There would come a point this week when Carrie would start twitching, convulsing, gasping for air, and then... then Chartreuse had pulled away, not wanting to know more. Unable to bear seeing more.


    But Luci was right. They had to know more. For instance, was there some way of pinpointing exactly when Carrie''s condition would deteriorate? Would that give them another avenue to follow? ¡°Carrie¡¯s an Aries, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Luci admitted.


    Julie had thrown a birthday party for Carrie the past two years. ¡°Pretty sure she¡¯s an Aries,¡± Chartreuse concluded.


    She reached back into her backpack, pulling out a small, smooth grey stone. She placed it into Carrie''s hand, wrapping the blonde''s fingers around it. Luci watched in silence as Chartreuse leaned over the bed, closing her hands over Carrie''s before shutting her eyes and concentrating.


    "Ohm, ohm, oh my," Chartreuse murmured quietly. "Spirits... tell me more about Carrie''s condition." She swallowed. ¡°Please."


    "Chartreuse!" Luci shouted. The asian girl was right up in her face, and Chartreuse flinched away out of reflex. Only to discover that Luci was holding her by the shoulders, having apparently yanked her away from Carrie¡¯s body.


    "Wow, what?¡± Chartreuse said, trying to regain her balance.


    "I don''t know. You tell me," Luci stated. "What was all that counting about?"


    "Counting?" Chartreuse said in confusion. Wait, when had Luci moved close enough to grab her anyway?


    "For the last minute and a half, you''ve been standing over Carrie with your eyes glazed over, counting backwards from 208 in one second decrements," Luci stated. "It was REALLY starting to freak me out. When you wouldn''t answer me, I decided I didn''t want to let you hit zero."


    Chartreuse furrowed her brow, thinking back. She''d been leaning over Carrie, then... what? What had she even been thinking about? "I have no memory of counting," Chartreuse admitted. "Are you sure?"


    ¡°Chartreuse - why would I lie about something like this??"


    "I don''t know.¡± Chartreuse looked back towards the blonde lying comatose on the bed. "Carrie didn''t move or anything, did she?"


    "No," Luci replied. "In fact, the both of you were essentially motionless. Are you sure you don''t know what you were counting down to? Because it''s now about sixty seconds away."


    "No idea," Chartreuse replied, reaching out to retrieve her stone from Carrie''s hand. Yet, no, that wasn''t exactly true... Chartreuse could now feel an overwhelming sense of impending doom. Somehow, Carrie''s deterioration was imminent. Yet how did she know that? And what was going to be the cause?


    "Excuse me," came a male voice. Chartreuse turned to see a hospital orderly. "I have to take another blood sample," the man stated.


    Luci moved aside with a sigh. "So, we''re back at square one then?¡± she asked.


    Chartreuse was only half listening. Her attention was zeroing in on the thirtysomething orderly with the longish, dark hair as he readied his needle.


    Lightning quick, her arm flashed out to grab him by the wrist and twist his arm away from the bed. He gasped and turned to her, a look of shock on his face.


    As soon as their eyes locked, Chartreuse knew.


    And Shady knew that she knew.


    "Luci, get help,¡± Chartreuse ordered.


    The man jerked himself out of Chartreuse''s grasp and sprang for the door. She launched herself after him, too late to grab hold, knocking the wind out of herself as she fell on the ground.


    Quickly stumbling to her feet, Chartreuse dashed into the hallway in pursuit of the fake orderly. The one who had been about to kill Carrie Waterson.


    ***


    Some sixteen years before the attempt on Carrie¡¯s life, two adults had been having a small difference of opinion. "I tell you, the baby''s coming,¡± the woman snapped.


    "All I asked was ''are you sure''," the man countered, helping his wife put on her coat. "Because I don''t think your water broke."


    "Nnnnngh... look *DEAR*, if *I* need to have the child *YOU* want, *YOU* are going to drive me to the damn hospital when *I* damn well tell you to do it. Understood?!¡±


    "Okay, okay," her husband soothed. "Calm down, we''re off to the hospital." He quickly moved to help his pregnant wife out the front door, locking it behind them.


    Seconds later, a vortex opened in their home. It deposited a black box and an unconscious girl with long, naturally curly brown hair, which was still damp from a recent rainstorm. Their future daughter.

 Part 42a: Tied in Naughts

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.3 - To the Past


    PART 42a: TIED IN NAUGHTS 1


    "You know," Corry said as he wheeled his bike along the sidewalk. "If I ever decide to take another trip through time with you guys? Stop me. I don''t think I could take another day of this traveling through unknown territory, sharing cramped quarters and dishwashing for money and food."


    ¡°I know there¡¯s something I can¡¯t take much more of,¡± Clarke murmured.


    ¡°My previous time trips haven''t been like this," Frank said, half slumped over his own bike. "But here, we had to allow extra time to find Julie, and we lacked enough currency for this time period. You knew all that before you came."


    ¡°Yeah, well, I didn¡¯t know this would be a one way trip,¡± Corry argued.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be,¡± Frank assured. ¡°Remember, all we have to do is figure out what Julie did with the circuitry she removed. With that, I can repair our version of the time machine, and get us back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and I¡¯m sure Julie will be very forthcoming with that information," Corry groused.


    "Don''t mind Corry," Clarke suggested to Frank. ¡°Complaining seems to be his way of dealing with the situation. We''ll manage, somehow.¡±


    ¡°Phil Clarke. Always the optimist,¡± Corry grumbled. ¡°Oh well, at least this ordeal is almost over. How much time until... uh, the big event we need to stop?¡± Even now, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say ¡®death¡¯.


    Frank checked his watch. "If our newspaper was to be believed, we¡¯re over two hours out? And we''re..." He glanced up at the nearby road sign. ¡°Now five blocks away. So time to spare."


    ¡°How about change to spare?¡± came a hopeful voice.


    Corry turned with the others, to see a young homeless woman. Or, if she wasn¡¯t homeless, the early twenty something was at least down on her luck. Her clothes were ragged, her long curly brown hair was frayed, and she was carrying her possessions in a small, tattered bag.


    "Well..." Frank began slowly.


    Before Frank could say more, Clarke fished a couple of bills out of his pocket. "Here you go," he said. "It''s not much, but it''s all we have to spare."


    "Bless you," the woman said with a small smile as she took the handout.


    "Oh, brilliant, Clarke," Corry said once the woman was out of earshot. ¡°That¡¯s brilliant. Sure, let''s give away the rest of our money. It''s not like we might NEED it or anything! Gods, sometimes I can''t figure out what''s going through your heads."


    "She''ll be around to use it tomorrow, unlike us," Clarke rationalized.


    "Only assuming we get through to Julie, remember?"


    "Look," Frank cut back in. ¡°It¡¯s fine, what¡¯s done is done. Though for future reference, Clarke? We want to minimize our impact here in the past. Not call attention to it that way.¡±


    ¡°Right. Sorry.¡±


    They were within a block of the hospital when Clarke cleared his throat. ¡°So Corry, based on whatever Julie did with you that day in January - what are the chances she¡¯ll be throwing herself into the path of this ambulance on purpose?¡±


    Corry grimaced as he was forced to consider the possibility. ¡°Hard to say. Why, do you think she¡¯d be in a low mental state based on whatever talk she had with you after my flyers went out?¡±


    ¡°And here¡¯s another thing,¡± Frank interjected. ¡°You two need to stop being so... passive-aggressive with your whatevers.¡±


    ¡°Whatever do you mean?¡± Corry asked dryly.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Frank turned to face them, sounding frustrated. ¡°Look, apparently you each have secrets about Julie. And while I commend your ethics, in that you both don¡¯t seem to want to reveal them to each other without her approval, after four days, those conversations are getting REAL annoying.¡±


    Corry tried to protest, but Frank kept talking.


    ¡°More to the point, the Julie I saw right before she time travelled didn¡¯t seem to be in complete control of her faculties. Which for all we know, is going to be ten minutes before she shows up here. So, if you don¡¯t want to reveal secrets about Julie, fine. But will you both stop fishing for information from the other guy about those past encounters? It¡¯s time to focus on the Julie in our present.¡±


    Corry wondered if Clarke¡¯s look of surprise was mirrored on his own face. He hoped not - but he never would have figured on Frank having an outburst like that. ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry if it felt like I was fishing, Clarke.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± Clarke said, looking sheepish.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Corry eyed Frank. ¡°With that out of the way, what are your next orders for us, oh glorious leader?¡±


    Frank merely sighed.


    ***


    Lee sighed, as he looked at the text message from Judy. Apparently the new books hadn¡¯t come in yet - so no extra hours today. In fact, since he wasn¡¯t scheduled for work, that meant no need to go to the library at all. Oh well.


    His original plan had been to use tonight to catch up on homework, he supposed he might as well head home to do that. However, he found his footsteps were taking him towards the hospital instead.


    Whatever events were happening between Clarke, Tim, and the rest of them? They had escalated. Not only into absences at school, but now the local constabulary was hanging around. The hospital wasn''t very far out of his way - it couldn''t hurt to check in on Carrie, right? Maybe one of the others would be around too, and he could do something more to help.


    Lee absentmindedly scanned the building as he approached. As such, he was able to spot the figure darting out of one of the emergency exits. Was there a fire? No one else seemed to be evacuating.


    Then another person ran out the door, apparently in pursuit of the first individual - and even at this distance, Lee recognized the profile, what with the bows in her hair. The two of them were heading more or less in his direction, so Lee decided to intercede on Chartreuse''s behalf.


    He moved to box in the running man, who, upon realizing that he was caught between Lee, Chartreuse, and the building itself, headed for his one remaining option. The shrubbery and fence surrounding the hospital area. Breaking into a sprint, Lee managed to catch the mysterious figure and haul him down before he could make good his escape.


    In the process Lee made a startling discovery: this person, the one wearing the uniform of a hospital orderly, was the same guy who''d been loitering around the hospital on Saturday. The one who had been looking for information on the LaMilles previously. With a bit of leverage, Lee managed to get the guy face down onto the ground, arms pinned behind him.


    "Thanks... thanks Lee..." Chartreuse wheezed as she caught up to them, sweat running down her face. She paused for a second to rest her hands on her knees and catch her breath before bending down to stare their captive in the face. "Now, why were you trying to kill Carrie Waterson?" she demanded, jabbing out a finger.


    Lee blinked at Chartreuse. "Kill Carrie?"


    Chartreuse nodded sombrely. "Well?" the pink haired girl demanded again, off the man¡¯s silence. "Tell me, or I''ll... I''ll do something mystical and unpleasant to you. Don''t think I won''t!"


    Their captive attempted to flex his arms, but Lee held him down. "You have no idea what you''re doing," the man said at last. "That ¡®girl¡¯ will destroy us all. I must be allowed to complete this mission."


    ¡°Uhm, if your mission involves harming a hair on Carrie''s head, I so don''t think so," Chartreuse countered. She pursed her lips in thought. "All right, here''s what we''re going to do. Lee, keep this guy here while I go get Luci. Then the four of us can, like, go find someplace nice and private to have a good, long talk."


    "Er, you don''t think this is a matter we should leave to the police...?" Lee protested.


    Chartreuse shook her head. "No, the police might be kinda looking for me and Luci at this point. Please, just, you know, hold Shady here - I''ll be right back."


    With that, the pink haired girl jumped up and ran back in the direction of the hospital. Lee was left in the shrubbery with his captive. "Guess this is what I get for not asking enough questions on the weekend,¡± he mused.


    "Lee, you are going to do something for me now," the man on the ground articulated. "Listen carefully. You are going to get off of me and let me go on my way unmolested. Do you understand?"


    "Yeah," Lee answered. "But I think we''ll stay here anyway."


    The man smacked his forehead down. "Oh well," he muttered. "It was worth a shot."


    ***


    "Miss Primrose, I''m afraid I don''t have the authorization to allow any of you to enter."


    "Jeeves, it''s important," Luci insisted. "We can''t risk going to any of our respective homes, and this is probably the last place anyone will think to look for us. Besides, what we discover here today may well save Carrie - as well as clear Julie''s name.¡±


    She watched his eyebrow arch. Good, he knew Julie was a suspect now, that saved explanations. ¡°The police don¡¯t have it quite right, Jeeves,¡± she added. ¡°Please, if you care about what happens to Julie, you¡¯ll let us in.¡±


    It felt like an eternity, but the LaMille butler finally swung the front door of the mansion open wider. "See that I don''t regret this," he cautioned them.


    The four of them filed past Jeeves into the foyer: Luci, Chartreuse, Lee, and the man with his hands tied behind his back, aka Shady.


    After closing the door, Jeeves headed for the telephone.

 Part 42b: Tied in Naughts 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.3 - To the Past


    PART 42b: TIED IN NAUGHTS 2


    "All right," Luci said once they were in the LaMille sitting room, having tossed their captive onto the couch. "Start talking. Who are you, what are you doing here, and why did you try to kill Carrie?"


    Shady remained silent.


    "All right then, I''ll start talking," Luci decided. "You can correct me if I say anything wrong, all right?¡± She leaned against the back of a chair, staring at him.


    ¡°The first question we have to ask ourselves is why someone who once professed to be Carrie¡¯s ¡®Guardian Angel¡¯ would attempt to kill her. Answer? It was, in fact, your goal all along. But you had to wait for the right moment. For the point of maximum entropy. You had to protect Carrie until then.¡±


    Luci drummed her fingers on the fabric in front of her. ¡°It explains why you got Julie to shoot Carrie in a non-fatal way. Putting your target into the hospital, you could indirectly get some preliminary readings on her.¡± Chartreuse let out a little gasp. ¡°And don¡¯t even try to deny being involved with the shooting,¡± Luci added. ¡°Because even setting aside your call to Frank, I remember now that when I returned to his house on that night? Someone was sitting in a car less than a block away. Foolishly, I didn''t give it much thought, but seeing you here? It was you. And Julie had to get the gun from someone.¡±


    Luci paused to give Shady a chance to speak. When he said nothing, she continued on.


    ¡°So, Carrie has been your guinea pig. Time travel - it¡¯s not a fine science for you future guys, I guess? Sure, you used it to get back here, but prolonged exposure, that¡¯s what Carrie was for. For some reason, you believed that all of her time trips would grant her special abilities, and once she got them..." Luci snapped her fingers in the air. ¡°Dissection time.¡±


    She turned away, as Chartreuse¡¯s increasingly ill look was becoming too much of a contrast to Shady¡¯s inscrutable expression. ¡°But Julie running off with the time machine, that threw off your timetable,¡± Luci reasoned. ¡°You had to delay, leading to checking on Julie¡¯s past, contacting Frank, and generally messing with us to ensure we were looking anywhere BUT at Carrie. But now we are. And since we know your intentions, we¡¯re not going to let you get away with it.¡±


    She whirled back, folding her arms across her chest. "Well? How''s that, am I close?"


    "And don''t even think about, you know, lying," Chartreuse added, shaking a crystal at him. "Or I''ll totally know."


    Their captive frowned, as if trying to come to a decision.


    "Look man,¡± Lee offered. ¡°If you tell ''em what they want to know, they''ll get off your back, and we can all walk away from this roller coaster ride of science fiction. Right?¡±


    Shady sighed. "You are very observant, young Luci," he said at last. ¡°But largely incorrect. For instance, none of you need to fear developing any powers yourselves - Carrie¡¯s abilities are not because of her time travel. They have always been within her. They are tied to her, bound to her by fate.¡± He smirked. ¡°Which is the very reason I came back to this time to recruit her.¡±


    ¡°Recruit?¡± Luci blurted, before she could stop herself. She glanced sidelong at Chartreuse. The pink haired girl shrugged, meaning either she couldn''t detect any trace of betrayal, or she''d been bluffing about the lie detection thing. Lee merely looked nonplussed.


    Luci decided she needed to sit down. Moving into the chair she¡¯d previously been leaning against, she steepled her fingers, continuing to stare at their captive. ¡°By all means then,¡± she said. ¡°Explain to us how you can recruit someone by KILLING them.¡±


    Shady inclined his head slightly. ¡°If I do, will you let me go?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Luci said, sourly. ¡°But we¡¯re definitively keeping you here until you do, so start talking.¡±


    The man glanced at Lee. ¡°Oh, very well. The crux of the matter is that there is a war going on in the future. One which we humans are losing very badly, I might add. But then, at the point when many of us were about to give up all hope, we discovered the identity of a woman. A woman with extraordinary powers. Powers which could extend into the very fabric of space and time itself - the problem being, she was already dead to us. So, with great effort, we managed to obtain a time travel device, and I was chosen to come back in time to find this woman. Back when she was a mere girl."


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lee said, as Shady paused. ¡°So far this sounds like a reverse plot from those Terminator films. Did the robots send someone back after you, dude?¡±


    ¡°No. We¡¯re not fighting robots,¡± Shady said in an annoyed tone. ¡°Can I finish my story?¡±


    Lee gestured magnanimously.


    ¡°As such,¡± he continued, ¡°I have been in sync with your time period now for close to three years, working at verifying this woman¡¯s identity in her youth. Not as difficult a task as I originally thought, given how I picked up a temporal disruption in Algonquin Park a couple years back, and had to personally rescue her. Still, I wanted to be sure, so it was only a couple of months ago that I left my time machine out for Carrie Waterson to find.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Then your time machine is what became our time machine,¡± Luci affirmed.


    He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not like I brought a spare. The things ARE damned hard to get your hands on.¡±


    Meaning Shady couldn¡¯t escape through time. Good to know. ¡°Still waiting on the whole death equals recruitment thing,¡± Luci pointed out.


    ¡°Did you want context for it or not?¡±


    ¡°Context is helpful,¡± Chartreuse said brightly.


    ¡°Fine. So, experiencing time travel was the first step towards awakening this obj-- er, this wom-- this girl¡¯s powers. She had to learn what she could accomplish, in a practical sense. She then had to learn how to put her own life into the cosmic perspective." He paused briefly before muttering, ¡°That second phase required a near death experience."


    Luci stood. "Then I WAS right, and you ARE responsible for influencing Julie.¡±


    Shady sighed. ¡°Being displaced from time, I did not think it wise to act as the trigger myself. An ex-friend, who had been targeted at school that day? That seemed plausible. Anyway, you yourself noted how Julie''s shot was intended to miss any vital organs."


    "Okay, but, like, hold on," Chartreuse protested. ¡°This power awakening stuff, it seems to have gone wrong. Carrie¡¯s not doing so hot."


    ¡°Oh, no kidding?¡± Shady said contemptuously. ¡°Apparently you teenagers have an interesting way of keeping things ¡®safe¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Julie¡¯s time trip,¡± Luci realized. ¡°It did throw things off. Merely not how I thought.¡±


    Shady nodded. ¡°That part is as I said to your friend Frank. Carrie could not reconcile Julie''s death with how history proceeded prior to her powers awakening. But instead of following my advice, you all devised some asinine plan of your own! I finally used my own power to get the police involved this morning. Unfortunately, checking on Carrie¡¯s condition afterwards, I found it was too late.¡± He folded his hands together. ¡°Carrie is now irredeemably insane, and my mission has failed, thus killing her... well, at this point, it¡¯s a form of mercy."


    Luci shuddered, as she realized how wrong she had been. And Carrie was paying the price. She reached out for the chair again, using it to keep her from sliding down to her knees. ¡°But there must be some way to still save her,¡± Luci asserted. ¡°Something more we can do.¡±


    Shady scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve done enough already? You have doomed most of your friends, as well as an entire war going on in your future. I ask you, how many more people must pay the price for your bad decisions?¡±


    ***


    "How much time?" Corry hissed.


    "At a guess? Five minutes, give or take," Frank answered quietly. He peered out of the alleyway to look up and down the street.


    Clarke stood there, surrounded by some of the locals who were going about their business in the early evening. Upon spying Frank, the tall boy raised his arms, palms up, indicating he hadn''t seen any sign of Julie yet. Frank slumped back against the wall; the group had locked their bikes up at the nearby library half an hour ago.


    Corry sighed. ¡°I hate us splitting up like this,¡± he groused. ¡°I mean, I agree Clarke¡¯s the best choice to reason with her, but Julie probably still has that gun, right? The one she used to shoot Carrie? What if she simply kills him, then picks us off, one by one, before jumping in front of the ambulance? I mean, maybe that¡¯s what my sister is reading in the newspaper in the future at this very moment.¡±


    "Corry, now is not the time," Frank said tersely.


    ¡°But... ah, you''re right," came a grudging admission, much to Frank''s surprise. ¡°Look, sorry if I¡¯m a little hard on you and Clarke, Frank,¡± the redhead continued. ¡°I¡¯m accustomed to knowing a lot more about my surroundings. This whole trip has put me out of my element.¡± He rubbed the back of his neck. "But I guess you don''t need both me AND Julie going after your jugular, huh?¡±


    Before Frank could reply to that, they heard Clarke call out "Julie!" in a loud and clear voice.


    The two teenagers poked their heads back out of the alley to see what Clarke was up to. He had crossed the street, and was hurrying after someone. A girl with long brown hair, who was wearing a dark green sweater with a blue pleated skirt. She was moving in the direction of the hospital.


    "Julie! Jewels!" Clarke called out again.


    The girl seemed to half turn before quickening her pace. Frank emerged from the alley and headed down his side of the street. He wasn¡¯t quite sure how to help, but he didn¡¯t want to lose sight of them.


    What happened next occurred so fast that, upon later recollection, Frank would be forced to admit that there was nothing he could have done.


    Having almost reached her, Clarke reached out to grab Julie by the shoulder. Sensing she was about to be caught, the girl twisted away, stumbling as she did so. It was then that Frank finally noticed the ambulance, which had not bothered to turn it¡¯s siren on, as there weren¡¯t any other cars on the street.


    "Look out!" he screamed, even as Julie, off balance, staggered backwards. Right into the path of the oncoming vehicle. There was no time for anyone to run and push her out of the way, no time for the driver to brake - the ambulance simply hit her, head on.


    "No..." Frank gasped as he saw Julie fly several feet through the air.


    "NO!" he screamed. She had been their only hope of rescuing Carrie. Their only hope of getting back home. Four days, FOUR DAYS they had spent in the past, knowing that this would happen. And yet they had failed!


    But maybe, just maybe, Julie wasn''t dead yet. So she could tell them where the time circuits were, and they could somehow try again, try to fix this... a crowd was already gathering, and Frank moved to push his way through them. He was restrained by a hand on his shoulder.


    Frank turned to see Clarke, his face ashen, his body shaking slightly. ¡°Clarke,¡± he gasped. ¡°We have to--"


    "It''s not her, Frank," the tall boy said quietly.


    It took a few seconds for Clarke''s words to sink in. Even then, they didn''t make sense. "What?" Frank finally managed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not Julie.¡± Clarke released him. "As that person twisted away from me, I got my first good look at her face. The person who was hit... it was that homeless woman we saw earlier today. For some reason, she had put on Julie''s clothes."


    That still didn''t make any sense. "How? Why?" Frank protested.


    "Because Julie knows we''re here," Corry said, having come up behind them in time to hear Clarke''s revelation. His lips thinned. ¡°She must know we''re here to stop her from killing herself. And she sent that woman towards the hospital as a decoy."


    Frank let Corry steer them both away from the crowd, his mind now completely in a whirl. Julie knew they were there? But how? What was even going through that poor girl''s mind? A shudder ran down Frank''s spine as he realized that there was no way of knowing. No way at all.


    And for the first time since they¡¯d landed in Illinois, Frank felt very, very scared.

 Part 43a: Desperate Times

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.4 - From the Future


    PART 43a: DESPERATE TIMES 1


    A figure stirred within the quiet, suburban home. Hazel eyes blinked open and a brunette teenager slowly picked herself up off the ground. She looked around, spotting a calendar hanging on the wall. Her mouth quirked up into an odd smile, and she tapped the barrel of her gun on her chin.


    ¡°It worked,¡± she murmured. "It worked, and now I''m... home." She began to laugh hysterically.


    ***


    Fingers drummed nervously on the floor. Having decided a short time ago that her situation wasn¡¯t actually funny at all - certainly nothing to laugh about - Julie had moved on to taking stock of her current situation. So, she had traveled back to the year of her birth. The time machine had worked, as described to her by Carrie that time in her former associate¡¯s bedroom.


    It was a stroke of luck that Julie had apparently ended up on November 9th. Almost as if the machine had already been set for that day, merely requiring Frank¡¯s coin to provide the year. She looked down at the notes she had grabbed. Should she risk reprogramming the thing, to try and jump a little closer? No... she didn''t have the right tools, or the confidence. Better to destroy the device instead. To prevent pursuit.


    Julie proceeded to rip out what seemed to be the most important microchips, tossing them into the backyard. She put the notes into the garbage, and took the black box down into the basement, cramming it into one of the many half empty cardboard storage boxes she found. Her parents rarely decluttered, so there wasn¡¯t much chance of it turning up - though even if it did, without the chips or the notes, it would be practically useless.


    So, what was she supposed to do for the next three days? Devise a plan, of course. A plan to kill a baby. Julie felt her stomach lurch, but then again, she was already a murderer, right? She''d killed Carrie, and probably Frank too with her second shot. So what was one more death? Particularly when it would be her own. Merely one more death...


    Something didn¡¯t make sense. Her mind detoured.


    Why had she shot Carrie? What exactly had brought her to Frank¡¯s place that evening? Julie remembered being at the mansion. Then that man had called, asking to meet her at the park. The thirty-something guy had given her the gun, and told her what she had to do. It had made so much sense at the time! Up until the point of seeing Carrie bleeding on the floor...


    ''None of it will have happened once I cease to exist,'' Julie rationalized, blocking the memory. One of SO many memories that she didn¡¯t want any more. Okay, planning time. She had to figure out where the hospital was, that sort of thing. Pausing only long enough to find a bag to slip her gun into, Julie left the house.


    ***


    Phil was here.


    Barely an hour out of her house, and Julie found herself being confronted by impossible setbacks. She squeezed her eyes shut and counted to ten before peering back around the street corner.


    Phil was still there.


    If he was a hallucination, as he had been in the basement of her house, he¡¯d become a more persistent one. Then again, this Phil could simply be a look-alike. Maybe an ancestor. Except why had Julie been left with the impression he was looking for someone?


    Was he looking for her?


    She felt her heart getting squeezed. Part of Julie wanted to run out to Phil and tell him everything, about what her parents had done to her, and about what she had done to Carrie. But another part of her urged caution. Could even Phil forgive her for what had happened? Worse, what if this was some kind of trap?


    "Excuse me... you wouldn''t happen to have any spare change, would you?" said a nearby voice.


    Julie tensed. She turned. This homeless woman was about her height, with hair of approximately the same length and colour. The similarity ended there, but daylight was fading, so with the right clothes...This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I''ll give you twenty dollars if you do something for me," Julie answered. Almost as an afterthought, she moved closer to the woman and slipped the gun out from it¡¯s concealment. "And if you don''t do it right, I''ll kill you too."


    ***


    Jeeves re-entered the sitting room to find Luci pacing, Chartreuse fidgeting with some crystals, and Lee leaning over the couch where the fourth house "guest" remained tied up.


    The LaMille butler was starting to regret having let them in. In doing so, he wagered that he had become an accessory to kidnapping, or harbouring a fugitive. He didn''t know which. He didn''t want to know. That way, he wouldn''t have to deny anything later.


    The one thing Jeeves DID know was that Julie was in some sort of trouble. Furthermore, ever since he had been hired three years ago to take care of this place, and thus indirectly to care for her, he¡¯d felt a certain obligation towards the young girl. She was obviously very troubled, but she was also smart, strong, and more driven than any other teenager he knew. He couldn''t understand why her parents didn''t spend more time with her.


    Indeed, it had been after leaving her alone with her parents for the one night that she had disappeared. Perhaps he shouldn''t have reported Julie''s actions at school to her mother and father. Or perhaps he shouldn''t have agreed to take that night off. Yet they often released him that way shortly after coming home, and as a simple butler, had he really had any other choice?


    Perhaps not. However, he did have a choice now. Namely whether to offer more information to these children, or whether to put a stop to things before they got out of hand.


    "Pardon me," Jeeves stated archly. "But could one of you please enlighten me as to the current situation regarding Miss LaMille?"


    Luci turned towards him. "Situation?" she said tiredly.


    "You indicated to me earlier that by allowing you in here, it might ultimately clear her name," Jeeves reminded them.


    "Oh. Yes." Jeeves noticed that the young girl¡¯s eyes drifted over to the man on the couch, before she resumed her pacing. Perhaps this mystery man had been the actual culprit? "It''s complicated,¡± she continued. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we need more time.¡±


    ¡°The thing is," Jeeves continued pointedly, "I just got off the phone with Miss LaMille''s father.¡± That got all of their attention.


    "I have been trying to reach her parents all afternoon,¡± he elaborated. ¡°Ever since I learned that their daughter was being implicated in the recent shooting. I finally succeeded not ten minutes ago, only to be told by Mr. LaMille that he had no daughter. At first I thought that he was trying to disown her, however, it soon became apparent to me that he also had no recollection of even owning this house."


    The butler watched as the three teenagers exchanged a glance. ¡°He doesn¡¯t remember Julie?" Chartreuse said, biting her lower lip. "Uh oh. Um, you don''t think that means she, like, actually succeeded in... in the past, do you?"


    Luci yanked a piece of paper from her pocket. "How could she have?¡± the young asian protested, scanning over it. She slapped at the page with her hand. "We know what happened back then. Look, girl hit by ambulance, three days before Julie was born. That hasn''t changed.¡±


    ¡°Unless...¡± The man on the couch struggled to stand. ¡°She is more powerful than I realized. We have to stop her, now!¡±


    ¡°Stop Julie?¡± Chartreuse said, confused. ¡°No, that¡¯s what, like, Frank and them are doing.¡±


    "Whoa, okay, time out," Lee said, raising his hands in the traditional gesture. "I''m not sure I follow ANY of what''s going on here, so back the bus up... if Julie''s parents don''t remember her now because of some change to the past - how come WE haven''t forgotten her too?"


    ¡°The--¡° Their captive cut himself off. ¡°Your Carrie Waterson. I told you she had powers! Being in this town, right now, has put us in the eye of her time storm. We are not safe so long as she is around. Can you not see how time itself is beginning to destabilize? We must act fast. Someone help me up.¡±


    Jeeves automatically felt himself take a step closer to assist, only to have the boy named Lee step between them. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m thinking we keep Shady on the couch for now,¡± the teenager asserted.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Luci said, and when Jeeves turned to her, he saw that a light had come back into her eyes. She met his gaze. ¡°Okay, Jeeves, thanks for the information but I bet none of this is making any sense to you, and we don''t have time to explain. So, I know it¡¯s a lot to ask, but unless you seriously object, can you leave us alone again? It¡¯ll avoid you getting any more involved than you have to."


    Jeeves raised an eyebrow as Luci voiced his earlier concern - yet he also sensed a hard edge to Luci''s voice. Was helping Miss LaMille really worth potentially putting these other teenagers in jeopardy?


    "I will allow you another few minutes to discuss the situation," Jeeves decided. "Should you need me, I will be in the hall." He turned and left the room once again, hoping that he was doing the right thing.


    Then again, according to his employers, he didn¡¯t seem to work here anyway.


    ***


    After Jeeves had departed, Luci turned back to Shady. ¡°You don¡¯t KNOW,¡± she asserted, grinning.


    ¡°What don¡¯t I know?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what Carrie¡¯s capable of,¡± she concluded. ¡°Not really. Your description of her powers has been vague, you didn¡¯t know if Frank¡¯s admission would save her, and you sure as heck weren¡¯t aware of whatever this ¡®time storm¡¯ was until Jeeves pointed it out. So how could you possibly know whether Carrie¡¯s irredeemably insane or not?¡±


    Luci drew in a deep breath. ¡°The answer is, you don¡¯t. Meaning we might still be able to save her.¡±


    Shady shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish. I know she¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous why?¡± Luci demanded. She moved in next to him, placing her hand on the couch next to his head. ¡°Tell us, why exactly is Carrie Waterson dead in your future, Shady? Why did you have to come back to this time period to get her? Why, exactly, is SHE the one tied to time?¡±

 Part 43b: Desperate Times 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.4 - From the Future


    PART 43b: DESPERATE TIMES 2


    Their captor¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t have to answer to you.¡±


    Luci¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°Perhaps not, but it occurs to me now that you were WAY too calm for someone who claimed to have lost an entire future war because of us.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not calm any more,¡± he snapped.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Luci acknowledged. ¡°So what is it about Carrie that has you so riled up? Tell us. ALL of it.¡±


    ¡°Go beat your head against a wall.¡±


    Luci turned and marched over towards the nearest wall, drawing her head back - only to be grabbed from behind by Lee. She blinked, then snapped her gaze back over to the couch.


    ¡°That¡¯s dirty pool,¡± Chartreuse said, horrified.


    ¡°You children, you have no idea, NO idea of what you¡¯ve gotten yourself mixed up in,¡± Shady said, a bitterness to his tone. ¡°Enough of free will. Isn¡¯t it time to leave this situation in the hands of your elders?¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it,¡± Luci decided. ¡°I¡¯ve had it.¡± She began to push a chair over to the side of the room. ¡°Lee? Chartreuse? You can leave now, if you don¡¯t want to see this.¡±


    ¡°Um, pretty sure I should stick around,¡± Lee pointed out.


    ¡°Why, what are you, like, going to do?¡± Chartreuse asked.


    ¡°Something I might regret later,¡± Luci admitted. She climbed onto the chair, and reached up to grasp the ornamental rapier hanging on the wall.


    "Whoa, uh, hold on short stuff... what are you doing?"


    Truth be told, Luci was asking herself that same question. She wasn''t really sure any more. All she knew was that were were still gaps, huge gaps in her knowledge that had to be filled. It had become more than a need, it was a necessity. How else could she solve this puzzle?


    ¡°The problem,¡± she reasoned aloud, hopping back down onto the floor, ¡°is that I¡¯ve been basing all my decisions to this point on the scattered half picture we¡¯ve had available.¡± She brandished the rapier and pointed it at their captive. "Time to get the rest of the data. By any means necessary.¡±


    "Luci,¡± Chartreuse gasped, reaching out to take her by the shoulder.


    "No,¡± Luci protested, shrugging off Chartreuse. ¡°It¡¯s not us, it¡¯s HIM, it¡¯s his secrets that have doomed Julie and Frank and the rest of them.¡± She took a step closer to the couch. ¡°So, you want to talk war? Fine, here¡¯s your war. You will tell us about Carrie¡¯s fate in your timeline, or suffer the consequences.¡±


    The man met Luci''s gaze, sizing her up. ¡°You have more willpower than I thought," he said at last. ¡°But no. I¡¯ve told you too much already."


    "Don''t test me,¡± Luci cautioned, waving the blade around - to try and disguise how much her hand was starting to shake.


    He smirked. ¡°Please. You talk big, but you won¡¯t use that. Put it away before you hurt yourself."


    Luci stared at him for another few seconds, realizing with growing frustration that he wasn¡¯t going to stop treating this like a bluff on her part. ''Hurt him!'' a part of her cried out. ¡®He¡¯s hurting you, so you can hurt him back!'' Except... there was a big difference between cutting someone down with words, and doing it with a blade.


    She grasped the hilt with both hands. Tears started stinging at her eyes. ¡°Talk!¡±


    Talk, Shady. Just talk. This was so easy in the movies. Why not now? Why, oh why couldn''t things be going her way? As Shady smirked, Luci felt Chartreuse''s arm encircle her shoulders. This time she didn''t pull away. Instead she let out a choked sob, finally letting the blade fall from her grip. It bounced on the carpet.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Okay buddy, now you''ve made a young girl cry," Lee observed. He cracked his knuckles. "We¡¯ve reached my line in the sand."


    Luci looked back up, barely in time to see Lee backhand the man across the face. "Now say you''re sorry," he admonished. He looked angrier than Luci had ever seen him.


    "What... what the hell are you doing?!" their captive spat back, apparently as surprised as any of them.


    ¡°At present? I''m trying to figure out how a supposed adult has the audacity to put the whammy on girls less than half his age,¡± Lee said. ¡°You also seem to be trying to kill another one of my friends, without telling us the reason, and to cap it all off - you¡¯re making me late for dinner.¡±


    Lee backhanded him again. ¡°I''m ESPECIALLY annoyed about that last one, because I don¡¯t want my sisters to have new reasons to cry either. So let¡¯s get to it, okay ¡®Shady¡¯? Apologize to Luci, and then TELL her WHAT SHE WANTS TO KNOW.¡±


    Lee''s victim glowered at him for a moment, before uttering a curt, "Sorry," in Luci''s direction.


    ¡°Progress,¡± Lee said, glaring.


    Shady grit his teeth. ¡°If you weren¡¯t somehow immune to me..."


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, not comfortable enough to answer questions?¡± Lee asked. "Well then, I''ll fluff your pillow here and... oh, I''m sorry, is that your foot? Dear me, I¡¯d get your feet up out of the way but it is hard when they''re tied like this... oh, sorry, was that your stomach? You know, you''d make this a lot easier by talking. Though I guess it is a little difficult with me holding the pillow over your face. There, that better?"


    "Are you INSANE?"


    ¡°Sounds like you need more time to think. How about this, I''ve heard it can help, having all your blood rush to your head. Over we go... oops, sorry. Oh, hey, mind that rapier down there..."


    As Lee continued to contort the man¡¯s body, Luci was reminded of the conversation she¡¯d had with Clarke in the hospital. Sometimes, you had to pass the ball to your teammates. ¡°Remind me never to cross Lee,¡± she whispered to Chartreuse.


    Chartreuse didn¡¯t respond, her eyes wide and her jaw slack.


    "All right, I¡¯ll talk,¡± Shady shrieked, once Lee had twisted his head away from the upholstery. "Bloody hell, I never expected you teenagers to be such a thorn in my side!"


    ¡°And our little dog too,¡± Lee remarked as he straightened back up and adjusted his jacket. He looked back over at the two girls, seeming a bit taken aback by their expressions. ¡°Um, what can I say? I hate being late for dinner."


    ¡°You want the truth about your ¡®friend¡¯, Carrie Waterson?¡± The temporal refugee spat out, even as he struggled to sit back up. ¡°Fine. She is NOT dead in my future. Rather, she is on THEIR side.¡± He fixed his gaze upon Luci. ¡°She¡¯s a temporal bomb, who can destroy the entire world, because THAT¡¯S what they designed her to do. Which is, if you haven¡¯t figured it out, why we couldn¡¯t very well recruit her to fight on behalf of the humans, could we?¡±


    It was Chartreuse who managed to speak first. ¡°Um, Carrie¡¯s a human. Not some time bomb.¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s sort of both,¡± Shady countered. ¡°Call her a sleeper agent, if you like, planted in the past. Except now that I¡¯ve changed things? Now that she¡¯s exerting her influence on this town, consciously or unconsciously preserving the memory of Julie? She¡¯s armed. She has to be.¡±


    ¡°So you did come back in time to destroy Carrie,¡± Luci concluded.


    He shook his head. ¡°No, I came back to recruit that-- thing, I swear. We had hoped to learn how to control the power, and to unleash it back upon her own people... but regrettably, if Carrie went psychotic, there would be no choice but to eliminate her. Because if she explodes? She will not only take this town, but this entire planet along with her. Make no mistake.¡±


    He paused to let his words sink in. ¡°So," he concluded, "will you finally release me, and let me destroy that shell of a girl before she does the same to all of humanity? Or shall we sit here chatting for what may well be the last hour of our lives?"


    ***


    They had to be destroyed. If they got in her way, she would have to destroy them. It seemed harsh, but being a murderer three times over now, Julie had made up her mind.


    Three times... Carrie, Frank, and then that homeless woman... it had been so horrible, to see her die. Julie grabbed at her chest, feeling her borrowed clothing.


    She should have been the one. The one lying dead in the road. In fact, a strange part of her felt like it HAD BEEN HER. Or would have been her. Before she¡¯d noticed Phil on the street, and switched clothing. Now it wasn¡¯t her. But could it still become her?


    Tenses were getting muddled in her brain. No, more than tenses, it was all a muddle. Perhaps a side effect of the time travel. Or, you know, the fact that she was flirting with paradox, trying to prevent her own birth. Maybe something out there didn¡¯t want her to do that.


    What had even led to this line of thought? Right, she had to kill Phil, Frank and Corry... if they got in her way. Frank, dead for a second time. That was weird.


    Never mind. Julie knew she needed a plan. A plan that she could execute quickly, for if Phil had actually been able to follow her through time, recruiting assistance from Corry of all people, there were sure to be more traps in store. Julie supposed that she should not have destroyed the potential advantage of her own time machine.


    Too late to worry about that now. She couldn¡¯t wait another three days for her actual birth. Not any more. It was time for action.


    Still clutching the gun, Julie marched off for the hospital. If the others tried to stop her now, well... well, then they would suffer the consequences. The very deadly consequences.

 Part 44a: Turning Point

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.4 - From the Future


    PART 44a: TURNING POINT 1


    "Great. No LaMilles listed in the phone book," Frank stated, throwing the volume aside. ¡°Why did phone books ever exist, if important people weren¡¯t listed in them?¡±


    "The LaMilles were fairly wealthy even at this point in the past,¡± Clarke observed. ¡°They could have asked to be unlisted - or maybe they only came here because it¡¯s their winter home? Or some property they were hoping to flip?"


    ¡°The point being, we have no idea where Julie could be," Frank moaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. "What''s worse, now we''re not only fighting to keep Julie''s suicide plans from succeeding, we''re probably also fighting the time streams, as they try to kill her off again.¡±


    Clarke stared. ¡°Frank... you¡¯ve implied that Julie died in that car accident. Before we came back.¡±


    Frank winced, then nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve been thinking I need to revise my initial time travel theories,¡± he admitted. ¡°Because while that news article you found would scan the same whether we were here or not, if Shady was acting to change his past - our present - it follows that our presence here could have changed Julie¡¯s past - now our present.¡±


    ¡°You mean her future,¡± Clarke noted. ¡°Relatively speaking.¡±


    Frank grimaced. ¡°I guess. But it means our REAL present could be in trouble too.¡±


    ¡°Julie¡¯s at the hospital.¡±


    Frank turned at Corry¡¯s interjection. ¡°What?¡±


    The redhead turned towards the other two teens. ¡°It''s time for us to go on the offensive.¡±


    Clarke sighed. ¡°Corry, now is not the time to--"


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± he asserted. ¡°It¡¯s now or never. Think about it. Julie has been reduced to a defensive game here, and if we let her fortify that position, we¡¯re sunk."


    ¡°But why the hospital?" Frank asked.


    Corry lifted up three fingers, then curled one up. "First, when that girl has a goal in mind, she needs to know all of the related variables. The layout of the hospital, the staff on duty, et cetera. Even if she accomplished all of that before our arrival, she might want to observe our actions there.¡±


    He curled up his second finger. "Second, I believe that our presence is going to make Julie act sooner, rather than later. She''ll bribe a doctor somehow, or switch around crucial medications, and then lead us on a merry chase as far away from the scene as possible. That chase likely starts at the hospital."


    "And third?" Clarke wondered.


    "Third," Corry said, curling his last finger before letting his hand fall open, "where else is she going to go? Like me, she has no allies here, no provisions, and for that matter, the hospital is where her double seemed to be headed. Though that was almost a half hour ago, so I suggest we get a move on."


    ¡°And do what? Grab her when we see her? That didn¡¯t work,¡± Frank protested. ¡°We obviously need a better plan.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± Corry asserted. ¡°In particular, because I¡¯m now going to tell you what Julie did in front of me that day in January. I¡¯ll warn you now, if you believe what I¡¯m about to say, you won¡¯t ever look at her the same way again.¡± He eyed Clarke. ¡°But between her hating us forever, and her being dead? I think we want the former. Don¡¯t you?¡±


    ***


    "False labour indeed," the woman grumbled. "It felt real enough. What do these small town doctors know anyway?"


    "Now, now," soothed her husband. ¡°I made sure he was qualified, and you wanted the smaller town, to surround the event with a certain anonymity. Give it another couple of days; we can induce if we have to."


    ¡°Peachy," she groused back, sitting herself down. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not budging from this spot for at least a half an hour. I need to recover my wits. Plus I may go into real labour sometime in the next few minutes.¡±


    "Whatever you think is best," the man consented, taking a seat next to his wife.


    Mere metres away, around the nearest corner, a girl with wide, staring eyes was breathing heavily. Because those were her parents. Out there, in the hospital waiting area.


    Julie could scarcely believe her luck - this must be why they hadn''t been at the house. She could end it all, right here, right now. This late in the evening, there were very few hospital employees around. She still had the gun, tucked away in a jacket pocket. She could easily get off one shot before anyone could stop her.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Except.


    Those were her parents.


    It wasn''t her mother''s fault that her daughter had turned out to be a huge disappointment. And the very thought of raising a gun to the woman who had given birth to her was making Julie sick to her stomach. Worse, what if it was for nothing? What if the doctors here were able to save the unborn child? To save Julie¡¯s life? Did they have that ability in a hospital this size?


    She became very aware of her heartbeat.


    Julie swallowed. No. She had to act now. She had to risk it, before her future classmates could stop her. After all, no one would be expecting this, right? And she could shoot, and shoot, and shoot... until she ceased to even be here. The doctors, they would try to save her mother first, right?


    Julie reached into the pocket of her borrowed clothing, trying to ignore her case of the shakes. Her fingers touched the gun. The safety clicked off. She began to walk around the corner. Somehow, it felt like she was moving through water. Like everything around her was happening in slow motion.


    Like time itself was holding its breath.


    There were running footsteps.


    She began to draw the gun out.


    A hand seized her wrist.


    "We have to talk," came the unmistakable voice of Corry Veniti.


    Julie tried to twist out of his grip, to yank the gun out and point it at him instead, but his grip tightened, preventing the movement. She wanted to scream.


    "No," he said firmly. ¡°Give me ten minutes, Julie. Then, if you still want to kill me - I¡¯ll probably deserve it."


    She refused to look at him. Her eyes darted about the waiting area as she searched wildly for some escape. Screaming still felt like an option, yet calling attention to herself was the last thing she wanted to do. At least she didn''t see any sign of Phil or Frank. Only her parents. And even now, she saw they were ignoring her.


    "I pick where we talk,¡± Julie choked out.


    Corry nodded, but maintained his grip. The two of them proceeded down the nearest hall. Julie passed up the first obvious choice for a room, choosing the next empty one. They entered, Corry leaving the door partly open.


    "I''m going to release your arm now," the redhead told her. "Bear in mind that if you shoot me before the ten minutes are up, it''s bound to affect your plans, and may even be something I accounted for in mine."


    Julie nodded slowly. He released her, and she immediately moved a few steps away. Hand on the gun. Waiting. Staring. At least half a minute ticked by. ¡°Okay,¡± Corry began at last. "Now... what goddamn fool stunt do you think you''re trying to pull?!¡±


    Julie flinched. Any doubts she¡¯d harboured as to whether this was truly the Corry she knew were now gone.


    ¡°I mean, I know you''ve had some complex plots in the past, but my God, killing yourself THIS way?¡± he snapped. ¡°It¡¯s the most twisted thing I''ve ever heard of.¡±


    ¡°Why does it matter to YOU how I kill myself?¡± she retorted.


    ¡°How could it NOT matter, Julie?¡± Corry asserted. ¡°This isn¡¯t what I wanted when I led my campaign against you. I wanted you brought down a peg, not taken off the ladder completely! Consider, if you do this, and we remember you? We feel guilty. And if we don¡¯t remember... I lose all the experience I gained from having you as my adversary.¡±


    He clenched his jaw. ¡°Because as much as I hate to admit it, you pushed me to new heights, Julie. You broadened my universe. In no small way when you tried to kill yourself two years ago on the gym balcony. I didn¡¯t think anyone could go that far! And since I wouldn¡¯t let you act on it then - I''ll be damned before I let you do it now!¡±


    The memory came to her, unbidden.


    << Her movement was quick. Blood began to well up from the cut on her arm. Corry was next to her in an instant, grabbing her wrists and holding them apart as she lifted her gaze back up towards him. >>


    She pulled herself away from the image. That had been a gamble. This was all too real. ¡°So here we are again,¡± she whispered. ¡°The two of us, locked in a stalemate. Me with the weapon.¡±


    ¡°And me - with backup.¡±


    Corry stepped to the side as Frank entered the room. Julie immediately yanked out her gun, pointing it at the brown haired boy. ¡°How did you find us?!¡± she shrieked.


    Frank swallowed, his eyes on the gun barrel. ¡°H-Hid, and followed Corry. Look, Julie, n-no one has to die here.¡±


    "Frank''s right," Corry chimed in, Julie readjusting her target to the one who was speaking. ¡°More to the point,¡± he added, ¡°no one has died yet. Don¡¯t cross that line, Julie.¡±


    Julie shook her head. "No, no... I shot Carrie!"


    << Carrie stumbled back a step, reflexively bringing her hand up to her side. Her eyes dropped down to the redness that was now starting to stain her shirt. ¡°Then again, maybe we can negotiate," she gurgled out, before collapsing down onto the floor. >>


    ¡°Carrie¡¯s alive,¡± Frank asserted.


    ¡°I also shot you.¡±


    ¡°You missed me.¡±


    ¡°And then I killed that homeless woman.¡±


    Frank hesitated.


    "That was an accident," Corry yielded. ¡°No way did you intend for that to happen."


    "Julie, we can still fix things," Frank insisted. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you think it is.¡±


    << Her father tore again, and again. >>


    "No, no, NO," Julie said, pressing the palm of her free hand against her temples. "I have to die, I know I have to die..."


    "Why do you have to die?"


    Julie spun to point her gun over at Phil, the latest arrival. Then she shifted it back to Corry, then Frank, then again to Phil. The three of them were too far apart. But she could get at least one of them.


    "Why do you have to die, Jewels?" Phil repeated softly.


    ¡°B-Because I do," Julie said hoarsely.


    << Her father tore again, and again. >>


    "They hurt you, didn''t they."


    << The document she''d signed with the principal that morning was soon scattered on the floor like so much confetti. >>


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Julie said, not only pushing that memory aside, but grinding it beneath her heel and burying it. She had to focus on the present. Past. Whatever.


    Frank spoke again. ¡°Julie, don¡¯t you see? We¡¯re on your side here. And it¡¯s not only the three of us." He pulled an envelope out of his pocket, extending it towards her with a shaky hand.


    ¡°Nuh uh. You open it,¡± she asserted, waggling her gun.


    He did so. Nothing exploded out of it. Instead, Frank removed a sheet of paper, and extended that instead. ¡°From Luci,¡± he said.


    Julie eyed him. She cautiously reached out to take the page, keeping her gun trained his way so that the others couldn¡¯t make a move to disarm her without unpleasant consequences. She unfolded the paper, and risked a quick glance down.

 Part 44b: Turning Point 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.4 - From the Future


    PART 44b: TURNING POINT 2


    To Julie¡¯s surprise, the message she held simply read: ¡®Sorry we had to send the guys. Come back safe, okay Julie? We miss you.¡¯ It had been signed not only by Luci, but also Laurie and Chartreuse. Exactly how many people knew about the time machine now??


    Julie snapped her gaze back up. All that had happened was that Corry and Frank had taken a step back, leaving Phil in front. ¡°Carrie didn¡¯t sign,¡± she observed.


    ¡°That¡¯s because she needs you back most of all,¡± Phil said softly. ¡°Jewels, please - don¡¯t do this. Don¡¯t let them get to you this way."


    ¡°Who?¡±


    << The culmination of six - seven? eight? - years of effort. So many setbacks. But now - they had to understand. They had to see that she was capable, that she was worthy of being their child, that she deserved their love and attention...


    << "What damn fool stunt are you trying to pull?" >>


    ¡°You know, Jewels. It¡¯s time to stop letting them control you.¡±


    ¡°No one controls me,¡± Julie snapped. She dropped Luci¡¯s letter, hoping two hands on the gun would provide a better grip. ¡°Phil, in all the time we''ve been at school together, when have I ever, EVER let anyone else tell me what to do?"


    "I''m not talking about at school."


    << ¡°Juvenile delinquent," her father spat out. "Well, you''ve forced the two of us to use your birthday as an excuse to come back here to handle things. I hope you''re happy."


    << Her mother sighed and pressed a hand to her temples. "Dear, you deal with this today, all right? It¡¯s going to give me a headache, I¡¯m sure of it.¡± >>


    The gun began to shake dangerously in her hands. "Phil... don''t do this to me... don¡¯t make me choose..."


    "I have to," he said sadly. "Don''t you see, Jewels? I have to. Because if you go through with this, and you die - they''ve won. I can¡¯t let them do that.¡±


    << "Leave it to a girl to take things too literally."


    << He tore the document in half. >>


    ¡°It was my fault..."


    "No."


    "I didn''t do it right..."


    "They never gave you a chance!"


    << The document she''d signed with the principal that morning was soon scattered on the floor like so much confetti.


    << A single tear splashed down. Then the glass covering the image cracked as the picture was thrown forcibly against the wall. >>


    "I love them," Julie whispered. ¡°Why don''t they love me, Phil? Why??¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Jewels.¡± Phil took another step forwards. "I don''t know. But I want to help you understand. To help us both understand."


    << "This is going to give me a headache."


    << ¡°Juvenile delinquent.¡±


    << "She''s your *daughter*, after all."


    << ... scattered on the floor like so much confetti. >>


    "No... No, I can''t!!!" Julie said, desperately trying to cling to the only reality that had ever made sense. Without it, what did she have left?


    "It''s okay, Jewels," Phil soothed. "I know you''re hurting. But please. You''re stronger than this, I know you are. We all know it. And we all care about you so very, very much."


    The tall blonde took another two steps forward. Julie blinked the tears out of her eyes and cocked her gun back up, now pointing it directly at his chest, point blank range. "I should kill you now for speaking ill of my parents.¡±


    "But you won''t."


    "How can you be so sure?¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Because of what I see now. The brooch. Even after everything you''ve been through, after exchanging the rest of your clothing... you kept my birthday present."


    Julie¡¯s eyes fell back down to her chest. The silver brooch in the shape of a rose seemed to smile back up at her. "It w-was pretty.¡±


    "As are you.¡±


    Julie slowly brought her gaze back up.


    << He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small neatly wrapped package. >>


    "Phil..."


    << "Here¡¯s something to remember me by. Happy birthday.¡± >>


    "Oh God..."


    << "Happy birthday.¡± >>


    "Oh PHIL,¡± The gun clattered to the floor as the brunette flung herself at him, pulling him to her, burying her face in his chest, blinded by tears. He was really there this time. It wasn¡¯t her imagination. "They tore it up, Phil," she choked out. "They tore up my whole agreement!"


    "There, there, Jewels," Phil said softly, hugging her back. "It''ll be all right. Everything''s going to be all right now.¡±


    He held her tightly as she sobbed uncontrollably.


    ***


    Seeing his opportunity, Corry quickly dodged around Clarke and Julie to retrieve the gun from the floor. Opening the chamber, he removed the bullets, then allowed himself a long sigh of relief.


    Frank moved up next to the redhead and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks Corry," he murmured. ¡°Hardly the most well organized approach, but your plan sure got the job done."


    Corry allowed himself a relieved smile. ¡°Yeah, well, it seemed to me that, deep down, Julie didn''t really want anybody to die. With me to remind her of that, you to remind her that we all cared, and Clarke to follow up with his more personal connection... that felt like our best shot.¡± He looked at the gun, then tucked it away. ¡°Ugh, BAD way to phrase that. Anyway, with the right counselling, I hope Julie can pull through."


    ¡°She¡¯s in pretty good hands already," Frank observed, looking towards Clarke. ¡°At this point, I figure we let her calm down a bit more, then ask what she did with the missing microchips. Once I have those, it shouldn''t be too difficult for me to repair the time machine."


    "Right then," Corry said, dusting off his hands. "Mission accomplished. Good to know that we''re finally through the worst of it!"


    ***


    There was nothing but blackness all around. She was floating in it, surrounded by feelings of loss and loneliness. It was completely overwhelming. Chartreuse wondered how anyone could possibly deal with this.


    "Hello?" Chartreuse called out into the void. "Carrie?"


    Lee and Jeeves had remained with their captive back at the LaMille mansion, while Chartreuse had returned to the hospital with Luci. After all, the pink haired girl reasoned, there had to be some way to get through to the blonde cheerleader. Now that they knew about the problem. I mean, sure, Carrie held within her the power to destroy the world - but she was still their friend. Right?


    Once in the hospital room, Chartreuse had laid out a series of meditation crystals around the bed. Then, holding a small healing orb in her hand, she had worked to form a connection with the unconscious girl for the second time today.


    It had apparently succeeded, in as much as it had brought her here. Wherever here was. "Carrie?" Chartreuse called out again.


    The sound of someone singing floated towards her from out of the darkness. The voice sounded as hollow and empty as their surroundings.


    "I once wished to travel through time. To have such a power seemed really sublime. But I never imagined the problems I''d face. So now I''m lost in time and also in space."


    Chartreuse looked, but saw nothing. "Carrie, is that you?"


    "I can speak of tomorrow but not yesterday, for when history changes your past goes away," the singing voice continued quietly.


    Chartreuse shivered, as she recognized the song Corry had sung at the dance. But the familiar tune was a bit off key, and there was an eerie tone of finality to the vocals.


    "I see now that these forces can''t be understood, I''d return things to normal if only I could, but the ramifications have damaged my brain... it won''t be long now before I''ve gone insane..."


    "Carrie, if that¡¯s you, please stop this," Chartreuse pleaded. She tried to push forwards, into the darkness. There was a shadowy outline there. It resembled Carrie, but it was facing away, so it was hard to tell for sure.


    "Where are we, Carrie?" Chartreuse asked. "What''s going on?"


    The singing stopped. Then the voice murmured, ¡°You should not have come back, Chartreuse.¡±


    Chartreuse stared. "Back?" she asked. "Have I been here before...?"


    "Ah, that¡¯s right. I removed that memory. Thing is, you should not have saved me then. Part of me was looking forward to death. Now, now this pain within me, it has become too great to bear..."


    "Carrie, don''t give up,¡± Chartreuse interrupted. ¡°If the problem with timelines is whatever¡¯s happened to Julie in the past - like, we¡¯ll do whatever we can to fix it for you. Surely you¡¯ve realized that by now.¡±


    The shadowy figure of Carrie seemed to think about that. ¡°No, the ripples from the past are subsiding," was her eventual reply. ¡°Those who travelled back, and caused the waveforms to appear - the waves which were amplified at this time by my premature awakening - they will have been collapsed. There is no longer a... Schrodinger¡¯s Julie. She has survived.¡±


    ¡°Oh... good?¡±


    ¡°But what of the future?¡± Carrie challenged. ¡°Julie will be wanted for attempted murder. She will face severe punishment from her parents. One of many things that should not be occurring to her. One of many things that have come about, because of me. Me... the girl who who didn¡¯t even exist, in the original timeline.¡± She laughed.


    And something about that laugh was off, and somehow, Chartreuse knew that Carrie was broken.


    ¡°That¡¯s the real problem, you see,¡± the blonde concluded. ¡±How it¡¯s all about me. This story has always been all about me.¡±


    Chartreuse swallowed hard. ¡°Carrie, please stop. You¡¯re scaring me."


    "None of this should have happened, I know in my gut," Carrie¡¯s voice sang again. "Yet our future is hist''ry, and I''ve lost what''s what. We must now beware, time is not playing fair, I would solve this crime it''s just I''m... outta time... outta time... outta time..."


    Carrie¡¯s silhouette spun, her palm thrust out towards Chartreuse. With a cry, both of surprise and pain, the mystic felt her spiritual self being hurled backwards. She collided with her own body, then somehow continued moving, her physical self propelled back into the far wall of the hospital room. The pink haired girl hit hard, then slid down onto the floor with a groan, struggling to remain conscious.


    Carrie Waterson sat up in her hospital bed, her formerly blue eyes now blazing brightly with golden fire.

 Part 45a: Full Circle

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.4 - From the Future


    PART 45a: FULL CIRCLE 1


    "Uhhhnnn," groaned Clarke, gradually regaining his senses. He looked around to find that they were in the somewhat familiar environs of Willowdale park.


    Corry was struggling to his feet, Frank was looking over the time machine, and Julie, still unconscious, was lying next to him. The bikes and the rest of their gear was in a heap nearby. ¡°Uh, hey, when are we?" he asked uncertainly.


    ¡°One day late," Frank replied. "Either bad luck or I wasn''t able to properly recalibrate the chips. Should be an easy fix though, and we can always write off the missing day as us searching for Julie.¡± He looked up. ¡°On the bright side, I guess this confirms some kind of geographic failsafe if we have no doubles around.¡±


    Clarke nodded, looking back down at the young brunette girl. "I''m going to take Julie home then."


    "You do that," Frank agreed. "I''ll get the time machine and our other supplies stowed away, then go to the hospital to check on Carrie."


    ¡°And I''ll head right there,¡± Corry remarked. He shrugged at the other two as they stared at him. ¡°What? I''m rather hoping to learn that our four day trek into the past wasn''t all for naught.¡±


    "All right then, I''ll see you shortly," Frank concluded. The three of them turned to go their separate ways. Completely oblivious to the fact that the world would soon be ending.


    ***


    "Carrie... ohh, Carrie,¡± Chartreuse choked out. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head to clear it before opening them again. Luci was now crouching down next to her.


    "Um, Chartreuse... is this what you were trying to do?" Luci whispered.


    Their friend was now sitting up in bed. Carrie¡¯s eyes were glowing yellow, and her blonde hair was rippling out behind her in waves. A remarkable feat considering the lack of any wind.


    "No," Chartreuse answered. "She''s... she''s hurting, Luci, but I don''t understand it. I¡¯m not sure any of us can."


    The two girls watched as Carrie scanned the room. Her golden eyes alighted upon the man sitting next to her, who had been momentarily stunned into silence.


    "Carrie?" Hank Waterson now said. "Carrie, is it you? Are you all right now? What--"


    "Freeze," Carrie said calmly, reaching out to touch her father in the middle of his forehead.


    He froze. Literally. It was as if he were a mannequin, suspended in time. Carrie then turned to face her classmates.


    "Whoa, Carrie... Carrie, you, like, don''t want to do anything rash," Chartreuse said, nervously. She managed to struggle to her feet with Luci¡¯s help.


    "I''m not going to do anything rash," Carrie replied, her voice far too calm. "I am merely going to make all the hurting go away. For everyone, forever."


    ¡°Kinda sounds rash.¡±


    "How will you do that, exactly?" Luci murmured.


    Carrie paused. ¡°Still working that out," she admitted. "Perhaps I can shift everything a few milliseconds into the past." The blonde extended her palm out towards a small glass sitting next to her bed. The glass shattered into a hundred pieces as it tried to coexist with itself, the water spilling everywhere - the same way Carrie had done it less than two weeks earlier.


    Both girls jumped. ¡°Or perhaps I can come up with something else," Carrie countered.


    "Carrie, you totally don''t want to do this," Chartreuse pleaded. "We can fix up this present for you. For Julie too. I know we can.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Carrie laughed hollowly. ¡°You really think so? Because for the past few weeks, I have been trying to cope with knowing that in the first timeline, the original one - I never even existed. Do you know what that feels like? Being aware of a timeline where you had never been born?¡±


    Chartreuse shook her head, not sure how else to respond.


    ¡°Not only that,¡± Carrie continued, ¡°but this timeline where I AM alive has been coming apart ever since Julie pulled that trigger. We can¡¯t even change that, because if I was never shot, I sense that my powers would now awaken regardless, and pull me apart.¡±


    So, Shady hadn¡¯t been lying about that then? Damn.


    Carrie shook her head. ¡°This must end,¡± she finished, dispassionately. ¡°I will end it. It is, after all, the only reason for my even being here.¡±


    "Carrie, wait,¡± Luci insisted. "Give us a chance to restore things first. Okay? To fix the present, make it better for everyone - including you and Julie! You won¡¯t need to destroy our timeline then, right? Right?"


    Carrie stared at the younger girl. She didn¡¯t agree. On the other hand, she didn¡¯t disagree either.


    Which was when they heard an unexpected voice coming from the doorway. ¡°Holy... what the hell is going on here?" Corry Veniti demanded.


    ***


    "Y-You''re back!"


    Clarke blinked in surprise at the person who had opened the door of the LaMille mansion. "Tim?" he said. "What are you doing here?"


    "L-Lee called me," Tim explained shakily. ¡°Luci asked him to, when she and Chartreuse left to go to the hospital. To have someone else here. But even so, me and Laurie, we didn¡¯t get here in time.¡±


    ¡°In time? In time for what?¡±


    ¡°To stop their t-t-temporal refugee from escaping.¡±


    Not sure exactly how to take that, Clarke decided to ignore it for the moment. "Can you help me get Julie into the house?" he requested. The brunette was now semi-conscious, and standing upright, but she was using him as a support post.


    "Allow me to assist also," Jeeves said, approaching from behind Tim. Between the three of them, they were able to get Julie inside. Laurie gasped as they came into the sitting room.


    ¡°CLARKE! Then, my brother? Is he back too, is he okay, why isn¡¯t he here with you??¡±


    ¡°He went to the hospital to check on Carrie,¡± Clarke explained.


    Laurie proceeded to dance nervously back and forth from foot to foot as they lay Julie down and covered her with a blanket. Apparently torn between wondering how she could help them, and wanting to ask more about what had happened.


    ¡°Go to Corry,¡± Clarke suggested once Julie had been settled in. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with Tim.¡±


    Laurie looked to Tim, who nodded, and then with a grateful smile, she dashed out of the house, nearly forgetting to grab her jacket in the process.


    "Now, what''s this about a temporal refugee?" Clarke asked, looking to Tim.


    "S-Some guy from the future," Tim explained. "Lee didn''t seem too clear on it himself, but apparently this ¡®Shady¡¯ was responsible for Carrie being shot. She¡¯s now gained mystical time powers.¡±


    ¡°Wait, back up - this guy is the one who blackmailed Julie into doing the shooting?¡±


    Tim shook his head. ¡°Not blackmailed. Lee said the Shady guy can do mind tricks like some J-Jedi," he clarified. ¡°And Lee is the only one who¡¯s immune.¡±


    Clarke fumbled to sit in a chair. ¡°And given Julie¡¯s mental state that day... easy target. Damn. How could you let this guy get AWAY?¡±


    "I''m afraid that was my fault, sir," Jeeves spoke up. "I untied him when Mister Lee¡¯s back was turned. In retrospect, I''m not certain why, but he must have said something to me.¡±


    ¡°Lee headed out to look for Shady once Laurie and I got here,¡± Tim noted. ¡°I should maybe call to tell him that J-Julie¡¯s back...?"


    ¡°Yeah, do that,¡± Clarke agreed. He sighed. ¡°We¡¯re not out of the woods yet, huh?¡±


    ***


    "Frank? Frank!"


    "Luci?" he said in surprise. He watched as she ran down the road, then barely managed to avoid falling down as she charged full tilt into him, throwing her arms around his body.


    "Frank, thank god you''re here and still alive,¡± Luci said. Not sure what else to do, he gave her a quick hug back. The small girl finally pulled away, only to reach up and give his cheek a smack. "Now that''s for making me worry you were gone forever,¡± she accused.


    "Ouch," Frank protested. "Geez Luci, maybe you have been hanging around Carrie too long. But what¡¯s been going on? My mom was on me about skipping school today, saying something about police coming by? She almost wouldn¡¯t let me leave the house again!¡±


    "It''s all become very complicated," Luci sighed. ¡°That¡¯s why, when I learned from Corry that you''d returned, I knew that I had to find you. You see, Carrie''s conscious, but Chartreuse believes she''s going to destroy the Earth with her time powers unless we can make everyone around here forget about how Julie shot her.¡±


    Frank blinked. "Run that by me again, please?"


    "I''ll explain on the way back to your lab," Luci said. "The time machine, I hope it can handle one more trip?"


    "Yeah - maybe more than that, we got the circuits back from Julie. It needs a bit of fine tuning though, and there¡¯s maybe another hour before it''s recharged. Why?"


    Luci gave him a quick summary of the day.


    ¡°But if we can force Shady to explain when he tipped off the police,¡± she explained, ¡°we can go back and try to stop him then. To undo this. I¡¯m not sure what that means for our present, but with Julie back now, her parents should remember her and the house - and with no police questions, her life is liable to fix itself! I mean, her family will simply be happy to have her home after she was gone for more than a week, right?¡±


    Frank pursed his lips. ¡°No. Unfortunately, Julie¡¯s family situation is a lot more complicated than we first suspected..." He began to explain quickly about his own trip into the past.

 Part 45b: Full Circle 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.4 - From the Future


    PART 45b: FULL CIRCLE 2


    "I''m here,¡± Laurie said breathlessly as she charged out of the elevator. "I''m here, what''s going on, where''s my brother?"


    "Hold on, little sis, I''m right here," Corry said, raising a hand. He was standing a short way down the hall, along with Chartreuse. She hurried up to him. ¡°Please, Laurie, don''t go any further than this point."


    After giving him a quick hug, Laurie looked past him, down the hall. A few doctors were speaking in hushed tones and glancing almost fearfully towards a familiar door.


    "Why, Corry? What... what''s happening there?" Laurie asked.


    "We''re not exactly sure," Chartreuse admitted, stepping forwards. "But Carrie is awake, and she''s hurting, and she kinda, like, wants to destroy all of time. After Corry showed up, she told us to ¡®Get out¡¯. Luci¡¯s got a plan though, she¡¯s gone to find Frank.¡±


    "Oh. Golly," Laurie said quietly.


    Chartreuse¡¯s look became thoughtful. ¡°Though... you know, you may know Carrie better than we do. You¡¯re a cheerleader on her squad. Maybe she¡¯d be willing to talk to--"


    ¡°Hell no,¡± Corry interjected. ¡°Even the doctors don¡¯t want to go in that room now. It¡¯s far too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Hush, Corry,¡± Chartreuse asserted. ¡°You had your turn with Julie. Carrie talk is more of a Laurie thing.¡±


    Laurie swallowed. ¡°But w-what would I even say to her?¡±


    ¡°That you care about her, despite everything,¡± Chartreuse suggested. ¡°That we¡¯re trying to, you know, help her. That she needs to give us a chance. To give us more time.¡±


    ¡°What would THAT accomplish?¡± Corry scoffed.


    Chartreuse shrugged. ¡°Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.¡±


    Laurie stared at both her brother and her mystical friend. She turned again to look down the hall. Towards the girl who was better than her. At school, at athletics, at popularity, at practically everything... including, perhaps, at taking things a bit too far. And Laurie started walking.


    ¡°Laurie, no! OW, Chartreuse that¡¯s my FOOT.¡±


    Laurie didn¡¯t look back. Not even after peering into Carrie¡¯s room, and seeing the doctor and another orderly frozen to the spot. In the same manner of Carrie''s father, who was sitting by her bed. Though the redhead did let out a gasp when Carrie turned to face her. The blonde¡¯s eyes were yellow-gold, and her hair and hospital robe were fluttering around her in some nonexistent wind.


    ¡°Why did you come here?¡± Carrie demanded.


    Laurie felt her throat go dry. ¡°W-Well, y''see... Steve''s done a pretty lousy subbing job for you at cheerleading, so I was kinda looking forward to you coming back."


    "The school will soon cease to exist," Carrie stated. "Everything will cease to exist."


    "Oh," Laurie said, nonplussed. "Well, he hasn''t done THAT bad of a job, really."


    "Laurie Veniti," Carrie said, a dangerous edge on her voice. "I have no desire to talk with you or anyone else who knows about the existence of time travel. You should leave, unless you want to end up like them.¡± She gestured at the frozen individuals.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard,¡± Laurie said, the words tumbling from her lips before she could even think about them. ¡°Okay? I know it¡¯s hard, realizing that you¡¯re stuck in this box, seemingly unable to do any better no matter how much you try, always comparing yourself to others who seem to have it so much better than you... but you know what I¡¯m realizing, Carrie? Maybe we¡¯re all struggling. Even the people who seem to have it together. And maybe that¡¯s okay, because when we push at the edges of our boxes, we grow, and we become more than what others tell us we¡¯re supposed to be.¡±


    Laurie took a step closer. ¡°I know what Lee and the rest of them have told me, Carrie, but you¡¯re more than some weapon. You are. To me, and to so many others. And so I want you to know that I forgive you for what happened back at the dance, and I want you back at school running new routines for us, and I think that¡¯s gonna be REAL hard if everything will no longer exist, so... so please reconsider? For me?¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Carrie seemed surprised. Her gaze dropped to the floor. ¡°I am sorry,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I can¡¯t, not now. Now that I know how it¡¯s all going to end. Shady is putting us on a road that has no turns.¡±


    ¡°But...¡°


    ¡°LEAVE NOW,¡± Carrie commanded. Her gaze came up, her face twisted in pain and sadness, her eyes glowing, and energy seemed to crackle around them in the air. With a little shriek, Laurie ran back out of the room.


    She hightailed it all the way back to the elevator, where her brother grabbed hold of her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry!¡± she apologized, struggling to catch her breath as she clutched at him. ¡°I... I don''t think Carrie''s going to listen to me or to anyone else.¡±


    "It''s all right," Corry said, hugging her. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Laurie. I¡¯m sure you did what you could."


    ¡°Did Carrie say anything, like, useful?¡± Chartreuse said hopefully.


    Laurie shook her head. ¡°No, only that everything will no longer exist because Shady¡¯s putting us on a road with no turns.¡±


    Chartreuse sighed, and the three of them turned to look back down the hall. Then the pink haired girl tilted her head to the side. ¡°Putting. As in, still present tense?¡±


    Laurie nodded. And Chartreuse jerked her gaze back towards Corry.


    ***


    "He''s GONE?" Luci said.


    "So I''m told," Clarke answered from the other end of the phone line. "Jeeves is very sorry. Lee is trying to find this Shady even now.¡±


    ¡°And I thought things couldn''t get any worse,¡± Luci muttered. ¡°Now how are we supposed to figure out when he spoke with the police?¡±


    "Clarke," piped up Frank, listening in through speaker phone. ¡°How influential are the LaMilles? If they wanted to, could they throw their daughter¡¯s attempted murder case out of court, that sort of thing?"


    "Possibly," came the dubious answer. ¡°But even if they were willing to do it, Julie¡¯s life would only become an even bigger hell, given how she¡¯d owe them."


    ¡°Except her parents might not do anything if we threatened to expose what they''ve already done to Julie. That''s not the sort of thing the LaMilles would want to be made public."


    "Whoa, hold on, Frank," Luci objected. ¡°You¡¯re saying we resort to blackmail? That¡¯s a big can of worms there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, plus Julie HERSELF said she doesn¡¯t want this to go public,¡± Clarke added. ¡°Besides, her parents were always very careful. We have no proof.¡±


    ¡°Always?¡± Frank said, frustrated. ¡°For sixteen years, no one ever saw or heard ANYTHING? That¡¯s really hard to believe, given their tendency to employ hired help.¡°


    There was the sound of Clarke drumming his fingers on something. "Well, we saw nothing," Clarke reminded him. ¡°And I''m pretty sure Jeeves and Mimi didn''t either. But maybe, if we look further back in time..."


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to at some point. That¡¯s the sort of proof Julie will need,¡± Luci realized. ¡°In order to get into proper counselling, over her parents¡¯ likely objections or suggestions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check with Jewels and give you a call back,¡± Clarke decided.


    "Okay," Luci agreed. "We''ll be at Frank¡¯s, making final adjustments on the time machine. Oh, also give us a call if you hear any more about the location of our fugitive from the future.¡±


    "Will do," Clarke agreed.


    ***


    Frank took the call from Clarke less than a half hour later. Luci closed up the time machine as he hung up. She turned. ¡°What¡¯s the word?¡±


    ¡°You want the good news or the bad news?¡±


    "We could use some good news about now."


    Frank nodded. ¡°Julie managed to recall a time, back before she was ten, when a servant came back unexpectedly and caught her parents chewing her out. The woman, who had worked with them for three years prior to that event, was dismissed soon after - though Julie recalls her being a sympathetic individual. If we track her down, she could be our evidence."


    "Okay. And the bad news?"


    ¡°Two flavours,¡± he sighed. ¡°First, Julie¡¯s too shaken up right now to remember any more, and then when Clarke went to check the records being stored in the mansion himself? The ones detailing the servants for that period of time were missing. Jeeves recalls a small fire some time last year, shortly after the LaMilles transferred those very same records to the house for storage.¡±


    "How convenient," Luci said dryly.


    "My thoughts exactly. Second problem, Chartreuse called Clarke with an update. Something Carrie said makes our resident mystic think Shady is going to make another attempt on Carrie¡¯s life. Which could render all of our efforts to restore this timeline to a sense of normalcy rather moot.¡±


    Luci resisted the urge to bang her head down on the table. ¡°Joy. Okay, one problem at a time. When was this small fire? Maybe we can time travel back to before it took place, and obtain the information then.¡±


    ¡°And how do you propose we get into the LaMille mansion to retrieve it?¡± Frank countered. ¡°The Julie from our past would never let us stroll in and search. The only one of us who might have a chance is Clarke, except tampering with his past connections to Julie could cause us much bigger problems now.¡±


    "That''s true, but there must be some way,¡± Luci insisted. ¡°Maybe we could go back in time a year, to a day when we were all in Grade 10, and tell a past version of ourselves that if they ever get the chance to visit the mansion..." Luci stopped. She felt lightheaded. ¡°Oh my God.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It fits. Oh my God. My second day of high school. It fits!¡±


    ¡°What fits? Luci, what are you talking about?¡±


    Luci took a deep breath, as the missing piece that had puzzled her for over a year snapped into place. ¡°It¡¯s my missing day, Frank. The second day of high school has always been a complete blank to me. All I know is that it had something to do with me getting involved with Julie and Corry, not to mention seriously ticking Carrie off somehow. I''ve always wondered if there was more to it than simple amnesia.¡±


    ¡°What? Are we heading into ¡®Butterfly Effect¡¯ territory here? Because that movie series was not--"


    ¡°It¡¯s more,¡± Luci interrupted. ¡°Consider that while I might have grown a little since then, it¡¯s negligible, and after Linquist I¡¯m only ballpark my real age anyway.¡±


    She took a deep breath. ¡°You say the only place we can get these records is in the past? Fine. None of you knew me at the start of last year. That makes me a wild card. So, we¡¯re about to use the time machine to travel back to that September, at which point I can take the place of my younger self for a day. My second day of high school. A note you leave in my locker is all it will take.¡±


    He stared. ¡°Luci, that¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she admitted. ¡°Thing is? If I''m right, it''s already happened anyway.¡±

 Part 46a: Out of Time

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.4 - From the Future


    PART 46a: OUT OF TIME 1


    Lee joined the others at the hospital. He¡¯d already been tracking Shady in the vicinity, so it had been easy enough to hook up with the group after hearing from Clarke about the latest development.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying future guy is gonna make a play for the track tease again, and that this act is what will make her explode?¡± he confirmed.


    Chartreuse nodded vigorously, then frowned. ¡°Okay, we aren¡¯t totally sure,¡± she admitted. ¡°But probably.¡±


    ¡°The new problem,¡± Corry mused, ¡°Is whether we should try to stop this Shady - or merely warn him that Carrie knows he¡¯s coming.¡±


    ¡°Warn him?¡± Lee asked, doing a double take. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°To let him try something that would be more effective.¡±


    ¡°WHAT? Are you, like, SERIOUS?¡±


    Corry reached up to pull the pink haired girl¡¯s fingers off his shirt. ¡°Chartreuse, Carrie seems bent on killing everybody no matter what,¡± Corry countered. "How does that old saying go, ''The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one''?"


    ¡°Corry,¡± Laurie said quietly. ¡°Didn''t you tell me two days ago that you would never, ever do something that would kill a person? Was that a lie, for my benefit?¡±


    ¡°Laurie, no! But we¡¯ve been told Carrie isn¡¯t really a person, she¡¯s more of a..." Corry¡¯s voice trailed off as he saw his sister¡¯s expression. He gulped. ¡°Okay. Thanks for the conscience check, sis. My bad. So, we stop Shady then. The question is how?"


    ¡°Maybe the track tease knows a way,¡± Lee suggested. ¡°She seems to know about everything else going on.¡±


    ¡°You think she¡¯d tell us?¡± Chartreuse wondered.


    Lee shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to ask.¡±


    ¡°You might be surprised,¡± Laurie said, wincing.


    Lee pulled on the lapels of his jacket. ¡°I¡¯ll go anyway. She hasn''t vented at me yet, so maybe I¡¯ll get lucky.¡±


    He turned away from the group and proceeded down the hallway. Hospital staff had been working for the last half hour to remove patients from the area; it was now mostly deserted.


    About two paces from the door to Carrie''s room, Lee stopped. He turned, a puzzled expression on his face. Then he walked all the way back. "Hey, why was I going to that room again?" he inquired.


    The others exchanged a glance. "You were, you know, going to ask Carrie if she knew more about the crazy guy from the future who¡¯s out to kill her," Chartreuse reminded him.


    "Oh yeah," Lee said. "Sorry, memory glitch." Again, he went back down the hall to Carrie''s room. Again he paused about two steps away, and then returned, mind spinning. "Hey, why was I going to that room again?" he repeated.


    "Never mind," Corry said, waving his hand dismissively.


    "She is getting more powerful, isn''t she," Laurie said, shivering.


    ¡°Hey!¡± came a new voice. A security guard approached them in the opposite direction from Carrie¡¯s room. ¡°What are you kids still doing here? Get downstairs, all of you. This whole floor¡¯s being evacuated.¡±


    ¡°Um, right, we¡¯re on our way!¡± Lee assured him.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Chartreuse moaned. ¡°I hope that Luci and Frank devised a more cunning plan. At this point, that may be all we''ve got left."Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ***


    Out in his backyard, Frank flipped open the time machine and inspected the pocketwatch inside. "Great timing,¡± he said. "We''re back a minute before we even left.¡±


    Luci nodded beside him, belatedly realizing she had a bit of soot on her face. Yet as she attempted to wipe it off with her fingers, she only succeeded in smearing it even more. She sighed.


    ¡°Anyway, so I have the name Holly Rhodes,¡± she concluded. ¡°As the only female domestic listed for exactly three years, beginning ten years ago, dismissed for no given reason. There was an address listed. Think it¡¯s enough?¡±


    ¡°Hopefully,¡± Frank said, eyeing her.


    ¡°We¡¯d better get to the hospital then,¡± Luci concluded. ¡°To tell the others and help them deal with the Shady situation.¡± She stood and started walking off, only to see Frank wasn¡¯t following. "Something else?"


    He blinked. ¡°No. Yes. Just, ah, thinking about what you must have gone through there to help Carrie and Julie out. Not only on that trip itself, but in dealing with a missing day for that long.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°You really are amazing, Luci.¡±


    Luci shrugged. ¡°It had already happened. I couldn¡¯t avoid it.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t negate the sacrifice.¡± He coughed. ¡°So, I was thinking, if we survive, you want to get a soda together tomorrow? At the cafe? Maybe even... make it a regular thing?¡±


    ¡°Regular thing? What do you..." Luci stopped, seeing his expression. She felt her knees go weak. ¡°Now? NOW of all times you bring this up?¡±


    ¡°Well if we DON¡¯T survive, I¡¯d hate for you to have thought that... that I didn''t care.¡±


    ¡°Frank, if you¡¯re only saying this because you think we might die, you better realize that I am SO holding you to any promise you make here!¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I would expect nothing less of you. Sodas then?¡±


    Luci felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest. She ran back to him, throwing her arms around his neck. He grabbed her back, pulling her close. ¡°Heck yeah, sodas,¡± she said in delight.


    She savoured the moment, the hug, the way Frank¡¯s arms were running up and down her back, the safety of his embrace, for as long as she could. Ultimately, she sighed. ¡°And I think that¡¯s our extra minute gone.¡±


    ¡°Mmm hmm. Apocalypse prevention time?¡±


    ¡°Apocalypse prevention time,¡± she agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it.¡±


    ***


    "Clarke," Tim said quietly.


    Clarke looked up from his magazine. He¡¯d been hoping that the distraction might help his subconscious come up with some sort of plan. ¡°What is it, Tim?¡± he asked, smiling encouragingly at his friend.


    "W-Well... I was just thinking," Tim began. ¡°The police think Julie shot Carrie. We don''t want them to think that. Right?" Clarke nodded. ¡°So, why not give Julie an alibi?"


    Clarke frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure lying to the police is the best plan.¡±


    "Oh, I don¡¯t mean lie,¡± Tim protested. ¡°I mean, well - time machine alibi.¡±


    Clarke stared. Then he sat bolt upright. "Of course. We can take Julie back to the evening of November the twelfth, and be somewhere in public during the shooting. With an alibi on her birthday, the police would have to close the investigation. Great thinking, Tim!"


    "Y-You think so?" Tim said with a partial smile.


    "Definitely," Clarke said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s see if Julie can handle another trip, then I¡¯ll give Frank another call.¡±


    ***


    "I don''t like this," Chartreuse murmured, looking around the hospital lobby. Several police officers had now arrived. Granted, they seemed to be ignoring the teens, more interested in what was happening upstairs with Carrie than the earlier investigations at school surrounding Julie.


    "Well, look on the bright side," Corry remarked. "With all this added security, Shady will find it almost impossible to get upstairs.¡±


    Chartreuse frowned. ¡°Except I¡¯m sensing from a lot of people here that they¡¯re going to die. Only they don¡¯t know it, so I can''t put my finger on when or how."


    ¡°Y-You think Shady¡¯s going to shoot his way up to her?¡± Laurie gasped.


    Chartreuse slowly shook her head. ¡°No? It¡¯s not... I can¡¯t figure it out,¡± she said, frustrated. ¡°I¡¯d try for a vision, but interfacing with Carrie has really tapped me out.¡±


    "You know, we¡¯re missing something," Lee realized. "To save Carrie, you might have to be close to her - but do you have to be close in order to destroy her?"


    Corry blinked. "No, of course not," he agreed. "In fact, you''d be foolish to do it that way. She''d see you coming."


    ¡°Plus I¡¯ve seen future cult guy in this hospital before,¡± Lee continued. ¡°He could have been scouting the place out. After all, say you wanted to destroy someone that you couldn¡¯t approach directly, yet you still knew where they¡¯d be - how would you do it?"


    "More specifically, how would you do it if you didn¡¯t care about any additional casualties?" Corry finished.


    "Oh no,¡± Chartreuse said, feeling her blood run cold. ¡°That¡¯s it. That fits with what I¡¯m sensing."


    ¡°Do you know where it would be?" Corry said, grabbing Lee¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Basement,¡± Lee said. ¡°Bombs are always in the basement."


    ***


    ¡°Luci?¡± Clarke said in surprise. ¡°Where¡¯s Frank?¡±


    ¡°By now? He¡¯ll be at the hospital,¡± Luci said, marching into the LaMille house with the time machine. ¡°Your alibi plan is great, but we¡¯re short on time. Since Frank is maybe the only one Carrie will listen to any more, I told him to keep going.¡±


    She continued into the sitting room, stopping only once she¡¯d reached the couch where both Tim and Julie were sitting.


    "Luci?¡± Julie murmured, looking a bit dazed as she tilted her head up. "Do you have soot on your face?"


    "I do," Luci admitted. "And it¡¯s your fault. But that''s a long story, and you need an alibi. So we have a time trip to take."


    The rest would be up to Frank.

 Part 46b: Out of Time 2

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.4 - From the Future


    PART 46b: OUT OF TIME 2


    A police officer questioned Frank¡¯s arrival at the hospital, but the teenager managed to fake stomach cramps in order to gain access. Inside it was a bit of a madhouse... officers milling about, circulating around doctors and orderlies who were attempting to deal with both any incoming patients, and the ones being shuffled around inside the building due to the impromptu quarantine on Carrie''s floor.


    "We can''t get close," Frank heard someone say. "People tend to come back with no memory of their assigned task to negotiate. When they come back at all."


    ''That could be a problem for me,'' Frank realized. He soon discovered the stairwell was under guard, and that there was an officer in both elevators as well. ¡®Assuming I even get up there...''


    "Frank!"


    He turned in time to see Laurie Veniti push her way past a couple of people to reach his side. "Thank goodness you''re here,¡± she whispered. "Chartreuse, Lee and my brother think that the time fanatic set an explosive charge somewhere in the basement. They''ve gone to check it out, it might be connected to Carrie¡¯s plan for ending the world.¡±


    "Laurie," Frank said, taking her by the shoulders. "I''m glad to see you. I have to get up to Carrie¡¯s room.¡± He pointed. ¡°Can you distract that police officer over there? The one guarding the stairwell?"


    Laurie shrank back at first, but then she clenched her jaw. "Golly, I¡¯ll try,¡± she asserted. ¡°I¡¯ll babble at that cop so much he¡¯ll have no choice but to escort me elsewhere.¡±


    She turned to move in that direction - only to pause and look back at him one last time. "Frank... you be careful, all right?" she requested. "I... I really don''t want anyone getting hurt."


    "Of course," Frank said. He smiled at Laurie reassuringly, attempting to project a confidence he didn''t really feel.


    ***


    "See anything?" Chartreuse called out.


    "Yeah, the need for better lighting,¡± Lee remarked. "I can''t believe there''s so much stuff down here."


    "Hold on guys, I think I''ve found something," came Corry¡¯s voice. "There''s a digital readout connected to a bunch of wires and... oh hell!¡±


    Chartreuse hurried towards where she¡¯d heard his voice. As she turned the corner, she heard the voice say ¡°Stop moving¡± - and then she couldn¡¯t move. Her eyes went wide.


    Shady was standing there, next to Corry, who was partly bent over what could only be the bomb, given all the wiring with what Chartreuse decided were high explosives underneath. ¡°Stop moving,¡± Shady said again.


    ¡°Thinking no,¡± Lee retorted, stepping past Chartreuse.


    Shady pulled out a gun, and directed the barrel directly at her. ¡°Stop or your friend dies.¡±


    Lee stopped. Which is when it occurred to Chartreuse that the guy hadn¡¯t said ¡®don¡¯t talk¡¯. ¡°Stop him, Lee,¡± she pleaded. ¡°Or EVERYONE dies.¡±


    ¡°I can also shoot Lee,¡± Shady pointed out. ¡°And I¡¯d say bleeding out is more painful than vaporization.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I die lifting the whammy you¡¯ve put on my friends,¡± Lee observed.


    ¡°Or maybe you use the next five minutes and forty seconds of your lives thinking of a better plan,¡± Shady reasoned.


    Chartreuse couldn¡¯t see the timer from where she was, so she could only assume that was a reference to the countdown to detonation.


    ¡°I hate stalemates,¡± Corry interjected. ¡°Though it does seem like you¡¯re running out of time to get clear yourself, buddy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Shady granted, sounding annoyed. ¡°The timer¡¯s been giving me problems. Cruddy present day merchandise. Seems like I may die down here with the rest of you.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Oh well. It¡¯s not like I could ever go home again. My future currency was stolen.¡±


    He waggled his gun. ¡°Lee, go sit against the wall. Pink hair, you join him. Redhead, you too.¡±


    Chartreuse found her feet pacing over towards Lee. ¡°It won¡¯t work,¡± she blurted out. ¡°Carrie, like, knows what you¡¯re doing. She... she can stop you.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Then she¡¯d better try,¡± Shady said. He grinned. ¡°Because at this point, I have nothing to lose. I¡¯m perfectly willing to die, knowing that I brought down our greatest temporal adversary.¡±


    The three teenagers exchanged horrified looks, as behind Shady, the clock on the bomb ticked down past five minutes.


    ***


    Frank stared into the hospital room. A golden-eyed blonde stared back at him. "You should not have come," Carrie said at last.


    Frank eyed all the frozen people surrounding them. "I get the impression you could have stopped me," he observed. "Why didn''t you?"


    ¡°There was no point," Carrie admitted. She turned away from him. ¡°You''re going to be dead in exactly four minutes and twenty six seconds either way.¡±


    Frank felt a chill run through him. "What?"


    "There is a bomb in the basement that will go off then," Carrie explained. She sounded fatigued. "When it detonates, I will channel its destructive energy through me, into the rivers of time. The future will explode, and the past will implode right along with it. Should make for a fun little light show... a pity that no one will be alive to see it."


    "You can''t be serious."


    "I''ve never been more serious in my life," Carrie said calmly. She turned back. "That fool with the explosives, he has no understanding of the true powers at my command.¡± She grinned. ¡°Since focussing in on the bomb, I¡¯ve been messing with him, making his timer run fast, slow, even backwards one time.¡±


    Her expression shifted, becoming more wistful. "My only regret is that I¡¯ll never get to experience a normal teenage life. No mother, no boyfriend, no one who could possibly understand the real me--"


    ¡°So we¡¯re back to Selfish Carrie then.¡±


    Her lips thinned. ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Frank decided it was all or nothing. ¡°I mean, you have to be pretty full of yourself now, yeah? To not notice what PAINS the rest have been going through to FIX it all for you? I can see now that it didn¡¯t matter. Sorry we were giving a damn.¡±


    ¡°You think YOU¡¯RE in pain?¡± she shouted back. ¡°My life never should have been! Right now, Julie''s past, Julie''s future, they hinge on me, a girl who should never have been born in the first place.¡± She pointed at her head. ¡°And no matter what you do, with her or anybody else, I will still FEEL that inside me. A dull, throbbing ache that will never go away!¡±


    Carrie slumped. ¡°It was always meant to come to this. Destruction is my very reason for existence. It¡¯s simply happening sooner than expected."


    ¡°This from the girl who believes in temporal theories allowing free will.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t KNOW,¡± Carrie screamed back. ¡°I was too naive, too stupid to understand the role I had to play!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re giving up.¡± Frank found that it wasn¡¯t hard to sound disgusted. ¡°Carrie Waterson is giving up, and blowing up the universe.¡±


    "Don''t exaggerate, Frank. I¡¯m not destroying the universe, the effect will be localized to our solar system."


    ¡°Oh, pardon me, big difference. What would your mother have to say about all this, I wonder?¡±


    Carrie lifted her arm, pointing at him. ¡°Oh no. Don¡¯t you dare, don¡¯t you DARE bring her into this.¡±


    ¡°Why not? It occurs to me that if you have all of time at your disposal now, you might have looked her up.¡±


    Carrie was next to him in two strides, arm raised as if to strike him. ¡°My MOTHER..." She stood still, then brought her arm down. ¡°Was a time traveler,¡± she admitted. ¡°Brought back from the future, she was left at an orphanage when she was very young. Adopted, and brought inconspicuously into society, she eventually met and married my father. They then had me. In this timeline. Which is, in a nutshell, the reason why I¡¯ve become what I am. My hands are tied.¡±


    A tear trickled from Carrie¡¯s eye, but Frank forced down his instinct to apologize. He had to keep pushing her. Hell, maybe every time she¡¯d pushed at him, he should have been pushing back. ¡°So?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°So?¡± She reached up to wipe off her cheek. ¡°Given that the decades long presence of my mother had always been a strain on the new timeline, my existence made the problem worse. She had to disappear. I know that now. We can never co-exist again. Which leaves me, a motherless girl, out of time and out of place." Her hands clenched. "Is it any wonder I''m feeling a little... OUT OF MY MIND?¡±


    ¡°Who says she had to disappear?¡±


    "I... I don¡¯t know.¡± Carrie swallowed. "I can¡¯t see where or when she disappeared to.¡±


    ¡°And now Carrie Waterson has lost her curiosity.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t curious.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re just blowing up the solar system instead of investigating...¡±


    "I can''t help it, Frank,¡± Carrie choked out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this explosive force, this pain inside me, it¡¯s too damn strong to resist.¡±


    That was getting closer to the Carrie who had opened up to him in the park, weeks ago. The Carrie that he cared about, in spite of everything. ¡°If it''s inside you, it''s only as strong as you make it,¡± Frank insisted. ¡°So here¡¯s the real question. Do you want to destroy everything now? Rendering everyone¡¯s actions on your behalf completely meaningless?¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°Or will you push on, letting me and the rest of your FRIENDS help you through this?¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Frank..."


    ¡°Do you WANT answers to the questions that remain unanswered?¡±


    ¡°Frank don¡¯t DO this to me.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Carrie, will you DESTROY or will you ACCEPT OUR HELP?¡±


    Her body shook, her scream was incoherent, and her palm came flying at his face. But he had half expected that reaction.


    He ducked.


    Then he sprang back up, his own palm out, and scarcely believing that he was doing it, he slapped it hard against the cheek of the girl who could destroy them all. ¡°DO YOU WANT TO CHOOSE US OR NOT, CARRIE?¡±


    ¡°I DO!¡± she shrieked back.


    Her look became one of astonishment, though whether it was at being struck, or at her own words, it was hard for Frank to say. But for a second, when she blinked, her eyes flickered back and forth between gold and their more normal blue.


    ¡°I... I choose the unending pain,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Frank apologized at last. ¡°But on behalf of the world, thank you.¡± He shook out his hand, then extended it towards her. ¡°Thank you, Carrie.¡±


    ¡°Problem though.¡±


    Frank frowned. His hand fell back to his side. "What?"


    ¡°Bomb in the basement, exploding in about twenty seconds, still taking out this whole building and everyone in it.¡±


    "Oh... uh..."


    Carrie cracked her knuckles. ¡°So, here¡¯s perhaps the last thing I will ever do. Show ¡®Shady¡¯ what a temporal weapon is REALLY capable of.¡± She flashed her fellow time traveller a sad smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Frank. For everything. And goodbye." No sooner had she said it, then she seemed to wink out of existence, leaving a gust of wind in her wake.

 Part 47: Respite

    TIME & TIED: ESCALATION


    ARC 2.4 - From the Future


    PART 47: RESPITE


    "Ten seconds. Sorry guys, I guess Carrie¡¯s gonna, like, fry us after all," Chartreuse said glumly. The three teenagers were all sitting on their hands now, Shady standing far enough away from the wall to shoot them - probably even if they all moved at once.


    ¡°I should have jumped him,¡± Lee murmured. ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m not going to get to say goodbye to my sisters.¡±


    "You''re a real bastard, you know that?" Corry shouted at their captor.


    ¡°I will die for our cause,¡± was his only reply.


    Chartreuse wondered if it would be better to have her eyes open or closed when the bomb detonated. Which was when a gust of wind blew through the area, as if a freight train were rushing by, and then Carrie was standing there with them. The blonde with the golden eyes raised her palm to the bomb timer.


    ¡°Or not," Carrie remarked.


    "NO!" Shady shrieked.


    The gun fired, even as Carrie¡¯s other palm went up facing him. Chartreuse could now see the bullet moving through the air towards the blonde with all the speed of a paper airplane. Which was clearly impossible. As impossible as Carrie sidestepping it, yet she was doing that too.


    And then Carrie flicked her index and middle fingers off her thumb, and Shady¡¯s head snapped back. The fingers of his gun hand twitched again, but this time his weapon fired at the ceiling - because Lee was there, pushing his arm up. Corry joined him, and it occurred to Chartreuse that maybe she should get off her ass too.


    She didn¡¯t go for Shady. Lee and Corry were subduing him. Instead, she stepped over to Carrie, who now had both palms facing the bomb. The timer seemed to be oscillating back and forth between five and four seconds. Sweat was pouring down Carrie¡¯s face as if she were running a marathon.


    ¡°What kind... of fail-safe... IS this...?"


    ¡°How can I help?¡± Chartreuse asked.


    Carrie grimaced. ¡°Catch me.¡±


    And the timer clicked down, to three seconds, then two... where it froze, even as Carrie crumpled towards the floor. Chartreuse let out a gasp, supporting the blonde and guiding her carefully down into a prone position.


    ¡°Okay. That¡¯ll hold for a while,¡± Carrie murmured weakly. ¡°Only one more thing to take care of.¡± She looked up at Chartreuse. ¡°Farewell, everyone.¡±


    The blonde closed her eyes, and a wave of energy seemed to spread out from her position. It passed through everyone in the room, then out through the walls and up through the ceiling until it had encompassed the entire building... the entire town...


    ***


    Carrie was released from hospital a week later, having been treated for a case of severe exhaustion. Her eyes were their normal blue colour as she trudged through the new fallen snow, following the path in the ravine behind her house that went up into the park. She continued over to the swing set, brushing it off and then sitting down.


    ¡°Kinda hoped you''d be here," she murmured to the boy in the swing next to her.


    ¡°Was it hope?¡± Frank wondered. ¡°Or your powers?"


    Carrie shuddered. "Please, Frank, PLEASE, no talking about my powers. Somehow, I managed to suppress them, but I can still feel them as this dull ache inside me. Even now, I¡¯m not sure if I was controlling them, or if they were controlling me. Trying to use them again... would be dangerous. Hell, I thought I¡¯d die after what I did."Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Right, okay, no powers talk then," Frank reassured. ¡°Better question, will you coming back to school tomorrow?¡±


    "Yeah," Carrie said. "Have I missed much?"


    "You mean in terms of what teachers like Fisk think is important, or in terms of what¡¯s actually important?"


    Carrie smirked. "The latter, naturally."


    Frank grinned back at her. ¡°The social situation is completely warped. Julie''s been the target of a lot of hostility since the flyer, not to mention her disappearance, and yet she refuses to let the information about her parental situation become common knowledge. So she''s not getting much in the way of sympathy. But guess who''s started looking out for her welfare - Corry Veniti.¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± Carrie laughed. "Oh, boy. That must be confusing the daylights out of everybody.¡± She kicked her legs a little to start the swing moving. ¡°How is Julie holding up?"


    ¡°She''s started her counselling," Frank said. "Tim''s alibi plan, putting her in the cafe when you were shot, has her in the clear for that. The information about Holly Rhodes, we gave to Jeeves. He was able to track the domestic down, and armed with the information, he has started acting as Julie''s de facto father. He seems to really care about her. And while Julie¡¯s parents are putting up a bit of a fight, they''ve stopped short of any direct action, probably to avoid the potential publicity."


    ¡°I think they''d lose a custody battle anyway," Carrie said, making a face. "Good. I mean, Julie may have done some terrible things to people, but it must have been a special kind of hell for her growing up."


    "Speaking of parents,¡± Frank said slowly. "Dare I ask about you and your father...?"


    Carrie let the swing stop its motion. ¡°Unh. Yeah. Me and dad are doing all right," she replied after a moment. "He doesn''t remember being frozen, of course. Seeing as that last blast of mine somehow wiped all my temporal actions from the memories of everyone in the vicinity of the hospital building - time travellers excluded."


    She extended her leg, pointing the toe of her boot. ¡°Dad still knows I was shot, of course, and I think that has him trying to make up for lost time. He offered to take me to a hockey game next weekend."


    She lowered her foot. "Hockey. Sheesh. At the same time, he''s trying.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°In fact, I think maybe he¡¯s been trying for a long while. Which is... nice.¡± A small smile graced her face.


    There was an extended silence. ¡°By the way, me and Luci are dating,¡± Frank blurted.


    Carrie turned her swing sideways. ¡°Seriously?¡± He nodded, and her grin grew wider. ¡°It¡¯s about damn time. You want some dating advice then, as one friend to another?¡±


    Frank became busy staring at a spot in the sky. It was hard to say if his red cheeks were due to the cold. ¡°Um, yes? But maybe not right now? That is, I... we¡¯re puzzling through it together for the moment.¡±


    ¡°Well, good for you. Don¡¯t screw up the Christmas gift.¡±


    His eyes widened. ¡°Oh no, Christmas!¡±


    Carrie fought back the urge to laugh. ¡°Calm down. You two will be fine together. Here, change of subject. Elephant in the room, actually.¡± She took in a deep breath, turning away again. ¡°What became of the time traveler who wanted me dead?"


    "What? Oh, well, Shady was arrested of course,¡± Frank assured. "Blowing up buildings being against the law. In fact, the police on scene ended up thinking they were there because of him, not you. He''s also become the lead suspect for shooting you in the first place - which he did, in a roundabout way - so I wager he''ll be going to prison. The only surprise is that is he didn¡¯t manage to talk his way out of it using his future ability.¡±


    Carrie rubbed her nose. ¡°Yeah, uh, along the lines of messing with people¡¯s memories... I think was able to block Shady¡¯s personal history for how to do his - what did Lee call it? Jedi trick? - but I¡¯m not positive whether my tampering was permanent.¡±


    She let out a long breath, visible in the cool air. ¡°Damn this power of temporal paradox that I have. Or whatever you want to call it. It¡¯s going to be an attractive weapon for everyone who knows about it."


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re not going to tell anyone," Frank assured her. ¡°We won¡¯t be using the time machine again either - namely because, in a few weeks¡¯ time we¡¯ll have no coins to return us to the present.¡±


    "The future, Frank. They know in the future. And they¡¯ve now tried to get at me once, so I¡¯m going to need to keep my guard up."


    He stared, then frowned. ¡°You mean... this isn¡¯t the end of it."


    "No," Carrie sighed. "No, I fear this is only the beginning." She jumped up off of the swing. "But, hell with it. Until anything else happens, I''ve got a life to live in the present.¡± With that, she reached out and smacked Frank lightly in the back of his head.


    "Ouch! Hey, what the heck was that for?!" Frank protested.


    ¡°Retribution. You hit me in the hospital.¡±


    Frank crossed his arms. ¡°You told me I was allowed to hit you. You even encouraged it, in this very park!¡±


    Carrie pursed her lips. ¡°Oh, right.¡± She shrugged, then winked at him. ¡°Fine, then consider it my way of telling you everything is back to normal.¡±


    ¡°Except I''m not taking it lying down this time," Frank countered, springing up off his own swing, and extending his gloved hands as if to tickle her.


    Carrie let out a little yelp of astonishment, before athletically sidestepping him. ¡°Catch me if you can!¡± she declared, breaking into a sprint. Frank could only shake his head in resignation as the smiling blonde teenager disappeared back down into the ravine.


    END ARC 2

 Author Aside on Escalation

    As before (at the end of "Awareness"), forgive the indulgence of an aside, just a few things to take note of here. First, know that the whole "suicide trigger" issue with Julie has been dealt with. So, if there''s anyone who was worried, or if you knowof anyone who stopped reading on account of that, they can come back with Part 48! (I mean, Julie will be in counselling, and she still has a role to play, but we won''t see that angle with her parents front and centre.)


    In fact, my hope is that all character arcs have been tied up reasonably well. Going back to the original writing of this story, I''d envisioned it asa Television show - and this would be the break at the end of Season One. Everything is dealt with,at least as far as the present is concerned. Sure, we have some future war and people with mental powers to address, not to mention the fact that "Season One" was kind of the Origin Story for a girl with temporal powers, but we can handle that now that we''ve been "renewed".


    Speaking of characters, the "Favourite Female Character" poll (from Part 23b) now has 3 votes, for Chartreuse, Carrie and Luci. The "Favourite Male Character" poll (from Part 24a) has 2 votes (someone didn''t vote yet...), both for Frank. So I decided with the previous part to see if anyone had an overall favourite. The results so far? 3 votes: For Carrie, Luci and Lee. That''s interesting!If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    It implies to me that either the 3rd missing vote was for Lee (though we really hadn''t seen too much of him in Arc 1), or someone''s changed their opinion. Also, the females seem to be beating out the males. This is all based on a very small sample size, of course. (Ifyou''re reading this in the far future, where maybe 10 people have voted, maybe it''s of interest what the early voters were thinking?) Anyone''s welcome to elaborate on their choice or where their opinion changed.


    Now, the warning! The big thing incoming in the NEXT Arc (which I mentioned briefly in the last aside) is references to same sex relationships. Sorry if that''s an issue for you. Nothing gets graphic. Also, older people screwing with the psyches of teenagers will still be a thing. On the other hand, away from such character centred things, we also get some actual temporal theory for how the timelines work. (That''s not a warning so much as a teaser.)


    I''ve decided my pacing is probably on par with the anime "Steins;Gate" (also about time travel). In that, for both, a lot of the tricky stuff only starts coming into play about halfway through, which is where this story is now. (I saw that for the first time this month. If you like this story, you may like it as well.) In fact, I was away at an anime convention all weekend, and didn''t think to cue posts up beforehand, so I very nearly skipped a day of posting. But then I saw people had actually voted on that poll, and figured I''d better get this out. So thanks for the motivation. ^_^


    Onward we go now, with ARC 3: DESTRUCTION.Coming up next, Carrie tries to deal with her powers and her destiny.

 Part 48a: Talking to Herself

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.1 - With Chartreuse


    PART 48a: TALKING TO HERSELF 1


    As soon as Carrie Waterson saw herself standing at the entrance to the restaurant, all thoughts of her trip to the washroom vanished.


    She now wanted to run over and smack herself in the face. Or run, and run, and keep on running. Instead, she stood there, heart racing. Fight, flight, or freeze... and Carrie¡¯s hands clenched into fists, as she realized that she had picked the stupidest of those three stress options.


    Here she was, a high school teenager, being hunted by people from the future. Yielding them the initiative? Not a good idea. On the bright side, the other Carrie over there - no, Elizabeth, Carrie quickly corrected herself, I¡¯m the right one, I¡¯m in my proper time, I get to be Carrie, she gets our middle name - she looked to be about the same age. But was that a trick?


    Even as Carrie stared, Elizabeth beckoned her over. Present day Carrie took a step, then another - and by the time she reached the front door, she was almost charging through after her blonde double.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    That was all Elizabeth had time to say, before Carrie had pulled back her fist and punched herself in the gut.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be you,¡± she asserted, as Elizabeth doubled over. She brought her hands up to slam down on Elizabeth¡¯s back, but Elizabeth rammed forwards into her before Carrie could complete the manoeuvre, knocking them both down onto the pavement in front of the restaurant.


    Carrie now wished she hadn¡¯t worn a dress to her party, but she hadn¡¯t exactly expected to be fighting anyone today. Least of all herself. Elizabeth, by contrast, was in a more practical T-shirt and jeans.


    She was also now on top, so Carrie tried to grab her and roll, to flip them both over. Except Elizabeth threw her weight back onto Carrie¡¯s legs, pinning her down instead. Which did allow Carrie to sit up - and she still had her arms free. She tried to clap both hands together on either side of Elizabeth¡¯s head.


    Elizabeth also raised her arms, managing to block one palm, so Carrie only had the satisfaction of smacking her other self, an act which slightly dislodged her adversary¡¯s hairband. And now Elizabeth was holding onto the arm that she had blocked, and so Carrie was left pounding her lone fist into Elizabeth¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be you,¡± she repeated, a tear stinging at her eye.


    ¡°That might be for the best,¡± Elizabeth wheezed, as she caught her breath. ¡°I¡¯m getting a little beat up.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you even joke about it!¡±


    Elizabeth finally managed to catch hold of Carrie¡¯s other arm. ¡°I know. I shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°My birthday,¡± Carrie said, feeling the fight go out of her as all her limbs were restrained. ¡°You had to come back to ruin my BIRTHDAY?¡±


    ¡°Not ruin. I hope not ruin. I only wanted to point something out.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have left a NOTE?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elizabeth said, having the decency to look apologetic. ¡°I couldn¡¯t. We would ignore a note. Or second guess it. I had to tell myself - you - this thing in person.¡±


    Carrie blinked her tear away. ¡°Fine. What?¡±


    ¡°You mind if we discuss this somewhere other than laid out on the ground in front of a public restaurant? All it takes is one guy with a camera phone, and next thing we know, our picture is up on some selfcest website.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Carrie flinched. ¡°Self WHAT?¡±


    Elizabeth released her arms, and when no attack was immediately forthcoming, pushed herself back off Carrie¡¯s legs too. ¡°I¡¯d say be careful about the time travel research you¡¯ll do this coming summer,¡± she sighed. ¡°But sometimes I¡¯m way too curious for my own good.¡±


    ***


    The air on this particular evening in late March was cool and crisp, more so than usual. Though most of the snow had already melted, there was still a pile of it off in the corner of the parking lot, where it had been shoved by snowplows throughout the winter.


    The two Carries walked in that direction, moving far enough so as to be in the shadows. They didn¡¯t need to go too far, as the only light in the area came from the street lamps and the restaurant windows.


    Carrie rubbed her arms with her palms. Not only was she in a dress, she didn¡¯t have her jacket. She also still needed to use the washroom. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Elizabeth repeated back. ¡°Low key affair this year, no big party at Julie¡¯s - instead, who¡¯s in there, celebrating your seventeenth birthday with you?¡±


    Carrie looked back towards the building. ¡°Frank and Luci. Julie and Clarke. And Chartreuse.¡±


    ¡°And Chartreuse.¡±


    Carrie turned to her double. ¡°Is this meant to be an echo fest?¡±


    ¡°Chartreuse is the only friend in there who doesn¡¯t know about the time machine,¡± Elizabeth pointed out. ¡°Your memory wipe at the hospital was effective on her, because she¡¯d never time travelled before.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? So?¡± Carrie countered. ¡°Are you telling me I should be swapping Chartreuse out for Corry, who does know? Because even though he helped me out with what happened last semester, and continues to stand up for Julie, he¡¯s still a jerk.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m telling you maybe you should talk to Chartreuse.¡±


    Carrie rubbed her arms again. ¡°I can¡¯t bring her back into this,¡± she murmured. ¡°Not her, not anyone. You know that.¡±


    ¡°All I know is that Chartreuse, Laurie, Tim and Lee had their memories altered,¡± Elizabeth countered. ¡°But that they were once a part of this. And you - we - shouldn¡¯t feel guilty about what we did to them. We weren¡¯t exactly in our right mind at the time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not only guilt,¡± Carrie countered. ¡°If you¡¯re really me, you MUST know that.¡±


    Elizabeth slumped a little. ¡°I guess I do. But are Chartreuse and the others really better off this way? Thinking that all those meetings were merely for helping Frank with a science project, researching the LaMilles, or taking down the man with funny mental powers who wanted to kill me and bomb the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Am I even having this conversation? Elizabeth, if - no WHEN more people come back from the future, everyone who knows about my hidden powers is going to be in danger. I can¡¯t help that for Frank and the rest, but those four you named? They¡¯re free and clear. Geez, why do I even have to explain this to you?¡±


    Elizabeth pursed her lips. ¡°Okay, yeah. But Chartreuse is different.¡±


    ¡°Because she wanted to come to my little party, after finding out about it from Luci? We¡¯re not that close.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should be.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You still haven¡¯t told me WHY.¡±


    ¡°Think, past me! Chartreuse has powers too.¡±


    Carrie found she was forced to think about that. Her toes curled inside her shoes, and she blew on her hands to warm them up. ¡°What, you think Chartreuse already suspects?¡±


    ¡°I think you should to talk to her.¡±


    ¡°Again, why? Her powers aren¡¯t like my powers. Chartreuse gets impressions from people, and sees the future. I destroy solar systems.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t destroy--"


    ¡°I destroy solar systems,¡± Carrie interrupted, louder. ¡°We know this.¡±


    ¡°Fine, if we¡¯re not trained properly, yeah we do,¡± Elizabeth retorted, raising her voice to match. ¡°All the more reason to get our head out of the sand in the coming year, and start doing something about it.¡±


    ¡°And do WHAT about it?¡±


    ¡°Talk to Chartreuse!¡±


    ¡°Why, because you did and it¡¯s worked out OH so well for you?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe because I didn¡¯t, and I regret it, since talking to her might have set me on a much better path.¡±


    The two girls were nearly nose to nose at this point, glaring at each other, postures rigid and fists clenched. Neither version of Carrie was willing to give ground. Meaning it was perhaps fortunate that their argument was interrupted by a scream from behind the restaurant.


    Both Carries turned their heads. ¡°Oh hell,¡± Elizabeth said, wincing. ¡°I forgot about this part.¡±


    ¡°Part? What part??¡± Carrie demanded.


    ¡°Someone just tried to run off with my time machine.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You left our time machine out in the open?¡± Carrie accused her.


    Elizabeth shook her head, cursing her own stupidity. ¡°No. I shoved it behind some cardboard boxes out back of the restaurant. Dealing with you while having that damn black box shoved under my arm felt stupid.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this has really demonstrated your intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up.¡± Elizabeth hated that her past self had a point, when she was supposed to be the (marginally) older, more mature one. It¡¯s not like the time machine would have screamed ¡®time machine¡¯ at anyone either, it looked more like a portable slot machine.


    She met Carrie¡¯s expectant gaze with silence. Carrie put her hands on her hips. ¡°So, are you going to STOP this theft?¡±


    ¡°I already have.¡± The scream had reminded Elizabeth of how the next few minutes would play out. Sure enough, she¡¯d barely finished speaking when her other self came around the corner of the building. One time machine under each arm.


    Carrie didn¡¯t look too pleased by this development.

 Part 48b: Talking to Herself 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.1 - With Chartreuse


    PART 48b: TALKING TO HERSELF 2


    ¡°Hi Carrie. Elizabeth,¡± their third incarnation said with a hesitant smile, nodding at each of them as she reached their position. She was dressed identically to Elizabeth, which only made sense.


    ¡°Hi Buffy,¡± Carrie said dryly.


    Buffy¡¯s nose crinkled. She eyed Elizabeth. ¡°I think I¡¯m funny, but really, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Would you prefer Betty?¡± Carrie snarked.


    ¡°Hell no,¡± Buffy and Elizabeth retorted as one.


    Elizabeth hadn¡¯t read much in the way of the Archie comics, but she knew enough to not want to be linked to a nice blonde girl-next-door persona by name. Besides, if they were going to pick another name derived from ¡°Elizabeth¡±, Buffy had better pop culture connections.


    Carrie¡¯s smirk became a frown. She pointed at what Buffy was carrying. ¡°I take it one of those is mine, the other is Elizabeth¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Logical, yeah?¡± Buffy remarked, looking thoughtful. She thrust her hip out to the side, motioning for Elizabeth to retrieve that particular time machine. Elizabeth obliged her future self.


    ¡°So,¡± Elizabeth sighed. ¡°Now I have to take this machine, Carrie¡¯s, back to our home, leaving it under the bed. After which I take the older device which is there now, back in time to about three minutes ago. Whereby I can retrieve my own machine - that being the one Buffy has here - becoming Buffy and returning this present day machine back to Carrie¡¯s room, using myself, now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s making my head hurt,¡± Carrie groused. ¡°Literally.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t kidding. The permanent dull ache in Elizabeth¡¯s own head, the one which had become a sort of ¡®background noise¡¯ ever since the awakening of her temporal powers? It had increased over the last few moments to a level that was... not more painful exactly, but impossible for her to ignore. But then, hadn¡¯t that been part of the point behind this trip? Seeing what she could accomplish with time travel?


    ¡°Just go,¡± Buffy suggested. ¡°Close out the loop.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Elizabeth agreed, after pressing the heel of her hand briefly to her temples. ¡°You two keep talking here.¡±


    She began to jog off, her athletic strides quickly taking her away from her doubles. She only heard Buffy ask, ¡°So where were we in our talk?¡± and Carrie¡¯s retort of ¡°I was wondering if you were here trying to change my past¡± before she was out of earshot.


    ***


    It occurred to Elizabeth after a few minutes of running that getting home in five minutes versus forty-five minutes really wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference in terms of the eventual outcome. Except in terms of how tired and sweaty she¡¯d be. So she slowed to a walk, muttering ¡°Where¡¯s a convenient skateboard and automobile tow when you need one?¡±


    Elizabeth hefted the time machine at her side. Hopefully she¡¯d be able to set Carrie¡¯s version of the thing properly. Frank had been more focussed on demonstrating how the machine could be set to return back to their present, versus a second trip here to her birthday. Actually, it was a pity she had to use Carrie¡¯s machine at all; the one she currently held had to be set for the right day and time already.


    Her walk stopped altogether.


    Why couldn¡¯t she simply take this machine?


    Her headache flared up larger, making her grimace. ¡°ASIDE from you,¡± she addressed it, bringing her hand back to her head. ¡°I mean, come on, it wouldn¡¯t be my first paradox.¡±


    Way back before her power ¡°awakening¡±, she had dropped off an apple at Frank¡¯s place, then later picked it up, only to time travel back, and then drop it off. Bootstrap paradox. And this was no different. She had now given herself a time machine - which she could use to time travel back, and then hand it off to herself.


    In fact, this sequence was actually more sensible than the apple had been, seeing as it had the potential to be perfectly temporally consistent - an identical time machine existed in this present, under Carrie¡¯s bed.


    So what if she didn¡¯t swap them?


    Her headache was becoming an incessant pounding, but now that she had this idea, her curiosity wouldn¡¯t let her drop it. The point behind this trip hadn¡¯t really been to talk about Chartreuse - it had been more to see what she could do with time travel. And she remembered the conversation on her birthday, more or less, so that wasn¡¯t changing anything - it had to be this subtle paradox which had been poking at her subconscious through the summer. Right?Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    So could she do it?


    Elizabeth fished her spare coin out of her pocket. When time travelling, you always carried a spare coin from the present - there was random variance to the time machine, meaning that you could land a day, or even a month off of your intended target. It was rare, but annoying.


    She looked up and down the street, then retreated back into the shadows of a nearby house that had no lights on. Once there, she fell to her knees, set the time machine down onto the ground in front of her... and dropped the coin in.


    NOW she had a migraine.


    But at this point, it would either work, or it wouldn¡¯t, right? Before she could stop herself, she¡¯d reached out and yanked down on the lever.


    The sensation of the temporal void sucking at her was familiar.


    The sensation of the ice pick sliding into the side of her head was new, and hurt like nothing she¡¯d ever felt before. It was even worse than the time she¡¯d been shot.


    Elizabeth screamed. Loudly.


    But then the headache was gone, reduced to the normal dull ache, and as her scream died out, Elizabeth realized that she was no longer where she had been. She was still kneeling, but out in back of the restaurant. There was a man a very short distance away, holding onto her own time machine, the one she hadn¡¯t just used. He was looking in her direction, his eyes wide. A cigarette fell from between his lips.


    As soon as he realized that she was looking back at him, he dropped the device back down onto the cardboard boxes where she¡¯d formerly concealed it, and sprinted for the back door of the restaurant. Obviously eager to get away from the screaming blonde girl who had appeared from out of nowhere.


    Had he been rooting through the trash while on a smoke break? Elizabeth (Buffy?) supposed it didn¡¯t matter.


    She shakily pushed herself back to her feet, then picked up the now ¡®impossible¡¯ time machine sitting before her. With it braced at one hip, she went to get her own machine back, managing to pick it up too. Once she had them both in hand, she marched back around the corner of the building, heading towards the shadowy figures of her prior selves.


    Carrie didn¡¯t look too pleased by this development.


    ¡°Hi Carrie. Elizabeth,¡± their third incarnation said with a hesitant smile, nodding at each of them as she reached their position. She was able to distinguish them because she was dressed the same as Elizabeth.


    ¡°Hi Buffy,¡± Carrie said dryly.


    She crinkled her nose, and eyed Elizabeth. ¡°I think I¡¯m funny, but really, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I was wondering if you were here trying to change my past,¡± Carrie retorted.


    Buffy didn¡¯t immediately respond to her. In fact, Carrie briefly wondered if ¡°Buffy¡± was back to being ¡°Elizabeth¡± now, but decided that way madness lay.


    Her body double ultimately sighed. ¡°You know I can¡¯t answer that. If I say I did talk to Chartreuse, you won¡¯t. If I say I didn¡¯t talk to Chartreuse, you will.¡±


    ¡°Who says?¡±


    ¡°The whole ¡®I¡¯m not going to be you¡¯ rant as you beat me up earlier?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Carrie rubbed her arms again, trying to stay warm. ¡°Meaning you¡¯re going to leave me with the illusion of free will, even as I do what is presumably written in stone for you?¡±


    ¡°Effectively,¡± Buffy admitted. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± She glanced down at the time machine she was holding. ¡°Though, here¡¯s the thing. Some stuff that SEEMS to be written in stone? Can be reinterpreted.¡±


    ¡°How in hell do you reinterpret being a temporal weapon?¡± Carrie shot back.


    A pained look settled on Buffy¡¯s face. ¡°Yeah. That is our ultimate question, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Carrie slumped. ¡°Yeah,¡± she agreed. ¡°More to the point, I guess we both know that there¡¯s a future ¡®us¡¯ out there, who is part of some upcoming war... and who is not liking that, from her point of view, we¡¯re the ones messing up her past. Possibly messing with her very reason for existing.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s gonna come for us,¡± Buffy continued, voicing the thoughts they¡¯d been having for months. ¡°She has to. The question is, will we be ready for her?¡±


    ¡°HOW? How does one even prepare for a battle with oneself?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Buffy admitted. ¡°Just... talk to Chartreuse.¡±


    Carrie stared. ¡°You really think she can help? Or could have helped?¡±


    ¡°I think... we need all the friends you can get.¡±


    Carrie sighed. ¡°This is so messed up.¡± She let out a long breath, then bowed her legs in a bit. ¡°Worse, I still REALLY need to use the washroom.¡±


    Buffy smiled, gesturing back at the restaurant. ¡°Go then.¡±


    Carrie frowned. ¡°For serious?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said my bit, we¡¯re done here.¡±


    Carrie hesitated, feeling like there was something more she should say - but nothing came to mind. ¡°Fine. Time travel safely,¡± she concluded, before running back to the warmth and relief of the nearby building.


    ****


    The time travelling Carrie, aka Elizabeth, aka Buffy, walked around the side of the building and sat down. She knew she couldn¡¯t leave yet. Because Carrie now knew why she¡¯d had those residual effects after talking to herself on this day. And while she had no idea if remaining in this time period would help to spread the effect out a little more, she had decided that leaving too fast would be irresponsible.


    Her headache flared up a couple minutes later. She swallowed. She tried to remember what had happened back then, on her birthday.


    Her birthday. Yeah, she couldn¡¯t have picked the day after? It had to have been the day itself, the night she¡¯d been out with friends? ¡°I can be such a jerk,¡± Carrie whispered. In fact, she might very well be her own worst enemy - literally.


    The headache became an incessant pounding.


    One of the problems with time was how it tended to mute one¡¯s memories. On her birthday, she hadn¡¯t remembered it getting any worse than this. She now recalled collapsing to the floor at the sink in the restaurant bathroom. She also recalled twisting her palms into her temples, choking back sobs until the feeling subsided. But it had only been a severe headache.


    Except it hadn¡¯t been - she knew now it would get worse. Ice pick worse.


    NOW she had a migraine. Carrie braced herself.


    Yet whether it was the knowing that it would happen, or the fact that she was spatially removed from the trigger event... for whatever reason, it didn¡¯t feel like an ice pick to the skull, and so she managed to keep from screaming. Still hurt like the devil though.


    Then, nothing. Background noise. Life as normal.


    With a shaky hand, Carrie reached into the pocket of her jacket for the tools that would allow her to reset the time machine. ¡°Shielding,¡± she murmured aloud. ¡°My next session with Chartreuse, we¡¯ve gotta talk mental shielding.¡±


    Less than five minutes later, only one Carrie remained in the present. She would not use the time machine again for several months, not until her senior year of high school.

 Part 48c: Talking to Herself 3

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.1 - With Chartreuse


    PART 48c: TALKING TO HERSELF 3


    ¡°You need to do something about the power failure at the hospital. OW!¡±


    Carrie Waterson grabbed the side of her head at the same time as her double. The second Carrie then vanished from Chartreuse¡¯s bed, which for a moment made Carrie wonder if she¡¯d imagined seeing her other self in the first place. Though the lingering headache implied the event had happened.


    Carrie turned to her companion. ¡°You saw that too, right?¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Chartreuse Vermilion rubbed her chin, then walked over and ran her fingers over her bedspread. ¡°Barely an indentation though. Carrie, when you time travel, do you, like, physically do it? Or is it more a spirit thing?¡±


    ¡°How the hell should I know?¡± Carrie retorted. ¡°I came to YOU for advice on strange powers. Also, I¡¯ve only ever used the time machine to time travel before. So whatever that was, it must be something you were going to have me try in today¡¯s session. Meaning let¡¯s not do it.¡±


    Chartreuse tilted her head. ¡°Why would it have been during today¡¯s session?¡±


    Carrie pointed at the bed. ¡°Same shirt, same jeans, same hairband I have on now. Maybe you haven¡¯t noticed, but I don¡¯t dress the exact same way whenever I come over.¡±


    ¡°Point.¡± The pink haired girl lowered herself down until she was eye level with the sheets. ¡°If we, you know, don¡¯t do whatever it was though, wouldn¡¯t that become some kind of paradox?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m immune to paradox. It¡¯s why people from the future are trying to kill me.¡±


    Chartreuse stood back up, brushing off her dress. ¡°I thought you said they wanted to kill you because you could, like, destroy solar systems, or something.¡±


    Carrie sighed. ¡°Could we NOT have this conversation again? I¡¯m trying to be normal this summer. It¡¯s bad enough that I have to give that up every time we have one of these mystic get togethers.¡±


    Chartreuse turned, a frown tugging at the corner of her mouth. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize spending time with me was, you know, such a hardship.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    The hinted frown became a smile. ¡°Then you do like spending time with me?¡±


    Carrie supposed she was getting used to it, but she didn¡¯t want to give Chartreuse the satisfaction. ¡°Well, you¡¯re the only other person in this small town who understands mystical forces.¡±


    ¡°Actually, my mom is better with the whole, like, astral projection thing,¡± Chartreuse corrected. ¡°And Azure is better with, you know, the past. I¡¯m future impressions girl.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. You¡¯re the only one my age.¡± Carrie rubbed her forehead, more for show than any other reason - her headache was subsiding. ¡°So, fine. Are we doing this, or not?¡±


    ¡°Depends.¡± Chartreuse crossed her arms. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we do as you said, and, you know, check out the hospital first? Power failure and all?¡±


    Carrie¡¯s first instinct was to say ¡®no¡¯. She knew herself well enough to not want to take any advice from herself.


    Then again, spending these summer sessions with Chartreuse might itself be a result of her taking her own advice. Great, was this another attempt at reverse psychology? Time travel was such a pain.


    Carrie tugged on a strand of her long hair. ¡°We probably SHOULD, but..."


    Before Carrie could complete the thought, Chartreuse had grabbed her by the arm, steering the two of them back out of her bedroom. ¡°But nothing. Let¡¯s at least walk past, I¡¯ll see if I pick up any, like, bad vibes.¡±


    ¡°Road trip. Swell,¡± Carrie grumbled.


    Granted, it¡¯s not that she was against helping people. It was that they were out of their element now, and she didn¡¯t like the possible temporal connections. Hell, could the whole thing be some elaborate trap?


    Well, she was about to find out.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ***


    ¡°Hmmmm.¡±


    Carrie glared at Chartreuse. ¡°Good hmmmm? Bad hmmm?¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm hmmmm,¡± Chartreuse said with a shrug. ¡°Something weird, but I, like, can¡¯t put my finger on it.¡±


    Carrie shifted her attention away from the mystic girl and back to the hospital building. She hadn¡¯t had cause to return here since last year. Memories she¡¯d just as soon forget.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s any sort of power failure,¡± Carrie decided. ¡°Or that anything¡¯s about to happen to kill the electricity. They have emergency generators anyway, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d assume so.¡±


    ¡°Right. So I was pranking myself.¡±


    ¡°You think? It¡¯s kind of a lousy thing to, you know, prank yourself with.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of a lousy person, Chartreuse. Remind me to tell you the story of the time I broke my mom¡¯s last gift to me before she vanished.¡±


    ¡°Aw, Carrie. Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself.¡±


    Carrie flinched as Chartreuse touched her on the shoulder. She forced her body to relax. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just, this whole ability to manipulate time freaks me out. Can we just get back to your place and finish our--"


    ¡°Oh, hey Carrie!¡±


    The familiar shout caused Carrie to cut herself off. She turned her head to see Julie LaMille waving at her from down the street. She raised her own hand to wave back, even as Julie started jogging towards them.


    Which was when Chartreuse let out a shriek. And Carrie saw the car skidding out of control behind Julie.


    Carrie didn¡¯t think. There wasn¡¯t time to think. She simply broke into a sprint. Even though there was no way a normal person would get there in time.


    Because it didn¡¯t matter. Carrie wasn¡¯t a normal person. She was not only one of the fastest runners in their high school, she also had within her the ability to speed up her own time frame, relative to everyone else.


    Julie barely had time to register what was going on and spot the car sliding in her direction, and then Carrie was there, grabbing the brunette and launching the both of them forward, to land on the grass next to the sidewalk.


    The car slid through the space where Julie had been standing a second ago, finally slamming into the fence surrounding the hospital and coming to a stop.


    Carrie felt her heart hammering in her chest. She swallowed, tasting bile, feeling like she had a bad case of heartburn. Had she made that run normally? Or had she actually accessed her powers? She wasn¡¯t sure.


    Was she about to turn evil, and blow up the world? She drew in a shaky breath. She didn¡¯t FEEL more evil than usual. Okay then.


    Carrie realized Julie was saying something. What was it? Carrie finally processed both ¡°Th-Thanks¡± and ¡°You can let go now¡±.


    Carrie released her grip. ¡°Right. Sorry. Um, you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Wanting a focus for her fear and frustration, and deciding it shouldn¡¯t be Julie, Carrie rolled, coming up on one knee, preparing to go shout at the driver of the car. Only to find that he had already emerged from his stopped vehicle, and was approaching them, along with Chartreuse.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± the man said, looking horrified. ¡°Please say you¡¯re okay. I couldn¡¯t control the wheel - my power steering went out.¡±


    ¡°Oooh,¡± Chartreuse said, freezing in her tracks. ¡°That¡¯s a power failure at the hospital.¡±


    Carrie snapped her gaze from the man to Chartreuse. Then to Julie, then up towards the sky. ¡°I hate my life.¡±


    ***


    Between filing a report with the police and making sure everyone was okay, it was late afternoon before Carrie and Chartreuse were able to return to the Vermilion house.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you won¡¯t, you know, take this as a win,¡± Chartreuse protested, as they re-entered her bedroom. ¡°Your powers totally saved someone today.¡±


    ¡°Except, when I gave myself the message? I got a headache,¡± Carrie argued. ¡°Which I¡¯m starting to take as a sign of temporal interference.¡±


    ¡°Interference in that you saved Julie.¡±


    ¡°Or put her in danger! Look at it this way. If I hadn¡¯t interrupted our session earlier, we wouldn¡¯t have gone to the hospital. Julie wouldn¡¯t have seen me, and she wouldn¡¯t have started running in our direction. Meaning that car would have skidded in FRONT of her, missing her completely.¡±


    Chartreuse¡¯s nose crinkled. ¡°Or maybe Julie would have, like, seen something else to make her start running?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe my powers are trying to lull me into a false sense of security, so they can take over my body.¡±


    Chartreuse sighed. ¡°Know what? Part of your problem is you¡¯re seeing this as some kinda war between normal you and temporal ability you.¡±


    ¡°It IS a war. Be glad you don¡¯t remember half of what happened last November!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Chartreuse said, resigned. She grabbed a crystal and passed it around Carrie¡¯s head. ¡°But you¡¯ll at least need to, you know, relax. To get more in tune with the proper sensations for what we want to do today. Sit down.¡±


    The two teenage girls moved to sit across from each other, cross legged on the bed.


    ¡°I think you said your time metaphor was, like, a river?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Carrie agreed. She began to breathe through her nose to try and keep her cool. ¡°So maybe if I kick upstream, I¡¯ll be able to travel back and give myself better advice. Like to phone Julie and hang out with her this morning instead of you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to be offended by that.¡± Chartreuse reached out to squeeze Carrie¡¯s hands, before setting out a couple more crystals beside them on the bed. ¡°If that¡¯s your decision, we¡¯ll try it. But take it slow. I¡¯m here to pull you back, if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Carrie closed her eyes, nudging at her temporal sense, slowly feeling all of time starting to coalesce around her. But she was in control. She was in control, damn it. ¡°So how do I go back?¡±


    ¡°Picture yourself in a swimsuit?¡±


    ¡°Chartreuse..."


    ¡°No, like, imagery helps! Make like you¡¯re swimming or something.¡±


    Carrie let out a breath. ¡°Okay. Sure. All I have to do here is go back and give myself a better message than ¡®You need to do something about the power failure at the hospital.¡¯.¡±


    The temporal river was all around her. She bent her knees, to try and catapult herself back. ¡°All I have to do is give myself a better message than--


    ¡°You need to do something about the power failure at the hospital. OW!¡±


    Carrie Waterson grabbed the side of her head at the same time as her double. The second Carrie then vanished from Chartreuse¡¯s bed, which for a moment made Carrie wonder if she¡¯d imagined seeing her other self in the first place. Though the lingering headache implied the event had happened.

 Part 49a: New Arrival

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.1 - With Chartreuse


    PART 49a: NEW ARRIVAL 1


    "Welcome back to school,¡± the teacher announced. "I am Mrs. Haye, and this is senior English."


    She came around her desk. "Now, many of you already know each other, seeing as our scheduling algorithm tries to synch you up based on your homeroom from last year. But it¡¯s been a whole summer, and I don¡¯t know all of you. So, as I call out your names, please tell me about something that interests you.¡±


    Carrie Waterson tuned out the glorified roll call, choosing instead to look around the room. She noticed that everybody who knew of the existence of the time machine remained in her homeroom, which was kind of nice. Of course, none of them had made any time trips since last year.


    When the first present day minted coins had started to appear in late June, allowing for a round trip return to their present, Carrie had shut down the idea of time travel. She¡¯d been keeping the machine under her bed since last December, wanting to be able to escape with it, if anyone came after her. Such as someone from the future, wanting to tap into her lurking demonic temporal powers.


    The very thought of those powers caused Carrie to shudder involuntarily. This despite her mounting familiarity, due to the sessions she¡¯d done with Chartreuse over the summer.


    More to the point though, what was the point in making any temporal trips? The future was inaccessible without coins, and the past was the past.


    Carrie couldn¡¯t even use the time machine to study up for her history class, as working out where they might end up geographically would be problematic as soon as they were looking at a trip outside of their own lifelines. Real life - it was more complicated than ¡°Bill and Ted¡¯s Excellent Adventure¡±.


    Mrs. Haye finally reached ¡®W¡¯, so Carrie gave her name, remarking on her athletic skills. She started to zone out again, only to have a knock at the classroom door pull her back. "Oh yes,¡± Mrs. Haye said. ¡°And I would like you all to welcome Glen Oaks. He is a new student from out of town who will be joining our homeroom this semester.¡±


    She gestured for the boy with the short red hair to enter. He did, smiling amiably at everyone in the room, though Carrie fancied his gaze rested a little longer on her.


    "Glen, there are still a few desks free. If you''ll take a seat, I can pass around the course syllabus," Mrs. Haye said.


    Glen nodded, then headed straight for the empty desk next to Carrie. He turned and smiled at her again as he sat. She offered him a quick smile back, even as something about him struck her as being a bit unsettling. Why? What was it? She resisted the temptation to stare, lest he get the wrong idea.


    ''I¡¯m overreacting. Can''t blame him for taking an interest in me, after all. Merely shows I''ve still got it,¡¯ Carrie mused to herself. Mrs. Haye began to talk about senior level English.


    ***


    "You know Luci, it''s not too late for you to switch into Physics," Frank Dijora remarked, as he joined both Carrie and Luci at the lunch table. "That would give us an afternoon class together."


    "Hey, I like Drama," Luci Primrose protested. "Besides, you could always switch out of Business and into Biology with me.¡±


    "Touche," Frank observed. "I guess we''ll have to live with mornings."


    "If you ask me, the both of you could stand to have some time apart at school,¡± Carrie Waterson interjected, resting her chin on her hand. "After all, didn''t Frank''s marks slip last year, after you two started going out?"This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "They did not,¡± Frank objected. "That is... I should have studied a little harder for June exams, I misjudged the difficulty level.¡±


    "Uh huh, suuuure. And what were you two doing instead of studying? I bet I can guess..."


    "Carrie!" Luci hissed, glancing to see if they were being overheard.


    "You were inventing some new thingamajig, right? What did you think I was going to say?" Carrie finished innocently.


    "Carrie, enough," Frank sighed.


    "All right, all right," the blonde laughed, raising her hands in surrender. ¡°My bad. But you''ve been dating since, what, last December? It''s not like your relationship is some big secret here."


    "That''s still no reason to turn it into a newspaper headline," Luci grumbled.


    Frank leaned in a little closer to the young girl. "Carrie can''t help it, she''s jealous I picked you over her," he whispered. At that, Luci smothered a grin.


    Carrie reached out to flick her fingers at the back of Frank''s head. "My hearing is still excellent, you know. So let''s not pretend that I ever asked for our friendship to turn into anything more, okay?"


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Frank remarked, still grinning.


    "Anyway, I''m happy for the two of you," Carrie finished, reaching out to pick up the apple from her cafeteria tray. ¡°Plus, I could still get any guy I wanted. Were I to actually try." She took a bite.


    "Like that new guy in our English class, for example," Luci noted. "Glen. He seemed to be taking an interest in you."


    Carrie nearly choked before managing to swallow. ¡°So that wasn¡¯t my imagination?"


    ¡°He tried to hide it, but I noticed,¡± Luci remarked.


    Carrie frowned. ¡°You would, you see everything. He''s in my history class too... I''m not quite sure what to make of him."


    "Well, here¡¯s your chance to find out,¡± Frank said. "He''s coming this way."


    Carrie turned as Glen approached. The redhead waved in greeting. ¡°Hello! Is this seat taken?" he inquired, indicating the one next to Luci and opposite Carrie. When Carrie shook her head no, he sat down.


    "I hope I''m not intruding," Glen continued. "Still trying to find my way around. You''re all in my homeroom, right?"


    "Right," Frank confirmed. "I''m Frank, that''s Luci and that''s Carrie."


    Glen smiled. ¡°Of course. Actually, I''m a little surprised to find Carrie here with the two of you."


    Luci arced an eyebrow. "Oh? Why?"


    ¡°Because - forgive me for being blunt - Carrie, you strike me as being more a athletic type. Less intellectually inclined.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I''m a dumb blonde?¡± Carrie said, narrowing her eyes.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not athletic?¡± Luci chimed in, equally annoyed.


    "Oh, no, I don''t mean that!" Glen corrected. "Just that Carrie¡¯s athletic talents appeared superior, compared to Luci¡¯s. Was that incorrect?"


    "Well, no," the blonde admitted guardedly. "But that doesn''t mean I can only hang around with jocks, does it?"


    "Certainly not. I''m sorry, I''m getting off on the wrong foot here, aren''t I," Glen sighed. "I fear my higher reasoning has left me, it does that on occasion when I am confronted with such overwhelming feminine beauty."


    "Oh brother," Luci mumbled under her breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m not excluding you from that remark, Luci," Glen assured. "For while you seem to have skipped a grade or two, and present as more cute than beautiful, you also strike me as a most captivating young woman. You are bound to make someone very happy some day."


    Luci opened her mouth to respond, only to look over towards Frank, seeming flustered. "Ahem," Frank offered. "Not to be rude myself here, Glen, but is it your intention to hit on every girl in the cafeteria?"


    "No, merely the most beautiful and intellectually stimulating ones," Glen assured him with a grin. "Which is why I chose to sit with Carrie, who I now realize is the best of both worlds. But if I am intruding on your group, you have only to say the word, and I will go."


    "You''re not intruding," Carrie said quickly, before Frank could speak up. "But when we know so little about you, can you blame us for wondering as to your motives?"


    "Understood," Glen said. "I shall more formally introduce myself. My name is Glen Oaks, I''m seventeen, and I''m here now because my parents are planning on taking up residence in the area. I enjoy skating, acting and I am an excellent long distance runner."


    ¡°You run?" Carrie asked.


    "Indeed. Perhaps we should have a race sometime."


    "Perhaps," Carrie agreed, her curiosity spiking again. "You say you like acting too, are you taking Drama?"


    "Last period," Glen confirmed. "Right after Art."


    Carrie blinked. ¡°We have identical schedules then."


    "Is that so? Well, what a happy coincidence. I suppose we''ll be seeing a lot of each other this term."


    "Yes, it does seem that way," Carrie agreed, not quite sure how she felt about that.


    She still wasn''t sure at the end of the lunch period forty five minutes later. Glen had managed to sidestep a lot of the questions asked of him, while learning more about the rest of them in the process. It reminded Carrie a lot of the way Julie LaMille and Corry Veniti interacted with people.


    Which gave her an idea.

 Part 49b: New Arrival 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.1 - With Chartreuse


    PART 49b: NEW ARRIVAL 2


    "Corry! Hey, Corry!"


    The redhead turned towards Carrie, arcing an eyebrow. "Something I can do for you, Waterson?" he asked.


    "Actually, yes," Carrie said, as she reached his locker. "I''d like information on the new student in our homeroom, Glen Oaks."


    "Okay then. He''s a new student in our homeroom," Corry said. "Oh, and he also has red hair. You really should pay better attention."


    "Corry, come on. You know what I mean."


    Corry crossed his arms. "Sure I do. Just like YOU know I''m not inclined to help out all of Julie''s old associates, simply because she''s no longer the active force around the school."


    "Hah! I¡¯m a little more than THAT to you," Carrie countered. ¡°Not to mention how you''ve spent months helping out Julie herself!"


    "Julie actually NEEDS the help," Corry said pointedly. "Heck, it''s partly my fault she does, after I turned so many against her." His gaze turned wistful. "There''s a part of me that misses the rivalry too... but that''s neither here nor there."


    He lowered his voice. "You know how I feel about you, Waterson. That doesn¡¯t change simply because of what you may or may not become in the future. So why should I do anything for you? For that matter, what help can I possibly be to someone who has the power within her to destroy the world?"


    Carrie winced. "Corry, please. I''m trying to put that behind me. Besides, I haven''t asked you for any special treatment since those events ¨C and all I want here is a bit of information! Is that so hard?"


    Corry paused, sizing her up. "I''ll think about it," he yielded. ¡°After all, I was going to look into Glen myself. Come back in a few days, and I''ll decide then whether what I have will cost you."


    Carrie nodded, deciding that was probably the best she was going to get from the male Veniti twin. She proceeded down the hall towards her own locker.


    ***


    That evening found Carrie Waterson knocking on the door of the Vermilion residence. She and Chartreuse had decided to continue their temporal sessions despite the end of the summer.


    After all, despite how much Carrie wanted to simply banish the strange forces raging inside her, she knew they weren''t going anywhere. And keeping those powers in check was the only way to avoid another incident like the one last November, which had nearly cost the lives of... well, everyone on the planet.


    Actually, the more Carrie thought about it, the more she wondered whether the pink haired mystic would have put the pieces together herself, given enough time. Chartreuse had accepted Carrie¡¯s explanation of last year¡¯s events with remarkable poise.


    Carrie sighed. Or she still wanted to rationalize getting Chartreuse involved, after that conversation with herself last March.


    Carrie reached up to knock again, but before she could, a young girl with short blue hair opened the door. Carrie offered up a tentative smile. "Hello Azure, is your sister here?" she inquired.


    Azure peered at Carrie, then turned and shouted, "Chartreuse, your girlfriend is here to see you!" She stepped back, allowing Carrie to enter the house. "Go easy on her tonight, okay? She was all dizzy the morning after you two bunnies had your session last week."


    Carrie frowned. "I beg your pardon?"


    "Oh, like I don''t know what you two do in my sister''s bedroom for hours at a time. I''m fourteen, I read about these things."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Azure, I know it''s a strain for you, but pull your head out of the gutter when you''re, you know, talking with my friends, okay?" Chartreuse sighed, coming down the stairs. "Sorry Carrie, I was just in the washroom."


    "She''s all pretty for you now," Azure noted. "Be sure to compliment her new perfume."


    "Azure..."


    "I''m going, I''m going," the blue haired girl said. "Just don''t be too loud, I have homework to complete. On the first day! Seriously, what¡¯s the deal with high school anyway?"


    Chartreuse sighed and shook her head as her sister went upstairs. "Really sorry about that," she said, closing the front door. "Honestly, just when I think she can''t get any more annoying, her hormones explode all over the place."


    "Sounds messy," Carrie remarked.


    "I''m hoping it''s just a phase," Chartreuse said. "Anyway, my sister''s not the reason you, like, came here. Let''s get upstairs. I have everything we¡¯ll need laid out on my bed.¡± She paused. "Which, come to think, is not at all as dirty as it sounds."


    ***


    Carrie seated herself across from Chartreuse. "Okay," the pink haired girl said, passing a cleansing crystal around Carrie''s head. "Remember what we''ve been talking about. Relax, and let the sensations, like, come to you."


    "They already have," Carrie murmured, as all of time coalesced around her. The best description Carrie could give for the phenomenon was that it was like she was standing in the middle of a swiftly flowing river, being gradually pulled along by the current as the seconds ticked by.


    The separate drops of water, they represented the millions of people and other objects moving through time. By looking upstream, Carrie could see the events of the past. By looking downstream, Carrie could see different branching paths of the future. The metaphor wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was serviceable.


    Carrie now knew that she had the ability within her to travel this time stream under her own power, not to mention affect it in other ways, but for now she was more than content to simply let the current pull her along.


    "Oh," came Chartreuse''s voice, reminding Carrie of where she really was. "You know, it never ceases to amaze me how easily you do that lately.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I find it quite unsettling myself," Carrie murmured. "What now, Chartreuse?"


    "Well, as I recall, we were working on finding individuals who aren¡¯t in physical proximity to you. Want to, like, try for anything in the past or the future yet?"


    ¡°No, let¡¯s stick with the present for now. I¡¯m going to see if I can locate Frank again. It''s easier to pick up former time travellers, they feel a little out of synch with the rest of the world."


    "All right," Chartreuse agreed. She reached out to take Carrie''s hands. "Visualize him then. Imagine that he''s standing right in front of you. Then, once you have that image, see where it takes you."


    Carrie nodded, taking in a deep breath, concentrating on Frank and on where he might be in the torrent of water rushing around her. "He''s... he''s with Luci," Carrie realized as a picture of the girl swam up before her eyes. "That will make it easier. They''re not at his house though... or hers... it''s... the cafe. They''re at the central cafe."


    The scene practically leapt out of the water at her then, and it was like she was standing in the cafe herself - except her body had no substance. A spirit body, as Chartreuse called it. Able to see things, but invisible to them, and incapable of interaction.


    "Carrie, what''s happening?" Chartreuse''s voice inquired, sounding like it was coming from the bottom of a well.


    "I''m now here too," Carrie replied, forcing down a feeling of panic. "In the cafe. There''s a lot of people around. It''s so much more chaotic than any of my previous experiences!"


    "Stay calm," Chartreuse said. "Just centre in on Frank and Luci, you''re not there for anyone else."


    "Right... right, okay," Carrie said, taking in a few deep breaths. "They''re in a corner booth together. They''re... aw, they''re sharing a basket of fries. That''s so sweet." She paused. "Luci would kill me if she knew I was eavesdropping like this."


    "You''re not really eavesdropping, it''s a public place.¡±


    "I guess. But they can''t see me. And last week when I centred on Frank, he was inventing stuff in his basement."


    "Look, Carrie, if you''re this concerned about spying on them, just don''t, like, centre in on them in future."


    "Well how the heck am I supposed to know when they''re together?" Carrie grumbled. ¡°But whatever. Now that I''m here, what should I try next?¡±


    "How about this ¨C pick out someone else there that you could, you know, shift your attention to instead," Chartreuse proposed. "You don''t have to take it in all at once, just scan the room."


    "Okay," Carrie called back, turning her spirit form to do a slow pan. "It''s mostly kids from school. Looks like Theresa''s the one waiting tables, like usual. Oh, wait a minute..." She hesitated.


    "What?" Chartreuse asked.


    "It''s him," Carrie said at last. "Glen Oaks, that new boy in our homeroom. It... it''s weird, it feels like he''s looking directly at me. He can''t see me, can he?"


    "I doubt it, my mom''s the only one I know of who can see spirit forms," Chartreuse replied. "Maybe he''s looking at something behind you."


    "There''s a wall behind me. I don''t think that... OH!" Carrie shrieked. "NO, NO, GET ME OUT, GET ME OUT OF HERE!"


    All at once, Chartreuse was kneeling in front of her, shaking her shoulders. She was back in the bedroom.


    "Carrie! Carrie, calm down, it''s all right!" the pink haired girl was saying. "You''re all right, you''re safe now, you understand?" Carrie nodded wordlessly, struggling to regain her breath. "Thank goodness," Chartreuse breathed. "What, like, happened?"


    Carrie felt a shiver run down her spine. "I... I saw... oh god, I was in the cafe, and suddenly I saw fire. The place has caught on fire, Chartreuse!"

 Part 50a: Carrie On

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.1 - With Chartreuse


    PART 50a: CARRIE ON 1


    ¡°I called the cafe," Chartreuse said, re-entering her bedroom. "And there''s, like, nothing out of the ordinary happening there. Totally no fires."


    "I don''t care. I know what I saw, Chartreuse,¡± Carrie finished off her glass of water. "There was smoke billowing out of the back and flames spreading into the dining area. I didn''t simply imagine that.¡±


    "I''m not saying you did," Chartreuse assured. "But is it possible you were no longer seeing the present, but some other time period?"


    Carrie shook her head. "I don''t see how. It¡¯s not like I made an effort to leave the present.¡± She frowned. ¡°Though now that you mention it, I didn¡¯t see Frank and Luci any more."


    ¡°Cosmic forces can be kinda unpredictable," Chartreuse admitted. "I mean, I know your abilities aren¡¯t really the same as mine, but there''s probably similar rules that apply. I remember one time I wanted to learn the score of a football game at school, but when I tried to do a vision quest forwards I saw--"


    "Chartreuse, I''m here so that I can gain control over my powers," Carrie snapped, cutting her off. "I''d rather not have you tell me they can''t be controlled, all right?"


    Chartreuse stopped. "I''m sorry,¡± she said softly. ¡°I''m just telling you what I, you know, have discovered though my own experiences.¡±


    Carrie pressed a hand to her forehead. "I know. I know, I... I''m the one who should be sorry, it''s... look, maybe we should call it a day. All right? We''ll pick things up again some time next week."


    "If you think that''s best?"


    "I''m not sure what I think. All I know is I''m no longer in the mood to deal with this right now.¡± Carrie rose and marched for the bedroom door, only to stop and turn back. "Chartreuse, you were watching me the whole time I was in that vision, right? My eyes, they didn''t turn golden at any point, did they?"


    "Not that I saw, no."


    The blonde let out a breath she hadn''t realized she''d been holding. ¡°Good. Good, okay. So, see you in school tomorrow then?¡±


    Chartreuse nodded. "Of course. Here, let me at least come with you to the front door."


    ***


    The next few days passed without incident ¨C unless you counted Glen''s continuing attempts at getting closer to Carrie. She discovered that even Phil Clarke had started taking notice of it, when he asked her about it over lunch that Friday. Carrie had decided to spend the time with him and Julie, to give Frank and Luci some time for themselves.


    ¡°Then you''re sure it was Glen who left those flowers on your desk this morning?" the tall blonde inquired.


    ¡°Only origami flowers," Carrie clarified. "But yes, who else?"


    "The origami looked pretty," Julie acknowledged, fingering the flower brooch she was wearing. ¡°And it takes time to do something like that. Glen must really like you."


    "I''ve been getting those vibes, believe me," Carrie sighed.


    ¡°But you don''t like him?¡± Clarke wondered.


    Carrie paused. ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± she admitted. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t dislike him, he''s courteous and everything. There''s just something about him."


    ¡°I bet he''s trying too hard," Julie offered. "You never did like guys who came on too strong."


    "Maybe," Carrie acknowledged. ¡°But then, he backs off on request, he''s never invaded my personal space, and heck, and it''s not like I''m seeing anyone else."The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "So you don''t want to reject him, but you don''t want to go out with him either?" Clarke said, looking confused.


    Carrie grimaced. "I guess? Sounds stupid, doesn''t it. Glen''s been pretty quiet about his past and about his family though, I think that¡¯s part of the problem. I''ll be talking with Corry later today, hopefully he''ll have come up with some data."


    ¡°Maybe Glen simply has family issues,¡± Julie murmured, looking back down at her salad.


    Carrie flinched. "Oh, gods. I''m sorry Julie, I was speaking without thinking. H-How has your family situation been?¡±


    Julie offered up a wan smile. ¡°No worries, Carrie. Jeeves has been like a father, and he¡¯s great at handling all the legal stuff. My parents have backed off, and my counselling sessions are down to once a month now.¡± She sighed. ¡°And while it''s hard, reinventing my very understanding of myself and my goals, let''s face it, life''s never been easy for me."


    She continued on before Carrie could speak. ¡°I''d rather talk about something else, okay? For instance, aside from Glen, what else have you been up to? We didn¡¯t get to speak much over the summer, I was trying to make up those couple credits I lost due to - you know.¡±


    Talk then shifted to a trip which Carrie¡¯s father had arranged for both Watersons during the previous month.


    ***


    Carrie tried not to give Glen any more thought until she encountered Corry at the end of the school day. "So?" Carrie said pointedly, when he didn¡¯t look up. "What''s the story, do I rate a few facts?"


    "You mean with respect to Glen Oaks?" Corry inquired, finally turning away from his locker.


    "No, the Easter Bunny. Of course Glen!"


    Corry made a face. ¡°Funny you should ask that," he said. "Because as much as it pains me to admit this, you may well know more about the guy than I do."


    That brought Carrie up short. "What?"


    ¡°The information I get is all conflicting," Corry explained. "He''s from Calgary, or Halifax. His parents are both doctors, or they''re artists. He''s allergic to strawberries, or they''re his favourite food. About the only thing my sources can agree on is that Glen has the hots for you. He hasn''t even tried to hit on anyone else. Which indicates to me that this is one seriously disturbed individual!"


    "I see. That''s it?" Carrie said dryly, allowing Corry''s last remark to slide for the moment.


    "Aside from the standard stuff, yeah. He''s seventeen, a good runner, he''s got a permanent room in the Clayton Hotel until such a time as his parents finalize their house deal and get here ¨C though again goodness knows exactly when or where that is ¨C am I telling you anything you don''t already know?"


    "No, you''re being utterly useless, thank you."


    "Anytime for you, Carrie. Though hey, if you ever do take this guy up on an offer and learn something useful, I might reward you for it. Okay?"


    "Right. Whatever," Carrie said, waving at Corry over her shoulder as she continued on her way down the hall. She wasn¡¯t about to start dating the guy simply to get some future favour from Corry. Hell, she¡¯d never entertained thoughts of being in a serious romantic relationship in her life.


    Carrie froze mid-step. That wasn¡¯t the problem here... was it? ¡®Oh no. Is my problem with Glen?¡¯ she wondered. ¡®Or is it with... me?''


    ***


    "Okay Frank, this is the point when I start getting jealous."


    "Shhhhh, Luci, he''ll hear you,¡± Frank whispered. He poked his head out from behind the bushes to glance down the sidewalk.


    "Frank, this is the third day in a row that you''ve followed Glen home from school," Luci continued in a quieter tone, toying with her phone, not bothering to look herself. "Do you really think you''ll learn anything about him that Corry Veniti can¡¯t?"


    "I don''t know. But you¡¯ve seen how interested he is in Carrie. We can¡¯t simply ignore that.¡±


    "Can¡¯t we?" Luci muttered.


    "No, think about it, Luci!" Frank insisted.


    He moved ahead a few paces to another hiding spot before continuing. "We have here a transfer student with a clouded past who shows up out of nowhere and starts hitting on a girl who holds within her the temporal power to destroy a solar system. Why, they even have the same course schedules! How is that mere coincidence?? The whole world could be in danger again!"


    "Or, how about this? The guy is a normal teenage male with an eye for female beauty who appreciates Carrie''s various ''assets''," Luci quipped. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like Glen¡¯s done anything shifty. We should be cautious, sure, but we can¡¯t make a preemptive strike against everyone new in town."


    "But..."


    ¡°Plus schedules are schedules. Laurie''s classes are identical to Carrie¡¯s too. And she also admires Carrie,¡± Luci continued. "Do you think Laurie Veniti poses a threat?¡±


    "Well, no, but..."


    ¡°No, because we¡¯ve had time to get to know her. AND Carrie told me over the weekend that her hesitation might not be about Glen. It might be a mix of fear over who she really is, coupled with an inability to put old commitment issues behind her. You DO remember why Lee refers to Carrie as the ¡®track tease¡¯, yes? It¡¯s not merely for the running.¡±


    "Okay, valid points, all of them," Frank yielded. "Still, if Carrie eventually DOES go out with Glen, we should know more about him, right?"


    ¡°IF. This gets back to my jealousy. You''re not Carrie''s father, Frank. Not unless there''s been some severe temporal warping going on. So until Carrie asks for help, let¡¯s let the girl live her life."


    Frank sighed, then glanced out towards the redhead once more. "Okay, look, he''s going into the cafe today. Nowhere near his hotel. Let''s at least see what he''s up to there. Okay?"


    "Fine," Luci said, rolling her eyes. "But this weekend, I¡¯ll pick the movie. No more James Bond for you."


    Glen did nothing suspicious that afternoon either.

 Part 50b: Carrie On 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.1 - With Chartreuse


    PART 50b: CARRIE ON 2


    "So. I heard you¡¯re finally going out with him,¡± Frank said. "Carrie, is that wise?"


    "We''re going to the central cafe after school today,¡± Carrie answered, twirling the cafeteria''s spaghetti around her fork. ¡°Barely a date. Why? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve seen him do anything weird during your little investigations this past week, have you?¡±


    "Well, not as such..."


    ¡°Fine. Then meeting Glen this way will give me the chance to finally make up my mind about him,¡± Carrie concluded. She brought the noodles to her mouth.


    "But what¡¯s the rush? If he really likes you, he can wait," Frank insisted.


    At first, Carrie could only lift an eyebrow, her mouth full of pasta. ¡°The RUSH?¡± she said after swallowing. ¡°Frank, it¡¯s the cafe. We¡¯re not making out behind the bleachers."


    "Frank, sweetie, I love you to pieces, but give it a rest already," Luci sighed, having swallowed her own bite of sandwich. "There is NO evidence that Glen is anything more than what he claims to be, yeah?¡± She turned to Carrie. "So go. Enjoy yourself. And if Glen does anything uncomfortable, walk away!¡±


    The young girl smiled, then pursed her lips. ¡°Though, okay, maybe fish for more information from him too. Because... yeah. Just in case?¡±


    ¡°Um, okay,¡± Carrie agreed. ¡°Will do.¡±


    ***


    Glen swung the door of the cafe open and held it there for Carrie as she entered. "We can sit at the counter, if you like,¡± he offered. "This is meant to be informal, after all."


    ¡°Right,¡± Carrie agreed, moving to take a seat on one of the stools. Glen sat next to her as a waitress approached. Her nametag read ''Lita''; Carrie supposed Theresa had the day off.


    "Can I take your orders?" the server asked brightly.


    "Um, strawberry shake for me," Carrie replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Whatever you want, it''s on me," Glen assured her.


    "Yeah, a shake''s fine. I''m not really hungry yet.¡±


    "Make it two then," Glen concluded. Lita nodded and headed off.


    There was a momentary silence. "So, a strawberry shake. You''re not allergic to strawberries?"


    Glen fired off a smile. "Of course not. Where did you hear that?"


    "Oh, well, you know, around," Carrie said, reaching up to twist a few strands of hair about her finger.


    "You shouldn''t listen to rumours," Glen admonished. "Particularly with respect to me, since I''ve been spreading disinformation around the school."


    Carrie blinked. "What? Why?¡±


    Glen leaned his elbow on the counter. ¡°Because I figure to really know a person, you should come out and speak with them, one on one. Word of mouth is not to be trusted. Heck, if I went by the rumours, I would have to believe that you''re a self-centred individual who enjoys using guys and tossing them aside like last week''s laundry. But that''s not the case, is it?"


    Carrie felt her cheeks growing warm. ¡°No.¡± She turned her interest to the nearby napkin holder. ¡°Not lately, anyway.¡±


    "There you are then. Too often, rumours get way out of hand - for instance, I find it hard to believe that ANY girl could have slept with the entire football team."Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "WHAT?! I''ve never even... who said THAT?¡±


    ¡°Nobody. I didn''t say that was a rumour about you. Could you please let go of my shirt?"


    "Oh, uh... yeah, sorry," Carrie said, releasing her grip on Glen and sinking back into her stool. He was doing this deliberately, right? Was he trying to be funny, or was it to keep her off balance? She studied the countertop.


    Glen smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt. ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you''re beautiful when you''re indignant?"


    Having no idea how to reply to that at ALL, Carrie was thankful that Lita chose that moment to deliver their shakes. After thanking the waitress, she sipped in silence, trying to figure out how to turn the conversation around. "I think I see a problem with your philosophy."


    "Oh? What might that be?"


    ¡°If you assume that everyone you speak to is merely passing on rumours, you''ll never tell anyone the truth. Which means you get a legit reputation for being a liar.¡±


    "Aha, but one can be honest about certain things, and it''s the people who''d trust the liar reputation that I''d want to keep off balance,¡± Glen countered. ¡°Still, I see your point. So how about this? I''ll answer any ONE question you have completely, utterly, one hundred percent honestly. Fire away."


    Carrie blinked at Glen in surprise before regarding her shake again. Only one question? Okay ¨C then should she ask about where he came from? About his relatives? His most important memory? "All right," she said, turning back. "Why me? Why have you set your sights on me?"


    ¡°Oh.¡± For the first time since Carrie had met him, Glen finally seemed unsettled. "Are you sure you wouldn''t like to know about my favourite sports celebrity or something instead?¡±


    "No," Carrie said. "Me. Why me, Glen? The truth!¡±


    Glen shifted his attention to behind the counter. ¡°Fine. Here it is. The first time I saw you, I sensed something. Not love at first sight or anything so trite, but I sensed that you possessed some sort of... extraordinary ability. That was enough to get my attention.¡±


    He turned to regard her again, leaning his cheek against his palm. ¡°From there, I realized you¡¯re a bit of a... paradox. Athletic but still studious. Reserved yet outspoken. Atypical, yet not someone who stands out. Rumours and history aside, I can''t believe you don''t have a steady boyfriend here. So I thought, what the heck, I''ll try my luck." He raised an eyebrow. "Plus, I can''t deny it, you have a sizeable chest. Which also counts in your favour.¡±


    ¡°You were doing so well.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I said I''d be one hundred percent honest. Feel free to smack me for-- okay then. Feel better now?"


    "Much," Carrie said, shaking out her hand. He was still trying to keep her off balance. She took another sip from her shake, contemplating the first part of his answer. "You say you sensed an ability in me," she said. "What ability, exactly?"


    "Aha, well, that''s a second question, isn''t it?" Glen remarked. "Though I must confess, I''m still trying to figure things out here. And it''ll probably take me more than one date to do it accurately.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re hoping that I let you..." Carrie¡¯s voice trailed off. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Something wasn''t right here. It was like deja vu. Something was...


    Carrie leapt out of her seat. "Out! Everyone, get out of here,¡± she shouted.


    As heads turned towards her, there was an explosion in the kitchen. Smoke began billowing out from the back room, along with a few licks of flame. People screamed as customers began to run for the doors.


    "Okay, everyone stay calm, let''s exit in an orderly fashion,¡± Glen called out, standing up next to Carrie. A cook stumbled out of the back, coughing, his face streaked with soot.


    It was in the middle of the chaos that Carrie went numb. As she looked around her, all she could think was how she''d seen this before. In that vision she''d had with Chartreuse over a week ago. Except now, it was actually happening. What she¡¯d seen was actually coming true. No, no, how could it possibly be so REAL?


    "Carrie, come on,¡± Glen called out. The curtains near the kitchen had caught fire. Yet still, Carrie couldn¡¯t move. Was she going to start seeing these sorts of things regularly? How could she possibly deal with that?


    Glen marched back toward her. "Carrie, if you don''t move right now, I''m going to carry your ass out myself,¡± he shouted.


    His words finally broke through. Carrie began to run for the door. She and Glen were the last two to exit, the sound of approaching fire engines reaching their ears as they collapsed onto the ground outside.


    Carrie knew she hadn''t inhaled that much smoke, yet she felt sick to her stomach. Because she''d had a vision of the future. A terrible vision - that had come true.


    "Well, ten out of ten for foresight, minus a few points on reflexes," Glen said, coughing next to her. "Are you all right, Carrie?"


    "I need to go home now.¡±


    Glen blinked. ¡°Hey, I know this hasn''t been the best way to end our first informal date, but..."


    "It''s not you," Carrie interrupted, fighting to keep the sensations of nausea and panic in check. ¡°But I have to go home now. I''m sorry. I¡¯m sorry!" She stumbled to her feet and began to run away, back to the safety of her house, as fast as she could go.


    "Can we take another stab at this sometime in the future?" she heard Glen call out after her. Carrie didn''t reply.


    She managed to make it home before she threw up. She told her father she didn¡¯t want dinner, and went to bed early.


    She then stayed in her room all day Saturday. Ignoring attempts at communication by her friends. Fearing that another vision would happen. And worrying about what to do if it did.


    On Sunday, she had a more persistent visitor.

 Part 51a: The Visionaries

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.1 - With Chartreuse


    PART 51a: THE VISIONARIES 1


    "Luci! Guess what I got today!¡± Frank said as he opened the door for his girlfriend.


    "The popcorn?" the young asian guessed, entering the Dijora house and looking at him in amusement. "I mean, that was our arrangement, you get the popcorn, I get the movie..."


    "Yes, yes, but look what I received in the way of change," Frank said, fumbling in his pocket for the money. He held six coins out for inspection.


    Luci stared. ¡°They... overcharged you?"


    "The dates," Frank said patiently. "Look at the dates."


    Comprehension dawned. ¡°Oh! Two more from the current year."


    "Yup," Frank affirmed as he pocketed them. "It¡¯s weird, for whatever reason, we haven¡¯t had as many recently minted coins in circulation this year. I don¡¯t know why, but it could be a problem for when we resume time trips."


    "When? Not if? Carrie hasn¡¯t authorized more time trips.¡±


    "Well, no," Frank admitted. "But she can¡¯t hold out indefinitely, can she? In particular, now that she¡¯s gone out with Glen, we may want to use the time machine to investigate..."


    "OKAY, stopping that train of thought before it leaves the station," Luci interrupted. "No Glen tonight. Movie tonight. Yes?"


    ¡°Yes, right,¡± Frank agreed. "What did you find?¡± Luci smirked as she held up the casing. Frank''s eyebrow went up as he read it. "Stephen King¡¯s ''Carrie''?," he questioned. Luci nodded.


    ***


    Sunday afternoon found Chartreuse ringing the doorbell at the Waterson residence. Carrie''s father answered it for her moments later. "Um, hi!" she began. "Is Carrie in? I think we, like, have something that we need to talk about."


    Hank Waterson shook his head. ¡°She is here, but she''s not feeling very well. Could you come back another day?¡±


    Chartreuse pursed her lips. "I could. Except I think I know what her problem is, why she¡¯s been so, you know, withdrawn all weekend. And I think I can help."


    "Really?" Hank said. "What¡¯s wrong? I know she doesn''t have a fever, but it seems to be more than an upset stomach..."


    "It¡¯s related to our weekly sessions," Chartreuse hedged. "Can I please talk to her?¡±


    "She refuses to speak with anyone. Insisting only aggravates her - I had to turn away both Frank and Luci when they came by. In fact, it''s all I can do to get her to say anything to me."


    "Carrie doesn''t have to speak to me, only listen," Chartreuse pleaded. "Please, Mr. Waterson? I know what I''m talking about."


    "Well... all right. Come in," Hank Waterson decided, moving aside. "I do hate to see my daughter like this and I''m at a bit of a loss as to a solution. You sure she won''t mind seeing you?"


    ***


    "Go away!" Carrie shouted through her bedroom door.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Carrie, hear me out!" Chartreuse protested. "You''re upset because of the fire at the cafe, right?¡±


    No reply. Chartreuse knew she was right. The pink haired girl motioned with her hands for Carrie¡¯s father to depart.


    He looked at his daughter¡¯s door, then back at her. ¡°Call me if she starts throwing things,¡± Mr. Waterson said at last, before heading back downstairs.


    "Look, I understand some of what you''re going through," Chartreuse continued, once she was alone. "I''d like to tell you a story about the time my abilities caused trouble in my life too. Can¡¯t I, like, say it to your face?"


    Nothing.


    "Fine, I''ll talk through the door," Chartreuse continued stubbornly. "It all started three years ago, when I was fourteen. I''d received a disturbing vision. It was a vision of death..."


    ~~~


    "There has to be something we can do!" Chartreuse said desperately, nibbling on a lock of her violet coloured hair. "I don''t want Fluffy to die! Not like that!!"


    Her mother sat down on the bed next to her. "I''m sorry, Chartreuse," she said softly. "We can warn her, but I''m not sure she''d understand us. Fluffy''s always enjoyed playing in traffic, it was just a matter of time."


    "But... but it''s not right!" Chartreuse objected. "Can''t she be kept in her house? Can''t we prevent things that way?"


    "She''d find a way out," Mrs. Vermilion sighed. "You know her, she''s sneaky that way. There are some things you can stop, Chartreuse, and other things that are inevitable. You have to let this one go, dear. Fluffy''s death is meant to happen."


    "But Mom, she''s your own sister-in-law," the violet haired girl sobbed. "If this is what it means to see the future, I don''t want to see it any more!"


    "Chartreuse, she may have married your uncle, but me and Fluffy weren''t that close," her mother insisted. "Now, please, try to work through this. You can take all the time you need."


    ~~~


    "Hold it!" Carrie interrupted. The lock clicked, and the door of her bedroom opened a crack. "Are you telling me Fluffy was your aunt?!"


    "Yes," Chartreuse sighed. "It was so horrible. She died when a tree fell on her."


    Carrie glared at Chartreuse with one eye. "You''re making this up.¡±


    "I am not!" Chartreuse said indignantly. "Our other aunt, Emerald, was quite broken up about it. I think maybe my Mom was too, but of course since she can see, like, astral projections, she could still talk to Fluffy after her sister-in-law¡¯s death."


    "But... if a tree fell on Fluffy, what did playing in traffic have to do with anything?"


    ¡°If Fluffy hadn''t been in the road, the tree would have, you know, missed her," Chartreuse said patiently. "Now, are you going to keep asking questions, or can I continue my story?"


    Carrie hesitated, which Chartreuse took to be a yes.


    ~~~


    "All right, Chartreuse," Mr. Vermilion said, entering the room. "I''m sorry, but we can''t afford to give you any more time to grieve."


    "But Dad, it''s been less than an hour!¡± the orange haired girl wailed. "Can''t I at least--"


    ~~~


    "Stop! You said your hair was violet a minute ago," Carrie interrupted again.


    "Did I?"


    "You did! How can it be orange less than an hour later?"


    ¡°Maybe you, like, misheard me through the door. Can I come into your bedroom already?"


    Carrie glared at Chartreuse again before finally opening the door wide enough to allow the other girl inside.


    "Thank you," Chartreuse said as she walked into Carrie¡¯s bedroom for the first time. "Ooh, you have a nice room here, Carrie. Nice pyjamas too.¡±


    "Don''t try and change the subject," Carrie said, closing the door and moving to lie back down on her bed. ¡°Now, skip to the part where your story has something to do with the fire I was in.¡±


    "Oh... were you actually in the cafe when your vision happened?" Chartreuse said. "I didn''t realize. Maybe this isn''t the most appropriate story after all."


    Carrie sat back up. ¡°I knew it! You¡¯ve been making it up."


    ¡°No way,¡± Chartreuse objected. "You want to know what, like, happened next?"


    "Okay," Carrie retorted. "What happened next?"


    ~~~


    "Honey, I''m sorry," Mr. Vermilion said. "But we may need you to use your abilities--"


    "I''m not ever using them again,¡± Chartreuse countered. "I''m renouncing my powers. I don''t wanna know anything more about what might be happening around me.¡±


    "But the Prime Minister of Canada has a very important job for us to do," her father insisted. "Won''t you at least listen to what he has to say?"


    The orange haired girl eyed him. ¡°Well... all right, I''ll listen. But I won''t do anything I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    "That''s my girl," Mr. Vermilion said with a smile.


    He reached out to twist the bedknob on his daughter''s bed, which caused the mirror on the vanity to rotate 90 degrees. The two of them jumped into the tunnel now visible behind the mirror, sliding down a chute and falling into the couch at the bottom. Mrs. Vermilion looked over and smiled at them as she reached out and clicked on a small remote. A large wall screen lit up with an image of Jean Chretien.


    "''Allos!" the former Prime Minister of Canada said. "As I was saying, I am having a very important jobs for you Vermoothians.¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°CHARTREUSE!"

 Part 51b: The Visionaries 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.1 - With Chartreuse


    PART 51b: THE VISIONARIES 2


    ¡°Oh, what now?¡±


    Carrie pressed a hand to her forehead. "You expect me to believe ANY of that actually took place?"


    Chartreuse sighed. ¡°Fine, I didn''t give in quite that easily, but I''m, like, embellishing a bit in the interests of time. Do you really want me to go into every little detail?"


    "That''s... not my problem. What about all that other stuff? With the bedknob, the chute and Chretien?"


    "Oh, that! See, I was going through this secret agent phase, which is partly why I kept re-dying my hair. My parents were nice enough to humour me by doing some, you know, remodelling. As to Chretien, we, like, have a filter set up so that all communications coming in from the Houses of Parliament look and sound like Chretien, no matter who the Prime Minister actually is. Jean was my dad¡¯s favourite Prime Minister, you know, even if the guy could never pronounce our family name properly."


    Carrie stared. "Chartreuse. This is a stretch. Even for you."


    "Well, whether you believe it or not, that doesn''t change what, like, happened,¡± Chartreuse said petulantly. "Now, are you going to listen to me, or are you going to interrupt every five seconds?"


    "Fine, fine. Continue the story," Carrie sighed.


    ~~~


    The image of Jean Chretien cleared his throat. "So''s if you Verminions could handles dat little problem for me, da government would be grateful. Until da next times.¡± His image clicked off the monitor.


    "I can''t believe that guy won even one election," eleven year old Azure muttered from her own seat on the couch. Her father shot her a look of annoyance.


    ¡°That''s beside the point,¡± Mrs. Vermilion stated. ¡°Now then Hugh, how do you figure we should handle things?"


    Mr. Vermilion stood. "Well Amber, the best way to protect this Tope Diamond while it''s en route would be to choose what seems to be the safest path, and then have Chartreuse tell us if she foresees any impending danger. If she does, we can change our plans and try another reading."


    "Good,¡± Azure said, standing up. "Then you don''t need MY ability.¡±


    "Wait, I''m not helping out here,¡± Chartreuse protested, also rising. "Have you forgotten that I was only here to listen? My powers are still renounced.¡±


    Azure blinked over at her sister. "Really? You finally came to your senses? What caused the sudden turnaround?"


    "It''s personal," Chartreuse said, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Don''t be an idiot," Azure countered. "If you don''t tell me, I''ll simply go peeking into your past and find out for myself.¡±


    Chartreuse turned her back on the blue haired girl.


    Rolling her eyes, Azure pulled a deck of cards out of a pocket of her jeans. She closed her eyes, murmuring a quick incantation as she shuffled, before dealing eight cards out onto the coffee table. She then flipped over the next card, the ace of spades. "A vision and a death," Azure mumbled, after a cursory examination.


    She proceeded to cut the deck and turn over the top card, which listed upon it the rules for playing draw poker. Her eyes went wide. "Oh no, Auntie Em. Uncle Henry. And their little dog too!"


    "Emerald and her family will be fine, Azure," her mother soothed. "The imminent death Chartreuse foresaw was Aunt Fluffy''s."


    "Oh, right. I knew that," Azure said, gathering her cards back up.


    Chartreuse stamped her foot on the floor. "How can you all take that news so casually?" she said angrily. "This is a human life we''re talking about, and you haven''t even given me an hour to deal with that yet.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Chartreuse, people die every day," her mother soothed. "I know, because I''ve seen a lot of them after it happened. We''re not being cruel, dear, it''s simply that we accept death as being a part of life."


    "Besides," her father chimed in. "Even if you don''t actively use your abilities, you''ll still get flashes and pick up random impressions from people. Isn''t that right, dear?"


    "It is," Amber Vermilion confirmed.


    "I don''t care,¡± the orange haired girl said. ¡°I¡¯ll be a hermit if I have to. I don''t care about my powers, I don''t care about this Tope Diamond, and I will not be bribed with a peach sundae, so Mom, put that money back in your purse!"


    Amber replaced the bills, abashed.


    "You go, girl,¡± Azure said. "Don''t be fooled by the old ''just this one time, it''s so important to the general population'' trick either. I cannot BELIEVE we keep falling for that..."


    "This IS important to the general population though," Hugh Vermilion pointed out. "After all, most people have never heard of the Tope Diamond''s existence. But they will, unless we can get it safely to the required destination."


    "Would it be so bad if they did find out?" Chartreuse challenged.


    "We can''t know that until we see this Diamond for ourselves," her father replied. "There''s no school tomorrow, so how about we all travel to Dullsville to check it out? A day trip. A family outing."


    "Oh no, this is how it starts," Azure moaned.


    "It will also give you more time to come to grips with what you''ve seen, dear," Chartreuse''s mother added. "I mean, you don''t want to make any hasty decisions tonight.¡±


    "Don''t listen to them, sis, don''t listen."


    "We can always have peach sundaes for dinner tonight too," Hugh finished. "Though if we spend much more time arguing, I won''t have a chance to get to the stores before they close."


    The orange haired girl shifted her weight back and forth uncertainly. "Well... all right, I''ll go, but I still won''t use my powers," she decided.


    "You traitor,¡± Azure shouted. "You know I can''t stay here all by myself!"


    "Oh come on, sweetie, it''ll be fun," Amber said, reaching out to hug her youngest daughter. "We''ll have some blueberry ice cream tonight as well, how about that?"


    Azure made a face. ¡°FINE,¡± she decided. "I''ll be bribed, but I won''t like it."


    ~~~


    "I can skip ahead now, right? I mean, you''re not, like, interested in the dinner itself are you?"


    "Chartreuse, I''m not really interested in any of this," Carrie mumbled. "You''ve gone from the ludicrous to the bizarre, and none of it has any bearing on what''s happened to me."


    "Not that you can see, but wait for it. There is totally a point here," Chartreuse insisted.


    "What, that peach ice cream heals all wounds?"


    Chartreuse winced. "Peach *sundaes*, and can I help that I like them so much? Anyway, they''re, like, not important to the story. Let''s pick up again as we were waiting outside the Diamond Mine in Dullsville the following afternoon. Or that¡¯s what I¡¯m calling the town, anyway. National security, you know how it is.¡±


    ~~~


    Chartreuse fidgeted absently with the ribbons in her fushia hair as she looked around. "Maybe no one''ll show," she said.


    "We should be so lucky," Azure mumbled.


    "Oh, look, here comes someone now,¡± Amber said brightly.


    The Vermilions watched as a camper pulled into the mine site and parked in front of them. Two men wearing dark sunglasses got out, trying to look inconspicuous despite the overcast day. One of them glanced casually about the area as the other stepped forwards.


    "The strawberries are not yet in season," he remarked.


    "Oh, was there a recognition code?" Hugh said, looking troubled.


    "No, but this is a good place to pick them in July. My name is Agent Queue."


    "Cue as in pool?"


    "I don''t swim. Queue, for Vowels."


    ¡°Ah, four vowels,¡± Hugh realized.


    "Yes, Vowels couldn''t make it. Here''s my associate Eh, part of the vowel movement."


    ¡°Then it''s a Queue & Eh session?" Hugh verified.


    "How''s it going, Eh?" Amber inquired.


    "Eh?" the second agent said, turning to them.


    "Hearing problem, he takes my cues," Queue noted.


    "I thank Queue," Eh said.


    "Now, you?" asked Queue.


    "Me? Hugh."


    "Hugh, with who?"


    "My wife Amber."


    "Amber''s a nice hue," Queue remarked.


    ¡°Say what? Amber is Hugh?"


    "We are not Hugh, Eh," Amber assured him. "He is Hugh, and these are my daughters Chartreuse and Azure."


    "Missed Queue''s cue, eh, Eh?" Hugh said.


    "Eh," Eh shrugged.


    Queue pulled out a sheet. "I''ll denote your party the Hue Continuum," he decided. "For simplicity."


    "What??"


    "Azure, as you''re aware, we receive code names," Amber reminded her daughter.


    "But why Queue''s Hue, I like when you and Hugh pick too.¡±


    "Two won''t do, blue," Queue remarked. "Too bad for you."


    ¡°Well, sofa Queue,¡± the blue haired girl retorted.


    "Eh?¡±


    "Never mind,¡± Queue said, waving off his partner. "That language was too colourful. Chartreuse, do you have anything to add?"


    "She''s beautiful," the fushia haired girl breathed.


    Everyone turned to see who it was Chartreuse was referring to. By the door of the camper, there now stood a girl of about fifteen years of age. She wore a small frilly pink dress, white stockings, white shoes, and in her blonde hair there was a violet hairband.


    Chartreuse''s breath caught in her throat as she pictured how that long hair might shimmer in the sun, were there any sun around. However, Chartreuse¡¯s eyes were soon drawn to the enigmatic blonde''s blue eyes and shy smile.


    "Hello," the strange girl said with a little wave. "I''m, like, Tope Diamond."


    ~~~


    Chartreuse sighed happily at the memory. "And, you know what? It was right then that I knew I wanted this girl to be my wife," she said dreamily.


    Carrie fell off her bed.

 Part 52a: Tope Springs Eternal

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.1 - With Chartreuse


    PART 52a: TOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL 1


    "Okay, wait, stop, hold the phone,¡± Carrie shouted, clawing herself back up using the bedsheets. "First things first. You''re telling me this Tope Diamond wasn¡¯t some jewellery, but rather a person?"


    "Yeah, who knew?" Chartreuse replied. "She was heir to the Diamond diamond fortune. Of course, her mother Mother Diamond''s diamonds weren''t from the Dullsville Diamond Mine. They¡¯d been mining coal there instead.¡±


    Carrie stared blankly at her house guest.


    ¡°Never mind,¡± Chartreuse decided. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. Some people wanted to kidnap Tope and ransom her back for Diamond diamonds. Hence we Vermilions were, you know, asked to help in taking Tope someplace safe."


    "All right," Carrie said slowly. "Assuming I followed that, when did this turn into a love story?"


    Chartreuse blushed. "Right after my eyes locked with Tope¡¯s.¡±


    "Right after your eyes locked with Tope''s," Carrie repeated back. "Chartreuse, this IS a girl we''re talking about here, right?"


    "Yes. But when I was fourteen, I was, like, bisexual. In fact, pretty sure I still am.¡± Chartreuse swallowed. "I guess that¡¯s never come up. I don¡¯t advertise. Does it bother you? Do you want me to go?¡±


    Carrie thought about it for a moment. "No, you can date whoever you like. Though I can''t help but notice that this Tope Diamond does bear some resemblance to me."


    "Yeah. My sister''s remarked on that," Chartreuse admitted. ¡°Which is partly why she¡¯s teasing me lately, what with you coming over. But of course, Tope''s hair was, like, longer, her skin was paler and she, you know, smiled more."


    "Ah," Carrie said. "Just so long as this Tope doesn''t have odd temporal powers too. Because if you were writing me in, I''d have to stop listening."


    "No, no, Tope only had power over my heart," the pink haired girl said, following the comment with another dreamy sigh.


    Carrie''s eyebrow twitched. "Chartreuse, is this Tope about to convince you to use your powers and save the day?"


    "Don''t be ridiculous," Chartreuse accused. "I''ll have you know that I did NOT, like, use my powers during the trip. What happened next was Mom rode with the agents up front, Dad and Azure followed in our car, and I, you know, went with Tope in the camper unit itself."


    ~~~


    "So you can, like, see the future, and stuff?" Tope said, wide eyed. ¡°Ohmigod, that is so cool, you know?¡±


    Chartreuse shrugged as she finished dying the last few locks of her hair. "I can, but I''m not doing it any more," she said. ¡°It''s what I said, and I''m sticking by it. My Mom can consult her spiritual advisors to help in choosing a route for us instead."


    The mystic girl put her bottle of ''Quik-Dye'' back in her backpack. "Now, I have to ask... has anyone ever told you that you have the most beautiful blue eyes in the world?"


    Tope blushed. "Usually just, like, guys who, you know, want my money or my virginity or stuff. So I just tell them, ''yeah, right, as if!'' and they, you know, totally get the picture." She paused. "When you say it though, it feels different. Did you totally, like, mean that?"


    ¡°Of course I did," the taupe haired girl said softly. "There''s something about you, your look, your voice, your perfume - it''s making my senses go crazy. I... I can''t believe I''m about to say this, Tope, but I''ve wanted to be close to you ever since the moment I saw you. Would you allow me to kiss you?"


    ¡°What? Me, kissed by a girl??¡± Tope squeaked. "Ewww! That''s like... like... well, okay, I guess I don''t know what that''s like. Hmmm. Gee, now you''ve got me totally curious. Very well, Chartreuse. You may kiss me!"


    Chartreuse could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she moved in closer to that long flowing hair, those blue eyes, those luscious red lips... instinctively, she moved her arms out to encircle Tope''s waist. Tope Diamond looked up at her then with another shy smile, draping her own arms over Chartreuse''s shoulders, her perfume intoxicating her lover''s senses as their eyes closed and...


    ~~~


    "Um, but you, like, totally don''t need to hear that part of the story," Chartreuse realized, cutting herself off with a cough.


    "Chartreuse, were you two about to make out?" Carrie said, wide-eyed.


    "We just, like, became distracted. Now, outside..."


    "Oh my God, you did. You made out!"


    "We got distracted!"


    ¡°When you were fourteen, you made out with a girl you''d just met? That''s... that''s... what the hell is that about?¡±


    The pink haired girl flushed. "Carrie, don''t fixate. Tope sparked something in me, and youth is for experimentation. Besides, must I, like, get into some the guys you''ve, you know, made out with? On a first date, no less?"


    The blonde paused. She supposed she had gone to some questionable lengths in her first few years of high school, to get favours done for herself or for Julie. "Ugh. Fine."The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "So we got distracted," Chartreuse repeated stubbornly. "As such we, you know, totally didn''t realize the battle was going on until the door kinda blew in."


    ~~~


    "Ohmigod. What was that?" Chartreuse gasped, poking her head out from around the drapes surrounding the camper bed.


    "Oh, that was, like, sooooo good...! Do it again."


    "No, shhhhhh, something''s happened. The camper¡¯s not moving and the door is gone,¡± hissed the taupe haired girl.


    Tope''s head appeared next to Chartreuse''s, a hand raking her long blonde hair back out of her eyes. "Whoa," she murmured. "The Peeping Toms in this area totally don''t fool around, yeah?¡±


    "Stay here.¡± Chartreuse ducked back behind the drapes for a couple of seconds, then jumped out, finishing buttoning up her blouse. "I''ll check it out." She reached back into her backpack, pulling out a medium sized relaxation crystal.


    The taupe haired mystic crept cautiously towards the door. Moments before reaching it, a man in a grey pinstripe suit stepped in, wielding a tommy gun and smoking a cigar.


    "All right, me and my boys, we''re taking over now, see?" the man said with a thick Brooklyn accent. "So if youse want to just toss that crystal aside and get your hands up, we can be through here nice and peaceful-like."


    Chartreuse blinked at the man, glanced down at the crystal in her hand, then proceeded to toss it at him with all the strength she could muster. Caught by surprise, it smacked him in the middle of his forehead and he went down like a sack of wet rocks. The taupe haired girl quickly grabbed the gangster''s gun and scrambled past him to glance out the camper''s doorway.


    The stretch of road they were on was currently deserted - with some notable exceptions. To the right, Chartreuse saw an attack squad of ninjas surrounding her father. Straight ahead, a number of old west gunslingers were facing off against her mother. And to the left, a bunch of Scotsmen with bagpipes were advancing on her sister. Agents Queue and Eh were on the ground unconscious.


    "Are you ready to die?" one of the ninjas was saying, his words not quite syncing up with his lips.


    "I''m sorry to say that I''m not ready just yet," Hugh Vermilion replied. Then with a yell of ''Aiiiiiiieeeee!'' he leapt up into the air and took out a handful of his assailants with a seemingly impossible horizontal spin kick.


    "Draw!" one of the cowboys shouted out.


    "No!" Amber Vermilion retorted defiantly.


    "Fine," the gunslinger said, whipping out his own gun. Yet even as he did so, a beam of light rose from the small hilt Amber had in her hand. The amber beam neatly deflected the incoming bullet away, and she continued to deftly manipulate her light sword in order to avoid the other bullets which followed.


    "About time you decided to help!" Azure accusedher sister, drawing Chartreuse''s attention to her.


    "Ach, there be none who can help ye now, young ''un!" said one of the kilted men. "We''ll deafen ye an'' take our prize!"


    "Oh brother," Azure sighed. She pulled out the small pendant she wore around her neck and shouted out, "Release!" The small key expanded to form a long staff, which Azure then spun about in her hands while she simultaneously withdrew a card from her pocket, tossing it in front of her.


    "Fight Card,¡± Azure called out. The magic circle of Clow Reed appeared around her as she tapped the staff on the card. "Release and--"


    ~~~


    "Oh, no, wait a minute," Chartreuse said, furrowing her brow. "I''m getting Azure''s card powers mixed up with one of those classic Japanese anime shows Laurie likes to watch."


    "Chartreuse, I''m pretty sure there''s a lot of other wires crossing here too."


    "Maybe I should, you know, skip the fight scene, it was all a little hazy," Chartreuse decided. "Is that okay, Carrie?"


    "Fine by me," the blonde said, rolling her eyes. "In fact, I never thought I''d say this, but I preferred the love story."


    "Yeah. Tope totally catches one''s eye, doesn''t she?" Chartreuse sighed, clasping her hands.


    "That''s not what I... look, never mind. Are we nearly done here?" Carrie inquired. "Because I feel another massive headache coming on."


    "Actually, yes, almost," Chartreuse said. "Because, see, this is where things get real relevant. While we were defeating our many enemies on the one side of the camper, a group of midgets in trenchcoats broke in through the other side and successfully kidnapped Tope Diamond. My one true love had been taken from me! So I resolved to use my powers again, in order to locate Tope and get her back."


    ~~~


    "Are you sure you can do this? After all, an accurate read of her near future will require particular knowledge of Tope," Hugh Vermilion reminded his daughter. "Did you get some in the time you were together?"


    ¡°Yeah. More than you think," Chartreuse muttered, trying to dispel the afterimages of Tope''s gentle caresses. She set the last stone in front of her and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Remember not to push yourself too hard dear,¡± Amber reminded. "The forces have a way of drawing you in, if you let your guard down."


    "Yes, mom," Chartreuse sighed, already sinking into the deep meditative state required as she focused on Tope and where the beautiful blonde was going to be taken. "Ohm, ohm, oh my... spirits from beyond, show me what is to come.¡±


    Almost immediately her eyes snapped open, unseeing, as her spirit form left her and centred in on Tope''s immediate future. She saw a warehouse. Chartreuse flickered through the wall to verify, and sure enough, there was Tope, being tied up to a chair.


    "You total idiots," Tope was saying, her voice somewhat distorted due to the vision. "You were, like, only supposed to threaten to take me, not, you know, actually do it. I mean, do you have any clue what you interrupted? There was, like, this really hot girl and we were totally working our way towards a..."


    Sixty-nine, that was the number listed on the warehouse. Dullsville Warehouse No. 69. Chartreuse had the information she needed, and a part of her warned that it was time to return to the present. Yet what was Tope saying, had she been a part of the original conspiracy? Surely not. Still, the idea made Chartreuse hesitate long enough for the vision to pull her onwards, further into the future.


    "Okay, I, like, admit it, I totally screwed up," Tope said, her head bowed. "I''m sorry, Mom. I just wanted, well, a little adventure in my life. It was so totally dull here in Dullsville! I never, like, thought things would go so, you know, wacky."


    ''No, Tope, say it isn''t so,'' Chartreuse thought. ''You set this whole life threatening affair in motion?''


    She tried to get a clearer read on where she was now, but the light reflections from the diamonds Mother Diamond was wearing were interfering with her sight. She couldn''t tune into the conversation properly while trying to orient herself either, so she strained her ears to hear what was being said instead.


    "...totally learned my lesson," came Tope''s voice again. "I won''t, you know, bother the government any more. Anyway, people out in the world are so, like, weird. It''s a good thing I didn''t, you know, get attached to any of them. Well, except the one."


    Chartreuse felt her heart jump. ''Which one? Me?'' she wondered. The vision began to melt away. ''No, no, I have to know more!'' Chartreuse thought desperately. And there was more. The lure was there, the path to the final outcome of this sequence of events... and since Tope was apparently going to be rescued, what was the harm in looking?


    She was in a church. Chartreuse''s breath caught in her throat. A twentysomething Tope Diamond stood before her, absolutely radiant in her white wedding dress.


    "I, like, do," Tope said quietly before turning to smile happily at the person standing beside her. Chartreuse shifted her gaze in that direction as well. Knowing full well that this information would be too much for her, yet she was unable to stop herself.


    The man wearing the black tuxedo and dark sunglasses looked back at Tope. "Eh?" he said.


    Chartreuse fell over the cliff.

 Part 52b: Tope Springs Eternal 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.1 - With Chartreuse


    PART 52b: TOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL 2


    "SNAP OUT OF IT ALREADY,¡± Azure''s voice screamed.


    Chartreuse felt like she''d been pulled back into her body by an elastic band. She blinked her eyes a few times, only to realize she couldn''t see. "Ohmigod, I''m, like, blind,¡± Chartreuse gasped out.


    "Chartreuse??" Azure yanked the two jokers off of her sister''s eyes.


    "Ow! Oh, that''s, you know, totally better," Chartreuse said. She glanced around only to find that she was seated in the middle of the coffee table back at their home, surrounded by several houses made of cards, arranged in a pentagram shape.


    A lock of her hair was swinging in front of her face. Chartreuse reached out to grab it. "Say, when did I, like, dye my hair orange-violet-silver-fushia-green-taupe-candycane-cyan?"


    "I did it! Oh thank goodness, I did it and it worked,¡± Azure said, reaching out to grab Chartreuse in a bear hug.


    Chartreuse patted her sister uncertainly. "Um, yeah,¡± she agreed. "Though I think, I''ve, you know, missed something. What happened with, like, Tope Diamond?"


    Azure pulled back. ¡°Oh, that? I was able to get a reading of the past from the fedora that one gangster was wearing," she explained. "It was left behind in the camper. Seems he''d been recruited for the mission exactly one week ago by this con, Venient Plotwist. Mom got the location of Venient''s warehouse from one of his recent victims, then Dad organized a strike force to retrieve Tope."


    "Oh," Chartreuse said, nonplussed. "Then I was, like, no help at all. I totally messed up."


    "Ayup," Azure affirmed. "That''s what you get for mixing business with pleasure."


    Chartreuse coughed. "Um, pleasure? Like, what pleasure?"


    Azure rolled her eyes. "Sis, please. It¡¯s taken me five days to restore your consciousness to the state it was in back in the past, before you zonked out. And the vibes between you and Tope were so strong that at first, I couldn''t even isolate the two of you. Even now, I think there¡¯s been some leakage... I mean, have you noticed you''re talking like some valley girl here?¡±


    "Like, what?" Chartreuse said in surprise. "Oh, that''s, you know, totally ridiculous." She paused, reaching up to hold her throat. "Like, no way. I mean, like, no way. No, I said, like... ohmigod, I totally can''t stop!"


    "I am genuinely sorry," Azure said sadly. "But it was either that, or have my sister become a table centrepiece for the rest of her life."


    Chartreuse tapped her throat again gently before letting out a sigh. "It''s, like, okay. It wasn''t, you know, your fault," she murmured. "Though, wait, did you say it''s been five days?"


    Azure nodded. "We''ve explained your disappearance by saying you''re off with Mom at Aunt Fluffy''s funeral. It''s kinda tragic, she died saving this kid. Seems a tree was going to fall on him, but she pushed him out of the way."


    "My vision," Chartreuse realized. "Oh, wow. You mean, if I''d tried to stop it, some innocent child would be, you know, dead instead? I never saw that part.¡±


    "I guess. All I care about is that you''re back,¡± Azure said, giving Chartreuse another quick hug before moving to retrieve some of the playing cards on the table. "I mean, without you, who would I have to annoy?"Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "I''m, like, touched," the orange-violet-silver-fushia-green-taupe-candycane-cyan haired girl said. She paused to pull at a lock of her hair again. "Though seriously, what is it with all these shades??"


    "Oh, I wasn''t sure if your frequent hair colour changes would impair my abilities to home in on your past self," Azure said. ¡°So I redyed it. I mean, if you WERE going to be a centrepiece, this way we''d at least have a colourful one."


    Chartreuse frowned. "You know, I''d totally have a good retort for that, if it weren''t for one thing."


    ¡°Oh? What?"


    ¡°The fact that this experience has, you know, turned my stomach inside out," Chartreuse said, lurching off the coffee table and sprinting for the nearest bathroom.


    ~~~


    Carrie stared at her companion in silence for a short while.


    ¡°So, that''s it?" Carrie said at last.


    "Yup," Chartreuse confirmed back. "Understand now?"


    Carrie passed a hand in front of her eyes. "Chartreuse," she began. "Couldn''t you have summed up that WHOLE STORY by simply telling me, ''I once had a vision of my aunt''s death, but it turned out that she was saving someone else in the process, so it''s good that I didn''t try to prevent it''?"


    "Of course not. You, like, miss all the nuances that way.¡±


    Carrie threw herself back onto her bed with a groan. ¡°Chartreuse,¡± she repeated with exaggerated patience. "I have been lying here all weekend, unable to keep down any food, with my insides feeling like they''re stuck in a vice, all because there is some part of me that now feels like it can twist free and display home movies of future death or destruction in my mind. Movies that I can''t control, and that I can''t shut off.


    ¡°The ONE HOPE I''ve been trying to hold onto, is that if I experience another vision, I can FORCE myself into doing something to change the outcome. And yet now you''re telling me that, by making such a change, I could cause events to be even worse than they otherwise would be?"


    There was another protracted silence.


    "You didn''t understand then," Chartreuse concluded.


    "I understand that you have a weird family."


    "No, listen," Chartreuse insisted. "You experienced an unsettling vision of the future. I get that. But now that you''ve, you know, worked through any physical discomfort, it¡¯s time for us to deal with the mental side of things. Because even though you can¡¯t always control your powers, you can¡¯t let them control you either. If you do, you won''t see something you could have seen, like me with Tope''s kidnappers. Or you''ll, like, push yourself until you see something you''re not meant to see, as I did with Tope''s wedding.¡±


    "Gee, thanks Chartreuse. What other option IS there, aside from me being in control, or my powers being in control?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" the mystic replied. "Find the balance. Life goes on, Carrie. You can¡¯t obsess over everything these weird forces throw at you, or you¡¯ll never be able to enjoy yourself. Trust me, I know. All too well.¡±


    The pink haired girl smiled sadly, then began to back away, towards the bedroom door. ¡°Anyway, I''ve probably overstayed my welcome. So I''m gonna, you know, head back home. But I hope you feel a bit better? I am looking forward to our next session. See you in school tomorrow, okay?¡±


    With that, Chartreuse slipped back out of Carrie''s bedroom.


    ***


    Carrie listened as her guest headed downstairs, said goodbye to her father, and then left the house. She continued to lie quietly on her bed for several long minutes before finally standing and moving to look at herself in the mirror.


    "Find the balance?"


    Carrie dragged her hair back off her forehead and pursed her lips.


    ¡°Because I have been letting my fears of the future get the best of me," she realized. ¡°Not only this weekend, but for months. No wonder it feels like my head is trapped in a washing machine stuck on spin. Thank you, Chartreuse.¡±


    She turned away from her reflection. It was very clear what she had to do now. Namely get Frank to explain to her about setting the time machine, so that she could travel back to her last birthday. To have that talk with herself about Chartreuse. If nothing else, it would be one less future event for her to be concerned about.


    Wait, hadn¡¯t Frank already been by this weekend? Carrie marched out onto the upstairs landing. "Hey, Dad?" she called out.


    "Yes, Carrie?" she heard him call from the bottom of the stairs. "Are you feeling better?"


    "I think so. What''s been happening this weekend, anyone leaving messages for me?"


    ¡°Someone named Glen called for you twice,¡± her father said. ¡°And Frank and Luci dropped by. Actually, Frank seemed more nervous than usual, and when he heard you were ill, he asked me if any knives had been flying through the air. I¡¯m not sure what he meant by that.¡±


    Carrie''s eyebrow twitched. ¡°It means my first call today will be to Luci instead,¡± she decided, before spinning on her heel and heading back into her room.


    It was time to get their time travel group back together.

 Part 53a: Mental Strain

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.2 - With The Group


    PART 53a: MENTAL STRAIN 1


    Julie stared in silence at the shadows on her bedroom ceiling. For some reason, she was reminded of those Rorschach inkblot tests, the ones psychologists used to help check a person''s sanity.


    How sane was she?


    The regular counselling sessions with Dr. Golden had helped her to deal with emotional issues like love and trust, it was true. But she couldn¡¯t explain to a regular psychologist about the attempt to kill their unborn self, by time traveling back to the week of her birth. Speaking of that to anyone, aside from the other time travellers, was liable to get her locked up. Or worse, put Carrie in additional danger. No, Julie would have to keep it to herself.


    Maybe forever.


    "They¡¯re all here now," Clarke said from the doorway.


    Julie sat up. "All right then. Let''s talk time trips." She swung her legs off the bed, stood, and headed past him, out the door.


    "Jewels, are you sure you''re up for it?¡± Clarke asked, falling into step behind her. "They only called us this morning about the meeting. If it''s too fast--"


    "Don''t worry," Julie said, cutting him off. "I''m not about to wrestle the machine away from Carrie in order to finish what I started last year."


    "That''s not what I meant."


    Catching Clarke¡¯s tone, Julie paused on the stairwell to look back up at him. ¡°Right.¡±


    She smiled, trying to project a confidence she didn¡¯t feel. ¡°Look, Phil, it''s fine. Really. If Carrie, Frank and Luci want to discuss resuming time travel, I¡¯m good with that. Sure, it might bring up memories, but me and Doc Golden, we did talk about suicide. I¡¯m more grounded now. What I do, it¡¯s for me, not to please people like my parents, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Still..."


    ¡°More to the point - I need this,¡± Julie continued. ¡°It¡¯s been ten months since those events, and a part of me is starting to doubt whether it all truly happened.¡± Her lips pursed. ¡°And I... well, I''d rather not simply dismiss the sacrifices you all made to save me.¡±


    Clarke looked at her for a long moment before smiling back. "Okay then," he replied. "Let''s see what''s up."


    Her visitors, Carrie, Frank and Luci, all rose from their chairs as she entered the LaMille sitting room. "Julie," Carrie began. "Hi... look, I want you to know right up front that if you feel at all uncomfortable with what we''re talking about, you have only to tell us and we''ll head out of here with no bad feelings."


    ¡°Noted. Let¡¯s get to it,¡± she countered.


    Carrie nodded, glancing over to Frank and Luci. Frank shrugged. Even Luci looked hesitant.


    Julie set her jaw. "Look, guys, I may be a little frayed around the edges, but I''m still Julie LaMille. If you''re going to walk on eggshells around me, I''m going to damn well throw you out. Did you interrupt my Sunday morning to talk time travel, or didn''t you?"


    "We¡¯re thinking of using your house here as a base of operations," Luci spoke up. ¡°For storing the coins, and as a jumping off point for time trips, rather than Frank¡¯s home. Or Carrie¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°My parents and Carrie¡¯s father already think something¡¯s up after last year,¡± Frank added. ¡°So that¡¯s not ideal, particularly if I reappear in my kitchen. But your place isn¡¯t that far from Willowdale Park, and so with either that park or the point of departure being some sort of geographic failsafe, your home is pretty convenient.¡±


    ¡°The mansion is big, mostly empty, and me accidentally turning up in here at any point in the last couple years wouldn¡¯t really be remarked on,¡± Carrie added.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Julie shifted her gaze to the small black box, currently lying on the floor beside a chair. "You ARE thinking of making more trips then."


    "We have a few present day coins,¡± Frank admitted. "And if we don¡¯t start soon, that is before January, we¡¯ll be stuck in the present again. So yeah.¡±


    ¡°Carrie thinks that actually doing some time travel might help her to understand more about what she is and isn¡¯t capable of doing on her own too,¡± Luci added.


    ¡°In fact, I took my first trip of the year yesterday,¡± Carrie stated. ¡°Back to my birthday.¡± She rubbed her temples. ¡°It was... educational. I think the time has finally come for me to put up or shut up as far as these temporal powers go.¡±


    "Your powers," Julie remarked, leaning back against the wall. ¡°Then you''re thinking of invoking them too?¡±


    Carrie began to pace. "I have to," she sighed. ¡°Chartreuse has convinced me that the only real way to ensure that what happened last year at the hospital never happens again, is to achieve some sort of balance with whatever¡¯s inside me. To get a sense of what that even looks like, I¡¯m gonna need to take more time trips. With and without the machine.¡±


    "Incidentally, Carrie''s powers are another reason to bring the two of you in on this now,¡± Luci said, nodding towards Clarke, who had thus far remained silent. "We''re the five originals. The only ones - aside from Corry - who remember what Carrie is capable of. Thus the only ones who might notice, should things start to run off the rails.¡±


    ¡°Chartreuse would notice too,¡± Carrie murmured.


    ¡°Except she doesn¡¯t REALLY remember last November,¡± Frank countered. ¡°You had to tell her.¡±


    ¡°She would notice, Frank.¡±


    ¡°Look, my point was that Lee, Tim and Laurie wouldn¡¯t, despite also once knowing about the machine,¡± Luci said.


    "I think you¡¯re straying from the point," Clarke broke in at last. "You''re saying you want to use Julie''s house as a base of operations? What about the surveillance cameras on the property? What about Jeeves, who lives here too?¡±


    ¡°As Carrie said, the place is big, we should be able to avoid Jeeves,¡± Frank countered. ¡°And the surveillance on the property will work in our favour. We merely need to learn enough to circumvent it, after which it will pick up on any outsider who¡¯s trying to get at the time machine.¡±


    ¡°Like I did, when it was unguarded at your place,¡± Julie observed.


    Frank winced. ¡°Um. Kinda, sorta.¡±


    Julie crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°So, does this mean I¡¯ll get to do more time travel?"


    "Not at all," Frank assured. "We¡¯ll only need your permission to come and go from the house, from this point going forwards. Along with information about the surveillance and such, in case we arrive in some room with an active camera.¡±


    ¡°Because the time machine centres on the DNA of those taking the trip, remember?¡± Carrie agreed. ¡°So, if we happen to arrive before we leave, we could potentially be here without coming through the front door. Don¡¯t be freaked out by our comings and goings, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Well, what about your point of arrival in another time period?" Julie challenged. "I''ve spent so much time in the mansion these last three years that any time trip I take is likely to keep me here. I could be an asset to you that way."


    Carrie exchanged a glance with Frank and Luci. "Julie... are you saying you WANT to go on another time trip?"


    "I do," Julie said, without hesitation. "I won¡¯t make it a condition of using the place, but what¡¯s wrong with me coming along?¡±


    Julie surveyed the expressions of the others. Carrie looked surprised, Frank confused, Luci remained inscrutable and Clarke... he simply looked worried.


    "Jewels, I''m not sure you realize what you''re asking.¡±


    "Oh, come on Phil," Julie countered, giving him a playful punch in the arm. ¡°All summer you were telling me I needed to get out more. A trip in space, a trip in time, what¡¯s the difference?¡± She looked at the others. ¡°Besides, I swear, I''m not going to use the opportunity to try anything self-destructive.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Julie,¡± Carrie said, her expression starting to mirror Clarke¡¯s. ¡°Time travel can be dangerous. And we might not limit ourselves to the past, we could also travel as far forwards as December."


    ¡°Though last time we tried a future trip, we almost got run over,¡± Luci recalled.


    "I don''t care," Julie asserted. "I want to time travel.¡±


    "But why?" Frank protested. "What''s your motivation?"


    Julie clenched and unclenched her hands. ¡°Seriously? Don''t you guys get it? I''ve only been on two time trips. And the second one doesn''t count, since it was only Clarke taking me into the cafe to establish an alibi for the shooting. No, whenever I think of time travel, it always brings to mind that first trip, with the gun, and the h-homeless woman and... and m-my p-parents..."


    Damn it. Julie forced herself to draw in a long breath, digging her fingernails into her palms. She had to keep control here, or they¡¯d never let her go anywhere.


    ¡°So, yeah. I hate that. I hate it, I hate it, and yet I can''t stop thinking about it! What''s more, something which has really been starting to eat away at me through my counselling sessions is the realization that, had our situations been reversed, I probably wouldn''t have lifted a finger to help any of you.¡±


    She stood straighter, shifting her gaze around the room, to each of them in turn. "So, know what? I vowed that if the opportunity presented itself where I could help you time trippers in return for what you did, I¡¯d take it. More, that I¡¯d go on another trip through time, one I could potentially look back on with pride, not distaste or horror. So, yes, obviously you can use the mansion, but I want - I¡¯d LIKE more than that. Everybody, I want to time travel again!"


    "Jewels, careful,¡± Clarke shouted out, reaching out to grab her arm. She looked down. One of her nails had broken through the skin of her palm, releasing a small trickle of blood. She swallowed.


    ¡°Whoopsie. Ah, I''ll just get a bandaid. Talk amongst yourselves," Julie said, before hurrying out of the room.

 Part 53b: Mental Strain 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.2 - With The Group


    PART 53b: MENTAL STRAIN 2


    Clarke watched Julie go before turning back to look at the others. "You know, I wish you''d talked this over with me first," he sighed.


    ¡°I guess we should have," Carrie admitted, her eyes still on the doorway. "Julie''s never seemed that... passionate about anything though. Not lately anyway. She''s been pretty quietat school."


    ¡°Her former followers, which is to say half the school, are out to get her when Corry¡¯s back is turned,¡± Clarke countered. ¡°The other half, Corry¡¯s original camp, give her the silent treatment - wouldn¡¯t you keep to yourself? Don''t forget, her family situation has been kept out of the public eye. Heck, even though WE have the information... have you ever truly forgiven Julie yourself, Carrie?"


    "Of course! She only pulled that trigger because she was being influenced by a crazy man from the future."


    ¡°Not merely the shooting. Julie did some other cruel things to you.¡±


    He saw Carrie shift her weight back and forth uncomfortably. She had to be recalling the betrayal which had involved drugs in her locker and two weeks of detention. ¡°Yeah. I know she was under some personal pressures then too," Carrie yielded. ¡°I do TRY not to hold such things against her.¡±


    ¡°So, if you''ve forgiven her, why don''t you spend more time with her?" Clarke asked.


    Carrie shrugged. "I guess I never thought about it. I''ve had more than a few issues of my own to deal with these last few months, you know.¡±


    ¡°Okay Clarke, let¡¯s get your input now,¡± Luci broke in. Having resumed her seat, she leaned forwards in her chair. ¡°Quickly, before Julie returns. Do you think she can handle a time trip?¡±


    "I... maybe?" Clarke said. "I must admit, I didn''t know she felt this strongly about itmyself. But I see where she''s coming from. Part of her wants to forget about that trip, but if she does that, she''ll lose this connection she has to all of you. And I don''t think Julie wants to do that, not now that she''s finally beginning to understand things like love, friendship and self sacrifice."


    "We''ve made a bit of a mess of ittoday then," Frank realized, also resuming his seat. "Perhaps we should call the whole thing off."


    Clarke reached back to rub the back of his neck. ¡°Maybe? But don¡¯t do that for good, or you could break Julie''s heart. Appearances aside, she is in a fragile state. You can''t set her up and then drop her. Her feelings, when she expresses them now, they tend to go all out."


    "What would you suggest then?" Carrie asked.


    "Continue to involve her," Clarke decided, after a moment''s thought. ¡°Meaning using this place as a base isn''t a bad idea. Even a time trip has possibilities. But not solo. And not now. Make sure not to bring her along too fast, and don''t take her condition for granted. Julie isn''t the same person she was last year."


    "Who am I supposed to be then?" Julie asked as she reentered the room.


    Clarke flinched, not having heard her approach. "I was telling them how far you''ve come in terms of your therapy,¡± he said quickly. "Since the last time you time traveled."


    "Oh,¡± Julie nodded. "Is it okay for me to go on the next trip then?"


    ¡°Actually,¡± Luci said. ¡°We¡¯ll need to hold off on trips for a while yet. We don¡¯t have that many present day coins. The issue today was more having a fixed point in time when we all knew what was going on. Right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Frank agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll need to keep an eye out for more coins minted in our current year before taking any trips.¡±


    Clarke took a half step back, firing off a quick smile to them from behind Julie.


    Julie pursed her lips. ¡°Why wait? If this is now a fixed point in time, someone could simply time travel back TO now, from some point later, once they''ve already got more coins. At which point our future selves can simply hand the money over to our present day selves.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Frank mused. He glanced to Carrie.


    The blonde shook her head. "Sorry, we can''t, because we won''t," she rejected. "It¡¯s not that it¡¯s a bad idea, and it''s hard for me to explain exactly, but since we apparently haven¡¯t done that, we¡¯re not going to either. It¡¯s like... our present is already their past. Makes us the responsible ones. Who knows what will happen in two months time? Maybe we''ll forget, maybe the machine will break down..."Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Couldn''t you foresee those sorts of events though?" Clarke wondered.


    Carrie began to look uneasy. "Maybe. Chartreuse thinks so. But I''m not keen on testing it.¡±


    ¡°You know what though? We might be able to generate more coins via causal loops,¡± Frank realized. ¡°Carrie has done it before with information. Telling herself something, then going back in time and saying it again, for the first time, as the only source. She even generated an apple out of nowhere last September. Couldn''t we do the same thing with coins?"


    Carrie began to rub her temples again. ¡°That¡¯s not the best plan. For one, I''m still not clear about how I managed the apple. For another, using the machine would burn up the coin we get, meaning it can¡¯t be used elsewhere anyway.¡±


    ¡°So use two coins," Luci countered. ¡°We¡¯ll put them onto a table in the morning. That evening, someone can use one one coin to travel back in time five minutes, picking up both coins. Then use one of THOSE to travel back a further five minutes, again picking up both coins. We keep repeating the process, getting an extra coin each time until finally--"


    "My head explodes," Carrie interrupted, shifting from having her fingers on her temples to pressing her palms there. "Guys, entertaining that thought physically HURTS. Much more than the usual background static.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°After all, Luci, that''s not how time travel works. If it''s my destiny to pick up the coins thirty minutes ago, I won''t be able to pick them up five minutes ago. They''ll be gone! Besides, I think that temporal random variance thing would have a thing or two to say about the attempt."


    "It IS an interesting new paradox though," Frank reflected. "If we use a coin to time travel, and then on that trip we take the coin away before it''s used, could we actually go on the trip?"


    "Frank... not helping with the headache," Carrie said, gritting her teeth.


    Frank frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not about to make things fly through the air, are you?"


    "Shall I get an aspirin?" Julie offered.


    "I doubt aspirin would do much," Carrie sighed, after shooting Frank a look. "I have had pains like this before. I think when my powers awoke, they gave me some sort of temporal conscience. That''s part of the reason I¡¯ve avoided discussing time travel philosophy with people this year.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Luci asked. "I thought the issue was that you had trouble making sense out of it."


    "That too," Carrie yielded. "Though I have tried to do more research. Being tied to a destiny and all.¡±


    ¡°Well, if time trickery is out, we could simply get more money,¡± Julie decided. ¡°Given that some percentage of all money out there has current year coins, more money leads to more useful coins. In fact, by knowing the future, you can win money at anything from lottery numbers to betting on sporting events.¡±


    Carrie began to rock back and forth. ¡°Wait.¡±


    Frank snapped his fingers. ¡°Or there''s the stock market. With the time machine we could invest today in something that we know will rise substantially over the next week and--"


    "SHUT UP!" Carrie shrieked, collapsing back onto the couch.


    Everyone turned to stare. The blonde took a few slow breaths, her eyes closed and her palms against her head. It took at least ten seconds, but finally one blue eye reopened. "For crying out loud people, were you SERIOUSLY trying to make my head explode there??¡±


    ¡°Carrie, a lottery wouldn¡¯t need to involve you at all," Luci pointed out. ¡°We¡¯d make the trip ourselv--"


    ¡°STOP.¡± Carrie drew in her next breath through clenched teeth. ¡°Look. News flash. Apparently it doesn¡¯t matter whether you do it, whether I do it, or whether the neighbour¡¯s cat does it. Playing with the normal flow of time that way? It¡¯s like an ice pick, right here!¡± She jabbed her finger at the side of her head. ¡°Though, Gods, mere TALK has never done this to me before... why now, all of a sudden?"


    "We''ve never talked about it seriously before," Frank speculated. ¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve brought it up with an intent to actually follow through.¡±


    "Lovely," Carrie said, dropping her head between her knees. ¡°You know what? I¡¯d better have some damn good mental shields in place before these time machine devices actually get invented. If not, idle chatter like that is liable to make me lose my friggin¡¯ mind and go on a homicidal rampage as a preemptive strike.¡±


    Frank visibly flinched, but only Clarke and Luci noticed.


    "You know," Clarke offered. "You''re all missing the obvious. If it''s merely more money you need... Julie already has money. Quite a bit. She can withdraw a bunch of rolled coins and search for more of the type you need.¡±


    Luci frowned. ¡°Seriously? I figured Julie¡¯s parents would have cut her off.¡±


    Julie nodded slowly. ¡°True, they did, but I have my own account," she admitted. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, I made sure there was one they couldn¡¯t touch. Plus there¡¯s still a few electronic tidbits lying around, which I bought to help with taking over the school, and they have value. Even without access to my parents'' funds, I''m probably better off than ninety percent of this town''s population.¡±


    "Plus you could always travel back a year or two and sneak out extra funds then," Frank mused. His gaze jerked back to Carrie. "Or would that be another temporal violation?"


    "It''s hard to tell, I''m still throbbing from the lottery remarks,¡± Carrie grumbled without looking up.


    ¡°There may have been a couple of times when funds went missing," Julie granted. "Though I''d have to think about it. In the meantime, I can withdraw $100 in coins... but sifting through them will take time.¡±


    ¡°We are in no rush,¡± Clarke assured.


    "That''s actually a really good plan," Frank agreed. ¡°It wouldn''t involve wasting what few coins we have now on any attempts to get more.¡±


    "Great," Carrie said. "Because I think my head has had more than enough of talking about time travel for today."


    "You sure you don''t want some aspirin?" Julie asked. Carrie gestured vaguely in response. "I''ll get some," the brunette decided, hurrying from the room again.


    Clarke watched her go before turning back to the others. "Thanks guys," he said sincerely. "Helping this way, it will mean a lot to Julie. While keeping her safely in the present.¡±


    "Least we can do, after neglecting her this long," Frank reflected. ¡°Somehow I never thought we''d be of much help during Julie¡¯s therapy."


    "A person always needs friends," Clarke countered. ¡°And it''s not like she can spill our whole story to her psychologist.¡±


    "Here''s the last big question then," Luci stated. ¡°Is it truly safe for us to leave the time machine here? Where Julie can access it?¡±


    Clarke furrowed his brow. "Um. That is a good question," he acknowledged. He thought about it. ¡°Maybe not, but if we--"


    He was interrupted by the sound of a loud scream from down the hall. Julie¡¯s scream.

 Part 54a: The Mansion

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.2 - With The Group


    PART 54a: THE MANSION 1


    "She''s not in the bathroom," Carrie said as she emerged. "However, this was on the floor." She held up a bottle of aspirin.


    "Where isshe then?" Clarke said, a tinge of panic creeping into his voice. He cupped his hand to his mouth. "Julie? JEWELS??¡±


    "Calm down," Luci soothed. "We''ll find her. Whatever happened, she can''t have gone far."


    "Maybe Jeeves or Mimi saw something?" Frank hypothesized.


    Clarke shook his head. "They''re not here. Jeeves is out servicing the car, and Mimi doesn''t spend much time around the house any more, outside of meal times. She¡¯s not keen on the whole fractured family situation."


    "Then let''s check the external security system," Luci reasoned. "That will tell us whether Julie left, and whether anyone else came."


    Clarke brought them to the security room, where a quick verification confirmed that there had been no activity outside of the mansion. "So where could Julie be?" Clarke said desperately. "And why did we hear her scream?!"


    ¡°Is she afraid of spiders, maybe?¡± Carrie mused.


    "Unless..."


    "Unless?" Frank said, turning to Luci.


    The small girl pursed her lips. ¡°Unless it''s not a matter of where she is, so much as WHEN she is."


    "You think she was timenapped?" Clarke asked, eyes widening.


    ¡°We were here to set a fixed date for starting travel,¡± Frank agreed. ¡°Yet for someone to take Julie, the time machine would need at least a few minutes to recharge, right?¡±


    ¡°Okay, so it stands to reason that if someone¡¯s trying that, Julie¡¯s still around, but maybe knocked out,¡± Carrie decided. ¡°We need to split up and search the house, fast.¡±


    "Whoa, split up?¡± Frank protested. ¡°But what if someone''s trying to pick us off one by one?"


    Carrie rolled her eyes. "Fine, I''ll check upstairs with Clarke while you two horror movie maniacs scour the basement. Good enough?"


    Frank seemed about to reply to her when Luci broke in. "Sounds good," she agreed, grabbing Frank''s arm. "Let''s do that."


    Carrie nodded and headed for the back stairs with Clarke, even as Frank turned to look at Luci in surprise. "We''re going to take orders from her?"


    "Come on, Frank," Luci said. "Let''s have a talk in the basement."


    ***


    Luci tried to figure out exactly how to say what she wanted to say as they descended the stairs. She finally decided to go the direct route, as usual. "Frank," she began as they reached the lower landing. "Why are you still freaking out about Carrie¡¯s powers?¡±


    He blinked. "Pardon?"


    ¡°The earlier comment about things flying through the air?¡± Luci said pointedly, even as she walked down the hall, opening the nearest door. ¡°The flinching when Carrie talked about losing her mind? I thought we¡¯d agreed that the remark to her father last weekend would be the last reference you¡¯d make to Stephen King¡¯s character.¡±


    ¡°I know. I''m sorry," Frank apologized. "Still, the fact that we discovered that the fire at the cafe occurred when Carrie was there... well, it''s kind of a freaky coincidence, don''t you think? Like, maybe, subconsciously--"


    "No,¡± Luci countered. ¡°Don¡¯t go there. Our Carrie is not some fictional character with mental issues and telekinesis, Frank. She¡¯s our friend.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Frank peered inside a room where a file cabinet had been tipped over, with papers strewn about. ¡°But we all saw what Carrie was capable of last year. And you know I¡¯m not keen on the horror genre. So if you didn''t want me to act this way around her, why did you show me that movie in the first place?"


    For a moment, Luci found herself at loss for words. Because she realized that Frank wasn¡¯t wrong - some part of her had wanted him to act this way. What she ultimately said was, ¡°Well, geez, Frank, why do you think I showed it to you?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Luci, I''m not a mind reader."


    "Who says you have to be a mind reader?"


    He gave her a look of confusion. So Luci clasped her hands in front of her chest and fluttered her eyelashes. "Oh, Carrie," the young girl swooned. "Don''t go out with Glen, he might be bad news. Don''t worry, I''ll tail him for you, I''ll keep an eye on him, I''ll make sure he doesn''t do anything inappropriate.¡±


    Frank''s eyebrows rose. "This is about me shadowing Glen?"


    "Oh for goodness sakes, Frank, don''t you remember ANYTHING about our previous conversations?" Luci said in exasperation. Honestly, Frank was a wonderful guy, but how could anyone that smart also be so dense and unaware?


    Their basement searching ceased completely as Luci¡¯s boyfriend peered more closely at her. "You mean... you really are jealous?"


    ¡°Oh, then you were listening. Amazing."


    ¡°And so... you showed me the movie so that I¡¯d be scared of Carrie, and run to you for support?¡±


    So he¡¯d been listening, but not understanding. ¡°I showed you the movie so that you¡¯d remember that someone like Carrie is capable of taking care of herself. So that you¡¯d come to me, not for support, but because... because I¡¯m important too. Even if I¡¯m not the one with powers or a destiny.¡±


    ¡°What? But, of course you¡¯re important, Luci. Why would you think otherwise?¡±


    ¡°Because, I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s like our relationship was stuck in second gear all summer,¡± Luci said. She found she couldn¡¯t look at Frank directly any more. Was she perhaps in the wrong? ¡°I thought coming back to school and studying together would reignite things, but instead you¡¯re more interested in Carrie¡¯s life than you are in mine.¡±


    There was a pause. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Luci, I never meant to give you that impression,¡± he said softly. ¡°If you thought I was ignoring you, why didn¡¯t you say something?¡±


    ¡°Oh, what the hell was I supposed to say?¡± Luci felt tears shimmering behind her eyelids. ¡°A girl can¡¯t simply tell a guy to dote on her, otherwise she¡¯ll know he¡¯s doing it because she told him to, not because she¡¯s actually worth it.¡±


    ¡°You are worth it.¡±


    ¡°See? Now you¡¯re only saying it because I told you to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Frank reached out to tilt Luci¡¯s head back in his direction. ¡°I¡¯m really not. I¡¯m sorry, Luci. I guess it¡¯s just, you¡¯ve always seemed so independent. Heck, ever since you stopped holding back at school, your marks have been in the top five percent for our grade level, even above mine. So it never occurred to me that you might be feeling insecure."


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m not insecure!¡± Luci swallowed. ¡°But okay, I guess for your birthday at the start of the month, I still had to go up on tiptoe in order to kiss you, and I... I¡¯m two years too young for our grade, and wonder if maybe you¡¯re getting tired of that age difference. I know I am."


    "Oh Luci, Luci, dear sweet Luci, no.¡±


    ¡°No? You¡¯ve never found yourself holding back because of my age? Hell, would you even still be going out with me, if you hadn''t seen how good I¡¯d look at twenty one?"


    She knew he couldn¡¯t have forgotten about the time when she had been artificially aged, prompting Professor Linquist to grab her off the street for experimentation. After all, it had been that Luci who had first made her feelings clear to Frank.


    ¡°Oh, Luci," Frank said, brushing a tear from her cheek. "I would still go out with you even if you broke out with a terrible case of acne. This isn''t about physical appearance. It''s not even about intellect. I love you, Luci, because of who you are. You know I do."


    Luci looked up into his eyes, and she saw the sincerity in them, and she felt like a total idiot. Why had she tried to use a horror movie to make her point? She leaned in towards him, her arms moving around him and her cheek resting on his chest as she let out a small sigh.


    "I know," she admitted. ¡°But maybe I need to hear it more often? Is that okay?¡±


    His arms encircled her back. "Of course it is," he said softly, hugging her close. "Of course it is, my lovely Luci. I''m sorry if I''ve made you feel at all neglected. I''ll make it up to you somehow... in fact, guess what. I got Joe to handle the business club¡¯s snack table for the upcoming school dance. And rather than simply assume, I should ask - Luci, will you be my date for the evening?¡±


    "Oh, Frank,¡± Luci said happily, looking up, then hugging him tightly. ¡°Of course! Thank you.¡± They remained that way for a short time, before she finally pulled back.


    ¡°Actually Frank, you know what else didn¡¯t help with this whole mess?¡± Luci admitted. ¡°Carrie complaining to me at the start of the school year about how much her chest was interfering with her cheerleading, and her other athletic pursuits. I mean, really? All I could think about during her WHOLE rant was ¡®So when am I due for a boost in MY cup size?¡¯. Damn it, I¡¯ve seen Grade Nines who are more developed than me.¡±


    Frank swallowed. ¡°Oh. Um. Well, you know, I¡¯ve never meant to imply you were devoid of physical attributes?"


    Luci eyed his expression. Perhaps she¡¯d over-shared with that one. ¡°Never mind. That¡¯s a topic I should be discussing with Chartreuse. We should get back to looking for Julie.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Frank said, visibly relieved. ¡°Lead the way."


    ***


    Julie moaned as consciousness returned. She blinked her eyes open, saw nothing but darkness, and felt a jolt of panic. It subsided as her eyes began to adjust, identifying a partially furnished, albeit windowless room. She sat up, reaching her hands out to confirm that she was in a small alcove in the wall.


    She suppressed the urge to sneeze at the dust tickling at her nose. "Mimi''s really let this room go," Julie murmured. Was she even still in the mansion?


    She thought back. She had been in the washroom, getting the aspirin bottle from the cabinet behind the mirror - and had slipped on a wet patch on the floor. Left behind when she¡¯d splashed water onto her face after bandaging her hand.


    Julie held her palm up to her face, peering at the bandage. Her hand still hurt. Right. Because to try and stay upright, she had seized the metal ring on the wall where they hung hand towels. And twisted it. And then, inexplicably, the floor had given out, and she¡¯d fallen... which meant she was... where?


    Julie struggled to her feet, trying to peer through the darkness. She stepped outside of the wall alcove. A cobweb or string dangled against her face, and she pulled at it, to get it out of the way.


    An overhead bulb clicked on. Julie blinked the spots out of her eyes, then let out a low whistle as her location became more clear.

 Part 54b: The Mansion 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.2 - With The Group


    PART 54b: THE MANSION 2


    Julie decided she was in a laboratory. Abandoned, to be sure, but it contained cabinets, counters, a sink - and fluorescent lighting overhead, which was still switched off. She fumbled her way across the room, towards the only door, where she found the main light switch.


    ¡°Where in heck did all this come from?" Julie murmured, once she was in a position to do a full scan of the room. ¡°How is this room inside my house?"


    She had thoroughly explored the mansion after moving in. True, the basement floor plan allowed for a room of this size, but the only place it could have been was behind a completely walled off area. Walled off...


    Julie walked back over to the alcove, and looked up. It seemed that she had landed at the bottom of some sort of overhead chute. Pursing her lips, Julie did some mental calculations, and realized this laboratory could indeed be part of her basement. With access from above.


    She made a quick circuit of the room, noting that there were still a handful of instruments in the drawers as well as chemicals in the cabinets. If it weren¡¯t for the dust, implying the room hadn¡¯t been used in years, she might have thought that someone was in the mansion spying on her.


    A flash of red caught her attention as she looked more closely at a large safe. Something had been shoved into the narrow space in between said safe, and the adjoining counter. Grabbing a nearby metre stick and fishing in the opening produced a spiral notebook. Julie blew the dust off of it, scanning over the cover.


    "Observations and experiments," she read. "As recorded by Professor Linquist... Professor Linquist?" Julie looked up. ¡°Of course. He owned this place before we moved in. This lab must have been some secret work area of his!"


    The brunette began to riffle through the book, but it seemed to be written in some sort of scientific code.


    "The others need to see this," Julie decided. "Heck, they''re probably wondering what''s happened to me. So how do I get out of here?"


    She tried the door, finding it to be unlocked. It opened inwards, revealing a wall of concrete blocks - except there was a narrow passage there, which could fit a single person. The passage extended in both directions.


    ¡°Left or right?¡± Julie whispered. She peered into the darkness. No way to know. ¡°Right. Let''s see where this goes."


    ***


    ¡°Okay, well, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s up here,¡± Carrie concluded. ¡°Unless she¡¯s in that locked records room, or Jeeves¡¯ room, or is actively being moved around to avoid us or something.¡±


    ¡°We can still try those rooms before giving up,¡± Clarke insisted.


    Carrie shook her head. ¡°At this point, if people were stealing Julie through time, I think they¡¯d be gone. There has to be another reason for...¡° She froze. ¡°Damn. Oh, DAMN!¡±


    "What?"


    Carrie took off towards the stairway. "We''re up here. Frank and Luci are in the basement. I left the time machine on the main level, UNGUARDED. What if that was the plan? What if it was JULIE¡¯S plan? To hide, and throw us off long enough to take a time trip?¡±


    Clarke frowned. ¡°Carrie, she¡¯s not that reckless, and surely Frank still has the coins..."


    However, the blonde girl was already out of earshot. So, with a resigned sigh, Clarke followed her back down.


    He reentered the sitting room to see her staring down at the time machine, on the floor, exactly where they had left it. "See? You need to give Julie more credit."


    ¡°Okay. But it¡¯s SO stupid of me to keep leaving the damn thing where others can get it,¡± she said, grimacing. ¡°I mean, this is twice in two days. Um, kinda. Look, I think I¡¯d better take it back to my place. I''ll sleep better knowing that it''s still under my bed."


    "Fine," Clarke granted. ¡°Now can we get back to searching? Because I swear, Julie wouldn''t have run off like this voluntarily.¡±


    ¡°Scratch the basement," Frank offered, as he and Luci reentered the room behind him. "But there were a couple of locked areas. Storage, maybe?¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°I also wonder if we missed a section - there seemed to be less floor space than I would have expected," Luci observed.


    "No, it¡¯s fine, there¡¯s a section around the back of the stairs which is all foundation,¡± Clarke assured. ¡°There''s no rooms in that area.¡±


    As he spoke, there came a click and a series of creaks. Then the tall china cabinet against one wall of the room began to rattle as it slid sideways across the carpet. Clarke lifted his eyebrows, as Carrie grabbed for the time machine and Frank stepped slightly in front of Luci.


    Everyone watched as Julie emerged from a dark passage, her clothes dusty, with cobwebs caught in her hair. "Actually," Julie said, letting out a cough. "It would seem that there is a room down there after all."


    "Jewels,¡± Clarke gasped, running towards her, stopping short from actually grasping her by the shoulders. "What happened?"


    Julie turned to look at the tunnel behind her. "My best guess," she ventured, "is that I triggered something by twisting the towel ring in the bathroom while the medicine cabinet was open. It sent me down to this lab where... well, Phil, why don''t you go grab a flashlight so that we can all see for ourselves?"


    ***


    "Careful, there''s some stairs here," Julie warned. There was only enough space for them to move single file, so she led the way. Clarke brought up the rear, shining his light forwards.


    "I''ll be damned," Carrie muttered, inching along behind Julie. It was extra awkward, because she hadn¡¯t wanted to leave the time machine behind again - but now she had to walk sideways, with it at her hip. ¡°Like everyone else, I¡¯d heard the rumours about there being secret passages in this place. But I thought you''d searched for them."


    ¡°Seems I wasn¡¯t thorough enough," Julie admitted. ¡°In the end, most of my searching was done downstairs, around that closed off section. So while I''m sure that there''s no way into it from down there, it didn''t occur to me to check for access from places on the main landing.¡±


    "A china cabinet isn''t the most obvious choice for a passage anyway," Frank commented. "I''d have gone for a bookshelf."


    "Well, we keep china in it, I''m not sure what Linquist used it for.¡±


    ¡°Linquist?¡± came Luci¡¯s voice. ¡°You think that quack was doing illegal experiments down here??¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe you can tell me. He left some logbook of experiments behind.¡± Less than a minute later, they had all filed into the hidden basement room.


    ¡°You know what?¡± Carrie said, looking around. "This would be an excellent place for us to use for storage, time travel meetings, that kind of thing. It¡¯s in the mansion, out of the way - even Jeeves doesn''t know about it, right?"


    ¡°Right,¡± Julie confirmed. ¡°I can also tidy it up a little for us, and catalog whatever stuff Linquist left behind.¡±


    "Hold it,¡± Luci objected. "Have you forgotten how crazy that guy was? What if he left booby traps behind?"


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t always crazy,¡± Carrie countered. ¡°And I doubt he would have sold this place to a wealthy family like the LaMilles if he''d left anything in here that would take their heads off. That would mean a major lawsuit."


    ¡°Even when he wasn¡¯t crazy, he still wasn¡¯t normal,¡± Luci shot back. ¡°Remember, Linquist believed that aliens left their children at orphanages in the hopes that they would some day be brought inconspicuously into society. A familiar story for you, right Carrie?"


    "My mother was an unwitting time traveler, not an alien," Carrie said dismissively. ¡°And Linquist had nothing to do with her appearance or disappearance, they happened years before he went off on this tangent.¡±


    ¡°Yet people in the future must have associated with Linquist at SOME point,¡± Luci countered. ¡°Remember, this guy also also owned equipment for sensing the temporal flux in my DNA. He couldn''t have picked that up at the corner drugstore.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Point,¡± Carrie finally yielded. ¡°We should be careful.¡±


    ¡°On the topic of using this place though,¡± Frank broke in. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea."


    ¡°And I''ve decided to clean the lab up no matter what," Julie put in.


    ¡°In which case, I can make sure to be around whenever Julie''s investigating," Clarke offered.


    Luci let out a sigh. "Oh, very well. But don''t say I didn''t warn you.¡± She held up Linquist¡¯s red notebook. ¡°Can I keep this, at least? To see if I can figure out what this guy spent his time experimenting on down here? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s some connection between that guy and time travel that we¡¯ve missed.¡±


    "No problem," Julie agreed. ¡°It¡¯s in code though.¡±


    ¡°I can help you work on it, if you want," Frank offered. Luci smiled back at him.


    "Then it''s settled," Clarke concluded. "Me and Julie will fix this place up over the week, so you could bring coins and technical drawings or whatever down here by, say, this Friday evening.¡±


    ¡°Except that¡¯s the night of the school dance," Frank reminded the taller boy. "Aren''t you going to be there with Julie?¡±


    Clarke looked sidelong at the brunette. "Well, no. Unless she changes her mind..."


    "Oh, Julie, you should come,¡± Carrie said. ¡°The first dance of the school year? It''s a way to get you back into social circles.¡±


    Julie shook her head. "On the contrary, my presence would only serve to remind people of what happened between me and Corry at the first dance LAST year. When I not only screwed you and him over, but Laurie Veniti too.¡±


    ¡°No way - or if it does remind them, it¡¯ll only serve to show them how much better of a person you are now," Carrie insisted. "Come on, you really have been keeping a lot to yourself lately. A dance will do you good. The four of us will stand up for you. I''ll make sure Glen does as well.¡±


    "Glen? You think he¡¯ll be there?" Frank asked.


    Carrie pursed her lips. ¡°Yeah. Since he, uh, kinda asked me out - more specifically, ask me to honour him by being his date - and after our cafe meeting became a fiasco the other week, I didn''t really want to say no." She shrugged.


    "Carrie''s right, Julie, you might as well come along," Luci chimed in. ¡°If you feel uncomfortable, you can always leave early."


    Julie looked around at them. "But..." Her eyes landed on Clarke. ¡°Oh, all right. Phil, we''ll go. If nothing else, we can see Corry¡¯s music group in their first major performance. They¡¯re supposed to be performing when the DJ goes on break.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Clarke said, smiling back. ¡°See Jewels? I told you some people would want you there. You blew things out of proportion. I mean, you and Corry aren''t actively fighting any more, so what''s the worst thing that could possibly happen?"


    As it turned out, Clarke was surprised.

 Part 55a: Tune Up

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.2 - With The Group


    PART 55a: TUNE UP 1


    The band hit the final chord as Corry finished singing. He turned to smile at them. "Great work, guys. Thanks for agreeing to the extra practice. We''ll knock ''em dead tomorrow night.¡±


    Tim smiled back from where he sat behind the keyboard. Lee hit the cymbals and gave Corry a thumbs up. Sue adjusted the strap of her bass guitar.


    ¡°What was the significance of that song anyway?" Sue inquired. ¡°Flying to the moon, it¡¯s a little sappier than our normal fare."


    "Request from my sister," Corry shrugged. "Reminds her of some animated TV show she likes. Actually, maybe we should wrap up today with something different?"


    ¡°Which one?" Lee inquired, spinning a drumstick in his hand.


    ¡°That one which is also a popular theme song," Corry said. "Remember? It goes like this..."


    ***


    Glen smiled as Carrie¡¯s father opened the door. ¡°Hello, Mr. Waterson. I''m here to pick up Carrie.¡±


    Hank Waterson stepped aside. "She''s still getting ready, but do come in. I''ve been hoping to get the chance to meet you."


    "I figured." Glen entered the house, knotting his tie a little tighter. Inwardly, he cursed whatever human had invented the things, and wondered who had made this school dance a semi-formal affair. At least a nice shirt sufficed, no need for him to have a jacket.


    "I hope to make a favourable impression," the redhead continued. ¡°As my intentions are completely honourable, and I''ll try to have your daughter home by whatever time you specify."


    "I''m glad to hear it.¡± Carrie''s father closed the front door again. "I gathered as much from her, but there were a few things that she was unable to tell me. For instance, you seem to have no family in town. What is the story with your parents?"


    "Oh, they''ve now purchased a house over in that new development to the north," Glen replied, gesturing vaguely. "But mom¡¯s still wrapping up with business out east, and as such they''ve arranged to have me stay at the Clayton Hotel for a few more weeks."


    Hank Waterson''s eyebrows shot up. "You''re staying at the hotel?"


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Glen supposed that Carrie hadn¡¯t mentioned that detail. Made sense, in retrospect. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, really. The room has a small fridge and hotplate, and the maid service tidies daily. My parents wanted me to be here for the full semester, you see, and this was the best way to do that."


    "I see," Mr. Waterson said slowly. "And what business is it that your parents are involved in?¡±


    "My mother is a scientist - that¡¯s what¡¯s keeping her out of town, at the lab - while my father is a pilot, so he¡¯s all over the place,¡± Glen said easily. "I''m hoping to go into the field of sciences myself someday. It certainly seems profitable enough."


    Mr. Waterson seemed to size him up. ¡°Yet Carrie tells me you''re a long distance runner."


    "Yeah, well, I run, I act, I skate, I paint... everyone needs hobbies," Glen said. Time to spin a question back, perhaps. ¡°A person should be well rounded, don''t you think?"


    Before Hank Waterson could answer, Carrie¡¯s voice came from upstairs. ¡°Is that Glen down there? Don''t you dare give him the third degree, Dad! Tell him I''ll be down in another few seconds.¡±


    Glen half smiled. ¡°You heard her - so, any final rules I should know about, before your daughter comes charging down and admonishes you for giving them to me?"


    Hank eyed Glen again, then shook his head. "Nothing that isn''t common sense," he decided. "And you seem to be the sort of boy who knows what I mean by that. In fact, I''ll level with you, a part of me is glad to see Carrie making new friends like this. She¡¯s seemed a bit more withdrawn from her peers ever since she was hospitalized last year.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Ah, when she was shot?" Glen said. "I heard about that. Nasty business."


    "It was," Mr. Waterson affirmed. He then leaned in closer to Glen''s face to speak more quietly. "An incident which has helped me to realize that, should you or anyone else lay an inappropriate finger on my daughter¡¯s body, I will be forced into drastic action. Understood?"


    "Naturally," Glen affirmed, maintaining his composure. ¡°Indeed, I would have been disappointed not to hear such concern from her only surviving parent."


    A frown tugged at Hank Waterson''s features, but before he could say anything more, Carrie appeared at the top of the stairs. "Glen! Glad to see you.¡± She lifted the skirt of her long purple dress slightly in order to avoid tripping during her descent. "I trust my father hasn''t been bothering you?"


    "Oh, no, not at all," Glen said, turning to face her. "And may I say, you look radiant in that outfit."


    "Why thank you," Carrie said, pinkening mildly in the cheeks.


    Her father cleared his throat. "Carrie, remember our deal. You''re home by eleven thirty."


    The blonde rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dad.¡± She grabbed her jacket out of the closet. ¡°Come on, Glen, we don''t want to arrive at the dance TOO fashionably late."


    Glen nodded in reply and the two teenagers left the house, Carrie''s father watching them from the front door until they reached the sidewalk. Glen glanced back as the front door closed. "So, you made a deal with your Dad?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he''s letting me wear the dress with the plunging neckline on condition that I come home right after the dance ends at eleven," Carrie admitted. ¡°Probably realized that I was going to wear this thing no matter what, and tricked me into that compromise."


    "Ah. Clever man. Something that runs in the family, I see.¡±


    ¡°Hah. He wasn''t so devious back before my brush with death. I swear, last year, he didn¡¯t care at all about my social life. It¡¯s only been during the last several months that he¡¯s taken an interest.¡±


    "Must be a real pain then, huh?"


    Carrie pursed her lips. "No," she murmured. "It''s nice. We need to be home on time." She reached out to take Glen''s arm. "But never mind about my Dad, let''s get to this dance! I want to make sure Julie has someone to talk to when she turns up."


    ***


    "Uh oh.¡± Chartreuse looked down. "It''s, like, that bad, huh?"


    "Oh, I didn''t say anything!" Laurie protested.


    "That''s the thing, normally you have so much to say," Chartreuse pointed out. She fanned out her skirt, staring down at the multiple splashes of colour that adorned it. "I, you know, thought it would compliment the sparkly sequins I added to my blouse. No such luck?"


    ¡°It... kinda works? It must be the lighting in the room. Don''t worry Chartreuse, I''m sure lots of people will ask you to dance!¡±


    Chartreuse looked back up as Laurie Veniti adjusted the big, puffy shoulders of her own long, red dress. "Now me, I probably shouldn''t have gone with this choice of colour which is so similar to my hair because I probably look exactly like a tomato or a big red candle or something and the dress is too formal anyway plus so many people here are already in couples so I doubt I''ll be asked to dance by anyone.¡± She sighed.


    "Laurie, stay calm. You look fine," Chartreuse countered. ¡°Anyway, worst comes to worst, we can always dance with each other." Which, she mentally added, didn¡¯t mean she fancied her friend in that way. It¡¯s just Laurie was probably the only girl she could dance with and not spark gossip. Except, maybe she and Carrie...? Chartreuse pushed the stray thought aside.


    She looked out across the dance floor. The music had started under half an hour ago, yet there were only a few people out there. Semi-formal dances seemed to be less popular these days - student council should have picked her suggestion of a Hawaiian theme. ¡°So, when is your brother''s band going to be, you know, performing?"


    Laurie''s brow furrowed in thought. "Golly, it¡¯ll be at least another half hour, because I remember Corry saying something about Lee not being able to make it until after eight. But I know they''re doing two sets, whenever the DJ wants a break!¡±


    Chartreuse¡¯s gaze settled on where Corry and his group had set up their equipment, near the stage. It looked like Sue was double checking the electronics.


    Which is when Chartreuse realized she was getting a vibe. Why was she getting a vibe? "Remind me how the four of them, like, hooked up? It was second semester of last year, right?"


    "Yeah. Partly on account of me," Laurie agreed. "See, Corry had practically given up on the band idea after the mess with Julie. But last March I pushed for him to give it another go, particularly after Clarke talked to me, saying that Tim was trying to come out of his shell, and that he was a pianist. Knowing how hard it can be to put yourself out there, I had my brother hear Tim play, then Corry finally held guitarist auditions. Sue had the best one. And Lee got personally invited in, after Corry heard him drumming after school at around the same time."


    "Sweet. Nice that they''ve come such a long way in, like, a relatively short amount of time."


    "Corry really wanted to do this performance too," Laurie continued. "In fact, he''s pushed for more and more rehearsals since school resumed... to the point where it kinda worries me that the other members resent him for that." She followed Chartreuse''s gaze over to the band setup, then back again. "You¡¯ve got that look. Why?¡±


    "A feeling.¡± Chartreuse shook her head. No point causing her friend to worry. "Probably nothing. Yeah, it¡¯s nothing Laurie, never mind. Come on, let''s head closer to the door. I think the guy there is, you know, trying to get your attention!"

 Part 55b: Tune Up 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.2 - With The Group


    PART 55b: TUNE UP 2


    It wasn''t a standard code, since rearranging the words - if you called them words - hadn''t helped. Luci hadn¡¯t had any success reading the first letter of every word either. Or with ROT13. But perhaps if she... the young girl''s thoughts were interrupted by a pinch in her side. "Yipe! Frank, what was that for?"


    "Well, I only asked you twice if I could take your jacket for you," Frank pointed out with a grin.


    "Oh. Sorry.¡± Luci felt her cheeks warm as she shrugged it off. "Guess I got lost in thought.¡± She looked down at her outfit. ¡°Gods, I hate that this is a semi-formal affair. I don''t have any clothes like that, and even though Carrie offered to help me shop, I didn¡¯t want to do that either."


    "Luci, don''t worry, those are nice pants and you look just fine in that blouse. It''s a nice shade of blue. Anyway, it''s not like I''m wearing a tie."


    ¡°But you have a proper jacket. Which you can simply toss on a chair. Why can men can get away with that stuff, while we''re supposed to be all dressy?¡± Luci grumbled. ¡°High heels should be against the law.¡±


    Frank adjusted his glasses. "Well, I see some other girls around who aren''t in heels either. I wouldn''t worry about it."


    Luci sighed. ¡°Says the guy who won¡¯t get laughed at behind his back for his outfit. Girls are the worst.¡±


    Frank stared, then reached out to take Luci¡¯s hand, gently squeezing it. "Okay, what''s bothering you? It''s not simply the dress code here, you''ve been in a bit of a mood all week. Are you still upset with me? Is this a test to see if I¡¯m actually paying enough attention to you?"


    "What? Oh, no, it''s not that," Luci assured.


    "Then what''s the problem?"


    Luci shifted her weight back and forth. "It''s that logbook of Linquist''s," she admitted. "The one Julie found. I''ve been working on cracking the code, to figure out exactly what sort of stuff that nutcase was doing, but I¡¯ve had no luck. It vexes me. And because I was working on that, I didn¡¯t go shopping, and so now I¡¯m going to look like an social idiot, and it¡¯s all that Linquist¡¯s fault again.¡±


    "Ah. Um, that last is a bit of a stretch - are you sure you¡¯re not simply looking for more reasons to hate the guy?¡±


    ¡°Yes. No. I don¡¯t know. I wish they¡¯d picked Chartreuse¡¯s suggestion of a Hawaiian theme,¡± Luci groused.


    Frank lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯d prefer to be wearing a grass skirt? I mean, not that I¡¯d be complaining, but..."


    "But, ugh, point made,¡± Luci realized, looking back down at her legs. ¡°Fine, point to you, it could be worse, let¡¯s enjoy what we have.¡± She attempted a smile.


    Frank grinned back. "Okay then. I''ll just check our coats, be right back." He moved off towards the coat check area.


    Luci spent a couple of seconds admiring the decorations, but she couldn''t help it, her mind was soon spinning with more ideas, more possibilities for that book. Perhaps a Caesar cipher...


    ***


    "How''s business, Joe?" Frank inquired as he set the jackets down on the table.


    Their late September dance was usually better for snacks, as compared to the coat check part, which was better in February. Regardless, their booth was a way for the business club to make a bit of money, splitting the proceeds with Students¡¯ Council.


    "Slow but steady," Joe Drew replied. "Actually, we haven''t missed your expertise back here at all. I''d be worried for your job."


    "I''ll bear that in mind," Frank said dryly. His fellow senior tore off a couple of numbered ticket stubs, exchanging them for his quarters. ¡°But I have to say, I prefer Luci''s company to yours."


    "I can understand that," Joe granted. The blonde boy leaned in a little closer. "By the way, I''ve heard Julie might turn up later tonight. Can you believe that girl? I bet a brawl will break out, and Mr. Fisk will cancel all future dances forever.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on Joe. I think she¡¯s learned how to behave herself," Frank said, hoping he sounded reassuring.


    "Hrmph," Joe retorted, drawing back. His eyes shifted to the stage. ¡°I suppose that, deep down, it¡¯s all that idiot Corry¡¯s fault. Guy should have dealt with her last year. I mean, he exposed what Julie did, how she manipulated folks like me. So why did he turn around and start acting all nicey nice to her?"


    ¡°Yeah, uh, I suppose there''s stuff we don''t know about the situation," Frank offered. He began to wonder how to best extract himself from the conversation.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Joe shook his head. "I know as much as I need to. Julie probably paid him off, so Corry''s even worse than she is."


    Before Frank could think of a good reply, a couple came up behind him to place a coat on the table. "Service, please," the boy stated.


    "Coming right up," Joe said, finally handing off Frank and Luci''s coats to his co-worker before moving to deal with the newcomers. Frank took the opportunity to escape back to Luci''s side.


    ***


    Carrie tried to decipher the noise Glen made upon their arrival. Failing that, she spoke up. ¡°What? Is this so different from dances at your last school?¡±


    Glen shook his head, still eyeing the decorations. ¡°The faculty there didn''t believe in dances. So you''ll have to forgive me if I tread on your toes, dancing¡¯s a skill I never really developed.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, amazing, something you¡¯re not good at,¡± Carrie teased. She smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll manage, just don¡¯t make a habit of toe crunching.¡±


    "Scuze me, comin'' through.¡±


    Carrie recognized Lee¡¯s voice, and she turned to see him dashing though the front doors, dodging nimbly around the nearest couple. "Whoop, sorry ''bout that, gotta hook up with the power cad, pardon me, scuze me..."


    "Glory be, now his gang''s all here."


    This time, it was the sheer bitterness in the tone that made Carrie look for the source. Which was a light haired boy leaning against the wall. He was glowering at the crowd in general, but when he saw that Carrie was observing him in particular, he turned and shuffled towards the cafeteria/dance floor.


    "Wonder what that guy''s problem is," Glen mused aloud.


    ¡°That¡¯s Tommy,¡± Carrie explained. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s still upset that Corry picked Sue to play bass guitar in the band, over him.¡± She tugged idly on a strand of her hair. ¡°See, Sue was a side switcher - with Corry in Grade Nine, but then she joined me and Julie. Only to return to Corry last November, after Julie¡¯s secrets got exposed. Meanwhile, Tommy''s been on Corry''s side since grade school.¡±


    Glen grimaced. ¡°So this is some kinda loyalty thing?¡±


    Carrie nodded. ¡°Yeah. I mean, Corry wasn¡¯t wrong to choose Sue for his band, she IS the better guitarist. But it might have been the last straw for Tommy. It was the people who were closest to Corry who were blindsided the most, you see. When he cracked down on any attacks against Julie. Speaking of, you WILL look out for her here, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Glen rolled his eyes. ¡°School politics. How irritating. Stop me if I ask again."


    ¡°Why? Is that another thing that you didn''t see much of at your last school?"


    "Not over such petty issues," Glen countered, shaking his head. ¡°Where I come from, it¡¯s all about world domination."


    Carrie blinked. "Pardon me?"


    He winked at her. "Kidding. So, shall we go and have a dance or two?"


    Kidding? Or were they back to him keeping her off balance? Carrie pursed her lips. Every so often, he said something to make her wonder if she should be more suspicious.


    Except, she¡¯d recently realized that Glen didn¡¯t trigger any temporal headaches. Implying that no changes were occurring to her timeline. No, this was on her, not him - she had to stop overthinking this.


    ¡°Yes, dancing. Watch the feet,¡± she warned, hooking her arm around his as they headed for the doorway.


    ***


    "I d-d-don''t know if I can d-do this," Tim said, peering around the door frame at all the people out on the dance floor. "I d-d-didn''t think there would be so many p-people here. N-Not given the theme, and what happened last year.¡±


    "Tim, first of all, breathe. Second, you can''t cut out on me now.¡± Corry crossed his arms. "Not after all the hard work we''ve put in."


    "W-W-W-Well..."


    "Yo, dudes and dudette," Lee said, breezing past Tim at the door to emerge into the far hallway. For once, his worn suit jacket was actually appropriate to the occasion, even if the T-Shirt he wore underneath it was not. "Have I missed anything?"


    "No, but you are five minutes late," Corry said, irritably. "What''s more, that''s becoming a habit for you this month.¡±


    "Hey, cut me some slack, jack," Lee protested. "I told you when I came on board that family matters and schoolwork would have to take precedence over this band."


    "All right, come on, everybody calm down," Sue put in. "There''s still plenty of time to tune up and decide on the songs for our first set. We''ll knock ''em dead, no worries."


    "Right, good, I like that philosophy," Corry said, pointing at her. "Now, I''ve already seen to the drums, the keyboard and the electronics... so Sue, let''s go get the guitars and do one final check. The DJ told me we''re on after another couple songs.¡± The two of them hurried off to the music room, leaving Tim and Lee behind.


    "I''m n-not so sure about this," Tim murmured to Lee, after checking to see that Corry was out of earshot. "What if I mess up notes? What if we g-get heckled off the stage?"


    "Don''t even think about it, tiny T," Lee soothed. "Mrs. Willis said we sounded great, and the school crowd ain''t that hostile.¡± He glanced towards the cafeteria. ¡°Well, okay, some of ¡®em are, but it''s only towards the power cad. We¡¯re clear."


    "I g-guess," Tim said uncertainly. He took a few slow breaths. ¡°I¡¯ll feel SO much better after tonight. When Corry isn''t so obsessive."


    Lee rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, uh, I wouldn''t totally count on that though?¡± he warned. "I figure the better this goes, the more the guy will want to perform. If you can''t handle his scheduling, you''re gonna have to learn to stand up to him. Like I do sometimes."


    "Oh," Tim said sullenly. He shuffled his feet. "How about you stand up for me too?"


    Lee shook his head. ¡°Sorry, T. I would, but I don''t really want the guy on my case any more than he is already. Besides, you''ll eventually have to learn to do it yourself."


    "I g-guess.¡± Tim sighed. ¡°Know what? It''s gotten to the point where I wish Corry would disappear. Only for a little while."


    Lee frowned. It looked to Tim as if he wanted to say something further, but before he could, Laurie Veniti peered out of the cafeteria. "Corry?" she said, timidly.


    "Hey, double V. He''s on his way," Lee offered, turning towards Corry''s twin. As if on cue, Corry and Sue appeared at the far end of the hallway with their guitars, walking towards them.


    "Great,¡± Chartreuse said brightly, stepping out from behind Laurie. "Because the two of us wanted to, like, wish the whole group the best of luck on your little, you know, debut." She offered an encouraging smile to all the members, before reaching out a hand towards Corry as he strode up.


    ¡°Sure, thanks," Corry said absentmindedly, reaching out to shake Chartreuse''s outstretched palm as he passed.


    He was brought up short, however, when Chartreuse didn''t release him. Instead, she grabbed hold with both of her hands. He turned to fire an irritated look at her, only to flinch back upon seeing Chartreuse¡¯s horrified gaze.


    "Ohmigod," the pink haired mystic gasped out. She shifted her attention from Corry¡¯s hand up to his face. "You, like, totally can''t go out there,¡± Chartreuse declared. "If you do... you''ll die!¡±

 Part 56a: Tone Down

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.2 - With The Group


    PART 56a: TONE DOWN 1


    "Carrie. Carrie!¡±


    She began to turn at the sound of her name, yet was not fast enough to avoid being blindsided by the fast moving splash of colour that was Chartreuse.


    "Carrie,¡± the pink haired girl repeated desperately, grabbing onto Carrie¡¯s arm to keep her from falling over. "Thank goodness I spotted you. Listen, Corry doesn''t, like, believe me when I say someone''s out to kill him. We¡¯ve got to use your powers so we can, you know, stop this terrible thing from happening.¡±


    Carrie coughed. "Ahem. My what? What are you saying, Chartreuse?" she asked, inclining her head towards the person standing next to her.


    Chartreuse turned to look at Carrie''s red-headed companion. "Oh, hi Glen. Uhmmmm, I need to use Carrie''s powers of persuasion. Mind if I borrow your date for a little while?"


    "Chartreuuuuuuse..."


    Glen laughed. "It''s okay Carrie, I don''t mind. I could use a dance break, and was planning on watching Corry''s performance anyway. You go tend to the serious matters your friend is referring to."


    "I''m sure they''re not that serious," Carrie protested. It didn¡¯t matter - Chartreuse had already muttered a quick thanks and was pushing her towards the hallway.


    Sighing, Carrie allowed herself to be led into the nearest unlocked classroom before confronting the pink haired girl.


    ¡°REALLY, Chartreuse?¡± Carrie said irritably. "What is so important that you felt it necessary to pull me away from the first truly enjoyable date I''ve had in months?"


    "It¡¯s like I said. I sensed something when I was with Laurie earlier, but it didn¡¯t, like, hit me until I touched Corry¡¯s hand," Chartreuse explained in a rush. "It was one of my, you know, wham bang powerful impressions that told me he''d be dead before the night was out. And I bet it''s somehow related to the musical sets he''s gonna do!¡±


    She leaned in. ¡°But I can''t see more than that without meditating, and I never know how long it¡¯ll take to pick up something, whereas Corry¡¯s starting in less than five minutes. So since you''re so much more powerful than me, you could look ahead--"


    "Whoa, STOP,¡± Carrie interrupted. ¡°Dial that back. I¡¯m at a dance here. With Glen. This is NOT temporal session time. And even if it WERE, we¡¯d started to work on mental shielding, not running up and down my timeline. Think about it, I still have no idea whether something from the future will become fixed as soon as I see it. What if I see something horrible, and then we can¡¯t change it?¡±


    "But we have to do something,¡± Chartreuse insisted. "Please, Carrie, can''t you at least help me work out the cause? Or get a list of suspects? Or a time frame? Something?? I swear, I''m not overdramatizing here. Well, okay, so Corry may not DIE, but I know Laurie¡¯s brother will get badly hurt - unless we do something.¡±


    Carrie groaned and pressed a couple fingers to her forehead. She contemplated Chartreuse''s request, the pleading look on her friend¡¯s face, and in particular, how the two of them would feel should something disastrous actually happen to Corry now.


    "Okay. Okay! I''ll try a few tiny image jumps forward," Carrie yielded. "But you leave me and Glen alone for the rest of the night after this, understood?¡±


    "Of course. Unless your help is needed again,¡± Chartreuse said brightly. Carrie opened her mouth to protest, but then decided it probably wouldn''t do any good. She simply sighed as she sat, cross legged on the floor of the classroom, and closed her eyes.


    ***


    ¡®Thank goodness,¡¯ Chartreuse thought, going down on her knees in front of the seated blonde. ¡®We can fix this, I know we can! Still, I gotta take it easy on her...¡¯


    ¡°All right, Carrie," Chartreuse began, grasping the blonde by the hands. "I realize we''re not at my place with the crystals, but try to relax and--"


    "I''m there," Carrie murmured, eyes closed. "In the time stream."


    Chartreuse resisted the urge to flinch. ¡®Damn, that was fast. I can see why it worries her.'' "Er, okay," she continued. "See if you can centre in on Corry? Visualize that he''s standing there in front of you."


    Carrie nodded. "It''s not difficult, I¡¯ve mentioned former time travellers are always a bit out of synch. He''s... yes, I''ve got it. He''s out in the cafeteria. They¡¯re making preparations for their first number."


    "Do you sense any danger?"


    "I don''t think so?" Carrie muttered. "The crowd is chattering, talking about his chances. I don¡¯t know if I want to wade into it, my astral self has ended up back by the coat check. Oh, wait, Joe Drew is scowling at me! No, wait, it''s through me - towards the stage. Towards Corry."Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Don''t forget, spirit body. Totally insubstantial, no one can see or do anything to you.¡±


    "I know, I know. It troubles me, that''s all. Do you think I ended up back here because Joe¡¯s planned something?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Or maybe it was a subconscious attempt to avoid the crowd.¡± Chartreuse tightened her grip slightly. She had rather hoped to be able to sense something through Carrie, but so far, there was nothing.


    Was that because there was nothing to sense? Or because it didn¡¯t work that way? How else could they interface? Her gaze started to wander, and she pulled it back to Carrie¡¯s face.


    ¡°Okay, Corry¡¯s announcing the first song. Now what?"


    Chartreuse sighed. They needed more. ¡°Are you up to trying a skip into the future? To establish a time frame? Please be honest. My attitude aside, I don''t want to push you beyond what you can, you know, handle."


    Carrie bit down on her lower lip. "I don''t know," she admitted after a moment''s thought. ¡°After all, I don¡¯t want to physically time travel. Only project. But maybe if I simply imagine that I¡¯m stretching forwards, moving faster than the water currents?"


    ***


    Julie allowed Clarke to lead her towards the cafeteria. "No deafening, pulsating beat," the tall boy said to her, as he tugged at his necktie. ¡°Guess we¡¯ve arrived just in time for Corry''s bit."


    "Um," was all Julie could think to reply. After numerous wardrobe changes, she had finally selected a low key shirt and sweater ensemble with a long skirt. As they entered the cafeteria, only a couple of people picked up on her presence; Corry''s imminent performance was helping to divert attention.


    ''Interesting,'' Julie mused. ''A year ago, this sort of neglect would have infuriated me. Now I''m simply relieved.''


    As the quartet of students started to play up by the stage, Clarke guided her back against the wall. "They''re quite good," he reflected. "Tim''s looking a little out of sorts though. I hope Corry''s been treating him decently."


    "Clarke,¡± came a hushed cry. Both Clarke and Julie turned as the younger Veniti twin ran up, dressed like a red candle. "Clarke, we need your help. Chartreuse thinks Corry''s life is in danger!"


    Clarke blinked. "I beg your pardon?"


    "Chartreuse got this feeling that Corry was going to die or get hurt," Laurie explained. "And she thought Carrie could help and so went to find her but now they¡¯ve both disappeared and so you''re tall maybe you can see them since I''m not sure what''s going to happen any more and I''m so worried for my brother and by the way that''s a lovely tie you''re wearing and golly it''s such a pity that I''m not seeing it under better circumstances..."


    The redhead was obviously distressed, Julie realized. She normally did a better job of controlling her run-on sentences these days, particularly in front of Clarke. The guy she¡¯d once liked. Or still liked? Julie didn¡¯t like to reflect on that too much.


    "Whoa, okay Laurie, calm down," Clarke was saying. "You''re saying you need to find Chartreuse and Carrie?" Laurie nodded wordlessly, eyes wide and full of concern. Clarke turned his attention to Julie. "Jewels, will you be okay here for a couple minutes while I try to track down Laurie''s friends?¡±


    Julie nodded. "It''s fine, Phil, no one''s paying attention to me. And if someone tries to start something, I¡¯ll simply go back outside.¡±


    Clarke looked at her for another moment before returning her nod. "Okay. Now, Laurie, given Chartreuse¡¯s preference for coloured outfits, I¡¯m pretty sure I could spot her if she were in here," he said. "Maybe she went to the washroom, or out for a breath of air? What was she wearing?¡±


    Julie watched the two of them depart the cafeteria, then shrank back against the wall.


    ***


    "Breathe, Carrie, breathe,¡± Chartreuse shouted desperately. "You''re not really drowning. Focus back in on Corry. Focus!"


    Carrie sucked in a great, heaving breath, her fingernails digging into Chartreuse''s palms. The pink haired girl ignored the pain, all of her attention on the blonde cheerleader twitching in front of her.


    "Okay Carrie, never mind Corry," Chartreuse decided. "Come back to me, all right? Focus on me. On the present." The fear that she was losing her friend was starting to tug at her heart.


    Carrie didn''t reply, the twitching ceasing as her eyes snapped wide open. At least those eyes were blue, Chartreuse noted, and not golden. But they were focussed on nothing.


    ¡°Okay, bad idea, I''m sorry for pushing you into it,¡± the mystic continued, trying to suppress her rising panic. "I wasn''t, like, thinking straight. We can simply look into the usual suspects here, yeah? So come on, come back to me now, PLEASE Carrie."


    "Char... treuse...?"


    Chartreuse felt the tightness in her chest release. ¡°Carrie! Carrie, are you all right?"


    "Am... fine," Carrie murmured. "It''s... whoa, headrush."


    Carrie''s grip relaxed enough to allow Chartreuse to pull one of her hands away. She waved it in front of Carrie''s eyes. There was no reaction. "Carrie, what''s going on? Where are you?"


    ¡°In future," Carrie murmured. ¡°Astral me. About ten... no, five minutes. Had to resist the pull to bring all of me. Th-Thank you for anchoring me in the present, Chartreuse.¡±


    ¡°No prob - are you SURE you¡¯re okay?¡± Chartreuse knew her own heartbeat was still racing.


    "Well, I''m... reorienting.¡± Carrie¡¯s vacant eyes drifted closed once more.


    ¡°Okay, Corry''s still performing. New song. I¡¯m closer to him this time, near the front. Tommy is elbowing his way up here through the crowd. He''s going to throw something! But... it''s a tomato. That''s not life threatening. Maybe there''s something else. Oh, Joe!"


    Carrie''s head whipped to the side. ¡°Yes, Joe has left the coat check and he''s heading towards Corry. No, wait, towards Julie. She¡¯s edging away from him, so they¡¯re both headed towards Corry. Damn.¡±


    Carrie mouth twitched. "Too many people, Chartreuse. Too many, I don¡¯t know so many of them, I¡¯m not in the present, everything''s a jumble..."


    ¡°Stay calm," Chartreuse soothed. Should they abort? ¡°You¡¯re only there for Corry. What¡¯s, like, happening to him?¡±


    "Corry," Carrie murmured. "He''s singing. He''s... wait, Tim''s jumping up. He''s shoved his keyboard at Corry. Ow, audio feedback... something sparked! The crowd is reacting... Corry¡¯s on the floor? Someone¡¯s on top of him, everyone¡¯s staring, Glen is up here too, it¡¯s becoming a jumble, and Glen¡¯s staring at me, are we sure I¡¯m still-- OH!"


    "What?" Chartreuse asked, gripping both of Carrie''s hands again as the blonde cried out.


    "Where the hell am I? Who¡¯s this girl in red?" Carrie choked out. ¡°Chartreuse, I''m in the wrong time again!"


    "Okay, Carrie, come back, time to come back," Chartreuse declared. ¡°Session over, we know enough, you have to return to the present.¡±


    ¡°Piercing hazel eyes... this girl''s raising her hand, she''s..."


    "Carrie, ohmigod, don¡¯t let the forces take you. CARRIE!"

 Part 56b: Tone Down 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.2 - With The Group


    PART 56b: TONE DOWN 2


    "I¡¯m out!¡± Carrie screamed, flinching backwards.


    However, as Chartreuse was still grasping onto the blonde¡¯s hands, the sudden movement served to jerk her off balance. With a little yelp of astonishment, she fell forwards into Carrie, both girls collapsing back onto the floor of the classroom. Chartreuse faceplanting into the blonde cheerleader¡¯s body.


    And Chartreuse found that her first instinct wasn¡¯t to roll away. Rather, it was to grab harder for Carrie, to press her ear against Carrie¡¯s front, to better hear her friend¡¯s heartbeat. Still there. So fast. Mirroring her own, beating away, racing, because of this shared experience. Between the two girls with powers.


    She had only felt this sort of close connection with someone once before.


    Last time, the feeling had been instantaneous. This time, it had crept up on her. Because the blonde did look so pretty, in that dress with it¡¯s plunging neckline. More to the point, Carrie wasn¡¯t as shallow as Tope had been, the cheerleader did care about people. In fact, even after learning about Chartreuse being bisexual, Carrie had kept it quiet, and hadn¡¯t called off any of their sessions.


    Both of their hearts were racing now. Almost in synch. So maybe it was time to accept what that meant, it was time to take their relationship to the next level...


    ¡°Unhh,¡± Carrie groaned.


    Chartreuse knew she couldn¡¯t have pushed herself up and away any faster, not even if she¡¯d been lying on a bed of hot coals.


    ¡°C-Carrie?¡± she choked out. What the hell was she thinking? She¡¯d almost nuzzled in against Carrie¡¯s neck. Carrie was her friend. That was it. Only her very close friend...


    ¡°Chartreuse?¡±


    ¡°C-Carrie?¡± Chartreuse repeated. She swallowed, trying to bury the flood of emotions welling up inside. "Ah, so, are you, like, you know, okay?"


    "I''ll manage," Carrie said. Her chest was heaving - don¡¯t look there, idiot! - as she sat back up. Thankfully, as their eyes met again, Carrie didn¡¯t seem to notice Chartreuse''s discomfort.


    ¡°I just saw..." Carrie looped some hair around her finger and tugged. ¡°I don''t know what I saw. Either way, I''ve had enough of this for tonight, okay?¡±


    Chartreuse nodded vigorously. "Yes, um, we''ve certainly discovered enough here.¡±


    "Hello? Someone in here?" came a new voice.


    The two girls on the floor turned as the classroom door opened and Clarke poked his head inside. "Ah! I thought I heard voices. Laurie thought she''d lost you." Clarke turned to look back into the hallway. "They''re in here."


    There was the sound of running feet, and then the freckled girl poked her head in next to Clarke. "Chartreuse, thank goodness,¡± Laurie said, not trying to disguise her relief. "Are you two okay? What happened? Have you figured out what''s wrong with my brother?"


    "With your bro... right!" Chartreuse jumped to her feet. "It''s Tim. Tim''s going to snap and throw his keyboard at the guy, that starts a chain reaction in their equipment. We''ve got to get in there, fast!"


    "Tim?" Clarke said, shocked. "What are you talking about?"


    "No time, hurry,¡± Chartreuse said, charging past the two of them and out into the hall. As much to get away from Carrie¡¯s perfume as to get back to the cafeteria.


    ***


    Julie took another step closer to the student quartet. Since they really were quite good, and she wanted to hear them better - okay, no.


    She knew the primary reason for her approach was to distance herself from Joe Drew. He¡¯d been giving her irritated looks ever since Clarke had moved off with Laurie. Hoping to ignore his scrutiny, Julie had moved away. Only to have Joe leave the vicinity of the coat check in order to move closer to her position.


    So why was she moving towards the band? Why not outside? Heck, why react at all? Was it because Corry Veniti was one of the few people (aside from Clarke) who bothered to stand up for her on those occasions when she was being mistreated? If so, Julie knew this was a poor decision - Corry was busy right now. Besides, Joe wasn¡¯t much of a threat on his own.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    She made the decision to stand her ground. Turning away from Joe completely. It was then that Julie looked beyond Corry - catching sight of the look in Sue''s eye.


    Julie knew Sue from when they had been allies. She knew that look, knew it meant trouble. Her suspicions were confirmed a moment later, during a drum solo, when Sue used the opportunity to let go of her guitar and reach for something back in the shadows, next to the stage.


    Tim apparently noticed her action as well, and when he saw what she was grabbing, he stood up, reaching out towards her. But his leg buckled, sending him crashing into his own keyboard, palms first. The keyboard stand gave out, pitching forwards, sending the equipment towards Corry.


    That¡¯s when Chartreuse charged through Julie''s field of vision, reaching out in vain for the toppling instrument. Feedback erupted from the nearby speakers as it hit the floor at Corry¡¯s feet. Then Clarke was there, catching Tim, and everyone¡¯s attention was on what was happening with them - so it seemed like no one but Julie saw what Sue was about to do.


    "Watch out!" Julie shouted, sprinting as fast as she could.


    She threw herself at Corry, catching him around the waist, using her momentum to jerk him off his feet. The microphone Corry had been holding in his hands jarred loose and fell to the floor. An exposed wire created a small spark in the fresh pool of water.


    Water that had been thrown by Sue, who had not been able to check her swing. A few more sparks were seen, but Lee quickly reached his foot out to kick the power bar near the drums, killing all the electronics.


    Corry could have been electrocuted. Julie breathed a sigh of relief.


    The brunette then discovered that, somehow, she had managed to land largely on top of Corry. One arm was caught underneath him, the other encircling his waist, and her sweater was pressed up tightly against his silk shirt. She quickly pulled back with an apology on her lips, but her voice got caught in her throat when she saw the bemused look on the redhead¡¯s face.


    "Julie, what the hell?¡± he said, arcing an eyebrow.


    "Noooo!" came a cry of frustration from above them.


    Freeing her arm, Julie rolled away from Corry, looking up to see the brown haired guitarist. Sue was now being restrained by both Lee and Clarke. Carrie and Chartreuse had replaced Clarke at Tim''s side. Glen was there too.


    "No, no, don''t you see?" Sue wailed. "I attacked him for you, Julie. Corry''s never been as good as you were. He never should have beaten you out the way he did. So I pretended to go along with him until I had this chance, this opportunity to shake him up a bit, to let him feel once again the wrath of Julie LaMille! So... so why did you save him, Julie? Aren''t you proud of me?"


    Julie blinked up at her former ally. "I... am going to be sick," she realized, lurching to her feet and clapping a hand against her mouth. With a burning sensation at the back of her throat, she dashed for the nearest exit.


    ***


    By departing, Julie didn¡¯t hear the increasing chatter of the student body. Or how it was soon dispelled by the sound of an irate chemistry teacher, clearing his throat at the DJ''s independent electronics setup.


    "This dance," Larry Fisk stated authoritatively, "is..."


    "Going to continue shortly with more great songs from DJ Tuneup," Mrs. Willis, the music teacher interrupted, grabbing the mike away from her colleague. "So please calm down and return to enjoying yourselves. I''m sure we all agree that it would be a shame to see this event come to an early end.¡±


    ***


    Frank let out a low whistle. "I can''t believe it. Sue, out to get Corry. Who could have guessed?"


    He and Luci had pulled back from the crowd of other teenagers, to stand by the wall. With the DJ back in control, the dance was gradually getting back up to full swing.


    Carrie and Clarke had run out of the room after Julie, Chartreuse had gone over to talk with Laurie, and all the members of Corry''s band had been taken to the office to talk with Principal Hunt.


    "I suppose I could have worked it out," Luci decided, looking towards the stage. "If my mind hadn¡¯t been wandering this week. After all, Sue¡¯s appeared distracted lately. Possible family troubles. And she lost her grandmother back around the same time as she ''lost'' Julie... so it could be a case of displaced emotion? Not to excuse her actions, but that might be why she went a bit nuts."


    ¡°Your whole school¡¯s a bit nuts,¡± Glen remarked, approaching the both of them. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, some people are siding with Sue and her assault on your friend?¡±


    ¡°For real?¡± Frank raised his eyebrow. ¡°I guess Corry doesn¡¯t have the same support in his ranks that he once did.¡±


    ¡°On the bright side though,¡± Glen continued, ¡°If Sue is out, there will be a vacancy in my fellow redhead¡¯s band. So I can offer up my own guitar playing skills instead.¡±


    Frank¡¯s eyebrow twitched. "Uh, Glen? That¡¯s not exactly a bright side.¡±


    "No?" Glen shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just, I would hate to see Corry¡¯s band dissolve on account of this. Wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    "Hey, Carrie," Luci shouted, waving.


    Frank turned, seeing that Carrie had entered the cafeteria again. Luci lowered her voice again once the blonde girl had paced over to join them. "How''s Julie faring?¡±


    ¡°She''ll be all right," Carrie sighed. "Her stomach''s settled anyway. Clarke''s gone with her to the office, to give a statement to Mr. Hunt along with the band. That''s mostly a formality. Should be pretty clear that Julie had no direct involvement in what happened tonight.¡±


    Carrie linked arms with Glen, leaning some of her weight onto him. "Still," she admitted. ¡°Now I feel guilty for insisting to Julie that she come. It''s not like she¡¯ll have had a very good time."


    "It is a good thing she was here though," Frank pointed out. "Or Corry could have been hurt."


    "That''s right," Glen agreed. "Of course, one must still take care when using one''s powers of... persuasion. I imagine the results can be misleading, until the user has sufficient experience."


    Carrie turned to look into Glen''s face, and Frank wasn¡¯t sure if it was her expression, or something in Glen¡¯s tone that he found troubling. The redhead simply looked back at his date with a quiet smile.


    ¡°Oh, whatever,¡± Carrie said aloud. ¡°Come on, Glen. Let''s dance again?¡±


    "I would be honoured," he replied.


    Frank and Luci exchanged a quick glance themselves as the new transfer student took the head cheerleader out for a spin around the dance floor.


    Meanwhile, a short distance away, Chartreuse turned away from Laurie. Watching the pair herself, while biting down on her lower lip.

 Part 57a: Help Wanted

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.2 - With The Group


    PART 57a: HELP WANTED 1


    ¡°Lee, I''m talking to you."


    Lee jerked his gaze over towards Ms. Readman. "And I heard every word," he assured her. "Unfortunately, my brain interpreted it as Spanish. Could you run it by me again?" A student sitting nearby let out a quiet laugh.


    "Perspective drawing, Lee," the art teacher said patiently, moving closer and indicating his empty page. "Are you having trouble understanding the assignment?"


    "No, no, not at all," Lee replied quickly. "Just spaced out for a moment, some things on my mind. I''ll get right to this."


    "Thank you, Lee, that would be appreciated," Ms. Readman said wryly. "Though do let me know if you''re having problems with your perspective?"


    Lee nodded and watched his teacher continue her walk around the room. Letting out an almost inaudible sigh, he retrieved his ruler and began to mark down the requisite lines.


    A short distance away, Glen Oaks observed his classmate, a thoughtful expression on his face.


    ***


    "Like, ohmigod," Chartreuse breathed. "This is, you know, so totally cool. And Jeeves doesn''t even know about this place?"


    "Obviously not," Carrie said.


    "Chartreuse, could you keep moving? We''re stuck in the passage," Frank remarked.


    "Oh. Sorry," Chartreuse apologized, moving away from the door. Frank, Luci, Clarke and Julie all filed into the LaMille mansion''s secret basement lab.


    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to tidy up and catalog the last of the stuff left in here," Julie remarked. "But I haven''t been able to open that safe."


    "Maybe we should blast the thing open," Luci suggested. She dropped her bag onto the lab table and then attempted to boost herself up as well, succeeding with a hand from Frank. "After all," she continued, "it could contain information about this infernal code Linquist¡¯s set up."


    Frank watched as Luci pulled out the scientist''s red logbook, along with her laptop and a number of notes she''d been accumulating.


    "I really wish you hadn''t brought that," he admitted. "You¡¯re becoming more than obsessed. Even your cat is starting to give you weird looks.¡±


    "It''s all right, I know I''m close to a breakthrough now," Luci assured him. ¡°I¡¯ve coded up a program to run an entire substitution cipher on what seem to be the key passages. In fact, by the time you return from your time trip, I bet I''ll have it all worked out."


    "That could be in as little as five minutes," Frank objected.


    "Or as much as an hour if we don''t get going soon," Carrie countered. "Now, shall we go back over the plan?" She looked around the room expectantly.


    "Seemed pretty clear to me," Julie spoke up. "We go back into last week, watch for where Lee''s younger sister lost her necklace, and retrieve it for her. Thereby fixing up the King family situation in time for Thanksgiving dinner tonight, which will help restore Lee''s focus in class next week.¡±


    "Oh, and I know Lee will appreciate it,¡± Chartreuse chimed in, clasping her hands together. ¡°After all, if we don¡¯t fix it soon, I think he¡¯ll be spacing out for WEEKS, right through until American Thanksgiving.¡±


    ¡°How did you figure out that his sister¡¯s necklace was the guy¡¯s problem anyway, Carrie?" Clarke wondered.


    "Glen told me," the blonde admitted. "Apparently he overheard Lee telling Tim about it after one of Corry''s band rehearsals."


    Frank crossed his arms. ¡°Yeah, hey, anyone else suspicious about how fast Corry let Glen take over as Sue''s replacement there?¡± he wondered.


    Julie shook her head. ¡°Not really. Corry¡¯s been looking for an angle on the guy for a while,¡± she reminded. ¡°By keeping Glen close, he can start to observe that much better.¡±


    ¡°Back to the plan, please,¡± Carrie objected. "I''m already concerned about multiple people time tripping with me, so I''d appreciate a bit more focus here.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Carrie, it isn''t too late to change your mind,¡± Frank offered. "You could try doing one of your ¨C what do you call them? ¨C mental time searches into the past instead."


    Carrie waved him off. "No, I really can''t. Even setting aside the fact that I haven¡¯t had time to get comfortable with that aspect of my power yet, I''ve never met Lee''s younger sisters. So I wouldn''t know how to centre on them in the first place."


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to be part of this trip. We¡¯ll only be watching stuff happen. You could leave it up to the rest of us," Clarke offered.


    Again Carrie shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m coming along. That way, if anything messes up, any headaches will hopefully centre first on the me who is out of time synch."


    "It''s all right Carrie, I''ll, you know, be there to monitor your condition," Chartreuse assured her. She reached out towards Carrie¡¯s hand, seemingly second guessed her own intentions, then entwined the fingers of both hands together instead.


    ¡°Meanwhile, I¡¯ll stay cooped up here at the mansion with you both, coordinating things and keeping Jeeves from seeing us,¡± Julie said, a mite wistfully.


    "As I assist Frank with the locket search," Clarke agreed.


    "Meanwhile, I keep the home fires burning in the present," Luci muttered quietly as she started scrawling a new set of notes. ¡°Are you going or not?"


    ¡°Yes," Frank said. He bent down next to the time machine - which Carrie had placed on the floor - in order to complete final adjustments. "Someone suggest to me the best time of day for arrival?"


    ¡°Lunch. Say noon," Carrie stated. ¡°I mean, sure, Chartreuse being sick that Tuesday should pull our arrival away from the school, but Julie had also left to eat that day. And I¡¯d prefer having that extra insurance.¡± She looked around. ¡°Remember, once we appear somewhere south of the building, we make for the ravine. Don¡¯t talk to anyone.¡±


    "Right.¡± Frank finished up, then closed the lid of the machine. "Is everyone ready?"


    "We don''t all have to grab that thing''s handle, do we?" Chartreuse asked, stopping herself before leaning in next to Carrie. "It''ll be, like, awkward. Maybe I should hold someone¡¯s hand instead?¡±


    "Chartreuse, we''ve always made sure everyone traveling was in contact with the handle," Frank countered. ¡°Even when we had bicycles and all our gear coming back from Illinois last November. You may not get transported otherwise."


    ¡°May not? Meaning I might. You''ve never, you know, tried it?"


    "Why screw up a perfectly good system?¡±


    "Because some day you may need to transport, like, twenty people or something?" Chartreuse fired back at him. "I mean, we''re already up to five. Six if Luci needs to come along some day."


    Frank hesitated.


    ¡°Point to Chartreuse," Clarke admitted. ¡°Our prior max was four, and it WAS kinda awkward with the bikes and everything.¡±


    "But in the end, all the inanimate items got transported, right?" Julie mused. Clarke nodded in reply.


    "Physical items, such as the clothes on our backs, may be treated differently from actual organic matter," Frank protested.


    "Well, I¡¯ll be your guinea pig then," Chartreuse decided. "I mean, the worst that can happen is I won''t be, you know, transported, right?"


    "Unless you get lost somewhere in history," Luci said idly, continuing her work atop the lab table.


    Another glance was exchanged between the students sitting on the floor.


    "Look, this is ridiculous," Frank decided. "We''ll test next time. Maybe with a small animal, or insects or something. For now, everyone make sure to hold onto the handle. Right Carrie?" He turned to look at the blonde, who had been silent ever since her initial objection.


    "No," Carrie replied. Then she looked up, and blinked as she realized everyone was staring at her. ¡°Sorry, I mean no, I don''t think that Chartreuse would be lost in time," she clarified. "Don''t ask me why I think that but I do. Though as to her ''piggybacking'' on one of us... that, I don''t know. And she¡¯s right, we should know.¡±


    Frank pressed a hand to his forehead. "Yes, but not NOW, correct?¡±


    Carrie pursed her lips. "Perhaps not," she conceded.


    "But what if, on our return trip, I end up being chased by a horde of guys?¡± Chartreuse objected. ¡°And I end up trapped in a dead end in front of a wooden barrier, and the only way for me to get away is to, like, reach through a knothole and grasp Carr-- grasp for one of you as you pull this handle?"


    Everyone turned to stare at her.


    "I don''t think that''s likely," Julie observed.


    "It''s not impossible," Chartreuse retorted.


    Frank sighed. "Fine Chartreuse, if Carrie thinks it¡¯s safe enough, and it will make you happy, you don''t have to touch the handle. But don''t complain if you get left behind.¡±


    "Check," Chartreuse said, giving Frank a thumbs up.


    Everyone reached out for the handle of the time machine, Chartreuse grasping Carrie by the shoulder instead. Frank dropped in a coin for their current year.


    "We pull on three," Frank said. "All right? One.... two.... three.¡±


    ***


    Despite the fact that it had been almost a year since he had last used the device, the feeling of being sucked into a void still felt familiar to Frank. In the wink of an eye, the basement lab was gone, replaced by a new scene. That of a hallway in the high school.


    "Damn,¡± Frank cursed, as he shook off the aftereffects of the time displacement. "How did we end up at school??¡±


    "Someone screwed up the geometry?¡± Carrie replied.


    As the only other seasoned time traveler of the five, she was the only other person still conscious - Julie, Clarke and Chartreuse lay on the floor, out cold.


    "Impossible,¡± Frank countered. "According to everything we know, the device should have brought us to a point an equal distance away from the positions of our past selves. And as two of us were a fair distance from the school, there¡¯s no way--¡±


    ¡°There is, if it--" Carrie began, before freezing and raising a hand to her temples, wincing in pain. "Oh no," she muttered. ¡°Oh no, no, not good..."


    ¡°Temporal change?"


    "What do you think?"


    "Quick," Frank decided. "Let''s get everyone into that classroom.¡±


    They had apparently lucked out in terms of their arrival - the art wing didn¡¯t see much traffic during lunch. But it wasn''t always deserted, the four students who turning the nearby corner testifying to that.


    "We''re practicing for a play," Carrie called out to them as the freshmen arrivals exchanged a confused glance. "Death of three salesmen."


    The head cheerleader quickly dragged Chartreuse back into the drama room, Frank doing the same with Clarke, and both of them returning for Julie and the time machine respectively.

 Part 57b: Help Wanted 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.2 - With The Group


    PART 57b: HELP WANTED 2


    "Hey, Faye. I have that book you wanted,¡± came the voice of Azure Vermilion.


    Faye turned from where she was leaning back against the tree by the football field. "And you bring it to me now, when I''m nowhere near my locker?" she accused.


    "Oh. I wasn''t really thinking about that," Azure admitted. "Should I bring it back later?"


    "No, I''ll take it," Faye sighed. "Lunch is close to being over, and once I have it, my sister will get off my back."


    "Okay. Hey, which of your younger sisters wanted this again?" Azure continued as she handed over the book.


    Faye stared. "Sing," she said, accepting the tome. ¡°Soh¡¯s barely in grade school, you really think she¡¯s old enough to get into a detective story like this?¡±


    "I guess not," Azure admitted. She grinned. "Not that I''ve met either of them in person, Lee¡¯s your only sibling I¡¯ve seen. I''m not even sure where you all live, considering how you didn''t want me to bring the book around directly, but maybe some time later this month we could--"


    "Are you trying to indulge me in conversation for a reason?" Faye snapped.


    "Um, guess not,¡± the blue haired girl admitted. "I only thought--"


    "Don''t think so much," Faye interrupted again. ¡°I admit, I feel a bit of a bond between the two of us, because our parents share a bizarre sense of humour when it comes to naming their children. So being grouped with you for a project was more tolerable than it would have been with any other Grade Nine student. But right now, I want to be alone. Understand?¡±


    Azure opened her mouth to respond, but seeing the look on Faye''s face, apparently decided instead to nod and head back towards the school instead. It wasn''t until Azure was out of sight that the tall girl let out a sigh, and smacked the book soundly against her forehead a couple of times.


    ¡®Way to make friends and influence people, genius,¡¯ she thought. ¡®Let¡¯s hope Azure tries again on some week that doesn¡¯t include family problems.¡¯


    ***


    "It''s because Chartreuse wasn''t touching the handle,¡± Frank asserted. "We never should have let her experiment.¡±


    Frank, Carrie, Julie and Clarke now stood staring down at the prone form of the pink haired girl, who was laid out on the floor of the otherwise empty drama classroom. Unlike Clarke and Julie, who had regained consciousness fairly rapidly, their resident mystic was still out cold.


    Julie raised her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t think Chartreuse is still unconscious because of that.¡±


    "Oh? Why not?¡± Carrie asked. Frank noticed that her mood had improved slightly. Getting away from the other students had seemingly eliminated her headache.


    "Because I wasn''t touching that handle for the trip either," Julie admitted. "When everyone else was pulling at once, I hesitated, and lost my grip. But I¡¯d been holding Phil''s other hand. And I''m here, and I''m awake."


    "Then what¡¯s the problem?" Frank protested, throwing his hands up in the air. "Is it because Chartreuse was sick on this day in the... wait a moment. Julie, neither you nor her were touching the handle?"


    "Seems so," Phil affirmed, squeezing Julie¡¯s hand to reassure her.


    Frank leaned back against the teacher''s desk. ¡°Huh. That could at least explain why we''re at the school. If neither girl was in direct contact with the time machine, perhaps they weren''t factored into the device''s spatial algorithm? We''d need to do more testing to be sure, but..."Stolen story; please report.


    "But maybe you have to be touching the handle in order to be part of the geography geometry stuff,¡± Carrie finished. She smiled. ¡°Boy, that will solve a lot of mathematical mapping headaches. We''ll simply have to figure out where ONE person was, and then get everyone else to latch onto them."


    "Still doesn''t explain Chartreuse¡¯s condition though," Clarke reminded them.


    "Well, she doesn''t have a fever," Carrie observed, having bent down to feel the forehead of the other girl. ¡°And she¡¯s breathing fine. She¡¯s just out."


    "Change of plan then," Frank decided. "We obviously can''t leave Chartreuse in the school, in case she''s discovered. But Clarke, you may be the only one strong enough to carry her any great distance. Can you and Julie get her back to the mansion, while me and Carrie get a bead on Lee¡¯s sister?¡±


    "I can do a piggyback," Clarke agreed. "And Julie can get us in without tipping off Jeeves. But what about the two of you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I''m not thrilled with the idea of strolling the streets of the past with you, Frank," Carrie said. ¡°No offence, but if I end up doubled over in temporal pain, you¡¯ll be less useful to me than Chartreuse."


    ¡°Then I could go it alone," Frank allowed. "But didn''t we figure it was better NOT to have anyone by themselves?¡±


    Carrie sighed. She slapped lightly at Chartreuse¡¯s cheeks. There was no reaction. ¡°Fine, fine, okay. Clarke, give me that burner phone that you were going to use to call us with updates. I¡¯ll go with Frank instead.¡±


    Clarke fished in his pocket and handed it over. ¡°Should we phone you if Chartreuse¡¯s condition improves?¡±


    Carrie shook her head. ¡°No. We stick to the original plan of minimal communications. These phones are essentially double versions of themselves in the past, even if the originals ARE stowed away in the lab and turned off. That worries me. Emergencies only.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Clarke agreed.


    ¡°New problem,¡± Julie observed. ¡°Chartreuse is the one who was going to clue us in about Lee¡¯s sister. Given how it was her own sister Azure who knew Faye, and thus the rest of Lee¡¯s family.¡±


    Their eyes drifted back to the unconscious girl.


    ¡°Well, damn. Uh, I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d have any information, Julie?¡± Frank said hopefully. ¡°Rumour was, last year you had a file folder for everyone in the school.¡±


    Julie half smiled. ¡°Not quite everyone. Honestly, I never paid close attention to Lee, since he never ended up being a direct factor in any of my plans. Nor did I ever feel the need to blackmail him. He has more than one younger sister, of that I¡¯m sure, but beyond that..." She shrugged.


    "Lee does like to keep to himself," Clarke agreed. "Sometimes I''ve wondered about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, his sister was ¡®Soh¡¯, right?¡± Carrie asked. ¡°How many blonde girls who go to the middle school down the road would answer to a name like that?¡±


    Frank winced. ¡°Setting aside how walking up and asking young girls for their names could be misinterpreted,¡± he countered, ¡°Don¡¯t you think Lee would have spoken to our past selves already if he¡¯d heard we were poking around? That didn¡¯t happen in our timeline. This was meant to be spy and retrieve, not some sort of Soh inquisition.¡±


    ¡°Well, what DO you suggest?¡± Carrie said in exasperation.


    ¡°And was Lee¡¯s sister with the necklace even named Soh?¡± Julie added. ¡°I thought Chartreuse had said something about Soh being in grade school, not middle school.¡±


    ¡°Grade school? The sister who lost the necklace was definitely in middle school,¡± Carrie objected.


    ¡°Our plan has fallen apart,¡± Clarke decided. ¡°We should abort, return to the present, and try this again. Maybe go to some other time, when Chartreuse wasn¡¯t sick.¡±


    Frank groaned. ¡°But that¡¯s a waste of two coins.¡±


    ¡°Plus I¡¯m not sure we want to leave now, pulling Chartreuse through time again until we learn what¡¯s wrong with her,¡± Carrie said.


    She ran her fingers back through her hair. ¡°Damn it! Okay, look. Me and Frank can still stake out the middle school. If we spot Soh, awesome, if not... we¡¯ll re-evaluate at that point. We did build in a time buffer here. Chartreuse has around three hours to come to her senses. Still, don¡¯t call us, we¡¯ll call you.¡±


    ¡°That works,¡± Frank agreed. ¡°Right now, it¡¯s only...¡± His eyes widened, and he pointed over at the clock on the wall. ¡°Oh no, look at the time, it¡¯s--"


    The school bell rang, signifying the end of lunch. And almost immediately, the door to the drama room opened and Glen Oaks walked into the room.


    ***


    "Hey, Singsong, whatcha doin''?"


    Lee''s second youngest sister jumped at the sound of the voice, accidentally tugging on a strand of her own hair. "Ow! Oh, um, not much, Gary," Sing said, untangling her fingers from her long brown hair while simultaneously trying to hide the book she held in her other hand.


    Her grade six classmate smirked at her. "Readin'' again, huh? Didn''t hear the bell go?"


    "Oh n-no, of course I heard it," Sing lied. When HAD all these people started entering the school? She cast a glance towards the clock in the hallway.


    Gary snorted. "Yeah, right," he said, continuing past her down the hall. "Bet a bookworm like you don''t care about nothing ''cept your books."


    Sing watched him go, the hand that had been twirling her hair now reaching up to finger the charm dangling off of her necklace. The one she''d received from her father, for her birthday. "You''re wrong,¡± the member of the King family murmured quietly. "You''re so wrong."


    After squeezing the charm between her fingers, the brunette girl put her book away and followed Gary towards their classroom. Not knowing that, before the day was done, she would be devastated by its loss.

 Part 58a: See Kings

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.2 - With The Group


    PART 58a: SEE KINGS 1


    "We''re practicing for a play," Carrie said, quickly repeating her earlier explanation in the face of Glen''s bemused expression.


    The redhead raised an eyebrow at her. "Pretty fast rehearsal, given how you and Frank were in the cafeteria with Luci not five minutes ago. Besides Carrie, aren''t you the only other one here taking drama? And wasn''t Chartreuse absent this morning?"


    "Yes, she''s quite ill," Carrie agreed, swiftly changing tactics. "Yet apparently she still wanted to come in to try out this extra credit play for English class. We saw her in the room unconscious, so we''re leaving now to bring her to the nurse''s office."


    "I see," Glen said. ¡°Well, don''t let me hold you up then. Though moving through the hallway after the bell is liable to, well, be a major headache. Might I suggest you pop through the back door access to the stage? And wait until classes resume?¡±


    Carrie exchanged a quick glance with her time traveling classmates. "Makes sense," Frank admitted grudgingly. He moved to grab the time machine, and the blanket he¡¯d tossed over it earlier, to hide it. He made sure Glen didn¡¯t spot the device.


    "What major headache are you referring to there?¡± Julie demanded.


    Glen shrugged. "Lots of people shouting and moving about as they get to class?¡±


    Carrie saw Julie peer closer at the redhead, whose expression remained neutral. As Clarke had already retrieved Chartreuse and was heading for the back door access, along with Frank and the blanket, Julie fell into step behind them.


    "Right then, thanks Glen,¡± Carrie called out as she brought up the rear. "And we''re still on for, ah, this Friday, right?"


    "Of course," Glen replied, offering back a smile. Carrie matched it, before hurrying through to the backstage area and closing the door.


    ***


    "I don''t get it," Frank said. "We''ve been sitting in this pizza parlour for almost an hour now, yet you haven''t sensed us being here as causing any sort of temporal change. Not even when other customers came in. Why in the school hallway, but not here?¡±


    "Yeah, I''ve been wondering about that myself," Carrie admitted as she toyed with her pop can.


    The two of them had taken up positions on the stools by the window of the establishment. It was only a block away from the middle school they¡¯d once attended. A very light rain was falling; they both knew it wouldn¡¯t last.


    "I think it has to do with the fact that we''re now playing a very passive role in our own history," she decided. "Not crossing our paths as we did at school, not planning to blow up buildings that we know still exist in our present, really nothing that matters. Of course, if my father chances to stop by here, that could all change. So keep your focus.¡±


    "I will,¡± Frank retorted. "Though I will remind you that it was your idea to be out in public this way.¡±


    Carrie gestured vaguely. "I was thirsty. Besides, we¡¯d attract more attention by hiding out in the bushes. In here, we blend in.¡± She took a sip of her drink. ¡°We can head out when the rain stops. Supposedly Soh¡¯s necklace was lost after school."


    ¡°Thing is, had me and Clarke proposed coming in here to buy something, you would have shot down that plan," Frank pointed out.


    Carrie glared. ¡°You making any kind of point there?¡±


    ¡°Merely that we should probably get a better idea of what sets off your headaches, and what doesn¡¯t. Much like how we¡¯re learning more about the time machine.¡±


    With effort, Carrie quashed the snarky response that came to her head. Because he had a point, damn it. ¡°Yeah, but no,¡± she said, looking back out the window. ¡°We will not be playing guess and check with my head. Me staying sane, it¡¯s kind of in all our best interests.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean provoking a headache. Not really,¡± he clarified. ¡°Thing is, not every trip into the past has resulted in changes to time. Remember Luci¡¯s trip last year, going back to when she started high school? That fulfilled a destiny instead. So is it equally possible that we were always destined to come back to this pizza place and order something?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    She reflected on that. ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Carrie granted. ¡°It¡¯s also possible that we weren¡¯t always destined to do it, but that once we arrived in the past, and once I¡¯d dealt with the initial headache... that¡¯s when this event became inevitable. There¡¯s really no way to know. All I can say for sure is that the me in this time frame never experienced a problem.¡±


    ¡°Which is it¡¯s own issue,¡± Frank continued. ¡°Since you carried on a conversation with Glen that you hadn¡¯t been previously aware of. Why didn¡¯t HE give either of you a headache?¡±


    Carrie¡¯s grip tightened on her soda can. ¡°Glen was one person. Unlike the four students in the hall.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s closer to you than those freshmen were.¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°No? You said you were going out with him again on Friday.¡±


    She smacked the can down onto the counter, then turned back to face him. ¡°Fine, yeah, on Friday we DID see each other. It¡¯s when Glen told me about Lee¡¯s focus problem. What, is the issue of me dating Glen the real point you¡¯re making here?¡±


    Frank raised his palms up. ¡°Whoa, what? No. Defensive much?¡±


    ¡°No! Yes. Shut up,¡± Carrie said, warring with her emotions. He¡¯d touched a nerve there, and they both knew it.


    Frank hesitated at her gaze, but pressed on. ¡°Listen Carrie, people from the future are after you. And after a month, Glen is still living all alone in a hotel. We''ve seen no sign of his parents, we know so little about his past, and sometimes he makes those cryptic remarks, like about the headache. It seems at least plausible that he¡¯s trying to--¡±


    ¡°Frank, if Glen were from the future, acting to change our present around us? I¡¯d feel it,¡± Carrie fired back, pointing at her temples.


    ¡°Would you? Or would your other feelings get in the way?¡±


    Her hand fell back to her side. Her gaze drifted back towards the window. ¡°Fine, I want to believe I would. You could be right. Maybe I have the blinders on, maybe I don''t understand time as much as I think I do. But worrying that I can wipe us all out of existence, it takes a toll, okay?¡±


    She took in a deep breath. ¡°Thing is, in truth? I don¡¯t have feelings for him. Not the way you¡¯re thinking. It¡¯s only, dating Glen, it makes me feel normal. And I think I''m allowed to feel that way. Or was I absent the day you and Luci bought the monopoly on touchy feely goodness?¡±


    From the corner of her eye, she saw Frank flinch. Then he turned away too. "No, you really weren''t," he said. "Seeing as she''s spent more time in the past two weeks with that book of Linquist''s than she has with me.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I''ve tried what I can to break through, which works for a time, but she always ends up back in her room, trying to break that infernal code. I think maybe I was too inattentive towards her over the summer. We¡¯ve been drifting apart, and now I¡¯m not sure what to do about it.¡±


    "Oh. Uh, that¡¯s too bad." Great, now she felt bad for bringing up relationships at all. Carrie downed the rest of her pop, to avoid having to speak. Outside, the rain stopped falling.


    ¡°Headaches aside,¡± she said at last. ¡°Corry has the right idea. If Glen has a secret, I won¡¯t learn it by distancing myself. Besides, if it¡¯s my destiny to make my own past life miserable, so be it.¡±


    Before Frank could say anything back, Carrie jumped off her stool. ¡°Come on then, let''s find a good place to scout out the school grounds before their classes get out."


    ***


    Clarke looked up as Julie entered the secret room beneath the LaMille mansion. "Anything happening upstairs?" he inquired.


    "Random dusting. Neither Jeeves nor Mimi will notice the smelling salts are missing." The brunette knelt down next to Clarke and the unconscious pink-haired girl on the floor. "Any change with her?"


    "Nope," the tall blonde admitted. ¡°So let¡¯s hope this will wake her up." Taking the vial from Julie, he opened it and began to wave it back and forth in front of Chartreuse''s face.


    "Still nothing," he murmured after a moment. ¡°Weird. She really doesn''t seem hurt! There''s nothing stronger than this around here, is there Jewels?"


    Clarke turned to look back at Julie, only to find that her attention had been diverted. "Jewels,¡± he repeated, clearing his throat purposefully for good measure.


    The brunette slowly turned away from the black box on the floor. The one Frank had handed over to them when they¡¯d parted ways. "I wasn''t going to do anything to it," she said quietly. "I don''t even know how to program it yet, not really."


    "That''s good," Clarke remarked. "Since that sort of betrayal would likely cut you off from the few friends you have left."


    Julie frowned. "You say friends, yet I got the sense that Carrie wouldn''t have left that thing with us today if you hadn''t been here to keep an eye on it.¡±


    Clarke reached out to touch Julie¡¯s shoulder. "Can you really blame her?" he asked softly.


    Julie clenched her hands into fists for a moment. "No," she granted. "I meant what I said to everyone though. I want to start helping, to try and get past my first memories of time travel."


    "And I''m sure the others will see that. You¡¯re on this trip with them already, right?¡±


    Julie nodded - even as her gaze drifted back towards the time machine. "Still, to think that we have the means right there to affect our own pasts... it''s incredible, isn''t it Phil? I mean, it would be so easy to just drop back a week or two... to stop Sue from acting the way she did at the dance..."


    "Jewels..."


    "Oh, I wouldn''t," Julie said quickly. "Really I wouldn¡¯t, not without consulting with Carrie. But I can''t help thinking it, can I? That¡¯s the way my mind works. Devious as ever, right?" She finally turned her back on the machine, firing off a weak smile. "At least now, I¡¯m trying to use my powers for good?"


    Clarke frowned, about make a reply when there came a groan from the floor. Both teenagers turned quickly to regard their pink haired companion. She had apparently come to her senses enough to bring a hand to her forehead and begin mumbling to herself. Being the closer of the two, Clarke leaned in to try and hear what she was saying.


    "What? What is it?" Julie inquired after a moment.


    Clarke looked up at her in confusion. "Something about Carrie tracking ''like, the wrong sister''."

 Part 58b: See Kings 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.2 - With The Group


    PART 58b: SEE KINGS 2


    Faye grabbed her things and hurried out of the high school as fast as she could. It was only partly to ensure that she wouldn''t have to talk to anyone, seeing as she¡¯d only screw up any conversation she was in this week.


    No, today, she was supposed to see that her younger sisters got home safely. A task she was accustomed to, but which had been a lot easier last year, when their schools were closer together.


    She HAD pointed this out to their mother. For all the good it did ¨C mom never listened to her. Faye considered dragging her feet to prove the point, but she cared too much about her siblings. Plus Lee had offered to do it in her stead, and her brother had enough on his plate already.


    Faye had said she would do it, so she would do it right.


    The oldest of the King girls headed for the middle school to get Sing first. After all, Soh would have better adult supervision until she got there, not to mention more awareness of her surroundings. "If Sing''s reading in the library again instead of waiting outside, I¡¯m gonna smack her upside the head," Faye muttered.


    However, as she approached, Faye saw her sister waiting in the proper place. Still reading, mind. Then to her chagrin, she saw a boy come out of the school and grab Sing''s book away from her.


    Faye broke into a run.


    ***


    "G-Gary? Give that back," Sing protested.


    "Nyah, make me," Gary taunted. Sing made a grab for her book, but he held it just out of her reach, laughing. "Poor Singsong, can''t read no more now. Whatcha gonna do?"


    Sing glared, then bent her knees slightly and jumped, managing to grab hold of her book with both hands. She yanked it back down towards herself.


    Caught off guard, Gary wasn''t able to pull the volume away from Sing again until she had almost managed to clasp it to her chest. As a result, his subsequent jerk refused to dislodge the tome, and instead completely pulled her off balance.


    The two of them stumbled back, falling into the dirt, which was wet from the recent rain. They began to roll around, wrestling for control of Sing''s precious book. A teacher standing in the area hurried to break things up; Faye got there first.


    ***


    "All right dumbass, what the hell are you doing to my sister?" Faye shouted, grabbing Gary by the scruff of his jacket and yanking him up.


    The grade schooler''s eyes opened wide at the sight of Faye''s angry gaze. "N-N-Nothin''," he stammered. "J-J-Jes playin''."


    He realized belatedly that he was still holding Sing''s book, and he quickly tossed it back into the lap of the long haired girl. Sing was now lying in the mud. She didn''t even notice at first, busy trying to wipe off her glasses.


    Faye''s eyes narrowed. "If I hear my sister complaining about you again, the only game you''ll be playing will be find the missing teeth, capiche?"


    Gary nodded wordlessly, beating a hasty retreat as soon as Faye released her hold on him. The older sibling then turned to look at her sister. "You okay, Sing?"


    "I think so. Ohhh, my book''s all dirty now," Sing said sadly, holding it up by one corner.


    Faye rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you''re fine. And I got that detective story you wanted from Azure today, you can read that while this one dries out.¡± She reached down to help her sister back to her feet.


    ¡°Ooh, really? The one Lee couldn¡¯t find in the library?¡°


    ¡°The same. Now come on, let¡¯s report this incident to Mr. Inactivity over there." With Sing on her feet, Faye motioned at the teacher who had stopped his approach in favour of eyeing the situation warily.


    ***


    "Walkie-talkies, we should equip ourselves with walkie-talkies," Julie muttered. She peered out her bedroom window - it was nearing the time when Carrie and Frank were due to return. ¡°It worked in ¡®Back to the Future¡¯, and that way we won¡¯t have this whole don¡¯t-call-me-we¡¯ll-call-you mess with cell phone duplicates on the communication grid.¡±


    Chartreuse had finally come completely to her senses about fifteen minutes ago. Yet by the time she''d explained to Julie and Clarke about how she''d been experiencing a vision of Lee comforting a brunette called ¡®Sing¡¯ not a blonde called ¡®Soh¡¯, it had really been too late to do anything about Carrie¡¯s mistake.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    On the bright side, Chartreuse had been able to provide them with the reason she''d been knocked out for so long.


    "It was, like, my brain couldn''t quite cope with the time strain," Chartreuse had explained. ¡°It''s normally attuned to the future, so when our past became a future instead, my mind had to, you know, completely reorient myself. It was real weird. I was kind of aware of you guys, but couldn¡¯t physically do anything.¡±


    Julie wondered whether Carrie would want to time jump again, to earlier in the day, to track the proper King sister. Part of her hoped that would be the case, yet Julie wasn''t sure if that was due to humanitarian reasons, so she could make another time jump, or if there was some thirst for gathering information reasserting itself.


    A hand waved up at her from the sidewalk. Julie recognized it as belonging to Carrie and waved back. She then crept back downstairs and to the back door, quietly letting both Carrie and Frank into the mansion.


    "Jeeves is still reading in the sitting room," she whispered. ¡°And Mimi left. We can use the pantry access rather than the bathroom chute."


    The others nodded, and Julie led them back through the kitchen, towards the third access point for Linquist''s hidden laboratory. She''d discovered it while exploring the opposite end of the darkened passage, in the direction that didn¡¯t lead to the china cabinet.


    Kneeling down on the floor of the pantry, Julie reached around behind the cans of tuna to press the knothole that opened the piece of wall paneling. It swung out, and the three teenagers crawled down into the corridor, following the sloped passage down until they reached the secret room where Clarke and Chartreuse were waiting for them.


    "So?" Clarke asked, standing up as they entered.


    "So, success," Frank said, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a small necklace with a couple of charms dangling off of it.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Julie asked.


    ¡°But, that''s, like, totally impossible,¡± Chartreuse gasped. ¡°I mean, I was sure that from what I half heard you say in the school, you''d be following the wrong person.¡±


    "Wrong person, right school," Carrie affirmed. "Hey, glad to see that you''re up and about again.¡±


    Chartreuse smiled sadly. ¡°Yeah, but I doubt I¡¯ll be able to time travel with you any more. It seems to mess with my head."


    "Oh?" Carrie frowned. "That¡¯s a problem. Unless I can interrupt your present self while I¡¯m out of my time - which, no, is it¡¯s own problem. Why, how long until you regained consciousness?"


    "Less than an hour ago," Clarke offered. "And even then only with smelling salts." Carrie¡¯s frown became a grimace.


    ¡°But seriously, how did you two manage to get the necklace if it wasn''t Soh''s?" Julie demanded, looking to Frank.


    "Lucky break," he answered, placing the piece of jewellery onto the lab table. "Even though we were looking for a blonde at the school, our attention was drawn to a fight ¨C broken up by Faye. It clicked for me that she was Lee¡¯s oldest sister, and we put the pieces together that she had been defending another sibling. It then occurred to Carrie that the fight could have caused the brunette girl¡¯s necklace to fall apart.¡±


    "So me and Frank did a quick search, and managed to turn it up in the mud before it could get buried or cut down by a lawnmower or anything," Carrie concluded. She pointed at the object on the table. "Looks like the catch is loose and it simply slipped off. Bad luck and poor workmanship more than anything deliberate."


    "Well, good. I¡¯m glad we could do something for Lee," Clarke said. ¡°We should return it to him and his family as soon as we¡¯re back in the present - does anyone have his address?¡±


    Everyone exchanged glances. Then shrugs. ¡°This is embarrassing for me,¡± Julie admitted. ¡°Former Information Queen of the school, and yet I don¡¯t know the address of someone on student council.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Lee¡¯s on the council?¡± Frank asked.


    Julie nodded. ¡°Yeah. Heads the committees who do publicity stuff for assemblies and dances. They also put up the posters to keep people recycling. Not a high profile job, but he prefers it that way. We can phone him though, I¡¯ve got his number.¡±


    ¡°The more I think about it, the more I¡¯m realizing how much Lee distances himself from people, even while staying in plain sight,¡± Clarke observed. ¡°He has nicknames for everybody, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Truth,¡± Julie affirmed, folding her arms across her chest. ¡°Maybe we should reach out to him? Pull him into our group? He was immune to future guy¡¯s mental control. Could be useful.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Everyone turned to look at Carrie. She swallowed. ¡°That is, he obviously has other things to worry about, like his family and Corry¡¯s band. And we don¡¯t him to think we¡¯re using him, on account of that mental thing. For now, let¡¯s keep our group the size it is, okay?¡± She attempted a smile, before picking up the necklace and pocketing it.


    Julie saw Chartreuse reach out to touch Carrie, then think better of it, and simply lean in instead. Was she doing a lot of that lately around the blonde, or was Julie imagining it?


    ¡°Carrie, it¡¯s not like Lee¡¯s gonna hate you for what happened last year, you know,¡± the pink haired girl murmured. ¡°I mean, you told me about it, and I don¡¯t hate you. In fact, I think maybe I¡¯m, like, starting to REALLY not hate you. If you get what I mean?¡±


    Carrie barely looked at the other girl. ¡°Not now Chartreuse, please.¡±


    Chartreuse shrank back. ¡°Right.¡±


    Julie found her gaze flicking back and forth between Chartreuse and Carrie, spotting the signs of an issue there. An issue of... no. She had to be misinterpreting that.


    ¡°Carrie, want to help me reset this thing for the trip back?¡± Frank offered, having popped open the time machine. The blonde nodded, crouching down next to him.


    Chartreuse turned to face Julie instead, and managing to sound as chipper as ever, remarked, ¡°Well, go figure on how something as simple as a necklace can, you know, affect an entire family¡¯s emotional well being so drastically, huh?¡±


    Julie smiled back wryly. ¡°Yeah. But know what? You''d be surprised what the simple tearing of a piece of paper can do to a family under the right circumstances."


    "Let''s not think about such things," Clarke said quickly. "After all, it''s not like anyone in our group is facing that sort of tenuous mental situation right now. Okay?¡±


    Their trip back to the present was uneventful, although once again, Chartreuse ended up unconscious for a couple of hours afterwards. Yet there was one event that the time travellers never became aware of.


    Ten minutes before their arrival, the young asian girl down in the basement of the LaMille mansion had realized her coding plans were coming up empty. Prompting the teenager to let out a scream of frustration, hurl the red book she was holding into a corner of the room, and collapse onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

 Part 59a: Power Struggle

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.3 - With Glen


    PART 59a: POWER STRUGGLE 1


    The morning jogger stopped and turned at the sound of crackling energy. He frowned as it ceased. There were no power lines near that bridge, were there? So what was that all about?


    "Hallo?" Lars called out. He began to jog back. "Is anyvun..."


    Lars stopped as the girl stepped out from the shadows. She hadn¡¯t been there a moment ago, surely. The red dress the teenager wore looked to be a pretty good match for her short red hair, so she would have been pretty hard to miss. But then where had she come from? The energy?


    He watched in confusion as the girl looked around, before affixing her gaze upon him. She approached.


    "I require transportation," the redhead stated, a hard edge to her voice. ¡°You will drive me.¡± And somehow, there was more to her voice than an edge, the girl''s tone seemed so compelling that it removed any trace of resistance Lars felt to her request.


    "Ah, vhere you vant to go?" the jogger replied. She merely smiled.


    ***


    On that same Thursday morning, Principal Hunt arrived at his high school a full hour before classes started. He proceeded directly to his office, where he sat down, opened his lower drawer, and pulled out four files. His eyes scanned down the tabs as he set them on his desk: Corry Veniti. Julie LaMille. Tommy Kvish. Joseph Drew. All of them seniors, all of them polarizing forces within the school, directly or indirectly. Hence the reason for keeping his own separate records.


    ¡°Pity I can¡¯t suspend the lot of them for the next two days," the principal mused, turning his chair to look out the window. ¡°But of course, we have no evidence of their wrongdoing.¡±


    He rubbed his forehead. There was also the fact that, even if he COULD suspend them, he likely wouldn¡¯t. As a general rule, he disliked the idea of sending students away from the education they so desperately needed. Not that he''d ever tip his hand by saying so.


    There was a knock on the open door. Hunt glanced at his clock. Right on time. ¡°Come in and close the door behind you,¡± he said, turning back around.


    Melanie Willis did so. ¡°You wanted my opinion on something?¡±


    Hunt gestured for the school¡¯s music teacher to sit, then folded his hands on his desk. ¡°Indeed. As you have expressed some interest in a more administrative position in the future, I¡¯m curious to get your read on the school atmosphere over the past two weeks.¡±


    ¡°You mean ever since Sue Simmons¡¯ outburst at the dance?¡± Melanie inquired, smoothing her dress. Hunt nodded.


    She seemed to consider before responding. ¡°It¡¯s made a target of Corry Veniti. Other senior students are realizing that he¡¯s not untouchable. They¡¯re thinking they have a shot at dethroning him in the social order, claiming his status, maybe even becoming valedictorian themselves.¡±


    She was good. But then, he wouldn¡¯t have brought her in here if he hadn¡¯t already believed they were on similar wavelengths. ¡°When do you think the hammer will fall?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say, but I¡¯m going to guess soon. Otherwise why would you talk to me now?¡±


    Hunt smiled. ¡°In fact, I believe it will be today. Or perhaps tomorrow. Certainly this week, a week which was already shortened due to Thanksgiving Monday. People¡¯s guards are down, and acting shortly before a weekend will prevent immediate retaliation.¡±


    Melanie sat back in her chair. ¡°Whereas the longer they wait, the greater the risk that a rival gains the coup first,¡± she mused. ¡°All right. So what can I do to help?¡±


    ¡°Be a sounding board as I run through the likely suspects. Let me know if you¡¯ve seen anything going on that I might have missed.¡±


    The music teacher nodded. She then reached out to tap the folder belonging to Tommy Kvish. ¡°I can tell you right away that he¡¯s trouble. Corry always kept him honest, but the falling out over Sue getting into that band? It¡¯s had Tommy pushing at the envelope for months, with students and faculty alike. I could see things getting physical with him.¡±


    Hunt nodded. ¡°What do you think has been holding him back?¡±


    Melanie shrugged. ¡°Educated guess, he¡¯s not sure how much support he¡¯ll be able to pull from within Corry¡¯s ranks. I think he has more than he realizes.¡± She eyed the other folders. ¡°I don¡¯t know Joseph.¡±


    Dell Hunt picked the folder up. ¡°Never a problem until that flyer about Julie appeared last November. Since then, he¡¯s been trying to amass support towards drumming Julie and/or Corry out of school. Most of his initial support was from Julie¡¯s supporters in the school, likely people who were blackmailed in the same way he claims he was. His attempts stalled early on, but he¡¯s recently gained more support from junior students in his clubs this term.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    He set Joseph¡¯s folder back down. ¡°Corry, I think we both have a handle on.¡± Melanie nodded. She seemed to want to say something else, so Hunt gestured at her. ¡°Please, speak your mind.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder - why did you allow the Corry and Julie feud to go on for as long as it did? I mean, if the flyer Corry engineered was true, and over the years Julie was scheming she got to the point of blackmail..." Her voice trailed off.


    Hunt sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the LaMille girl had sunk to that. I did know it was in my best interests to give those two certain latitude in their teenage shenanigans. Consider, they were never violent, and they rarely disrupted daily school business. What''s more, as neither of them were smokers or drug users, they rarely tolerated such behaviour from the people who wanted to associate with them. In fact, the more the student body became polarized towards them, the more rule breaking incidents actually went DOWN.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± Melanie Willis mused. ¡°Never thought about it that way.¡±


    ¡°That said, I may have erred in my analysis back then. Julie LaMille did suffer for it. I cannot afford to do make that mistake this time.¡± Dell looked down at Julie¡¯s folder.


    At least she was in counselling now. He could still remember how she had looked in this very office, nearly a year ago, practically begging him to sign the school over to her. All because of some internal struggle Julie had been having with her parents.


    Could he have anticipated that? Should the family domestic being the only point of contact have been a red flag to him?


    ¡°Do you think Julie¡¯s still a threat then?¡± Melanie asked, breaking into his thoughts. ¡°I mean, the other three make sense to me now, but why also have her folder out?¡±


    Hunt looked back up. ¡°It¡¯s more due to people who might act on her behalf. As Susan Simmons did. For instance, there¡¯s Philip Clarke, perhaps even Carrie Waterson who would advocate for her.¡±


    He separated out the folders. ¡°Thus we have four factions... and at least one of them will act against Corry, or each other. Likely today. But who will act first, and what will they do?¡±


    ¡°What about Megan Falls?¡±


    The principal kept his face neutral. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Megan Falls. Not a senior, she¡¯s year behind them. But lots of the younger students who were once backing Julie have gravitated her way. As well as the new freshmen this year. After all, Megan is rather pretty, and personable. But she¡¯s also devious, in that she¡¯s good at deflecting attention and playing the innocent. In fact..." Melanie paused.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Hunt insisted.


    The music teacher sighed. ¡°Far be it from me to spread rumours. But there has been some talk that Megan is the one who initially encouraged Sue to remove Corry from the social hierarchy. Claiming to Sue that it would be in Julie¡¯s best interests.¡±


    Dell Hunt raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh my.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. So our school doesn¡¯t have four factions. By including Megan, it has five.¡±


    Hunt steepled his fingers. ¡°Very well then. I¡¯ll open a new file on Megan. Meaning five groups of teenagers, all vying for final control. What do you think that I, a mere principal, can do to stabilize such a situation?¡±


    ***


    She had to tap Corry on the shoulder a second time before he turned. "Yes?" he sighed at her.


    "We need to talk. Now. Before class starts,¡± Julie stated.


    "I think not.¡± Corry looked back down at his homework.


    Julie clenched her jaw. "Corry, we really have to speak. Away from everybody else in here. Right NOW," she insisted.


    His look this time was visibly irritated. "Julie, I don''t think--"


    "Dammit Corry I saved your life at the last dance so you will listen to me now,¡± the brunette hissed. "We... need... to... talk.¡±


    Corry froze, and for a moment Julie wondered if she hadn''t pushed him too far. But then he rose and headed back for the busy hallway, motioning to her over his shoulder.


    She hurried after him, glancing at the clock as she passed - still three minutes before the final bell. Once outside of the room Julie opened her mouth to speak, but this time Corry beat her to it.


    "Don''t you ever, EVER speak to me like that again,¡± he said in cold fury. "Because in case you forgot, I spent four days in the past, trudging around Illinois for you. And I''ve been keeping a lot of nasty people off your case ever since you returned to school. Anything you''ve done for me since doesn''t even come CLOSE to settling the score!"


    With effort, Julie bit back the first response that came to her mind. Along with the second, and the third. "I¡¯m sorry," she yielded. "But PLEASE listen. Joe Drew is coming after you today, and according to a reliable source, he''s going to do it by implicating me too. We have to stop him.¡±


    Corry snorted. "Please. Joe Drew, the business and chess club guy? He¡¯s a dreamer, and the axe he grinds is rarely levelled anywhere specific. What ''reliable sources'' are you yammering about?"


    "Kim Carpenter.¡±


    This time Corry outright laughed. "Kim? The chess nerd with the huge glasses?"


    "Yes. She used to be a follower of mine," Julie continued doggedly. "Apparently she''s since hooked up with Joe. But she had some qualms about what he was planning to do today, thus talked to me after I arrived at school."


    "Oh dearie me. What, is Joe going to make it look like you helped me cheat on a test or something?" Corry said.


    Julie wasn¡¯t sure if that was a jab at what she¡¯d once done to his sister Laurie or not. She decided it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°I don''t know exactly,¡± she admitted. ¡°Kim was upset enough to speak to me, but she wouldn''t go into detail. I mean, monitoring threats is supposed to be your department. It''s not like I have the power to do that any more.¡±


    "As it should be," Corry countered. "Especially given these rampant attacks of paranoia you''re having. I''m going back into class now. Please don''t bother me again today."


    Julie clenched her fists as Corry turned his back on her. "Your overconfidence will be your downfall,¡± she called after him. Corry paused briefly, yet did not bother to turn as he passed back through the classroom doors.


    "Jerk," Julie whispered after him. The anger she felt towards Corry was quickly burning itself out though - because despite his current attitude, he had been right. He¡¯d done SO much for her the past few months. More than she could have ever imagined from the guy a year ago.


    So, the onus was on her now. To return the favour. To get Corry out of trouble. She couldn¡¯t do that alone though, not if she¡¯d correctly read Kim¡¯s state of mind. So, who could she turn to for help?

 Part 59b: Power Struggle 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.3 - With Glen


    PART 59b: POWER STRUGGLE 2


    Carrie waited for Mrs. Haye to turn back towards the blackboard before glancing down at the piece of paper she and Julie had been passing back and forth for the last twenty minutes. It was funny - their English teacher was always on the alert for phones, but apparently not for the low tech alternatives.


    Pursing her lips, Carrie reviewed what had been written so far.


    ''C, think there is trouble. Can we use powers to help? J.''


    To which she had scribbled, ''Am not a magic wand. Define trouble. C.''


    Response, ''Person plotting. Need info on future. Please? J.''


    ¡®Bad plan. Anything I see seems fixed. C.''


    ''Exception this once, maybe? J.''


    ¡®DOES. NOT. WORK. THAT. WAY.¡¯


    ''Sorry, C. Maybe use machine instead? J.''


    ''Discussion over.''


    And then the last line: ''PLEASE, C? Need a friend here. J.''


    Carrie shifted her attention over towards Julie''s desk. To the casual observer, Julie appeared to be engrossed in her note taking - but Carrie noticed a certain rigidity in her posture.


    Then, even as she watched, Julie glanced her way and fired off a quick look of desperation. Carrie immediately turned away, back to her own english notes.


    ¡®Need a friend here''. A friend. The words floated through her head, causing Carrie to hold her pencil a little tighter. WAS this a friendly request? Or was Julie trying to use Carrie for her abilities?


    Carrie frowned. Then again, what did it say that she was even asking herself that question? It¡¯s true that their original friendship had been completely shattered, but they were rebuilding. They had recently traveled through time together, to help Lee. That¡¯s what friends did, right?


    Julie should get the benefit of the doubt. Yes, once again, Julie wasn¡¯t the issue. Carrie¡¯s own temporal powers were the real hang up here, like always. She HAD to get over that. Somehow.


    Mrs. Haye started into the last set of examples. Carrie knew that if she was going to send a reply, she had to do it now, before the class started back into a discussion of that boring Shakespearean play.


    Letting out a quick breath of air, she dashed off one final line: ''Help me corner Pinkie after class. We''ll talk. C.'' This way, if Julie couldn''t figure out that Pinkie referred to Chartreuse, well, that was her own damn fault.


    ***


    Julie hustled both Chartreuse and Carrie into the nearby custodial supply closet right after English class. ¡°Okay, uh, what''s this, like, about?" Chartreuse wondered.


    "I''m not suremyself," Carrie admitted. "But Julie seems to think she''s in some sort of trouble today."


    "No, not think, now I know I am," Julie told them. ¡°Because the more I''ve considered it, the more the timing fits. Particularly given Corry''s overly complacent attitude since the dance. He¡¯s become a target, and while I''m indirectly involved, I haven''t been keeping myself in the loop at school. So I need more information.¡±


    "You know, I did sense some kind of destructive force when I was walking by the library this morning," Chartreuse agreed. "But I thought it was, like, aftereffects of the bran muffin I ate this morning."


    "Look, Julie, if you''re hoping to stop the future - you don''t want my help," Carrie said, placing her hands on her hips. ¡°Me and Chartreuse haven''t done much experimenting that way yet, but thus far, anything I''ve seen? It''s happened. Cafe fire, Tim at the dance, and at a recent session, the grade on my history report. In fact, if we try to change things? We could end up causing the very event ourselves."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Julie couldn¡¯t hold back an exasperated sigh. "But Carrie, I can''t simply sit back and allow Corry--"


    "Which is why I suggested Chartreuse here,¡± the blonde interrupted. "Her more ambiguous impressions would be of greater use to you.¡±


    The pink haired girl blinked back at Carrie. "What? But those need meditation, or direct contact. Besides, you don¡¯t need to look into the future here, you''ve been getting wicked accurate at, you know, pegging what people are doing in the present, Carrie. You could simply centre yourself in the school and, like, see if anything looks out of whack.¡±


    "Well gee Chartreuse, I could, but I neglected to memorize where every molecule of the building is supposed to be in the river of time."


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so specific. If we--"


    "Okay, know what?¡± Julie broke in again. ¡°We don''t have time for this. Classes resume soon. Carrie, Corry''s probably still at his locker - couldn''t you take ten seconds to do your pegging, see if there''s anything obvious around power trip boy that he¡¯s missing? And Chartreuse, when she does that, is there some way you could interface to pick up your impressions second hand?"


    The two girls exchanged a glance. ¡°I have kinda wondered about interfacing with you,¡± Chartreuse whispered. ¡°We came close to something like it back at the dance. It¡¯s just, since then there never seemed to, you know, be a real good way to, um, suggest it?¡± She swallowed.


    Carrie ran her fingers back through her hair. ¡°Yeah, look, I don¡¯t think a janitor¡¯s closet is the best place for our first interface.¡±


    Chartreuse¡¯s hopeful look crashed into sadness. And there it was again, the same thing Julie had noticed on their time trip into the past. There was something about Chartreuse¡¯s reactions to Carrie of late. Something personal. Julie made a mental note to see if anyone else had noticed before returning her attention to the blonde girl.


    ¡°Carrie, please,¡± Julie insisted. ¡°If my suspicions aren''t verified here and now, I swear I won''t bother either of you for the rest of the day. At least try, okay? For me, if not for Corry?¡±


    Chartreuse canted her head to the side. ¡°Wow, Julie! Are you begging us to do this for you?"


    Julie cast her a withering glance. ¡°I¡¯m requesting. Don¡¯t exaggerate my case, Pinkie Pie.¡± She could only assume Carrie¡¯s moniker had been a reference to that show with the ponies.


    "All right," Carrie cut in quickly. "All right, Julie. We¡¯ll try. But whether it works or not, no more about this today. That''s the deal."


    Julie nodded. "You have my word."


    Chartreuse extended her hands, and after a nod, Carrie took them. Julie watched as both girls closed their eyes. She shifted her weight back and forth uneasily as ten seconds passed, then twenty, then forty.


    Finally, after just over a minute, Chartreuse snatched one hand away from Carrie''s with a gasp and looked down at it. A couple of seconds later, Carrie reopened her eyes.


    "Wow," Carrie murmured, frowning. "Julie, my apologies. You were right. Someone''s after Corry today."


    "What is it then?" Julie pressed. "What did you see Joe Drew doing?"


    "I... wait, Joe?" Carrie protested. "The guy I got a bead on was Tommy Kvish."


    "No, no, the impressions I had were of Megan Falls,¡± Chartreuse protested, looking back up from her palm. The three girls stared at each other for another long moment in the supply closet, blinking in confusion.


    "Well, damn," Julie said to break the silence.


    ***


    "M-M-Mr. Burke?¡± Tim stammered. "My computer won''t boot."


    The computer science teacher approached the blonde boy''s workstation and flipped the power switch himself a couple of times. "Yup, you''re right," he affirmed. ¡°I¡¯ll notify the school tech. Paul¡¯s away today, so use his computer, over by Luci."


    Luci glanced up briefly as her name was mentioned before returning her attention to the notebook in front of her. Her notebook, filled with the strings of Linquist¡¯s letters that refused to make sense, no matter how she played with them. If only she could let go... but she couldn¡¯t.


    At least she¡¯d been able to reign her emotions back in last weekend, before everyone had returned from their time trip. Otherwise it would have been pretty embarrassing.


    "Hey Luci, what''re you up to?" Frank asked.


    As he sat down on her right, the young girl quickly slipped her notebook out of her lap and around to the far side of the computer. She couldn¡¯t admit to her boyfriend that she had become as obsessed with Linquist¡¯s book as he seemed to have become with Glen. "Nothing much," she said, smiling. "Random coding thought." It wasn¡¯t a total lie.


    The bell rang for class to begin. "Now remember," Mr. Burke stated, "today is another work period, but the printouts of your assignments are due on my desk by end of day tomorrow. If you finish early, try the bonus question. I''ll continue to circulate for help as needed."


    Luci listened to the teacher with half an ear as she pulled up her coding folder on the desktop. She started doing a bit of debugging, but her heart wasn''t in it, and soon her eyes had wandered back to the open notebook on her left.


    As focused as she was on the contents, it took a minute or so before she realized that Tim was staring over at the notebook too. "What?" she demanded.


    Tim flushed red and turned back to his computer. "N-N-Nothing," he stammered in reply. ¡°D-Didn''t know you were studying some derivative of l-latin."


    ¡°I¡¯m not," Luci snapped back. "It''s... wait, this looks like latin?"


    Tim looked back up at her, then again down at the notebook. He frowned, then shrugged. "Okay, no... it did at first, a bit... but this is a language I don''t recognize."


    Luci barely heard him, eyes riveted back on the page. The characters began to swim before her eyes. A language. A *language*. It wasn''t shorthand. It wasn¡¯t a cipher to be decoded. No, Linquist had gone and developed his own damn LANGUAGE.


    She didn¡¯t need a better code breaker. She needed a linguistics expert.


    "Tim," Luci croaked, her mouth dry. "You''re taking a latin course, right?"


    ¡°Y-Yeah," he admitted. ¡°Why?"


    Luci tore her eyes away from her notebook long enough to meet his gaze. ¡°Are you busy today at lunch?" she breathed. In fact, Luci was so shocked by this latest development that she didn''t even notice Julie¡¯s messages to Frank on his computer.

 Part 60a: Under Attack

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.3 - With Glen


    PART 60a: UNDER ATTACK 1


    "Frank, something''s come up I''m gonna be busy all this lunch but we can still meet after school okay?"


    Frank shifted his attention from his computer monitor over towards his girlfriend, trying to parse Luci¡¯s rushed dialogue. The bell had only just rung, signifying the end of the seventy five minute period, along with morning classes.


    "Uhhhh, sure," he agreed. Luci flashed him a smile, then grabbed her things and hurried out of the room.


    Actually, he had noticed Luci becoming increasingly jittery as the period had dragged on. He would have followed up on it, were it not for the text messages Julie had been sporadically sending him.


    Completing the log off of his computer, Frank looked over in Julie''s direction. She met his gaze with a little shrug, as if to say ''You know what''s needed now, it''s up to you whether you act.''


    In other words, putting the ball in his court. He turned away from her, so she couldn¡¯t read his expression. He didn''t want this ball. He''d rather not have become involved in the game. However, he had apparently been drafted, and if what Julie had said was true, backing out now would not only be hurtful to her, it could have repercussions throughout the school.


    Fine. So he¡¯d at least try. Stifling a sigh, Frank made his way over to Joe''s computer, even as all the other students filed out of the room. "So, you told Mr. Burke you¡¯d be, um, doing some extra coding over lunch?" Frank asked his business club associate. He tried to keep his tone nonchalant.


    "Yeah," Joe replied. "Still have one whole module to code."


    ¡°Right." Frank glanced towards Mr. Burke, but the teacher wasn''t paying any attention to them. Even so, he lowered his voice. "So this, uh, doesn''t have anything to do with striking out at Corry then?"


    Joe''s head snapped over to meet Frank''s gaze. "Why?" he demanded. "What have you heard?"


    "Oh! Nothing... nothing really. That is, I heard that Tommy was planning a strike against Corry, so given what you were saying back at the dance, I was wondering if you were as well." Inwardly, Frank cursed himself. Get a grip, Dijora, or he''s going to catch on. Channel your inner improv geek.


    Fortunately, Joe didn''t seem to notice any lack of finesse, more concerned with what Frank had said. "Tommy is, eh?" he said, frowning. ¡°Interesting. But I doubt his plan has any intelligence, not like--"


    "Not like yours?" Frank pressed as Joe stopped short. "Come on, Joe, we''ve known each other for how long now? Coat check, business club, occasional chess games? If you really are going to do something, don''t I rate a little advanced preview of your infinite wisdom?"


    Joe paused for an indeterminate amount of time before turning away and clicking through directories with his mouse. Frank thought he had been given the brush off, until Joe pulled up an image on the screen and looked back at him.


    "What do you think?" his friend inquired, watching closely for Frank''s reaction.


    Frank had to do a double take. The picture showed Julie and Corry, in a hallway of their school. Not only locked in an embrace, but kissing passionately. "Holy geez," Frank choked out. "When did they ever...?"


    "Make out? Beats me," Joe retorted with a satisfied smirk. ¡°Maybe never. I got into the school yearbook archives and stole some candid photo shots. Damn fine photo editing work, if I do say so myself. And once I broadcast Corry''s love for Julie across our whole school network, he''ll lose all respect among his peers. Her remaining support will likely blow up at them as well. Leaving me in a position to step in.¡±


    Frank shook his head. ¡°But if you faked that photo...¡°


    ¡°Fake, real, people don¡¯t care about that,¡± Joe said dismissively. ¡°They care about the sensation. All I¡¯ll need to do is send this out precisely at noon, claiming I got it from an anonymous source.¡±


    ¡°Huh. That''s brilliant," Frank yielded, only belatedly remembering Julie¡¯s instructions. "You''re forgetting Tommy though," he continued. "With both of you making moves to take out Corry today, you''ll end up in Tommy¡¯s crosshairs. He won¡¯t see you as an ally either, not with how you¡¯ve included Julie in your vendetta. Going after the two most well known seniors at once? Tommy will see you as a potential threat to his own supremacy.¡±


    There was an extended silence. "Cripes, you may be right," Joe granted. ¡°That said, I figured he might try something some day. I already have a doctored image that can be used to take Tommy down a peg as well.¡±


    Frank shook his head. ¡°Fool me twice, shame on you. You can¡¯t use an image trick for Tommy if you once used it on Corry. People will become suspicious. All you¡¯re doing here by going after Corry first is handing the school over to his main henchman.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Joe looked from Frank to his computer and back. ¡°You¡¯re right. Damn it, you¡¯re right.¡± He slammed his hand down on the computer table. Mr. Burke looked up from his desk in surprise.


    "Frustrating bug," Frank said, smiling apologetically at the teacher. Mr. Burke raised an eyebrow before returning to his grading.


    "Okay, wait a minute," Joe muttered. "If Tommy''s already in the process of taking out Corry - then all I need to do is to take out Tommy. Right? I¡¯ll have one-upped the guy who one-upped Corry! That should give me enough support to do whatever I want. Except... damn, the image I have for him won¡¯t let me get at Julie."


    ¡°Well, you can deal with her any way you like once you''re on top of the social ladder," Frank offered. Inwardly, he was relieved beyond belief that the very plan he''d been asked to feed to Joe had basically been proposed by Joe himself.


    "Good point," Joe responded grudgingly. "Yeah, I''m sure I can come up with something else there. All right, thanks buddy. I owe you one."


    "Uh, well, let''s not get ahead of ourselves," Frank said, smiling weakly.


    Joe barely noticed, having already resumed typing on his keyboard. So, murmuring a good luck and a goodbye, Frank beat a hasty retreat out of the computer lab - and down to the drama room. Where he hoped Julie would be able to explain herself a little better.


    ***


    ¡°So he''s not going to broadcast that doctored image?"


    "I don''t think so. Not yours, at least. He was focused on Tommy when I left," Frank replied. So much for explanations, he thought ruefully. He''d been subjected to the third degree from Julie about Joe''s plans ever since his arrival.


    "Okay then," Julie said, rubbing her hands together. She finally turned away from him, to face Carrie again. "And you¡¯re sure Tommy¡¯s goons are going after Joe, not Corry?¡±


    ¡°Right," Carrie said, frowning. "In fact, you seem to have done a damn good job of setting those two against each other. Since when was THAT the plan?"


    ¡°Irrelevant," the brunette asserted. "The point is, with them off the board, we can finally focus on the real threat."


    "Okay, no, stop, back up," Frank protested. "What goons? What threat? Julie, what have you been doing here?"


    "I think she¡¯s been, like, working to save Corry''s butt from people plotting against him," volunteered Chartreuse.


    Frank glanced over at the fourth occupant of the room. Chartreuse had been silent since his arrival. "Julie''s been what?" he asked. "Why?"


    Chartreuse simply shrugged. It was Julie who spoke up. ¡°Because I¡¯m concerned about Corry,¡± she asserted, crossing her arms. ¡°Moreover, I bet that he will appreciate that I¡¯m becoming able to handle myself again, without him always needing to butt in on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°Enough Julie. That is an outright lie," Carrie said, jabbing out her index finger.


    Julie bristled. "I beg your pardon?"


    "Don''t give me that look,¡± Carrie fired back. "Any fool can see you''re not concerned. You''re enjoying the hell out of this. I haven''t seen you this animated at school in months! If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say you were hoping that, by acting on Corry¡¯s behalf, people will start to see you more as his equal again.¡±


    The brunette flinched. "Carrie, stop, can¡¯t you see? I¡¯m trying to do the right thing here. Not for me, but for the school. How can you possibly have a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°Julie, I know you,¡± Carrie sighed. ¡°So let¡¯s review. Strike one, you make me tap into my abilities. Granted, when I saw Tommy down the hall from Corry, discussing a plan to sic some of his more disreputable friends on the guy at lunch? I was with you on stopping that. Meaning I go to Tommy before lunch, to shift his attention away from Corry, and onto Joe. What with Joe going after both you and Corry.


    ¡°In my mind, that closes the books on the entire situation. Instead, I discover that you''ve been talking to Frank? And have got this whole pit those people against each other plan? Being silent about that was strike two. And now, strike three - you¡¯re not telling us everything about your real motivations.¡±


    ¡°No, Carrie, think,¡± Julie protested. ¡°Chartreuse got an impression too. It''s Megan Falls who is the REAL problem here."


    ¡°But YOU never TOLD us that,¡± Carrie said, now almost shouting. "Besides, Chartreuse said that Megan was going after Corry. Corry, not you. You¡¯re in the clear, Julie. Why does it matter if the cocky redhead gets knocked off his pedestal, by Megan or anyone else?¡±


    "Uhm, yeah, hi again," Frank interrupted, reaching out to wave his hand in between the two glaring females. "Still not totally following here... Megan who?"


    "Megan Falls," Chartreuse chirped. "Junior student, one grade back. Very musical, she, like, helped to do a lot of fundraising in the band last year. She¡¯s the one I got a weird impression of, while trying to tap into Corry¡¯s location via Carrie this morning."


    "Oh. That Megan," Frank replied blankly.


    Julie turned away from everybody and took in a deep breath. ¡°Fine. Okay. Maybe I should have been more up front with you. But mark my words, we cannot underestimate Megan. While she began as simply one of my many followers, and a way to get Catholics on side within the school, her file in my archives kept growing. That girl is not only devious, she''s random and hard to predict. Win, lose, doesn¡¯t seem to matter to her, she prefers to play the odds. Trust me, we cannot let her take Corry down.¡±


    ¡°But WHY, Julie?¡± Carrie asked, slapping her palm against the wall. "Why the hell not?"


    "Because,¡± Julie said, turning back and slamming her own palm against the teacher¡¯s desk. "Because in the battle between the devil we know and the devil we don''t, I choose the side of the devil we know. Because despite all his faults, Corry is at least orderly, and not really that bad of a guy in a pinch. And finally - you¡¯re right! Okay? It DOES pain me to think that some young upstart might pull off the victory against Corry that everyone thinks I never managed to achieve. That''s why, Carrie. Are you happy now?"


    For a moment, no one spoke. "No," Carrie said at last, in a more calm tone of voice. ¡°I¡¯m not happy. But I am a little more understanding, now that you¡¯re acknowledging the truth."


    Julie stared at the blonde. And then her other hand joined her first, the brunette leaning on the desk.


    "Oh my God," she realized. "I''ve been manipulating you. All of you. For my own ends. Doc Golden told me to be careful of reverting to old habits." She bit down hard on her lower lip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Truly. I knew I was being impulsive... but it... it felt so RIGHT.¡±


    "Julie, we''re not simply your followers here," Carrie said, her tone becoming more sympathetic. "We''re your friends. But we won''t be for long, not unless you give us the whole story and let us decide for ourselves whether your ideas are worth pursuing."


    "But I... she..." Julie stopped and reached up to press a hand against her temples. "All right," she decided. "All right. So let me explain the rest of my thinking. Please?"


    Frank exchanged a quick glance with the others. He shrugged along with Chartreuse, and Carrie gestured at Julie. "Go ahead," the blonde yielded.

 Part 60b: Under Attack 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.3 - With Glen


    PART 60b: UNDER ATTACK 2


    Julie nodded back at Carrie. ¡°Thank you. See, as soon as Chartreuse said that Megan Falls was involved, I knew that this school was in trouble. Deep trouble. That girl tries to make people believe her opinions without any plan in mind. Without consideration of immediate consequences.¡±


    The brunette straightened her posture. ¡°Ironically, Megan¡¯s unpredictability means she probably has the best shot at Corry. So our first step HAD to be clearing the board of Joe and Tommy. To better get a bead on her. THAT¡¯S why I sent you both on your missions this morning.¡±


    Julie looked towards Frank. "It only occurs to me now that you were pretty reluctant about messing with Joe''s head. I guess all I can do at this point is ask forgiveness."


    "Yeah, well, in retrospect, the guy WAS taking things a bit far," Frank admitted, thinking back to the image he¡¯d seen. ¡°So as long as you¡¯re more up frontwith us next time, sure, I can forgive you."


    Julie then turned to Carrie, but the blonde was already waving her off. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. I was only miffed at your attitude. I rather enjoyed playing off Tommy''s paranoia. He¡¯s a jerk.¡±


    "All right,¡± Julie said, letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°Thing is, Megan''s too canny to be fooled like those two. In fact, I discovered that she''s been recorded as absent from school today. Given that, I asked Phil to scout around a bit at lunch, to see if he could find out where she really is.¡± She eyed the drama room door. ¡°Since he hasn¡¯t joined us yet, I can only assume that he¡¯s had no luck so far.¡±


    She looked at each of them in turn. ¡°And while I grant that this may be partly my ego, if Megan takes charge of the balance of power in this school? Chaos is sure to follow. Do you understand now? Will you help me to help Corry?¡±


    ¡°Okay Julie,¡± Chartreuse chirped. ¡°But, you know, exactly should we do, aside from look around too? I mean, like, what is it you''ve learned about Megan''s plans so far?"


    Julie brushed some of her long hair off her shoulder as she moved to lean back against a nearby wall. "As a matter of fact," she said, letting out a frustrated sigh, "as of this point in time, I''ve learned nothing at all about her plans.¡±


    ***


    Lunch period ended. The image of Tommy, serving tea to the chess club while clad in a full length green dress, only appeared in printouts - given how the school''s server mysteriously went down. But, true or not, seeing how he could be manipulated was enough to discredit the boy in the eyes of many of his supporters.


    Similarly, the sight of Joe walking through the halls with a bloody nose, wearing nothing but his boxers, was not seen by many either - he was quickly taken to the main office. However, as with the dress picture, word soon spread, and it became apparent that Joe had also lost leadership credibility in the eyes of the school.


    The quick interventions of the faculty aside, Tommy and Joe had cancelled each other out - as Julie had engineered. She tapped her fingers against her desk. Yet here it was, last period, and she STILL wasn''t sure what Megan was up to.


    Carrie, Frank, Chartreuse and Phil had all come up empty. Granted, they hadn¡¯t actually tried to invoke Carrie¡¯s powers again - but Julie was coming to understand Carrie¡¯s argument for why it might not be in their best interests to do that. Not if it fixed an outcome in Megan¡¯s favour.


    Julie left the mechanics of her physics lab in the hands of her partner, busy racking her brains for what it was she could have missed. It wasn''t until Laurie Veniti was paged to the library fifteen minutes before the end of the school day that Julie realized what a blind idiot she''d been.


    Whispering to her lab partner that she¡¯d handle the writeup for them, and to please cover for her, Julie slipped out of the room. Only to bump into Corry, who was doing the exact same thing down the hallway.


    "Fancy running into you like this," Julie said as the two of them headed for the stairwell. "Is my ''rampant paranoia'' catching?"Stolen story; please report.


    Corry opened his mouth to fire off some response, then simply grimaced. "Okay, I deserved that," he admitted. "The more I¡¯ve thought about what you said this morning, the more I¡¯ve realized how good the timing was for a major attack. You were right. I was wrong. I have been overconfident. Did you reroute Joe and Tommy?"


    "Damn right," Julie responded. "Though I had some help."


    "I see," the redhead replied as they reached the stairs. "And I can only assume this last plan is the work of Megan Falls. Do you know what she''s been getting my sister mixed up with?"


    "Afraid not," Julie sighed. "I SHOULD have been tailing Laurie all day. I''m out of practice."


    "No more so than me," Corry grumped. "You know, if we get through this intact, maybe I should start treating you as more of a equal again. You know my blind spots, and can help to keep me on my toes." Julie blinked over at him in surprise, but said nothing.


    The two teenagers arrived on the ground floor and approached the library. They quickly spotted Carrie, who was trying to peer covertly through the glass doors of the main entrance. She looked over at them as they approached.


    ¡°Oh! Uh. I... I was in drama class with Laurie when she was paged away," Carrie explained. "It wasn''t until right after she left that I remembered what Chartreuse said this morning about evil library vibes, and given Julie''s talk at lunch, I... I thought Laurie might have been walking into a trap." She gestured vaguely. "But, hey, maybe not? It doesn''t look like there''s anything nefarious going on in there."


    "Knowing Megan, it''s probably too devious to look nefarious," Corry asserted. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll take it from here."


    ***


    Corry marched past his two classmates, shoving the library doors open and striding inside. He was able to pick out his twin sister almost immediately, standing over by the bookshelves. Next to Laurie was a shorter girl with shoulder length jet black hair. Megan.


    "Okay, stop right there!" Corry said as he ran up to them. His run was brought up short as he noticed Principal Hunt, formerly hidden from view, standing amongst the bookshelves beside the two teenage girls. "Or, ah, not," Corry amended, stumbling.


    A trace of a smile flickered over Mr. Hunt''s face, as if some suspicion of his had been verified, before he turned back to regard Megan. "So see to it that there is no more of this unauthorized use of the public address system," he concluded. "Whatever you had to tell Laurie, it could have waited until the end of the school day."


    "Yes, sir," the junior girl replied meekly. "Never again."


    "Very well then," the principal concluded. "One detention for you. As well as for Mr. Veniti, Ms. LaMille and Ms. Waterson for cutting class."


    Corry flinched at the news, then glanced over his shoulder. He hadn''t even heard Julie and Carrie follow him in.


    The smile tugged at the corner of the principal''s lips again as he turned to regard them all. "And, ladies and gentlemen? Let''s have no more of this tomfoolery for at LEAST the rest of the month, hmmm?" With that, Mr. Hunt walked off, apparently to talk with the head librarian.


    "Well, that sucked," Carrie mumbled. "Is it me, or is Hunt himself getting more devious lately too?"


    Corry barely heard her, more concerned with whatever Megan had been up to with his sister. "Laurie?" he inquired, turning to meet her gaze for the first time. He braced himself, not certain what sort of expression he would see on her face.


    The pure rapture that Laurie had on display still managed to catch him completely off guard.


    "Corry?" his sister breathed. "Corry, I... I''ve been published. Megan got me published, isn''t that the most WONDERFUL news you''ve ever heard in your whole LIFE?¡±


    Corry felt his throat seize up.


    ¡°H-How?" came Julie''s voice.


    Laurie held up a small bound paperback. "A drawing I made for art class last year. Megan got a copy and wrote a short story based on it and submitted it to a regional contest put on by this short story publisher looking for best illustrated work and he liked it and all winners were basically being printed in this little book and oh golly it actually WON so I''ve had a picture published and my name is actually in print here right next to Megan''s!" She clasped the book back against her body.


    "Yes, it''s thrilling isn''t it?" Megan put in, firing off a sweet smile in Corry''s direction. She brought her fist up to her heart. "Kind of gets you. Right. Here."


    Corry''s eyes linked with Megan¡¯s. Her eyes narrowed, her smile widening. And she had him, and they both knew it. Owing to what Megan had done for Laurie here, Corry was not only indebted to her, but any move that he now made against the girl might well end up hurting Laurie emotionally. He had been outflanked by an act of pure generosity.


    ¡°Risky move, Megan," Julie piped up, her voice providing Corry with the excuse to look away. "After all, what if Corry had been dethroned earlier today? He¡¯d have no social strings for you to pull on.¡±


    Megan shrugged, her hand moving to idly finger the cross she wore on her necklace. "Well, no fun joining the game if you''re always sure about how it¡¯ll play out,¡± she said. "But I had faith in you, Julie. After all, who do you think got Kim to tip you off in the first place?¡±


    The brunette took a physical step back. ¡°You-- Damn you.¡±


    "Okay, well, not to break up the happy fun times here," Carrie broke in. "But maybe we should let the tension bleed out by heading back to class? I''d say the school''s had as much excitement as it can handle for today."


    Carrie was immediately proven wrong, as someone nearby let out a scream. The five students all turned, barely in time to see the van with the license plate reading ''LARS 02'' jump the curb outside and crash through the library''s large picture windows, the vehicle coming to rest in the reference section.


    A girl with short red hair swiftly kicked open the passenger door, held up a gun, and hollered, "All right, where the hell is ¡®Glen Oaks¡¯ at?¡±


    Owing to all the screaming and shouting that followed, only Corry heard Carrie''s horrified reaction: "Oh my God. That''s HER."

 Part 61a: The Conspiracy Unfolds

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.3 - With Glen


    PART 61a: THE CONSPIRACY UNFOLDS 1


    Chartreuse had just finished the table of observations for the physics experiment she and Lee were conducting when the sound of screeching tires and a loud crash from outside caused her pencil to slip from her fingers.


    Lee, along with a few other students, quickly moved to positions where they could look out the second floor window. "Holy geez," Lee said after a moment. "It''s kinda hard to tell from this angle, but it looks like some crazy driver crashed right into the school library.¡±


    "Whoa," Chartreuse gasped. "That must be, like, why I got bad vibes from the place this morning." A number of other students in the classroom exchanged glances. Frank and Clarke immediately registered Julie¡¯s absence, and before the teacher could stop them, they dashed out of the room.


    ***


    "Julie, get my sister to safety,¡± Corry called out.


    Julie noticed that Corry had elected to pull Megan away, as the younger girl had apparently passed out from shock. Did Corry think keeping their new rival safe might reverse the junior¡¯s coup? Julie shook her head - she could think about it later, right now they had more immediate concerns.


    "On it," Julie responded, taking hold of the arm of Corry¡¯s wide-eyed sister. She deftly maneuvered the two of them back, further away from the crazy redhead with the gun.


    Even as she did, the crazy redhead¡¯s attention was drawn to the man who was now slowly advancing upon her. The school principal raised his hands and froze as she focussed on him. ¡°Stay calm,¡± Hunt said. ¡°Put the gun down. We don''t want any trouble."


    "Then you''ll hand over Glen Oaks," the girl retorted. Her gaze was fully upon him now as she spoke very deliberately. "Tell me, where can I find Glen?"


    "He... he''s a student here. He would be in class now," the principal responded.


    "What class? Where?" she pressed.


    "I... I''m not sure."


    Julie noticed that the principal''s eyes seemed to be glazing over, as they locked with those of the redheaded intruder. Julie¡¯s own eyes narrowed. Something about this struck a chord inside her. An unpleasant chord.


    But it was hard to get a bead on things, as she was still leading Laurie back into the book stacks, with other students shouting around them, either trying to hide, or run for the exit.


    "WHERE?" the gun toting girl repeated.


    "I... really... don''t... know," Mr. Hunt replied, his voice shifting into a rather eerie monotone. "I can... look it up..."


    The redhead let out a sigh of frustration. "Never mind. How about Carrie Waterson, where is she?"


    "Right there.¡± Mr. Hunt lifted his finger to point.


    Julie snapped her gaze over in the direction the principal was indicating, in time to see her blonde classmate dashing out of the library doors, one hand pushing hard into her temple.


    ¡°Carrie. Stop!" the girl with the gun cried out. She began sprinting after her. "I have to warn you about Glen!¡±


    Corry, who had been hauling Megan towards the same door, froze as the armed redhead ran right past. Julie registered that fact even as her gaze shifted back towards the principal. He seemed to be blinking in confusion at the latest development, only now turning to look towards the main library doors.


    "Damn it," Hunt cursed, moving back for the library office. "Did I just tell her...? Mr. Price,¡± he called out. ¡°Tell the main office to announce that students are to remain in their classes when--"


    The bell rang signifying the end of the school day. Frowning, Julie watched as Hunt disappeared into the small office with the librarian. She then swept her gaze back across the scene, ending at the shattered picture windows, which were now letting the wind blow in among the book stacks.


    Most of the students were gone. The van was simply sitting there with the driver behind the wheel. The driver.


    Julie took a step forwards, only to have a hand clutch at her shoulder from behind. She twisted her neck around, seeing Laurie''s frightened face. "G-G-Golly, Julie," Corry''s sister stammered. "W-What''s going on??"The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "I don''t know," Julie replied, clenching her jaw. "But I''m going to find out, okay?¡± She clasped Laurie¡¯s hand. ¡°Duck down, and stay quiet. Wait for me or Corry to come back here for you.¡±


    She was going to get some answers.


    ***


    ''Why is it time travellers enjoy pointing guns at me?'' Carrie wondered as she charged down the hallway. ''I mean, don¡¯t they have some better technology available to them yet? Something less lethal, maybe? That¡¯d be nice...¡¯


    She heard the library doors get bashed open behind her. ¡°Carrie, stop. Listen to me!"


    ¡°Pass," Carrie mumbled under her breath.


    It didn''t help that it was getting hard to think at all, what with the temporal pressure hammering at her temples. That van should not have crashed into the library. This redheaded girl was not supposed to be in their time. Carrie was certain of that, yet she recognized her pursuer as the one who had been in her vision at the dance last month.


    Carrie swallowed. That¡¯s right. In her vision, this same girl had been standing in front of her, and the redhead with the hazel eyes had raised a hand, holding that knife... oh, hold on. Knife, not gun. So why the gun now? And what was her connection to Glen?


    Before those thoughts could manage a foothold, the bell rang, signifying the end of classes. Students began to pour out of the classrooms.


    "Perfect," Carrie moaned, feeling the vice around her temples tightening. She closed her eyes, squeezing out tears of pain.


    No way could she think about whys. Not now. She had to lead that crazy girl in the red dress somewhere NOT IN THE HALLS, somewhere SAFE, somewhere she¡¯d STOP damaging their timeline. And that place wasn¡¯t out into the parking lot, with all the parents, no, that was liable to make things even worse. So where?


    ''All right, track star,'' Carrie thought. ''Time for some fancy action.'' With a quick look over her shoulder to make sure the gun toting maniac was still in pursuit, she summoned up a burst of speed, sprinting into the (thankfully) deserted school auditorium, down near the stage podium.


    In one fluid movement, Carrie yanked open the loose door she knew about down on the lower right corner of the stage. She boosted herself through it feet first, landing between the rows of extra chairs stored there. She immediately reached up to slide the door shut behind her, then lay quietly, trying to keep herself from breathing too hard. The chair leg poking against her bottom really didn¡¯t help matters.


    The sound of running footsteps in the auditorium turned into walking footsteps, then there was nothing. "Carrie?" came the redhead¡¯s voice.


    A pause, and then Carrie heard her pursuer ascend the steps onto the stage itself. "Carrie, I''m fairly certain that you didn¡¯t time jump, and thus are simply hiding in here. It''s not my intention to harm you. Come on out so that we can talk."


    Carrie remained where she was. She heard the sound of a brief search, interrupted only by some sort of muffled announcement over the public address system. Then more silence. Her headache was ebbing. That felt like a good sign.


    Right when Carrie thought it might be safe to move though, she heard the girl''s voice again.


    "All right, Carrie, have it your way," the redhead declared. "But in case you can hear me ¨C I, Mindylenopia Oaks, member of the Chronologic Patrol, am here for Glen Oaks. My brother is a dangerous fugitive from the future. You must not trust him! I will be in touch."


    A pause, then running footsteps, then the auditorium door, and then silence. Still, Carrie waited twice as long as she had the last time before finally edging the stage door aside. When nothing happened, she pulled herself back into the auditorium.


    There was no one there. What''s more, the throbbing in her head had regressed to a point where it was almost bearable. Letting out a sigh of relief, Carrie headed cautiously for the hallway, rubbing absently at the sore spot where the chair had been jabbing her. Wishing she had any idea as to her next move.


    ***


    The van driver still seemed partially dazed as Julie pulled open his door. She noticed that while he had a bump on his head, his seat belt had managed to protect him from serious harm.


    "Vat''s goin'' on?" the driver murmured, turning his head to regard the brown haired student. "Vere am I?"


    "I''ll ask the questions here," Julie asserted. "Who are you, who was the redhead, and why is she after my friends?"


    "I... I be Lars," the driver stated blearily. "Vat redhead you mean?"


    "Your passenger," Julie said, peering a little more closely at him. Did he have a concussion or something? "You know, the one with the gun."


    "Gun?¡± Lars said. He turned to regard the empty seat next to him, then finally made an effort to sit up. "She''s gone? Mindy''s gone!"


    "Mindy?" Julie said, jumping on the name. "Is that the person you were driving here?"


    Lars reached up to press a hand to the bump on his head as he replied. "I tink... yes, she tell me to drive her into this town, and her name, it sounds like Mindy."


    ¡°Sounds like? You''re not sure? You''d never met her before today?"


    "No, I... oh my goodness. My van is in library??"


    "Focus please, just a couple more questions," Julie said, snapping her fingers to retain his attention. "Did Mindy say anything to you when you were driving? About what she was doing or why she came here?"


    "No, I... we come to town, we stop first at hotel, she go in, then come out and say Glen is at school. So we come to school. I mention school probably over soon, so she tell me to keep on driving towards window."


    Julie blinked. "So you did?"


    "I... I did. Somehow made sense at the time..."


    Julie felt a chill run up her spine. *It made sense at the time*. She remembered thinking the exact same thing aboutshooting Carrie last year. After that man had spent time talking to her on the phone. Influencing her with his voice. There had to be a connection.


    ¡°Who introduced Mindy to you?" Julie pressed. ¡°And did Mindy mention anyone else she was working with?¡±


    ¡°We meet by bridge... I... I don''t think she say,¡± Lars replied, throwing up his hands. "Who you be anyway? Student?¡± He only now seemed to realize Julie¡¯s age.


    "Irrelevant," Julie said, trying to sound as authoritative as possible. "Tell me, was it Mindy herself who convinced you to listen to her? How did she do it?!" Lars simply opened and closed his mouth, a baffled expression on his face.


    "Jewels," came a quiet voice from behind her. "The police are on their way and teachers are trying to get everyone into lockdown. We need to get out of here."

 Part 61b: The Conspiracy Unfolds 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.3 - With Glen


    PART 61b: THE CONSPIRACY UNFOLDS 2


    At the warning, Julie spun to face Clarke. "But..."


    "Frank ran to the office to keep tabs on things there," Clarke continued doggedly, ¡°And there was an announcement that all students are get into a classroom and remain there until further notice. We should do that, to avoid calling attention to ourselves.¡±


    Julie clenched her jaw, but based on the van driver¡¯s expression, she realized that she had probably obtained as much information as she could from him.


    "Okay. But listen, we''ll need to convene a meeting of all time travellers ASAP," she asserted, moving around the van. And coming face to face with Corry.


    ¡°A meeting which will include me, I presume?" the redhead said.


    ¡°Not today," Julie said, trying to dodge past him.


    "Hold on,¡± Corry countered, moving to block her. ¡°With something of this magnitude? I could cause even more damage by being out of the loop. Besides, if I''m not aware of whatever time travel stuff you and your friends have been unleashing, how can we be expected to effectively run the school together, partner?¡±


    Invoking the partnership caught Julie off guard. She was tempted to point out how Megan was really the one in charge now, only to hear a small voice interject, "T-Time travel?" from behind the adjacent reference shelving unit.


    Everyone spun as Laurie Veniti poked her head out.


    "Laurie,¡± Julie said. "I told you to stay back, out of sight.¡±


    Corry¡¯s twin made a little shrugging motion. "Yeah, but that announcement said to go into the nearest classroom, and since I saw my brother creeping up on you I figured we could all go somewhere together... with Clarke too. S-So what are you saying? Because there¡¯s something about time travel... something I can¡¯t quite put my finger on."


    "Hold on," Clarke interrupted, raising his hand. He''d noticed the school librarian hang up his phone, and Mr. Price was now heading towards them. "We really need to table this discussion for later.¡±


    ***


    Carrie found the halls deserted. Hunt had apparently managed to evacuate the school during the hour she had spent in the auditorium. Good. At least, Carrie assumed the building had been evacuated ¨C she supposed some people might still be managing a silent lockdown inside the classrooms.


    But there were no police officers roaming the halls like she might have otherwise expected, and the level of ache in her head implied the massive changes were done with - for now. She decided to risk visiting her locker.


    She found the note inside. It was unsigned, but Carrie knew who it had come from, given the handwriting. ''Suggest you don''t go home.'' it read. ''Meet behind park, at ravine. Will explain.''


    "Yes, I think you''d better explain," Carrie murmured. "Who is this sister of yours, this Mindy-onomatopoeia? Are you really some fugitive from the future? Or are you merely from a time traveling family that you elected not to tell me about, GLEN?¡±


    She crumpled the note in her hand before grabbing her coat and bookbag and slamming her locker door shut. She felt confused, frustrated, and even a little scared.


    "Goddamn time travel," the blonde cheerleader concluded, striding to the nearest hallway door and kicking at the crash bar with her heel to open it. "Why can''t I have a normal life?"


    ***


    Moments after Carrie¡¯s departure, a nearby door clicked open and a young asian girl poked her head out. She glanced up and down the vacant hallway before closing the door again.


    "I think the school is safe, Tim," Luci whispered. "That noise had to be the last people evacuating. My guess is that no one expected people to duck into the yearbook room. That¡¯s why no one came to get us.¡±


    The blonde boy shifted uncertainly from his position under the table. "You think?" he asked. "I mean, that lockdown can¡¯t have been a drill, not with people sending messages about a car crash and a gun. Maybe we should stay a bit longer? After all, we¡¯ve sent something to our parents to tell them we¡¯re okay, and it¡¯s not like we¡¯ve got nothing to do..." He gestured at the notebook open on the floor.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Luci grinned. ¡°I¡¯m glad you find Linquist''s language as fascinating as I do. But you said you had some reference books at home - so if the coast IS clear? We could make better headway there. It would probably put your parents more at ease too."


    Tim considered, then nodded, gathering up the pages of notes he and Luci had been making since lunchtime that day. Shortly after, Linquist¡¯s logbook in hand, the young girl followed Tim out of the room.


    ***


    Carrie paced back and forth at the tree line of the park, glancing in mounting annoyance at her watch. "An hour," she muttered. ¡°On top of the time it took to get to the note, so where the hell are you?¡±


    She paused as she caught sight of someone motioning to her down in the ravine. Stomping a little closer, she was able to recognize Glen''s coat, so she hurried down to meet him. Finally.


    "Don''t you shush me,¡± Carrie said, noticing that Glen had a finger pressed up to his lips. "You''ve got a lot of explaining to do, buddy!" Nevertheless, she did keep her voice down.


    Glen simply sighed, leading Carrie back deeper amid the tree trunks before speaking. "Is it true then?" he asked. ¡°Was the person who crashed the van into the school looking for me?"


    "She wasn''t only looking for you," Carrie shot back, "this ''Mindy'' girl waved a gun around and went out of her way to tell me you were a fugitive from the future. What the hell is that supposed to mean?"


    Glen looked genuinely shocked. ¡°Mindy? It was Mindylenopia? Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, Carrie. I had hoped to have a little more time before explaining the nature of my mission, but if she¡¯s forcing my hand..."


    "Mission?" Carrie felt a cold hand grabbing at her heart. Somehow, she''d still held out hope that this was all some sort of cosmic misunderstanding. That Glen would be as confused as her about the situation. No such luck. "You mean you really ARE from the future?"


    "If you are indeed the ultimate temporal weapon."


    Carrie took a step back, stumbled on a root, and fell to the ground. "Oh God. Oh God, y-you knew about... the whole time? B-But... does this mean you''ve never cared about me as a p-person?¡±


    Insanely, that felt like the thing which mattered the most. Words kept spilling from her mouth. "I mean, on that first date, when you said you¡¯d be honest with me, and that you merely sensed some extraordinary ability - was it all lies to get close to this weapon that I''m supposed to become??¡±


    "Oh, Carrie, no," Glen said, kneeling down beside her. "I do care about you. And that is how I felt about you at first... about future you. The reason I never said anything to you about your destiny was because, well, your friend Chartreuse seemed to be providing you with something of a power basis. And there was no reason for me to start your training right away.¡±


    "You were sent back to train me?" Within her spinning thoughts, something clicked. "Of course. The reason you didn''t trip my headache that day in the drama room, out of time - is because you were somehow already a time anomaly. That¡¯s also why, whenever I centred on you in a vision, my senses pulled me forwards into the future. Because that¡¯s where you''re from.¡±


    Which was what had also led her to see Mindy, that time at the dance. Her jaw clenched at the memory. "But if you¡¯ve come back for me, who''s this Mindy? Is your sister an agent for the other side?"


    "Actually, if this is the Mindylenopia I know, she''s an agent from our side gone bad," Glen explained ruefully. ¡°And she¡¯s not my sister. For the record, Temporals don¡¯t use ¡®last names¡¯ - those imply a certain ancestry. I¡¯m more properly known as Glinephanis. I selected the name Glen Oaks shortly after my arrival in your time. It was the name of some memorial gardens in a nearby town. She must have learned of my name at the hotel here, then given herself a similar last name, to play with your mind.¡±


    Carrie wished the pounding in her temples would cease. It wasn¡¯t a temporal headache any more, but it was almost as bad. ¡°So... the Chronologic Patrol?"


    Glen frowned. "Chrono what? Carrie, there is no such thing."


    "Oh gawwwwwwwwwd," Carrie moaned, lowering her head down to between her legs. "I can''t take this. Not now. I was all set to have a nice, relaxing evening. Instead, I''ve got a girl from the future trying to kill a trainer I didn''t even know I had, and possibly me as well. Assuming you''re not lying, being some fugitive yourself, out to kill me in my sleep!"


    "I assure you, I¡¯m here to help," Glen said. "Is there anything you''d like me to do to prove my sincerity?"


    "Yes. No... I don''t know,¡± Carrie said, grabbing two fistfuls of her hair. ¡°How could you even... wait, yes. If you really came from the future, you must have a time machine. Tell me, where is it?"


    Glen stood back up. "I didn''t come here via a time machine, Carrie."


    "No? If not, how in hell could you end up in my present?"


    He smiled. "Carrie... you sent me here. Your future self did. Using your abilities."


    ***


    Mindylenopia forced herself to stop and take in a few deep breaths before approaching the house. She had to stop rushing things - she''d made it back. The hard part was over. There was more time now, time to work carefully, time to be cunning. Time to control the people she was talking to with more finesse.


    Time to come up with a better cover story.


    She wasn¡¯t used to having that time. In retrospect, her improvised crashing of the van had done little aside from paint a target on her back. But for all she¡¯d known, ¡°Glen Oaks¡± had already recruited past-Carrie as his personal temporal guardian. She¡¯d had to gamble that while at school, they wouldn¡¯t be together. Hadn¡¯t she?


    Well, they were probably together by now.


    Mindy continued her advance towards the house. Whether she had some time now or not, after a half hour of observation here, with no sign of either Glen or Carrie, she had to DO something.


    "This world better appreciate what I''m going through for them," Mindy muttered as she adjusted the zipper on the jacket she¡¯d ¡®borrowed¡¯.


    She rang the bell. An older man answered the door and looked down at her. "Yes?" Hank Waterson said tentatively. Mindy simply smiled.

 Part 62a: Fragmented Plans

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.3 - With Glen


    PART 62a: FRAGMENTED PLANS 1


    "All right, we can''t wait any longer," Julie decided.


    ¡°Carrie and Luci aren¡¯t here yet.¡±


    "Frank, for all we know, they''ve already fallen under the influence of this Mindy girl.¡± Julie crossed her arms. ¡°We''ve sent messages, and spoken to their parents, and that''s all we can do until they decide to respond."


    After clearing out of the school, the group of temporal teenagers had messaged back and forth, deciding to reconvene at the LaMille mansion as soon as possible.


    Corry cleared his throat. ¡°Before you start, I''d like to once AGAIN voice my objection to my sister being here."


    "In which case I''ll totally overrule you again," Chartreuse said. ¡°Laurie has as much right as the rest of us to know the truth. Remember, like me, she knew before. Prior to that memory wipe at the hospital affecting, you know, non-time travellers."


    ¡°Too bad that didn¡¯t stick on you,¡± Corry griped.


    ¡°Look, Corry,¡± Clarke offered. ¡°Chartreuse once forgot, and now she knows, and it hasn¡¯t caused her harm. Plus she¡¯s Laurie¡¯s best friend, so it must have been tough not being able to talk about it. What¡¯s the harm?¡±


    Laurie''s head bobbed. ¡°Yeah, stuff makes more sense this way. I wondered why Chartreuse was doing, like, those weekly readings on Carrie. Actually, I was starting to think that maybe Chartreuse and Carrie were in some sort of roman--"


    ¡°Laurie, ixnay,¡± Chartreuse gasped.


    ¡°Except,¡± Corry said to Clarke, ignoring the outburst, ¡°the situation got pretty dangerous last year. And there''s no reason to believe it¡¯ll be any less so now. THAT¡¯S the harm. I notice no one''s called Tim or Lee to bring them back on board?¡±


    "Corry has a point there," Frank granted. ¡°Maybe...¡±


    "No, Laurie''s here, and she''s staying,¡± Chartreuse argued.


    "Chartreuse, you''re not running things,¡± Corry sighed. "Clarke, you understand this is a safety thing, right?"


    ¡°I guessyou''ve got a point.¡±


    "Um, shouldn''t I get to decide for myself?¡± Laurie ventured.


    "See? She, like, wants to stay.¡±


    "Ah, like Clarke said, Corry did make a good point, so..."


    ¡°Chartreuse, she didn¡¯t say THAT.¡±


    ¡°Guys, let¡¯s allow Frank to complete his thought?"


    ¡°Golly, I didn¡¯t mean for this to be a fight.¡±


    "HEEEEEEEYYYYYYYY!"


    It was hard to say whether it was Julie''s scream that caught everyone''s attention, or the crash that came as a result of her smashing the jade figurine against the lemonade pitcher Jeeves had brought in earlier.


    Regardless, all eyes were now on the brunette as she stood, fists clenched, with broken glass and lemonade flooding the silver tray beside her. She took in a deep breath and threw the figurine on the ground.


    "Much as we all might enjoy a good argument with Corry, we... don''t... have... the... *TIME*,¡± she shouted. ¡°In case you hadn''t noticed, there is a homicidal redheaded girl from the future after Glen, Carrie and who knows who else... and what''s more, that girl seems to have the power to control people''s minds. I know first hand how that makes your argument here, and even our huge problems with Megan at school today, look so damn small that they¡¯re barely even an afterthought!"


    Corry was the first to break the ensuing silence. "Um, back up. Mind control? Julie, with all due respect... maybe you need to lie down."


    "I know what it sounds like," she replied, jaw clenched. "But I also know I''m right. Don¡¯t you remember? About that guy from the future who was held captive in this very room back when Carrie was in the hospital? He could do mind control too.¡±


    Frank nodded slowly. ¡°The two of us weren¡¯t here then, but I gather you mean Shady, the one who gave you the gun and turned you against Carrie. Who then told Luci that Carrie was a temporal weapon who would destroy the world. Who ultimately tried to kill everyone by blowing up the hospital.¡±


    "No, the OTHER guy from the future," Julie said, unable to hold back her sarcasm. ¡°Obviously him.¡±


    Chartreuse frowned. ¡°Ooh, that does SOUND familiar... but I¡¯m, like, a little sketchy, probably because of the memory wipe."


    Corry folded his arms. "Oh, please. You''re forgetting I saw this ¡®Shady¡¯ guy too, in the basement of the hospital. And while he did have some sort of power over us, if it was mind control, wouldn¡¯t he have used that same power to talk his way out of jail?¡±


    ¡°Carrie might have done something to prevent that,¡± Frank put in.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Okay guys, stop. Jewels, we¡¯re all on board with the redheaded girl being our priority either way,¡± Clarke said, moving to touch her arm. ¡°What have you turned up so far?¡±


    Julie flashed the tall blonde a grateful smile. ¡°Right. So, after talking with the van driver and then going to visit the Clayton Hotel after school, I know this much about Mindy, our newest arrival." She pulled out her small black book, to thumb through her notes.


    "This Mindy was picked up somewhere out of town by Lars. According to the hotel desk clerk, Mindy stormed in this afternoon, asking about any long term guests, claiming shortly thereafter to be a relative of Glen Oaks and asking for his whereabouts. She was sent back to talk with the manager. Despite being seen entering his office, said manager told me he didn''t remember anyone of Mindy¡¯s description. I don¡¯t think he was lying. Something made him forget.¡±


    Julie drew in a breath. ¡°Mindy then went back out to Lars'' van, and got him to drive not only TO the school, but INTO the library, with nary a second thought. Mindy proceeded to get the principal to talk about Glen, and give up the location of a student, namely Carrie, without even a single wave of her gun. That¡¯s VERY unlike Hunt.¡±


    She looked up. ¡°So call me crazy if you like, but this all implies mental powers. Worse, as Carrie ran out, she looked to be in some sort of temporal pain."


    "Plus Carrie knew this girl," Corry admitted. ¡°As Mindy arrived, Carrie said ''It''s HER''. You think she was able to see this coming?"


    "We could ask Carrie, if she were here," Chartreuse murmured. She began to fidget. "I''m starting to think this Mindy has, like, taken her hostage and is even now writing up a ransom demand.¡±


    "No, Carrie can defend herself," Frank asserted. "I''m sure she put Mindy in her place." Nevertheless, his fingers drummed nervously on the couch.


    Another silence settled on the group.


    ¡°Okay, Julie''s onto something,¡± Corry admitted. ¡°New question, how do we corner this Mindy person and find out what her true intentions are with respect to our resident temporal weapon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, uh, I was just trying to figure out how you corner someone who can control your mind,¡± Clarke said.


    "Lee," Chartreuse concluded. ¡°Julie, the other day you said Lee never, like, seemed to be influenced by attempts to control him?¡±


    "Yes, that¡¯s true,¡± Julie sighed. "And I guess Lee owes us one, for finding Sing¡¯s necklace. But even if he has some type of mental immunity, would he really be able to catch this Mindy? She seems to be a lot more in-your-face than Shady ever was.¡± She paused. ¡°Plus, to be fair, we''d have to give Lee all the background information too. Tell him what he¡¯s getting into."


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Carrie would go for that,¡± Frank said.


    ¡°Carrie¡¯s not HERE,¡± Corry pointed out. ¡°Damn it Dijora, you can¡¯t play favourites, bringing Laurie back in while hesitating on Lee.¡±


    ¡°Um, hello?"


    Everyone turned, blinking at the person whose presence they''d all but forgotten. Laurie sat there, her hand raised in the air.


    ¡°Sorry, Laurie. Go ahead,¡± Clarke encouraged her.


    She brought her hand down. ¡°See, um, I was thinking that if you can do all this time travel stuff - which sounds totally cool and all by the way, despite the additional freakiness that seems to come with it - er, but anyway, if you can do it then why don''t you simply transport this Mindy girl to another time? Like days in the future? That would give us all longer to plan, maybe get a jail cell set up for her that traps her powers. Or something like that?¡±


    ¡°If Mindy¡¯s a time traveler, she¡¯d only time jump her way back out," Corry countered.


    "No... no, no, hold on, Laurie¡¯s onto something there," Frank realized, leaning forward in his seat. "If Mindy really could time travel freely, wouldn''t she be acting with more finesse? She''s been as subtle as a brick - as if she''s on some sort of deadline. Maybe she''s due for a temporal pickup. And if our time machine yanks her out of time, maybe it prevents that.¡±


    He shifted his gaze around the room. ¡°After all, we now know Mindy doesn''t have to be touching the handle of the time machine to be transported, only one of us does. Heck, if whatever her story is checks out later, we can return her moments after she was taken.¡±


    "Nice thought, but how would we manage Mindy reappearing in a cell?¡± Clarke asked.


    "It would take some doing," Julie said, frowning. "But, as was the case with us, an initial time trip might knock Mindy out. And assembling a cage in a day or two isn''t impossible, not with my resources. Meaning as long as Lee¡¯s the one to guard her, we¡¯re in the clear.¡±


    "In that case, we should, you know, displace Mindy from time as soon as possible, right?" Chartreuse asserted. ¡°Given how, the longer this Mindy''s in town, the more people''s lives are in danger. Especially Carrie''s and Glen''s."


    Julie thought back to the expression on Mindy''s face, when she had scanned the library and then squared off with principal Hunt.


    "Agreed," Julie said. ¡°We¡¯ll act now. Tonight. I think I¡¯ve got a plan. Let¡¯s go over it together.¡±


    ***


    Carrie swirled her straw unenthusiastically in her strawberry shake as she contemplated what Glen had told her. She finally looked up, and after verifying that no one else was paying attention to them in the corner booth of the cafe, she spoke to her companion once more.


    "All right," Carrie said quietly. "Let me try to work through this. Please help me out if I ask?¡± When Glen nodded back, she took in a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re saying we both exist here in what we¡¯d call timeline three. The first timeline being the one where I didn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°Right. A poor timeline, if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I didn¡¯t ask for help there.¡± She couldn¡¯t handle his efforts to be charming, not now. ¡°That initial timeline was overwritten with timeline two, the one wherein someone brought my mother back in time, and then she met my father, creating me. But within that second timeline, my powers only awakened in the far future, for me to fight in a war. A war between us - the Temporals, for lack of a better word - and some others, which you call the Mundanes.¡± She rubbed her forehead. ¡°You seriously use that term? It¡¯s so cliche.¡±


    ¡°If the shoe fits.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Enter timeline three. That¡¯s this one, the one where my powers have awakened as a teenager instead, due to that war spilling even more into the past. As such..."


    She paused to regroup her thoughts, taking the opportunity to sip at her shake again. ¡°As such, I¡¯ve kind of expected Future Carrie from timeline two to drop in at some point, steering me back on whatever path she originally took. That is, making my present more like her past, the past of the me-with-no-powers timeline. In fact, how are you not from that future?¡±


    ¡°Versus me also being from this timeline three, in a future where you¡¯ve had your powers for decades? Yeah, I see your issue,¡± Glen yielded. ¡°Thing is, that timeline two Carrie? She would have been little more than a pawn, being used by others. You, by contrast, with years to perfect your abilities, are a force of nature. Why would you force yourself back onto lousy timeline number two?¡±


    His argument did make some sense. After all, if the present were to morph around a person, turning them into a millionaire, why would they fight it?


    ¡°I guess I follow that,¡± she said. ¡°But in that case, why would I send you back at all? Hasn¡¯t it put us into timeline four, where I¡¯m getting early training? I¡¯m now sabotaging my own past.¡± She frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Glen shook his head. ¡°Carrie, you have an immunity to paradox. You can send me back in time to make sure your powers don¡¯t overwhelm you or kill you now, in timeline three, and yet still have it be the same timeline where I wasn¡¯t here - because that¡¯s not a thing. I was always here. It¡¯s all the same timeline.¡±


    Carrie dropped her head down onto the table. This was really bugging her. Not because it didn¡¯t make sense, rather because it did, and yet she felt like it shouldn¡¯t.

 Part 62b: Fragmented Plans 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.3 - With Glen


    PART 62b: FRAGMENTED PLANS 2


    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± Carrie sighed. ¡°It¡¯s all timeline three. Now, you also said there¡¯s a faction within the Temporals who disagree with our - their - policies, which is the reason the Mundane we call Shady was able to get a time machine and come back to activate my powers in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Starting our timeline three,¡± Glen agreed.


    ¡°Mindy is ALSO a part of this faction, and she came here to finish the job that ¡®Shady¡¯, her future blow-up-the-hospital friend started. That¡¯s what might start timeline FOUR. Which is what we now need to prevent.¡±


    ¡°There you go, you¡¯ve got it,¡± Glen agreed.


    Carrie sat for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s LUNACY," she decided. "Can''t I give Frank a call? He''s a lot better at following this time-space junk."


    Glen reached out to grab Carrie¡¯s arm before she could retrieve her book bag. ¡°I said no phone calls. I mean it, Carrie. Not to Frank, not to your father, not to anyone. We don¡¯t know how many people Mindy has compromised.¡± He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one is better at wrestling with temporal mechanics than you are.¡±


    Carrie pulled her arm free of his grasp. She tugged hard on a strand of her hair. "Come on, Glen, you really think my own FATHER is going to give me up to Mindy? I mean, he¡¯s probably so worried, after what happened at school.¡±


    Glen said nothing, merely shifting his weight back and forth uneasily in his seat. "Fine then, I''m calling.¡± She reached for her bag again.


    "Wait," Glen sighed. ¡°Fine. There¡¯s something I haven''t mentioned. Mindy has these... mental powers."


    "Oh, of course," Carrie sighed. ¡°Everyone who wants me dead HAS to have THOSE." But she felt too weary, too mentally drained to continue with an argument, so she gave up on her book bag in favour of looking expectantly at Glen.


    ¡°If she chooses, Mindy¡¯s voice can make people do things they might otherwise be unwilling to do," Glen explained. "And being an actual Temporal, she''s damn good at it. Better than this Mundane you previously encountered. Granted, the power works best on adults, or on people who are emotionally vulnerable, but, given access, Mindy could eventually convince even the President of the United States that he was a rodeo clown."


    Carrie felt a chill run through her. ¡°Glen? Your description feels very personal. Something in your tone tells me you''ve got an inside track on this mental ability too."


    Glen smiled wryly. ¡°Can¡¯t put anything by you, hm? You''re right, Carrie. How else do you think I managed to set myself up here so quickly? Obtain all the required school documents? Deflect questions as to where my parents have been for over a month? I can do it too, if I choose.¡±


    "Fine," Carrie said. "Then you use your mental powers to go and deal with Mindy. I''ll be home, in my bedroom, drawing up a new cheerleading routine." She moved to rise, only to have him reach out and take her arm again.


    "I''m sorry, Carrie," Glen said. "It doesn''t work like that. Even setting aside that I¡¯ve only used my mental power very sparingly here in the past, me and Mindy, we¡¯d be locked in a stalemate. The only one who can deal with the temporal threat right now is you.¡±


    His grip tightened. ¡°Mindy needs to be banished from this time period. It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll show you how to do it.¡±


    "Why? Why ME?¡± Carrie protested, banging her free hand down onto the table. "I''m just a girl. All right? A senior student trying to juggle her offbeat social life with her studies. I never asked for these temporal powers!"


    "No," Glen agreed. "You didn¡¯t. You were born into them. But remember timeline one? Without these powers, you wouldn''t have been born at all."


    Carrie bit down hard on her lower lip. She felt like screaming. Or throwing something, hitting someone, lashing out at whatever future forces were conspiring to make her present a living hell.


    But there was no one to attack. Even if fate were some sort of living entity, Carrie doubted it could be punched in the face. No, the truth was, Carrie had been born - when she never should have existed. With no powers, there was no Carrie. Simple logic.


    As such, there was only one outlet currently available upon whom Carrie could vent her frustrations. The person who had smashed up their school library in an effort to start timeline four.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Carrie sank back down into the booth. For a few moments, she remained with her elbows on the table, her blonde hair clenched in her fists, staring down at the pathetic looking strawberry chunks floating in what remained of her shake. Her decision, when she made it, was the only one that could make sense.


    "What?¡± Glen asked. ¡°I couldn''t hear you."


    "I said," Carrie repeated, still barely above a whisper, ¡°Tell me what I have to do to banish Mindy."


    She felt tired. So very, very tired.


    ***


    "I must admit, I still don''t get why you two need me," Lee said.


    Julie had sent Chartreuse to corner their classmate after his shift was up at the library, getting him to come to Willowdale Park. Where he was now standing, giving them a puzzled look.


    ¡°I swear, we¡¯ll explain everything,¡± Julie assured. ¡°But for right now? It might be better that you don¡¯t understand. That way, if something goes wrong, you¡¯ll have deniability.¡±


    ¡°You do understand the plan?" Chartreuse asked.


    "Well, yeah. I lure this Mindy girl over to that place in the ravine where Corry and Frank are hiding. By pretending that Corry is Glen, given the similar hair. Pretty straightforward. You sure this Mindy will show?"


    "Pretty sure," Julie sighed. "I mean, I called Glen''s room at the Clayton and left a message on his answering service for her. It makes sense that she''d be monitoring. But Lee, if Mindy pulls her gun on you, or does ANYTHING to make you think she''s dangerous - or even unexpectedly friendly - we abort. Your safety is paramount."


    "Cut and run, yeah," Lee agreed. "No problem there."


    Julie grimaced, starting to have second thoughts. After all, what if Mindy saw through the facade before Frank and Corry could link up with her and use the time machine? Was dusk enough to mask what was going on, or should they have waited longer? What if Mindy hurt somebody? Was using Lee even necessary, or just mere paranoia?


    All objections voiced by the others, all objections Julie had countered in her drive to make sure they disposed of this Mindy girl. But, was she truly acting out of concern for Glen, Carrie and everyone else? Or, as she had done earlier in the day, was she doing it more in the hopes of regaining some of her former glory? Or worse, of being the one who was in control, when faced with a person so similar to the man who had manipulated her in the past?


    Julie hated when she started questioning her motivations. She no longer liked what she found. However, she had at least been up front with everyone this time. That is, almost everyone.


    "Look, Lee, this really could be dangerous," Julie said, speaking before she could think about it. ¡°Mindy has these... okay, know what? Never mind. I¡¯ll talk to Mindy instead of you. Sorry to bring you all the way out here for nothing. You should go.¡±


    "Hey, if you went to the trouble of getting me involved, I''m sure you had a reason," Lee protested. "Besides, I''m good at dodging. Plus I really do feel indebted to you and Carrie and everyone for finding Sing''s necklace. It meant a lot to her - just as this seems to mean a lot to you guys."


    "But..."


    "Too late now anyway," Lee said. "I wager that approaching shadow is your Mindy."


    Julie spun to see where Lee was looking, then with a curse, flattened herself down onto the ground and rolled under the evergreen shrub, next to where Chartreuse was already hiding.


    Lee moved away from Julie''s position, towards the person that, Julie had to agree, looked like Mindy. It occurred to her now that they could be playing real havoc with the timeline - would Carrie double over in pain somewhere as soon as the time machine was activated? Why the hell wasn¡¯t she answering their messages?


    Well, Clarke and Laurie were out looking for her. As well as looking for Luci, and even Glen. What more could they do? After all, it wasn''t Julie''s fault that time girl had gone AWOL. Or been kidnapped. Maybe tortured. Julie grit her teeth. She would fix this. She would.


    She felt a hand reach out for her own, and she squeezed Chartreuse¡¯s palm back in response. Not certain which of them was reassuring the other.


    ***


    Frank resisted the urge to pop the top of the time machine open, to check the controls for the umpteenth time. He knew they had been set correctly. The coin was in, the only thing left to do was pull the handle. Which he would do as soon as Corry reached out and grabbed hold of Mindy.


    Julie had made it all sound so terribly easy... as she had with her plan in the computer lab before lunch. Of course, that train of thought took him to Luci. Where HAD she disappeared to after that class? If she was upset with him, why hadn¡¯t she at least called someone else?


    "Hold tight, we''re up," Corry muttered. Frank felt his heart rate increase as the sound of Lee''s voice reached their ears. He gripped Corry¡¯s ankle even tighter.


    "Yeah, well, as I say, Glen''s always bugged me," their dark haired friend was saying. "So when I heard you wanted him, I decided to ambush him and tie him up in the woods for you. I''m getting decent pay for this, right?"


    "I''m skeptical,¡± Mindy retorted. "He''s sneakier than you''re making him out to be."


    "Well, check it out, he''s gagged back there behind that tree," Lee continued. "See the red hair?"


    Frank heard Mindy take a step closer. Then another. Then... "Hey, that''s not--"


    "NOW," Corry shouted, making a dive for the redhead''s leg. Without even thinking about it, Frank yanked down on the time machine''s lever with his free hand.


    He felt the usual effects of the time distortion, dimly aware of the fact that he''d kept hold of Corry''s foot. Then he was forty eight hours in the future. Back in the park. With Carrie Waterson standing no more than a metre away, her blonde hair trailing out behind her in waves, her eyes glowing a brilliant gold.


    ¡°Oh, GEEZ," he choked out, letting go of the time machine and stumbling to his feet. Some sort of electricity sparked at Carrie''s fingertips. It helped him make out the forms of Corry and Mindy, unconscious on the ground - and that of Glen Oaks, who was also lying on the ground nearby.


    "Frank, get DOWN," Luci screamed from somewhere behind him. "You''re spoiling my shot!"


    "Oh look, more people here I can banish," Carrie said with a smile. Electricity lanced out from her fingertips, Frank was knocked back off his feet, and everything faded to black...

 Part 63a: Blame Game

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.3 - With Glen


    PART 63a: BLAME GAME 1


    Chartreuse paced around the park once more before approaching Julie. "It''s been almost an hour," she pointed out quietly. "Lee went home. It''s getting totally cold. I don''t think Frank and Corry are coming back.¡±


    "They would want to be sure not to overlap with themselves after dropping Mindy off," Julie responded. "We should give them a little more time."


    "But what if Mindy''s, you know, turned the tables on them in the future? Maybe she has two more people on her list of hostages.¡±


    "Then we have forty seven hours to ensure that''s NOT what ends up happening. In the meantime, you can go home if you like, but I''m staying here a little longer.¡±


    Chartreuse opened her mouth to reply, but then seemed to think better of it, and simply resumed her pacing. Julie folded her arms and looked up at the night sky. ''Damn it,'' she thought. ''Why haven''t they time traveled back? What went wrong with my plan?''


    ***


    "This is perfect. Oh, Tim, you''re wonderful,¡± Luci exclaimed, scanning down the page of translated material.


    It looked a bit like she wanted to hug the sheet. Or maybe hug him. Tim edged his chair backwards.


    "Though I see a few corrections I can help you with,¡± Luci added. ¡°Let me use your pencil?"


    Tim continued to stare at her, even as the younger girl reached out her hand abstractedly. It wasn''t until she¡¯d grabbed at thin air a few times that she finally looked up from the page and realized he was wasn¡¯t offering her anything to write with. ¡°Tim?¡±


    "L-Luci. Yeah, fascinating language and all, but this scientist guy is also using some kind of short form notation, and his verb tenses are insane. We''ve got a good start on this. It¡¯s been hours. Isn''t it time for a break?"


    Luci gestured airily. "I''m not tired. Though if you want, I can take what we¡¯ve done back to my place to keep working. I''ll just need to call you if I get stuck, if that''s all right?"


    She seemed surprised when he pushed himself away from the writing table in his bedroom. "No. No, it¡¯s not all right, Luci. I see now that you''ve been obsessing way too much over this. You m-may not feel tired, but you look it. Now, why aren''t you telling m-me the whole story?"


    "Story? What story?"


    "The one that explains how you only recently got something from Linquist, a guy who left town three years ago. The one that explains why you think that the word which occurs so often is ''aliens'', not ''bacteria''. The one that explains why you selected this particular passage about some ''safe'' as being important, despite it being halfway in.¡±


    "Oh. That story.¡±


    Tim nodded. "Sometimes I get short of breath, but I¡¯m not blind, you know. Tell me, Luci, why is it so important that we keep working, not only through lunch, but after school at my place, and now verging on supper?"


    The young girl pursed her lips. "It''s personal."


    "Maybe, but I seem to be involved now.¡±


    Luci frowned, considering. "All right. Linquist and I have a bit of a history together, that''s all. He... did some things to me. Things that might relate to something that Frank and a few others are working on now. I also suspect the guy''s not really gone, so I want to be ready if and when he comes back."


    "Right. Well, I d-don''t think he''ll turn up tonight," Tim countered. "So let''s both take five. More, even. Because I won''t help you any more until I know you''ve eaten something."


    A smile flickered across Luci''s face. "That''s sweet Tim, but..."


    "No! No but,¡± Tim interrupted. "Now, my mom offered supper to the both of us. I''m going to tell her that we''re ready to eat.¡±


    Luci seemed to size him up. "All right," she conceded. "All right. I suppose I should check back in with my parents too, seeing as it''s... oh, wow, it¡¯s past eight..."


    She went for her backpack, but paused and turned back to add, "You know Tim, that assertiveness bit works well for you. Your voice gets melodic and you hardly stutter.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    He blinked. "I d-d-d-don¡¯t?"


    Shaking her head, Luci presumably searched for her phone as Tim back-pedalled out of the room. She almost ran full tilt into him when he returned, a frantic look on her face.


    "I can''t stay," she apologized. ¡°Both Frank and Julie have been trying to reach me for a while, something''s up, I have to go, I... uhm..." She hesitated. "Can I leave our translations with you? You''ll keep them safe?"


    "Uh, of course, b-but what..."


    "Thanks. No time to explain, even assuming I understood it myself, but I promise I''ll tell you more when I can. Okay?"


    Faced with Luci''s concerned expression, Tim found he could only nod in reply. He followed her to the front door. "Is there anything I can do to help? Did something bad happen to one of them?¡± he wondered.


    Luci slipped on her shoes. "I hope not. I really, really hope not."


    ***


    ¡°Problem. If I do that, something bad will happen."


    ¡°Carrie, you''re being paranoid," Glen assured. "Nothing bad will happen."


    She shook her head. ¡°You weren''t here when I was planning on channeling the power of a bomb through my body and into the time streams. Hell, it took me up until last month to accept that balancing my powers was even possible. Now you''re asking me to simply surrender myself to this... this ultimate weapon force I¡¯ve got?"


    "Not surrender," Glen explained patiently. "It''s more like a time share. You¡¯ll regain control once your temporal self has accomplished the thing that we¡¯ll be asking of it."


    Carrie stood up and began pacing around the floor of the largely empty warehouse. A place that Glen had apparently acquired after arriving in town, for ¡®training purposes¡¯. Because he was her trainer. Not her boyfriend. Oh no, having a relationship, that was something only normal people got to do.


    "I don''t like it," she said. "I''ve stuck with your last hour of meditative hocus-focus techniques because they seemed to make some sort of sense. But switching that part of me on? No, I can¡¯t. It¡¯s WAY beyond anything I''ve attempted with Chartreuse.¡±


    "I''m not Chartreuse," Glen pointed out. "Carrie, if we want to deal with Mindy, this is the only way. We must send her to another year, and wipe her memories, ensuring that she can¡¯t return. Doing that requires your temporal self.¡±


    Carrie clenched and unclenched her fists, opening her mouth to make a retort - when she realized something. She turned towards the storage bay doors. "Something''s wrong.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, when you said Mindy, I checked my mind, and something is right. Which is wrong.¡±


    "Carrie, you''re losing me."


    The blonde teenager shook her head, feeling her long hair brushing about her shoulders. ¡°Look, for the last year, I''ve been living with this dull ache in my head. It only gets bad when people talk serious temporal paradox, or unauthorized temporal incursions occur. Hence a bit of mental strain in the school library earlier, when my brain wanted to explode out of my skull.¡±


    "Yes, that''s your temporal sense," Glen affirmed. "The future you never talked much about it, except to request an acetaminophen equivalent."


    "Fine. So, Mindy''s incursion was bad at first, but it eventually ebbed back to a point where I could block the pain, using something Chartreuse taught me. Yet now that extra pain is... gone. Like, I¡¯ve been blocking nothing." She frowned. "Maybe Mindy time traveled somewhen else?"


    Glen shook his head. "You''re the only one who can initiate time travel at will. The rest of us need you, or some form of technology."


    "Yes, fine, so what if she had a time machine?"


    "Impossible," Glen asserted. "She would have had to bring along a portable version, and very few of those were ever made. Besides, if Mindy COULD jump about in time at will that way, I believe even she would have been employing a more reserved approach."


    ¡°All right, what if she got her hands on my time machine then," Carrie countered.


    Glen¡¯s body tensed up. He swallowed. "You... you mean you still have a time machine? As in, a portable one?"


    Carrie nodded. "Left to me by the Mundane benefactor who awakened my powers. I assumed you knew. How else could I have been travelling in time?¡±


    ¡°Using your own power.¡± Glen started to look almost scared. ¡°Wait, you mean you haven¡¯t accessed your temporal self at ALL? Any time trips you take are only by scrying, or using future technology?¡±


    ¡°Obviously! Why else would I be so sure something bad will happen if I ¡®time share¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Carrie, it¡¯s been almost a year. What on Earth have you been doing?¡±


    ¡°Freaking the hell out! Like any normal person would.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Carrie. Oh no.¡± He walked up to her, and grabbed her by the arm. She wished he would stop doing that. ¡°No wonder your head¡¯s been aching. Promise me that you will destroy your time machine at once - it¡¯s more dangerous to this timeline than Mindy ever was!¡±


    "Moot point if Mindy''s got it," Carrie retorted. She pulled her arm free again. "Enough is enough. I''m calling Frank. He can check on the status of our machine."


    He made a grab for her shoulder, and she dodged. ¡°Carrie, you must NOT contact your friends," the redhead insisted. "With both Mindy AND a time machine loose in this era it''s even more important that we train you to handle..."


    "Glen," Carrie interrupted, opting to shift to a quiet rage. "I care for you, and I''m glad of your help. But if you don''t let me talk to my friends RIGHT FRIGGING NOW, you are going to picking your teeth up off the floor."


    Glen let his outstretched arm fall back to his side. "I could stop you. Mental abilities, you know.¡±


    Carrie shook her head, and called his bluff. ¡°You won''t use them on me.¡±


    In the staring contest that followed, Glen dropped his gaze to the floor. "You''re right," he admitted. "You''re the one person we can''t risk altering directly, Carrie. Not now that your abilities are active. Mindy knows it too, I''m sure that''s why she wasn''t more ¡®persuasive¡¯ with you when she spoke."


    He turned away. ¡°So, fine, call your friends. Check on your machine - and ideally, destroy it. Because no one in this era can be allowed to time travel, except you. I¡¯ll wait here. You¡¯ll be back, once you''ve realized that I¡¯m your only chance against Mindy. All I ask is that you don''t reveal this location to anyone. Her spies could be everywhere.¡±


    "Obviously," Carrie responded. She stared at Glen for another minute, trying to figure out if there was some way she could offer up a form of stern apology, but ultimately left without saying another word.


    Best that she not phone from the place that they didn¡¯t want to be found.

 Part 63b: Blame Game 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.3 - With Glen


    PART 63b: BLAME GAME 2


    Luci shifted her attention from Chartreuse to Laurie to Clarke and then back to Chartreuse. "What do you mean," she began, "when you say that Frank is now somewhere in the FUTURE?"


    The young girl listened with half an ear as Chartreuse launched into an explanation of Julie''s plan. Internally, she wondered why their rich classmate hadn''t returned home yet. This all made no sense. What did they mean the car crash was related to a supposed visitor from another time?


    I mean, sure, car accident, lockdown, but that had only been one of a number of things which Corry and the other student factions had done to each other that day. Right? RIGHT? So why did the three of them look so serious?


    "Ok, whatever," Luci said as Chartreuse finished. "Julie¡¯s theories aside, have any of YOU seen this Mindy character?"


    "I have," Laurie piped up. "I was in the library when she arrived."


    "And did she look like she was some time traveler with mental powers?" Luci challenged.


    "I... I don''t know. She had a gun with her. She ran after Carrie. I was scared."


    "Well... well..." Well, why didn''t someone tell me this sooner? That was what Luci wanted to say. Unfortunately, she already knew the answer was ''we tried'', a response which she knew would only further aggravate her.


    She really had become too obsessed with that log book. To the point of putting the rest of her life not merely on vibrate, but on total silent mode. As a result, Frank - and Laurie¡¯s brother - had now become stuck two days in the future. How could she have let this happen?


    "I''m back. Oh, good, you found Luci," came Julie''s voice from the sitting room entrance.


    "She arrived on her own," Clarke noted, which was all anyone had time to say before Luci launched herself towards the new arrival.


    "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BOYFRIEND?¡± she shrieked, grabbing onto a handful of Julie''s sweater. "How could you send him off on such a rash, inconceivable, unprepared whim of a temporal mission??¡±


    "They went of their own choice,¡± Julie replied quietly.


    It was her tone that brought Luci up short. She''d expected Julie to snap back at her, perhaps engage her in a shouting match - not reply in that soft, sad tone. As such, she offered no resistance as Julie pulled her sweater free from the shorter girl¡¯s clutches.


    ¡°Now," Juliecontinued, "I suggest we modify our plans in order to incorporate a smokescreen with respect to Frank and Corry''s location over the next forty six hours. They¡¯ll be back on Saturday night, that much is certain."


    There was the briefest of pauses before Laurie Veniti broke down in tears. ¡°This is all my fault, oh God I never should have suggested that stupid idea to you, I didn''t know enough, I should have kept my stupid mouth shut, why didn''t I realize this would happen, oh God I''m so stupid, stupid, stupid, oh God, oh Corry, oh Frank, oh Corry...."


    "Laurie. Laurie!" Chartreuse said, hurrying over to grab the redhead in a hug before she started hyperventilating. "This isn''t your fault. You hear me? It''s not anyone''s fault.¡±


    She rubbed Laurie¡¯s back as her friend buried her face in the crook of Chartreuse¡¯s neck. ¡°All this means is that something totally freaky happens in a couple days that will, you know, prevent Frank and Corry from time traveling back to us. That¡¯s all. They''re not dead or anything, they''re only, you know, potential hostages, maybe.¡±


    "At least Mindy is out of the way for now, right?" Clarke noted, after casting a worried glance at Laurie himself.


    Julie nodded. ¡°Yeah. We learned as much from Lee, who said Mindy vanished in a flash of light. I was going to explain more to him, but he decided I¡¯d been right. If he doesn¡¯t know, he won¡¯t have to lie about it later."


    "Well peachy as all THAT sounds," Luci cut back in, hoping to reassert herself, "exactly what did you mean by ''modify the plan'', Julie? Seems to me it''s been shot all to hell. You have no more knowledge of this Mindy than you did BEFORE your unauthorized use of the time machine stranded our friends in the future."


    ¡°First, Frank authorized it. Second, two days hardly qualifies as a stranding," Julie countered. A measure of her own assertiveness was creeping back into her tone. "And as far as capturing Mindy goes, we can still do that, as per the plan. We know that she''ll be arriving along with the machine in the vicinity of the park. We even know roughly when, we simply need a way to ensure that this redhead stays knocked out once she arrives."Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Oh, sure, piece of cake," Luci fired back.


    "Look, we¡¯re not debating this any more," Julie said, throwing her hands up into the air. "Okay, fine, so my track record today has been lousy. So Megan''s running the school and we don''t have the time machine. So what? I''ve always been better at the long term game. I can do a lot in two days! At least I¡¯ve been actively involving myself here. Where the hell have you been since lunchtime, Miss Lucille Isabella Primrose?¡±


    For a moment, Luci wasn''t sure if she wanted to get right up into Julie''s face again, or simply break down like Laurie. Neither option felt palatable. So with the simple response of "None of your business", Luci quickly spun on her heel to stare over at the wall. She tried to ignore the lump in her throat.


    "Fine," Julie sighed. ¡°So, we do phone tag with the Dijoras and the Venitis. Say that Frank and Corry are staying here tonight for whatever reason. Laurie can stay too, to add credibility. Luci too, maybe. That buys us twelve hours."


    "Perhaps more than that," Clarke put in. "They said school would be cancelled tomorrow. Structural reassessment. We can drop by to visit our lockers if we need something, but otherwise school is out until Monday.¡±


    "Fine, good," Julie repeated. ¡°So, does anyone else want to bitch at me here?¡±


    The only sound was that of Laurie''s quiet sniffles. Until, from down the hall, there came the loud crash of someone slamming open the mansion''s double doors.


    It was followed by the loud scream of "JULIE!", in a voice easily recognizable, even from within the sitting room. Then, ¡°Julie, why the HELL can''t I sense Frank Dijora anywhere in the present??"


    The time travellers in the room exchanged glances. "Well, on the bright side, Carrie''s no longer Mindy¡¯s hostage," Chartreuse offered up.


    ***


    Carrie stomped up to her house, clenching and unclenching her fists. The last words she''d spoken at Julie''s house still ringing in her ears.


    ¡°If any of you interfere with the time streams again, I''ll banish you all to the middle ages!¡±


    Yeah, that had quietened down the lot of them. She wondered fleetingly if it was really an idle threat. After all, maybe a day or two stuck in history would convince the others that they shouldn''t muck about with time travel until AFTER consulting with time¡¯s "ultimate weapon¡±.


    Carrie froze, her hand a short distance from the doorknob. Oh no, what was she even thinking? After all, the conclusions Julie and the others had drawn had been accurate. And the idea itself had been a pretty good one.


    Honestly, THAT was what bugged Carrie the most. If only she''d been there, working with them... but she hadn''t been. She¡¯d been working with Glen instead. The only one who understood her powers.


    Now, because of that, they had no time machine, and Carrie would HAVE to return to Glen, not only to learn about banishing Mindy, but about how to keep Frank and Corry safe. While making sure Mindy didn''t get her hands on the portable time machine permanently when she reappeared. Also, Laurie and Lee were back in the mix, confusing things.


    Carrie looked down at her hand. She swallowed. She realized she wasn''t sorry about slapping Julie across the face. And yet, she had derived no satisfaction from it.


    The blonde teenager reached out again open her front door, but this time before her hand could touch the doorknob, the door was opening from the inside. "Carrie," her father shouted. "Where have you been? I have been worried sick!"


    "I was out with Glen," Carrie said truthfully. "Something came up at school, and we had to have a talk about it."


    "I''ll say something came up at school. It''s all over the news!" Hank Waterson retorted. "Your friends Frank and Julie called, not knowing where you were, and some redheaded police officer in plainclothes came by saying that you were one of the people this escaped lunatic was shouting about... Carrie, I''d started calling the hospital every fifteen minutes, asking them if any unidentified girls had been brought in."


    "Oh, for God''s sake, Dad..."


    "You watch your mouth young lady," he interrupted. "Now, I realize you want to be free to live your own life, and I''ve been trying very hard to accommodate you in that respect. But on a day when the school library gets demolished by someone who refers to you by name, you should at least give me the courtesy of a phone call."


    Carrie paused. Her father was interpreting her momentary outburst as ''let me live my own life'' rather than ''as if I didn''t have enough to deal with'' - which was probably for the best.


    "I''m sorry, Dad," she replied, switching gears. She tried to bring a few tears to her eyes and found they came with alarming ease. "I was scared, and I didn''t know what to do."


    "Oh, Carrie," Hank sighed, softening his tone. He reached out to pull his daughter into an embrace. "I know we''ve had our differences, but I thought we''d reached an understanding. I want to be here for you. I want you to feel like you can tell me anything. The thought that I''ll receive another phone call like the one I had last year, it scares me to death."


    "I know," Carrie murmured, instinctively reaching out to hug her father back. "I really am sorry. SO sorry. But honestly, there''s nothing I can tell you. I don''t know why Mi-- that girl was after me today, so I just got scared and Glen happened to be nearby and I lost track of time.¡±


    Her father led her inside the house. He pulled back slightly from the embrace, closing the door, and looking to meet her gaze. After a moment, he nodded.


    "All right then," he said. "For now, I''m just happy to see that you''re okay. But we will have another talk about responsibility, mark my words. Now, take off your shoes and come into the kitchen. I''ve kept dinner warm."


    Carrie nodded, wiping her cheeks dry. It occurred to her then how much in character this was for her father of late - Glen must have been overreacting when he had said Mindy would influence her father and friends in some way. Unless this was all such a carefully engineered plot that even Carrie couldn''t see through it. In which case Mindy probably deserved to win.


    However, deep down Carrie knew Glen was still dead right about one thing... in the end, she was the only one who could deal with Mindy. And so, she was going to have to sneak out tonight, and go back for training.


    Because she had less than two days to figure out how to release her temporal self. Safely or otherwise.

 Part 64a: Banishment

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.3 - With Glen


    PART 64a: BANISHMENT 1


    "Jewels, I''ve been looking everywhere for you! Jeeves thought you might have already left.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t reply. He waited a moment, then approached, touching her shoulder. She flinched slightly but otherwise didn''t react, continuing to lean on her arm, resting against the bars of the cage they''d set up down in Linquist''s secret basement lab.


    By placing the enclosure within the alcove at the base of the passage from the upstairs washroom, they¡¯d only had to weld a grate with a door over the wall.


    "We''ve got less than two hours left," he continued softly. "When did you want to head out?"


    "As soon as I hide the key to this makeshift cell," Julie murmured after a moment. "You should leave the room first. No one but me can know where it is."


    Her tone was flat and tired, as it had been so often when none of the others were around. "Jewels, we''re doing the right thing," Clarke insisted.


    "Are we?" Julie challenged, turning her head to look at him. "Carrie doesn''t seem to agree. We haven¡¯t seen her since that night. And she¡¯s returned my one call with a terse ¡®Leave me alone¡¯."


    "Meaning she hasn''t objected outright," Clarke noted.


    "Or that what we do no longer matters.¡±


    Julie pushed herself back from the bars. ¡°Phil, she summed things up pretty well with her ''do whatever the hell you want, just hands off the time machine'' attitude on Thursday. Which we''d better take seriously. Unless you''ve got a mace and flail handy."


    "This Mindy business has been stressing her out," Clarke soothed. "She''s on edge, saying things she doesn''t mean."


    "Oh no, she meant every word of that tirade. In case you didn''t notice, it was made... painfully clear." She reached up to trace a hand across her cheek. "No, trust me Phil, somewhere in her mind there were bounds, and I overstepped them. Several times in that single day, in fact.¡±


    "You only did what you felt you had to do," Clarke said after Julie fell silent once again. "Give it a little time, let Frank talk to Carrie once things have settled down... Carrie will realize your intentions were good."


    "Were they? WERE they? Because in case you didn''t notice, Luci was bang on during her little rant too. In my haste to act, I made a right mess of things. Not only for Corry, Frank and Carrie, but indirectly for Luci, Laurie, Lee, even Joe and Tommy... hell, it''s starting to look like the only person who''ll come out of recent events completely unscathed is me.¡±


    She kicked at the iron grate. ¡°But hell, isn''t that the way all my plans are supposed to work? With me on top?¡±


    ¡°Jewels, there''s no need to be sarcastic."


    Julie strode over to lean against one of the lab benches. "Well, at least there''s one good thing that''s come of this. It''s taught me that I can''t be anyone¡¯s follower. Since trying to ¡®help¡¯ has only served to awaken in me the desire to take firmer action. And doing THAT has put me in a position where I only know how to do what¡¯s best for myself. So what''s left after all that?¡±


    "Teamwork?" Clarke ventured.


    Although he could no longer see her face, Clarke suspected Julie was grimacing.


    "I''m not like you, Phil. I¡¯m no good at passing the basketball. In grade school, I was always the girl people wanted on the other team. For years, all I had driving me were my own selfish goals. Which weren¡¯t even mine, in a way. I didn¡¯t care who else got hurt, as long as I emerged victorious in the end.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re different now. Besides, it''s not like you can work for Mindy¡¯s team instead of ours."


    She paused. "I suppose not.¡±


    Clarke frowned. He¡¯d been trying to make a joke. But something about her tone there bothered him. He wanted to follow up, but that¡¯s when there came the sound of someone falling down the access chute.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Clarke and Julie both turned in time to see Luci land awkwardly in the caged off section of the room. She immediately jumped up and grabbed onto the metal bars.


    ¡°Great, you''re still here," Luci panted. "Tim''s upstairs waiting for me... let me out of this cage, we have to get into that safe of Linquist''s."


    "The SAFE?" Julie crossed her arms. "Luci, I''m not sure if you''ve been keeping up, but we''re preparing to chloroform and imprison a rather dangerous girl for questioning. Now is hardly the time for safe cracking."


    "You don''t understand. It¡¯s not cracking. I know the combination," Luci said breathlessly. ¡°We found it in the same passage that stated ¡®I have placed within my safe the gun for temporal freezing''. Well, either that or ''gun for cool tempos'', but Tim¡¯s pretty sure it¡¯s the former."


    ¡°Tim? Wait, why is he here?¡± Clarke asked.


    ¡°Uhhh, he¡¯s kinda been helping me translate," Luci said. "In fact, he''s still at it now, trying to fill in some rather key details."


    "So you never gave up looking at the logbook, huh?" Julie said dryly.


    Luci sighed. "No, Julie, I didn''t. And yes, it¡¯s the reason I was unreachable two days ago. You happy now? But listen, when Linquist was... was poking at me, he discovered that my DNA was ''in temporal flux''. Which WE know was because of the time machine, even though he interpreted it to mean I was an alien. Remember?"


    "Sure, you''ve told us,¡± Clarke agreed. "But how does his logbook help us today?¡±


    "Simply put, if Linquist could correctly identify my premature aging as ''temporal flux'', I figured he might also have some technology we could use as a viable temporal weapon. And so his gun for ''temporal freezing'' might be a way to freeze Mindy before she hurts Frank or Corry! THAT¡¯S why I doubled down, spending the last thirty six hours trying to translate this particular passage of his book.¡±


    Luci coughed. ¡°Well, with Tim¡¯s help. So, uh, kinda had to tell him some of the time stuff to do this. Don¡¯t be too mad.¡±


    "Hold on," Julie protested. "Are you saying Linquist made a gun that actually freezes time in some way?"


    "I don''t know, you haven''t let me out to have a look at it yet,¡± Luci said impatiently. "Plus there''s the fact that Tim''s still working on the translation. However, even if Linquist IS lying through his teeth about this thing - and I wouldn''t put it past him - it can''t hurt to check, can it? If this Mindy is half as bad as she sounds, we may need all the help we can get."


    Clarke and Julie exchanged a glance.


    ¡°Fair point," Julie said at last, pulling the key back out and approaching the iron door. ¡°After all, if there is some weapon that keeps Mindy from getting away, I might be able to avoid more wrath from Carrie.¡±


    She half smiled. ¡°Also, it¡¯s not like we can keep Luci in the same cage where we¡¯re dumping the redhead, right Phil?¡±


    ***


    "You''re gonna try tapping into a vision? Again? So soon?" Laurie began to fidget as Chartreuse moved into the circle of crystals on the bedroom floor. "Can''t I talk you out of this?"


    "No. I have to do this,¡± Chartreuse sighed. "Something''s totally up surrounding the return of this Mindy girl and Carrie won''t tell me what it is. She¡¯s blocking me off, too busy doing who-knows-what with Glen. However, the closer we get to Mindy''s return, the more things feel like they''re, you know, coming into focus. So I should have, like, better luck now than I did yesterday."


    ¡°When you were sick in the bathroom for over half an hour. And that was after seeing only shadows! This Mindy stuff, it¡¯s not good for you.¡±


    "But it¡¯s important for Carrie. And you helped me out that last time,¡± Chartreuse said with a weak smile. "So if I see something even more unsettling here, I''m counting on you to, you know, help me again."


    "Well, duh," Laurie said. "Even if I don''t want you to do it, helping is the least I can do after you''ve helped me out so much the last couple days. Plus helping everyone else, by covering for my brother and for Frank... golly, if this goes on any longer my parents are gonna FREAK. And I told them Corry¡¯s okay. You DO think he¡¯s okay right?"


    "Laurie dear, please stay calm," Chartreuse pleaded as she closed her eyes. "There''s barely an hour left and I need positive alpha waves."


    Ten minutes later, Laurie was helping a woozy Chartreuse stumble over towards her phone, where she began a frantic search for Lee''s number.


    ***


    "I''m not ready for this, Glen."


    "Yes, you are," Glen assured her. Carrie continued to pace back and forth in the middle of Willowdale Park. It was dusk now, the sun had set five minutes ago. "Remember, I was originally going to have you do this the day Mindy first arrived."


    "Which was before you found out that my time travel was occurring with the help of a time machine. Before two days of near constant training barely managed to push a thumbtack out of the present, let alone alter the flow of time or wipe out a memory. Before the only attempt to access my inner demon resulted in me knocking myself unconscious before I could fully let go.¡± Carrie spun to face him, placing her hands on her hips. "You REALLY think I''m ready to face Mindy?"


    Glen ran a hand back through his hair. "Well, um, the important thing is that you believe you''re ready."


    "My point exactly."


    "Look, you''re closer than you think," Glen insisted. "And we''ll keep on with your training once we''ve gotten through this crisis."


    "If I''m still alive," Carrie retorted. "Which reminds me, you''d better damn well kill me if it looks like I''m about to blow up all of time. If you don''t, I''ll haunt you to hell and back in the afterlife. Assuming there even IS an afterlife after I destroy our whole solar system.¡±


    "Oh, Carrie," Glen said, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "I am sorry it has to be you. I really am.¡±


    She shrugged him off and stepped away. ¡°Stop touching me. Look, we''ve got somewhere between ten and twenty minutes before Mindy reappears. I¡¯m going into that trace thing. You know what to do to rouse me. Or rather, other me. Keep an eye out for Julie and her crew too, I''m sure they''ll be here any moment. You know what to do with them as well.¡±


    That said, Carrie plunked herself down in the grass by the empty swing set and closed her eyes. A little over eight minutes later, Glen heard the sound of approaching voices.

 Part 64b: Banishment 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.3 - With Glen


    PART 64b: BANISHMENT 2


    "Well?" said the voice Glen recognized as belonging to Luci. "Does it say the gun freezes people in time or not?"


    "I d-don''t know yet. I can''t t-translate under these conditions!" came the reply.


    "Steady on Tim," Clarke soothed. "Here, I''ll hold the flashlight."


    Glen moved to intercept the four individuals. "Clarke," he called out amiably. "Luci, Julie, Tim. Fancy meeting all of you here."


    "Glen?" Julie said. "Uh, didn''t Carrie tell you that this is an incredibly unsafe place to be right now?"


    "Is it?" Glen said, blinking. "You should all be on your way somewhere else then."


    "Can''t," Luci retorted. "We have some presents for Mindy, when she arrives here.¡±


    "They can wait," Glen insisted. "I really, REALLY think we should convince ourselves that it would be safer somewhere else."


    The four teenagers looked at each other. "G-Good enough for me," Tim said, turning around.


    "It does make sense," Clarke agreed. "We should head home."


    "I''m not so sure," Luci said, frowning. ¡°Yet I''m thinking of a lot of places where I''d rather be."


    "No. No way. There''s nowhere else I would rather be right now," Julie murmured, her body starting to shake. "Not after what I''ve caused."


    "Julie should bring you back to her place and serve some hot chocolate," Glen continued calmly. "It''s getting cold out here and you''re all thirsty."


    "It IS cold," Luci agreed.


    "And I am thirsty," Clarke added.


    "Aren''t you guys coming?" Tim wondered, already three steps away.


    ¡°Why... what... why..." And Julie¡¯s gaze focused in on Glen. ¡°My God. YOU¡¯RE ONE OF THEM."


    Glen turned quickly to focus all of his attention onto her. "Julie, don¡¯t--¡± he began, but he got no further. With a speed and agility that surprised him, she had leapt to his side, while dashing a liquid out onto a rag in her hand. He tried to push her away.


    "Nap time, mind warper," the brunette cried out, slipping under Glen''s arm and slapping the rag against his face.


    "No!" Glen protested, trying to keep from breathing in. "I have to wake..." His knees buckled, his vision blurred. "...goddamit... uhn, C-Carrie, SWAN SONG." His last cry delivered in little more than a speaking voice, Glen then fell unconscious.


    ***


    Julie stared down at her unconscious adversary. "Okay,¡± she decided. ¡°Weird choice of last words."


    "Uh, guys? Whatever Glen meant by that, it was loud enough to get someone''s attention," Clarke said, raising a finger to point over Julie''s shoulder.


    Julie turned, in time to see the figure rising up from the ground in the vicinity of the swingset. The figure had long blonde hair flowing out behind her, and when she turned, her eyes were glowing gold in the darkness.


    "You will be banished," Carrie said, raising her finger to point at the group of them.


    "Ohhh HELL,¡± Julie swore, eyes going wide.


    Luci immediately reached into her jacket, yanking out the gun she had been concealing. Originally in multiple parts within the safe, its six inch long barrel had now been screwed into the base, which itself was comprised of numerous of dials and lights. The main one showing four settings.


    Fortunately, while it seemed to be an energy weapon, it read as partially charged, and included a standard trigger.


    "Tim?" Luci said, trying to keep her hand from shaking. "We need the stats on this sucker like *NOW*."Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Electricity began to spark at the end of Carrie''s fingertips as she strode forwards. Clarke grabbed Tim, and both of them backed off to the right, as Luci and Julie began to circle around slowly to the left. Carrie paused as they split up.


    "Okay, Carrie," Julie began. "Stay calm here. We¡¯re your friends."


    She saw the movement in Carrie''s elbow a split second before the blonde¡¯s hand came out, and only just managed to dive out of the way of the crackling energies fired at her.


    "Tim?" Luci called out again. "I can¡¯t fire this thing at random, I may only have the one shot. Is there a setting I can use to merely knock Carrie out?"


    "D-Don''t rush me," the small boy called back. "I need a minute, Linquist¡¯s short form never makes sense.¡±


    "I hope you have a minute,¡± Luci mumbled before dodging in a little closer to Carrie. "Hey, hey, ignore Julie, look at me!" She then backpedalled furiously, even as Julie became aware of the sound of more running footsteps approaching.


    However, while Carrie did begin to focus on Luci, the bright flash of light and the appearance of three more individuals about a metre in front of the blonde quickly had everyone''s attention.


    ¡°Oh, GEEZ," Frank choked out, stumbling to his feet. Next to him, Corry and Mindy remained on the ground, unconscious.


    "Frank, get DOWN," Luci screamed out. "You''re spoiling my shot!"


    "Oh look, more people here I can banish," Carrie said with a smile.


    Julie saw a tall figure spring out of the encroaching darkness, slamming into Frank even as electricity lanced out from Carrie''s fingertips.


    Frank was knocked back off his feet, his head hitting a partially concealed rock as he fell... but with that, the crackling energies passed harmlessly by both him and his rescuer.


    ¡°Ohmigod," Chartreuse breathed from the edge of the park. "Lee tackled him in time."


    She then joined Frank in the land of unconsciousness, the additional weight on Laurie''s shoulders almost pulling the redhead to the ground as well. As Chartreuse collapsed, a certain redhead sprang to her feet.


    "Everyone back off!¡± Mindy shouted, whipping a knife out of her pocket. And Julie realized that Mindy had only been faking unconsciousness, to allow Carrie to get close enough for an attack. Oh no, she had to get in there with the chloroform.


    "Mindy, stop," Julie cried out. Not even thinking about how she¡¯d managed to completely ignore the redhead¡¯s implicit command to ¡®back off¡¯, while everyone else - aside from Lee - had automatically taken a few steps back, she launched herself forwards.


    But Mindy saw Julie coming out of the corner of her eye. She checked her swing at Carrie in favour of leaping out of the way, so Julie¡¯s dive only resulted in her ending up back down on the ground.


    ¡°Good. Everyone stay down, out of my line of sight," Luci yelled. "Tim? Setting for Carrie OR Mindy? TIM?"


    "Okay, calm down," came Clarke''s voice out of the darkness. "Everyone just calm down."


    Mindy jumped in towards Carrie again, her knife raised. The two of them were almost face to face now, Mindy''s knife held in the air, inches away from Carrie''s chest... and Julie saw Mindy hesitate.


    "Dammit Carrie," Mindy whispered. "I never wanted to hurt..."


    The electrical discharge hit the redhead at point blank range. She barely even got a chance to scream before she had disappeared in a crackling of energies and the sound of a thunderclap.


    "One down," the golden eyed Carrie said calmly. She turned to face Julie, who had been readying herself for another attack on Mindy, and Julie abruptly discovered what it was like to be a deer caught in a car''s headlights. Oh lord. Did chloroform work on a temporal weapon?


    "Luci," Tim called out. "Setting four, on Carrie!"


    Luci cranked the indicator over and immediately pulled the trigger. For a second it seemed like her actions would have no effect at all, but then a sequence of lights on the gun lit up and a pulse of energy flew out of the end of the barrel, striking Carrie in the side.


    The effect was immediate. The building energies in Carrie¡¯s palm fizzled out, and the blonde crumpled to the ground, Julie seeing her eyes flicker back to blue as they shut.


    Luci, however, was unaware of this, as Julie fast realized that the recoil on the gun had propelled the shorter girl back a good ten metres, right into the trunk of a tree. She now lay slumped at its base, out cold.


    All was silence.


    The quiet stretched on for what felt like an eternity to Julie, however it was really under a minute before there came the sound of Laurie''s tentative voice from the treeline: "Is... is it all over?"


    Julie looked up from where she had crawled over to check Carrie''s pulse - the blonde had one. Which meant either Carrie was only knocked out, or her heart rate could still be read through that gun''s ''temporal freezing''.


    "I think it''s over," Julie agreed, her voice shaking.


    There was another moment of silence.


    "So," Lee said, clearing his throat as he pushed himself up. "Uh, will you guys still be needing my help? For moving all of these unconscious bodies?"


    ***


    In a house on the other side of the ravine, Hank Waterson sat at his writing desk. He stared at the page in front of him in irritation.


    "This letter has nothing whatsoever to do with my novel," he muttered. "It doesn''t even make sense. Where did it come from?" He scanned down the words on the sheet once again:


    ''Waterson.


    ''If you read this, it''s been over two days since my arrival. I assume either my mission is failing, or I neglected to turn off the equivalent of a post hypnotic suggestion. Either way, no more beating about the brush: Glen ''Glinephanis'' Oaks may not be a time criminal, but neither is he whom he appears.


    ''He is not merely a trainer. He represents a junction point for the entire temporal war. Please, DO NOT TRUST HIM. I retroactively apologize in advance for whatever methods I may use, or may have used, to convince you of this.


    ''Yours, Mindylenopia.''


    "It must be some game of Carrie''s," her father concluded.


    Except, if that was true, how could it be in his handwriting? He shook his head. "I guess I''ll show it to her once she gets back from the movies with Glen. She''s NOT going to put off our little talk about responsibility any longer."


    That decision made, Hank set the sheet aside and turned his attention back to his novel. Trying to figure out what he could do to fracture his character dynamics even more.

 Part 65a: Making the Rounds

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.4 - Without


    PART 65a: MAKING THE ROUNDS 1


    "Hey Phil! What''s new little brother?" came the voice of Clarke''s sister on the other end of the phone line. "Mom said there was some high drama at your school last Thursday. Something about a car crash?"


    "Yeah, right into the library," Clarke admitted, lying back on his bed as he held the phone up to his ear. "But we''re... we''re all fine here."


    "You don''t sound sure of that," Mary remarked. "Look, sorry I didn¡¯t make it back for Thanksgiving ¨C Doug wanted me to meet his family ¨Cbut I¡¯ll be making it up to everyone by coming to your first basketball game of the season in a few weeks. Okay?¡±


    Clarke was unable to hold back a smile. "That¡¯s great news, Mary. Just... just great."


    "Uh huh. Okay Phil, even if I weren''t majoring in psychology? I''d know something was wrong. Out with it.¡±


    ¡°What? I... uh..." Clarke shook his head. "I swear I''ll manage to bluff you one of these days! Though seriously, the family''s fine. School¡¯s fine. The only issues are, well, between me and a number of my friends."


    "Yeah? You want to talk about it? I''m speaking as your sister here, not as the family shrink."


    Clarke passed his hand in front of his eyes. "Actually," he sighed. "It seems like I¡¯ve already spent this whole Sunday talking..."


    ***


    It had made sense for him to visit Carrie first. She had been the last to regain consciousness the previous night, and she hadn''t spoken to anyone at Julie¡¯s place, except to ask Glen to take her home.


    Yet even though she had looked normal at the time, blue eyes and all, Clarke was worried. Not only about Carrie herself, but also at the rift that was again forming between her and Julie.


    Mr. Waterson answered the door when Clarke knocked. "I''m afraid Carrie is unavailable to speak with friends today," he said immediately. "She''s been acting too irresponsibly of late."


    "Oh, well... she kinda has information I need for a group project," Clarke hedged. "It''ll only take ten minutes."


    ¡°She¡¯ll be at school tomorrow," Mr. Waterson pointed out. "This can''t wait?"


    "Not really. It''s sort of extra curricular. Lots of us are involved in it," Clarke explained.


    He disliked skirting the truth like this, particularly around someone like Carrie''s father, but he really did want to speak with her. Though as it turned out, while Clarke''s reasoning was enough to get him an audience, Carrie wasn''t in much of a talking mood.


    "Did Julie send you?" the blonde questioned. She marched across the living room, heading for the window, arms crossed. She didn''t even look his way.


    "No. But that¡¯s just it, I¡¯m worried about the friction building up in our little temporal group..."


    "Then you''ll be glad to hear it''s not a group any more," Carrie cut back in. ¡°There will be no more use of the time machine. If you¡¯ll take that message back to the others, I think we''re done here."


    Clarke winced. "Carrie, I know having your powers released again must have been rough..."


    "Rough? ROUGH?!" Carrie spun away from the window to face him now, her blue eyes blazing with anger - yet there was something else there too. Fear?


    "You have NO idea, Clarke, NONE at ALL, all right?" Carrie continued. "Suffice to say, there''s going to be nothing more going on that''s even remotely temporally related until Glen and I can balance these forces inside me!"


    Clarke waited until some of the tension had drained out of the air. "Then you didn''t want to change over last night," he stated, in a tone that invited comment.


    ¡°No, I... well, yes," Carrie said. Her gaze slipped away. "It was a plan me and Glen devised to deal with Mindy. I was to give myself up to that inner demon when I heard Glen say the words ''swan song''. I chose those words myself, because I had this crystal swan three years ago that... oh, why am I even bothering to explain this to you?"This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Sometimes it helps to talk about stuff?" Clarke offered.


    "Yeah, that worked out SO well on Thursday, when me and Julie couldn¡¯t agree,¡± Carrie shot back. Clarke winced, recalling the slap.


    She jabbed a finger back in his direction. ¡°I¡¯m done. With the whole group, even Chartreuse. Glen is the only person who can help me now."


    "You''re sure we can trust him, then," Clarke said, again not quite phrasing it like a question. "Even with his apparent mental abilities."


    "Yes!" Carrie said forcefully. She drew a shaky breath. "Yes, I have to trust him. Because he''s all I''ve got. It doesn''t matter what Mindy put in that letter she left with my father, I can''t simply..." She stopped. "Scratch that. You never heard that, there is no letter."


    "Er, okay?"


    "In fact, I don''t ever want to hear Mindy''s name again," Carrie went on. "I don''t know what time I sent her to, and I don¡¯t want to think about it. You can tell that to the others too."


    "Then you''re sure none of us can--"


    "Damn it, Clarke, there¡¯s no US," Carrie interrupted. She pursed her lips. "Except... okay, maybe answer me one question? What was it that pulled me out of Doomsday-Carrie mode last night? Somehow, I know it wasn''t Glen."


    Clarke accepted the change of subject, explaining to Carrie about the gun that had been discovered in Linquist''s safe.


    "Great, I was a weapons guinea pig," the blonde moaned, pressing a hand into her temples. "Why not kill me outright, who knows what long term effects will plague me now."


    "Hey, if it looks like you''re growing a third arm, you let somebody know, all right?" Clarke responded, venturing a smile. Carrie was hard to read, but she seemed to have calmed down. "I mean, time travel or not, we want to help you. That''s all we''ve ever been trying to do."


    Carrie moved her hand to rub the bridge of her nose. "I know," she murmured. ¡°I know. But the sad thing is, none of you can help me. Not safely.¡±


    Her gaze fell upon Clarke once more, and this time he was pretty sure that she was trying not to cry. ¡°Look. We¡¯re still done. But tell Julie I''m sorry for slapping her the other day, all right? Her idea was actually a good one."


    Clarke began to respond that it would be better for Carrie to tell Julie that herself, but the blonde cheerleader was already brushing past him. Before he could get out half a sentence, Carrie was out of the living room and running upstairs.


    ***


    "So you say Carrie has major emotional issues owing to some burden placed on her?" Mary mused. ¡°Hate to tell you this bro, but emotional issues are typical for teenagers."


    "Yeah, but this is the sort of burden no one should ever have to carry alone,¡± Clarke sighed, switching the phone to his other ear. ¡°So Carrie pushing people away, that can¡¯t be healthy."


    "Probably not," Mary agreed. "But even so, I wager there''s one or two people who can still get through to her. If not you, any other candidates?"


    "Well, Glen. Or the next best bet would be Frank... I actually ran into him in front of the Waterson house, after talking with Carrie."


    ***


    "You might have trouble getting past Carrie''s father," Clarke cautioned. "I think she''s sort of grounded."


    "Oh." Frank frowned. "I really think we need to talk about that whole temporal plan I authorized though, and she isn¡¯t answering her phone.¡±


    "Try saying it''s an extra curricular group project,¡± Clarke offered. ¡°That got me past her dad. Getting Carrie to talk at all though... that may be the real challenge. I didn''t exactly soften her up. If anything, I did the opposite. Sorry, Frank.¡±


    "Well, historically speaking she''s had more experience through high school using people as tools versus being their friends," Frank said, rubbing his neck. ¡°A bit like Julie. So it¡¯s a matter of us working around that, right? I mean, would she be able to ignore me indefinitely if I was heaving rocks up at her window?"


    "Depends on how good your aim is."


    Frank grimaced. "Well, there''s that oak tree, I can get reasonably close if I have to."


    "Maybe you and Luci could tag team on it?" Clarke suggested.


    There was a pause in the conversation then, awkward enough for Clarke to realize that he''d accidentally hit a nerve.


    "Julie explained to me about the log book and the gun Luci found," Frank said at last. "While we were waiting for her to regain consciousness. I think... that is, it feels like me and Luci have issues there. We barely talked when I was walking her home. Maybe I''m trying to avoid that situation now, by coming to see Carrie instead? I don''t know."


    "Relationships do cause issues," Clarke agreed. "If nothing else, it''s good that you''re admitting that."


    "I''m not sure I am. Girls are a mystery. I don''t know how you and Julie manage to keep it all together. Say, do you think Carrie would let me travel a week into the future, to see how I handle things with Luci?"


    Clarke pursed his lips. ¡°Frank, I really don¡¯t think you should talk time travel with Carrie today. Even jokingly."


    Frank let out a long breath. "That bad, huh? Guess my work is cut out for me then." He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel like I should have gone to see Chartreuse this morning instead. As girls go, she at least feels approachable right now.¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever you decide, let me know if I can be of any help," Clarke said, clapping the other teen on the shoulder.


    "I will," Frank replied, reaching up to touch the bandage on the side of his head. ¡°Thing is, the relationship stuff? I think I¡¯ll have to work it out by myself."


    ***


    "Do you think Frank was able to help Carrie then?" Mary asked.


    "I don''t know," Clarke admitted. "It became the least of my worries. See, I wanted to check up on Tim today too, because of how he got involved in recent events.¡±


    ¡°Tim, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, except before I got to his house, I passed by the local cafe, where I saw Glen. He was talking with Lee. So I went in to find out what that was about."

 Part 65b: Making the Rounds 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.4 - Without


    PART 65b: MAKING THE ROUNDS 2


    "Yeah, sure, I¡¯ll see about tracking down those library books on town history for ya,¡± Lee was saying, as Clarke came within range of their conversation.


    An innocent enough topic. Clarke had wondered, given how he and Julie had finally brought Lee up to speed on the time machine last night, whether Lee had been trying to verify any of their story. The dark haired teen stood up then, turning and coming face to face with Clarke.


    "Whoa, high guy, sneaking up on us?" Lee said, lifting an eyebrow. "It''s just one weird encounter after another today, huh?¡±


    "I... guess so?" was all Clarke could think to answer.


    "Well, unless you need me for my library skills too, I gotta be on my way," Lee continued. "Say hi to Julie for me!"


    Lee made as if to continue past Clarke, but he stumbled, reaching out for the taller boy''s shoulder to regain his balance. As he did so, he muttered near Clarke''s ear, "Red Barren there doesn''t know I helped bring him to Julie''s. Please don¡¯t let on.¡±


    "Oh... right. Of course," Clarke said. Lee simply flashed him a smile and a thumbs up before heading out of the cafe.


    "He''s an interesting character," Glen remarked, pulling Clarke''s attention back to him. "Not part of your little ''group'', is he?"


    The redhead gestured at the recently vacated seat across from him. Clarke hesitated, then joined Glen himself.


    ¡°According to Carrie, there is no group,¡± he evaded.


    ¡°Ah! She''s spoken with you then? Good, good. You DO realize her decision was inevitable, yes?¡± Glen apologized. "She''s the one with the destiny, after all. The rest of you... yourself, Julie, Frank, Luci, Tim, Chartreuse... am I missing anyone?"


    Glen paused invitingly, but again Clarke did not take the bait.


    "Well, whatever," Glen shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re all aware now that I could put the ''whammy''" - he made little quote marks in the air - "on any of you to find out. If I really wanted to. But there¡¯s no point, as no one in your time traveling bunch has any role to play moving forwards.¡±


    "And how would you know what role we might play?" Clarke replied, trying not to sound irritated.


    Glen made a vague gesture in the air. ¡°Didn¡¯t Carrie say? I''m from the future, like Mindy was. I don''t mind telling you that, as I''m sure Julie''s figured it out by now - in fact I''ll have to make sure I don''t underestimate her. The way I did last night."


    "So you know the future, yet Julie was able to surprise you," Clarke replied, shifting back to his manner of not quite asking a question.


    "Mmmmm," was Glen''s only reply as his fingers began drumming on the tabletop. ¡°Fair point," he admitted.¡°The thing you have to understand about time is that, even though it resists universal change, individuals still have the free will to screw things up locally. I mean, let''s say Julie is slated to die in a month. Doesn''t mean I CAN¡¯T save her then; time could compensate. But it wouldn¡¯t be easy to accomplish. If we extend the analogy towards trying to prevent the outbreak of the temporal war and all the deaths that stemmed from that? It becomes downright impossible.¡±


    Clarke clenched his jaw. "Glen, you speak of deaths as if you were talking about the weather."


    Glen paused. "You''re right, I''m sorry - that must seem callous. Forgive me, I''ve been a little... distracted these last couple days."


    "Worried about Mindy?"


    "Carrie, actually," the redhead stated. "More and more I''m discovering she''s... different from the Carrie I expected. For instance, she actually fears the power that she has, rather than embraces it. I''m not sure how to change her attitude. Any ideas?¡±


    "Can''t your powers change attitudes?" Clarke cut back before he could stop himself.


    Glen ran a hand back through his hair. ¡°Another point to you. But it''s not like I wander around using my mental abilities indiscriminately. Embracing one''s powers doesn''t mean abusing one¡¯s powers.¡± He frowned. ¡°As I suppose I did last night, so if an apology helps there, fine, you have it."


    Clarke nodded. "Okay, I''m sorry too, for getting all judgmental. But you know, cutting Carrie off from her friends isn''t going to help your cause."This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "I''m not trying to cut her off from her friends, merely your inexperienced time meddling,¡± Glen protested, slapping his palm on the table. "That''s the real danger here! Of course, the fact that Carrie apparently came close to banishing Frank from this time period last night probably isn''t helping her mood. I just... damn it, I just wish she was more like her future self!¡±


    The tall blonde sat for a moment, gauging Glen''s sincerity. ¡°You need to stop seeing her as Carrie, the girl destined to control time, and start seeing her as Carrie, the normal, everyday high school student," he suggested at last. "Because right now, more than anything else, that''s who she wants to be.¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous! Others like Mindy may come. She can¡¯t put her head in the sand and ignore that.¡±


    Clarke didn''t reply.


    Throwing up his hands, Glen turned in his seat to regard the cafe itself. "Where''s my food, anyway?" he grumbled. "It''s been almost twenty minutes."


    As if on cue, Theresa came into view, dodging around a man in an overcoat. She set a cup of hot chocolate down in front of Clarke.


    "Here you go," the waitress said to him with a smile. "I know you didn''t order it, but another customer changed their mind, and you seem to need it. It''s on me."


    "Oh, uh... thanks," Clarke replied, blinking at the redhead in surprise. Something about her voice struck him as odd. Sore throat maybe?


    She lifted an eyebrow back at him. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m a perfectly normal waitress, same as always.¡±


    Clarke shrugged off the weird feeling, as Theresa turned to Glen. "As for you, I¡¯m sure your club sandwich will be out shortly. Remember, patience is a virtue."


    She moved off again, leaving Glen to fume quietly in his seat. "How is it that I always get such lousy service in this place?" the redhead grumped, glancing from Clarke to the mug in front of him. "I mean, what do I have to do?¡±


    Clarke shrugged. "Dunno," he answered, taking a quick sip. "Maybe you should tip more."


    Glen frowned. "Tip?"


    ***


    ¡°Oh, loverly. I¡¯m getting the impression that this Glen is not a people person," Mary remarked.


    Clarke rolled over to lie on his front. ¡°Not really," her brother agreed. "I mean, he''s friendly enough, but he''s not above playing tricks in order to get what he wants. And he sees this big picture, rather than the people involved.¡±


    "Sounds a bit like how Julie used to be."


    Clarke fell silent for a moment. "Glen feels more dangerous," he said at last. "But then, maybe you''re right. Maybe Glen needs a friend like me to help him fit in a little better."


    "Well, I''d love to be right, but you''re still being cagey about these conversations," Mary replied. "I mean, there''s a lot of reasons why Glen might have thought this ''burden'' Carrie has is a good thing... including psychological problems on his part. Can''t you give me more detailed information?"


    "It''s... complicated," Clarke sighed. He couldn¡¯t very well relay the parts of his conversations that were about time travel. "Besides, aren''t you just listening to me as a sister?"


    "True enough. So, you were saying that you were on your way to Tim''s place?"


    "Yeah," Clarke affirmed. "And when I got there, I discovered Luci was with him."


    ***


    "C-Clarke! You¡¯re here," Tim said, looking up from a desk of notes and beaming at the tall boy as Clarke walked into the bedroom.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Clarke said, nodding at his friend. "I didn''t realize you already had company." He looked to Luci.


    "Well, after last night I decided we''d best figure out what the heck we shot Carrie with," Luci noted. "And Tim''s the main translation man for Linquist''s notes."


    The young girl gestured from the edge of the bed, where she sat with Linquist¡¯s temporal gun, back towards the curly haired boy.


    Clarke looked back towards Tim. "How much do you know about what¡¯s going on then?¡±


    Tim opened his mouth to reply, but again it was Luci who spoke first. "I told Tim all the highlights," she stated. "Time machine, Carrie''s funky powers, his memory loss from before the hospital... seemed only fair that he know at this point."


    Clarke frowned slightly. "I see. And... Tim, you¡¯re okay with this?"


    "Oh, sure, he''s managing fine," Luci continued blithely. "Actually, we figure all this additional background info should help with the translating."


    "Luci, I asked Tim!" Clarke said sharply, turning again to look at her.


    She jerked her gaze up from the gun towards him, and inwardly he cursed himself for taking that tone. He didn''t seem to be having the best of luck with people today...


    "It''s all right," Tim said quickly, standing up and moving to place a hand on Clarke''s arm. ¡°I am f-fine, her information really will help with the translating, and it doesn''t look like I''ll be any more involved than that." He paused. "And knowing about this t-time group also explains why I hardly see you lately."


    Clarke flinched slightly, turning to look the shorter boy in the eyes. Had he not been hanging around Tim as much? He supposed that he HAD been paying more attention to Julie ever since the time machine factor had reappeared last month... and of course he''d wanted to speak with Carrie and Frank on occasion... but he had come by Tim''s house just last Monday.


    Or, no, had it been the previous Monday? For that matter, when was the last time he''d made a drugstore run for Tim¡¯s medications?


    "I... I''m sorry, Tim," Clarke said as he realized the truth of the situation. "I never made a conscious decision to avoid you."


    "ANYway,¡± Luci cut back in pointedly, "you''re just in time. We¡¯ve managed to recharge the gun, and were about to take a test shot. The thing¡¯s non-lethal, by the way, that¡¯s what Tim realized yesterday, hence shooting Carrie with everything we had. This time, we¡¯re sure the safety¡¯s engaged and the gun¡¯s set back to level one, so we shouldn¡¯t experience such massive kickback. Observe."


    She picked up the gun again and, bracing herself back against the wall behind the bed, took aim at a pillow sitting across the room on Tim''s dresser.


    Clarke frowned. "Is it safe to be firing off that thing indoors?"


    Tim nodded. ¡°Oh, sure. Well, we¡¯re p-pretty sure," he amended. "I mean, near as I can figure, it''s now configured to be the equivalent of a sci fi phaser on low stun."


    "But if you''re not a hundred percent certain, perhaps we should--" Clarke never got a chance to complete his sentence.


    Luci had already pulled the trigger, and even before the sequence of lights on the gun was done flashing, a pulse of energy shot out of the barrel. The pillow on the dresser exploded in a cloud of feathers - and the glass in the mirror behind it shattered into a hundred pieces, all of them spiralling out into Tim''s bedroom.

 Part 66a: Shattered

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.4 - Without


    PART 66a: SHATTERED 1


    "My God! Phil, were you all right?"


    Clarke pulled his gaze down from the ceiling. "Yeah, Mary, I was fine. I even reacted in time to shield Tim. Luci got nicked in the arm by a shard of glass but it was nothing serious."


    "Why in the world would Luci heave a latin dictionary at the mirror on Tim¡¯s dresser? She had to know it would shatter!¡±


    Clarke winced. "I didn''t exactly say it was the dictionary. I mean, that''s what we told Tim''s father but... it''s complicated."


    "You keep saying that," Mary sighed. "Phil, sister or therapist, I can''t do you any good when you keep sidestepping the truth."


    "I know, I know, it''s just... look, I''m sorry sis. The full truth is something I don''t think you''d be able to buy into right now."


    "Maybe, maybe not," Mary responded. "But okay, putting that aside for the moment, I''m getting the distinct impression that everything to this point has been background events. It¡¯s like you''re avoiding some major issue. What else happened today? Who else were you talking with?"


    Clarke swallowed. "Uhm, well, actually I ran into Corry and Laurie after leaving Tim''s," he ventured. "They were in front of their house, heading off for some outing with their parents. Chartreuse was there too, to see them off."


    ***


    "Hi Clarke!" Laurie said, beaming at him as she ran down the driveway. She paused when she was two steps away and tilted her head to the side. "Um... hey, I think you''ve got ice in your hair."


    Clarke blinked at Laurie and reached up to where she was peering. "Er, thanks," he replied, plucking out the small shard. ¡±It''s glass actually."


    "Oh. So, what, did you come by to see me? Or you just taking the really long way around to Julie¡¯s house?"


    Clarke flinched as he realized the accuracy of her statement.


    "Glass? Like, why would you have glass in your hair, Clarke?" Chartreuse asked, coming up beside Laurie.


    The tall blonde sighed. "Let''s just say that Luci and Tim still have a ways to go with Linquist''s translations. Not that they''ll be able to do any more of it today." He could still recall Luci muttering over and over ''That wasn''t supposed to happen'', while the two of them had been escorted out of the Whitby residence.


    "Oh," Laurie repeated. She glanced from Clarke to Chartreuse, then back. "Well... I''ve said ''hi'', so I guess I should get back to helping my brother load bags in the car."


    "Ah, don''t bother," Corry said, walking up to join the three of them. "Dad can¡¯t pack the last bag until Mom''s got her camera packed inside it. Which will be once they find it. Which will be once he stops berating her for not finding it last night." He clapped a hand on Laurie''s shoulder. "Good to know your scatterbrained nature is hereditary, eh, little sis?"


    Laurie flushed a bit in the cheeks, glancing at Clarke out of the corner of her eye. "I''m not THAT bad," she protested to her brother. "I mean... at least I''m not the one who''s grounded all next week."


    Corry''s expression turned dark. "I''ll thank you not to mention that again. After all, I wouldn''t be in any trouble at all if I''d been allowed to time travel back, as planned!"


    Clarke exchanged a quick glance with Chartreuse, who merely shrugged. "Corry, your parents didn''t buy our excuses as to why you were gone two nights?" he asked.


    Corry looked over at Clarke. "Hm? Oh, well, they sort of bought it," he yielded. "Only the idea of me staying over at Julie''s for that long is a stretch, even if you did somehow get Jeeves to vouch on my behalf. Now, for it to be after all the crazy stuff that happened at school...? Let''s just say I got the whole ¡®family values¡¯ speech, with this day trip thrown in to boot. My Dad isn¡¯t as easygoing as Frank¡¯s parents are.¡±


    ¡°Plus Mom now thinks Julie and my brother are a romantic item,¡± Laurie put in. ¡°So that¡¯s awkward.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s that too,¡± Corry sighed, rubbing his forehead.


    "You get what Julie was, like, saying about why we couldn''t, you know, send you back though, right?" Chartreuse asked.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Corry waved off the pink haired girl. "Yeah, yeah, I get the whole didn''t-happen-so-can''t-happen-and-don''t-piss-off-freaky-golden-eyed-weapon-girl reasoning. Doesn''t mean I have to LIKE it. For that matter, I''m surprised Julie was so willing to go along with making nice for Carrie. Reading between the lines of Laurie''s catchup story, I gather that blonde, er, girl was treating Julie pretty rotten after me and Frank left."


    "They''ve both been under more strain than usual," Clarke put in quickly. "With Mindy gone, I''m hoping we can smooth things over once again."


    "Mmmm. That''ll take effort," Corry said slowly. "Assuming it''s even possible. But then again... I now have a gaping two day HOLE in my life, so what the hell do I know, right?"


    "Hey, one more day and you''ll be, you know, caught up from the extra few days you spent in the past last year," Chartreuse offered up.


    Corry fired Chartreuse a look. "NOT helping," he said pointedly. "For that matter, I''m not getting suckered into any more time trips. Keep me in the loop of your group''s situation, yes, inform me of any attempts by Glen to use - what was it, strange mental powers? ¨C hell yes, but DON''T count on me for physical assistance in any further temporal shenanigans!"


    Laurie pulled her gaze away from Clarke long enough to turn back towards her brother. "Shenanigans? Aren¡¯t those like polygons?"


    Corry opened his mouth to reply, then thought better of it and simply shook his head. "Nevermind. C''mon sis, let''s help the parental units get a move on. Sooner we go, sooner we get back."


    Laurie hesitated, then nodded. "Sure you don''t want to stick around for, uh, a glass of juice or anything, Clarke?" she asked, casting one final glance his way.


    "No. Thanks though," he replied.


    "Oh, and hey, Clarke?" Corry called out over his shoulder, even as he began to walk back towards the house. "Keep an eye on Julie for me tonight, okay? She was looking kinda vulnerable before and I think you¡¯d be a better person to talk with her than me."


    ***


    "Aha! Now I know what you''re hiding!"


    Clarke froze. ¡°Hiding, Mary?"


    "Julie," his sister stated. "Our conversation is all about Julie."


    There was a moment of silence. "Why..."


    "Your voice is catching every time you say her name," Mary pointed out. ¡°And you''ve been trying to avoid mentioning her, despite how your connection to her has been referenced in every single conversation so far. Come on, Phil, you''re running out of other people to talk about. You must have seen Julie earlier today too. So what''s the big mystery?"


    Clarke rose from his bed and went to his window, staring out at the darkening sky. "No mystery," he said at last. "Here''s how that conversation played out..."


    ***


    Clarke was a little surprised to see Julie herself answer the front door. "I saw you heading up the driveway," she began by way of explanation. "I knew you''d come today. We... we have to talk."


    "I agree," Clarke said. He held up a small box. "And I brought some eclairs along, to try and help with the mood."


    Julie''s gaze slid down to the box. She closed her eyes. "Damn. I wish you hadn''t done that," she whispered. Reopening her eyes, she turned. "Come into the sitting room."


    Clarke hesitated for a moment, then shut the door behind and followed after her. "This... seems pretty serious," Clarke observed as Julie sat down on the couch. He dropped the eclair box on the table. "But look, it''s important that you don''t think what happened last night was your fault, we never--"


    "We''re through," Julie interrupted.


    Clarke nodded as he sat. "Carrie said the same thing," he admitted. "But I don''t think--"


    She spun to face him. "No, not ''we'' as in the time group. We. Us. Whatever the two of us have. I¡¯m sorry, but it''s over."


    Their eyes locked. He saw the determination in her gaze... and he didn''t understand it. Not at all. "Jewels," he said softly, reaching out towards her. "You can''t mean..." His voice trailed off as she stood, slipping just beyond his reach.


    "Ph-- Clarke, please don''t make this harder than it has to be," she replied, back now towards him, her hands tightening into fists.


    Clarke paused, trying to figure out what he was supposed to say to that. It was like that time in Grade Ten all over again. But why?


    "Jewels, I don''t understand," he admitted. "I mean, you wanting to back out of the time traveling makes some sense to me but this...? I need an explanation!"


    It took a moment for Julie to respond, and when she did, her voice sounded empty. "Where I''m going next, I can''t take you with me. If I did, at best you would slow me down, and at worst... you could be used against me. And I won''t have you hurt like that. Not like everyone else I''ve managed to harm in the past few days. Not that way.¡±


    Clarke stood. "Jewels..."


    "Julie!" the brunette snapped, her body shaking slightly. ¡°Gods, Clarke, just... just call me Julie...! Please, Clarke... PLEASE..." Her voice nearly cracked.


    He swallowed. "Julie then. You... you''re talking nonsense. What do you mean where you''re going? Are you leaving town? Or are you planning to leave this time period entirely? Because I don¡¯t think that... wait, your parents aren''t doing something more to you, are they??"


    Julie turned back to face him, her expression one of anger and disbelief - but her gaze swiftly softened and became one of quiet sadness. "Oh Clarke... simple, unaware Clarke... no, my parents aren¡¯t a factor. And I didn''t mean going physically, or temporally. It''s about... about me fitting in here. The only way I can."


    "Yes, right, we talked about that the other day," Clarke said desperately, searching for meaning in the conversation. ¡°And with teamwork..."


    ¡°No, Clarke.¡± Julie shook her head. "I don''t do teamwork, remember? If you don''t believe me, just ask Carrie, she¡¯ll set you straight."


    "She''s sorry for slapping you. She told me. She said your idea was good.¡±


    Julie smiled, but it was a sad smile, and her tone still sounded hollow. "That''s nice to know, but... it doesn''t matter. Not now that I know that the only way to fit in... is to cut myself off again. This time, completely. The next choices I make, I must make them on my own.¡±


    Clarke ran a hand back through his hair. ¡°DAMN it, Julie... what you''re saying, it makes no sense!"


    "I''m sorry you feel that way. But you can''t change my mind on this matter, Ph--" She swallowed. ¡°Clarke. Please, for all our sakes, don''t try."


    It was at that moment, that Clarke knew she was lying. There was resolve in Julie¡¯s face, but lurking behind that mask was something more. Some hope that he would see an alternative, and be able to try... something. But how could he do that when he didn''t even know what in the world she was talking about?

 Part 66b: Shattered 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.4 - Without


    PART 66b: SHATTERED 2


    "All right,¡± Clarke decided. ¡°If you''re out of the group, I''m out too. It will be like before, I¡¯ll be your sounding board, and the two of us can--"


    "NO, Clarke - it¡¯s not like that now,¡± Julie interrupted. She sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. "Look... I-I¡¯ll give you this much. Consider, if Glen has the power to alter anyone¡¯s will, then anything I say or show - to anyone! - is only one more avenue he can use to figure me out. And so, even if you DON¡¯T know what I¡¯ll be doing, the more you see, the better the chances are of you being coerced into saying something. Glen might even use you to... no, I can''t risk that.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Glen already has the upper hand, given his knowledge of the future. I refuse to give him anyone... anything else he can use against me.¡±


    Clarke frowned. ¡°So this is about Glen.¡±


    "Not completely. It''s... well, no, I''ve said too much already," Julie decided. ¡°But Clarke - Phil - please know that whatever happens to me in the coming weeks... I have truly appreciated everything that you''ve done for me. In the past, I used you, abused you, and you... you responded by showing compassion, understanding, and then by crossing the boundaries of time in order to save my life. You, more than anyone else, showed me what true caring was all about. Thank you. I... I will never forget that.¡±


    Her voice was catching by then, and almost before he realized it, she had reached out for him. Her fingertips brushing away some of his hair from his ear. Then she was up on her toes, pressing her lips up against his.


    In all the time they''d spent together as a pseudo-couple, ever since it had become ¡°official¡± that day he¡¯d brought the eclairs to her on that October day back in Grade Ten... they had never kissed on the lips. And now...


    "I''m sorry," Julie whispered, pulling back even as his arms moved to embrace her. "I shouldn¡¯t have. Jeeves can show you out."


    "Jewels, don''t do this... JULIE!"


    But she was gone, having turned and fled the room. Clarke ran to the doorway after her, and he called out to her again, but she did not return. Had he seen a tear at the corner of her eye before she turned? Or maybe, like so much of their relationship, maybe he''d only imagined it.


    Outside, a light rain began to fall.


    ***


    "Ouch," Mary said quietly.


    "Ouch," Clarke repeated, turning away from the window. "So it''s as I said at the start, the only issues are between me and a number of my friends."


    "But one friend in particular."


    Clarke forced his tone to remain level. "One in particular," he admitted. ¡°Thing is Mary, I made a real mess of everything today, and Julie was simply the icing on the cake. So I keep running through everything in my mind, trying to figure out exactly where I went wrong... like maybe if I''d gone to Julie''s house FIRST this morning... or maybe if I''d pursued her up to her room..."


    "Phil, second guessing yourself does no one any good. What''s done is done, you can''t change the past.¡±


    "Oh, Mary, you have no idea how often that subject gets debated around here," Clarke groaned.


    "My point is you now have to look towards the future. I mean, maybe this was just some spur of the moment thing on Julie¡¯s part! Do you think she''ll come around again by the end of the week?"


    "Julie doesn''t do spur of the moment," Clarke sighed. "Nor does she do things in half measures, so I... I think I''m cut off for good. Except I think her current state of mind is tied up in all the other stuff going on right now! So... so maybe, if I figure out how to get everyone to truly accept her and treat her decently again, that will make things all right! What do you think??"


    Mary didn''t reply at first. "Phil," she began slowly, "It sounds to me like Julie is in even worse shape than Carrie. If she has truly cut you off, and no one was closer to Julie than you, will platitudes by other classmates really have an effect?"


    "Well she... maybe Corry could... that is... for God sakes Mary, I can''t just sit here and do nothing, can I?!"


    His sister sighed audibly. "Bro, I know you don''t want to hear this, but from what I''ve learned about Julie since the events of your school last November? She wasn''t the most stable person to be in a relationship with anyway.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°As such,¡± Mary continued, ¡°maybe time apart will help give you both a little perspective. You can always approach Julie again later, yeah? And in the meantime, do some things for yourself. You can check in with that butler Julie has, to make sure she''s still seeing that Doctor Golden fellow.¡±


    "You think she''s crazy."


    "I didn''t say that, Phil. I do think that she''s having some issues right now that are beyond the scope of what you or your friends can do to help her."


    "You think she''s crazy and that she needs more psychological counselling. Well, it''s not that!" Clarke said, slamming his free hand down on his desk as he shouted at the phone.


    If only he could have explained the full truth to Mary about Glen¡¯s mental powers! ¡°The trouble is, none of us can talk about what''s at the core of all this,¡± he said, frustrated. ¡°No adult would ever believe what we... would ever... wait, Mary, you said you¡¯ll be coming to town, right?!¡±


    A pause. "Yeesssss..." his sister said guardedly.


    "And you''re already into fourth year university, so you know a lot about psychoanalyzing people, right?"


    "Phil, I see where you''re going with this, and no."


    "But Mary, it''s perfect," Clarke insisted. "If I can''t help Julie, I can at least provide her with a counsellor who might do her some actual good! One who can be told the whole truth and who won''t try to have us all certified insane."


    ¡°Bro, the whole family shrink thing is just me putting on airs," Mary countered firmly. ¡°I¡¯m angling for a PhD, so I still have a lot more schooling to do before I could even THINK of safely giving professional advice!"


    "Mary... please," Clarke pleaded. "Think of all the times in the past when we were moving from place to place, and you helped me out. You didn''t need a signed piece of paper to do that! Julie needs someone, and... and you''re all I''ve got. Besides, you know I¡¯ve been dodging around things, this way I''d finally be able to tell you everything. I can do it in person.¡±


    The silence on the other end of the phone extended for so long that Clarke wondered if they''d lost their connection.


    ¡°Loverly,¡± his sister finally muttered. Then louder, ¡°Phil, I will THINK about it, provided you do NOT endlessly bring this up with me between now and then.¡±


    "Thank you," Clarke replied, his mind already leaping ahead to her arrival.


    He''d explain about the time machine, and Glen, and Carrie, and then Mary would talk with Julie, learn what was bothering her, and then everything would be all right again. Yes, everything would be all right again...


    ***


    Nothing would ever be all right, not any more. But, Julie wondered, did someone like her really deserve any better? She wiped her cheeks dry with the palm of her hand and stood up, pulling the letter out of her pocket once more. The same letter that had been left in her mailbox that morning.


    She scanned over the contents for what felt like the hundredth time. "She''s right,¡± Julie whispered, as she reached the bottom of the page. ¡°I am the only one who can do this. But that doesn''t make it any easier."


    Julie clenched her fists, slightly crumpling the page. She then ripped the paper in half, and in half again, followed by the envelope. Letting out a long breath, she tossed the pieces into the nearby fireplace. One match later, and they were both burned down into ash.


    Julie then proceeded up to her room, removing the silver brooch she wore in the shape of a rose. She placed it into the small jewellery box on her vanity, then after a moment of hesitation, picked it back up and shoved it back into the depths of her lowermost drawer.


    "All right," Julie said calmly to herself. "Long term planning is your forte, and Carrie knew that. It¡¯s time for a new plan."


    ***


    Carrie glowered at the black box sitting on her bedroom floor. ¡°I WILL destroy you!¡± she stated.


    As if saying that out loud would somehow make that possible future into a reality. The trouble was, the time machine was the only failsafe she had. The only tool any of them had which could undo things if she lost control of her time powers.


    She was sure that¡¯s why Glen didn¡¯t like it. But it was also the reason she¡¯d insisted on keeping it with her, after regaining consciousness last night. Like a crutch.


    What WAS it Glen was so worried about? Oh sure, he¡¯d framed it as, if Carrie were always thinking about ways her friends might be able to save her from herself, she¡¯d never properly develop into the temporal being she was supposed to be. Screwing up their wondrous timeline three. But was it only that? Did Glen think someone else could get their hands on it?


    Then again, maybe they didn¡¯t need the machine. If Carrie went golden-eyed nuts, they had that gun thing now.


    ¡°Keep quiet about that, or Glen¡¯ll want you to destroy it too,¡± Carrie muttered. She pressed her palm into her forehead, then marched to the window.


    ¡°Any future Carries want to come back to tell me what to do this time?¡± she called out into the darkness. ¡°Send me a letter maybe? No?¡±


    She stared down, and was reminded of the rocks Frank had been heaving up at her window from the backyard earlier that day. She¡¯d called on her father to get rid of him. She probably shouldn¡¯t have done that.


    She probably shouldn¡¯t have done a lot of things. Like sending Chartreuse that message saying her mystical services would no longer be required. How many more bridges could she burn? Pretty soon, no one but Glen would even want to save her.


    ¡°Screw it,¡± Carrie sighed. She turned and knelt back down in front of the time machine. Yet as she reached out to open it and pull out some circuits, a thought occurred.


    Glen had been teaching her about pushing objects out of time, the foundation of banishment. She even remembered doing it with a glass that time in the hospital... somehow. ¡°And what, you think you can push the time machine into the future, for later use?¡± she muttered aloud. ¡°You can barely budge a thumbtack two seconds ahead.¡±


    No, her mind reasoned back. But Frank or Luci might know of some way to rig the time machine for an automatic run, sending it forwards in time without a pilot. That way, if she lost control and the apocalypse happened, derailing everything, the time machine would still reappear at some point in the future. Letting someone fix it. Besides, would waiting an extra few days, allowing herself to calm down, be such a bad thing?


    Carrie stood back up. Okay then, she would at least explore that avenue.


    What was the harm?

 Part 67a: Do You Mind?

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.4 - Without


    PART 67a: DO YOU MIND? 1


    Frank''s basement lab was empty; the lights were off, and all was quiet. There was a brief explosion of light, and then all was quiet again - though now Frank¡¯s body was lying on the ground. It sat next to a black box that resembled a cross between a computerized slot machine and a cash register.


    "Ooooohh," he groaned. "Frank, what caused that?"


    The teenager struggled to sit up, moving to rub his eyes, his hands hitting his glasses. The dark haired boy paused, then reached up to pull the glasses off. He lay there for a moment, staring at them in shock.


    "What the hell?"


    Having spoken again, Frank reached a hand up to his throat. Then, slipping his glasses back on, he pushed himself up to his knees and took a look down at his body. "Oh my God," Frank choked out. "Oh God, no, oh no, no, no... wh- what''s HAPPENED to me?!?"


    Frank''s body swayed unsteadily for a few seconds before dropping back to the floor and falling unconscious.


    ***


    "Hello," Mrs. Dijora said pleasantly, opening the door. "How can I help--"


    "He''s with me," Carrie said, dashing down the hall behind Frank''s mom. Shegrabbed the arm of their visitor, tugging on it. ¡°With us, that is,¡± she clarified. ¡°We''re all still finishing our extra curricular project in the basement and we need Glen¡¯s help. Now!"


    "Oh," Frank''s mother responded, nonplussed. "You know Carrie, if you''d all started this project earlier in the week, you wouldn''t have this sort of problem on a Thursday night. Because regardless of what Frank''s contribution is, I want to have him back upstairs in time for dinner. Which will be within the hour."


    "Um, yup, I''ll let him know that," Carrie assured, while dragging Glen towards the basement door. "Now c''mon Glen, this is really TIME sensitive stuff!"


    "I''m coming, I''m coming," Glen said, a hint of a frown appearing on his features. He looked back at Mrs. Dijora. "Er, I''ll keep my coat with me," he assured her, having not had the time to pull both arms from the sleeves.


    Frank''s mother watched in confusion as the two teenagers slammed the basement door shut behind them. "Teenagers. Everything¡¯s life or death for them," she decided, heading back into the kitchen.


    ***


    "All right, what''s this about?" Glen asked, as Carrie hopped down the stairs ahead of him two at a time. "Your call sounded urgent."


    ¡°You have NO idea,¡± Carrie retorted. She jabbed a finger at something just outside his field of view. "What the hell did the time machine DO to her?!"


    Glen moved down to the point when he could see where Carrie was pointing. His frown deepened, and he quickly moved to kneel down next to the unconscious body on the floor. Yes, unconscious - Luci still seemed to have a pulse. So he didn¡¯t know whether this was the event he¡¯d been waiting for, or not.


    "How long has she been like this?" Glen asked.


    "Twenty minutes. Half an hour maybe," Carrie said. ¡°You sure took your sweet time getting here. I even thought about calling an ambulance, but the tingling in my head says this is something temporal."


    "I got here as quickly as I could," Glen grumbled. He rolled Luci''s body slightly, stuffing his wadded up jacket under her head before lifting one of her eyelids. Her eyes didn''t seem to be focused on anything. Problematic. He needed more information.


    Glen glanced around the room. "You said your time machine was involved. Where is it?"


    Carrie swallowed. "It... it vanished. It took Frank along with it. Which is kind of the other reason I didn''t want to get Frank''s parents all worked up with an ambulance."


    Glen slammed his palm on the ground. "Carrie! I WARNED you about the danger of using it for more time trips, I TOLD you to destroy --"


    "We WERE destroying it!" Carrie yelled back, hands clenching into fists. She bit her lip. ¡°Kinda.¡±


    Glen stood. ¡°How do you KINDA destroy something?¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Carrie''s face took on a pained expression. "We... we were going to send the machine on auto-pilot a couple of months into the future. As a fail safe. So it would be available later. I even thought, hey, it¡¯ll get Frank and Luci working together again, so that maybe I could leave the time group on a slightly better note than... than..." She threw her arms out to the sides. ¡°Look, I made sure they were being careful, and that they weren¡¯t arguing about their relationship or anything.¡±


    "They were still messing with something they couldn''t hope to understand," Glen fumed. He stared at her for another long moment. Carrie didn¡¯t seem as distraught as he might have expected.


    It probably wasn¡¯t time yet.


    ¡°Fine, what''s done is done. If we want to have a chance of fixing it, you''ll need to describe to me exactly what happened."


    Carrie looked past him towards Luci''s prone form. She swallowed again, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Okay. The two of them were completing some circuit analysis. To see if there was any failsafe to prevent activation, if no person was touching the lever. Frank was reaching down inside the device - he said something looked a little funny - and he asked Luci to hand him the tweezers. She was doing that when the machine let out a whine, there was a bright flash of light, and then..."


    She reopened her eyes. ¡°Then Frank and the machine were gone, and Luci was left there on the floor unconscious. After five minutes of trying to bring her around without success, I called you."


    Glen pursed his lips, then moved towards the lab bench near Luci''s body. After a moment of looking around, he reached out and grabbed a set of twisted, blackened tweezers off the floor. "Are these what Luci handed to Frank?" he questioned.


    Carrie shrugged. "How should I know? Probably."


    Glen frowned. "Well, they''re metallic." He paused. "That''s bad. I''m sorry, Carrie... I''m not sure there''s anything we can do for Luci."


    "What are you talking about?" she protested. "Luci''s body is still here, she''s still breathing and everything, we simply need a way for her to wake up."


    Glen sighed again, rolling his eyes heavenwards before turning back to her. "All right," he decided. "I was hoping to avoid such direct talk of future technology but... Carrie, exactly what have you figured out regarding how these portable time machine units work?"


    Carrie crossed her arms. "Well, they need a coin to activate, and the date on the coin corresponds to the year of arrival. Meanwhile, the place of arrival is worked out by who is holding onto the handle, which has some sort of DNA sensing technology integrated into it. Though it seems that a trip to the future might involve not changing location at all, if you don''t have a counterpart there. So there¡¯s also some built in homing device to target Earth, maybe."


    "Mmm. Yes, that''s about right," Glen said, with grudging respect. "Though since the device goes along with you, the travel to a time with no counterpart takes it¡¯s toll. More universal calculations, more circuits engaged, more power, more chance for burnout too. That¡¯s on top of the normal proportional recharge, all part of the reason why not many such units were made."


    "Okay, so how does any of this relate to what happened to Luci?"


    Glen tossed the mangled tweezers aside. "It has to do with how the time machine manipulates the wormholes."


    Carrie blinked. "Worm... holes? Frank''s said something about them, but I never really bothered with trying to follow the science..."


    Glen made a quick circuit of the room, grabbing a pencil and a sheet of paper that someone had started making notes on. "Wormholes," he repeated. "Even in this time I know there''s been discussion on the subject."


    He drew two circles, close to the opposing long ends of the sheet. "Earth," he said, pointing at one circle. "Alpha Centauri," he continued, pointing at the other circle. He folded the paper over so that the far ends of the page were touching, and the circles overlapped. "Wormhole," he concluded.


    He jabbed the pencil up through the paper at the Earth circle, the tip emerging through the circle he had denoted Alpha Centauri.


    Carrie rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, the classic demonstration of using a wormhole to get to a far away place a lot faster than running along the length of the page itself. I HAVE seen that before. But what--"


    "It works with time too," Glen cut back in. He unfolded the sheet and drew a long line connecting the two holes. "1950," he said, now physically writing that in over the first hole. "2000," he continued, denoting the second hole. "Same principle. You want to travel from 2000 to 1950? The machine homes in on 1950 using the metallic substance you input, refines based on the traveler''s DNA, then creates a temporary wormhole that will fold space-time appropriately to transport the individual.¡±


    Glen folded the paper over again as he spoke. ¡°Once space-time is sufficiently warped, the device sucks you through," - he pushed the pencil all the way through the hole - "then allows this universe¡¯s timeline to snap back into place," - he released one end of the page to let it straighten out - "all accomplished in a blink, before there''s any far reaching effects. Like miniature black holes or the like.¡±


    Carrie observed Glen quietly for a few seconds. "So??" she said at last. "Lovely demonstration, but I STILL don''t see how that relates to why Luci is--"


    "Oh for goodness sakes Carrie, can''t you at least humour me and PRETEND to have the mental discipline of your future self?" Glen snapped, before he could stop himself.


    Her jaw clenched as he tossed the paper aside. ¡°Sorry. But look, this problem is obviously related to how those portable time machine units control what matter gets pulled through the wormhole. Everything within a certain radius can¡¯t get yanked in, or you¡¯d be travelling with the ground you¡¯re standing on.¡± There was a brief silence. "Do you see the problem now?¡±


    "Sure," Carrie said tightly. ¡°Somehow the machine makes a point of registering anyone touching the handle, or any person touching that person, but ultimately rejects other biological matter within the same radius. Clever.¡± Her eyes were drawn to the tweezers. ¡°Oh, wait. Are you saying...¡±


    She hesitated long enough that Glen decided to complete the thought. ¡°Yes, if the people going through are not in direct contact with the handle - or, less safely, with each other - the time machine might start closing the wormhole on them early."


    He paused. "Best case, some people don''t go on the trip. Worst case? Depending on how badly you¡¯re linked? You could end up on the other end of a time journey with only half a person.¡± Glen shook his head. ¡°So, do you finally understand what happened here?¡±

 Part 67b: Do You Mind? 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.4 - Without


    PART 67b: DO YOU MIND? 2


    Carrie began to look ill. ¡°You¡¯re saying that when the time machine became active, with Luci connected to Frank through the tweezers, rather than through physical contact... no, NO, look, her whole body is still here!¡± She grabbed for Glen¡¯s shirt with one hand, while pointing at Luci with the other. ¡°So she must be okay, right?"


    Glen rubbed his forehead. ¡°Look, I''m no expert on the inner workings of the devices themselves, what I¡¯ve said is pretty basic temporal theory. All I can say for sure is that the equations get trickier when metal is involved. Because it¡¯s metallic coins which are flash fried in the thing as a power source. So maybe Luci... her brain... well, part of it might have been flash fried too. Through that metal conduit."


    "But... but look, LOOK, she''s still breathing..." Carrie said desperately, releasing him as her whole body began to shake. "And it w-was just tweezers..."


    Glen bent down next to Luci''s body once more, again checking her eyes and her pulse. He shook his head. Maybe the time had come for them after all?


    "There''s no way to know for sure,¡± he said. ¡°But given she''s been like this for more than half an hour..."


    "No. I refuse to accept that I had a hand in turning Luci into a... a vegetable!" Carrie said, stepping forwards. "There must be some..."


    She froze as the basement door opened, and there came the sound of someone rushing downstairs. But it wasn¡¯t one of Frank¡¯s parents. In fact, as Glen turned, he saw it was Frank himself. The latest arrival took in the scene, immediately catching sight of the body on the floor. He then dropped the time machine, running to kneel down by Luci.


    "Oh my God," Frank gasped. "What''s happened to me?"


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure,¡± Carrie admitted. ¡°Glen thinks that some part of Luci was..." She stopped. ¡°Wait, happened to YOU? What do you mean, Frank?"


    Frank turned to look at her. "I am NOT Frank," he retorted, blinking back a tear. "And I want back inside my body right NOW!"


    ¡°Huh. Well, this is unprecedented," Glen mused in the ensuing silence.


    ***


    Luci/Frank stared at the page of equations in her hands, trying hard not to cry. She¡¯d cried enough.


    Carrie and Glen had left long ago, when Frank''s mother had insisted on her son coming up for dinner. Dinner, of course, had been a quiet affair... it had felt awkward pretending to be someone she wasn¡¯t. Luci knew she''d acted oddly enough for Frank''s parents to sense something was up. At least they''d interpreted it as sickness, advising him to go and lie down after the meal.


    It meant that Luci couldn''t go back down to the lab to try and work things through on the large chalkboard. But maybe that was for the best. Her body was still lying on the bench down there, covered by a sheet.


    That felt unbelievably creepy.


    Naturally, both she and Carrie had pressed Glen for more information, immediately following her return of Frank¡¯s body to the present. "All right, all right!" Glen had said, after several attempts to deflect.


    "My best guess? What happened here is Luci''s... essence...? For lack of a better word... was caught by the event horizon of the wormhole. But instead of being lost forever, it somehow managed to connect up with Frank''s body."


    "Then where''s Frank''s ''essence''?!" Carrie had demanded. Glen could only shrug helplessly.


    And Luci/Frank had lost all self-control. "Damn it, Carrie. This is all your fault, with wanting to rig the device!¡± she''d screamed, kicking the other girl in the shins.


    Carrie had let out a loud yelp and fallen backwards, almost on top of Luci''s own body.


    Seemed a kick from Frank''s body packed more of a punch than what she''d intended. But it''s not like she''d had much time to get used to being inside him or anything - as soon as she''d regained consciousness after her unscheduled trip, she''d reset the machine to travel back to now. Having held out some hope that doing so would automatically fix things.


    Which it hadn¡¯t. Did this mean that Frank was somehow trapped inside HER body, unable to get out? Unable to move, unable to speak? Or was HE the one whose essence had been lost...


    Luci looked back down at the paper she held, before crumpling it up and throwing it aside. Followed by the pencil. She drew her knees (yet not her knees) up to her chest (Frank''s chest) and finally allowed another tear to escape her/Frank''s eye.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    This was so messed up. They couldn''t even duplicate this situation in reverse, like they''d done the time she''d been prematurely aged. Hell, to hear Glen speak, it was lucky she''d survived this experience at all. But of course, the worst part of this whole situation was how, deep down, Luci knew she¡¯d been lashing out again. At people who didn¡¯t deserve it.


    This wasn''t Carrie''s fault, no more than it had been Julie¡¯s fault when Frank had ended up in the future with Mindy. No, this was all on her. On her and her obsessiveness.


    She¡¯d allowed herself to get distracted. Again. Not by the logbook this time, but instead by the revelations about Glen¡¯s origins and mental powers. Frank¡¯s wild suppositions at the start of the year had apparently been correct. And she¡¯d been thinking more about the repercussions of that, and the temporal gun, instead of the time machine. Instead of the task at hand.


    Why had she written off Frank¡¯s concerns? In September, why had she tried to bring his focus back to her, and off the person with the crazy mental powers? Worse, ever since her vendetta against Linquist had ramped up, she¡¯d simply started avoiding him. WHY? Did she not want this relationship with Frank after all?


    There was a ring of truth to that which alarmed her.


    Luci prided herself on her intelligence, and yet here she was, still making huge emotional errors in judgement. Errors which might have now cost the life of the boy that she... loved? Well, it was impossible to fix any of her relationship issues now.


    ''Maybe not...''


    Well, perhaps not, if she could work through the equations. Find a way to reverse things. But she was so very tired... Luci looked over towards her clock, checked herself, and looked to where Frank''s bedroom clock was. Already after 2am!


    At least her parents wouldn''t worry. Carrie had said she''d suck up her pride long enough to talk to Julie, to pretend like Luci was staying over at the mansion. Their standard fake-out. But that would only work until school resumed tomorrow...


    ''Sleep, Luci... sleep...''


    Luci''s eyes snapped open. She couldn''t sleep! Not until she had the answers she needed. Luci tried to shake herself awake, almost knocking Frank''s glasses off in the process. Another tear ran down her cheek at the realization, and she brushed it aside.


    Focus, girl, focus. You can''t break down now... not now, not when Frank needs you the most. If only he was here though, to help her with these crazy temporal equations! They had been such a good team that way. If only he was here...


    ''Luci, sleep, and I can be here...''


    Luci''s eyes snapped open again - and she realized with some shock that she was back inside her own body. Except she was no longer in Frank''s room, or even under the sheet in his lab. She was sitting underneath a tree, with a field of green grass spread out around her.


    "What? How?" And she reached up to her throat, recognizing it was her own voice coming from her own vocal chords.


    "It''s elementary, my dear Luci," came Frank''s voice from above. She looked up in time to see him jump down from a tree branch and land on the ground beside her. He fired off a weak smile. "You see, my body - or rather our body? - is now unconscious."


    ***


    ¡°Then you saw and heard the whole thing," Luci concluded. The two of them were now following a wandering pathway through the ''field'' dreamscape, comparing notes.


    Frank nodded back. "It''s a weird feeling, having my body do things without any control over what those things are. I guess you just have the more dominant personality? Or perhaps it was the only way my own mind decided it could keep your essence stable. At any rate, I couldn''t get through until your - our? - consciousness started to drift. Which it wasn¡¯t prone to do so long as you were focussed on fixing things.¡±


    Luci looked at the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry."


    "Oh, no, nothing to apologize for. Actually felt oddly satisfying, kicking Carrie in the shins..."


    "No, I mean sorry for everything," Luci corrected. "For not believing you about Glen back then. For going through the logbook again when I said I wouldn''t. For not giving it my all today, when helping you with the machine. And most of all, for avoiding you when we should have been working things out.¡± Her fists clenched. ¡°I¡¯ve been the worst girlfriend ever."


    Frank pursed his lips. ¡°Luci, I wasn''t racing to give you a phone call either," he admitted. ¡°Also, I took youfor granted. And I''m the one who tripped an activation circuit, and who shouldn''t have prematurely plugged in a coin into the device merely so things would be lit up more clearly anyway. That¡¯s all on me, not you."


    ¡°Still, you didn¡¯t almost get me killed and banished to the past,¡± Luci reminded. ¡°That happened to you, all because the first thing on my mind was a vendetta against Linquist! I''m so sorry, I just... God, I don''t know why, but he irritates me so much.¡±


    Frank stopped walking. "Luci... our minds are connected here. I can¡¯t see everything but, ah, you don''t have to hide the truth of that situation from me any more.¡±


    Luci froze. "What do you mean?"


    Frank glanced down at her, then shifted his gaze skyward. ¡°Oh boy. See, in the beginning, right after we... well, ''merged''... you slipped unconscious. I tried to find a way of getting through to you then, but I wasn''t quite sure what I was doing and... instead of contacting you, I ended up sifting through certain memories of yours."


    Luci blinked and involuntarily wrapped her arms about herself. "Do you mind?" she said irritably. "I have some very private stuff in my psyche."


    "I know. It wasn''t intentional," Frank insisted. "Really it wasn''t. But at the time, you were feeling hurt and scared and confused. Which brought up a similar time you''d felt that way, namely back when you''d been aged up by Linquist. From there it was only a short leap to your childhood when..."


    "NO," Luci gasped, and almost before she knew it she had physically reached out to slap her hand over Frank''s mouth. "Don''t say it!" she whispered. "Don''t make me remember that time, please, Frank, don¡¯t, don''t... that part of me, I blocked it off, even from myself..."


    Her body shook, her eyes pleaded. Frank slowly nodded, and she took her hand away. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry," he said. "Obviously, I... I misjudged the scope."


    "Obviously," Luci said quietly. Moving off the path, she plucked a daisy from the grass and began pulling petals off of it one by one.


    "Er, how about we go through some temporal equations then?" Frank ventured. "See about getting the two of us back where we belong." He waved his arm, and a chalkboard appeared in the field with them, already containing some rudimentary equations. He walked over and began to write.


    Luci joined him a couple of minutes later. They didn¡¯t speak of the incident again that night.


    Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, every calculation pointed towards one of them being dead before the week was out.

 Part 68a: Timeline Four

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.4 - Without


    PART 68a: TIMELINE FOUR 1


    Carrie frowned. "So... you''re inside Frank''s head... and he''s in there with you... but he can only surface in your dreams?"


    Luci/Frank managed to suppress a sigh, poking her/his fork into her/his plate of cafeteria fries. ¡°Repeating that back to us isn¡¯t going to make it any less true, Carrie.¡±


    ¡°Right, okay.¡± She thought for a moment. ¡°On the bright side, if both essences are available, we have a shot at disint... er, UNintegrating the two of you. Right?¡±


    Luci/Frank shook her head. ¡°I was late to school today because I wanted to keep at the equations. So far, it doesn¡¯t look good. Did you and Glen have any luck talking about the machine itself?¡±


    Carrie shook her head back. "I stayed on the phone with him as long as my dad would let me, but the only plan we can think of is to have your body - that is, Luci¡¯s - on the other end of the wormhole when you emerge from your initial trip. You know, when you first got, uh, fused. Granted, it presumes Luci''s essence will be able to find itself - yourself - and then, for the sake of self-consistency, the resulting Frank travels in time, to our present. Where he pretends he''s Luci. Which would be what you''re doing here.¡±


    Luci/Frank wrinkled her nose. "Okay, except since I know I''m NOT pretending, we know that plan won''t work," she reasoned. ¡°Also, I didn¡¯t think to check the exact time when I arrived.¡±


    "Aha, but how do I know you''re not just *pretending* to not be pretending?" Carrie countered, waggling her finger. Luci/Frank glared.


    Carrie lowered her hand. "Fine. If it¡¯s any comfort, the longer this goes on, the bigger the temporal headache I seem to be getting. I might not last until your future arrival date.¡±


    ¡°My own body might not last either,¡± Luci/Frank sighed. "When I checked on myself this morning, my body¡¯s pulse was even weaker than last night. Besides, what do we tell my parents, that I went on vacation to Miami??¡±


    "Point," Carrie yielded. She pressed a hand to her temples. ¡°I suppose we might jump in time ourselves, to meet your temporal exit THAT way ¨C except Glen¡¯s not sure what a time trip would do to Luci¡¯s body in it¡¯s present state. But at this point, all we have aside from that is..."


    Luci/Frank swallowed her/his forkful of fries as Carrie trailed off. ¡°Is what?¡± s/he asked.


    Carrie sighed. ¡°A time-share of my temporal self. Look, Luci, know that I won''t let things end for the two of you this way. I promise that much.¡±


    Her tone had become very serious. ¡°Carrie, can you even control your temporal self yet...?" Luci/Frank pressed, trying to read into her expression.


    ¡°No. But if it¡¯s within me to do it, I¡¯ll find a way," Carrie said. Her grip tightened on her soda can. ¡°Somehow, I¡¯ll find a way to fix things.¡±


    ***


    "Luci. LUCI," Frank called out.


    Luci blinked as she felt the palm slapping at her cheeks. With effort, she managed to focus on the image of Frank above her. "Oooh," she moaned. She propped herself up on one arm, realizing she was lying on the grass of their dreamscape. "It... it happened again, didn''t it..."


    Frank nodded. "That''s the third time, and the second time tonight. I don''t like it. When you go transparent like that, it''s as if you''re... fading away. You''ve got to hang on, Luci! We''ll figure a way to get you back where you belong."


    Luci shifted her focus back to the blue sky. "Frank, it''s been four days, and in terms of saving both of us, we''re back to square one." She paused. "In fact, I don¡¯t know if you realized, but I ¨C that is, our body ¨C it blacked out in class today too. If Chartreuse hadn''t caught me..." She swallowed. "I don''t want to die, Frank. Not like that.¡±


    He grabbed her by the shoulders. "No one''s said anything about dying. We''ll find something! We always do."


    "Frank, seriously? Even with Glen''s input, we still don''t know half of the science we''re dealing with." She pounded her fist into the ground. "It''s time to face facts, we''re running out of time! I''m... I''m simply going to die, and there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡±


    "No," Frank protested. "You are NOT dying! Not so long as I''m here." He pulled her into an embrace, and Luci hugged back, hard. Then, after a moment, she worked to change her body. And before Frank had a chance to react, he was holding a twenty year old.


    "Frank, don''t," Luci said as she felt him pulling away. "Please, don¡¯t. If this doesn¡¯t work out... I want something to take away with me. Something good, like the time I looked like this, and I told you my feelings. In fact, since we''re only in a dream, you could even--"


    "Luci, stop," Frank protested. He ceased trying to pull away but refused to meet her gaze. She saw him biting his lip. "We both know this is more than a dream, it''s... I don''t know, a mind link. So don''t tempt me this way. It¡¯s not right. When you¡¯re back in your own body, then... then maybe."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Luci remained in his arms for a moment before reverting back to her normal appearance. ¡°Maybe?¡± she said quietly, as they separated their embrace. ¡°Tell me Frank, if I do get back, will we really be able to have a healthy relationship?¡±


    "Well... why not?"


    "You know why," Luci said quietly. "The memory you saw. The one I''ve spent years repressing."


    Frank''s face fell, and he looked down at the ground. "I wasn''t going to bring that up again."


    "You didn''t have to. The more I struggle to hold onto myself, the more that particular mental block crumbles away." She paused, then closed her eyes. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do this. How much did you see?"


    Frank sighed. "He touched you. He..." His tone became harder. ¡°Your parents should never have let you use the pool next door!"


    "Were my clothes still on?" Luci continued, feeling a strange calmness come over her. She reopened her eyes.


    Frank was staring, horrified. "Of course they were. You don''t mean..."


    ¡°Okay. You really did only brush the surface."


    "Oh dear God, Luci! You mean he... that is... he didn''t... DID HE?!"


    The young girl shook her head. ¡°Oh, he didn''t go THAT far, if that''s what you''re thinking. Linford touched. He had me touch back. He took a couple pictures. We never..." Her voice trailed off as she began to feel sick to her stomach.


    She shoved the emotion aside, deciding instead to focus instead on the facts. The way she always did.


    "I was seven at the time. Barely four months out of the orphanage, and I didn''t want to cause any trouble. I didn''t want to get sent back, to be... rejected. The way I always had been, for mouthing off and being a know-it-all.¡±


    "What--" Frank''s voice cracked. He tried again. "What happened to this pervert?!"


    Luci shifted her gaze to the horizon. ¡°I¡¯m not sure... when Linford moved away at the end of the summer, I finally got up the nerve to tell my parents about it. Mom and Dad, they raised an uproar and got me some counselling, but our neighbour, he didn¡¯t leave any forwarding address.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Ultimately, we Primroses decided to move too. It¡¯s how we ended up in this town. And ever since coming to live here, I¡¯ve tried my hardest to forget. I wanted to move on, and to... to overwrite those memories with some happier ones.¡± She slumped. ¡°Pity I never got the hang of social interactions at school.¡±


    "Oh, Luci..." Frank reached out to put an arm on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off, stepping away, looking at the ground.


    ¡°Wait, let me finish. Let me finally do a thorough analysis.¡± She swallowed hard. ¡°See, this has become a case of classic displacement. Linford to Linquist. And even though I know they''re both different people, and maybe Linquist isn¡¯t as bad, they both did things to me, without my permission. Which is why, deep down, I can¡¯t feel truly comfortable so long I know that they¡¯re somewhere out there. Experimenting. Hence, my obsessive vendetta with the logbook when it turned up.¡±


    Luci spun back to face Frank, a tear running down her cheek. "But it''s worse than that. The more I find myself facing up to those truths here, the more I feel that my desire for a loving relationship with someone has been largely motivated by the desire to overwrite those bad memories. So... was ours a romance of convenience? Do I truly love you, or did I pick you because I felt you were my best shot? Is it possible our relationship has been doomed from the start?¡±


    Frank took a step back as if struck. "If... if that''s honestly what you believe, then... I suppose we both have some serious thinking to do.¡±


    Luci started to turn away.


    "BUT,¡± Frank continued, ¡°That doesn¡¯t change our current situation. Boyfriend, best friend - those sorts of distinctions are unimportant right now. You¡¯ve told me what you believe, so let me tell you what *I* believe.¡±


    He drew in a deep breath. ¡°Luci, someone with your strength of character wouldn¡¯t let her life be dictated by the actions of some perverted BASTARD. That''s not the Luci I know. That''s not the Luci I fell for! And moreover, that''s NOT the Luci who is going to come out of our current situation feeling even stronger than she was before. No matter who she¡¯s dating or not dating. Okay?"


    Luci couldn''t stop the tears from coming, but for the first time, she didn¡¯t feel like they made her weak.


    "Thank you, Frank," she choked out. "I only hope you''re right. And that I don''t die here. That maybe, one day, we can figure out our--" Her voice caught. Again he moved towards her, and again she waved him off. "Wait, stop, I¡¯m about to--"


    She fell to her knees and threw up all over the grass.


    "Oh, Luci," he murmured, wiping a tear away from his own eye as he reached out to gently stroke her hair. "My poor, dear Luci... don''t despair, I''ll get you through this... no matter what."


    ***


    It was exactly one week after the initial incident that saw the four of them gathered together again in Frank''s basement. Carrie, Glen, and Luci/Frank. Or rather, Carrie mentally amended, Frank/Luci. Because according to Frank, Luci''s essence had grown so weak that he''d had to retake control of his own body after waking up that morning.


    "It won''t work, you know," Glen declared, his arms folded as he leaned back against the wall.


    "It will," Carrie countered. She ground her palm into her throbbing temple. ¡°It has to.¡±


    The trouble was, Luci''s own body wasn''t faring much better than her ''essence¡¯, having become cold to the touch. On top of that, the e-mails Luci had been writing for her parents, trying to explain her continuing absence from town had been less than convincing. A police investigation was already underway. So if this effort didn''t work... well, Carrie wasn¡¯t looking forward to the temporal repercussions.


    Glen shook his head. "I''m telling you, it''s a bad plan."


    "Look, if you don''t have anything useful to say, don''t say anything at all," Carrie snapped.


    "Actually, Glen is correct when he says that this is liable to kill at least one of us," Frank/Luci rasped.


    "But you said there''s a chance, right? I mean, despite having to take control, Luci''s essence is still inside you?"


    Frank nodded slowly. "Ohhh, yes. She''s still in here. She just hasn''t been able to articulate since last night. I..." He winced and clutched at his stomach. "I r-refuse to let Luci give up so easily."


    ¡°Which isn¡¯t helping you any," Glen observed. "You''ve been getting weak and feverish throughout the day. If I didn''t know better, I''d say your body has started fighting against her. Perhaps treating her essence like some kind of virus."


    ¡°Oh, shut UP, Glen!¡± Carrie fumed. ¡°As long as there''s still a snowball''s chance in hell of this working, we''re doing it."


    She looked around the room. "All right, it''s almost exactly one week since the incident. The machine''s set for a one hour jump, I''ve jammed the tweezers in where you said, and that metal rod is long enough for you to reach the fuse box, to access the extra power. You''ve got a coin to use, so... let''s light it up! Okay?"


    Frank/Luci nodded weakly and slipped off the chair to crawl over next to Luci''s body. He slipped his arm around her, reaching out to brush some hair off her face.


    "I said I wasn''t going to let you die," he murmured with a sad smile. "So you can stop arguing with me."


    Arguing? Carrie''s eyebrows knit at the oddity of that last sentence, watching as Frank placed Luci''s limp palm on the handle of the time machine. He then dropped the coin into the slot, and slowly brought the metal rod into position.

 Part 68b: Timeline Four 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.4 - Without


    PART 68b: TIMELINE FOUR 2


    "Carrie, I..." Frank/Luci turned to look at her, seemingly searching for the words. "I''m sorry," he said at last. "Please don''t blame yourself. This is my decision. I know what¡¯s going to happen, but according to our calculations, it¡¯s the only way."


    Carrie sighed back. "Oh, now what are you--" She stopped when she saw the look in Frank¡¯s eyes. And saw not only the quiet intensity there, but somehow, how those same eyes were also pleading desperately with her.


    Which was when it first occurred to Carrie to really question why, ever since the plan had been proposed, Luci had not been in control of the body.


    "No," Carrie breathed, the truth of the situation dawning on her. The reason why Frank was experiencing those physical pains as he tried to enact this plan. Along with the explanation for why Luci¡¯s essence would get forced out of Frank¡¯s body.


    But he wouldn''t... he COULDN''T...


    Frank nodded slightly, as if he knew she¡¯d worked it out. ¡°Take care of Luci for me, Carrie.¡±


    "Frank, NO!" Carrie screamed, jumping for him.


    Frank brought Luci¡¯s hand down. The rod slammed into the fuse box. There was a huge shower of sparks, and an explosion of light and sound. Carrie was knocked back off her feet, only dimly aware of the cloud of smoke billowing around her. Only dimly aware of the residual static left in the air, after Luci''s body and the time machine had disappeared. But all too aware of the lethal charge that had been sent through Frank¡¯s body.


    Carrie felt like her head was being peeled open like an orange.


    After a couple of hours (seconds? days?) she realized Glen''s hand was on her shoulder (she still had a shoulder?). "This," came his voice (so far away!), ¡°was the key event. We have to leave town, Carrie. Now."


    "DO... YOU.... *MIND*?!" Carrie shrieked, rolling over onto her back, holding her hands to the side of her head. If she moved them, surely the top of her head would pop off. "FOR GOD''S SAKE GLEN, FRANK JUST *DIED*! HE''S DEAD BUT IN THE OTHER TIMELINE HE WASN¡¯T, NOT LIKE THIS, AND IT HURTS INSIDE, OH GOD IT HURTS EVERYWHERE WORSE THAN IT DID WHEN THIS ALL STARTED I CAN''T TAKE THIS IT''S TOO MUCH I WANT TO DIE TOO OH PLEASE PLEASE *PLEASE* *DO* *SOMETHING*!!!"


    She couldn''t tell if she was yelling, or if her head was simply adding reverb to every syllable.


    "Carrie, calm down," Glen said sternly, leaning over her. "You''re feeling some added pain because of your proximity to this event, but give it a few hours. You¡¯ll be fine. I know, because this is the reason I was sent here. To ensure that in our timeline three, the one where your powers awaken, you will leave town when one of your classmates unexpectedly passes away as a result. Don¡¯t worry about the rest of them changing anything once we leave, I¡¯m pretty sure Frank¡¯s last act shorted out the time machine for good.¡±


    There was a cracking noise as Carrie''s fist connected solidly with Glen''s nose. "THAT''S... NOT... HELPING!" she howled, before slapping her palm back against her head.


    She realized that she was hyperventilating, yet somehow, that knowledge didn¡¯t help her to stop.


    ¡°OWW!!¡± Glen yelped. ¡°You dough Carrie, gedding so emodiondal ondy maggs de payn werze. We shud work on dat.¡±


    Carrie curled up tightly into a ball, trying hard to resume breathing regularly without inhaling too much smoke. Gradually, awareness of her surroundings returned - Frank''s parents were shouting something upstairs. Probably upset that the basement door had been jammed closed prior to their experiment.


    ¡°Carrie, we hab to go dow. You hab no altwernatib.¡± Glen chuckled. ¡°As dey say in daht moobee, come wid me if dyu wand do libe.¡±


    The pain was starting to ebb ¨C from her head, if not from her heart. Desperately, she tried to take stock of the situation. Did she really have no alternative but to run away with Glen? Part of her thought so. Actually, most of her thought so.


    Because there was no way to explain this to anyone. No way at all, and if this was how timeline three was supposed to play out, then Glen was right. Besides, she¡¯d already burned all of her bridges in town, slapping Julie, cutting off Chartreuse... it was time to move on.


    ¡®What sort of monster ARE you?¡¯ Elizabeth accused.


    ¡®I¡¯m you,¡¯ the majority of her mind retorted. ¡¯Carrie Waterson. The girl tied to time. The girl who should never have existed. Come on now. We can¡¯t fight fate.¡¯


    ¡®Like hell we can¡¯t! We said we¡¯d FIX this!¡¯Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡®HOW, idiot? How can we fix this? How do we even know the first THING about fixing something of this magnitude?¡¯


    The part of her that was Elizabeth felt the fight draining out of her. ¡®We¡¯ll figure it out. Later. Then come back and tell ourselves...''


    ¡®...changing our future, preventing us from coming back...''


    ¡®I¡¯m immune to paradox, damn it!¡¯


    ¡®And the tradeoff is, whatever we see, becomes permanent. Surely you¡¯ve realized that by now? We saw this, and we haven¡¯t come back yet, meaning we cannot change this. Stop fighting. This is our timeline. It¡¯s time for us to go.¡¯


    Elizabeth/Carrie shook, her cheeks wet with tears. ¡°No, no, no, no...!"


    ¡°Cub on, Carrie,¡± Glen said, pulling her to her feet. ¡°I cad use by pawwer to ged us oud of here. Bud id hass to be dow.¡±


    Mindylenopia! Oh God, Mindy was the key. By inserting herself into the timeline, Mindy had forced Carrie to power up faster. To learn a technique like banishing sooner. Mindy had moved her abilities along at an accelerated rate - in fact, Glen likely wouldn¡¯t have revealed himself two weeks ago, if not for Mindy! Surely, Mindy¡¯s involvement meant that Elizabeth/Carrie had it somewhere within her to undo this.


    ¡®No. You remain weak.¡¯


    Moreover, she had told Luci/Frank that she would fix things, one way or another. She had meant that.


    ¡®No, stop!¡¯


    And there WAS a way. She saw it now.


    ¡®NO!¡¯


    ¡°Go to hell, other me,¡± Elizabeth gasped. Her eyes flashed golden. She felt like she wasbeing torn in two, but despite Glen guiding her towards the stairs, she pulled away from him, vanishing into the time streams.


    ***


    Carrie pressed her palm into her forehead, then marched to the window.


    ¡°Any future Carries want to come back to tell me what to do this time?¡± she called out into the darkness. ¡°Send me a letter maybe? No?¡±


    She stared down at the ground outside. ¡°Screw it,¡± Carrie sighed. She turned and knelt back down in front of the time machine. Yet as she reached out to open it, another Carrie appeared.


    Smelling of smoke, with her hair awry, dirty smudges on her tearstreaked face, and two golden eyes that seemed to be staring right though her present - prior? - self.


    Carrie had never been more terrified in her entire life.


    "This... ends... HERE!" Elizabeth hissed, and before the Carrie of the past could react, her future self had popped open the time machine, yanked out a bunch of the electronics, and then slammed her free hand right into her double¡¯s chest.


    Carrie screamed.


    Then she couldn¡¯t stop screaming.


    She screamed as she felt her future counterpart sinking into her, she screamed as the memories of the coming week began to overload her psyche, and she continued to scream as she relived Frank¡¯s death. Soon her throat was raw and her own vision had become blurred with the tears of her counterpart and the only thing she knew about now was how to scream.


    Which was when she finally, mercifully, fell unconscious.


    ***


    ¡°Hrrngh.¡±


    "She''s awake!" came a voice. "Chartreuse, go get her father!"


    "Hrrngh," Carrie said again, as she heard someone running from the room. Wait, that voice... she recognized that voice! She forced her eyelids open.


    "Hey there," Frank said, smiling down at her. "Welcome back. You were really starting to worry us there, Carrie. You''ve been unconscious for over a week now.¡±


    Carrie blinked away the tears that were reforming in her eyes. Over a week? Yes, that made sense. The only way that OTHER her had been able to keep from going temporally insane had been to merge. To merge, then induce unconsciousness for the duration of those other memories. The ones leading up to now, the moment in Frank¡¯s basement when he had...


    No. He was here. Because she had pulled apart the machine... had changed their past.


    ¡°You''re alive. Oh, Frank, yes, you¡¯re alive!¡± Carrie tried to sit up, but felt too weak. She became aware of the fact that she was lying in a hospital bed. "L-L-Luci," she croaked, mouth dry. "Where... WHERE?"


    Frank blinked. "I''m not sure. She''s been spending a lot of her time lately with Tim, working on that gun and logbook. Why, did you need us to find her? What the heck happened anyway? Your father said you simply started screaming, and in your room I found the time machine all wrecked."


    Carrie ran a quick self-assessment. The pain in her head, it was back to manageable levels. And yet - something felt off. It took a moment, but Carrie pinpointed the problem.


    When Shady had brought back his machine, destroying ¡°timeline two¡± and setting in motion ¡°timeline three¡±, there had been little resistance. And timeline two had been irrecoverably overwritten.


    But here, when Carrie had initiated what she might as well dub ¡°timeline four¡±... that was not the case. That third timeline, the one where she had fled town? It wasn¡¯t giving up quietly at all. It was still out there. But that was impossible!


    ¡°Carrie?¡±


    She forced herself to remain calm. The trouble was, Glen wouldn¡¯t know they were supposed to be leaving town today. Right? Because he hadn¡¯t been waiting for a specific date. Rather... for an event. An event... that could still happen. Pushing this new timeline back in line with ¡°three¡±.


    Unless she became powerful enough to not merely delay, but truly prevent a classmate¡¯s death...


    ¡®You CAN¡¯T DO...''


    ¡°Shut UP!¡± she shrieked at the voice of resistance in her head.


    Frank flinched. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°No, not you,¡± Carrie said, bringing her palm to her forehead. ¡°Sorry. As to what happened, I... I made an error in judgement. One which I¡¯m now attempting to correct.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Does that mean our time group is back together?¡±


    Carrie bit down on her lip. The best chance for her friends... surely it was to make her new timeline four as much like timeline two as possible. The one without the machine. The one where her powers hadn¡¯t awakened. The one where Frank had lived.


    ¡°No. The more I connect with the rest of you, the more I might cause someone¡¯s... I¡¯m sorry, Frank. Any time travel, it¡¯ll be me and Glen now. We¡¯re the anomalies. It has to be that way. Is the time machine still destroyed?¡±


    ¡°I... I left the pieces under your bed, but..."


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll dispose of it. Never speak of it again.¡±


    She would get Glen to teach her as much as he could about what she was capable of, while staying away from the rest of them. That was the best way to keep everybody safe. The best way to preserve her destruction of timeline three. As long as Glen didn''t find out about what she''d done... meaning none of them could know.


    Frank¡¯s gaze was pleading. ¡°Carrie, I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    She turned to face the opposite wall, biting down hard on her lip. ¡°I know you don¡¯t. Please don¡¯t try. Just... leave me be.¡± The pain, the sheer mental and physical agony of dealing with the time streams and the ramifications that came from her alterations of them... honestly, it was her cross to bear. Hers alone. The girl tied to time.


    After all, ever since the loss of timeline one? It had been the only reason for her existence.

 Part 69a: Woodlands Detour

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.4 - Without


    PART 69a: WOODLANDS DETOUR 1


    Hank Waterson stared at the ceiling. It was all happening again. His daughter had been in the hospital for almost a week now. Well, at least she hadn¡¯t been shot, like last year? She¡¯d only screamed and collapsed.


    Hank was becoming convinced that there was something genetic about Carrie¡¯s condition, on Elaine¡¯s side. But what?


    Carrie¡¯s father pulled his attention back down to the notes on his writing desk. The deadlines for his next novel, coupled with the advice of the doctors, had convinced him that he couldn¡¯t spend all his time by Carrie¡¯s side. Not this time. Except...


    "This isn''t working," Hank Waterson verbalized. "I need to take a step back and get away from all the angst in this section of my book. Maybe... yes, of course. There was that collection of short stories requesting submissions before the end of the year. I''ll have another go at that. Might clear my head.¡±


    Hank closed his current document and reached into his desk drawer to pull out a small folder labeled ''Woodland Creatures''.


    "Now, let''s see,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I was superficially basing these new characters on Carrie and some of the classmates who have been visiting her. I must remember to change the names before I submit."


    Hank browsed back over his character outlines, then began to write.


    ***


    It was a bright sunny day, and Bunny Carrie was hopping merrily down the woodlands path, her long rabbit ears jutting out cutely behind her.


    ¡°Did you want some barley to go with your hops?" chattered a nearby voice. Carrie turned to see a chipmunk watching her from a nearby tree stump. She immediately produced a huge croquet mallet from out of nowhere, using it to bonk Frank on the head.


    ¡°No rabbit puns," the bunny girl accused.


    ¡°And stop staring at Carrie,¡± came another voice, a smaller hammer coming down on the chipmunk, next to the mallet. "Remember, you''re dating me, not her!¡±


    Luci adjusted her skirt and twitched her long squirrel tail, after which both her and Carrie¡¯s magical objects were dispelled back to the nothing-space from whence they had come.


    "I... I just thought Carrie might need some cheering up..." Frank protested, his eyes spinning around in a swirly pattern as he staggered about. ¡°After last night¡¯s date with Glen."


    "Hm. How DID that go?" Luci asked, scampering closer to Carrie. ¡°Did you learn any more about him?"


    "I learned he¡¯s very generous," Carrie said. She reached into her tank top and pulled out a small pendant on a chain. ¡°He gave me this present!"


    ¡°I still don¡¯t trust him,¡± Frank protested, adjusting the collar of his shirt as he regained his senses. "I mean, Glen¡¯s always wearing that mask."


    "He''s a raccoon," Carrie reminded. She pulled out her mallet again for an over the shoulder shot, but this time Frank managed to produce his magical tennis racquet in time to block her. ¡°See, there you go, much better reflexes that time,¡± the bunny applauded him.


    ¡°Your pendant seems to be glowing though," Luci mused, scampering left, right, over Carrie''s head and then under her arms to try and get a better look. "Is that normal? Should we analyze it? I like analyzing things."


    "It does make me feel all tingly," Carrie admitted. "But this is a magical forest. One expects to have such tingles."


    ¡°Does one? Because we''ve been feeling less and less of those," Luci reminded her, whiskers twitching. ¡°The magic is fading, Carrie, and we don''t know why."


    ¡°Right, good point," Carrie sighed. "Soon the humans in that nearby settlement are going to see through the illusions, and start wondering why we wear clothes and have opposable thumbs on our paws."


    ¡°Well, actually," Frank piped up again, ¡°we few English-speaking clothes-wearing animals are the exception in this forest, not the norm. It''s more likely that we''ll simply lose the ability for higher thought, reverting back to being much more typical forest creatures."


    ¡°Yes, thank you for that unnecessary explanation and not very uplifting reminder, Frank," Carrie grumbled.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°I wonder now,¡± Luci chattered. ¡°If this magic fade keeps up, will we lose the ability to conjure our items too? Making us more vulnerable to... FOX!"


    Luci made a jump for a nearby tree as Carrie spun, already whipping out her mallet. Its handle connected solidly with a long pool cue, and Carrie grimaced with the effort of holding the solid length of wood at bay.


    "Why don''t you give this up already?" the bunny asked, grimacing. "You''re never going to get to me, Julie."


    "I¡¯m keeping you on your toes, much like how you do with Frank¡¯s reflexes,¡± the fox replied, flashing a smile from behind the pool cue. "You don''t really think I''d eat a friend, do you?"


    ¡°So we¡¯re friends again, huh? I¡¯d be more convinced if you''d stop licking your lips at the sight of me," Carrie retorted.


    ¡°Aw. You know I can¡¯t control my biology," Julie said innocently. ¡°Come on Carrie, have faith. I mean, it feels to me like your parrying skills are slipping, and if I really wanted to, I could probably--"


    Julie stopped speaking as, with a little flash, Carrie''s croquet mallet completely vanished. With a shout of surprise, Carrie jumped to the side, even as Julie executed a quick flip over her pool cue to land on her feet instead of her face.


    "Hey!" Frank shouted from behind a tree stump. "You shouldn''t be able to counter her conjured item like that. Not that I''m complaining or anything," he added, as Julie turned her gaze upon him. "And I''d get stuck in your throat, we know I would."


    With a shake of her head and a swish of her long red tail, Julie flipped her long wooden pole back into the null space from whence it had come.


    "I''m so misunderstood," she lamented. "Don¡¯t you see that I¡¯m always trying to do the right thing? I''ve never so much as nibbled on a fellow sentient creature. I eat berries, grasses and fruit."


    "And insects, and fish, and mice..." Luci muttered.


    "None of whom talk back to me,¡± Julie said, glaring up into Luci¡¯s tree. ¡°What, a spirited fox girl can''t vary her diet from time to time?"


    ¡°Don''t change the subject," Frank protested. "What was with your dispelling of Carrie''s mallet?"


    "Julie didn''t do that," Carrie admitted, her bunny nose twitching. "It''s weird, I just... couldn''t hold it any more. You were right, Luci. This magic fading stuff is accelerating.¡±


    "Or you''ve been playing around with your magical abilities too much, Carrie,¡± Julie retorted. She produced a nail file from the fur behind her ear and began using it on her claws. "It''s like I''ve always told you. Only strike once you know there¡¯s some long term advantage."


    "Still, in the year since we all got our sentience and this conjuring ability, none of us have ever really questioned the source magic," Frank chattered. ¡°That now feels like a major oversight on our part. We should have been doing experiments."


    "Yeah, you never know what you''ve got until you start losing it," Luci agreed. "But at this point, where would we even start looking for the source of the magic?¡±


    The four animals exchanged uncertain glances. The silence was broken by a familiar voice came from overhead.


    "News, news, I''ve totally got news, you know!" Chartreuse called. "Calling all human-sentient animals, I''ve totally got... oh hey, there you guys are."


    "Oh good, a visit from our resident loon," Julie said dryly.


    The loon dipped down lower, flapping her wings and circling above the others as she spoke. "There''s news over at the lake," Chartreuse wailed. "Clarke''s found something that could be important, we should all, you know, get together and get over there ASAP! I''ve already notified Corry and Laurie and they..."


    "What?¡± Julie interrupted, jerking her head up. ¡°Nuts!"


    "Hm? Nuts?" Luci said, perking her head up.


    "Chartreuse, I asked you to STOP telling Corry stuff before you tell me," the fox girl shouted. Quickly discarding her nail file, Julie dropped to all fours and dashed off in the direction of the lake.


    "Corry was totally closer," the loon said to Julie''s retreating form. "Now, hey, who else... oh, has anyone seen Glen?"


    "He''s doing his nocturnal thing," Carrie replied. "It''s okay, I can fill him in later. Come on, I''ll race everyone to the water''s edge!"


    "Race? Oh, sure," Frank mumbled as Carrie bounded off without waiting for a reply. ¡°Except since the rabbit is the best runner out of all of us, what''s the point?"


    ***


    At the mouth of the lake, the only sound was that of the river water splashing down over the rocks. A bear sat quietly on the bank, looking into the rushing current, apparently scanning for fish. He adjusted his silk shirt, cocked his head to the side... then quickly spun, producing a reinforced yardstick. "Don''t even try it."


    "Try what?" Julie asked, standing up from where she had been crouched the grass. She brushed off her jeans.


    "You know what," Corry grumped, still pointing the yardstick at her. "You and that pool cue, you''re always searching for some balls to smack around. There will be none of that happening here."


    ¡°Ugh, well what ELSE am I supposed to do with my stupid cue?" the fox sniffed. "At least YOU got a handy measuring tool. Who decided on these items anyway?"


    "Hmph," the bear grunted noncommittally. He dispelled his stick and turned back to the water. "Someone who felt that the more predatory animals should be reduced to conjuring up little more than makeshift clubs. We can¡¯t even seem to steal the more useful weapons away from the prey."


    "At least they¡¯re not massing to attack us," Julie said, moving closer to Corry while still keeping a respectful distance. ¡°And this challenge can be a good thing. Not having mallets, we¡¯re forced to think more, which keeps our minds fresh."


    "Mmm. Yeah, I guess. Still, if I had a human crossbow, I could take over your part of the forest in no time.¡±


    "And if I had a human rifle, you¡¯d be ousted from your area so fast it would make your head spin," Julie smirked. "But since that''s not the case, we make the best of our situation. Like how your sister does."


    Julie pointed past Corry towards the treeline. Laurie was now visible there, amusing herself by trying to balance her magic beachball on her nose.


    Corry''s face took on a pained look. ¡°I say again, you and your pool cue leave my sister and her artistic interests out of this. She may be more teddy bear than brown bear right now, but eventually she''ll realize how her heritage makes her capable of so much more."


    ¡°Riiight. Last I heard, she was catching fish by talking them to death.¡±


    "Julie..." Corry began dangerously, but he stopped upon hearing another animal approaching from the forest. At almost the same time, a beaver broke the surface of the water nearby.


    "Hey,¡± Clarke called out from the lake, shaking water from his head. ¡°Everyone assembled yet?"

 Part 69b: Woodlands Detour 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.4 - Without


    PART 69b: WOODLANDS DETOUR 2


    "The others... are coming..." Bunny Carrie panted out as she skidded to a halt at the water''s edge. She reached out to splash a little water on her face. ¡°Oh yes, didn¡¯t even take the direct route, and I still win!"


    "Some things never change?¡± Clarke said, the beaver swimming closer to the others.


    "Ooh, yes, you always seem to do it, Carrie!" Laurie said, having come closer herself. ¡°You¡¯re so cool, with the hopping and the bouncing and the dashing and it''s hard to say whether a bunny can tap into the magic better than we can or if you''re just naturally so athletic but either way you''re an inspiration to us all and I really wish I had some of your coordination because I can never seem to stand on my ball for very long without falling off of it though you know that stuff could be completely different from magical ability so forget I said anything about it and oooh, what''s that new thing you''ve got hanging around your neck??"


    By the time Carrie had explained to Laurie about the charm Glen had given her, Frank, Luci and Chartreuse had all made their way to the lake.


    "I found, you know, most of the early sentients," Chartreuse hooted at Clarke. "I figured we didn''t need Theresa or Megan or especially Azure or..."


    "This is fine," Clarke assured. "Now, the reason for calling you all here is because of what I found while felling some saplings to the north."


    "Near the human settlement?" Corry said, arcing an eyebrow.


    "Right," Clarke answered. "See, there''s this place that''s kinda glowy and tingly which does not feel good and... you have to see it for yourself. I ran into Lee up there and he''s keeping an eye on things for us.¡±


    ***


    "Freaky," Luci said at last. None of the others had spoken since arriving at the outskirts of the small clearing. "So," the squirrel continued, "anyone else with ideas on what''s causing the weird green glow? Or any of the other effects, like the dying trees?¡±


    "Nope, but I wouldn''t suggest going in there to find out,¡± Lee said. "I tried shuffling closer to that one tree in the clearing''s centre and nearly sank right into the bog."


    "It must have freaked you out," Corry observed. "You''ve let your quills do a shredding job on your jacket again."


    Lee shrugged. "Life of a sentient porcupine is never easy."


    "Well, I could totally fly out to that tree," Chartreuse offered. "Except, you know, I''m more of a water bird, and the thing looks like it''s dying, so might not support my weight..."


    "You see now why I thought we should check this out though, right?" Clarke asked them.


    "Yes," Julie replied, frowning. "The question is what does this mean?"


    Again, there was a brief silence, broken by Luci. ¡°Well, come on. It has to connect to the magic we have. Somehow.¡±


    "Ooh! Ooh, wait," Laurie broke in. "I know this clearing! I used to play around here a couple years ago - in fact didn''t we all have that big forest glade party around here? Around the same time a number of us were getting this whole self awareness thing?"


    The bear girl began nodding vigorously. "Yeah, yeah, maybe we were even celebrating that,¡± she continued. ¡°And I''m pretty sure the party was here. Then it was shortly after that when I first conjured my clothes and my ball! Am I right or am I right?"


    "I think you''re right," Frank realized. "Except this clearing didn''t look the same, not back then. It wasn''t marshy, there was more grass, less of an odour..."


    "And less general eerieness," Corry broke in. "Yeah. Then we stopped coming here when the human settlement expanded closer."Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "Bah, you''re imagining things, I haven''t been here before," Carrie protested. She had moved to a position a little further around the perimeter of the glowing area. "Now c''mere and check this out. I''ve found some partially submerged human looking barrels."


    Everyone came to see what Carrie was looking at. "Um, hate to tell you this Carrie, but, you know, those barrels don''t look like humans at all," Chartreuse noted, pointing with her wing.


    ¡°Thank you Miss Literal,¡± Carrie countered. ¡°Sheesh, why couldn¡¯t we have magically learned some language that was less ambiguous than English?¡±


    ¡°Barrels of human origin, I understood you,¡± Luci said, whiskers twitching. ¡°Moreover, those things must be the source of the ground acting like some wacky bioengineered sports drink."


    "Say, I think that''s a label out there," Lee said, pointing. "Fell off a barrel. Anyone want to get close enough to read it?"


    ¡°Allow me," Clarke offered, pulling out his magic lacrosse stick and extending it into the clearing. He used the mesh to snare the paper and pull it back in to the group.


    "Okay, um, it says... ''Linquist''s Dribs and Drabs''," Frank mused, after smoothing out the sheet. He looked up. "What''s a Linquist?"


    "Whatever it is, it sounds really evil," Luci decided. ¡°We should read up on it obsessively.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, I really don''t think we should hang around here any longer," Julie decided. "And when someone as fearless as me is saying that, pay attention!"


    ¡°Much as I hate to admit it, Julie has a point," Corry chimed in. "After all, what if we''re exposing ourselves to the very source of the recent magical drain? We could be getting dumber and less powerful without realizing it."


    "Hold on a minute," Carrie said, having again moved a short distance away. Her ears twitched in the air. "I''ve found a wide path back here and... do you hear that? There''s some sort of engine approaching."


    There was a pause as everyone listened for the noise. Then Lee''s eyes went wide. "Truck!" the porcupine announced.


    "Humans?" Laurie gasped.


    "Scatter!" Clarke shouted.


    ***


    The 4x4 backed carefully down the trail, up to the edge of the clearing, after which both driver and passenger exited the vehicle. The red haired driver turned to regard her companion, who kept his hat pulled down low over his eyes.


    "Hey, Shady," the woman ventured, as he climbed into the rear of the truck. "You SURE we should be dumping this stuff so close to the town?"


    The man in the hat gave an irritated grunt as he undid the rope that was holding two new barrels in place. "It has to be here, Mindy," he affirmed. "It¡¯s the only way to deal with our little sentient animal problem."


    "Right. Right, I know. But what we''re doing, it won''t harm anyone, right?" Mindy pressed.


    "You say that like we''re blowing up a hospital or something," Shady grumbled. "Trust me, all this glop will do is shut down a crazy ecosystem that should never have existed in the first place.¡± He threw the rope aside. ¡°In a couple months, this whole area will be clear for more development, more businesses, more jobs, and better living conditions."


    He pulled the top off of one barrel of green slime, and then kicked it out the back hatch of the truck. It fell into the edge of the bog, adding to the mess.


    "Ah. Good points, I guess," Mindy said slowly. ¡°It¡¯s only..."


    "Besides,¡± Shady interrupted. ¡°Even if what we''re doing here comes to light, and people object, things are being set up so that Linquist takes the fall.¡± Shady¡¯s grin was only just visible beneath his large hat. "We have a bright future ahead of us, Mindy. Mark my words!"


    "Yes, well, I want to believe that," Mindy sighed, wringing her hands. "But then there are other times when I get to thinking about the animals, and I wonder..."


    Shady cut Mindy off with a growl as he rolled the second barrel out the back. "First concern for humans, now animals?" he rasped. "For gosh sakes, Mindy, pick a damn side!"


    "Can''t I be on both sides?" Mindy protested, hands going to her hips.


    ¡°Oy.¡± Shady shook his head. ¡°Know what? After today, I¡¯m getting my own truck. That way you won¡¯t have to go on any missions like this in the future. Happy?¡±


    It was now Mindy¡¯s turn to smile. ¡°Please. You say that as if banishing me from this one spot would somehow keep me from interfering.¡±


    Shady mumbled something under his breath. "Look, I can guarantee to you that what we''re doing here is perfectly fine for the animals. Okay?¡±


    "Oh? And how can you be so sure?¡±


    "Because, Mindy. I''ve been in contact with one of them sentient beasts for weeks now,¡± Shady said with another grin. "In fact, that¡¯s also why we know any so-called magical effects around here will dry up after another week of this dumping. So don''t cry for the animals, Mindy. Because they want to be rid of their accidental human-like qualities just as much as we do!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    That said, Shady closed up the back of the truck and returned to the passenger seat. He only looked back out when he realized Mindy wasn''t following him. "Aw, what is it NOW?" he sighed.


    Mindy tilted her head. ¡°Sorry. It was the weirdest thing... but when you spoke of someone among the animals working with us that way, I could have sworn I heard a collective gasp coming from all around."


    Shaking her head, Mindy returned to the cabin of the truck, started the ignition, and drove away.


    ***


    Hank Waterson paused to scan back over the last passage he¡¯d written. He wondered why he¡¯d picked those names for the human characters. Something he¡¯d overheard, maybe? He wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he reminded himself. ¡°You¡¯ll be changing all the names. Your daughter will not be very amused if she recognizes herself.¡±


    Still, it¡¯s like there was something... tickling at his subconscious. Something important.


    ¡°Figure it out AFTER you decide who this animal traitor that you¡¯ve introduced is going to be,¡± Hank insisted to himself. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt your narrative flow.¡±


    He got back to writing.

 Part 70a: Woodlands Omens

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.4 - Without


    PART 70a: WOODLANDS OMENS 1


    Slowly, the woodland creatures came out of hiding.


    "What do you think about that?¡± Frank asked.


    "Mindy''s got a nice back end, for a human?" Lee offered.


    "Okay, pretty sure Frank¡¯s referring to the fact that there''s totally a TRAITOR among us!" Chartreuse wailed.


    Lee shrugged. ¡°Trying to lighten the mood."


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Now is the time to get serious," Corry growled. ¡°Because if one of us is feeding these humans lies, telling them things that will lead to us losing our powers within a week? That''s a MAJOR problem."


    "It can¡¯t be one of us. Whoever the traitor is, they already knew about this clearing having ties to the magical effects," Julie noted. She again pulled out a file to use on her claws. ¡°Remember, that Shady guy implied it was their dumping here that caused a neutralizing effect."


    "Hey, any of us could have known more about this clearing than what we''ve said," Luci said, glancing about suspiciously. "The question is, why would anyone want us forest creatures to go all ¡®Mundane¡¯?¡±


    "Unless the traitor knows of a way to keep themselves immune," Carrie suggested. "And they''re hoping to use their own sentience to rule over the rest of us."


    Everyone''s eyes shifted towards the fox and bear. "Oh great, predators being persecuted again," Julie grumped, twitching her tail.


    ¡°Everyone, stop. Finger pointing doesn''t do us any good," Clarke said. "We need proof to make an accusation."


    Laurie raised her paw. "Why can''t we ask the humans which animal is working with them?"


    Her brother sighed. ¡°Laurie, approaching humans is not wise, they don¡¯t know we¡¯re - oh, wait, that one guy implied they keep records. Maybe we could obtain some of his company¡¯s files? That might tell us something."


    "We''d have to go into town for that though," Frank pointed out, beginning to pace. "And the longer we''re out of the forest, the more the magic fades too. Then if we''re caught, we''d lose everything."


    "Someone could do it if they already knew the specific bases of operations used by these particular humans," Lee noted. ¡°Sneak in, sneak out, real quick-like.¡±


    ¡°So Glen could do it," Carrie realized. ¡°As a raccoon, he''s spent some of his evenings skulking about in town. If anyone knows the layout, it''d be him."


    "But what if he''s the traitor?"


    "Oh, Frank, stop accusing Glen of things already,¡± Carrie sighed, turning and slamming her mallet down on his head in exasperation.


    "Carrie, I, like, said that," Chartreuse noted, waving a wing at the bunny as Frank fought to keep his balance. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you."


    ¡°Carrie, you need to stop hitting on my boyfriend!" Luci declared, swinging her own hammer at Carrie. Carrie blocked with her mallet... then both objects simply disappeared. Both Carrie and Luci blinked at each other in surprise.


    "The magic problem gets worse the longer we¡¯re here,¡± Clarke decided. ¡°We need to go. Let''s at least see what Glen turns up, that could give us a starting point. Okay?"


    Everyone present exchanged glances and nods. ¡°And as a show of good faith, maybe Glen can grab me some of that aspirin stuff while he''s in town?¡± Frank mumbled, his eyes still spinning.


    ***


    "Crazy other animals," Glen grumbled as he scampered down the alleyway. ¡°Talking to me as if I didn¡¯t know it''s been four days - they didn''t expect me to know where that Shady and Mindy were right away, did they?"If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The raccoon peered out onto the darkened street and then headed down towards the part of town where the warehouses were located. "For a small town, it''s sure trying to work towards having more industry," Glen observed.


    The raccoon boy soon found a hole in the fencing around the complex, and squeezed through. "Now, let''s see,¡± he sighed. ¡°That paper I found in Shady''s trash yesterday, it said Linquist was using Warehouse 3... hopefully I can find something in there to appease them.¡±


    As it turned out, the warehouse was locked, but a few smashes on the padlock with a large rock allowed Glen to gain access.


    "Hmmmm," Glen murmured as he scanned the interior - not much larger than your average sized human apartment. "If I know these humans, there''ll be a... yup, right over there."


    He hurried over to the corner that held the video surveillance equipment, and after giving it a look, he wound the tape back to erase his presence. He then pulled out his magical magnet and waved it over the devices for good measure. If it was strong enough to attract a garbage can? It was probably strong enough to mess with their electronics.


    "At least the town''s still small enough to have lousy security,¡± Glen muttered. ¡°That Shady probably installed it in here himself. Still, it''s possible that there''s a silent alarm too, so I should work fast."


    The raccoon turned to start a quick search of the bins and filing cabinets, pausing as a file out in the open caught his attention. Sitting right next to the TV monitor, it was labelled ''Security Breach 08/22/88''.


    "Yesterday?" Glen mused. He flipped open the folder and smiled at what he saw. ¡°Oho! Well then, it would seem we''ve found our traitor."


    ***


    "It''s, like, ridiculous, having to be up this early," Chartreuse yawned as she looked out at the lake. "The sun''s barely up. Why can''t Glen stay up later, rather than, you know, waking us earlier?"


    ¡°Have you forgotten time is of the essence?" Corry grunted. "Hell, last night I couldn''t get my yardstick to stay around long enough to take a precise measurement!"


    "He''s trying to install new drapes in our cave," Laurie explained brightly. "The old ones are so drab, even if they do compliment the existing decor so well. Soon we may even get a window to go with them too though looking at your faces I''m probably acting too perky for the hour so I should shut up now, should I?"


    "It''s not THAT early," Carrie insisted. "I''ve been up at this hour to meet with Glen before. We''ve watched sunrises together, it was romantic."


    "Hm, speaking of romantic, has anyone seen Luci?" Frank asked. "She seemed to disappear after yesterday morning''s meeting."


    "I''m sure she''ll be along," Julie replied, back to filing her claws. "Unless she''s the traitor, that is." She grinned at Frank, who frowned back.


    "Well, hey, let''s just hope Glen has a stronger lead today, okay?" Lee put in. ¡°Cuz infighting gives me a worse headache than the ones Frank gets from not reacting to Carrie in time."


    A silence fell upon the group. It wasn¡¯t long before Glen hurried out of the treeline and headed towards the water¡¯s edge.


    "Glen!" Carrie cried out happily, her bunny ears quivering. ¡°Have you brought us good news at last?"


    "Well, I have news," Glen said, holding up a folder of papers. "It''ll be good for some, not so good for others."


    ¡°Meaning what?¡± Clarke asked.


    ¡°Meaning we''ve got our traitor," Glen explained. He flipped open the folder, and tossed a picture out onto the grass. Everyone leaned in for a closer look. Then Corry made a lunge for Julie.


    "Get her!" the bear snarled as Julie rolled away, firing her nail file at him. It grazed by Corry''s ear.


    Coming up on all fours, Julie then made a leap towards the trees, only to have the flickering forms of a broom and a tennis racquet crisscross in front of her. She hesitated only momentarily at Lee and Frank before making a move to dodge, but that moment was enough to allow her to be brought up short by a yank from behind.


    "Ow ow ow ow!" Julie shrieked, falling onto the ground. "The tail is attached, you know!"


    "Consider it retribution for all the times you''ve salivated over me and my kind," Carrie shot back. "Now it''s time for a rabbit to put YOU on a hotplate."


    "Again with the persecution," Julie said, turning her head, eyes flashing. "You have no evidence that I''m the traitor! So I''ve been in a human warehouse, so what?"


    "So," Glen said, clearing his throat, "you know more than what you''ve been telling. I also turned up THESE files--" He paused to toss some more pages on the ground. "--which show an agreement between Linquist and an unnamed co-conspirator to do the dumping in that clearing. Unless I''m very much mistaken, that top document has your paw print on it."


    "What??" Julie shrieked.


    "I always knew you were a sly fox, Julie," Corry said, glaring at her while rubbing his ear. "But I never realized how low you''d stoop to get your own way around here."


    ¡°I should have guessed," Carrie said, bitterly. "I bet she made friends with me only to secure the bunny vote in our part of the forest. I should have KNOWN she''d betray us." She took firmer hold of the tail in her paw and twisted it.


    ¡°OW, will you CUT THAT OUT?" Julie said, glaring at the rabbit. "For the moment, I''m not going anywhere! And fine, I''ll admit that I¡¯ve started doing a little covert work with that human Mindy. But it was only to discover what was really going on around here."


    ¡°You started working with Mindy?¡± Clarke gasped. ¡°Without telling me?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, well, even ignoring how Mindy''s still somehow a factor, that, you know, doesn¡¯t explain this contract," Chartreuse said, holding it out.


    ¡°Yeah, well, Mindy did make me put my paw on something,¡± Julie admitted, peering at the sheet. ¡°For her own protection. But that wasn¡¯t it. I¡¯ve never seen that document before.¡±


    "And what''s the reason for the security photo?" Frank asked.


    ¡°Damn it, Frank, Mindy gave me the key to their warehouse the other evening. I went looking for files relating to the dumping. But that redheaded humansaid nothing about surveillance equipment being on. Don¡¯t you get it?¡± Julie bared her teeth. ¡°Someone¡¯s set me up!"

 Part 70b: Woodlands Omens 2

    TIME & TIED: DESTRUCTION


    ARC 3.4 - Without


    PART 70b: WOODLANDS OMENS 2


    "Right, a fox got double crossed, I''m so sure," Carrie retorted.


    "Carrie, Julie may have been keeping secrets, but she should get the benefit of the doubt here," Clarke said. "If we persecute ourselves based largely on animal heritage, we''re no better than the humans."


    Bunny Carrie blinked at the beaver in surprise, appeared to think about that for a moment, then with a frown, she released Julie''s tail.


    "But, okay," Laurie said, puzzled. "If this documentation IS faked, and Julie''s NOT the traitor... who else COULD it be?"


    As if on cue, there was the sound of something breaking the surface of the earth less than a metre away. Everyone turned in time to see a groundhog poke his head out. "Oh, g-g-good you''re still h-here," it said in relief, scampering out of the hole. Behind him, a squirrel peered out of the hole as well.


    "Luci?" Frank said, shocked. "Where have you been?"


    "Covert work underground," Luci explained. "Sorry that me and Tim are late, but he can''t conjure his flashlight any more and we took a couple wrong turns." She jumped out of the hole and shook the dirt off of herself.


    "We were able to translate a p-pertinent p-passage though," Tim said, holding a sheaf of papers out towards Julie. "I think you''ll be p-pleased with the r-r-results!"


    "Passage? Covert mission? What the devil is going on here?" Corry demanded.


    ¡°Something I turned up in the warehouse the other day,¡± Julie said, running her eyes down the top sheet. "Evidence of the fact that the humans have been planning their recent dumping activities for WEEKS, along with the ''inside informant'' - who, ergo, is not me. The problem was, the critical passages were either in code, or in a language I didn''t recognize. So I somewhat reluctantly called on Luci and Tim to help me out."


    "This is a very clever smokescreen you''ve put together, Julie," Glen said, folding his arms. "But you underestimate our ability to see through it."


    "Hold on. Let''s see what Luci and Tim turned up first, then compare," Lee suggested.


    Julie flipped to the second page, then quickly the third, before looking up at Tim in surprise. He nodded and shrugged. "Let''s get him then," Julie declared. Throwing the sheets aside, she pounced - however, Glen was already moving.


    With a speed no one had expected, Glen dove to the side, rolled a metre away and came up with one palm extended. "Freeze," he ordered. All the other sentient animals stopped in place, with looks of surprise on their faces.


    "Whoa, you''re totally more powerful than you look," Chartreuse said, trying in vain to move her feet or her wings.


    "Damn straight," Glen said, now making no effort to hide his evil grin. "Of course, it helps that all of you have had your powers mostly leeched away by this point.¡±


    "But... but you''ll soon lose your powers too," Laurie protested. "Oh Glen, why are you doing this?¡±


    "Because," Glen explained patiently, "as Tim''s translation no doubt revealed, my powers aren''t tied to this forest the way yours are. And once you all revert, the humans will be granting safe passage for me and one other, all the way back to my REAL home. Far, far away from here!"


    "The translation actually wasn''t that specific," Tim admitted. "It just said the r-raccoon wants out of here."


    ¡°We were kinda hoping that by doing things this way, you¡¯d give everything away,¡± Luci added.


    "Oh. Well, whatever," Glen said with a shrug.


    "Wait, who''s the other one you''ll be with?" Clarke asked.


    "Who else?" Glen said, gesturing towards Carrie.


    The bunny twitched her nose. "Me? News flash, Glen, I don¡¯t I want to go with you if this is how you treat my friends! I mean really, Glen, how COULD you?"


    Glen shrugged. ¡°Carrie, my mission was to track you down, and use a magic charm to help you understand your own inherent powers of sentience," he replied. "Unfortunately, at the same time as I was awakening YOUR powers, Mindy and Shady were prowling through the forest, scouting for ways to expand that mundane human settlement. To keep my item hidden from their probing, I buried it in that clearing - not realizing that its aura was still active, and able to affect other animals!"


    "So, what, you think we gained our intellect and magical abilities because of this magical charm you owned?" Luci scoffed. "Please. I know I''m more special than your ordinary, everyday squirrel!"


    "Believe what you like,¡± Glen said airily. ¡°All I know is, after years of travel to track down the Chosen Bunny, I had to spend even MORE time messing around here, to learn how to reverse sentience on a bunch of useless creatures!"Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Glen shook his head. "I had hoped that by splicing together my Linquist contract with the signature I¡¯d found for Julie, you''d all be thrown all off the track... as in another day, things would no longer matter. But, whatever. You¡¯ve become weak enough for me to gain the upper ''paw'' regardless."


    "Hey Glen! If this is the real you? I''m staying right here," Carrie said. Her body tensed. "And... and I''d totally put my paws on my hips to emphasize that point if only I could.¡±


    "I am sorry to hear you say that. But you''re coming with me regardless," the raccoon said, smirking. ¡°Because, you dumb bunny, guess what? Your powers aren''t tied to this forest either. It¡¯s not the dumping, but rather that pendant I gave you earlier in the week which is suppressing your dawning abilities. So we¡¯ll be going, once you''re powerless to prevent it."


    "But that''s kidnapping!" Carrie shrieked. "You won''t get away with that, or with using my powers in order to start a future war.¡± She shuddered. ¡°Wait, how did I even know that''s what you were involving me in?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the Chosen One,¡± Glen said. ¡°Deep down, you knew all along.¡±


    "You... you spent all this time tracking me down because your faction needed more power in order to stage takeovers of neighbouring forests," Carrie realized. "And somehow you knew I could be more powerful than any of the other animals on Earth!"


    ¡°Oh, great, Carrie''s a powerful weapon. This information would have been useful to us a week ago," Corry sighed.


    "Too bad there''s no such thing as time travel,¡± Julie agreed.


    "But Carrie,¡± Laurie said, ¡°if you''ve got a bunch of magical power inside you, how come you can''t use it to shatter that pendant you¡¯re wearing?¡±


    "I... I''m not sure how,¡± Carrie said. She grimaced in an internal effort, tears springing to the corners of her eyes. ¡°Maybe in time, but... I¡¯m sorry guys. I don¡¯t think I can do anything now.¡±


    "Here, let me get that for you then," Lee offered, moving to take the offending jewellery off Carrie''s neck.


    There was a beat, as all eyes shifted to the porcupine. ¡°Yeah, hey, I could move all along, I just wanted to hear Glen reveal the plot," Lee said, tossing the pendant aside.


    "Hmmmm. A natural immunity? That''s not good," Glen mused.


    Lee shrugged, tugging at his jacket lapels. "I live closest to the affected clearing and don¡¯t conjure much, so I must have built up a little extra internal power or something.¡±


    Freed of the magic draining item, the blonde bunny quickly rounded on the raccoon, her blue eyes bright.


    ¡°Ooooh, kidnap ME will, you? Threaten MY friends?! Well then, it''s YOUR turn to freeze, you EX-BOYFRIEND!"


    Carrie bounded forward, catching Glen before he''d even taken two steps. One tap on the raccoon¡¯s forehead, and he dropped like a stone, lying on the ground as if he was frozen in time. Carrie blinked down at her paw in surprise. ¡°I can DO that?¡±


    With Glen down, all the other animals gave a collective sigh of relief, having regained their own mobility.


    "Nice work, Carrie," Chartreuse said, gleefully clapping her wings together. ¡°I feel so much like hugging you now, I can¡¯t even."


    "So what do we do with Frozen Glen?" Tim wondered.


    "Humans don''t look twice at roadkill," Julie said offhandedly.


    ¡°Julie dear, that''s a little gruesome, even for you, isn''t it?" Clarke said, reaching out to touch her arm.


    Julie hesitated, then gave a yielding nod. ¡°Yeah. Thanks for being my conscience, Clarke.¡± She smiled at her friend before producing another nail file, hidden in her fur.


    Lee peered at the fox. ¡°How many of those files do you even have?¡±


    "Well, I say give GLEN that pendant," Luci suggested. "Seal it permanently around his neck somehow. I mean, if it worked on Carrie''s powers, surely it will work on his."


    "Good thought," Frank agreed. "In fact, now that we know who our insider is, we can threaten the humans with exposing all this dumping they''re doing. If Shady really wants to keep things quiet, they''ll have to stop their interference in our forest."


    "Ooh, but what about cleaning up the damage that''s already been done?" Laurie worried. "Chartreuse, your conjurable conjuring crystals, could they purify the area?"


    Chartreuse shook her head. "Already thought about that. There''s, you know, too much there for me to handle."


    "Well, from what I learned about this glop from Mindy, there is a primary ingredient," Julie offered. "I believe all we''d need to do is figure out how to neutralize that. Then Chartreuse could handle the rest."


    "In that case, it''s a good thing I''ve spent the last few days analyzing slime from the clearing," Corry spoke up. "You''ll be pleased to know that we''re not up against anything radioactive. Though the strange thing is, the primary ingredient - and believe me, I triple checked this - it seems to be... well... lime jello."


    "J-J-Jello?" Tim said, surprised.


    ¡°If jello neutralizes magic, remind me not to forage for it,¡± Lee said.


    "Hah. If THAT¡¯S all it is, I''m sure we can come up with a counteragent," Carrie asserted, dusting off her paws after having given Glen a kick in the ribs. "Why, by working together, there¡¯s nothing our group can¡¯t do!"


    ¡°What¡¯s more, Corry''s analysis also explains why these humans were able to dump so much of that stuff within a fairly limited area,¡± Frank remarked, rubbing his chin.


    "Oh? How do you figure?" Luci wondered.


    Frank shrugged. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? There''s always room for Jello."


    He had no time whatsoever to parry before both the hammer and the croquet mallet came crashing down on his head.


    ***


    Hank Waterson leaned back in his chair, letting out a yawn and massaging a cramp in his wrist. How had he managed to get through all that in one sitting? A glance at the clock showed that it was after 2am. What incredibly inspired writing!


    Yet now that he was actively thinking about it again, Hank realized that he had questions. Chiefly among them, why had he turned Carrie''s boyfriend into the traitor? Was he simply being overprotective? Or was his subconscious truly trying to tell him something?


    Wait, that letter. He remembered it now, the one signed ¡®Mindylenopia¡¯. Talking about not trusting Glen. Had it been more than some silly game? Perhaps he should keep Carrie from seeing Glen in the future...


    "What am I saying?" Hank muttered aloud. ¡°This is fiction. It has no basis in real life." There was also the fact that Carrie was good at finding ways around rules she didn¡¯t like.


    And yet...


    Maybe he should at least encourage his daughter to spend more time around her other friends? In particular that nice girl Chartreuse. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was about her, but there seemed to be something, whenever she came to visit...


    ¡°One step at a time, Hank,¡± he verbalized. ¡°Let¡¯s get Carrie out of the hospital first.¡±


    Shaking his head, Hank Waterson carefully stacked his story¡¯s sheets, and placed them back into his ''Woodland Creatures'' folder for later editing. All the while resolving that, no matter what was medically wrong with Carrie, he¡¯d stick with her, supporting her in any way that he could.


    So it hurt when Carrie seemed to withdraw into herself even more after regaining consciousness. The doctors had no explanation for him. And so, not for the first time, Hank wondered how things might have been different for them, if only Elaine hadn¡¯t vanished all those years ago.


    Except this time, for some reason, there was more to it. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like the day of Elaine Waterson¡¯s disappearance... that it was somehow the key to everything.

 Author Aside on Destruction

    One of the main reasons I wanted to toss in an aside here (aside from the fact that I did asides after ARC 1''s "Awareness" and ARC 2''s "Escalation" as well) was to briefly address Hank Waterson''s Woodlands story which just concluded. I initially wrote it trying to (as Hank himself states) get away from the angst for a bit, while trying to capture the same flavour as Chartreuse''s humourous storytelling from the beginning of the "Destruction" Arc (with her family encountering Tope). Does it work? I''m still not sure.


    During the initial writing (13 years ago), I had placed the story right after everyone got knocked out, when Mindy was banished. But upon rereading it, it felt like a "speed bump" before getting the fallout from the events that evening. So (after debating removing it entirely) ,when I put it on my personal blog a year ago, I moved it to after the Clarke-Julie breakup, but before the Frank-Luci plot. There were mixed reactions. One person liked it, another wondered as to Hank''s awareness of Carrie''s situation.


    In re-editing and reformating for RRL, I decided to shift it right to the end of the Arc. In doing so, I layered in a bit of extra foreshadowing regarding Mindy''s banishment perhaps not ending her storyline, and backed off the "Glen''s personal/hidden agenda" angle somewhat (given how we now already saw it in Part 68). I think I like it better this way? But really, it comes down to the readers. Was it jarring? Cute? Barring comments, I guess I may never know.


    At least the Chartreuse story from near the start of Arc 3 feels like it remains some of my best comedic writing in the past 20 years. It helped to cement the mystic as a central character, as important as Julie to the overall plot. The initialpart for Arc 3 (with Carrie meeting herself, and talking about doing training with Chartreuse) was actually written afterwards.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    A couple other things:


    -The polls! Any vote is a new opinion I didn''t have, so thanks for those. I must admit, the "relationship" poll was largely to see if I''d break any hearts as I kind of smashed all the romances to dust in the subsequent parts. (In particular Clarke-Julie, Carrie-Glen, Frank-Luci.) I liked that Carrie was central to the two votes I got - is her being the main protagonist an influence?Look for the curious Carrie-Glen-Chartreuse dynamic to continue into Arc 4. As to secondary characters, I''m also a fan of Azure, whose reluctance for engaging in her family''s mystic shenanigans was another byproduct of that Chartreuse story. We''ll see Azure again, granted, still in a minor role.


    -With the timelines talk between Carrie and Glen, I''m hoping the mechanics oftime travel withinthis universe is becoming more clear (for those who are keen on that sort of thing). Namely how there is only one timeline, but it can be overwritten, Carrie''s very existence being a change away from a timeline where there was no time travel. Know that there will still be some explanations upcoming, in particular about "predestiny" and how it all fits into that "future war" thing, in case that''s not sitting well for you yet.


    As to where we''re going... I don''t think there''s anything to warn you about this time. Julie''s issues with her parents and suicidal urges, along with Luci''s issues with being abused, do get referenced in our final arc, "Resolution". But the focus is (naturally) more on the timelines, the way Carrie is tied to time, and whether it''s possible for her to fight against her destiny. Chartreuse''s bisexuality remains a factor, but if it hasn''t caused you any trouble yet, it shouldn''t going forwards. Granted, not everyone necessarily survives to the end... ah, well, you''ll see.


    There''s 26 parts left (a bit longer than the prior arcs of length 24, 23 and 23). Hope you like it. Thanks for reading.

 Part 71a: Psych Doubt

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 71a: PSYCH DOUBT


    "Okaaay..." The word was hesitant, unsure. ¡°Phil, you know what you just said, right? You¡¯re telling me that, last November, a little under a year ago, Julie stole a time machine. Which she then used to travel BACK to the year when she was born ¨C whereby she tried to prevent her own BIRTH?"


    "I know, it sounds crazy," Clarke admitted. ¡°And since then, Julie¡¯s used it along with the rest of us to stop people from the future who want to mess with our timeline. But Mary, I swear to God, it''s all true! And since Julie can''t explain any of that stuff to her regular psychologist, you''re the only one who can help her. After all, you''re studying psych in University!"


    Clarke''s sister stared at him for a moment before raking her hand back through her short, dark blonde hair. "Phil... it sure sounds like someone needs counselling."


    "Not ME," Clarke protested. "Just ask Carrie. Wait, no, she¡¯s not talking to us - ask Frank or Luci. There really IS a time machine, and I think that''s part of why Julie has been adamant about retreating from everyone. Including me.¡±


    Mary sighed and walked over to the window of Clarke''s bedroom, staring at the streetlights outside. She remained that way for a short time before turning back to him.


    "All right," she said evenly. "All right bro, if this really IS true, what PROOF do you have?"


    Clarke relaxed. "Give me a day."


    ***


    "What do you mean the time machine has been destroyed?"


    Frank reached under his glasses to press his thumb and index finger to the bridge of his nose. "If you must know, Carrie did it," he said quietly. ¡°She junked it after she got out of the hospital last week."


    "But... but... WHY??" Clarke asked. He realized that he''d raised his voice, and a few people in the school library were turning to stare. Quickly, he slipped into a chair next to Frank at the table. "Why?" he repeated, softer.


    "I don''t know," Frank continued, after observing the other students going back about their business. "She''s not talking to me about it. Heck, the only person she spends time with any more is Glen. My best guess is it had something to do with..."


    He gestured at the far section of the library. It was still undergoing some repair after the van that had crashed into the building some three weeks earlier. When Mindy had come back from the future, only to be banished from their time by Carrie.


    "But... look, Frank, I wasn''t kidding. I''ve got to convince my sister that time travel exists, so that she¡¯ll agree to help Julie. And Mary''s only in town for the next three days, until Sunday morning, so it has to be fast. Maybe... I don''t know, maybe a message can be sent into the past, like how we convinced Corry? Or we could get Jeeves to let us into the mansion without Julie knowing, to show Linquist''s old lab to Mary? Or..."


    Frank slammed his textbook closed, cutting off Clarke''s voice. "Look," he began, and for the first time Clarke noticed the pain in his friend¡¯s voice. "The time machine is gone. Our group is gone. I''ve tried speaking to Carrie, and she¡¯s not talking. There''s nothing short of a miracle that''s going to change her mind about things." Frank paused. "I''m sorry, Clarke. There''s nothing I can do for you.¡±


    Clarke clenched his hands into fists, then relaxed them. "I''ll find someone else who can help then," he decided. "I''m not going to let this drop. I can''t! Julie deserves better."


    When Frank didn''t lift his gaze to meet Clarke''s, the tall boy stood and walked out of the library.


    ***


    ¡°Carrie, are we still talking?¡±


    The response wasn¡¯t immediate, and when it came, it sounded reserved. Wary, even. ¡°Yes, only not about our powers,¡± Carrie said back, without turning around.


    Chartreuse tried not to fidget with the crystal around her neck. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s not about those. It¡¯s, like, about Clarke. He wants his sister to help psychoanalyze Julie, but to do that properly he needs, you know, proof of time travel. And, well, now you¡¯re the only one left who... who can..." Her voice faltered, as Carrie had finally turned to face her, with an expression that was part anger, part sadness.


    ¡°That¡¯s about POWERS, Chartreuse!¡±


    ¡°Indirectly,¡± Chartreuse protested. ¡°Like, I dunno, maybe you could have Glen do something with his mind control for Mary instead? Please Carrie, PLEASE don¡¯t be mad..." It felt like a hand closing around her heart. Whatever they had left, Chartreuse didn¡¯t want to lose it.


    Carrie finished pulling her gym bag out of her locker, then slammed it closed and leaned her head against it. ¡°Chartreuse, you helped me through a REALLY difficult time. You have no idea how much I appreciate that. But if you¡¯re going to bring this up after I expressly said to NEVER--"


    ¡°Carrie, come on, it¡¯s Julie. Our friend! She¡¯s, you know, closed off even worse than you, and I mean, it¡¯s gotta be because of what we, like, all got up to together. Right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my--" Carrie cut herself off. Then she muttered something, and Chartreuse wasn¡¯t certain, but it sounded like ¡®Timeline Two¡¯. The blonde girl pushed herself away from her locker. ¡°Tell Clarke I¡¯ll think about it.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Chartreuse said, unable to hold back her relief. Though as Carrie began to walk away, it occurred to her to add, ¡°Are we still... good?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about that too,¡± Carrie said, again without turning. ¡°Right now, I need to get the cheerleaders ready for the big game.¡±


    Chartreuse bobbed her head. ¡°R-Right, I¡¯ll be watching!¡± And trying not to picture myself in your arms, she added mentally. She shuddered, wondering just how much longer she was going to torture herself with the feelings she had... feelings that Carrie didn¡¯t seem to share.


    ***


    "Hello," Mary Clarke said as she walked into the front foyer, drying her hands on a dish towel. "Mom said you came here looking for me...?"


    "Yeah," Luci replied. The girl hesitated. "Can we talk somewhere private? Where your parents won''t walk in on us?"


    Mary hesitated, then gestured down the hall. "Basement''s as good a place as any. I''m staying down on the sofa bed this weekend; never had my own room in this house.¡± She glanced at the clock. ¡°Though we''ll all be leaving to get to Phil''s basketball game shortly."


    ¡°I won¡¯t be long," Luci said slowly. ¡°Thing is, if I leave... I don''t think I''ll be back."


    ¡°Let¡¯s start a conversation then," Mary decided, venturing a smile.


    The young asian girl frowned, but ultimately nodded. It took at least a minute after they proceeded downstairs for her to speak again. "Clarke tells me you''re pursuing a psychology degree," Luci began at last. "That he wants you to counsel Julie."


    Mary nodded. "Look... Luci, is it? If this is about that time travel stuff he was telling me about last night--"


    "It''s not," Luci interrupted. "It''s personal. There''s some issues that I... I need to talk to someone about. And if Clarke has confidence in you, then I do too."


    Mary tried not to wince. She was tempted to tell this young girl that all she could realistically do would be to offer a referral, but there was something in Luci''s tone... Mary gestured to the couch instead. "Have a seat. But know that I''m only fourth year university, so if this is big stuff, I might have to bring in an actual professional.¡±


    Luci sat on the edge of the couch. "I understand. I¡¯ve had professional counselling before," she asserted. ¡°But I don¡¯t want that, not this time. Not when... when..." Her fists clenched on her jeans, and her head bowed.


    "Okay, ease up," Mary soothed. ¡°What¡¯s this all about?"


    Luci sat unmoving for a moment, and when she lifted her gaze again, there were tears dancing in the corners of her eyes. "I was abused by the next door neighbour as a child, which is affecting me now in ways I never thought possible."


    Mary exhaled. ¡°Oh, loverly. You don''t pull any punches, do you."


    Luci leapt to her feet. ¡°And I know what you''re about to say," she said, pacing across the floor. "That you''re not the person to take this to. But I told you, I''ve been to the pros once before, and all that¡¯ll do here is ensure that everyone at school gets to know I¡¯m a head case. Again. I don¡¯t want that! Because I don¡¯t have psychological scars, I don¡¯t, I dealt with it back then, I... I... damn it, my new issue is, I don''t know why this memory has been emerging lately. Why the mental walls are crumbling.¡±


    Mary paused. "Don''t you?" she asked quietly.


    Luci opened her mouth, then closed it, and finally threw herself back onto the couch, crossing her arms. ¡°FINE. Maybe I do. Linford, Linquist, you don''t have to be a genius to spot the name similarity... except, transference aside, I KNOW they''re different people. And the log book didn¡¯t trigger the crumbling memory block when I started on it. So the timing is WEIRD. It¡¯s like, one evening I was thinking about Frank, and then the images just..." She stopped, closing her eyes and thunking her head back into a pillow. "I shouldn''t have come here. I''m sorry."


    "Wait," Mary said, raising her hand to stop Luci as the young girl moved to stand. "How is Frank involved?"


    Luci paused, then settled herself back on the couch. "He hasn''t done anything to hurt me, if that''s what you''re thinking," the young girl said. ¡°He¡¯s been great, when I see him. Granted, of late I hardly see him, I¡¯ve been more obsessed with this notebook I found because... okay, you want the Reader''s Digest version of my life?¡±


    In for a penny, in for a pound. Mary nodded. "Might help."


    Luci took in a deep breath. "I''m adopted. No idea who my real parents were. The Primroses got me out of the orphanage when I was six. I was put into school with kids a year younger than me because I''d never applied myself in learning. There was also this neighbour, Mr. Linford, who... who took a fancy to me."


    Her jaw tightened. "I didn¡¯t know at first. No one did. I thought he was a great guy, letting me use his pool. Then once I realized, once he started making advances... well, I liked my new parents, and my school, so I didn''t want to raise a fuss for fear of getting sent back. To the orphanage, I mean. By the time I finally told my mom about what he¡¯d done, he''d flown the coop, left town.¡±


    "Is that when you got the professional counselling you mentioned?" Mary inquired as Luci took an extended pause.


    "Yeah," came the eventual answer. "I said I didn''t want any, but my parents insisted I speak with someone. After those sessions, I did feel better, I¡¯d accepted it wasn¡¯t my fault - and I closed it off. I thought I could shoot for happier memories, especially after we moved. But maybe it was still hard to get close to people? I¡¯ve chalked that up to my above average intelligence - heck, I¡¯ve skipped three grades and I¡¯m two years younger than my peers - but I guess it¡¯s more. It wasn''t until I got to know Frank that I thought I could finally..." She stopped again.


    Mary smiled gently. "Tell me about Frank."


    "Frank." Luci pressed two fingers to her forehead. "Well... he''s intelligent, like me. With book smarts, that is, he¡¯s SO clueless with people at times. He''s also... how do I put this? He likes me for who I am, and not in a bad way. Before him, I was all about growing up as fast as possible. Now I''m not so sure."


    "Is he the only one who likes you for yourself?¡±


    Luci squirmed. "I guess not. But his opinion is the most important, since we''re kinda dating."


    "Kinda?" Mary kept her tone carefully neutral.


    "Okay, we''re dating," Luci sighed. ¡°But we drifted apart over the summer. He spent more time on temporal mechanics than dating mechanics. And then when school started, he was more concerned about Carrie¡¯s boyfriend Glen than me! Which... okay, I have to accept that in retrospect, because of who he turned out to be. But at this point, me and Frank aren¡¯t talking any more."


    ¡°Because he''s been brushing you off?¡±


    "Yes! Well, okay, no. Not since I called him on it last month. Actually, he even took me to a school dance. Lately the problem is me." Luci slumped down in her seat. "Look, I see where you''re going with this. You think I should have talked to Frank instead of you. That he''d be more than willing to help me out, once I¡¯ve confessed to him the deeper issues behind why I''ve gone all notebook vendetta on Linquist." She thunked her head back again. "Maybe you''re even right. But there''s a bigger emotional issue at stake!"


    Mary stared at the girl on her couch in mild fascination. In fact, that hadn''t been where she was going with this at all; she hadn''t even had a destination in mind. The use of questioning to allow the patient to arrive at their own conclusions... it was more effective than she''d thought. She wondered what her next question should be.


    ¡°What emotional issue is that?¡± Mary continued.


    The silence that followed stretched long enough that she thought she''d finally said the wrong thing. But then Luci spoke again.


    ¡°It¡¯s this," the young girl whispered. ¡°The sense of joy and happiness I got when working on bringing down Linquist... it¡¯s like the same feeling I got when I was going out with Frank. Which doesn''t seem right. It implies that both are a way I¡¯m tackling that abuse from when I was young. Yet if THAT''S true then, well..." Luci looked back up at Mary, searching her expression carefully. "Mary... how does someone know if they''re truly in love?"


    Mary''s eyebrow began to twitch. "Whoa boy."

 Part 71b: Psych Doubt 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 71b: PSYCH DOUBT 2


    "Carrie!"


    Carrie turned away from the cheerleading discussion she was having with Steve. "Clarke? What the hell are you doing out here, you''ve got a game in under ten minutes!"


    "I have to know your answer,¡± the blonde boy insisted. "Before the game. About whether or not you''ll talk to Mary about you-know-what. Chartreuse said you''d think about it," he added as Carrie opened her mouth.


    The head cheerleader paused, then flashed a smile in Steve¡¯s direction. "Go tell the others we''ll be running routine six to start. Laurie takes point, she''s been acting like a bundle of energy all week." Carrie''s fellow cheerleader nodded at her, then as he went to join the others, the blonde returned her attention to Clarke.


    ¡°Clarke, you HAVE to realize this is neither the time nor the place.¡±


    ¡°Carrie, please, YOU have to know there¡¯s no way I can concentrate on the game, not with this foremost on my mind.¡±


    Carrie shifted her gaze to the side, tugging on a strand of hair. When she spoke, she kept her tone carefully neutral. ¡°Okay Clarke. Because it''s you... and because of what you''ve done for me and Julie in the past... I¡¯ll agree this ONE time, to do what I can to convince your sister. But there¡¯s a condition!"


    Clarke regarded the index finger which she was now jabbing upwards at his chin, and at the cold intensity of her gaze. "Name it.¡±


    ***


    Mary looked down at the phone receiver in confusion before lifting it back up to her ear. "Did you just ask me if I enjoyed your school¡¯s first basketball game of the year?" she asked, mildly amused.


    The boy on the other end of the line coughed. "Um, yeah. Kind of a redundant question, I guess... we won, yay..."


    Mary chuckled. "Frank - it''s Frank, right?" She waited for the murmur of assent before continuing. "Frank, something tells me that you didn''t get my brother to put me on the phone merely to ask my opinion on the sports we saw this evening. Though for the record, I was suitably impressed by Phil''s extra three pointer at the buzzer. Despite the team already being up by 10 points.¡±


    "Um, yeah," Frank repeated. "I guess you would be.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Look, Clarke - that is, Phil - he''s not crazy about the whole time machine thing. And I don¡¯t mean ''crazy'' as in ''thrilled'', I mean ''crazy'' as in ''nuts''. In other words, he''s not nuts. Really."


    Mary ran her free hand back through her hair, her smile fading. "Okay, well, he told me I''m due for a visit from Carrie tomorrow after school. I''m reserving judgment until then."


    "Yeah, Clarke - Phil - mentioned that to me too. Before giving you the phone. But I figured it couldn''t hurt to have my voice back him up.¡±


    "Noted," Mary yielded. "Don''t worry, my current theory leads towards something in the water here rather than the need for extensive teen psych testing." She smiled, though when Frank remained silent, finally prompted him on with, ¡°So what did you want to say aside from that?"


    "Um, well, Phil also said you can help people with their problems?"


    Mary''s brow creased. "In as much as I can as a university student," she said warily. "One who, incidentally, is starting to think she''ll need to have a little chat with a certain family member regarding her inflated status among his peer group."


    Mary could hear a slight chuckle from Frank. "Yeah, well, still," the boy continued. "He thinks highly of you, so I was just wondering... in all those classes you take, where they probably talk about getting patients to discuss their emotions and such... uh... do they ever talk much about... love?"


    "Aw... boy," Mary said, correcting herself from the phrase ''Aw, for crying out loud''. She moved to sit herself down in the nearest convenient chair. Even after two years of dating Doug, she still wasn¡¯t sure about her own thoughts on the matter.


    "If not, it''s cool," Frank added hastily. "I just have this hypothetical situation, where there''s this guy who''s going out with one girl, and he likes her, but at the same time he''s very concerned about this other girl who''s been going through a lot lately. She has this shady boyfriend to boot, and so while our hypothetical guy likes HER too, it¡¯s not exactly the same way... yet even with that, he''s still worried about the girl he''s going out with, because now she may be avoiding him and he''s wondering if she thinks that he doesn''t care about her any more because of that other girl. Is that, er, hypothetically speaking, a thing that¡¯s ever come up?¡±


    Mary pondered the multitude to ways she could approach this based on what she was growing to learn about her brother''s friends. She decided to simply be straightforward. "As a matter of fact, I was asked a very similar question recently. Let me tell you the same thing I told that person. First: Your question has no easy answer."A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "I was afraid of that."


    ¡°Thus, secondly, what you need to do," Mary continued, "is decide what love means for you personally. Think about it. Talk to your friends about it, if that helps. And talk with Luci too, since she may have some of the same questions."


    ¡°Err, how did you know that I was referring to..."


    "I took a shot. Relationships are tricky things, Frank. But you''re only, what, seventeen? Don''t stress out over it. Give it time. Things will work themselves out one way or another, you''ll see."


    Frank sighed. "It always comes back to TIME, doesn''t it," he said after a moment. "One other thing then, could you... well, could you also tell me what Carrie says to you, regarding your upcoming talk about, um, you know what...?"


    "Depends on what she says,¡± Mary replied. ¡°I¡¯m inclined to say that you should ask her about it yourself."


    "Yeah... yeah, okay," Frank concluded. "Thanks, uh, Mary. Sorry if I bothered you."


    "Not at all," Mary Clarke assured. After a couple more quick pleasantries, she hung up the phone and walked out to the front hall. "Phil!" she called. "We need to talk! Phil?"


    "Your brother went back out shortly after handing the phone over to you," her mother shouted back from upstairs.


    Mary rolled her eyes. "Oh, loverly. Where did he go?"


    ***


    "You did very well in the game," Laurie said, staring down at the floor. ¡°We¡¯ll have a good shot at the trophy this year, I guess.¡±


    "Yeah... you were great with your cheering too," Clarke agreed. "I think you were even out-cheering Carrie!"


    "Oh. You saw that?" Laurie was unable to hold back her blush. However, when she raised her head, the smile that had begun to appear fled her face. ¡°Except you didn''t come to my house to talk with me about any of that."


    Clarke sighed. "No. You¡¯re right. It''s Julie. I want her to talk to my sister this Saturday about whatever it is she''s going through. But while I think Mary¡¯s finally going to be willing, Julie''s refused to see me. She won''t return my calls, and even Jeeves said he didn''t think he could do anything to help me out. However... I know Julie is still speaking with Corry."


    ¡°So you want me to get my brother to convince Julie to see your sister,¡± Laurie murmured.


    Clarke spread his arms out apologetically. "I''d speak to Corry myself about it, but he''s not keen on talking to me either. Not since he discovered how I''d apparently ''let Julie close herself off again''. As if there was anything I could have done to stop her."


    Laurie bit down hard on her lower lip. "Why should I help?"


    Her words were so quiet that Clarke wondered if he hadn''t misheard. "What?"


    "Why should I help?" Laurie repeated, louder. "W-Why should I be the one to fix things with you and Julie?? I mean golly, Clarke, this''ll be the second time I do it, or don''t you remember how I told you stuff about Corry''s plans before Julie''s birthday last year? Which only allowed her the chance to hurt you like this now! Gods, Clarke, I don''t like seeing you hurt, I don''t like seeing what she''s doing to you when she ignores..." The redhead forced herself to stop, swallowing hard. "Julie isn''t good for you, Clarke. Why do you keep going back to her? WHY?"


    "Because," Clarke replied, now unable to meet Laurie''s gaze. "She needs me."


    "Maybe she''s not the only one."


    Silence hung in the Veniti sitting room, neither teen able to look at the other. Laurie finally spoke again. "I''ll talk to Corry."


    "Laurie..."


    "I''ll talk to Corry!" Laurie repeated. "So let me know when Julie needs to show up at your house and I''ll see if we can work it out. I''m not promising anything, but I swear I''ll try because it''s you."


    Clarke reached out to take her hand. "Thank you, Laurie. I... I owe you one. Two. Big time. I''m sorry that you had to become involved in this way. Really I am.¡±


    Laurie met Clarke''s gaze and immediately turned away, trying not to blush again as he squeezed her hand gently. The warmth in her cheeks told her the effort was futile. Just as futile as all her efforts had been to get Clarke to notice her. Perhaps, she thought to herself, this was a sign that was truly time to move on.


    "It''s nothing," she murmured. "Don''t worry about it..."


    ***


    Carrie sat quietly on the couch in the Clarke''s basement, staring up at Mary. Sizing her up, as she no doubt suspected Mary was doing to her. Of course, the two of them were alone, as Carrie had requested (well, demanded) that Clarke not be present while they talked.


    "So," the elder blonde girl said to her at last. "Time travel?"


    "Time travel," Carrie repeated back, her tone even. "It''s possible. I can do it. I have done it. Nevertheless, I don''t expect you to believe a word of it."


    Mary ran a hand back through her hair before taking a seat next to Carrie. "Look, I''m not calling you, or anyone else a liar," she assured. ¡°But a claim like that? I need to see proof."


    ''My very EXISTENCE is the proof,'' Carrie thought to herself. But of course, she couldn''t say that. "Then I''ll give you the best demonstration I can," she stated. "After that, if you''re willing, I would like to speak with you briefly on a related matter. Then tomorrow you can speak with Julie, or not... it''s none of my business."


    Mary offered up a partial smile. "Well, time travel or no, at the very least it looks like Phil''s friends have their share of personal difficulties."


    "Whatever petty problems anyone else has, I can top them in a heartbeat," Carrie shot back. She felt vindicated to see the smile fade from Mary''s expression, yet at the same time, she also had a tinge of regret for being so harsh. She reached up to tug lightly on a few strands of her hair.


    "I''ll need a coin," Carrie continued before she could dwell on the matter. "A quarter or loonie would be best. One of yours, so you know it¡¯s not a trick.¡±


    "All right," Mary said, reaching into her pants pocket and pulling a quarter out.


    "Toss it on the coffee table there," Carrie continued. Mary did so. "Now," the blonde sighed, "watch the quarter closely. Please try to avoid blinking... I very much doubt I''ll be able to do this more than once without resting in between."


    Mary shot her a bit of a perplexed look before shrugging and turning her attention to the coin. As did Carrie, reaching her palm out as she concentrated on the piece of metal. Carrie closed her eyes. With effort, she pinpointed the quarter among the infinite drops of water that were flowing through the stream that was time itself.


    It wasn''t easy. It would have been simpler to touch the object, but in that case, surely Mary would cry foul. Carrie¡¯s body shook slightly as sweat broke out on her forehead. Almost... there! She had it!


    Doing everything she could to avoid making her next move a conscious one, Carrie kicked at the droplet with her mind.

 Part 72a: Shrink Rap

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 72a: SHRINK RAP


    Carrie collapsed back onto the couch, breathing hard.


    When she reopened her eyes, it took a few moments for the image before her to resolve itself into the concerned and slightly confused expression of Mary. "What... what just happened?" Clarke''s sister inquired softly.


    "What did you see?" Carrie said testily.


    Mary hesitated. "It looked like my quarter... vanished. Only to reappear a second or two later. But it could have been a trick of the light..."


    "It wasn''t the light," Carrie said, clenching her jaw. "I moved it forward in time." Whereas if she¡¯d moved it back, causing coexistence instead? Boom, and no more quarter. Not only more difficult, but far too dangerous.


    Mary¡¯s pause was longer this time. "And that''s the proof," she concluded.


    "That''s it," Carrie affirmed, finding the strength to sit up and wipe her brow. "It''s the best I can do right now, without losing complete control or physically touching something. I''m still in training. Hence, using a quarter, not a person.¡±


    She held Mary¡¯s gaze until the older girl was forced to look away, back towards the coin. "I''m not sure I''m convinced," Mary admitted. "However... I''m no longer as skeptical either."


    "Will you at least accept that time travel may be possible for the remainder of our dialogue?" Carrie pressed.


    Mary re-pocketed the quarter. "I''ll accept that there is something beyond the norm that you and your friends are experiencing. We¡¯ll call it time travel."


    ¡°Don¡¯t call them my frie--" Carrie cut herself off with a wave of her hand. "Never mind. On to my more ''personal difficulties'', as you put it earlier. Okay?"


    Mary nodded. "All right..."


    Carrie took in a breath. Suddenly faced with the prospect of admitting it, she was no longer sure she wanted to say it any more. But if she couldn''t tell Clarke''s sister, who else was there? "I killed Frank," she blurted. "And I had to wipe out an entire timeline to erase that mistake."


    At first, Mary could only stare. Her voice, when it came, was uncertain. "You killed..."


    "I don''t expect you to believe it," Carrie interrupted. "Hell, I sometimes wonder if the mind that merged with mine was outright lying - the power I would have had to tap into to accomplish what I did would be immense. But the memories were too vivid. The pain too raw. So the fact remains that, by delaying my destruction of the time machine, I killed my frie-- I killed someone." She slumped back into the couch, feeling exhausted. "I can¡¯t even tell Glen that. He thinks we¡¯re living a whole other timeline right now.¡±


    "All right," Mary said slowly. "Then you¡¯re telling me that you are capable of altering the past?¡±


    Carrie couldn''t help it, she laughed. She had to check herself to avoid coming across as hysterical. ¡°That and more. But me and my powers, we''re balanced on a knife''s edge, and if I fall off... well, I don''t know, but I suspect it would be very, very unpleasant for anyone around me."


    "That''s why you''re retreating from everybody?"


    Carrie tensed. "I''m not... well, okay, I am. But I have to. It''s the only way they''ll all be safe."


    Mary pursed her lips. "Seems you and Julie could have something in common then."


    ¡°I don''t want to hear about Julie.¡±


    "No?"


    "NO!" Carrie said, standing up. She had to throw her arm out for balance, as the sudden motion made her dizzy after her earlier efforts. "Look, I didn''t tell you what I did merely so that you could psychoanalyze me into inviting people back into my life!"


    ¡°Then why did you tell me?" Mary continued patiently, rising as well.


    To her surprise, Carrie found she actually had to think about that one for a moment. "Because I had to tell someone," she said at last. "It''s been gnawing at me inside. I thought... I thought maybe talking about it with someone would help."


    "And has it?"


    "I don¡¯t know," Carrie admitted. ¡°Does knowing about what I did change your opinion of me?¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I suppose it explains why you¡¯re pushing people away. But the killing you speak of, it doesn¡¯t sound like you did it intentionally."


    ¡°Of COURSE not!¡±


    ¡°So why would it change anyone¡¯s opinion of you?¡±


    "Because it changed my opinion of myself.¡±


    Mary hesitated once more, so Carrie decided to save her the trouble of answering. ¡°Look, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve said my bit, thanks for listening. It¡¯s time you moved on to Julie. Unlike me, she¡¯s someone you might actually be able to help.¡±


    Without waiting for another response, Carrie turned and headed for the basement stairs. She heard Clarke¡¯s sister offer up some final platitudes about friendship, but she chose to ignore them.


    ***


    "Goddamn it, stop ignoring me!" Corry shouted. Julie heard him thump his fist into the wall of the LaMille living room.


    "I''m not ignoring you," Julie said, still refusing to meet his gaze. "I''ve heard every word."


    "Fine. Shall I drop by tomorrow to bring you to Clarke¡¯s house, or can you make it there on your own?"


    "Corry..."


    "Julie, you are GOING. End of story."


    Julie finally spun. "If I''d known you were going to act like such an ass today, I would never have let you in the house!" she snapped.


    "If I''d known what a selfish bitch you were becoming, I never would have offered you that partnership in running the school!" Corry shot back, meeting her gaze.


    The brunette pursed her lips. "Touche," she yielded. "But my going to see Mary... it won''t change anything."


    ¡°Maybe changing things isn¡¯t the point."


    ¡°What? Then what IS the point?!¡±


    "The point is, Clarke is damn worried about you," Corry answered. ¡°And he¡¯s not the only one. This closing yourself off simply because of - what is it anyway? Glen and his mental powers?¡± He waved her off. ¡°Whatever your reasons, it isn''t healthy. I admit, Glen worries me too, but there¡¯s not much we can do about him right now. Besides, he plays a good bass guitar."


    Julie sighed. "It''s more complicated than you make it sound."


    "I don''t doubt that.¡± The redhead paused. "Thing is, if you don''t go today, Clarke''s efforts, they¡¯ll be for naught. Efforts with Laurie, with Chartreuse, hell, he''s risking being sent to the nuthouse by his own sister for pity''s sake. You¡¯ve got to meet him halfway. Doesn''t matter what you say to Mary, be it the truth, some sob story about repressed issues with your parents, or what you¡¯ll have for breakfast in the morning. Just go see the damn shrink, okay Julie?¡±


    The two teenagers stared unflinchingly at each other across the room. "Fine," Julie said at last. "But don''t expect miracles."


    "I never do," Corry retorted, shoving his hands into his pockets. ¡°Unless they¡¯re the type of miracle manufactured by people like us, eh?¡± He fired off a grin, one that Julie found she could meet with a wan smile.


    ***


    "Hey."


    "Hey," Frank replied, turning his head.


    He moved to rise from the swing he was sitting in, only to have Luci shake her head and sit herself down in the swing that was adjacent. She looked at the ground. So Frank did too. The ensuing silence was only broken by the sound of laughter from across the park, where a couple of kids seemed to be playing an evening game of tag.


    "You wanted us to talk," Frank said at last.


    "I¡¯m not sure I love you," Luci admitted.


    He jerked his gaze back up to see her looking at him, a sad, worried expression on her face. "Oh..." was all that came to mind.


    "I¡¯m sorry," Luci continued, speaking in a rush. "It¡¯s NOT you. It¡¯s me. All me. Things in my history. Things that maybe, on a subconscious level, have had me pulling away ever since that logbook turned up. Leading to some conflicted feelings, and as long as I¡¯m busy working through those, I don¡¯t want to be in a relationship. Not with you, not with anybody."


    Frank stared. "So... we¡¯re breaking up then?¡±


    She winced. "I don¡¯t... it¡¯s not... yeah," she whispered. "We are. I¡¯m sorry."


    ¡°Do I get a say in this?¡±


    She swallowed. ¡°I... I guess? Thing is, some of my adoption issues are about rejection.¡±


    Frank tried to figure out where to take that. He didn''t feel upset, he felt strangely numb. ¡°Well, for the record, what I feel for Carrie isn¡¯t the same thing I feel for you."


    "I said it¡¯s NOT about that," Luci retorted, frustration creeping into her tone. "It¡¯s about something from my past. About a time when I chose to be silent, and yet probably should have spoken up.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s something you don¡¯t think I can help with?¡±


    "I didn¡¯t say that either,¡± Luci groaned. "Maybe you can. Actually, part of me hopes you can. But part of me also feels like it would be weird, talking to you about it as a boyfriend.¡± She rubbed her temples. ¡°It¡¯s like, when these memories charged in, somehow it was a harbinger of the end of our relationship."


    She drew a deep breath. ¡°Ugh, which sounds STUPID, now that I say it out loud. I don¡¯t know, am I the only one who¡¯s been feeling weird about events lately? Please, have you felt ANYTHING like this too?¡±


    She looked so insistent that Frank felt a need to think back. ¡°Now that you feel mention it,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Shortly before Carrie woke up in the hospital last week, I felt... I can¡¯t describe it. Adrift, somehow. Like something about my relationships with everyone had... changed. At the time, Chartreuse gave me a funny look. But then Carrie regained consciousness, so I brushed it off.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°Meaning it¡¯s not just me.¡± Luci finished. She sucked her lower lip into her mouth. ¡°Except..." She shook her head. ¡°Somehow, knowing about that doesn¡¯t change this. This breaking up. I don¡¯t know, I hope I can explain it better once I can process it myself, but for now know that I¡¯m truly sorry. REALLY. For hurting you this way. It¡¯s the last thing I... I ever wanted to..." Her voice caught.


    He pulled a tissue out of his pocket and handed it over. ¡°So we¡¯re breaking up then,¡± he concluded, this time not making it a question. For some reason, part of him felt relieved. ¡°I suppose it would be worse to string each other along, right?"


    Luci finished blowing her nose. "I guess. Though maybe I¡¯ve been doing some of that too, recently."


    "Or maybe it¡¯s that I wasn¡¯t paying attention. I¡¯m good at that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "There really are no easy answers, huh?"


    Luci choked back a laugh. ¡°Oh no. Did you talk to Clarke¡¯s sister?¡±


    ¡°Er, maybe? That is, yeah, I was echoing her. I hope she¡¯ll have better luck with Julie than with us.¡±


    Luci¡¯s different coloured eyes shimmered slightly in the fading light as he looked at her again. ¡°She didn¡¯t do such a bad job with us, did she? We¡¯re talking again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Frank admitted. ¡°Yeah, we are. I''ve missed that.¡± And despite all the confused feelings he was experiencing, when he grasped Luci by the hand, he found that he could still smile.

 Part 72b: Shrink Rap 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 72b: SHRINK RAP 2


    Mary sat on the couch, rubbing her temples as Julie stood over her. Like Carrie, Julie had requested a closed session. And like Carrie, Julie had wasted little time in laying out the situation, backing up Clarke¡¯s account of the time travel incident from last November. About her self-suicide.


    The accounts matched perfectly ¨C perhaps a little too perfectly? Because as much as she loved her brother, she had to allow for the possibility that discussion with his friends could have ¡°filled in gaps¡±, consciously or not, in the eleven months since then.


    "I''ll be frank," Mary said at last. "If my brother hadn''t been so adamant about this talk, I would have thought it all to be a practical joke. As it is, I''m still sorely tempted to chalk everything here up to a mass hallucination. But okay - if you did truly travel in time, and DID come close to killing your parents... well, Julie, it''s a wonder that you can stand there and speak about it so calmly."


    "I don¡¯t allow myself to dwell too much on the past," Julie yielded. ¡°Memory can be deceptive. Doc Golden taught me that.¡± She paused, then moved to sit on the couch next to Mary. ¡°But I won''t say that my actions back then don¡¯t haunt me. They do. That''s why I volunteered to go on more time trips with everyone. It''s also why I''m currently..." She stopped herself. ¡°Why I allowed myself to be put into the position that I''m currently in."


    "You mean with respect to your parents?"


    Julie shook her head. ¡°No way. They''ve been a non-factor for close to a year now. And with Golden¡¯s help, I¡¯ve been dealing with the fact that my parents don''t love me, not to mention my little self-destructive impulses. Plus Jeeves is acting more and more like a father to me, and as long as he doesn''t outright demand custody, mom and dad are content to let sleeping dogs lie. They see it as better than a huge legal scandal. No, I meant the position with respect to my isolation.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so like my brother, I¡¯ve missed the direct link. Why are you pulling away from everyone?"


    Julie leaned back, looking Mary up and down. "How much do you know about someone named Glen Oaks?"


    Mary shrugged. "He''s the guy going out with Carrie, right?"


    "He''s also from the future and he has crazy mental powers that allow him to alter the will of others.¡±


    Again Mary found herself raking her hand back through her hair. She wondered why more psychiatrists didn''t go bald. "That''s a new one on me," she admitted.


    Julie stood up again. "See, this whole thing, it''s bigger than you, bigger than me, bigger than all of us. Clar-- Phil, bless his heart, he thinks there can still be a simple answer to everything. This time, there isn''t. However... and you can tell him this if you like... I know it will all work out in the end."


    "How can you be sure?" Mary protested.


    Julie looked back at her. "Because I received a letter from the future."


    It was right about then that Mary decided they were all crazy... herself included. "A letter. From the future." Mary sighed, resting her head back on a couch pillow. She fought back the impulse to laugh out loud. "And it told you, what, that closing yourself off from people who care about you, like Phil, would ensure peace and prosperity in the world?"


    "Not in so many words," Julie replied. "But it''s the reason no one here can know what I''m doing. Not Phil, not Carrie, not anybody."


    "Then no one can help you," Mary stated flatly, professional distance be damned. She glared at Julie. "And by extension no one can help my brother either, because he refuses to stop obsessing. So, how about I write you a different letter? I''ll date it from the year 3000 and everything! We can use it to get you and the rest of your peers off the psychotropic drugs, ensuring that you''re living in the present for a change."Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Julie looked back at Mary reflectively, drumming her fingers on the wall. "Look, if I tell you more, do you promise not to repeat the rest of it to anybody?¡±


    Mary was pretty sure repeating any of the last five minutes to anyone would be an exercise in futility. She made a vague waving gesture in the air. "What the hell. I''m leaving town tomorrow morning anyway."


    Julie continued to regard the other girl in silence for close to a minute before speaking again. "The future letter I got was in Carrie''s handwriting. So it must be legit. It directed me to watch her, and rescue certain electronic parts from her trash. Which I did.¡± Julie took in a deep breath. ¡°I''m now reconstructing the time machine."


    Mary stared. "Of course you are."


    ¡°The others cannot know that, lest word get back to Glen," Julie insisted. "That''s also why it had to be me. Luci and Frank, they''re the techies, the ones Glen would suspect, not me.¡± She frowned. "However... there is one thing that bothers me.¡±


    ¡°ONE thing?¡±


    ¡°The letter was so vague. I mean, Future Carrie must have written it in a hurry, but even so..." Julie shook her head. ¡°No specific dates. No indication of how the parts would need to be reassembled.¡±


    ¡°No mention of people you could talk to,¡± Mary added dryly.


    "I''ve never been a team player," Julie insisted. "I work best in isolation, and over the long term. And this WILL take a while, surely another reason why I was selected. It¡¯s just, something about the situation bothers me, and I can''t pinpoint it."


    "Loverly." Mary finally pressed both hands to her temples. ''I''d help you out, but you broke my brain,'' is what she was inclined to add. As it was, she opted for one last shot at psychoanalysis.


    "Well, your situation has no easy answer," she stated with a calm she did not feel. "What you need to do is decide what''s more important to you. Complete secrecy over some ridiculous one-woman plan that even you apparently aren''t allowed to completely know about... or being a little more forthcoming to my brother and the people who call you a friend. Hell, more than a friend."


    Julie''s face twitched. "It''s more complicated than tha--"


    "Goddamn it Julie, it''s only more complicated because you''re MAKING it more complicated!" Mary fired back, patience gone. She rose out of her seat to stare Julie right in the eyes. "Not everything in your life is a damn conspiracy, okay? Now, are you happy about closing yourself off from my brother? Don''t think about it, just answer!"


    "No."


    ¡°Good. Then DO something about it," Mary concluded, slapping her hand against the wall next to the brunette¡¯s head.


    Julie jumped at the action, then frowned, seemingly mulling it over. "There... may be something I can do," she realized. "Thank you. So much.¡± A pause, and then, "You know, you''re a lot more ''in your face'' than Doc Golden ever was.¡±


    "I''m a university student," Mary repeated, feeling the adrenaline surge leaving her. She pulled her arm back and allowed her body fall back onto the couch again. "As such, I think you''d better leave now, before I add anything I shouldn''t."


    Julie nodded, heading for the stairs. "I''ll get Phil to come back down and check on you."


    ***


    "I wish we didn''t have to do this," Clarke sighed. He leaned back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling.


    "You promised," Carrie reminded him. "This was my condition. If Mary showed ANY signs that she was having trouble dealing with what we''d told her..."


    "I know! I know, I''d just hoped... well, I don''t know, that she would be able to do more. Even help us going forwards. For that matter, Julie saying she''d ''make things up to me'' is awful vague. What if she wasn''t serious? What if she changes her mind? What if..."


    "Clarke," Carrie interrupted. "You know your sister. Do you really think Mary will be able to handle the rest of her school term after what she''s been told? That she''s not going to be constantly worried about you? That she''s not going to mention the time travel to anyone else?"


    Clarke made no reply. He knew he had to grant Carrie her points. So he merely looked over towards the door to the basement. The room where he''d left his sister, minutes ago, lying on the couch.


    He couldn¡¯t see it, but at that moment she was, in fact, looking up at the redheaded boy who had walked up to her.


    ***


    "Look, if you have any problems the doctor is not ''IN'', okay?" the blonde university student groaned. "I need a rest. A lot of rest."


    "I''m not here about my problems," Glen responded. "I''m here about yours."


    Mary sat up slightly. "I beg your pardon?"


    "You are going to do something for me now," Glen continued calmly. "Listen carefully. You are going to lie back down and forget everything you have been told about time travel over the last few days."


    "What?" Mary protested weakly even as she lay back down. "I... I don''t..."


    "Your conversations with Phil, Carrie, and everyone else had nothing to do with time travel. They were simply discussions of a personal nature. Discussions about relationships and so forth.¡±


    "They were simply personal," Mary repeated automatically. "But..."


    "Once I have left this room," Glen persisted, "you will not remember seeing me, and the idea of time travel will seem as ludicrous to you as it did before Phil brought it up. Any apparent gaps in your memory will be filled in by your own mind. Do you understand me, Mary Clarke?"


    "I... I understand," Mary yielded, her body relaxing. Finding peace at last.


    "Good," Glen affirmed.


    He took a couple of steps towards the stairway. Then, after he had confirmed that the door at the top was still shut, he looked back towards Clarke''s sister.


    "One last thing," he said, unable to keep from smiling. "Before everything is completely forgotten, you will tell me what was said to you by the following people...."

 Part 73a: Four Part Harmony

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 73a: FOUR PART HARMONY


    Mrs. Willis heard the raised voices while still halfway down the arts hall. It helped that the hallways were empty, school having ended over half an hour ago. The music teacher was even able to identify two of the voices - those of Megan Falls and Corry Veniti - yet there seemed to be other people in the music room too.


    That¡¯s when she heard the crash. Mrs. Willis began to walk faster, as there was the sound of more talking, along with the painful sound of a musical string twanging...


    She rounded the corner of the music room door to see Megan, Corry, Laurie and Chartreuse grouped around the smashed remains of a violin. The violin that had been donated to their music program today.


    The normally calm teacher''s eyes widened. Chartreuse opened her mouth to speak, but Mrs. Willis raised her hand, palm out. "Not - one - word. All of you. To the office. NOW!" she demanded in cold fury.


    ***


    Corry patted his sister on the shoulder. When Laurie didn¡¯t raise her head from where it was buried in her hands, he angled his gaze towards Megan, on his other side.


    Megan, the junior student with a habit of sowing chaos in the school from behind the scenes. Seemingly with her own selfish desires at heart. Yet the girl had also managed to get one of Laurie¡¯s pictures published the previous month, in conjunction with a short story Megan herself had written. Thereby ensuring that Corry couldn¡¯t go after her. Not using any of the same methods he¡¯d once employed against Julie, at least.


    Corry had known it would only be a matter of time before Megan¡¯s demands would begin. She¡¯d picked a hell of a day to start.


    As if sensing the scrutiny, Megan turned her head, letting go of the cross on her necklace. "I''m going to tell Hunt what you did,¡± she hissed. "Unless, perhaps, you agree to help Kim, as I requested?¡±


    "I never pegged you as a woman of conscience," the redhead said dryly. "But if it comes down to my word against yours, are you so sure they''ll believe you over me?¡±


    Megan opened her mouth to reply, which was when the principal''s office door opened. Mr. Hunt strode out, followed by Mrs. Willis. He nodded to the music teacher, who flashed him a grateful smile and departed. Hunt then turned his attention to the four students, seated in a row.


    ¡°All right," the principal sighed, crossing his arms. "As Mrs. Willis was not present during the incident itself, I am going to give each of you a chance to explain what happened. I expect nothing less than the ugly truth. That is, unless one of you would care to come forwards and confess right now?"


    Chartreuse leaned in from behind Megan to look uncertainly at the rest of them. Corry kept his gaze on Megan, who kept her own expression neutral. He heard Laurie sniffle quietly on his other side.


    "Very well," Mr. Hunt sighed. "Laurie, in my office first please."


    "Wait, Mr. Hunt!" Chartreuse protested. "She was, you know, only there because of me and Corry. She''s not involved."


    "Then perhaps she can provide me with an initial objective viewpoint," Mr. Hunt countered. His tone allowed for no argument.


    ***


    The principal waited as the redheaded girl blew her nose and took a few deep breaths. "It... it all happened so fast," Laurie said at last. "I don''t know what to say, I don''t know where to start, I can''t... I''m just so sorry!"


    "Please stay calm," Dell Hunt said patiently. "At the moment, you are not in any trouble. Perhaps you could start at the beginning - why were you and the others in the music room after school in the first place?"


    "Oh. Well, that''s easy," Laurie realized. She began to speak all in a rush. "Corry''s band - you know his band right? - they''d recorded some new songs and my brother wanted Mrs. Willis'' opinion of the music so he gave her the files last week and she said she''d listen, then to come by today so she could speak with him about it. And Chartreuse came too because she was going to be meeting up with Lee later - he''s the drummer and Tim''s on keyboard and Glen does bass guitar y''see but I guess you knew that too, right? - so I tagged along too and when we all got there we walked in and found that instead of Mrs. Willis it was Megan Falls who was there and she had Corry''s recordings!"Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Er, right. Okay, slow down," Mr. Hunt requested, leaning back in his chair. "Now then, what was the first thing that Megan said to all of you?"


    ***


    "Hey, Corry. Sorry, but Mrs. Willis can''t talk with you now. She had to see someone about a violin. She did mention that this was on the music podium for you though." Megan held up his USB drive.


    Corry nodded. "Oh, I see."


    "Though you know," Megan said. "I''m doing something of a favour for you by telling you this. I was wondering if you could do something for me in return?¡±


    "Depends what it is," Corry said, stepping forwards.


    "Wait now, back up," Megan said, shifting sideways and backing up too. "Don''t rush me. It''s about Kim Carpenter."


    "Okay, well, I know of her," Corry said, shrugging. "She''s in the chess club, right?"


    "Exactly. In fact, they''re having a tournament next week. And since I owe her one for talking to Julie, I''d like Kim to do well in that tournament. If you catch my drift."


    Laurie''s brow furrowed and she leaned closer to Chartreuse. "My brother doesn''t play much chess," she pointed out. "Why would Megan select him to be Kim''s coach?"


    "I think there''s more going on here than that," her friend replied. "Remember, Corry is kinda, like, indebted to Megan for her help in getting your picture published."


    As Megan finished saying something else, Chartreuse took a step forwards. "Listen Megan, Corry''s right not to get involved in something like this."


    "Oh come now," Megan said, pleading. "Kim deserves better than that. Besides, I''m still holding your recordings," she added, lifting the device into the air again.


    "Thanks, I''ll take that," Julie said, plucking the USB from Megan''s hands as she walked through the music room door behind the other girl.


    Megan jumped as Julie continued past her to set a violin down on the teacher''s large central podium. "Next person to see Mrs. Willis, could they tell her the violin''s arrived?" the long haired brunette asked. "She was supposed to be picking it up from the office but I guess she got sidetracked. So I said I could bring it here."


    Megan looked from Julie to Corry. "Oh, of course. The two of you together again. I should have guessed."


    Laurie watched as Julie turned back to the dark haired girl, flashing a smile and handing the USB drive over to Corry. Julie then leaned in to give Laurie''s brother a kiss on the cheek. Laurie let out a gasp of surprise, blinking several times.


    "You know," Megan continued, pouting as she looked to Julie and Corry, ¡°recordings or not, Kim will be very disappointed if things don''t go the way I''ve said."


    "Betting! You''re betting money on the outcome of the game," Chartreuse spoke up. "That''s not, you know, nice."


    Megan looked back at Chartreuse, surprised. "Why? What''s wrong with making a friendly wager?"


    "I can''t stay. It''s best to leave you all to your own devices," Julie broke in, now backing away. She turned to look at Laurie. "Keep an eye on your brother, all right?"


    Laurie blinked and nodded wordlessly back at the brunette, who then left the room. Upon looking back at Corry, she saw he was taking a few steps backwards at the advance of Megan.


    "Corry, pleeeeease," Megan was saying. "Don''t make me break out the big guns here." She paused, then glanced over to meet Laurie''s gaze, seemingly asking her for help.


    Laurie swallowed. "Um, maybe Corry could help if you just call the betting off?" she attempted.


    Corry frowned as he saw where Megan was looking. "You wouldn''t dare," he said.


    "Oh, we''re total witnesses," Chartreuse said. "If anything happens here, we''re totally on Corry''s side, you know!"


    "Hey! Does that mean you would even lie for him?" Megan protested. Chartreuse then seemed uncertain. Megan took a few more steps forwards, only to stumble and fall sideways.


    "Whoa," Corry said, moving to try and catch her - but, in so doing, his arm smacked into the central podium.


    "Watch it, the violin, the violin," Laurie gasped, charging forwards to grab at the musical instrument before it could fall. She scooped it up into her hands, but becoming unbalanced herself, fell against the heavy podium. The podium rocked and began to tip.


    "I''ve got ya," Chartreuse shouted, diving forwards to help her friend.


    However, Laurie quickly realized she wasn''t going to be able to regain her balance before Chartreuse arrived, so she tried to hand off the violin. "Here, quick, catch it," Laurie offered, holding out the instrument.


    "I''ve got it," Chartreuse said. However, she immediately moved the violin down to the floor, being more concerned for the welfare of her friend. Luckily, Laurie managed to break her own fall, while Chartreuse kept her steady.


    "Wha... What are you DOING??" Megan said baffled, now trying to see past Corry''s shoulder.


    "Hey, don''t shove me!" Corry protested.


    The podium finished it''s crash to the floor moments later. Right on top of the violin!


    "Oooh, NO!" Laurie gasped. In desperation, she got to her knees and pushed past Chartreuse in order to roll the podium off of the instrument. The violin let out a feeble twang as one of it''s strings popped loose; the body of the instrument itself seemed beyond repair.


    Laurie wrapped her arms around herself, looking towards Corry and Megan, who had dropped to the floor as well. "What do we do now?" she murmured.

 Part 73b: Four Part Harmony 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 73b: FOUR PART HARMONY 2


    ¡°So that¡¯s when Mrs. Willis came in and saw the scene," Laurie finished, blowing her nose again. ¡°Meaning the whole thing was really just an accident, but if you have to lay blame, then... then it WAS my fault. For knocking over the podium. I''m SO sorry Mr. Hunt! I promise that if you only suspend me for a week I''ll try ever so hard to never be so clumsy again!"


    Tears sprang anew to her eyes and Mr. Hunt sighed, handing over his entire box of kleenex. "Ms. Veniti... Laurie... please calm down. If things are as you say, then I won''t be assigning you a suspension. It would be a matter of making a form of financial remuneration to the music department."


    Laurie blinked. "A... a remue-what?"


    Mr. Hunt shook his head. "Never mind. You''re free to go for now, Laurie. Tell your friend Chartreuse to come in next, if you would."


    ***


    Chartreuse marched in, closed the door and leaned against the back of the chair facing Mr. Hunt''s desk. She had to start strong, right? "Okay," she began. "I''ll remind you up front that it''s totally not my style to blame people... but that said, if anyone HAS to get blamed for this, it should be, you know, Megan!"


    "Please sit down, Ms. Vermilion," the principal said, gesturing. "Try to leave the theatrics outside."


    "Oh, don''t worry, I won''t get too dramatic," Chartreuse assured as she came around the chair to sit down. "Still, it''s important that you, like, understand the depth of what''s really going on here. Megan''s got it in for Corry, you know."


    "I am somewhat aware of their situation," Mr. Hunt countered. "But I will not allow my opinion to be swayed by internal politics. Let us stick to the scene at hand, and begin with what Megan said when you all first arrived in the music room."


    Chartreuse bobbed her head. "Okay then. Here''s totally how it all went down..."


    ***


    "Hey, Corry. Sorry, but Mrs. Willis can''t talk with you now. She had to see someone about a violin. She did mention that this was on the music podium for you though." Megan held up his USB drive.


    Corry frowned, immediately suspicious. "Oh, I see..."


    "Though you know," Megan continued, narrowing her own eyes, "since I''ve been so nice, telling you this, and letting you call the shots since the library, I was thinking it''s about time you did me a favour."


    "It depends, now give me those recordings," Corry countered, stepping forwards to make a grab for it.


    "Such concern. Didn''t you make a backup?" Megan taunted, dodging out of the way. "Come now, Corry, don''t rush me. Let''s talk about Kim Carpenter."


    "Kim who?" Corry said, glaring at her.


    "Carpenter. In the chess club," Megan elaborated. "They''re having a tournament next week, and I owe her for letting slip the news of Joe to Julie. Hence I''d like Kim to win that tournament... if you catch my drift."


    "This is outrageous," Corry protested, even as Laurie leaned in to ask Chartreuse why Megan thought her brother played chess.


    Chartreuse looked back at her friend. "Well, there''s more going on here than that," she murmured. "That is, Corry is still indebted to Megan after she helped with your picture."


    Of course, Chartreuse had suspected that it would only be a matter of time before Megan pulled something like this. Whether the girl had been giving Corry leeway merely because of how he''d helped get her unconscious body out of the library during the van incident that day, or because Megan rather liked the idea of waiting for the best chance to publicly humiliate him, it was hard to say. But since this junior class girl never seemed to think ahead to the consequences of her actions, as evidenced by speaking so blatantly to Corry of these matters while his own sister was present, it was obvious to Chartreuse that Megan couldn''t be allowed to--


    ***


    "Chartreuse," Mr. Hunt interrupted with a sigh. "We are dealing with a single incident in the music room. Let''s leave the colour commentary out of this?"


    "Oh, well, I''m just, you know, explaining why I chose to speak up to Megan when I did," Chartreuse defended herself.Stolen story; please report.


    "Fine," the principal stated. "You spoke. What did you say?"


    ***


    "Listen Megan, now is not the time to get Corry involved in something like this," Chartreuse objected, stepping forwards.


    "Oh come now," the dark haired girl countered. "Kim deserves a shot. And this talk is going so well, what with me holding on to Corry''s music," Megan added, holding the device out again.


    "I''ll take that then," Julie remarked, plucking the USB from Megan''s hands as she walked through the music room door behind her.


    Megan jumped as Julie continued past her to set a violin down on the teacher''s large central podium. "Next person to see Mrs. Willis, could they tell her the violin''s arrived?" the long haired brunette asked. "She was supposed to be picking it up from the office but I guess she got sidetracked. So I said I could bring it here."


    "Oh, of course. The two of you, working together. I should have guessed," Megan glowered, crossing her arms over her chest.


    Julie flashed Megan a quick smile, handing the USB drive over to Corry. She then leaned in close to whisper something in his ear. Chartreuse only caught "... would want ... betting ... Megan ..." over Megan saying something about being disappointed, but it was enough.


    "Betting!" Chartreuse challenged Megan then, hands on her hips. "You''re betting money on the outcome of the game."


    Megan glanced back at Chartreuse in shock. "How did you... well, what''s wrong with some friends making a wager?"


    Even as Megan spoke, Corry was muttering back to Julie, "... have this out with her...!" But Julie drew back and shook her head.


    "I can''t stay," Julie decided. "It''s best to leave you all to your own devices." She backed away, turning to look at Chartreuse. "Don''t act like his mother, all right?"


    Taking that as a hint to back off, Chartreuse fell silent again, allowing Corry and Megan to circle each other, while Julie left the room.


    "Corry, please," Megan said after a moment. "Don''t make me break out the big guns here or anything." She paused, then glanced over towards the violin on the podium.


    Laurie tried to say something helpful, but Corry already knew where Megan was about to go with this. "You wouldn''t dare," he challenged.


    "Hey, we''re total witnesses," Chartreuse offered, to back him up. "If anything happens here, we''re on Corry''s side!"


    ¡°Hey! Does that mean you would even lie for him?" Megan challenged back. Chartreuse merely glared, watching her closely. Which was when Megan took a few steps forwards... and jumped for the violin.


    "No!" Corry said, moving to block her, hitting the podium himself.


    "Watch it, the violin, the violin," Laurie gasped, charging in from out of the blue. For a moment, Chartreuse stood frozen in shock at Laurie''s heroic actions, even as her friend tripped and slammed into the podium, simultaneously grabbing for the instrument. Corry and Megan, looking as if they''d been about to come to blows, both stopped moving, looking at Laurie in surprise, one of them muttering something inaudible to the other.


    "I''ve got ya," Chartreuse shouted, preoccupied with leaping forwards and reaching out for the redhead. It looked like the podium was going to fall, and take Laurie down with it.


    "Here, quick," Laurie said, shoving the violin at Chartreuse rather than allowing herself to be caught.


    "Fine, I''ve got it," Chartreuse said, taking the handoff only to just as quickly slide the musical instrument onto the floor, in order to properly catch her friend. Now down on one knee, she managed to keep Laurie from knocking herself on the head.


    Which was when Chartreuse heard Corry''s voice from over her shoulder say, "What ARE you DOING?", followed almost immediately by Megan''s snarky voice, "Hey, don''t shove me!"


    Out of the corner of her eye, Chartreuse saw the podium hit the floor near to where she''d placed the violin. Then Megan sat herself down deliberately right on top of the instrument.


    As soon as Megan scooted free, the violin let out a feeble twang, with one of it''s strings popping loose. Corry let out a gasp and fell to one knee, staring in horror at the ruined violin. Chartreuse turned to better see herself, as Laurie finished moving the podium aside in order to get a better look too.


    "Oooh, NO!" Laurie gasped. The body of the instrument itself seemed beyond repair.


    Chartreuse fired a glare at Megan before looking over at Corry. "What do we do now?" she wondered.


    ***


    "Which is when Mrs. Willis got there and so you¡¯ll know the rest from her," Chartreuse concluded. "Odd set of circumstances to be sure, but, you know, it''s pretty obvious Megan is guilty.¡±


    Mr. Hunt frowned. There were obvious differences between her account, and the one provided by her friend Laurie, but one thing in particular stood out. ¡°It sounded like you were facing the opposite direction from the violin. Did you actually see Megan fall on it so deliberately?¡±


    The pink haired girl hesitated. "Well, okay, no, didn''t see that as such," she admitted. "But Megan was sitting right next to it afterwards, and that fakey ''shoving'' comment was, like, pretty telling."


    Mr. Hunt steepled his fingers in front of him. "Is it possible the podium itself fell on the violin?"


    Chartreuse shook her head. "That, no. I wasn''t, like, being totally stupid when I put the thing down, sir. Is that what Laurie said? She must have got it wrong because I was, you know, blocking her view."


    Mr. Hunt looked a little closer at Chartreuse, gauging her sincerity. "Very well," he concluded. "You may go. Tell Corry and Megan that I''ll summon the next person in momentarily."


    Chartreuse nodded, bouncing up out of her seat. "Don''t go TOO too hard on Megan, yeah?" she added as she started for the door. "It might be possible for Julie or Corry to, like, reform her." Then she was gone.


    Once the office door had closed, Principal Dell A. Hunt grimaced and looked over towards his window. He had hoped things would be a bit more clear cut after two accounts, instead they were even less so. Had it been an accident, and was Chartreuse now covering for her friend? Or was Megan really to blame?


    Neither option felt likely. While Chartreuse did have a habit of making up stories, her heart was usually in the right place - so why defend Laurie by attacking Megan in this manner? And while he had recently determined that the Falls girl was trouble, it tended to be because she was pulling the strings... not deliberately sitting on them, so to speak.


    Well, perhaps the up and coming Grade 11 student herself would be the best one to clear up the mystery. Yes, she had to be the next person he would talk to. Dell rose from his desk and went to summon her inside.

 Part 74a: Leading Tones

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 74a: LEADING TONES


    "Corry broke the violin,¡± Megan Falls said simply. She sat down, smoothing out her long skirt. "You won''t hear that from the other three of course, because they''re in their own little seniors clique. In fact, my account will probably be the only truly unbiased one, since I don''t particularly care about what happens to them."


    ¡°That strikes me as a bit pessimistic," Mr. Hunt mused.


    Megan shrugged, levelly meeting his gaze. "It''s simply the truth of the situation. Now, where did you want to start? When Julie first brought the violin in, or with Laurie''s klutz routine?"


    "How about you tell me why you were in the music room in the first place," the principal suggested.


    "Oh, that? Well, I AM in the band," Megan sighed, leaning back in her chair. ¡°As such, I came by to talk to Mrs. Willis about one of our pieces. After classes. It was during our discussion that she was paged away, on account of the donated violin in the office. I said I''d wait around for her to come back, she agreed, adding that if Corry came by, I was to let him know his USB drive was on her podium. If he needed it. That they could always talk about the contents tomorrow."


    Mr. Hunt nodded. "All right. So then Corry and his friends showed up, and you said..."


    ***


    "Hey, Corry. Sorry, but Mrs. Willis can''t talk with you now. She had to see someone about a violin. She did mention that this was on the music podium for you though." Megan held up his USB drive.


    Corry made some random retort, after which Megan cut to the chase by asking about a favour, but all Corry could think about was his dumb band recordings. He made a grab for the device.


    ¡°Concerned? Didn''t you make a backup?" the dark haired girl sighed, moving quickly out of his range.


    That made their whole situation awkward, as what she wanted to explain with regards to Kim Carpenter could look like blackmail. Nevertheless, she broached the topic, and Corry grudgingly accepted the conversational shift.


    "Kim is in the chess club," Megan continued, with exaggerated patience. "They''re having a tournament next week, and I owe her, so I''d like for Kim to do well. If you catch my drift."


    "This is outrageous," Corry protested, as Laurie and Chartreuse began mumbling to each other.


    Megan shook her head. "Look, I''m not saying she has to win. Simply hint to your people that she should be in the top three. It''s about time I flexed SOME authority, and she''s a devout follower of mine. Is this really so inconvenient?"


    "Okay, like, listen Megan," Chartreuse randomly put in, stepping forwards. "It is, you know, totally not cool for Corry to, like, do stuff like this, or some junk."


    "Oh come ON," Megan fired back. "Kim deserves a shot. Now, how long am I going to be holding this device?"


    "Thanks, I''ll take it," Julie remarked, entering the room behind Megan and plucking the USB drive from her hands.


    Megan jumped as Julie continued past her to set a violin down on the teacher''s large central podium. "Next person to see Mrs. Willis, could they tell her the violin''s arrived?" the long haired brunette asked. "She was supposed to be picking it up from the office but I guess she got sidetracked. So I said I could bring it here."


    ***


    Megan paused. "Why DID Julie end up with the violin anyway, Mr. Hunt?"


    The principal interlaced his fingers. "Mrs. Willis was delayed in getting to the office by a matter of some importance with a colleague. The person donating the violin had to depart, and rather than leave the instrument with the secretaries, as the office was closing soon, he preferred to give it to a reliable student who would come directly to the music room. Namely Miss LaMille."


    Megan tapped her finger against her lips. "Hm. I suppose I''d assumed it was something of that sort," she said noncommittally. "Anyway, after JULIE got there..."


    ***This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Megan looked from Julie to Corry and folded her arms. "Oh, of course. The two of you together, I should have guessed."


    She watched as Julie flashed a weak smile, handed Corry''s USB drive back to him, and then leaned in to whisper something in his ear. "Hey!" Megan shouted, hoping to break up the scheming. "Whether you have the recordings or not, Kim will be disappointed if things don''t go the way I''ve indicated."


    "Betting!" Chartreuse said, again randomly tossing in nonsense. She kept on yammering more inane stuff, and being more caught off guard by the interjection than anything else, Megan couldn''t disguise her surprise as she looked back at the pink haired girl. Were people seriously at the point of wagering on her abilities?


    "Well, what''s wrong with some friends making a wager?" Megan challenged, refusing to back down. Chartreuse seemed puzzled as to how to answer, which is when Julie stepped back from Corry.


    "I can''t stay, it''s probably best to leave you all to your own devices," Corry''s partner-in-crime decided. She then turned to look at Megan. "I''m not his significant other, all right?"


    Megan paused, but ultimately gave Julie a slight nod of acceptance at her desire to be seen as separate from the redhead. With that, the brunette left the room, and Megan stepped forwards.


    "Corry, please," she began. "Don''t make me break out the big guns here or anything." She paused, realizing belatedly that she didn''t really have a big gun plan, and thus glanced quickly all about the room for inspiration.


    Laurie cleared her throat. "Um, Megan, maybe Corry could help you if you call the betting off, though I can''t see how he''d be of use since he doesn''t play chess even though you¡¯re right he must know people who do and I''m a little confused here at what you want me to do even assuming I should be helping you out now..."


    "Oh, we''re, you know, totally witless," Chartreuse cut in. "And, like, completely on, you know, Corry''s side!"


    Corry had spoken also, but it was hard to hear him along with everybody else. "HEY!" Megan broke back in. As everyone quieted down, she looked to Chartreuse first. "Are you saying you would even lie for him?"


    That seemed to make Chartreuse stop and think, so Megan took a few steps towards Corry. ¡°As for you," she started - but got no further as her raised heel caught on the carpet, and she stumbled.


    "Uh oh!" Corry said, reflexively moving in to catch her. He smacked his arm into the podium even as Megan grabbed a music stand for stabilization. She held up a hand to keep Corry at bay, but before she could speak again, Laurie was jumping forwards and babbling about the violin.


    Megan watched in surprise as Corry''s sister literally tripped into the huge music podium, grabbing at the instrument. "Is your sister... okay?" Megan muttered.


    ¡°Yeah, don''t involve me in things with my sister around," Corry said back to her, coldly. However, as they spoke, their eyes were on Laurie''s antics.


    "I''ve so totally got ya and such,¡± Chartreuse was shouting, jumping to catch Laurie as the girl seemed about to pull the podium down with her, violin and all. Fortunately, Chartreuse was able to grab the violin away and set it on the ground before it got tangled up in the whole mess. She even more or less stabilized Laurie''s fall.


    That¡¯s when, hoping to regain her control of the situation, Megan took the opportunity to reach out and jab Corry lightly in the chest.


    ¡°Okay, Corry, about Kim..."


    "Hey, don''t shove me!" Corry exaggerated, stepping back... falling towards the ground... and grabbing for Megan, yanking her down on top of him.


    "What ARE you DOING?" Megan shrieked, trying to twist out of his grip. However, both them and the podium were on the ground before she was able to pull her arm back. Megan quickly scooted to the side, out of Corry''s lap, and Corry rolled up onto one knee... and the violin the redhead had landed on let out a feeble twang as one of it''s strings popped loose.


    "Oooh, NO!" Laurie gasped as both she and Chartreuse got their first good look at the damage. The body of the instrument itself seemed beyond repair - and of course, Corry had managed to put Megan into a physical position that made her seem at fault. No doubt for the benefit of Mrs. Willis, who entered moments later.


    "Brilliant," Megan said sarcastically to Corry. "What do we do now?"


    ***


    "So," Megan concluded, leaning forwards in her chair. "Since neither Chartreuse or Laurie got a good view, I''m guessing they either blamed me, or tried to act as if it was an accident. Corry''s testimony? That¡¯s sure to blame me too, as he''ll claim I was the one who actually landed on the violin, courtesy of his ridiculous manhandling. But really, what happens now if you go with majority rules?"


    Megan smiled, hooking some hair back behind her ear. ¡°Let me present you with the likely scenario. I unjustly lose face to Corry in public. My many friends urge retaliation. Things escalate, school politics erupt, and you end up with a big mess on your hands! I''m also hardly in a position to be able to afford replacing the violin all by myself, so you¡¯d be hearing from my parents too. Now, let¡¯s compare that to putting the blame on Corry, where it belongs. He won''t DARE retaliate against me. Trust me on that one.¡±


    The dark haired girl brought her closed hand down on the arm of the chair. ¡°Heck, even if you don¡¯t blame Corry, it¡¯s his silly friends who put the violin on the floor in the first place. So I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s at fault here! Surely you see that now?¡±


    Mr. Hunt remained silent for another few moments. "Are you done?" he said at last.


    He wagered it was his cold expression more than the words that helped Megan realize she had overreached. She presumably had to force herself not to flinch, making a show of smoothing her dress again. ¡°Yes, thank you."


    "Then you may go, and send in Corry," the principal concluded. "I''ll advise you of my final decision tomorrow morning. See to it that nothing ¡®escalates¡¯ in the interim.¡±


    ***


    "So," Mr. Hunt began, after a few moments of meeting Corry''s gaze in silence. "Who do you believe was at fault for the property damage?"


    Corry frowned, then shifted in his seat to lean against the arm of the chair. ¡°With all due respect, sir... the fact that you don¡¯t seem sure of my answer after three prior accounts confirm for me that this situation is, ah, complicated. In light of that, I''d prefer to tell you the story from my own point of view. After that, you can decide on the answer for yourself.¡±


    A pause, and then the principal nodded slowly. "All right, Mr. Veniti. Begin with your arrival in the music room."

 Part 74b: Leading Tones 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 74b: LEADING TONES 2


    "Hey, Corry. Sorry, but Mrs. Willis can''t talk with you now. She had to see someone about a violin. She did mention that this was on the music podium for you though." Megan held up his USB drive.


    "Oh. I see," Corry said, frowning.


    "Though you know," Megan continued blithely, "since I''ve been so nice to you lately, I think it''s time you did me a favour in return."


    "Depends on if I get my recordings back," Corry said, moving towards her.


    "You didn''t make a backup, did you,¡± Megan smirked, dodging away from him. "Come come, there''s no need to rush. Let''s talk about Kim Carpenter."


    "Okay, I know of her," Corry said with a shrug - and a glare.


    "Kim is in the chess club," Megan elaborated. "They''re having a tournament next week, and I owe her for the Julie deal, so I''d like for the girl to do well. If you catch my drift."


    "That''s outrageous," Corry protested, even as he heard his sister murmur something to Chartreuse.


    "... more going on ... indebted to Megan ..." was all Corry could pick out of Chartreuse''s reply, seeing as Megan was continuing to speak at him.


    "I''m not saying she has to win," the dark haired girl stated. "I just want you to get her in the top three. I mean, it''s about time I flexed my authority over you - or would you prefer I demand a more humiliating action?"


    "Listen Megan," Chartreuse cut in, stepping forwards. "Corry''s right not to, you know, get involved in this stuff just now."


    "Oh come ON," Megan fired back. "Kim deserves a shot. And we''re going to keep talking about this, so long as I¡¯m holding this USB drive.¡± She held it up again for emphasis.


    "Thanks, I''ll take that," Julie remarked, plucking it from Megan''s hands as she walked into the room behind her.


    Megan jumped as Julie continued past her to set a violin down on the teacher''s large central podium. "Next person to see Mrs. Willis, could they tell her the violin''s arrived?" the long haired brunette asked. "She was supposed to be picking it up from the office but I guess she got sidetracked. So I said I could bring it here."


    "Oh, of course," Megan retorted, folding her arms as she looked from Julie to Corry. "The two of you working together. I should have guessed."


    Julie flashed Megan what Corry interpreted to be an apologetic smile before handing his recordings back to him. Then she leaned in, in order to whisper into his ear.


    "Kim would want to win on her own merits," came Julie''s quiet advice. "I''m betting that Megan never even asked her permission."


    Megan''s attempt to interrupt Julie by saying something about Kim''s disappointment was similarly cut off by an exclamation by Chartreuse. "Betting!" the pink haired girl challenged, hands on her hips. "You''re betting on the outcome of the game."


    Megan fired a confused look back at Chartreuse. "Well, what''s wrong with some friends making a wager?" she said defensively.


    This whole situation was starting to click for Corry though. Julie would, after all, know Kim''s preferences, having been a former ally of Kim herself. So Megan getting him to rig the chess tournament would only be of benefit to her and any betting friends, regardless of whether his involvement was successful, unsuccessful, or even discovered. "Let''s have this out with her then," Corry quickly whispered to Julie in return.


    Instead, Julie drew back, shaking her head. "I can''t stay," she asserted. "It''s probably best to leave you all to your own devices.¡± She glanced at everyone as she turned away, mumbling, ¡°No need for the voice of another, right?"


    Corry opened his mouth to protest, but then thought better of it and simply pocketed his band¡¯s recordings. Megan was the first to speak up after Julie left. "Corry, please," she insisted. "Don''t make me break out the big guns here or anything."


    The redhead frowned, not sure if Megan was turning her gaze towards his sister or the violin, so settled for a blanket, "You wouldn''t dare," as his reply.


    However, by that point Laurie had also started into a bit of a panicky run-on sentence about the feasibility of Corry giving help to Megan. Laurie stopped only when Chartreuse interjected with, "Oh, we''re, like, total witnesses. If anything happens here, we''re, you know, on Corry''s side!"


    "HEY!" Megan shouted in obvious irritation. She rounded on Chartreuse. "Does that mean you would even lie for him?" Without waiting for an answer, she began to advance on Corry. "As for you," she started, but got no further, lurching to the side. It was a little hard to tell if the stumble was genuine or planned, but Corry moved to help her regardless.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Yeow!" spilled from Corry¡¯s lips instead, as he misjudged the location of the central podium, bashing his elbow hard against it. The podium vibrated, even as Megan managed to catch herself on a stand, raising a hand to halt Corry''s advance.


    He raised both his own hands to acknowledge he''d keep his distance - which was when things took a decidedly bizarre turn.


    "Watch it, the violin, the violin," Laurie gasped, and out of the corner of his eye Corry saw his sister charge forwards, trip, and slam into the tall podium, wrapping her hands around the musical instrument. The podium itself, which he granted might have been unbalanced by his earlier actions, now began to tip for sure.


    Megan began to lower her arm. "Is your sister... okay?" she mused, quirking an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah, don''t involve me in things with my sister around," Corry retorted, turning to try and help Laurie out. Chartreuse was able to move a little faster.


    "I''ve got ya," Laurie''s friend shouted, jumping to catch her. However, Laurie was apparently more concerned with the violin.


    "Here, quick, take it," his sister said, shoving the violin at Chartreuse.


    "I''ve got it," Chartreuse retorted, and with a finesse that managed to impress even Corry, she was able to slide the violin onto the floor while dropping down on one knee, yet still get her arms back into a position to brace Laurie. Though with her hands free, Laurie was also able to partially break her own fall.


    As the podium fully overbalanced itself, Corry turned back towards Megan to check her reaction. Only to have the dark haired girl reach out and jab him in the chest. "Now Corry, about Kim," the girl began.


    Unfortunately, the half step back that Corry had taken to try and avoid Megan''s jab caused him to knock against Chartreuse''s leg, and now he was the one off balance. He instinctively reached out for Megan, trying to keep from falling. She only stared, dumbstruck, as he grabbed her arm.


    "What ARE you DOING?" Megan protested, trying to twist free by pushing at him.


    "Don''t shove me!" Corry warned her simultaneously - but it was too late. He felt himself falling back, and pulling Megan along with him.


    It was the feeling of landing on the violin that pained him more than the physical contact with the instrument itself. Though Megan dumping herself into his lap didn''t help the situation. Shoving her out of the way, Corry quickly rolled up onto one knee, but it was too late. It was possible that the neck of the violin had already been hit by the podium, but as to the rest... well, at this point the body of the instrument seemed beyond repair. The violin let out a feeble twang as one of it''s strings popped loose.


    "Oooh, NO," Corry sister gasped upon moving the podium aside.


    "Brilliant," Megan muttered, glaring at him.


    "What do we do now?" Chartreuse wondered, also looking his way.


    ***


    Corry fell silent after completing the story. Hunt scrutinized him before speaking. "So your story is that while you were the direct cause of most of the damage, there were certain extenuating circumstances."


    Corry nodded. "Pretty much. Laurie tripping, Chartreuse¡¯s leg, Megan being NO help... of course, I have no idea if their stories corroborate that. Laurie and Chartreuse weren''t in the best position to see, and while we were waiting outside, Megan said she''d put the worst possible spin on events unless I agreed to her terms about Kim. Needless to say, I didn''t do that."


    "Mmmm. Thing is, it seems possible that you would be accepting the bulk of the blame here simply because it helps your situation with Megan. Or alternatively, in order to avoid the breakage being blamed on your sister. What do you have to say about that?¡±


    Corry shrugged noncommittally. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to interpret things that way, if you like. I will pay up, if that¡¯s your decision.¡±


    The principal rubbed his forehead, the whole situation abruptly reminding him of a movie he¡¯d seen. "Rashomon," he muttered.


    "Sir?"


    "Nothing." The principal stood. "You may go. Come by the office fifteen minutes before school starts tomorrow. At that time, I''ll advise you and then the others as to my decision regarding culpability.¡±


    ***


    Chartreuse slid into the seat next to Corry, plunking her cafeteria tray down on the table. She stared at him pointedly for a few seconds, before saying, "So??"


    He looked back at her. "So?" he repeated easily.


    Chartreuse sighed. "So, come on. You know. What did Hunt decide? When I went to talk to him, he would only say it, like, wasn''t my concern any more."


    "So, maybe he''s right. Maybe it''s not.¡± Corry bit into his sandwich.


    "Co-rry," Chartreuse sighed in exasperation. ¡°I¡¯m serious! I mean, sure, Megan was at fault, but I''m worried I, like, came down too hard on her. In order to deflect away from Laurie. I''ve even, you know, started worrying that I¡¯d mixed up who said what in a couple of places."


    Corry shook his head as he swallowed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that. We all have selective memories to a degree. Which is something Glen could further manipulate with his powers, if we¡¯re not careful. So I¡¯m glad you¡¯re aware of the problem.¡±


    ¡°But if I dug in too much, maybe Megan will target me - us - next or something. Aren¡¯t you worried about her reaction at ALL?¡±


    Corry sighed, then glanced around to see if anyone was specifically listening to their conversation. No one was. ¡°Fine. If you must know, when Julie found out what happened, she went to see Hunt first thing this morning. She¡¯s using her own funds to pay for a replacement. As such, I got let off with a warning, violin case closed.¡±


    Chartreuse blinked. "Oh!" She thought on that for a moment. "You figure Julie felt responsible, considering she, like, brought the violin into the room in the first place?"


    ¡°Beats me. Any discussions I have with Julie these days tend to be initiated on her end,¡± Corry said. ¡°But it¡¯s likely, and while her actions help consolidate our alliance, it doesn¡¯t give Megan a reason to start a civil war. Satisfied?¡± He bit again into his sandwich.


    ¡°I guess.¡± Chartreuse looked down at her cafeteria tray. ¡°So what are you going to do about the, you know, chess match?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep out of it and gamble that Kim¡¯s smart enough to not need any help placing in the top three.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Makes sense.¡± She pushed her peas around on the plate. ¡°So are you SURE that Megan has, like, no reason to--"


    ¡°Chartreuse, really? If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say you had some skeleton in your closet that you didn¡¯t want Megan exposing.¡±


    Chartreuse dropped her fork back onto the tray. ¡°Right, well, that¡¯s silly, because, you know, my default mode is weird, so what could she do to me? Thanks for the info, Corry! I think I¡¯m gonna go eat with Laurie instead. To, like, reassure her.¡±


    She stood back up and grabbed her tray, glancing briefly over her shoulder as she moved away, to see if Corry was still watching her. He wasn¡¯t. No one was watching her. Especially not the pretty blonde girl in the corner, talking to future-boy, no doubt about time travel things that THEY¡¯D once shared together...


    Chartreuse let out a breath through pursed lips. God, she had to stop obsessing. She HAD to. But thus far, every effort to distract herself away from Carrie had ultimately led nowhere. Except back to her classmate. Back to the girl she loved.


    Chartreuse winced. Could it be that she had no option left there aside from... confrontation?

 Part 75a: Hi Anxiety

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 75a: HI ANXIETY


    "Hi Carrie! I¡¯m in love with you. That¡¯s, like, okay, right?¡±


    Chartreuse smiled engagingly. For about five seconds. Then she knocked her fist against her forehead several times and cleared her throat. Finally, taking a quick breath, she looked back into the mirror.


    ¡°Carrie, you look so ravishing today, and you know, for the record, I¡¯d LOVE to ravish... okay, HELL no.¡±


    This time, the pink haired mystic paced back and forth across her bedroom floor several times, pausing twice to adjust the straps of her colourful dress, only then resuming her position in front of the vanity.


    ¡°Carrie, here¡¯s the thing. I feel bonded to you, and it¡¯s not in a powers way, it¡¯s about so much more! It¡¯s like, sometimes when I see you - particularly when you¡¯re cheerleading - I have this, like, overwhelming desire to run over, grab you around the waist, and bury my face into your--"


    ¡°Please, I beg of you, don¡¯t finish that sentence.¡±


    Chartreuse yelped and spun around so fast that she nearly lost her footing. She managed to grab the edge of her desk to stay upright. ¡°Azure! Privacy!¡±


    Her younger sister pointed. ¡°Open door.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were, you know, out studying all this morning!¡±


    ¡°Faye switched it to the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Well... SHOULDER, you perv. Bury my face into her, like, SHOULDER.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh. I would totally take you to task for that, if it weren¡¯t for one thing.¡±


    Chartreuse planted her hands on her hips. ¡°What thing?¡±


    Azure leaned back against the doorframe, shoving her hands into her jeans. ¡°You¡¯re obviously enough of a basket case about it already.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Chartreuse marched over to grab her bedroom door, with the intention of slamming it. Her sister reached out and slapped her palm against it before she could.


    ¡°Hold on. For serious, what¡¯s the deal with you and Carrie?¡±


    ¡°There IS no deal with, you know, us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed. No sessions in how long? What, did she find out you were a lesbian and kick your ass to the curb?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a lesbian.¡± She shoved at the door, but Azure shoved back.


    ¡°Oh, sis, really? You still talk like your last valley girl girlfriend, you CANNOT be that much in denial.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, like, bisexual! Okay?¡± Giving up after a second attempt on the door, Chartreuse went over to her bed, throwing herself sideways onto it and deliberately looking at the opposite wall.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Azure cleared her throat. ¡°Right, well, for the record? Mom thinks you¡¯re a lesbian.¡±


    ¡°Bully for her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying. A day or so after that time I pulled you back from the brink? She sat me down and gave me the whole lecture about respecting people¡¯s life choices. On top of the one about using our power responsibly, I might add. So if you¡¯re going to start switch-hitting? You might want to give her the heads up.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, everyone¡¯s, you know, misconceptions are safe. Carrie¡¯s female too.¡±


    ¡°Okay, back to that. What, you think you¡¯ve still got a chance with that cheerleader girl?¡±


    Chartreuse grabbed her pillow with the intention of throwing it towards Azure, but she ended up clutching it against her chest instead, not sure how to respond.


    ¡°Does Carrie know about your sexual preferences?¡± Azure pressed.


    Chartreuse swallowed. ¡°She¡¯s, like, the only one who does. Aside from Laurie. And now you.¡±


    ¡°So you have a chance. Why¡¯d she end your mystic sessions?¡±


    ¡°To be with her boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t have a chance. I¡¯m starting to see the problem.¡±


    Chartreuse gripped the pillow tighter. ¡°Thing is, I¡¯m not sure Carrie can be, like, HAPPY with Glen. Especially recently, now that we know for a fact how he likes her for who she¡¯s going to become, whereas I¡¯M the one who, you know, likes her for who she is NOW.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Okay, well, you didn¡¯t always feel that way.¡±


    Chartreuse rolled over to eye her blue haired sister again. Azure was now leaning against the bedroom wall, hands behind her head, staring back at her. ¡°Meaning what?¡± Chartreuse demanded.


    ¡°Meaning I¡¯m not a totally insensitive jerk. I wouldn¡¯t have teased you so much about Carrie if I¡¯d thought you had the hots for real. You spent all summer together without wanting to jump her bones. What changed?¡± She paled. ¡°Oh no, was it the teasing itself?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, don¡¯t give yourself so much credit.¡± Chartreuse thought back to that time at the dance, when she¡¯d acted as Carrie¡¯s anchor to the present. When she¡¯d felt their hearts beating in tandem. When their powers had practically interfaced, and not only then, but days later at school.


    ¡°It was a little over a month ago that I, like, became consciously aware of something that I¡¯d known for a while,¡± she concluded. ¡°Namely that the two of us... resonate. Spiritually. Despite Carrie¡¯s, you know, fears, and her occasional bouts of bitchiness doing their best to mask it. Once I was past that, deep down... I saw we, like, resonate.¡±


    Azure stared. ¡°Resonate? What does THAT mean, is this some mystic family thing that I¡¯m gonna understand when I¡¯m older?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, like, hard to explain, okay?¡± Chartreuse sighed. ¡°It¡¯s why I feel like I¡¯m bisexual. I¡¯ve tended to, you know, feel romance spiritually like that before it gets tied to gender.¡± She smacked herself in the face with her pillow. ¡°A feeling which is now the reason I can¡¯t quit Carrie.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t quit Carrie because she hasn¡¯t outright rejected you yet. Which, now that I understand where this came from, is because she hasn¡¯t been given that opportunity, right? Is that what you¡¯ve been ramping up to today, with your posturing in front of the mirror?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Chartreuse kicked herself back up into a sitting position. ¡°I mean, part of me thinks that once she¡¯s said ¡®no¡¯, I can, you know, get on with my life. Except, what if she says, like, ¡®never come near me again¡¯? I don¡¯t think I could TAKE that, and we¡¯re still sorta friends now, so maybe I should, you know, keep trying to be happy with that.¡±


    ¡°Mmm hmmm. What if she says ¡®yes¡¯?¡±


    Chartreuse felt thrown off her stride. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Geez, sis. You¡¯re building up this huge confession/rejection scenario in your head, and time delaying it as much as you can. Well, what if Carrie says ¡®yes¡¯ to a relationship? What if our whole school starts talking about you two as this huge lesbian couple, because they don¡¯t understand the whole bisexual thing?¡±


    Chartreuse bit down on her lip. ¡°Oh, geez. I like to think I wouldn¡¯t, like, care that much. But Carrie sure would. Which means there¡¯s, you know, no WAY I can talk to her.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you HAVE to talk to her,¡± Azure sighed. ¡±Otherwise you¡¯ll go nuts. More than usual. But you also have to come at this from Carrie¡¯s point of view. Otherwise, you¡¯re not gonna be able to interpret whatever she answers, and you¡¯ll be back here moaning in another two weeks.¡±


    Chartreuse shifted her gaze from Azure back to her vanity. ¡°Huh. Meaning... when I say it... don¡¯t, like, make it a declaration of love? Because that makes it awkward. And about me. When it¡¯s, you know, more about me caring for her in a special way. In private, if necessary.¡± She smiled. ¡°Heck, Carrie should like me framing it as being about her, she¡¯s got an ego.¡± Chartreuse drew in a deep breath. ¡°Thanks, Azure.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Feel better now?¡±


    Chartreuse nodded. ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°Awesome.¡± Her sister pushed off from the wall. ¡°In gratitude, you¡¯re now covering my laundry duty for the rest of the month.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what??¡±


    ¡°Bye sis, love you,¡± Azure said, waving airily as she vanished into the hallway. Chartreuse finally threw the pillow at her.


    ***


    Luci spotted Frank shortly after entering the library. He waved her over, then returned to scrutinizing the book he had on the table.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m here, what is it you¡¯ve found?¡± Luci asked, leaning in to look over his shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s..." Upon turning his head and seeing how close she was, he seemed to freeze up.


    Luci took a sideways step away from his chair. ¡°Sorry. Too close?¡±


    ¡°No, it''s... well, maybe. I¡¯m still processing the fact that we¡¯re not... you know.¡±


    ¡°Dating?¡± Luci finished. She shifted her weight back and forth. ¡°You can send me an email or something with whatever you found out, if that¡¯s easier.¡±


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s silly. We¡¯re still friends, and I invited you here because this is something you really do need to see in person. I¡¯m just... still processing.¡±


    Luci sighed. ¡°Honestly? I kind of am too,¡± she admitted. She pulled out the chair next to Frank and sat down. ¡°Not so much the physical proximity stuff, but when I¡¯m writing in my diary, like about a movie I want to see, I¡¯ll first think ¡®I should talk to Frank about this!¡¯. As if that wouldn¡¯t be super awkward. So I¡¯m glad you thought of a better reason to call me.¡±


    He smiled wryly. ¡°Alas, it¡¯s just back to time travel. A little personal project I undertook, until Carrie becomes more forthcoming with us. To keep busy.¡± He glanced at the book of local newspaper clippings, then met her gaze again. ¡°In fact, context first. You know how Carrie banished Mindy to some other time?¡±


    Luci nodded. ¡°Tough thing to forget. Carrie almost got you too, and Julie, and me.¡±


    ¡°Right. And Clarke later told me that Carrie had said she didn¡¯t know when Mindy ended up. But ignoring the ¡®when¡¯, doesn¡¯t it stand to reason that, geographically, Mindy would still have ended up here in town?¡±


    Luci leaned on her elbow. ¡°I guess. Temporal Carrie sure didn¡¯t seem to be in the mood to be doing spatial calculations. Though that means it¡¯s equally possible Mindy found herself floating out in Earth orbit around the sun.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a chilling thought... I prefer mine. Which led me to the idea that, what if Mindy left a footprint back in that past? Here in town? One that we might be able to locate today?¡±


    Luci frowned. ¡°Like what? ¡®Don¡¯t let Carrie get shot¡¯ carved into a tree trunk 400 years ago?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t need to go that far back.¡± He pulled over the newspaper book. ¡°What¡¯s your opinion on this?¡± He tapped at the section ¡®Reader Poetry¡¯.


    Luci scanned over the entry he was indicating.


    ¡®Back through time, to this Narrow Glen,


    I¡¯ve thought within it, now and then.


    Of what I did, of memories lost,


    Of charging forward, no matter the cost.


    Thus, when what was old, becomes new again?


    Do heed these words: Don¡¯t trust that Glen.¡¯


    It was simply signed, ¡°Mindy¡±. Luci jerked her gaze up to the top of the page.


    ¡°Published five years ago,¡± Frank acknowledged. ¡°On the exact date in October when Mindy first appeared, smashing into our school. That¡¯s how I found it. I thought I¡¯d check those anniversary newspapers first.¡±


    Luci sat back. ¡°Damn. I mean, we have no guarantee that this was our Mindy, but that¡¯s a freaky coincidence. Though more to the point... only five years, Frank? This means that, even if we were to assume this ¡®Mindy¡¯ poet was eighty years old..." Her voice trailed off.


    He nodded. ¡°Mindy could still exist in our present.¡±

 Part 75b: Hi Anxiety 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 75b: HI ANXIETY 2


    Clarke followed Tim upstairs to his bedroom. ¡°You know, we could simply talk down in the living room,¡± he suggested.


    Tim shook his head. ¡°All discussions with L-Luci about L-Linquist¡¯s l-language have been in my room. M-Might as well keep the weirdness confined to that part of the house.¡±


    Clarke frowned. ¡°What¡¯s Julie doing that¡¯s weird?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. S-Sorry, that¡¯s not what I m-meant...¡± Tim pushed open the door to his room then gestured at his desk chair, moving to sit on the edge of his bed. Clarke closed the door after them before sitting. ¡°It¡¯s just, everything¡¯s kinda connected,¡± Tim finished. ¡°And I don¡¯t want m-my parents walking in at a bad time.¡±


    ¡°Right. Okay.¡± Clarke rubbed his neck. It felt like they should ease into the conversation. ¡°So, how are your studies?¡±


    Tim smiled. ¡°Fine. Also, Julie appreciated your birthday card.¡±


    Or Tim could cut to the chase for him. ¡°She said that?¡±


    ¡°Not at first,¡± Tim admitted. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to understand her m-mannerisms. Her exact words were, ¡®At least he didn¡¯t send a gift too¡¯, but she seemed flustered. The way L-Luci gets sometimes when explaining to me about a l-linguistic time travel thing that once included Frank.¡±


    ¡°Ah. And her parents, did they..."


    ¡°They d-didn¡¯t do anything. They d-didn¡¯t even come back to town this year. Jeeves got Julie a cake, that seemed to be enough.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Clarke said, feeling relieved. He¡¯d hated the idea of not being there for Julie while her parents were around. A thought occurred. ¡°How much has she told you anyway? About her family?¡±


    ¡°She said they were t-terrible to her in p-private, hence Jeeves is acting as her father. And not to spread that around the school.¡± He smiled. ¡°She t-tells me the stuff that she knows you¡¯ll be worried about. Clarke, this whole staying c-connected to you through me? I think she really means that.¡±


    Clarke nodded. ¡°Except she won¡¯t tell me directly.¡±


    He licked his lips. ¡°I think she knows that, unlike me, you¡¯d end up pressing her for m-more details. Or m-maybe that she¡¯d hate herself m-more for not giving them?¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, what about you, are you okay with this arrangement?¡±


    Tim uncrossed then recrossed his legs. ¡°I was getting pulled back in anyway, through L-Luci. This is a g-good way for both you and Julie to be h-happy without jeopardizing whatever Julie¡¯s d-doing. Plus I get a better idea of what¡¯s really going on with all my f-friends.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly an answer.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Right.¡± The shorter boy ran a hand back through his curls. ¡°I¡¯m okay with this,¡± he decided. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s one m-more thing on top of Corry¡¯s band, but we¡¯re high school seniors now. I gotta get better at r-responsibility and c-conversations and the like.¡±


    Clarke nodded. ¡°You will let me know if it gets uncomfortable though, yes?¡±


    Tim smiled again. ¡°For sure.¡±


    After a bit more talk about Julie¡¯s state of mind, discussion shifted to Linquist¡¯s language, Corry¡¯s band, and finally the courses they were taking that year. Clarke was struck by just how much Tim was becoming a part of their circle of ¡°temporal friends¡±. Though - like Lee - Tim was managing to stick to the fringes of the action.


    Clarke wondered how sustainable that situation was.


    ***


    ¡°What can I get you?¡±


    Chartreuse looked up at the redheaded waitress. ¡°A whiskey?¡±


    Theresa lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Unless you¡¯ve had a few extra birthdays, I think you¡¯ll need to try again.¡±


    Chartreuse smiled weakly. ¡°Right. Then, like, a water. Actually, two waters.¡± Just as well - she had no idea what she¡¯d be like while drunk.


    ¡°You got it.¡± Theresa smiled. ¡°And hey, whatever you¡¯re working up the courage for? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got that too.¡±


    As the cafe waitress moved off, the pink haired mystic turned her attention towards the cafe window beside the booth. The cold November wind was blowing leaves and scattered newspaper pages down the street outside. The pages reminded Chartreuse that midterm report cards would be out soon. Which in turn reminded her that, one year ago, Carrie had been in the hospital. Heck, about a month ago Carrie had been back in the hospital! So what if it happened again, and Chartreuse STILL hadn¡¯t said anything? No. She wasn¡¯t going to back off today. She couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Hey, Chartreuse,¡± Carrie said, shrugging off her jacket and hanging it on the peg by the booth before sliding in to sit across from her.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Carrie,¡± Chartreuse acknowledged, watching her through the reflection in the glass of the window. She closed her eyes, counted to three, then turned to face her friend while simultaneously reaching out to grasp both Carrie¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I gotta, like, say this now. See, you are, you know, so VERY important to me. Like, more than friends important. And, you know, it¡¯s important for me that you know that, even if I can never, like, show you those important feelings in public.¡± Chartreuse swallowed. ¡°Or maybe even in private. But I couldn¡¯t keep holding it in, you know? So I hope you knowing about my romantic feelings doesn¡¯t, you know, destroy our friendship forever?¡±


    Carrie raised her eyebrows and blinked her blue eyes, her gorgeous blue eyes. Seemingly on the verge of making a quip, with the corner of her mouth turned up, she then thought better of it, and instead said, ¡°Actually, Chartreuse, I¡¯ve suspected you felt that way.¡±


    Having not anticipated that particular response, Chartreuse wasn¡¯t sure where to go with the conversation. She released Carrie¡¯s hands from her grip. ¡°You... but... h-how long?¡±


    Carrie reached up and started to do that cute thing where she looped strands of her hair around her fingers and started tugging. ¡°From when Clarke¡¯s sister was in town. I got to thinking more about how you¡¯d been reacting to me then, and as such I started paying more attention to how you were looking at me presently. To be honest, when I clued in as to your true feelings, I was squicked out. Initially.¡± She paused.


    ¡°Initially?¡± Chartreuse squeaked out, her insides feeling like they were being compressed in a vice.


    Carrie sighed. ¡°When did it start for you? Like, all summer, were you undressing me with your eyes while I was obliviously--"


    ¡°NO!¡± Chartreuse gasped. ¡°It was, like, the dance, at the end of September. When we were, you know, doing that reading on Corry, and I worried I¡¯d almost lost you. That¡¯s when I really felt connected, when I really felt... felt us..."


    Carrie let out a breath. ¡°Okay. Okay, good, that makes me feel better about things. I think.¡± She yanked hard on her hair, hard enough to start grimacing. ¡°Thing is, we BOTH know I date guys. So if that¡¯s my preference, you know what that HAS to mean for us as a couple, right?¡±


    Chartreuse reached into her pocket, squeezing the meditation crystal she¡¯d placed there. Seeking a measure of tranquility in the inevitable end. ¡°Carrie, I can¡¯t say it. You have to, you know, say it to me.¡±


    ¡°Chartreuse..." Carrie¡¯s eyes flickered all around the room, checking for anyone listening, or perhaps seeking a distraction, before finally bringing her gaze back to Chartreuse¡¯s face. The blonde bit down on her lip. ¡°Chartreuse, I... I... damn it, the fact is, I don¡¯t know. I actually don¡¯t.¡± She winced. ¡°Ohh, no, please don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°That crazy hopeful look, don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°What look am I SUPPOSED to, like, get?!¡±


    ¡°Please, not that one.¡± Carrie¡¯s already low voice became a whisper. ¡°Chartreuse, seriously, I don¡¯t think I like girls. Not like you do.¡±


    Chartreuse slumped in her seat. ¡°Carrie, you¡¯re killing me here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like girls in a romantic way - but honestly, with you I don¡¯t know. So maybe you''re... different somehow?¡±


    ¡°Carrie, I¡¯m still a girl!¡±


    ¡°But you... go both ways.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t, like, make me not a girl. Look!¡± Chartreuse straightened, stretching her arms out. ¡°Girl parts. Same as you.¡±


    ¡°I... I know.¡± Was Carrie¡¯s gaze lingering a bit on her body? Or was that wishful thinking? ¡°Okay, let me lay it all out here,¡± Carrie sighed, looking over at the window.


    ¡°Like I said, at first I was squicked out by the thought of the two of us. Particularly given how you¡¯d been training me. But then I realized, the first guy I decided to really commit to, Glen? He turned out to be a trainer too! Worse, he¡¯s mostly seeing me as Future Carrie, making him the latest in a LONG chain of guys who never do it for me emotionally. And with that realization, coupled with your apparent interest, came a questioning of my entire gender choices. Leading to me no longer being squicked, but more, uh, curious.¡±


    She returned her gaze to Chartreuse, her cheeks colouring in a way that made Chartreuse want to hug her. ¡°But DON¡¯T get excited, because following that I, uh, looked up a couple stories. On the internet. And reading them didn¡¯t turn me on. I just couldn¡¯t picture myself doing, um, those things. Or not in that way. So I guess that means I¡¯m straight? Except the girls in those stories weren¡¯t like you, heck, NO ONE is like you, so... so we¡¯re back to damn it, I don¡¯t know. You know?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Chartreuse admitted, wishing for all the world that she did. ¡°I never, like, went through a questioning phase. My parents talked to me, I read some books, and it all kind of, you know, snapped into place.¡±


    ¡°Lucky you,¡± Carrie sighed.


    ¡°Could you two keep it down here, please? You¡¯re bothering the other patrons.¡±


    Chartreuse jerked her gaze over to Theresa, who was now setting a couple of water glasses on their table. She tried to keep from looking too troubled, figuring Carrie¡¯s horrified, wide-eyed stare said it all.


    As soon as the water glasses were down, Theresa raised both hands. ¡°Wow, sorry! That was a joke. I don¡¯t know what you said, you two girls have been as quiet as church mice. Quieter, even. CSIS is worried you¡¯re planning some form of espionage. I¡¯ll assume you need another few minutes before you order, okay?¡±


    As Theresa moved off, Carrie let her bright red face drop down until her forehead was touching the table. Chartreuse reached over to give her friend a pat on the shoulder. ¡°Carrie, would you like to, I don¡¯t know, sleep with some of my crystals tonight? To, you know, relax your mind?¡±


    The noise Carrie let out was either a laugh or a sob, it was hard to tell. Then she raised her head, and it was even harder to read her expression. ¡°Sleep with your CRYSTALS? Oh, Chartreuse.¡±


    ¡°Carrie... um, look, that wasn¡¯t, like, a euphemism..."


    ¡°I know. Oh, I know.¡± Carrie reached out to grasp Chartreuse by the arm, and now her smile was genuine. ¡°Please, keep being the random, confusing ray of sunshine in my tortured, temporal existence. Just know that, as far as any relationship goes..." Carrie¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°You¡¯re still, you know, figuring things out?¡±


    Carrie slowly nodded, then pulled her hand back. ¡°I am. I will tell you something though, in light of this. Something that¡¯s going to break all the rules I set in place, including us not talking about powers any more. So promise not to tell Glen about it?¡±


    Chartreuse nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Her hair looped around her fingers again. ¡°Okay. Here it is. I... last month, I... oh hell. I wiped an entire timeline out of existence. To save a single person.¡±


    Carrie¡¯s face had become neutral, but something about her eyes seemed to be asking ¡®could you love a person capable of that?¡¯. ¡°Carrie..." Before Chartreuse could complete the thought, she was struck by a realization. ¡°Was the person Frank?¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡± Carrie untangled her hand from her hair. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°This, like, impression I had last month. When the two of us were checking on you in the hospital. Looking back on it, I thought I had, you know, misread his upcoming breakup with Luci. But if your condition back then was, like, linked to this wiped out timeline thing..."


    ¡°It was,¡± Carrie confirmed. ¡°And if you were that close to working it out? Maybe it explains why Glen seems to know something now too." Carrie shook her head, then made a decision.


    ¡°Chartreuse, I can¡¯t handle this alone. After we order? No more secrets between us.¡± She smiled sadly. ¡°I¡¯m going to lay a timeline theory on you that will blow your mind.¡±

 Part 76a: Bad Signs

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 76a: BAD SIGNS


    "So. You know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    "You''ve suspected as much for quite some time now," came Glen¡¯s easy reply. "The question is, what are you going to do about it?"


    Julie clenched her fists. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you win."


    Glen shook his head before smiling at her. "Look, Julie... this isn''t about winning or losing. It''s about what has to be. A time machine in this era makes the timelines too unstable. You¡¯re on borrowed time as it is. Trust me, Julie, if you persist, you will be stopped."


    "It''s been over a month,¡± the brunette countered. "We¡¯re nearly into December, and you haven''t managed to stop me yet. Plus there are forces in the future working in my favour. Why not simply concede defeat? Then we can both get back to leading a normal life."


    Glen shoved his hands into his pockets, shaking his head. "You know I won''t do that. So unless you have anything sensible to say, I guess we had nothing to discuss here after all."


    The two of them continued to stare at each other for a moment, before Julie finally clenched her jaw, spun on her heel, and left Willowdale park.


    ***


    "W-What''s on your mind, Luci?" Tim wondered.


    The young girl jumped, as if realizing he¡¯d caught her staring off into space. "Oh, uh... nothing, nothing. You were saying something about the dictionary we¡¯re making?¡±


    Tim set his pencil aside. ¡°That was f-five minutes ago. I¡¯d moved back into the passages themselves. Luci, are you... okay?¡±


    Luci gestured dismissively, then seemingly changed her mind and pursed her lips together. ¡°Mostly.¡±


    Tim leaned his elbow against the desk. ¡°What¡¯s the r-rest of it about? Frank again?¡±


    She grimaced. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m either becoming very transparent, or very single minded.¡±


    Tim smiled. ¡°You two were g-going out for over half a year. It¡¯s only natural that he¡¯s still on your mind when this time travel comes up.¡±


    Luci shook her head, her small ponytails whipping back and forth. ¡°It isn¡¯t memories this time, it''s..." She sighed. ¡°Honestly? I had these issues. Emotional ones. Now I¡¯ve started chatting with the school counsellor, so I think I¡¯m getting it sorted out. Which is fine for me, but what about him?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I made Frank fall in love with me, dated him as long as it suited me, then dropped him like yesterday¡¯s news! How terrible of a person does that make me? It feels even worse than how Carrie used to be, at least she didn¡¯t spend months playing with the emotions of the guys she one-off dated.¡±


    Tim stared. ¡°You... you don¡¯t really believe all of what you¡¯re saying do you?¡±


    ¡°Kinda, sorta, almost,¡± Luci mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m p-pretty sure you can¡¯t MAKE someone fall in love with you. And that you didn¡¯t have the end in mind while g-going out. Besides, couples g-get together and split apart all the time - and it¡¯s not l-like you took private pictures of Frank and threw them on the internet, or spread rumours about him n-not measuring up or something.¡±


    She looked horrified. ¡°Tim, I would NEVER--"


    ¡°There, see? N-Not so terrible of a person. Human, like all of us.¡±


    Luci slumped. ¡°Maybe. But it¡¯s still awkward somehow, when I see him. So I was thinking - should I tell Frank we¡¯re a couple again? I mean, just because I¡¯m not feeling it NOW doesn¡¯t mean I WON¡¯T, not if we... do couplish things again. Maybe.¡±


    ¡°D-Do you really believe that would be best?¡±


    ¡°I... no. No, not really.¡± She rested her head in her hands. ¡°Tim, don¡¯t ever fall in love, it¡¯s a MESS.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Seems unlikely. The only girls I spend any amount of time with are Julie, who still likes Clarke, and you.¡± Luci turned, and lifted an eyebrow. ¡°O-Oh, I don¡¯t mean to imply anything! Like, you¡¯re very loveable, even if I don¡¯t love you. Or don¡¯t love you yet, which, damn it, I¡¯m making things even more awkward..."


    She smiled and reached out to pat him on the leg. ¡°Right, let¡¯s drop it then, okay Tim? I do thank you for being a better sounding board than my cat. Now how about we return to whatever you were saying about the passages?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Tim let out a breath. ¡°R-Right.¡± Thank goodness. He pointed to the pages of information spread out on the desk. ¡°Look at this part, which refers to Linquist''s initial plan to create that %gun of temporal freezing%."


    "Meaning gun of temporal freezing," Luci translated, off of his attempted pronunciation of the actual phrase. ¡°What of it?¡±


    ¡°He seems to credit the idea to someone else."


    Luci''s eyebrows shot up. "Let me see that," she requested, pulling their notes a bit closer.


    Tim pushed back to let her scan through, though he had no doubt that he was correct. Ever since the two of them had stopped focusing on the single portion of the book that referenced the inner workings of the gun - the selfsame weapon that had been used to return Carrie to normal after the so-called "Mindy affair" - they had been able to make better progress.


    That was to say, progress with Linquist''s language, despite how it seemed to be murder on the tenses. Construction of the gun itself was still something of a mystery. They still knew little beyond how to charge the weapon up.


    Luci turned back to him, even as Tim heard the doorbell of his house ring.


    ¡°You''re right," she agreed. ¡°I think he''s referring to that same person we saw him mention elsewhere." She frowned, picking up another set of notes. "But it''s still not clear as to whether this other person was an associate of his, a relative, or someone he saw as a specimen."


    Luci flopped back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. "Damn! If only we could get our hands on more than the one single book..."


    Tim reached out to touch Luci''s shoulder reassuringly, thought better of it, then went ahead and did it anyway. "It''s alright," he murmured. "It''s not like we''re under a deadline."


    "Um," came the distracted reply. ¡°Maybe not, but when things start to happen around here? They tend to happen real fast. And unfortunately, we have no sure fire way of predicting our future.¡±


    "Tim!" Mrs. Whitby called out from downstairs. "Friend to see you by the name of Chartreuse."


    Tim exchanged a glance of surprise with Luci. She frowned. "I said no sure fire way," she clarified to no one in particular.


    ***


    "...so, like, from that impression I got off of Julie regarding Glen, it''s obvious that their situation is going to explode," Chartreuse said. "We¡¯ll have to, you know, work together to make sure it won''t cause--"


    "Chartreuse," Luci interrupted. "Why are you telling us this?"


    The pink haired girl eyed her. "Technically, I''m telling Tim this," she pointed out. "But, you know, it''s great that you''re here too! It''s almost like fate in a way. The original group, the 2DEGS, back together, one year later. A reunion tour!¡± She beamed.


    Luci sighed. ¡°I meant why are you telling us this, and not Carrie? She still talks to you, so if the sensations you got from Julie related to a conflict with Glen, isn¡¯t she the more logical choice?¡±


    Chartreuse hesitated. ¡°Well, there¡¯s also the fact that I, like, followed Julie after school. Which led to me, you know, eavesdropping on a conversation she had with Glen in the park. Which, while I didn¡¯t catch everything, did have something to do with, of all things, a time machine.¡±


    Luci sat up straighter.


    "W-Wait," Tim protested. ¡°I thought that the machine had been destroyed. By Carrie. Over a month ago.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Which is why I¡¯m, you know, talking to you,¡± Chartreuse stated. ¡°All I can think is that Julie¡¯s using her cash to fund some sort of top secret research project to build a new one, which Glen is now countering with an army of mind controlled people. I can¡¯t bother Carrie with that, not without being sure! The poor girl has enough on her mind, what with juggling three different timelines.¡±


    Luci blinked. ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend that made sense, and move on to asking why you think me and Tim would be able to offer anything beyond more wild speculations.¡±


    Chartreuse pointed. ¡°Tim spends time with Julie.¡±


    Tim jumped. ¡°O-Only because I¡¯m close to Clarke!¡±


    ¡°But you''re also Glen close," Chartreuse insisted. "Because of, you know, being in Corry''s band. Julie and Glen, they must have been asking about each other last week! This situation feels too big, I can''t believe it came out of nowhere."


    Tim shook his head. ¡°They said n-nothing! Or at least, n-neither of them have said anything around me."


    Chartreuse reached out to seize his hand. "Nono, seriously Tim, think harder about this. It could be, you know, critical!¡±


    ¡°Chartreuse,¡± Luci broke in, ¡°even assuming we buy into this, if Tim says they''re not talking about each other, I''m sure he¡¯s right. They¡¯re both pretty cagey. Besides, are you sure you heard time machine and not, I don''t know, juice machine?"


    The teen mystic cocked her head to the side, releasing Tim. ¡°Luci, why would Julie meet with Glen in secret to, like, talk about a juice machine?"


    Luci shrugged. "The... the school talent show is coming up in a week''s time. Maybe they''re putting together an act, only it¡¯s not going so hot.¡± Okay, that sounded lame, even to her.


    "Oh, w-we''re playing at that show," Tim offered up, apparently seizing the change of subject. "Corry''s band I mean."


    Chartreuse rolled her eyes. "Look, I''m 90 percent sure it was time machine," she countered. "But even if it wasn''t, strong impressions like the one I got from Julie have always, like, come true in some fashion. A fashion of the not good type! You totally have to grant me that much."


    Luci sighed. ¡°Fine, point granted. Tim, ignoring what they¡¯ve been actually saying, have you maybe SEEN anything weird?¡±


    ¡°No! Why would I even be looking for anything?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to start now,¡± Chartreuse decided. ¡°Maybe even fish for extra information from Julie if, you know, you can.¡±


    "About what?? Glen? Some mystery time machine? Why would she tell me anything at all?" the blonde boy protested.


    "Because!¡± Chartreuse began, only to allow her posture to slump slightly. "I dunno. You just seem like the best lead we¡¯ve got. You''re SURE you haven¡¯t, like, seen or heard ANYTHING?"


    Tim shook his head, then sighed at Chartreuse''s crestfallen expression. "H-How about this though," he suggested. "It¡¯s almost the weekend. I¡¯ll be meeting again with Julie. I¡¯ll tell her you''re worried, while keeping an eye out for anything weird."


    Chartreuse grimaced. ¡°Saying I¡¯m worried tips our hand. And I don''t think Julie would be thrilled to know I was spying on her, you know?"


    "I w-won''t mention that part," Tim assured. "I''ll only mention your impression, and see if I can figure out w-why she¡¯s at odds with Glen."


    ¡°But what if Julie clams up?¡± Chartreuse objected. She began to pace. ¡°Still, you¡¯re right, aside from trying to sic Corry on her, I''m not sure where else to go with this. Alright, try the talking thing. Call me as soon as you get home that day to, you know, update me?"


    "What about Carrie?" Luci wondered. ¡°Do we bring her into this?¡±


    Chartreuse began to look pained. ¡°The way Glen sticks by her side these days? No. Not yet. As much for Julie¡¯s own safety, I think we shouldn¡¯t approach Carrie until the point where we have some concrete proof regarding... whatever this is.¡±

 Part 76b: Bad Signs 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 76b: BAD SIGNS 2


    Their conversation had gone surprisingly well to this point, Tim reflected. Too well, in a sense. "Y-Y-You''re being awful calm about this, Julie," Tim murmured.


    The brunette turned from her scrutiny of the swords hanging on the wall of the sitting room. "Yes, well, some other things are on my mind too,¡± she admitted. "I''ve heard every word though. Chartreuse getting impressions, so-called problems with Glen, whether it relates to time travel." She regarded him silently for a moment. "Do you think there''s any truth to it? That is, you personally?"


    Tim shifted uncomfortably. "I know that Clarke thinks Glen and his mind abilities is part of the reason you initially broke up. B-But then, I haven''t seen any evidence of problems between you two. Of course, you hardly speak to anyone n-now.¡±


    A ghost of a smile flickered across Julie''s face. "Except to you."


    "Uh... yeah. I guess."


    Julie crossed her arms. "I''ve been meaning to thank you for that, Tim. At first I didn''t think it would be so bad, returning to my old reclusive ways. But the first time through, in Grade Nine, I still had people to talk to... Carrie and Clarke, from day to day. This time, I couldn''t risk that.¡±


    She turned away from him. ¡°And yet, Glen found out. Damn it, I''m still not sure how.¡± She glanced over her shoulder. ¡°Oh, but Tim, no worries with us, I doubt it was you. Whether Glen caught me in a moment of weakness, or had Clarke''s place bugged that time I spoke with his sister, or... something else. Point is, he knows, and more to the point, his best chance of stopping me is tonight."


    Tim blinked twice, trying to keep himself from fidgeting. "S-S-S-Stopping you?"


    Julie tucked some hair behind her ear. "Yes. Stopping me from rebuilding the time machine."


    ¡°Chartreuse was RIGHT?!¡± Tim gasped.


    Julie smiled, genuinely this time, turning back towards him. ¡°Oh, yes. I honestly have been funding a sort of top secret research project. To construct a single microchip. Because while the majority of the time travel device was salvageable from Carrie''s trash, there is one particular component that has required weeks to recreate. I couldn¡¯t even do it in town, it¡¯s being sent in by professionals thanks to some plans I gave them. And given the friction in my family, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have the pull to get the specialists to do that again.¡±


    She exhaled. ¡°So. If Glen gets his hands on this chip? It''s game over. That must be what Chartreuse sensed."


    Tim shook his head. "Now you''re j-just making fun of me," he protested. ¡°How could anyone in this era, l-let alone you, reassemble a future device l-like that?"


    "Funny thing there,¡± Julie said idly. "Seems our present state of technology isn''t that far off from making these things. Understanding them, yes, but not physically making them. So, thanks mainly to Frank¡¯s plans, which had been stored down in Linquist¡¯s lab, I was able to reverse engineer the necessary component. Granted, I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure it will all work, and there is NO way I¡¯ll be able to fit all the reconstructed circuits back into that black box..."


    She shook her head. ¡°But that¡¯s a problem for next week. First things first, I need that chip. And Carrie - a future Carrie, at any rate - wants me to have it too. Once it''s here, everything else should fall into place."


    "B-But... uh, if Glen doesn''t want you to have it, what will keep him from using his Jedi-like power to take it away from you?¡±


    Julie set her jaw. "This mansion is a very secure place. Jeeves doesn''t know what I''m doing, or where I¡¯m keeping things. And I know a few things about Glen''s mind power. Like with Shady, it works best one on one, and against the weak willed, and I¡¯m always careful not to show weakness around him. I''ve also taken to muttering a particularly annoying pop song if we end up alone together, which I¡¯ve discovered makes it hard for him to get a foothold. Or even want to be around me. No, once the chip is here, it will be safe, and I will have won.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°And I''m sorry, Tim. Now that I''ve told you the truth... I''m going to have to kill you." She interlaced her fingers and cracked her knuckles.


    Tim''s eyes went wide, watching Julie as her eyes flicked over to the swords on the wall and back at him. It had happened. He¡¯d pushed her, and she''d actually snapped! He had no hope of running away. How could he possibly defend himself?? He opened his mouth, his throat dry, wondering if screaming would even do any good...


    Only to see the brunette collapse down to her knees in a fit of giggles. Which, in it¡¯s own way, was almost more disturbing than the threat. In the weeks Tim had been coming here, he''d never seen such an outpouring of emotion from Julie. Certainly not laughter.


    A tear started running down Julie''s cheek as she unsuccessfully clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle her uncontrolled case of the giggles. It took several long seconds of Julie fighting for breath before she could speak again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Oh, I¡¯m sorry," she gasped out, biting down on her lip. ¡°But I¡¯ve been holding it all in for SO long, I simply couldn¡¯t resist saying that at the end, and your expression became so damn SERIOUS, I can¡¯t...¡± Julie took in another long breath, wiping off her cheek. "Gods, I haven''t been this amused since..."


    And her expression immediately became more reserved. She cleared her throat. ¡°Right. Sorry.¡± She pushed herself back up onto her feet. ¡°In fact, the real reason I¡¯ve told you everything is... Tim, I need your help."


    "M-My help." He was no longer sure how much of Julie''s ranting he could believe.


    "That''s right. As I said, the chip couldn''t be made locally, it''s being brought in. Tonight. If you¡¯re willing, I need you to meet a particular guy at the train station, get that chip, and bring it back to the mansion for me. Okay?"


    Tim swallowed hard, working up the nerve for what he had to say next. "Y-You''re nuts."


    Julie blinked. ¡°You think?¡±


    Tim nodded wordlessly.


    Julie clapped her hands. ¡°Good on you for speaking your mind! Alas, I¡¯m all too sane. More to the point, I think it¡¯s finally time to speak with you about the day you crept down into Linquist¡¯s lab, while Glen had me busy on the phone.¡±


    Tim flinched. ¡°What? I¡¯ve n-n-never..."


    "Of course, you don''t remember it. His mental powers seem to be able to block, perhaps even erase memories that people don¡¯t want. And you didn¡¯t want to remember betraying me, and by extension, Clarke.¡±


    Tim eyed her, until Julie seemed to sense that more explanation was required. Raking her hands back through her hair, she sat down in a nearby chair.


    ¡°Okay. It was during our very second meeting here. As soon as you were left alone, you went down to have a look in Linquist''s lab. I know this, because you tripped a fine string I was keeping across the entranceway. I also half suspected that¡¯s why Glen had called me in the first place, so I let it happen. It was fine, my keeping anything vital down there would have been way too obvious, so you couldn¡¯t have reported anything useful. Meanwhile, it gave me a chance to observe his abilities in action.¡±


    ¡°J-Julie, I swear, I n-never..."


    ¡°Then why are you glancing towards the china cabinet? I¡¯ve never mentioned that the entranceway to the lab was behind it.¡±


    Tim felt a chill run down his spine. ¡°L-Luci. She must have mentioned it.¡±


    ¡°Did she? I mean, I suppose it¡¯s possible, but DID she?¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know,¡± Tim realized, with mounting horror.


    Julie leaned forwards slightly. ¡°Now, part of me wants to use that act of espionage then, to insist that you owe me now. But despite the corner that I''m being backed into, this really does need to be voluntary on your part. Otherwise I¡¯m stooping to his level.¡±


    ¡°W-W-Why can¡¯t you..."


    ¡°Go myself? Glen has figured out that today¡¯s the delivery day, and so he¡¯ll be keeping an eye on me all evening. All he¡¯ll need is a moment of weakness on my part to grab the chip, and destroy it - and since I¡¯ll be busy throwing up my mental guards, I¡¯ll be physically vulnerable to exactly that.¡±


    She smiled again. ¡°But you? This is a normal visit on your part, it won¡¯t arouse suspicion. And he won¡¯t expect me to take you into my confidence, not after showing me how he can get to you. So, while I believe I have him convinced that I¡¯ll be meeting with someone coming into town by car - you can be the real recipient. Down at the train station. Sound like a plan? Or should I settle for a Plan C, which is much less of a guarantee, but won¡¯t involve you at all?¡±


    Tim swallowed. ¡°You really don¡¯t think Glen will target me?¡±


    Julie¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. He might. In fact, he could have anticipated my recruiting you. But these meetings between us? It wasn¡¯t all about passing information to Clarke. I know you better now. I have faith in your ability to run under the radar. Only thing is, I¡¯ll need your answer before you leave this house today. Since we can¡¯t talk after you do.¡± She paused. "So, will you help me get that chip?"


    Tim found he could only stare, his mind reeling with the implications of what had apparently been going on right under his nose, yet without his knowledge. Given that, did he really want to play a larger role in the midst of all this insanity?

 Part 77a: Double Blind

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 77a: DOUBLE BLIND


    "You look like someone with a problem."


    Tim looked up to see Theresa, the redheaded waitress for the cafe, next to his booth. "You c-could say that," he said glumly.


    He saw Theresa glance quickly around the area; there weren''t very many customers at the moment, which apparently convinced her to slide quickly into the seat across from him. "Seems like I''ve got a second. Want to talk about it with someone impartial? Some of your friends, Clarke in particular, have found that such conversations help."


    A smile tugged at the corners of Tim''s lips. "Better I don''t. It''s not possible to s-stay impartial on THIS subject. I know from experience."


    Theresa chuckled. "Sounds like you''re trying to assimilate something big all at once. Maybe you can break it down into more manageable portions?"


    Tim fiddled absently with the straw in his milkshake for a moment, before glancing at his watch. It had been less than an hour since he''d left Julie''s; just over three hours remained before he would be making the pickup for her. As agreed.


    ''Clarke wants me to help Julie,¡¯ he thought to himself once again. ''He''s always saying how pleased he is that I''m still able to look out for Julie on his behalf. I only hope I''m not playing into her delusions. Or setting myself up for some counterstrike by Glen.¡¯


    The thought brought to mind an additional problem. Clarke would be expecting a call from him soon... as would Chartreuse. He couldn''t tell them the truth, not yet, not tonight. Julie had suggested deflecting, claiming to be tired, and leaving any discussions for tomorrow. But saying that was a half truth at best, and the more he thought about it, the more picking up this package all by himself made Tim uneasy.


    What if Julie really had come unhinged, and had concocted this crazy plot in order to get rid of him, thereby preventing him from getting her the help she needed? Or what if she was telling the truth, except Glen knew exactly what was going on, came after him, and then completely altered his memory of tonight¡¯s events?


    "H-Have you ever suddenly found yourself not knowing who to trust?" Tim finally asked of the redhead.


    Theresa cocked her head to the side. "Actually, yeah. Big time.¡±


    Tim focused his gaze on her. "When? What did you do?"


    The waitress smiled once more. "Instead of boring you with a long, complicated story, how about I just give you a few words of advice..."


    Ten minutes later, Tim headed out of the cafe, a plan forming in his mind.


    ***


    He was at the train station with only two minutes to spare before the train pulled in. Their small station wasn¡¯t a major hub, it was a stop by request only. Fortunately, Julie''s description of the man with the package had been accurate, and Tim had him pegged almost immediately after he poked his head out of the train.


    The guy gave him a skeptical look as he approached. "M-M-Mr. Piquaud?¡± Tim asked. He cleared his throat to try and remove the stutter. What was it Luci had told him on occasion which helped with that? Confidence. It made his talking more like singing. "I''m here for the item."


    ¡°Okay, good. I was told a blonde named Tim might be the one to hand off to. Got some ID to prove that''s you?"


    Tim fished quickly in his wallet for his health card. Piquaud glanced at it, nodded, then pulled a small square box from his jacket pocket. He handed it to Tim, then turned around to presumably resume his seat on the train. Tim swallowed. ¡°That¡¯s... it?"


    "I''m not being paid to stick around," Piquaud retorted. "You''ve got the electronics, bring ''em to LaMille. Oh, tell her next time she makes a request of the company, none of this cloak and dagger routine, okay? Extra pay or not, it''s just stupid. Why would anyone even WANT to intercept a normal FedEx shipment of a single microchip?"


    Tim puzzled over how he could answer that, but it seemed like he wouldn''t have to - the man had already boarded. Either way, it didn''t really matter... so far everything was happening just as Julie had said it would. It remained to see whether her concerns were legitimate.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    As the train pulled out, Tim slipped the box into his jacket pocket and headed back for the front of the station. Which was where he spotted a familiar person waiting for him.


    "Clarke!" Tim called out, hurrying to meet up with his friend.


    The taller boy smiled back at Tim. "Hey there... you know, your phone call was kind of cryptic. Are you going to tell me yet what it is Julie has you doing?"


    Tim paused as he got within arms reach of Clarke, glancing around for anyone who might be observing them. "N-Not yet," he said after a moment. "Just thought it might be best to have you around as we head back to the mansion."


    Clarke nodded. "Alright. Though I can''t think Julie will be pleased to see me."


    "She might be once I tell her you helped me," Tim assured. He glanced around the area once more, which prompted Clarke to do the same.


    "Expecting someone else?" Clarke wondered. "Or just having a paranoia attack?"


    "M-Maybe a bit of both," Tim admitted. "Sorry. Let''s just go."


    "Sure," Clarke said with a shrug. "Though if you''re real creeped out, I could carry the package for you."


    Tim froze in his tracks. "Package?"


    Clarke nodded. "Yeah, the... hey, Tim, you okay?" He reached out for the other boy''s shoulder, but Tim sidestepped him.


    "I never mentioned any package on the phone." The parcel wasn''t that large either, so Clarke shouldn''t have noticed it in his pocket.


    Tim''s friend frowned. "Stands to reason you have one though, right? I mean, why else would you be here?"


    "Might have been to talk with someone. Or to send something off on the train. Or to look something up. Why do you think I have a package?"


    "You... you just have to have one... or else... why would I know about it?"


    The two blonds stared at each other quietly for a moment. Then the side of Clarke¡¯s mouth twitched, and he extended his hand. ¡°Give me the chip, Tim. Destroying it is the only way we can help Julie."


    "That''s what Glen wants you to think," Tim said, regarding Clarke''s outstretched palm with more than a bit of apprehension.


    ¡°Is it? Why would he lie about that?"


    "Because he doesn''t really care about what Julie wants. Only stopping what she''s doing," Tim shot back. He exhaled in relief as he saw the other person running towards them. "Now please, Clarke... if you really trust me, let me get to Julie''s safely." He tried to move around the taller boy, but Clarke blocked him.


    "I... I can''t let you go,¡± Clarke said, a pained look crossing his face as he curled and uncurled his fingers. ¡°Not until..." It was like he was undergoing some sort of massive inner conflict. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand why..."


    "I do," Tim whispered. He turned. "Stall Clarke,¡± he requested of the new arrival.


    "Huh?" Chartreuse said, trying to catch her breath. "Look, sorry I''m, like, a bit late, but..."


    "Keep Clarke here," Tim reiterated, moving so that the pink haired girl was between Clarke and himself before heading away as quickly as he could. "Please, Chartreuse - I''ll explain later!¡±


    "Eh? Uhm, ''k," Chartreuse said, blinking. As Clarke attempted to pursue, she threw himself onto his arm, preventing him from leaving. "So, wait, hey, do you know anything about, like, the big Julie-Glen feud??"


    "I..." Clarke shook his head. As stood there in confusion, Tim hurried out of sight.


    ***


    Trust yourself. That''s what Theresa had said. Put trust in your family and your friends, yes, but above all, you needed to have trust in yourself in order to accomplish something.


    As Tim continued on towards the LaMille mansion, he reflected again upon those words, and how his faith in Clarke had been counterbalanced by giving the same information to Chartreuse. Allowing him to keep his promise of a call to both of them... albeit, leaving him with only himself to trust once more. He would have preferred bringing one of them along, as backup.


    Oh well. He looked again at the small package before replacing it inside his pocket. It would take a while for him to walk the rest of the way to the LaMille mansion, but Julie had been wary of trusting a taxi, or even having Jeeves drive him. And, conspiracy crazy or not, it was starting to look as if at least some of her concerns had been valid. Tim took a deep breath. For a moment, he thought he saw someone following him, but when he turned around there was no one there.


    For the next several blocks, Tim half expected to be accosted at any moment, but the few people he saw strolling around seemed more intent on enjoying the evening than taking notice of him. At least, that was the case until he reached the closest bridge leading over the ravine that cut through town.


    "Tim!" Luci said in surprise. "What are you doing here at this hour?"


    Tim smiled, feeling relieved at the familiar company. "I c-could ask the same of you," he pointed out.


    Luci glanced to the left and right, then took a couple steps closer to him. "Honestly?¡± she muttered. ¡°I got this weirdo call from Chartreuse less than ten minutes ago, saying something about you walking to Julie''s from the train station." She shrugged. ¡°I was nearby, thought I¡¯d see if she was being serious. Guess so - is this related to what we all talked about the other day?"


    "Y-Yeah... kinda..." Tim admitted.


    He was starting to feel conflicted. There was really no reason to doubt Luci''s story, but if Glen WAS trying to come after him, the two best people to use would be Clarke... and Luci. The ones he talked with on a near daily basis. Could Glen have done something to not merely Clarke, but both of them?


    ''Julie''s paranoia is rubbing off,'' he chided himself. ''Careful, or you''ll turn into a recluse like her.''


    "Okay," Luci was saying, dropping into step next to him. "I''ll bite. Did Julie lock Glen up in a trunk and ship him out on the train?"


    Tim shook his head. "Actually, it''s about this chip," he said, pulling the parcel from his pocket again. "We have to make sure it--"


    He never got any further.


    As soon as Luci''s eyes alighted on the parcel, her hand flashed out, tore it from Tim''s grip, and she threw it off the bridge.

 Part 77b: Double Blind 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.1 - Separated


    PART 77b: DOUBLE BLIND 2


    As the package containing Julie¡¯s microchip spiralled down into the darkness of the ravine, Tim''s shocked look met an identical one on Luci''s face. "What... what did I just do?" the young girl said, shifting her gaze from him to her hand to the ravine.


    "You tell me!" Tim said, allowing a wave of anger to rise up to the surface.


    The young girl shook her head, stupefied. "I was overcome by this strong impression that you were carrying something really dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous how, Luci?¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know. I simply couldn¡¯t control the impulse to...¡± She blinked. "I... I''m so sorry, Tim, I don''t know why..."


    ¡°I do.¡± Tim shook his head, turning away from her. "Never m-mind. It doesn''t m-matter right now. Go back home."


    Luci reached out to touch him on the shoulder. "Tim..."


    Part of him wanted to stay with her at that. He forced himself to keep moving. "Just go home. I''ll call you later to explain.¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, Tim saw Luci''s hand fall back to her side, where it clenched into a fist. He fancied that he heard her mutter ¡°Glen?¡± through clenched teeth. Either way, she didn''t follow him, which was good... it seemed more important than ever now that he get this chip to Julie.


    The one he had removed from the package and placed in his pocket not long after leaving the train station. Good thing he''d tested Luci with the package on his own terms, rather than on hers. ''Trust yourself,'' he repeated mentally. ''The one person you can still trust is yourself...''


    ***


    There was definitely someone following him. No matter how much he tried, Tim couldn''t shake that feeling. So as soon as he rounded the corner and got a good view of the LaMille mansion, the young boy let out a sigh of relief, sure that the crazy trip he''d been sent on this evening was almost over.


    The breath caught in his throat. Glen was standing out front, leaning against a street lamp. For a second, Tim hesitated, wondering if there was somewhere else he could go... but in that moment, Glen''s eyes fell upon him, and he knew it would be futile.


    He wouldn''t be able to run fast enough to get away. Besides, it''s not like he was prepared to spend the rest of the night on the run, suspecting everyone of being out to get him. So even as Glen pushed off and made to approach, Tim continued walking towards him.


    The redhead stopped and stood his ground. "I must say," Glen remarked as Tim came within earshot, "I never thought anyone would get this far. Maybe it wouldn''t have been a waste of time to give you a post-hypnotic package suggestion too. Did you honestly make it back here, with the chip, by YOURSELF?"


    Tim decided not to answer. He stopped a couple of paces away, looking up and down the street again. "Where''s Julie?"


    Glen shrugged. "I stopped tailing her fifteen minutes ago. I think she was headed to the post office. It felt like a setup. I was pretty sure she''d put someone else into the real danger. Wondered if it would be you, but alas, I¡¯d put my money on Frank.¡± He stepped forwards. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter now, of course. Hand over the package."


    Tim stepped back. "W-What package?"


    "Oh, let''s not do this," Glen sighed. "It''s been a VERY taxing weekend on my brain already. Do I really have to put the so-called whammy on you as well?"


    "No, I think maybe you don''t," came a new voice.


    An angry look flashed across Glen''s face, as Julie stepped out from behind some cover across the street. "Damn it! LaMille, you are really starting to TICK ME OFF."


    "Good," the brunette retorted as she approached them. "Because the way you''ve been interfering with my efforts over the last month has been ticking me off too!"


    "Why can''t you just see reason?" Glen sighed, throwing his arms out to the side. "What you''re doing here is WRONG."


    "Hey, this wasn''t completely my idea," Julie fired back. "If you know what I''m up to, you probably know that too. Meaning you''re going to screw something up, leading to Carrie thinking the only way forward is with us having a time..."


    "Oh please," Glen broke in. "Carrie knows what''s at stake here, there is NO way she would authorize..."


    "A-HEM," Tim cut in, now holding the chip aloft in his hands. Both Glen and Julie turned to regard him, falling silent. "Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Now, I didn''t want to be in this situation,¡± Tim continued. ¡°But since I am, here''s how I see it. Glen, whatever your feud is with Julie? You''re now dragging other people into it. A-Against their will. That... that''s all kinds of wrong." Tim shifted his attention to Julie. "While you? You''ve done the opposite. Closing everyone off. It''s making you crazy, Julie, and if you get this chip, I don''t think any of that is going to change.¡± He lowered his hand. ¡°This... this situation... it can''t go on. Not like this."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "So destroy the chip."


    "No! Tim, you can''t believe..."


    "Oh, STOP," he shouted. "I''m not going to destroy it. But I''m not going to hand it over either. Not until the two of you work this out!¡±


    The two teenagers turned to look at each other. "I don''t think so," Glen said dryly, at the same time as Julie countered, "Not gonna happen."


    "Then n-neither of you gets it," Tim said, shoving it back inside his jacket.


    "But if it¡¯s not in my mansion, what''s going to prevent Glen from using his power to obtain it through you, or anybody else?" Julie objected.


    "ME? Seems YOU¡¯VE been a lot more cunning up until this point," Glen fired back.


    Tim sighed. "I''ll simply have to find s-someone else to give it to. Someone who won''t be influenced by either of you."


    ¡°Someone like me,¡± Lee stated, tossing back his hood. Tim jumped, not having paid much attention to the fourth person walking up.


    "Lee!" Julie said, surprised. "I thought you told me..."


    "That I didn''t want to be involved this much, yeah.¡± Lee shook his head. "But when I turned you down for this mission, it seemed likely that your Plan B would recruit elsewhere."


    Lee turned to Tim. "I''ve been shadowing you since you left the station. Sorry, Tiny T. It wasn¡¯t my intention to have you, or anyone else, getting into trouble in my place." He smiled. "Also, congrats. I''ve been listening, and you''ve made some excellent points."


    "I knew it," Glen said, clenching his jaw. "I KNEW you were involved with this time traveling group, Lee! After all, how could they possibly have passed up an asset like you?"


    Lee jerked his thumb at Glen, while looking at Julie. "And this is why I wanted to stay out of it. However, it makes sense that I keep the chip." He turned to Tim. "I''m immune to whatever mental gifts ¡®red barren¡¯ has, and I''m not about to hand it over to our resident rich witch without a damn good reason either."


    Tim nodded slowly. "That... makes sense."


    "Unacceptable," Julie and Glen chorused together.


    "Cool, you''re both in agreement," Lee observed with a wry smile.


    "No, look," Glen insisted. "As long as that chip exists, the chance that the time machine will be reconstructed is..."


    "Remote," Lee interrupted. "Because you need a lot more than a chip to make it work."


    "Exactly," Julie cut in. "And if I''m not allowed to fit it properly..."


    "Your work stalls," Lee finished. "And we get as close as we can to this being a win-win situation."


    "But I was told to do this for a reason," Julie continued doggedly. "What if an emergency situation comes up? We might not have the time we need to assemble things then.¡±


    Lee shrugged. ¡°If it does, we''ll simply have to deal, and trust that our redhead here knows what he''s doing with the track tease."


    A sullen silence fell over the group. "W-Well, I think it''s as close to normal as we''re going to get," Tim piped up at last. He reached again into his pocket, pulled out the chip he found there, and handed it over to Lee. The taller boy grasped it, holding it up.


    "Truce?" Lee said.


    Julie''s hands closed into fists. Glen clenched his jaw.


    "Fine," the brunette said after a moment.


    "Whatever," the redhead offered up in turn.


    "Good," Lee concluded. He moved to pocket the chip, only to have a hand grab his arm.


    "Mmmm, not so good."


    "C-C-C-Carrie," Tim stammered out in shock.


    There was nowhere Carrie could have come from. Somehow, she had simply appeared, standing right next to Lee. And before Lee could react, she had plucked the chip from his hand, dropped it to the sidewalk, and crunched it underneath the heel of her boot.


    For a moment, no one spoke. Tim wondered if it was because the others were realizing the same thing as he was. Namely, that Carrie¡¯s eyes were flickering from blue to gold and back. Was this a future Carrie who had managed to balance her powers? Because she didn¡¯t look any older than the Carrie of their time.


    Glen broke the silence by clapping his hands together. ¡°Oh, good one!" he said appreciatively. ¡°This means you¡¯ll be accepting--"


    "Shut UP,¡± Carrie fired back. "I didn''t do this for you. You KEPT things from me. I am NOT pleased."


    "This... this doesn''t make sense," Julie protested, barely audibly. "Carrie, you were the one who told me... that I... I was the only one who could..."


    Carrie ignored her, having spent the last few moments pulling an object from her pocket. A photograph of some sort. As Julie¡¯s stammers trailed off, Carrie eyed the photo, closed her eyes again, and her long blonde hair began to trail out behind her despite the lack of a strong wind. Then, with a whispered ¡°Goodbye¡±, there was a flash of light. Tim blinked out of reflex, and when his eyes reopened, Carrie was gone.


    However, the chip remained. Ground into the pavement.


    Tim looked up towards Lee. "I-I-Is this good or bad?" he wondered, swallowing.


    ***


    Julie lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn¡¯t sleep. She needed answers.


    On the one hand, it seemed like the chip had been destroyed by a Carrie from the future, and not the one in their present... but was that Carrie even further in the future than the one who had written the note? The note saying to rebuild the machine? If so, why not just stop herself from sending the damn note in the first place?


    Yet, if Carrie had written the note AFTER traveling back and stopping Julie, shouldn''t she have warned Julie that this was something that would happen? It didn''t make sense. None of it made sense! Had all of her work, all of her time away from the others - had it been for nothing??


    There was a part of her that wanted to scream, but Julie knew that losing control of her emotions would only make her susceptible to mind control again. As it had that time she''d broken down over her parents. More pragmatically, it wouldn''t accomplish much either.


    So she simply lay there, fists clenched, wracking her brain, certain she¡¯d missed something, and wondering what it was... until her phone rang.


    Julie lifted an eyebrow as she looked over at the clock - almost midnight - before stretching out to answer the mystery call.


    "What?" she said sharply.


    "Julie LaMille?" The voice on the other end of the phone line was distorted, making it difficult to identify, but it seemed to be female.


    "Yeah?" Julie shot back. ¡°Who¡¯s calling?"


    "Someone who might be able to help you. With what you''re trying to rebuild."


    Julie snorted. "Right. You''re a few hours too late on that."


    "Don''t be so hasty," the unknown woman soothed.


    The brunette frowned. ¡°Seriously? Look lady, I¡¯ve had a hell of a day, and at this point, the only way you can help me out is if you know something I don¡¯t already know about altered timelines, or crazy future technology! Is that the case? IS it? Because I seriously doubt it. I mean, who the hell do you think you are?¡± She paused for an answer, fuming internally.


    "My name is Mindylenopia. I believe you know me as Mindy."


    The phone dropped out of Julie''s hand, bouncing once on the bedspread.

 Part 78a: Timeline Five?

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.2 - Motivated


    PART 78a: TIMELINE FIVE?


    There were two major announcements at school on Monday morning. The first was that Glen would no longer be the bass player for Corry¡¯s band. While there was some confusion within the school about that, it at least made sense to Chartreuse.


    After all, given what Tim had said on the phone about the conflict he and Lee had experienced with the time traveller on the weekend, not to mention the audacity of Glen mind controlling their friends, they could hardly keep working together in a band. Not in any amicable way.


    The second announcement was that Laurie would be acting as the head cheerleader until further notice. That was the announcement that didn¡¯t make sense to Chartreuse. Not because it was Laurie - she knew better than anyone how much her friend had been going all out this year, even sketching diagrams of possible new routines for the team that week Carrie had been in hospital - but because giving up the lead ran against Carrie¡¯s nature. More to the point, the timing implied a temporal connection that she couldn¡¯t see, again based on the weekend¡¯s events.


    Chartreuse knew Carrie could avoid her at the end of the school day, if she chose. Their timetables were almost a match - except last period, when Chartreuse had Physics while Carrie was in Drama. So the mystic girl made a point of standing outside the Art room at the end of lunch, before that class started, reaching out for Carrie when her friend arrived moments before the bell.


    ¡°Carrie..."


    ¡°Chartreuse, not today,¡± Carrie sighed, evading the outstretched arm.


    ¡°Carrie, please. I want to help you. Don¡¯t make me do a reading. And Laurie¡¯s, you know, my friend too. Where is this headed?¡±


    Carrie hesitated just inside the doorway. ¡°I¡¯ll call you tonight,¡± she yielded.


    Chartreuse decided that was the best she¡¯d get.


    ***


    Carrie had opted to avoid having a major blowout with Glen at school. Yet her headache was flaring up again by the time she arrived at their training warehouse that afternoon, meaning she felt unable to project the proper amount of rage for their conversation. As such, she began quietly with, ¡°When were you going to tell me that Lee was in possession of a microchip to resume time travel?¡±


    Except she didn¡¯t say that at all.


    What came out instead was the more sensible, ¡°When were you going to tell me that I had destroyed the microchip Lee had for time travel?¡±


    ¡°After the possible stress of our upcoming act for the school talent show was behind us,¡± Glen admitted. The words somehow addressed either question, regardless of the one she¡¯d actually spoken.


    Carrie pressed two fingers to her temples. ¡°And how dare you keep things from me, like your threatening Lee using his job at the library!¡±


    Didn¡¯t say it. Hadn¡¯t happened.


    ¡°And how dare you keep things from me, like the fact that I¡¯m almost ready to make a time jump of such precision!¡±


    ¡°Again, I thought it prudent to wait for you to raise these subjects first,¡± Glen said, seating himself on the desk he¡¯d obtained for the warehouse space. ¡°We¡¯re dealing with some rather dodgy timeline issues here, a fact I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve remarked on by now.¡±


    Carrie grit her teeth. So were they in a new timeline now? Or rather, ANOTHER new one, again overwriting an old one, on account of her actions? And, of rather more importance, was this new ¡®timeline five¡¯ perhaps only a restoration of Glen¡¯s ¡®timeline three¡¯?


    ¡°Yes, okay, let¡¯s finally talk about this,¡± she decided. ¡°About the timelines. About fact that you¡¯re not simply here to train me, but rather to take me AWAY. From this town, from my life, from everything that¡¯s important to me!¡±


    Glen eyed her. ¡°Then I did tell you that, in the alternate timeline you mentioned to Mary Clarke?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Carrie, that is what is meant to happen. You¡¯ve even realized it on some level - seeing as you¡¯ve put Laurie in charge of your squad.¡±


    Carrie flinched. She¡¯d done that more to have the chance to process the temporal pain which had kicked in. After what Lee had said to her Sunday night (in either timeline), she rather hoped her headache wasn¡¯t going to continue right through until whenever she took that trip back in time. But was Glen right, was it a sign they were again in timeline three?


    ¡°Glen, no,¡± she countered. ¡°I¡¯m not going to run away. I¡¯m not going to let one of my... my..." She forced herself to acknowledge the truth. ¡°One of my friends die!¡±


    Glen leaned forwards. ¡°I don¡¯t think that has to happen. Not any more.¡±


    Carrie flinched back. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as I said once to that boy Clarke - time resists universal change, but individuals still have the free will to screw things up locally. You rewrote history to save your friend? Very well, time is now attempting to compensate. To provide you with an alternative reason to leave with me. One that does not involve anything quite so drastic.¡±


    ¡°What reason?¡±


    ¡°Why, precisely the opposite to before - you must leave with me in order to keep your friends safe. After all, so long as a time machine can exist here, in this time? The danger of whatever happened on that other track you erased, it¡¯s all too real. Conversely, what you¡¯re faced with now is the chance to remove the possibility of more time travel - and more deaths - before departing this town. Then everyone¡¯s lives can go on as normal.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Except mine.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Carrie, understand that I care about you when I say this? You need to accept that your life can never be normal. And the more you mess around trying to delay our destined departure, the more others might suffer.¡±


    Carrie clenched and unclenched her hands. She began to pace, not certain if the activity was meant to help her work through the logic, to avoid meeting Glen¡¯s gaze, or both. ¡°Thing is, the Carrie who leaves with you? Is kind of a horrible person for running away,¡± she asserted. ¡°By leaving, there¡¯s every chance I¡¯ll become like that too, always getting more and more bitter about my situation, leading to even greater suffering down the timeline.¡±


    ¡°Carrie, you must know I¡¯ll help you out. In fact, I can¡¯t help but notice that you¡¯ve been rejecting all my advances as a boyfriend these last few weeks. Perhaps, if you opened yourself back up to that possibility, you would be more--¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, you need to shut up about that NOW.¡± Carrie stamped her foot as she pivoted. ¡°Glen, you haven¡¯t merely concealed important things from me. If what Lee told me is even partially true? You also have serious issues in terms of seeing others in this time as ¡®Mundanes¡¯ to mentally influence as you see fit. I don¡¯t want a boyfriend like that. I¡¯m becoming sketchy on whether I even want a trainer like that! It could colour everything about my powers, and it makes you..."


    A junction point for the entire temporal war. Those words, from the letter Mindylenopia had left with her father back in October, flashed back into her mind. For an instant, Carrie froze in place. Then another pang speared through her head - would she have even had this revelation in the other timelines? - and, giving up on dealing with the constant throbbing, Carrie paced over to her school bag to grab another aspirin.


    ¡°Makes me?¡± Glen prompted, his tone half amused, half annoyed.


    ¡°Kind of a pain in the ass.¡± Carrie worked up some saliva and swallowed the pill. ¡°Glen, I don¡¯t believe that my only remaining choice is leaving with you. I can¡¯t believe that. There has to be another option.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Well, we can delay for a little while yet. Resume our work on the act for the talent show, perhaps? That is why we¡¯re here. You need to deal better with crowds, and using magic as a front for testing your powers in front of people still seems like the best plan to me.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Carrie sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s finish going through that routine.¡±


    It was later on, as she was walking home, her headache again submerged beneath medication, that Carrie realized something. If her ultimate decision would indeed be to destroy the time chip and then leave with Glen... she could do that at any time. At any FUTURE time. Yet she hadn¡¯t. She¡¯d gone back to the PAST to destroy the chip.


    Why? Why do that, subjecting herself to the extra pain of this rewritten timeline? If the original path, where Lee had the chip, had truly led to someone¡¯s death, surely she would have provided herself with a bit more information! Yet if it hadn¡¯t, and this was all paradox, why was she making a headache part of the process?


    ¡°Because I have this perverse desire to torture myself at every opportunity,¡± Carrie concluded, kicking at a pop can on the sidewalk. She kicked at the can twice more, until it was close enough to someone¡¯s recycling bin, and then dropped it in. Because she wasn¡¯t a horrible person. Was she?


    Well, what if there was more to this. Was rewriting the timeline here an attempt to give herself a unwritten message? If so, what was the damn message?


    ***


    ¡°Carrie?¡±


    ¡°Hello, my confusing ray of sunshine.¡±


    Chartreuse gripped her phone a bit tighter, trying to force the butterflies in her stomach to quiet down. ¡°C-Carrie... um, ummm, maybe, like, don¡¯t use pet names? Unless you¡¯re calling me to... to say..."


    ¡°Damn it. I¡¯m sorry, Chartreuse. I can¡¯t do anything right today.¡±


    Chartreuse expelled the butterflies with a quick breath. ¡°Oh no! Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re, like, too hard on yourself. So, what¡¯s going on? Is there something I can do? I mean, it¡¯s true that I was worried about Julie and Glen, and I was going to tell you, it¡¯s just things were so vague, so if you¡¯re angry that I kept quiet..."


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry,¡± Carrie interjected. ¡°At least, not with you.¡±


    Chartreuse sighed in relief. ¡°Okay. So, why are you stepping back from your, you know, cheerleading? Is it temporal?¡±


    There was a brief silence. ¡°Chartreuse, you remember that day in the cafe? When I explained to you about the four timelines?¡±


    When you told me you weren¡¯t sure if you were in love with me? Gee, Carrie, what do you think? ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re in a new timeline again. Meaning what happened on that night, with Lee and the chip and everything, it¡¯s put us into ¡®overwriting¡¯ territory, as opposed to ¡®fulfilling destiny¡¯ territory.¡±


    ¡°Ohmigod, you¡¯re not, like, going back into hospital, are you?¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, no, no, it¡¯s not that bad. Yet. Actually, I think I¡¯m giving myself a message. But I¡¯ll be damned if I know what it is, and it¡¯s taking a toll on my head. So it¡¯s just as well that Laurie take over for me, for a while at least. I hope she can rise to the challenge.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure she can!¡± Chartreuse assured her friend. ¡°And thanks for telling me this, it¡¯s, you know, helping things to make more sense.¡± She leaned in against her desk. ¡°See Carrie? You¡¯re a nice person, opening up to me and giving Laurie a chance for leadership in this timeline. Make sure you¡¯re, you know, acknowledging your good points too, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, Dad said something similar during dinner, about good for me giving Laurie her shot, but you¡¯d think I¡¯d at least... I¡¯d... oh no. Dad. Chartreuse, if I simply up and leave town with Glen, what happens to my Dad?¡±


    Chartreuse frowned. ¡°Well, I imagine he¡¯d, you know, look for you. Why, what, like, happened with him in those other timelines?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I never thought about it. I¡¯m the worst daughter ever.¡±


    ¡°Carrie, stop already! You¡¯re wonderful, it¡¯s only you¡¯re, you know, processing a lot at once. You¡¯re thinking about him now, that¡¯s what¡¯s important.¡±


    Again, a brief silence. ¡°You¡¯re right, Chartreuse. More to the point, this HAS to be what I was trying to tell myself. Because I can see it now. How I¡¯m going to lash back against destiny.¡±


    ¡°Okay, great! It is great, right?¡± Chartreuse pressed. Carrie really didn¡¯t sound sure.


    ¡°It''s... complicated. I¡¯m sorry, Chartreuse, I need to go now. There¡¯s a bunch of stuff I¡¯ll need to figure out before Friday¡¯s talent show.¡±


    ¡°The talent show? I, like, did see that you and Glen were going to be in that, but how does it, you know, fit in?¡±


    ¡°Later, Chartreuse, okay? Keep being your awesome self.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but what..."


    It was too late; Carrie had already hung up.


    Chartreuse stared at her phone for a solid minute before shifting her attention over to the circle of crystals she¡¯d laid out on the floor. Just in case. She bit down on her lower lip. Then, with sudden resolve, she tossed her phone aside and moved into the circle, sitting down and assuming the necessary meditative pose.


    ¡°Ohm, ohm, oh my,¡± she murmured. ¡°Spirits from beyond... show me... what is to come..."


    Minutes passed. Chartreuse maintained her regular breathing, waiting, pleading for guidance. At last, an image swam up before her... of Megan Falls. Chartreuse tracked with the junior student at school as she spoke with some of her friends about the talent show, but soon realized there was nothing there that would help her with Carrie.


    She banished the vision. An hour later, after splashing some water on her face and getting ready for bed, she took another run at it. ¡°Spirits from beyond,¡± Chartreuse chanted softly, deliberately. ¡°Show me... what is to come... with Carrie?¡±


    It seemed to take forever. And when the image finally coalesced, and it was Megan Falls again, Chartreuse couldn¡¯t help but kick out at one of her crystals in frustration. How was she supposed to get a proper reading on Carrie¡¯s situation when the spirits were obsessing over Megan?!


    It didn¡¯t occur to her until the next day that perhaps there was a very good reason for the mystical forces to be doing that.

 Part 78b: Timeline Five? 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.2 - Motivated


    PART 78b: TIMELINE FIVE? 2


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re wondering why I wanted to talk with you.¡± Julie ran her fingers back through her hair. ¡°Honestly, it took a full day to decide to speak up at all. Then I had to figure out who to speak to. So, congrats Frank, you win. Namely because, since Glen thought you¡¯d be my confidant last time, he probably won¡¯t peg you this time around.¡±


    ¡°Um, Julie..." Frank glanced towards the door of the school library, then back to her. ¡°Look, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s rippled through the whole group by now. We know what you were trying to do, what Glen did to us in order to stop you, and how Carrie¡¯s time travel trumped everything. I¡¯m not sure what more you could add, and right now I have a business club meet--¡±


    ¡°Mindylenopia¡¯s back. She phoned me that night.¡±


    Frank froze. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s new.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say much aside from ¡®being able to help me with the rebuilding¡¯, and ¡®not to lose hope¡¯. And that she would be in touch.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where the call originated?¡±


    ¡°Pay phone. Frank, do you think Mindy¡¯s truly back? Or could this be another attempt by Glen to confuse me, to keep me from working on any circuit alternatives as I await a call that¡¯s never coming?¡±


    ¡°Euh. Well, she could be back, in as much as might have she caught back up to us.¡± Seemingly reaching a decision, Frank beckoned Julie further back into the book stacks.


    ¡°A couple weeks ago, I found a poem, in the local paper. It had been published five years ago, on the same date of Mindy¡¯s arrival this year, and was signed by her. Moreover, read a certain way, it was an attempt to warn us about Glen.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Naturally, after that, both me and Luci looked for more evidence. Except we didn¡¯t find anything. So... I figured it could have been coincidence.¡±


    ¡°In our lives? Never.¡±


    Frank sighed. ¡°Did your caller sound old? Young?¡±


    ¡°Her voice was distorted. Frank, if Mindy¡¯s TRULY back, and moreover if she¡¯s influencing our lives the way Glen did... wait, do you think HE knows she¡¯s here again?¡±


    ¡°I kind of doubt it, otherwise he¡¯d be gearing Carrie up for another temporal banishment, right? Those two really didn¡¯t get along. I¡¯m more worried about the fact that ¡®Mindy¡¯ called you on that night, because it means she ALSO knew about the time machine situation. How could she?¡±


    Julie crossed her arms. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been wary of any memory gaps, given how I¡¯ve been guarding against Glen. So I don¡¯t think Mindy¡¯s ever influenced me. And the original note was written by--" She stopped herself.


    ¡°Note?¡±


    ¡°Hell.¡± Julie lifted her gaze to the ceiling. ¡°Oh well, not hard to connect the dots now. I got a note, in Carrie¡¯s handwriting, after Mindy¡¯s banishment. It¡¯s why I took the parts out of Carrie¡¯s trash, and tried to rebuild the machine in the first place. She said I was the only one who could. My question is, what¡¯s Mindy¡¯s angle on all this?¡±


    Frank rubbed his forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but... would this future Carrie have known that Mindy was back?¡±


    Julie stared at him, then slowly nodded. ¡°That seems likely. So, you think this is part of the plan? That I should wait for another call?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what else we can do. Aside from raise our alert level for redheaded women eavesdropping on us from the shadows.¡±


    ¡°She could get a wig or dye her hair,¡± Julie pointed out. ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d do that.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, I¡¯ll tell everyone to keep their guard up. For now, I should get to my meeting.¡± Frank turned away, then back towards her. ¡°Oh, and thanks, Julie. For having the faith to approach one of us again.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She grimaced. ¡°For the record, It was never you that I was worried about.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What is it you¡¯re worried about?¡± Megan asked, idly filing a nail.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Chartreuse shot back, doing her very best to rein in her exasperation. ¡°It¡¯s something to do with, like, the talent show. I know you¡¯re involved.¡±


    ¡°Mmm hmm.¡± Megan blew on her finger, then replaced the file in her locker, reaching for her book bag. ¡°Corry sent you to me, did he?¡±


    ¡°No, he did NOT. But I did speak with him first, and from the sounds of things, he¡¯s been, you know, super co-operative with you all week. Putting your friend Claude in the band to replace Glen, getting Kim to be, like, the one handling the lineup for said show, and not voicing any objection to, you know, your other plans. Like giving the junior students one of the two senior study rooms in the library... why would you even suspect him of sending me to you now?¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Why wouldn¡¯t anyone suspect that guy... oh wait, you wouldn¡¯t, because you¡¯re part of his gang.¡±


    ¡°Megan..."


    The junior closed her locker with what felt like deliberate slowness, then adjusted her necklace with the cross before shouldering her bag and turning away. ¡°Chartreuse, darling, quit while you¡¯re behind. You¡¯re going to give me a persecution complex.¡±


    Chartreuse hurried to block Megan¡¯s way. ¡°Megan, I can¡¯t quit. Not when someone I love is in trouble, and I can¡¯t, like, get a bead on her here because of your plans. You know, it¡¯s not a complex when you really ARE at the heart of everything!¡±


    Megan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°How dare you. Unlike your friend Corry, with his fingers in every event happening around us, my policy is merely to suggest. Not demand.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, some people can¡¯t tell the difference. PLEASE Megan, call off whatever you¡¯ll, like, be doing at the talent show.¡±


    Megan held up both hands, palms out. ¡°I¡¯M not doing anything. My followers make their OWN decisions. Now get OUT of my way.¡±


    Sensing that she wasn¡¯t going to get anywhere productive, Chartreuse reluctantly stepped aside, slumping back against the row of lockers as Megan marched off.


    Chartreuse moaned. Her last chance had been that direct confrontation. What was she going to do now?


    ¡°Megan¡¯s being honest there, Chartreuse. She has no idea what will happen at the talent show.¡±


    The mystic girl turned to see a girl with short brown hair and overlarge glasses approaching her from across the hall. ¡°Kim? What do you, like, know?¡±


    Kim Carpenter checked to see that Megan was really gone before answering. ¡°I know that Megan suggested to Claude that he deliberately play the wrong chords during Corry¡¯s favourite song. To Bill that he make fun of Mrs. Willis during his comedy routine. To Amy that Tommy¡¯s slideshow should get put into the wrong order backstage. That someone replace the middle of Kelly¡¯s dance number with a slow jazz track, and there¡¯s probably even more things I don¡¯t know about. Thing is, Chartreuse, all of those things might happen - or none of those things might happen. Who¡¯s to say? Certainly not Megan.¡±


    ¡°But that''s... she... how can Megan, you know, get anything DONE that way?!¡±


    Kim smiled, reaching up to adjust her glasses. ¡°Oh, Megan can get serious, if she chooses. She¡¯s simply been more inclined to say whatever off-the-cuff remarks come into her head this week. I think partly because Corry¡¯s been increasingly backing off.¡±


    Chartreuse groaned. ¡°But I, like, TOLD Corry to back off! I figured it would give me a better sense of whatever Megan was, you know, planning - and now you¡¯re saying his nicer attitude has only made it worse??¡±


    Kim nodded. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed? Megan¡¯s philosophy is that people will eventually make the right choices by themselves. So she nudges at people - actually, sometimes shoves them with great force - to see how well they truly understand themselves, and the people around them. Sure, not knowing how her influencing of events will pay off can be a gamble, but it¡¯s also how Megan¡¯s been able to recruit so much support this year. And the more Corry backs off, the more she figures she can take the initiative.¡±


    Chartreuse rubbed her forehead. ¡°Kim, what would it take to get Megan to tell all the people she¡¯s influenced to for sure NOT do anything at the show?¡±


    Kim shook her head. ¡°A miracle.¡± She began to move off.


    Chartreuse pushed herself off the bank of lockers. ¡°Kim, wait. Please. Megan must have, like, a weakness. Something I can, you know, leverage here.¡±


    Kim turned back. ¡°Chartreuse... you looked really upset. And I heard that you and Corry stood up for my chess skills that time she, uh, kind of used me without my permission in order to test you in the music room.¡± Her brow furrowed at the admission. ¡°So anyway, I thought I¡¯d cut you a break. But you have to understand, I¡¯m with Megan now. Sure, she makes missteps, we all do, but her philosophy is the first one in this school that actually makes sense to me! Don¡¯t you see that?¡±


    Chartreuse swallowed. The longer the week went on, the less forthcoming Carrie was being with her. A knot was forming in her stomach, one she couldn¡¯t get rid of, and yet couldn¡¯t properly interpret, not with the forces fixating on Megan.


    ¡°Well, you know... if people are gonna do whatever they like in the end, it doesn¡¯t, like, matter what you tell me about Megan¡¯s weak points. Right?¡± Chartreuse smiled.


    ¡°Yes, well, there¡¯s also the philosophy ¡®Stupid is as stupid does¡¯,¡± Kim countered. Except she didn¡¯t turn away, so Chartreuse clapped her hands together in a prayer pose.


    Kim¡¯s response was to roll her eyes. ¡°Oy. Look, I¡¯ll give you this much,¡± she decided, before spinning on her heel. ¡°Corry¡¯s biggest weakness? Is becoming Megan¡¯s too.¡±


    With that, the brunette strode off down the hall. Leaving Chartreuse to figure out how to use that knowledge to the best of her abilities.

 Part 79a: Cross Purposes

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.2 - Motivated


    PART 79a: CROSS PURPOSES


    ¡°Megan, I need some help? If you can, please get Chartreuse, and both of you come out here now to this cabin in the woods where I¡¯ve--"


    Laurie¡¯s voice cut out as the line went dead. Megan frowned, punching the redial button, only to be told Laurie¡¯s phone was off or out of service. She stood quietly in her bedroom for a moment, eyes flicking over towards her clock radio - it was almost 11:30pm - then to her bed, then to the pyjamas she¡¯d been about to change into.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± she muttered. What did that poor girl¡¯s brother have her doing now? She walked back over to her desk, opening her laptop and looking up the necessary phone number. Chartreuse picked up after the first ring.


    ¡°Like, hello?¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s up with Laurie,¡± Megan said. ¡°She just called me.¡±


    ¡°What? You found her??¡±


    ¡°Found? What do you mean found?¡±


    ¡°Laurie ran away from home this evening. It¡¯s, like, totally on me. I was kind of pressuring her into, well, talking to you about the talent show actually. Where is she?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she said something about a cabin in the woods.¡±


    ¡°A cabin? The Veniti¡¯s don¡¯t own a cabin. Megan, what specifically did Laurie, you know, say?¡±


    Megan began to fiddle with her necklace as she thought back. ¡°Laurie wanted help. She asked me to get you, and to come to some cabin in the woods. Then her phone cut out.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I wonder why Laurie phoned you, and not, you know, me?¡±


    Because I¡¯m the better influence on her now, plus I can talk like a normal person? ¡°Chartreuse, you JUST said you were pressuring her to do something she didn¡¯t want to do. Why do YOU think she called me now?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. She could be in trouble though, if her phone, like, cut out. Shall we do a little, you know, search and rescue?¡±


    ¡°Chartreuse, it¡¯s 11:30 at night! This is a job for the police.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to get Laurie in trouble. Her parents, like, don¡¯t know she¡¯s gone. Corry found this note when he went to say goodnight to her, and since then we¡¯ve, you know, both been out searching. Hoping we can work this out without causing Laurie more grief. And since she, like, called you, maybe you¡¯re the best person to come help us investigate the woods...?¡±


    Megan suppressed the urge to groan. ¡°Chartreuse, what¡¯s the point in having all of us stumble around in the woods, in the dark of night?¡±


    ¡°Laurie¡¯s the point. But if you don¡¯t want to, you know, help, it¡¯s fine. I get that you¡¯re tired. I think maybe I know the cabin she was talking about anyway, so, like, thanks for the tip. Should I call you in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Chartreuse..."


    ¡°Megan?¡±


    You¡¯re not better than me. ¡°You know the cabin?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Laurie phoned ME, not you. ¡°Then I¡¯ll meet you where the forest runs up against that new development north of town in half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? I¡¯m not ¡®demanding¡¯ that you meet me, you know..."


    ¡°Funny! Half an hour.¡± Megan hung up, hesitated, then went to her laundry basket, stuffing a bunch of dirty clothes underneath her sheets in case her parents poked their heads in. They were already in their bedroom though, making it easy for Megan to sneak downstairs, grab her jacket, and leave the house.


    ***


    ¡°What is HE doing here?¡± Megan said, pointing.


    Chartreuse looked from her, to Corry, and then back. ¡°I said we were both out here. Come on, Megan, Laurie¡¯s his sister. He cares about what happens to her.¡±


    ¡°Right. Pity Laurie didn¡¯t think he cared, or she would have been able to talk to him for help. Instead of running away.¡±


    Despite the darkness, the glow from the light on their phones revealed the scowl on Corry¡¯s face. His hand clenched into a fist. ¡°I waited for you instead of going on ahead, don¡¯t make me regret that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you know where this cabin is as well? Then why didn¡¯t you check there as soon as Laurie went missing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a place that used to, like, belong to a scientist called Linquist,¡± Chartreuse put in quickly. ¡°Hardly the first place we¡¯d think to look. Heck, it might not even be the cabin Laurie mentioned, but it¡¯s, you know, the only one I know of that¡¯s in the woods.¡±


    ¡°Linquist?¡± Megan blinked. ¡°Wait, that guy who owned the mansion is still in town?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Corry said tersely. ¡°He abducted a girl and held her in that cabin just over a year ago, so can we get a move on already to make sure he hasn¡¯t done the same thing to Laurie by this point?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s this way... I¡¯m pretty sure,¡± Chartreuse offered, heading off onto what might pass for a trail between the trees.


    Megan jammed her hands into the pockets of her coat, resigning herself to the situation and falling into step behind Chartreuse. She tried to ignore how Corry was following her. It proved difficult, as not ten seconds later, he asked, ¡°So, Megan, do you think I¡¯m the devil?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself,¡± Megan countered, without turning.


    ¡°I was gonna say, I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s people out there who are worse than me. Linquist for one.¡±


    ¡°Corry, your being here doesn¡¯t mean I have to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°True enough. As you seem to be listening though, let me tell you a story about Josh.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know him, because you were at that other middle school in town, and he moved away before high school.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stop listening now.¡±


    ¡°Laurie came close to getting him hooked on cigarettes.¡±


    Megan nearly tripped over a tree root. ¡®He¡¯s baiting you!¡¯ she chided herself. ¡®Don¡¯t let him!¡¯ She clenched her jaw, focussing on where Chartreuse was leading them, waiting for the inevitable follow-up. Yet behind her, Corry now opted to remain irritatingly silent.


    Her mental resolve lasted at least a minute, but her desire to better understand whatever Laurie had to suffer through every day won out. ¡°How does that even make sense? Laurie¡¯s never smoked,¡± she pointed out.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need the whole story. See, my hobby hasn¡¯t always been high school domination,¡± Corry began. ¡°Back in Grade 6, I was content to have a small circle of friends.¡±


    ¡°Oh, give me strength,¡± Megan sighed, clutching at her jacket, feeling for her necklace beneath it.


    ¡°There were seven... no, eight of us. I organized a game night every week or so. It was the gaming we liked most. Laurie wasn¡¯t part of that group, of course. It¡¯s not that we were all guys, we weren¡¯t, but despite the two of us being twins, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen how we run in different social circles.¡±


    ¡°You run in entirely different shapes.¡±


    ¡°At the time, I was trying to ease off and let Laurie do her own thing,¡± Corry continued, undaunted. ¡°After a couple years of keeping an eye out in grade school, not letting anyone bully her, that sort of thing. I figured, time to see if she could manage on her own. That¡¯s why Laurie wound up hanging out with Josh that year.¡±


    Corry paused momentarily as the three of them climbed over a downed tree trunk. ¡°Now, Josh was pretty insecure. A bit like Laurie. Problem was, Josh wanted to be popular. To be a real rebel. And Laurie encouraged that, she told him he should follow that dream, and stop being so concerned about the things it would take to achieve it. A bit like how you enjoy encouraging people to do things, Megan... without considering the consequences.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like where you¡¯re going with this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. So yeah, it wasn¡¯t long before Laurie suggested to Josh that he get his hands on some cigarettes, like a couple of the ¡°cool¡± kids were doing. Because that was sure to help him out. And hey, if the things were TRULY that bad for you, the government would crack down on it, right? In this perfect world we live in?¡±


    ¡°Corry, she meant well,¡± came Chartreuse¡¯s quiet voice from up ahead.


    ¡°Laurie ALWAYS means well. Except she doesn¡¯t understand how terrible things really are! Meaning when Josh got caught with them, he was suspended, followed by Laurie too, once she tried to take the blame. Worse, that idiot Josh didn¡¯t learn. He was caught smoking up again a month later.¡±


    ¡°Corry, even if he didn¡¯t learn, your sister, you know, did. And after realizing what she¡¯d done, Laurie started putting more effort into her studies.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness. Though she also became more prone to talking in excessively illustrative sentences, to give people extra background detail. Tradeoff.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Megan cut back in. ¡°Corry, are you implying that your whole desire to control your middle school was not merely because of some craving for power, or out of some desire to save your sister from the world - but rather, you hoped to save the world from your sister?!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have put it quite like that, but sure, it¡¯s one interpretation.¡±


    ¡°Wow. Way to blame your pathological narcissism on poor Laurie.¡±


    ¡°In actual fact,¡± Chartreuse said, speaking over Corry¡¯s growl. ¡°I think we accept that Josh¡¯s story is, like, only part of the puzzle. Part of Corry, you know, probably craves power too. This stuff¡¯s not so black and white.¡±


    ¡°Mmmm. There were other factors,¡± Corry granted. ¡°But they detract from the moral I was aiming for here.¡±


    Megan glared over her shoulder. ¡°What, that schools need better anti-smoking campaigns?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t see his face, but she suspected Corry was rolling his eyes. ¡°Given how those campaigns are easier to put in place once you¡¯re in control of a school, sure, I¡¯ll grant you that too. But I think you know where I was going with this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure. The moral is that you¡¯re a narcissist.¡±


    ¡°The moral is to know all the FACTS before you open your mouth,¡± he snapped. ¡°And to consider the consequences of your actions before you speak!¡±


    ¡°My bad. It was that you¡¯re a narcissist with rage issues.¡±


    ¡°Oh for... this was a bad idea. Chartreuse--"


    ¡°We¡¯re nearly there now,¡± she insisted. ¡°You can¡¯t turn back here.¡±


    Corry let out a rush of air. ¡°One last try then. Megan, do you even remember how you were the one who incited things with Sue last September? How I nearly DIED because of it?¡±


    ¡°Corry, please. First, an attack on you was a mere suggestion, Sue¡¯s the one who took it to extremes. And second, you weren¡¯t fated to die that day.¡±


    ¡°How do you know I wasn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t. Obviously.¡±


    It sounded like he was grinding his teeth. ¡°Oh, a perfect circle of Megan logic. Tell me, do you think Sue was always fated to need psychological counselling too?¡±


    Sheesh, how long was Corry going to harp on her here? ¡°Based on what happened, yes,¡± Megan explained. ¡°I grant I might have accelerated the process..."


    ¡°Accelerated?!¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s just as well that I did, so that it happened in high school, while Sue was still able to get proper help. Who knows what would have happened a year later, away from home?¡±


    ¡°Damn. You really do have a rationalization for everything you¡¯ve done, don¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°I merely help to illuminate the darkness that¡¯s already there.¡±


    He grumbled again. ¡°Great, so what has fate decreed about the talent show tomorrow? Or rather, now that it¡¯s after midnight, today? Still chaos?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? As mere mortals, we¡¯ll only know for sure once the show itself is over.¡±


    Corry finally fell silent, and Megan smiled to herself. He¡¯d been sloppy at the end there, allowing her to confirm the fact that he really had sent Chartreuse after her. The nerve of them, trying to use Laurie¡¯s disappearance here as an excuse to double team her! Still fixated on the school¡¯s stupid talent show. No wonder Laurie had run off - it made Megan want to help the poor Veniti twin all the more. Maybe she could find the girl a prayer group.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± Chartreuse declared. They emerged from the brush in front of what seemed to be a one-room cabin structure. Strangely, the front door was hanging ajar. After exchanging a quick glance with the others, Chartreuse edged forwards and peered around the door frame, looking inside. She immediately motioned them over.


    ¡°Look,¡± she said, pointing.


    Megan pushed the door open a bit wider, spotting Laurie¡¯s jacket and phone on the floor right inside the doorway. But there was no sign of the young girl anywhere.

 Part 79b: Cross Purposes 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.2 - Motivated


    PART 79b: CROSS PURPOSES 2


    ¡°What did Corry say this was? A sonic grenade?¡± Megan peered at the object on the table. Corry had gone out to scout around the vicinity of Linquist¡¯s old cabin, looking for signs of Laurie, leaving the roughly spheroid object behind. He¡¯d said to ¡®use it in case of trouble¡¯.


    Chartreuse looked over her shoulder. ¡°Yeah, I think Frank¡¯s been getting, like, bored this month. He also said he might try to make me a sonic lipstick, he must be watching reruns of that, you know, British TV show again.¡±


    Megan shook her head, then looked back around the room. Aside from the table, there were a couple chairs, a small bed, some sort of cooling unit plugged into an old portable generator, and a filing cabinet that Chartreuse was revealing to be empty. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like anyone¡¯s been here in months. Why would Laurie have wanted us to come out here? Why would SHE have come out here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kinda thinking it was to, you know, get us to talk more,¡± Chartreuse offered. She closed the last cabinet. ¡°For instance, have any of us people whom you associate with Corry ever, like, congratulated you for getting that short story published?¡±


    Megan eyed the pink haired girl warily. ¡°Only Laurie did. Why, did she suggest you use that as a way of getting on my good side?¡±


    The pink haired girl sighed. ¡°No, Megan. I¡¯m not... or rather, I like to THINK I¡¯m not as bad as you, like, perceive. But in thinking on it, every time we¡¯ve crossed paths I¡¯ve tended to see you as an obstacle. Perhaps I should be the one taking Corry¡¯s story to heart. I haven¡¯t been, you know, getting the facts about you before opening my mouth.¡±


    So this was apparently Act Two of ¡®let¡¯s get Megan to behave the way we want¡¯? ¡°Self awareness is nice, Chartreuse, but you have a LONG way to go if you¡¯re aiming for redemption.¡±


    Chartreuse sat down on the corner of the bed. ¡°Redemption... Megan, are you Catholic?¡±


    ¡°Oh, the cross on my necklace tip you off?¡±


    ¡°Plus the story you wrote, now that I think about it. I did, like, read it, you know.¡±


    ¡°Of course you did. But only because of how it related to Laurie¡¯s picture, right?¡±


    Chartreuse pursed her lips. ¡°Is it, you know, difficult for you? Living in a town that doesn¡¯t have a separate Catholic high school, I mean.¡±


    Megan sighed, gripping the edge of the table as she leaned in. ¡°I¡¯m not the only Catholic in the school, Chartreuse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant... um, wait, is religion, like, a touchy subject?¡±


    ¡°No. Though it sure doesn¡¯t come up much with Corry or Julie, so you MIGHT want to stop before you dig yourself into a deep pit.¡±


    Chartreuse sighed and rubbed her forehead. ¡°I can¡¯t help it, I gotta know - are my mystical ways part of the problem here? Does it offend more religious people like you?¡±


    Megan nearly fired off a blanket ¡®if that¡¯s what you think, sure¡¯, but something told her that Chartreuse was trying to be sincere. So she took a second to gather her thoughts, resting her elbows on the table instead of her hands.


    ¡°No,¡± she admitted. ¡°Granted, I think your talk of crystals and visions is not at ALL the sort of spiritual guidance Laurie needs. But I don¡¯t hate you for your beliefs. I try not to hate at all, frankly. You may be aware of how it¡¯s rather against our underlying philosophy?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s more you think I¡¯m destined for Hell, and you don¡¯t want me, you know, dragging Laurie down there with me.¡±


    ¡°Wrong again.¡± Megan looked up for a moment, trying to figure out how to put things in a way that Chartreuse would understand. ¡°Chartreuse, the whole point of us being on Earth is that we have free will. No one is predestined for Heaven or Hell, and as such, what I¡¯m trying to do at school - and with you - is better educate people about their own consciences. Granted, some of you seem beyond my ability to educate.¡± She eyed the door, wondering what was taking Corry so long.


    ¡°And so instead you... what? Hold such people up to your followers as, like, examples of what¡¯s wrong in the world? Try to, you know, tempt them with evil, in the hopes that they¡¯ll reveal that fact to everybody? What?¡±


    ¡°I..." Megan frowned, starting to feel a bit uneasy as she realized that Chartreuse wasn¡¯t exactly wrong in her assessment. ¡°I do what I can to illustrate the dangers of hubris, envy, wrath and so forth.¡±


    ¡°Then you do think you¡¯re, you know, influencing people.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more helping to illuminate the...¡±


    ¡°Darkness already there,¡± Chartreuse finished. ¡°I got that on our way out here. But isn¡¯t the very act of, you know, doing the illuminating having influence? Like, consider, it¡¯s only by ignoring big problems in society, like religion, race and politics, that those things don¡¯t, like, change. Change happens when people like you shine the light, pointing the bad stuff out.¡±


    Megan raised her eyebrows. ¡°Are you seriously proposing that I ignore what Corry does around the school instead? To keep the status quo?¡±


    ¡°No, no... it¡¯s more about, you know, accepting responsibility. And admitting that you¡¯re influencing things and people a lot more than you might want to take credit for.¡±


    Megan pushed herself back from the table, equal parts fascinated and disturbed. When she¡¯d entered into the conversation, she hadn¡¯t thought that Chartreuse had a prayer of making any coherent arguments, but Laurie¡¯s pink haired friend was making surprisingly good points. Granted, the girl had missed out on something rather obvious.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Chartreuse, even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t take the credit. Hubris is one of the seven deadly sins.¡±


    ¡°Megan, you totally shouldn¡¯t take pride in everything you¡¯ve been doing anyway. For instance, there had to be better ways for, like, Sue Simmons to get her counselling. Right?¡±


    Megan¡¯s lips tightened. Now she saw where Chartreuse was steering them. ¡°I¡¯m still not going to issue orders about the talent show for your benefit.¡±


    ¡°Megan, no, this isn¡¯t, like, about that any more.¡±


    ¡°No? Then what IS is about?¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know!¡± Chartreuse flopped back completely onto the bed, a puff of dust rising around her. ¡°But, you know, the Lord¡¯s Prayer says ¡®Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil¡¯, and our talk is making me wonder if we¡¯re both here now because there¡¯s forces out there trying to, like, remind us of what that really means.¡±


    As Megan attempted to parse the inclusion of ¡®both¡¯ of them, there came a scream from outside the cabin. Chartreuse jerked back up into a sitting position, while Megan grabbed for the ¡®sonic grenade¡¯ and ran to the doorway.


    ***


    ¡®Oh no, not now,¡¯ Chartreuse thought, scrambling to push herself back up onto her feet. She succeeded on the second attempt.


    ¡°Laurie? Is that you?¡± Megan called out. She ran out of the cabin.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Chartreuse cursed, fumbling in her pocket for her phone. She switched it to video recorder mode as she charged to the door after the dark haired student.


    A few metres away, slumped at the base of a tree and illuminated by light from a nearby phone, was a redheaded form in a dress. ¡°Laurie, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Megan asked, hurrying over.


    Chartreuse hesitated, her finger over the record button. Then, with sudden resolve, she reached up, turned her device off, and jammed it back into her pocket.


    ¡°Laurie, are you--" Megan¡¯s voice became a high pitched shriek as a form in a lab coat jumped down out of the tree above her. She tried to backpedal, but stumbled, belatedly attempting to throw the grenade. Except she was already falling backwards by then, so the spheroid slipped out of her hands, arced behind her, and cracked the glass of one of the cabin windows where it hit.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you come near me!¡± Megan yelped, sprawled on the ground. She crossed herself. ¡°I have friends, I¡¯ll be missed, I¡¯ll... I''ll..."


    Her panicked shouts ceased as she realized that the person in the lab coat wasn¡¯t advancing, but rather continuing to dangle in the air. Then, with the release of a rope, the ¡°person¡± collapsed on the ground like a bundle of clothing. Which it was.


    The redhead in the dress started to rise, leaning back against the tree. ¡°Chartreuse, did you get it?¡±


    Chartreuse didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she walked over to pick up the nearby grenade. In her haste, Megan hadn¡¯t even hit the trigger button; Chartreuse wondered idly if the device would have actually added to the confusion, or been a complete dud.


    ¡°This was a setup,¡± Megan gasped.


    ¡°Chartreuse, do we have Megan¡¯s reaction on tape or not??¡±


    Chartreuse looked back up at him. ¡°No, Corry, we don¡¯t.¡±


    Corry tried to take a step closer, only to lurch back against the tree he¡¯d used to claw himself to his feet. ¡°Are. You. KIDDING. Me?! I twisted my ANKLE getting that rope set up!¡±


    ¡°You two... you LIED to me,¡± Megan accused, pushing herself back up into a seated position.


    ¡°A bit, but we mostly ¡®suggested¡¯,¡± Corry countered, raising one hand to make a set of successive air quotes. His other palm still busy acting as support against the tree trunk. ¡°Remember, you brought yourself out here, by your own choice. Does that methodology sound familiar?¡±


    Chartreuse sighed. ¡°Okay, Corry? Don¡¯t help. That won¡¯t, you know, help.¡± She moved to crouch down next to Megan, wincing at the glare she was receiving. ¡°Megan, this was, like, the nuclear option. We really were, you know, hoping that the talk on the way up here would be enough.¡±


    ¡°What was Laurie¡¯s part in it?¡±


    ¡°Minimal. She, you know, recorded that bit of phone conversation for us. That¡¯s it. She¡¯s probably asleep at home right now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I would NOT have let Laurie up and run off like this,¡± Corry said, attempting to limp in their direction. He nearly tripped on the hem of the dress. ¡°You really DO have a low opinion of me, huh, Megan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say my low opinion has been more than justified tonight.¡±


    Chartreuse winced. ¡°Corry, can you please let me do the, you know, talking from here? Please?¡±


    ¡°Oh, FINE. I¡¯ll need to find a branch that I can use as a cane anyway.¡±


    Chartreuse turned her full attention back on Megan as Corry moved off. ¡°Okay. So Corry brought up the blackmail, and I went along with it, and we brought all this stuff up here in advance... but I, like, purposefully turned off my camera then. Not that I expect you to believe it, or, you know, anything I say at this point, but I did. Because I think I get it now. Like, not all of it, no way, but I get you a little better, and, you know, maybe I finally realize what the spirits have been trying to tell me too.¡±


    The intensity of Megan¡¯s glare seemed to subside, even if her overall expression didn¡¯t. ¡°That freaked me the hell out, Chartreuse. Laurie will hear about this, mark my words.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know. I¡¯ll tell her myself. I¡¯ll even let you tell her first, if you want. Thing is, Laurie really did want us to talk, you know? That¡¯s why she provided the recording. She¡¯s desperate for everyone that she likes to get along, particularly now that she¡¯s got the extra cheerleader responsibility on her mind.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like Laurie.¡± Megan looked up towards the sky. ¡°That girl is SUCH an optimist, huh? Trouble is, me and Corry, we are NOT compatible.¡±


    ¡°I get that. Perhaps because he involves himself too much... while maybe you imply some of the same stuff, then don¡¯t involve yourself?¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡± Her glare was back.


    Chartreuse nibbled on her lip. ¡°Words can be, you know, very powerful. They spark emotions, ones which can lead to a total override of a person¡¯s, like, higher reasoning... and while, as a writer, I¡¯m sure you already knew that... maybe you¡¯re not always testing what you think you¡¯re testing in people?¡±


    Megan eyed her, then finally lifted her shoulders in a small shrug. ¡°Okay. Okay, maybe I talk too much. And God does not tempt us to sin, so perhaps there were times I should have been leading more by example.¡±


    The dark haired junior started to push herself back up to her feet. Chartreuse quickly straightened up, reaching down out a hand to help her. After a hesitation, Megan accepted her help and was soon brushing herself off.


    ¡°What you¡¯re saying is about MY beliefs though,¡± Megan pointed out. ¡°What about you? With that weird reference to ¡®the spirits¡¯ telling you things?¡±


    ¡°Oh. That was, um...¡± Chartreuse sighed as Megan looked at her expectantly. ¡°Okay, long story condensed? Something¡¯s gonna happen with Carrie at the talent show. But she¡¯s avoided talking about it. So I sought spiritual guidance, except instead of Carrie, I got visions of all the stuff you were stirring up. Hence me going a bit crazy this week, trying to negate your influences.¡± She exhaled. ¡°Which was a mistake. Because maybe, the spirits were trying to get me to stop being tempted by their gifts. They wanted me to put my faith in Carrie instead, the same way you test the faith of the people you talk to.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. Reaching a bit?¡±


    Chartreuse shrugged. ¡°As mere mortals, can we ever TRULY know what the cosmic forces are trying to tell us?¡± Chartreuse ventured a smile, and was relieved when it was reciprocated, however tentatively, by Megan.


    ¡°You actually have layers,¡± Megan mused. ¡°I¡¯m impressed. Maybe I even kind of get why Laurie likes you.¡±


    ¡°Got your talent show deal figured out yet?¡± the male Veniti twin asked, hobbling up next to them, leaning on a large branch. ¡°Because if so, I find I¡¯m in considerable pain and would prefer to leave these woods sooner rather than later.¡±


    Chartreuse nodded. ¡°I have my answers. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    She received a message from Carrie later that Friday.

 Part 80a: Vanishing Act

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.2 - Motivated


    PART 80a: VANISHING ACT


    Chartreuse entered the classroom she¡¯d been invited to, to find Carrie sitting behind the teacher¡¯s desk. She took a second to appreciate the fact that her temporal friend had asked to meet after school in the same room where they had ¡®interfaced¡¯ during September¡¯s dance before closing the door and setting her books by the chalkboard. ¡°So, is class in session?¡±


    Carrie looked up. ¡°I hope not. Because I don¡¯t seem to have the right answers today.¡±


    It was just the two of them. As Chartreuse approached, Carrie stood and walked around the desk to meet her. ¡°Chartreuse..." Her fists clenched and she looked down at her feet. ¡°Damn it. What I SHOULD tell you here is that I don¡¯t care about you, and that I never have, so that you can get over your feelings. Because where I¡¯m going, I can¡¯t take you with me.¡±


    ¡°Carrie?¡±


    ¡°Except I can¡¯t say that, I can¡¯t, because I¡¯m scared Chartreuse, I¡¯m SO scared about how things might play out, and you¡¯re the only one who knows about everything that I¡¯ve seen and done and..."


    She looked back up then, and she was so close to tears that Chartreuse didn¡¯t even think about it. She reached out to grab Carrie in the biggest, tightest hug that she could manage. Carrie sobbed then, and after a moment, her hands slipped around Chartreuse¡¯s sides to hug back.


    Chartreuse closed her eyes, preferring to let her other senses capture the moment. The feel of how Carrie¡¯s body was pressed up against her. The scent of whatever fragrance her friend was wearing. The sound of the quiet sobs of the girl she¡¯d fallen for.


    Alas, she knew the moment was bittersweet. To the point where, when Carrie finally released her, and started to draw back, Chartreuse nearly didn¡¯t let her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chartreuse. I¡¯m making everything about me again.¡±


    Chartreuse reopened her eyes and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s my Carrie. At the centre of the, you know, universe.¡± Carrie let out a noise that seemed to be half laugh, half choke, reaching up wipe at her own cheeks. ¡°So where are you going, and why not take me with you? Glen, like, won¡¯t allow it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not going with HIM,¡± Carrie assured. ¡°In fact, I fully intend to embarrass him tonight at the talent show. My raging headache isn¡¯t the only reason I set that event as my point of departure.¡± She took a step back to pull a tissue from the box on the teacher¡¯s desk, blowing her nose.


    ¡°You¡¯re going ALONE? Carrie, no..."


    ¡°I¡¯m going through time, Chartreuse. We¡¯ve seen how that messes with your head. But even if that wasn¡¯t an issue, this is something that only I can do.¡±


    ¡°WHY? When are you, you know, going? Aside from the obvious chip destroying side trip, that is.¡±


    Carrie tossed her tissue into the wastebasket. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t. If I tell, then Glen, or someone else at some future time, they¡¯ll try to drag it out of you. I won¡¯t allow that. Not knowing, it keeps you safe. Besides, I¡¯m not even sure if my plan will work. Hence the scared part.¡±


    ¡°But if you leave, what happens to, like, the rest of us? Your friends, your father... me..."


    Carrie sighed. ¡°In at least two alternate timelines, everyone led perfectly good lives without me around. I¡¯m sure they can do so again. My father¡¯s kind of a special case, but that gave me the insight into what I¡¯m going to do, so he should be okay as well. You..." Her face crumpled again.


    ¡°Oh, God, Chartreuse, you¡¯re the only one I still can¡¯t figure out. I wish I could at least give you an answer here. I think I¡¯d hoped that somehow, the two of us, in this room... and yet..."


    ¡°My feelings kinda defy all common sense, huh?¡±


    Carrie licked her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m truly sorry. I... I¡¯ll leave it up to you as to whether you tell the others? About everything? Causality loops aside, maybe it will help them understand why I have to destroy the time machine on my way out.¡±


    Chartreuse nodded, then closed her eyes, taking a second to call up the sensations of having Carrie in her arms moments ago. ¡°Okay,¡± she decided. She turned and headed back to her books. ¡°If you¡¯re going for sure, like, at least take this with you.¡± She reached into her pencil case, pulled out a relaxation crystal and returned to press it into Carrie¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Chartreuse?¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Take this piece of me with you, Carrie. That way, you¡¯ll know there are people out here who, like, care about you. People who you can turn to for help if you get stuck again. I know it¡¯s not much, in fact it¡¯s, you know, actually kind of a cheap parting gift, but I hate the thought that in time you might forget. Forget all about--"


    Carrie¡¯s lips pressing in against her own cut off the rest of that sentence, indeed made Chartreuse forget about whatever she¡¯d been about to say about forgetfulness in the first place. To her chagrin, in the time it took for the kiss to fully register as being a thing, and for her body to start properly reacting, Carrie was already drawing back. Chartreuse felt like a part of her brain wanted to scream. She tried to distract it by looking into Carrie¡¯s wide eyes. Those gorgeous, deep blue eyes.


    Carrie swallowed. ¡°Okay. So that¡¯s a thing I actually did.¡±


    ¡°I-Is it a thing you might, you know, do again? I wasn¡¯t ready.¡±


    Carrie¡¯s eyes darted around the room. Her fingers obtained a stranglehold on some locks of her hair. ¡°I... oh, Chartreuse, I would. I¡¯m still not entirely sure what this is I¡¯m feeling, but know that I really would. Except I can¡¯t! Not now! It¡¯ll only make it harder for me... or rather, for the both of us, when I... I have to..."


    ¡°A proper goodbye kiss, Carrie? Please?"


    Chartreuse wasn¡¯t entirely ready the second time either, but she made sure it lasted much longer than the first.


    ***


    "Corry''s band was pretty good, huh?" Laurie said brightly as the applause died down. ¡°Even if he had to perform sitting down on account of the ankle.¡±


    "Yeah. Claude seemed to, you know, play all the right notes,¡± Chartreuse murmured. She wondered whether Megan had actually spoken to the bass guitarist, or any of the others she¡¯d attempted to influence. Well, they were only twenty minutes into a two hour event, maybe chaos would erupt later. Not that it would change anything.


    ¡°Well, sure Claude did. He had been practicing their songs since way before Glen got kicked out on Monday,¡± Laurie noted. ¡°Megan wouldn¡¯t have insisted that Corry choose him for no reason.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Chartreuse, are you okay? You shouldn¡¯t keep worrying about what happened with you and Megan last night, yeah? Because I spoke to her, and I think she understands how you¡¯ve been under some personal stress.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about Megan,¡± Chartreuse sighed. ¡°Sorry, Laurie. It¡¯s more that, the closer we get to, like, Carrie being up there, the more... conflicted I feel.¡±


    The others, sitting around her, they would know of Carrie¡¯s plans right away. Or at least, Julie would, as Carrie would be dressed the same as she had been that night she¡¯d destroyed the time travel chip. Lee and Tim might suspect too, if they saw her backstage. Glen, of course, would already know - but he believed that Carrie would go back, destroy the chip, then return. Except she wouldn¡¯t. She wasn¡¯t coming back. Was she?


    The points of the crystal Chartreuse was holding dug into her palms.


    Laurie touched her shoulder. ¡°Golly, what is it? Did Carrie finally give you an answer today, Chartreuse?¡±


    The whimper escaped from Chartreuse¡¯s lips before she could prevent it. ¡°Oh, Laurie. Let¡¯s, like, talk about it later, okay?¡±


    Up on stage, the freshmen juggling routine finished with only a couple of objects on the ground, and they took a bow. Then Kim announced Glen¡¯s magic act.


    Chartreuse¡¯s breath caught. Her eyes darted to the side, eyeing Frank on her right, and Luci beside him. The two of them also exchanged a glance before they all returned their attention to the stage.


    Glen came out, wheeling a large trunk. He was followed by Carrie. Ignoring the light patter as Glen began to speak, Chartreuse watched as Frank''s attention shifted to Julie, who was sitting behind them. Almost imperceptibly, she nodded back. On stage, Glen produced a bouquet of flowers, which he tossed out into the crowd.


    Frank shifted, like he was about to stand up. Chartreuse reached out to seize him by the leg, and he turned to her in surprise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she whispered, even as part of her said to release him, to let him try, to see whether he could succeed here, where she had failed.


    ¡°Chartreuse,¡± he murmured back. ¡°Julie thinks this might be when Carrie--"


    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t. Causality, you know.¡±


    He lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Actually, we only have the effect. The cause could be any time Carrie looks like that. If we keep it from being right now, that gives us all more time to determine--"


    ¡°No, it¡¯s gonna be, like, now.¡±


    ¡°Why? Did you have a vision?¡±


    Chartreuse closed her eyes. ¡°Something like that.¡±


    "So, for this trick... I will make Carrie disappear!" Glen said, flipping open the trunk.


    ¡°Chartreuse. I still have to try.¡±


    She counted to three in her head, then released Frank¡¯s leg. Hearing him get to his feet, she reopened her eyes.


    "Carrie! Don''t... don''t do this. Not now!" Frank called out.


    Students, parents and teachers alike all turned to regard Frank; the group of them had chosen seats closer to the back. He tried his best to ignore the attention, focusing instead on the stage.


    Carrie also paused there, one booted leg in the trunk. She fired off a quick, resigned smile. "Frank? What, you jealous that Glen gets to work his magic on me instead of you?"


    There were a couple of laughs within the crowd. "Y-You... you know what I mean," he called back. "Me... Julie... Lee... all of us, we only have your best interests at heart." Carrie simply looked his way for a couple more seconds, then shook her head, resuming her climb into the trunk.


    "Carrie!" Julie said, joining Frank on his feet. Luci rose as well, silently.


    "You''ll have to excuse them, they saw what happened when I tried to do this to a watermelon last week," Glen quipped, spinning his wand in his hand. Another wave of laughter rippled through the crowd, drowning out the growing murmurs.


    That¡¯s when Chartreuse noticed it. The photograph that Carrie had pulled out of her jeans. She was looking at it, as Glen closed the lid of the trunk on her. That fact seemed important, because Tim had mentioned a photograph too, hadn¡¯t he? Almost a week ago now, in what would be for Carrie, another few seconds. Had that been the same image? What was the significance?


    As Glen began to spin the trunk on stage, Frank looked back at Julie, seemingly unsure as to whether they should simply take their seats or not. So Chartreuse rose with them, motioning to Frank and plucking at Laurie¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Come with me,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Chartreuse?¡± Julie questioned.


    Chartreuse didn¡¯t answer, she simply edged herself into the aisle and headed for the auditorium doors. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that the others were following. And beyond them, up on stage, Glen was now opening up that trunk. That empty trunk.


    Carrie Waterson was gone.

 Part 80b: Vanishing Act 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.2 - Motivated


    PART 80b: VANISHING ACT 2


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Chartreuse?¡± Frank asked as the group of them exited the school auditorium. ¡°Do we need to head backstage to meet Carrie when she returns or something?¡±


    The pink haired girl let out a sigh. ¡°Carrie¡¯s not coming back.¡±


    Laurie flinched. ¡°What?¡±


    Chartreuse turned to look at all of them, though Frank felt she was addressing him and Julie more specifically. ¡°She¡¯s not coming back, and I, like, desperately need some time to process that myself, except I¡¯m pretty sure Glen¡¯s not gonna, you know, give me that time. He might even come after any of you too. So, um, like, heads up on that.¡±


    Frank noticed Julie turn to Clarke and mutter something, gesturing back at the auditorium. The tall blonde nodded and headed back inside. Frank wondered idly whether the two of them were on speaking terms again, or if Julie had simply chosen the closest person.


    ¡°Hold on, Chartreuse,¡± Luci was saying. ¡°You can¡¯t drop a bombshell on us like that without SOME explanation. Where is she? WHEN is she?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that stuff,¡± Chartreuse said, looking pained. ¡°I can, like, give you this much though. According to Carrie, we¡¯re currently in timeline five. She¡¯s had to do some, you know, temporal housekeeping, what with Glen and Mindy coming back. I think her leaving fixes things for good.¡±


    ¡°Five?¡± Frank said, stunned. ¡°Are they running in parallel, or in a destined to go back kind of way?¡±


    Chartreuse looked at him like he¡¯d asked her to give him the 47th digit of pi. ¡°I don¡¯t know about temporal mechanics, Frank, only Carrie. She did, you know, mention overwriting, if that helps.¡±


    ¡°So was timeline four - sorry, one more question if I could,¡± Julie amended, seeing Chartreuse¡¯s expression. The mystic girl gave a resigned shrug. ¡°Was timeline four one in which Lee actually held onto my chip? Instead of it being destroyed?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°So timeline five only now came into existence,¡± Luci concluded. ¡°Even though it¡¯s been running since last weekend.¡±


    Frank frowned. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense. Carrie went back in time during the show because she knew that she already had. That¡¯s a destiny thing, not an overwrite. How could there even be a timeline where Lee had the chip?¡±


    Luci crossed her arms. ¡°Maybe we¡¯re too deep inside to see it? Thing is, an overwrite would explain why Carrie was taking headache meds this week. When it¡¯s destiny, she doesn¡¯t need them. Er, does she?¡±


    ¡°Frank,¡± Laurie put in. ¡°If, like you¡¯re saying, Carrie was going to go back because she already did, then why did you try to stop her?¡±


    ¡°I..." Frank grimaced as he realized how his actions didn¡¯t match his explanation. ¡°Well, I was hoping that this wasn¡¯t really when she left. Or, in a best case scenario, that talking to her might even change her mind, which might retroactively alter our memories and bring the chip back? Assuming history can even be changed in that way..."


    ¡°Or it might be that you, like, originally protested some plan to steal the chip from Lee in timeline four,¡± Chartreuse offered. ¡°And with this timeline being similar, there was no way to, you know, stop yourself from protesting during the show again.¡±


    ¡°All of which brings us dangerously close to a time loop,¡± Luci mused. ¡°One where we convince Carrie not to go back, restoring timeline four, and then she learns Lee has the chip and goes back, restoring timeline five, the one wherein we convinced her not to go back, restoring..."


    ¡°Guys, stop, you¡¯re going to give ME a headache,¡± Julie groaned.


    Frank let out a breath. "If we¡¯re having trouble, I can only imagine how bad it was getting from Carrie''s point of view."


    Clarke pushed open the auditorium doors and rejoined the group. ¡°Glen¡¯s done. When Carrie didn¡¯t reappear in the trunk, or backstage, he claimed she was getting back at him for missing a date. Said she¡¯d likely left and gone home. It actually sounded pretty plausible, so maybe he was using some of his mind control there? He definitely used that power to improvise a new grand finale.¡±


    ¡°A finale?¡± Laurie wondered.


    Clarke smiled wryly. ¡°Yeah, Glen got Mr. Fisk up on stage and used his ¡®magic¡¯ to make our dance-hating science teacher cluck like a chicken.¡±


    ***


    It didn¡¯t make sense. Or if it did, Glen couldn¡¯t figure it out. Why wouldn¡¯t Carrie have come back? Returning at some later date would simply embarrass the both of them. Had she really been more nervous around crowds than he¡¯d thought?


    Glen decided that he should have insisted to Carrie that she simply time jump to earlier in the day. Not back to Lee, the night the chip had been destroyed; it had overcomplicated things. Carrie had insisted on figuring out how to target a person with a time jump though. She¡¯d been working hard on it all week.


    Had her vanishing act been due to something her classmates had said? If so, it was liable to have been that Chartreuse girl. She had gone from giving Carrie a good power basis to being a bad influence, and Glen decided it was high time to corner Chartreuse, to learn exactly what was going on between her and Carrie.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Finding her turned out to be easy - she was waiting outside the drama room as he emerged, after putting away his trunk. Cornering her didn¡¯t seem to be an option though - she was accompanied by the others. Frank, Luci, Julie, Clarke, even Laurie Veniti. At least that explained a few things.


    ¡°Okay, so, this was all about getting back at me for the minor mental suggestions I gave you last weekend,¡± he realized. ¡°Grudge much? I mean come on, you¡¯re all free and clear now. If the trigger event, namely waylaying a package destined for Julie¡¯s, doesn¡¯t register within a day or so? The impetus goes away.¡±


    Frank shook his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t about that. It¡¯s more to make it clear to you that if you mess with one of us? You mess with all of us. So, don¡¯t do it in the coming days. Okay?¡±


    Glen looked a little more closely at them. Chartreuse in particular looked stricken, as if someone had kicked a puppy in front of her. He started to get a bad feeling. ¡°Okay Mundanes. When did Carrie travel to?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Frank asserted.


    ¡°When is she coming back?¡± Glen pressed.


    The body language of the others seemed to defer to Chartreuse, even though it was again Frank who answered, ¡°She might not be coming back.¡±


    Bloody hell. ¡°Do you have ANY idea how problematic that is? No, don¡¯t even answer that, how could you possibly!¡±


    ¡°Carrie made a decision,¡± Julie said. ¡°Like she did with her letter to me. You can¡¯t force her to travel the path you want, you can¡¯t--"


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about things you don¡¯t understand,¡± Glen interrupted. ¡°More to the point, when Carrie sent me back here in time for the training, she told me that it was because she had grown up with me. That I¡¯d helped her through a difficult time in her life. Past Carrie can¡¯t simply reject that! At best, it makes her future self a liar. At worst, it makes Future Carrie EXTREMELY pissed off right now.¡±


    The band of idiots exchanged glances. ¡°Well technically not RIGHT now,¡± Luci remarked. ¡°What with Future Carrie being in the future.¡±


    ¡°Funny! When the temporal waveforms reach her, she might decide to MAKE your present into her ¡®right now¡¯,¡± Glen snarked. ¡°She could even wipe this whole conversation out of existence. So, in all seriousness, what the hell was my Carrie planning on doing?¡±


    Again, the tendency was for the group to cast sidelong glances at Chartreuse. So he directed his full attention onto her. ¡°You will tell me the truth now,¡± he insisted, making it a compulsion. ¡°What did Carrie say to you today, before she left?!¡±


    ¡°That she loved me too.¡±


    Chartreuse slapped both hands to her mouth after the admission. With her wide eyes blazing in what seemed to be equal parts pain and anger, she spun on her heel and charged off down the hallway. Laurie fled after her, while the rest of the group gave Glen a mixture of irritated and shocked looks.


    Glen raised his hands, palms out. ¡°Look, in my defence, I really did NOT expect that answer.¡±


    ***


    Laurie simply held Chartreuse as she cried. Her friend had fled to the washroom the furthest away from the school auditorium, only to find it locked. Chartreuse had then collapsed to the floor in front of the door, which was where Laurie had embraced her. Laurie now hoped the hallway would remain deserted, despite Chartreuse¡¯s sobs. She rubbed the back of the more heavyset girl, pulling Chartreuse deeper into the crook of her neck. Her nicest purple shirt would be a mess, but she didn¡¯t care.


    It took about five minutes, but finally the sobs eased up, and a minute or so after that, Chartreuse said something. Except it was muffled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±


    Chartreuse¡¯s grip tightened slightly, even as she turned her head to the side. ¡°I said they, like, know now. They all know.¡±


    ¡°What, that you like girls? Or that Carrie apparently also likes girls? Chartreuse, I don¡¯t think any of our friends will care, not really. And we won¡¯t tell on you.¡±


    ¡°Not that. They, like, know now that Carrie ran off after saying she loved me. That I, you know, scared her off. That I was driven to temptation, and so Carrie freaked, and so that¡¯s why she¡¯s never coming back.¡±


    Laurie frowned. ¡°What do you mean that¡¯s why she isn¡¯t coming back? What did Carrie say?¡±


    ¡°It... it¡¯s not about what she said. Not exactly.¡±


    ¡°You mean you got one of your random impressions off of her?¡±


    Chartreuse squirmed, loosening her hold. ¡°No. But when we met after school, during our second kiss, I..."


    ¡°SECOND kiss?¡±


    ¡°I got overzealous. I mean, okay, I¡¯d had it on my mind for weeks, and it¡¯s been, you know, so long since Tope, and she was going to LEAVE, Laurie, she would leave, and it was, like, my last chance. And maybe it was the kiss, or how I grabbed her, because at first Carrie was into it. She, you know, pulled me back into the corner of the room once our lips came apart, and so I kept at it, and she reciprocated, and ohh, Laurie, that¡¯s when I felt it inside me.¡±


    Chartreuse looked up into Laurie¡¯s eyes. ¡°I truly felt our connection, Laurie, despite neither of us using our powers.¡± She smiled at the memory. ¡°There was more kissing, and soon Carrie had me, you know, pinned up against the wall, and we were all over each other, and in the middle of it, I blurt out ¡®I love you!¡¯ and she, like, said it back. She said it BACK, Laurie, like automatically! For a moment, I was in Heaven. Except I think that screwed her up, because that¡¯s when she, you know, froze, pulled her shirt back down, said she was sorry but she couldn¡¯t, and ran out of the room.¡± Chartreuse swallowed. ¡°Away from any timeline where we could be together.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Chartreuse,¡± Laurie sighed. She reached up to wipe off the eye makeup that was staining her friend¡¯s cheeks. ¡°You said Carrie was leaving anyway though, right? So it wasn¡¯t you. No one will think it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°It had to, like, be a little bit me, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°All it sounds like to me, is that she was into you, and didn¡¯t want it to be a one night stand. Geez Chartreuse, don¡¯t tell me Carrie¡¯s ego rubbed off on you along with the rest of her body.¡±


    Chartreuse snorted, and uncurled more until the two of them were sitting side by side against the washroom door. ¡°Okay. Okay, maybe it¡¯s silly to blame myself. But, like, to have that be our last conversation...?" She sighed. ¡°Oh, Laurie, I really can pick ¡®em, huh? Why isn¡¯t there a way to, you know, UNpick ¡®em?¡±


    ¡°If you find it, let me know. Remember, you¡¯re talking to the girl who pined after Clarke for HOW long? Even now, I can¡¯t figure out if I¡¯m over him or not.¡±


    ¡°Oooh. Point.¡± She shrugged. ¡°So maybe it¡¯s better for me this way. Not, like, constantly seeing Carrie, day after day.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think you should give up. If I were Carrie, I¡¯d make a timeline six,¡± Laurie offered. ¡°One where I swoop back in and carry you off to a majestic palace or a medieval castle or something!¡±


    Chartreuse shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t handle time travel, Laurie. It, you know, messes with my head.¡±


    ¡°Same as love. So what?¡±


    ¡°So... so yeah, I guess we still charge into that.¡± She smiled. ¡°Thanks, Laurie. Thanks for helping keep hope alive.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Chartreuse wiped at her eyes. ¡°Can I ask you to come with me tomorrow morning to see Carrie¡¯s father?¡±


    Laurie blinked. ¡°Sure, but... Carrie didn¡¯t ask you to break the news to him, did she?!¡±


    ¡°No, no, but she did say he was the source of some insight. Maybe knowing what that is will help me too.¡±


    Laurie reached out to grab Chartreuse tightly by the hand. ¡°In that case, I would be happy to.¡±


    They ended up arriving at the Waterson home shortly after Luci and Julie. It wasn¡¯t long before all of them had seen the note.

 Part 81a: Do You Mindy?

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.2 - Motivated


    PART 81a: DO YOU MINDY?


    Hank Waterson opened his front door almost before his visitor had a chance to knock. "I''m sorry to have called you so early,¡± he apologized, opting to get straight to the point. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t sleep. I don¡¯t know what to think about this, but her note mentions you, so I thought you might have more information. I don¡¯t want to leave the house either, lest she come home...¡±


    "It''s fine," Luci assured him. ¡°But like I said, I¡¯ll need to see what Carrie wrote for myself.¡± She gestured to her companion. ¡°And I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I brought Julie along. She, um, specializes in cryptic Carrie notes.¡±


    Julie gave him a quiet wave.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Hank said, beckoning them both inside. ¡°At this point, I¡¯ll take all the help I can get. From what I can gather, Carrie was last seen at the talent show? Is that why she insisted to me that I not be there? How far in advance had she planned her trip? Why didn¡¯t she tell me about it, and when is she coming back?¡±


    The two teenagers exchanged a glance, Julie offering Luci a small shrug.


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure about any of that stuff,¡± Luci hedged. ¡°Aside from yeah, she was last seen at the talent show. Maybe we don¡¯t know that much more than you. Can we see the note?¡±


    Unable to get any sort of read on their expressions, he nodded. ¡°It¡¯s upstairs, in her room. I left everything the way it was. I¡¯d appreciate if you¡¯d do the same, in case we need to open any sort of police investigation into her disappearance.¡±


    ¡°Why, do you think Carrie was coerced into writing whatever it was?¡± Luci wondered, as they ascended the stairs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think,¡± Hank admitted. He let them into her room, gesturing at Carrie¡¯s desk, over by the window.


    Both Luci and Julie walked over, peering down at the note. Almost immediately, Julie turned to speak for the first time. ¡°How long has Carrie been using this stationery? With the little pocketwatch in the corner?¡±


    Hank shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think maybe she bought it a couple of months ago?¡±


    As the brunette considered that, there came a knock at the front door. Hank turned and ran back down the stairs, but instead of seeing Carrie when he opened it, he saw Chartreuse instead. She had a redheaded girl with her, whom he belatedly identified as Laurie.


    ¡°H-Hi, sir,¡± the pink haired teenager said nervously. ¡°Sorry if we¡¯re, like, disturbing you...¡±


    ¡°Did Luci tell you about the note as well?¡±


    Chartreuse tilted her head to the side. ¡°Note?¡±


    ***


    Dear Dad, (it read)


    Some things have been happening in my life recently that I... I can''t deal with. So I have to disappear. Please know that this isn''t because of anything you''ve done, or didn''t do - I like how things have been getting better between us. I really do. But I don''t think I can go on, not with the path that¡¯s been laid out for me. That said, my leaving? It means she can return. All the best to both of you,


    Carrie


    PS- Luci, if things DO go horribly wrong, do NOT hesitate to use the item that you found in that safe!


    Julie crossed her arms. ¡°It¡¯s Carrie¡¯s handwriting,¡± she confirmed for Luci. ¡°And the ¡®disappear¡¯ remark would seem to confirm what Chartreuse said.¡±


    ¡°While the postscript obviously refers to the gun. But what about ¡®she can return¡¯? Surely that doesn¡¯t mean..." Luci¡¯s voice trailed off as footsteps approached, and moments later, Mr. Waterson was showing Chartreuse and Laurie into Carrie¡¯s bedroom as well.


    Chartreuse looked better than she had the previous night. Of course, Julie reflected, it would have been difficult to look worse. After Carrie¡¯s girlfriend (should she now think of Chartreuse that way?) had run off, the rest of them - minus Glen, obviously - had waited around in the hall, making awkward small talk.


    Eventually, they had gone back into the auditorium. No one had seemed to know what to say, Julie least of all, given how little she¡¯d spoken to any of them of late. Chartreuse and Laurie hadn¡¯t returned. They¡¯d all left separately, and Julie probably wouldn¡¯t have made any efforts to talk with them today if Luci hadn¡¯t called her.


    Julie watched silently as Chartreuse and Laurie read over the note, emitting twin gasps as they got close to the bottom. With Chartreuse though, there seemed to be a dawning realization, if not yet a complete understanding.


    ¡°Mr. Waterson?¡± Luci was speaking again, and pointing to Carrie¡¯s dresser. ¡°That empty picture frame. Do you know what picture used to be in there?¡±


    He turned to look. ¡°Yes, of course. It was Carrie¡¯s mother. My wife, Elaine.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Chartreuse¡¯s eyes got even bigger than they had the previous night. ¡°Oh my GOD,¡± she gasped. ¡°She was trying to--"


    ¡°Mr. Waterson,¡± Julie said, cutting off Chartreuse. ¡°We¡¯re developing a working theory here. If you can give us a little time to network with the rest of our friends, we might be able to provide you with some answers by --" She looked from Luci, to Laurie, to Chartreuse, and then back to him. Based on their expressions, this wasn¡¯t going to be straightforward. ¡°The end of the weekend.¡±


    Carrie¡¯s father shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t wait that long. If my daughter is out there, in trouble..."


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk to you sooner if we can, but here¡¯s the thing.¡± Julie rubbed her forehead. ¡°Did it occur to you that Carrie¡¯s letter might have been referring to the return of your wife?¡±


    ¡°It sort of did,¡± Mr. Waterson admitted. ¡°But that¡¯s ridiculous, since Elaine disappeared back when Carrie was only three years old.¡±


    Julie nodded slowly. ¡°Thing is? Rather a lot of ridiculous stuff happens at our school. And it¡¯s going to take us some time to figure out where that possibility ranks on our events scale of ¡®pop quiz¡¯ to ¡®van totalling the library¡¯.¡±


    ***


    Lee was the last person to arrive at the LaMille mansion. Julie couldn¡¯t think of a time when they had all been together - herself, Frank, Luci, Clarke, Corry, Laurie, Tim, Chartreuse, and now Lee. Of course, there was one notable missing person.


    She fingered the small jade figurine in her hands before placing it carefully back onto the table. At least this time, they knew Carrie couldn¡¯t arrive and object to their gathering.


    Julie cleared her throat, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Okay. We all have various pieces of the puzzle, but I don¡¯t think any one person knows everything, so we¡¯re going to have to tackle this in pieces until we¡¯re all up to speed. Make sense?¡±


    Corry looked like he might want to say something, fidgeting with the cane he was using owing to his twisted ankle, but he kept silent.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Julie concluded. She sat down in the last available chair and pointed to Luci, perched on the arm of the couch. ¡°Carrie¡¯s letter to her Dad. Go for it.¡±


    Luci outlined what had been in the message that had been left at Carrie¡¯s house, adding that the photo of Carrie¡¯s mother had been missing from her bedroom.


    ¡°Meanwhile,¡± Chartreuse piped up, ¡°I, you know, saw Carrie with a photo as Glen was putting her into that trunk. And Tim saw her with a photo the night she, like, destroyed the chip.¡±


    ¡°You mean Carrie was using her mom¡¯s photo as a focus,¡± Laurie reasoned. ¡°To strengthen her resolve.¡±


    Frank drew his gaze up from the floor. ¡°There¡¯s another link. That time, in the hospital, with Shady? When Carrie first went a bit crazy? She told me that the presence of her mother had been a strain on the timeline. That, after giving birth, her mom had to disappear, that she and Carrie couldn¡¯t co-exist.¡±


    ¡°Whacky,¡± Lee mused. ¡°But no more so than the rest of it, I guess. So when did her mom end up instead?¡±


    Frank shrugged. ¡°Carrie couldn¡¯t see it. All we know for sure is that Elaine Waterson disappeared 14 years ago, on a flight from Miami to Bermuda, in the so-called Bermuda triangle.¡±


    ¡°So last night, Carrie went back to get her,¡± Clarke concluded.


    ¡°It would TOTALLY explain why she was so scared,¡± Chartreuse agreed. ¡°On top of the, you know, issue of seeing her missing mom again, she would also have had to deal with airports or airplanes. She hates those.¡±


    ¡°She managed it not TOO terribly on one of our first time trips,¡± Frank admitted. ¡°But yeah, point granted.¡±


    ¡°And since neither Carrie, nor her mom, are currently back in the present,¡± Luci remarked. ¡°The trip can¡¯t have gone well.¡± Frank nodded, and resumed looking at his shoes.


    ¡°Can I say something as the designated jerk in the room?¡± Corry remarked, waving his cane in the air.


    Julie half smiled. ¡°Please do, I rather like that you¡¯re offering to take that title before I end up claiming it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the damn point in knowing when Carrie went? We don¡¯t have a time machine to chase after her.¡±


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t we?¡± Tim spoke up. As his gaze went to Julie, many of the others looked to her as well.


    Julie let out a long breath. ¡°Yeah, not presently. But Tim¡¯s right, in that maybe we could.¡± She grimaced. ¡°With Mindylenopia¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°Mindy?¡± Laurie gasped. ¡°But she¡¯s the one who crashed that van at school! She made Corry and Frank miss two days back in October and she... didn¡¯t Carrie, um..."


    ¡°Mindy was banished through time,¡± Clarke finished. He looked curiously at Julie. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s where it gets fuzzy again,¡± Luci said. She hopped down from her sofa perch and began to pace. ¡°Frank found an article in the local paper five years ago, a poem simply signed ¡®Mindy¡¯, which told us not to trust Glen. Good advice, all things considered.¡±


    Frank picked up the tale. ¡°Then last weekend, Julie got a call from someone claiming to be Mindy. They said that they could help with rebuilding the time machine. But it was a ¡®don¡¯t call me, I¡¯ll call you¡¯ thing, and she hasn¡¯t called back - has she?¡± Julie shook her head.


    ¡°Soooo, this is a Mindy with a time machine then?¡± Lee asked.


    ¡°Unlikely,¡± Luci said. ¡°Our current theory is that she¡¯s the same banished person, who has been in town for the last fifty years or less. Possibly waiting for the chance to get her hands on a time machine again.¡±


    ¡°But then how did Mindy find out about Julie¡¯s work?¡± Tim protested.


    Julie threw up her hands. ¡°However Glen found out, maybe? I swear, I should have taken out a billboard for all the good my secrecy did. But Carrie¡¯s letter TOLD me that I was to--"


    ¡°What did THAT letter say?¡± Corry interrupted. ¡°Do you have it?¡±


    Julie sighed. ¡°No, sorry. I ripped it up. Then burned it. It said I should do that. But give me a second, I¡¯ll see if I can remember..." She closed her eyes trying to see the words again. Recalling the last time she¡¯d looked at them, on that day, before taking off her rose brooch... damn, at this point, she really should get that back out of her drawer.


    ¡°Okay, it said, ummm, ¡®Please help. It has to be you. You need to watch me now, and when I dispose of the time machine, save the key pieces. Then rebuild it. In secret. Please. Now destroy this note. Yours, Carrie.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Kinda vague then,¡± Lee remarked.


    ¡°And that, like, makes no sense!¡± Chartreuse asserted. It was chiefly the tone of her voice that drew Julie¡¯s attention - along with that of most of the others. Chartreuse winced under the scrutiny, and began fiddling with a crystal in her hands.


    ¡°Chartreuse, why does it make that much of a lack of sense?¡± Laurie asked, resting her hand on Chartreuse¡¯s leg.


    Chartreuse sighed. ¡°It¡¯s... oh boy. See, in timeline three? The one where the old time machine was, you know, still around? Um, Frank died.¡±


    Frank¡¯s posture straightened as he gave up on the plan of mostly staring at his shoes. Luci froze in her pacing. Many of the others present either inhaled or exhaled sharply.


    ¡°When?¡± Tim gasped.


    ¡°That time when Carrie was in hospital,¡± Frank realized. ¡°Oh, geez, it had to be. Since that¡¯s when she destroyed it.¡±


    Julie rose to her feet again. ¡°But my note WAS written by Carrie! Why would she want me to restore a timeline where one of you DIED?¡±


    ¡°Ohh. Oh no. I have a really bad thought,¡± Luci said. She waited until all eyes were on her before continuing. ¡°What if Julie¡¯s note was written by Glen¡¯s ¡®Future Carrie¡¯? The one who wanted our Carrie to run off with him, and who would be extremely annoyed otherwise? Maybe she was trying to restore her timeline.¡±

 Part 81b: Do You Mindy? 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.2 - Motivated


    PART 81b: DO YOU MINDY? 2


    ¡°No, that feels wrong,¡± Clarke objected. ¡°Glen wanted Julie¡¯s time machine destroyed. Why would ¡®Future Carrie¡¯ want it restored? Why work against the person she sent back? We¡¯re missing something.¡±


    Luci frowned, but apparently couldn¡¯t think of an immediate defence for her position. After a troubled glance in Frank¡¯s direction, she resumed her pacing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all back up,¡± Lee suggested. ¡°Consider ways our rich witch¡¯s note COULD have been written by our version of the track tease. For example, maybe it was dropped off after destroying the chip, but before she went after her mom? Thinking it was possible for us to make another chip or something.¡±


    Julie shook her head. ¡°Doubtful. Carrie¡¯s started using new stationery in the last couple months. My note was on plain paper. Why the difference?¡±


    ¡°Also, Carrie was pretty adamant about not invoking more time travel,¡± Chartreuse added. ¡°Problem is, I¡¯m not sure I, like, buy Luci¡¯s theory either. After all, the mystery note¡¯s basically led to all of us, you know, being here and theorizing about time travel. Which is, like, exactly what ¡®Future Carrie¡¯ would want to avoid, yeah?¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t always working together,¡± Clarke pointed out.


    Julie winced. ¡°Yeah, look, about that... Clarke, I..."


    He flashed her a tired smile. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later.¡±


    ¡°Know what? We¡¯re putting a lot of faith in handwriting here,¡± Corry decided. ¡°And handwriting can be forged. Moreover, Julie, the note never referred to you by name, did it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she admitted. ¡°You think it was a setup by someone else? But who outside of our group would know enough to be able to pull it off?¡±


    Corry pointed his cane at her. ¡°Mindy.¡±


    ¡°But that... actually fits,¡± Frank realized. ¡°Mindy did have a couple hours in our time. She could have devised backup plans, gone to Carrie¡¯s house, planted notes..."


    ¡°Mindy DID go to Carrie¡¯s,¡± Clarke recalled, leaning forwards. ¡°The day after the banishment, when I was with Carrie? She mentioned a letter by Mindy that had been left with her father.¡±


    Luci leaned forwards against the back of the couch. ¡°So Julie¡¯s been working for MINDY all this time? Why? Surely if Mindy had enough knowledge to build a time machine, she¡¯d have hired a reputable scientist rather than work to dupe a bunch of teen... she¡¯d hire a..."


    She snapped her gaze over to Tim at the same time as he turned to look at her. ¡°L-Luci, the person in L-Linquist¡¯s notes. Who might have been a relative, or associate..."


    ¡°No way. No WAY!¡±


    ¡°It would explain why that associate came up with the idea for the %gun of temporal freezing%.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Context for those of us out of the loop, please?¡± Lee requested, waving his hand.


    As Luci seemed too stunned to speak, Tim turned to address them. ¡°Linquist¡¯s work on time travel. F-From once sensing the problem in Luci¡¯s DNA to creating the t-temporal gun we found in the safe. What if all of his recent work was due to Mindy?¡±


    ¡°Linquist used to be a more reputable scientist,¡± Frank agreed. ¡°Even won a local award once. When did that change?¡±


    ¡°When Mindy arrived,¡± Julie concluded, smacking the back of the chair. ¡°After her banishment. She¡¯s been working with him this whole time.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be,¡± Chartreuse gasped. Laurie reached out to again grasp her friend by the hand.


    ¡°But if that¡¯s true,¡± Luci finally vocalized. ¡°Mindy¡¯s temporal banishment was, what, back fifteen years MAX?¡±


    ¡°That girl was Carrie¡¯s first ever banishing attempt, right?¡± Corry remarked. ¡°Maybe she didn¡¯t do that great of a job.¡±


    ¡°Unless Mindy moved away and then came back into town,¡± Clarke countered.


    ¡°Well hey, why not look for evidence?¡± Lee suggested. ¡°I¡¯m working some hours in the library this afternoon. Now that you know what to look for, why not come with me and see if there¡¯s something tying that Mindy to this Linquist? Maybe we can even figure out where they are now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that plan, um, it doesn¡¯t seem to help us get a time machine to pursue Carrie,¡± Laurie pointed out, waving one hand in the air as she continued to hold Chartreuse with the other. ¡°Since even if present Mindy is tracked down, it still leaves us at the mercy of her, um, mental powers, right?¡±


    ¡°Lee¡¯s immune, and I¡¯ve got some tricks up my sleeve,¡± Julie said.


    ¡°No, Laurie¡¯s right,¡± Frank sighed. ¡°Without Mindy¡¯s help, we have no time machine, and we need one. So Mindy can demand stuff, and we¡¯ll have no choice. Worse, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll have wanted a time machine so that we could all save Carrie.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Threaten Mindy with that gun maybe?¡± Corry suggested.


    ¡°Not if she h-helped to invent the thing,¡± Tim reminded. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t she know h-how to defend against it?¡±


    Clarke sighed. ¡°How about using Glen?¡±


    Chartreuse jerked out of her thoughts. ¡°Clarke, seriously? HIM?!¡±


    ¡°Maybe Mindy¡¯s been warning us away from him because he¡¯s the one guy who can take her down,¡± Clarke said, shrugging.


    ¡°Maybe we, you know, WANT her to take him down.¡±


    ¡°The devil we know, or the devil we don¡¯t,¡± Julie muttered. ¡°It¡¯s like choosing Corry instead of Megan all over again. But in that respect, Clarke¡¯s right - at least with Glen, we know what we¡¯re getting.¡±


    ¡°Megan was merely misunderstood!¡± Chartreuse said.


    ¡°Maybe Glen is misunderstood too!¡± Clarke insisted.


    Luci came around the couch to step between them. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing though. If Glen¡¯s goal is to get Carrie back, and our goal is the same... I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but maybe Clarke¡¯s right. Maybe we should at least ask Glen if he wants to help retrieve Carrie?¡±


    Everyone in the room exchanged uncomfortable looks.


    ***


    Glen stared back at Clarke and Lee, an expression of disbelief on his face. "You''re serious, aren''t you."


    "Hey, I''m inclined to ask that question of their group quite a bit lately,¡± Lee put in, before Clarke had a chance to respond. "But instead I roll with it. Turns out anything that doesn''t make sense either eventually does, or doesn''t matter."


    "Ha!" the redhead scoffed, turning away from the two other boys. He leaned against the window frame of his hotel room, staring outside, trying to find the flaw in their reasoning. It wasn¡¯t coming to him.


    ¡°So you expect me to believe that Mindylenopia has been in town for years? That she somehow remembered enough to be behind Julie¡¯s time machine? And that getting the machine away from Mindy is our only chance to help Carrie?"


    ¡°Right, though Mindy doesn¡¯t have it yet,¡± Clarke noted. ¡°We only know that she told Julie it could be rebuilt with her help. So we can¡¯t simply take Mindy out pre-emptively. Unless you can make us a time machine as well..."


    ¡°I¡¯m not a technical guy,¡± Glen grunted. ¡°I only know the theory. Mindylenopia was a full-on tech, that¡¯s why it was a big deal when she supposedly joined the idiot Mundanes in the resistance.¡± He shook his head. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have been capable of introducing such technology into the past though. Not to mention the issues with causality... unless she figured it was less of a deal to tell all of you, since you knew already?¡±


    He began to tap his fingers on the windowsill. Mindylenopia. Was it true? How much might she remember? Was this a game changer? Did he want to work with Carrie¡¯s so-called friends?


    Clarke cleared his throat, as if he was going to speak again. Out of the corner of his eye, Glen saw Lee signal him to stay silent. Yeah, of course they would have sent along the guy who couldn¡¯t be influenced. They didn¡¯t trust him - nor did they have any reason to. So was this a trap, or were things just that serious? Glen grimaced, continuing to tap his fingers for another minute or two, before turning around again.


    ¡°When did Carrie travel to?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure,¡± Clarke answered.


    ¡°But you must suspect. Hence wanting the machine.¡±


    When Clarke hesitated, Lee spoke up instead. ¡°That information isn¡¯t on the table here, dude. If you agree to help, and to never again pull any sort of stunt like you did with that chip, then maybe. BIG maybe.¡±


    Glen narrowed his eyes. ¡°And how do I know Julie didn''t create two chips? Or maybe once you have the time machine, your whole plan is to return to yesterday and take Carrie away for yourselves!"


    Clarke''s jaw dropped, a sign that either those weren¡¯t, in fact, possibilities, or that the guy was a better actor than Glen gave him credit for. The latter seemed unlikely, as the blonde only pulled himself together when Lee''s hand fell on his shoulder. Then again, maybe the others simply hadn¡¯t told Clarke the true plan.


    ¡°High guy. We¡¯re getting nowhere. We should go."


    ¡°I guess,¡± Clarke said. ¡°Unless... Glen, is there anything that might convince you that Mindy¡¯s the real enemy here?¡±


    Glen rubbed his chin. ¡°Proof might. Yes, proof of actual scheming by Mindylenopia over the last ten years.¡±


    Clarke nodded. ¡°Okay, well, Tim and Luci are looking back over their notes, and Frank is already at the library, which is where we¡¯re headed. So by tomorrow, we should--"


    ¡°Nope, by 5pm today.¡±


    ¡°What? Glen, that¡¯s less than six hours away. And there¡¯s so much data we¡¯ll have to sift through!¡±


    ¡°Well, I can hardly give you the time to come up with a grand song and dance number for me, can I?¡±


    Lee shook his head. ¡°Paranoid much, red barren? You could use your mental gifts to see if anyone is trying to trick you.¡±


    Glen shrugged. ¡°Maybe your plan would be to try and figure out how I use that power, in order to turn it against me. No, I think if you¡¯re really serious, you¡¯ll put the effort into making my deadline. Oh, and I choose our meeting site, which won¡¯t be the LaMille mansion, so don¡¯t even bother.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Clarke sighed. ¡°Okay, fine. We¡¯ll have something for you. And then you¡¯ll see, Glen. You¡¯ll see that we¡¯re on the same side here!¡±


    ***


    Julie had a sip of her tea as she sat in the kitchen, peering at her laptop. She, like Corry, had opted to do some searching online, rather than get in the way at the library records room. Besides, with Chartreuse and Laurie down in Linquist¡¯s lab doing... whatever Chartreuse had insisted on doing, it had made sense for her to stay at home with them. Unfortunately, the internet wasn¡¯t providing much aside from a couple of references to Linquist¡¯s jargon filled papers.


    Julie glanced towards the pantry, which held the access down towards the hidden room. It was already past 4pm. What was going on down there? Chartreuse had said something about mapping timelines, and Laurie was popping up every so often to ask Julie about specific dates, plus there had been that one time for sandwiches... should she disturb them?


    Julie shrugged. One of the library group was due to phone her soon, giving them the location where Glen wanted to meet. If the mystic and her friend hadn¡¯t materialized by then, then she¡¯d go down and see what was happening for herself.


    The doorbell rang as she finished her tea. Jeeves would have already left to pick up Corry by car, what with that turned ankle, so Julie closed her laptop and rose to answer the front door herself. Maybe Clarke had come back to share some information in person?


    Except it wasn¡¯t any of the library people - when Julie opened the door, she found Tim standing with a rather more unexpected visitor. "Theresa?" the brunette questioned Tim¡¯s companion. ¡°What¡¯s going on? We don''t usually see you out of the cafe."


    The waitress half smiled. She wasn¡¯t even wearing her cafe outfit, instead she wore a red blouse and dark pants. ¡°Yes, well, I was talking to Tim here and realized that the time had come to explain certain things.¡±


    Julie frowned. ¡°What things? What do you..." She stopped. Noticing Tim¡¯s worried expression, she looked a bit more closely at Theresa. And at her red hair.


    ¡°You know what things,¡± Theresa said. ¡°In fact, you came damn close to figuring me out once before. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t mentally guide you away this time.¡±


    It hit with such force that Julie felt like she¡¯d been punched in the gut. She grabbed for the doorframe. ¡°No. It can¡¯t be. You mean you... you''re..."


    ¡°Yes, Julie.¡± The seemingly twenty-something cafe waitress stretched her arms out to the sides. ¡°I was once known as Mindylenopia."

 Part 82a: Remaking History

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.2 - Motivated


    PART 82a: REMAKING HISTORY


    The door to Linquist¡¯s hidden laboratory was ajar, so Tim simply pushed it open. But the words he had been about to speak died on his lips at what he saw.


    Papers had been taped up along one full wall, over the cabinets. The haphazard array was at least 20 sheets long and 4 sheets down; occasionally a section was missing, or another had been laid overtop. And the majority of the pages had been scribbled on with marker, seemingly random sequences of numbers and words. In front of it all was Chartreuse, on her hands and knees, perched in the middle of the central table, staring.


    Tim turned his attention to Laurie, who was standing off to the side, her hands clasped behind her back. ¡°W-What... what are you..."


    ¡°Chartreuse is trying to understand her girlfriend,¡± Laurie explained softly. ¡°Or at least her girlfriend¡¯s timeline theories.¡±


    Tim blinked. ¡°Her... girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Oh, golly, I forgot you weren¡¯t there when Chartreuse was outed by Glen... she and Carrie are an item.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± Tim looked from Laurie back to Chartreuse and the wall of pages. He saw it then - the numbers weren¡¯t random, they were years, running chronologically, with months/days spliced in. Marked with events like ¡®LaMilles Here¡¯ and ¡®Broken Swan¡¯. ¡°Why now?¡±


    ¡°The Mindy being with Linquist thing,¡± Laurie whispered. ¡°Remember how Chartreuse said it couldn¡¯t be? She feels like it¡¯s actually not possible, given what Carrie told her about timelines. She¡¯s tried to explain, and I don¡¯t get it, but her attempts to do so seem to help clarify it in her own mind.¡±


    The mention of Mindy reminded Tim of why he¡¯d come down. ¡°Well, we need you b-both upstairs now. Mindy, she¡¯s here. And she¡¯s Theresa! I left Julie alone with her, but we¡¯ve gotta figure this out before meeting Glen.¡±


    Laurie blinked. ¡°What? Wait, Tim, you¡¯re saying that you and Luci discovered Mindy¡¯s identity?¡±


    ¡°N-Not even,¡± Tim sighed. ¡°We didn¡¯t get much of anywhere with Linquist¡¯s notes, so Luci finally went to join the others at the library. I s-stopped at the cafe before coming here. The n-next thing I knew, Theresa was telling me she had the rest of the afternoon off and was coming to the mansion with me. It wasn¡¯t until then that I... I realized...¡±


    ¡°Mindy¡¯s Theresa? Theresa¡¯s Mindy? Like, cafe Theresa? Ohmigod, are you SERIOUS?¡±


    Tim looked over towards Chartreuse, taking a physical step back at the manic look she was now giving him. ¡°Uhm, yes? Unless real Mindy pulled a Jedi trick on Theresa or something..."


    ¡°But that changes EVERYTHING!¡± With surprising grace, Chartreuse shifted her weight to her hands, kicking her feet around to jump off the front of the table. She grabbed a marker, pulling the cap off with her mouth as she ran to the right, scribbling ¡®Theresa?¡¯ underneath the words ¡¯She¡¯s GONE¡¯.


    Chartreuse then ran the length of the room, past word clusters reading ¡®Glen Here¡¯, ¡®Session #1¡¯, ¡®Shady Jail¡¯, ¡®Julie Trip¡¯, ¡¯Luci DNA¡¯, ¡®Trip #1¡¯, ¡®Algonq Park¡¯... and even more items within that, which Tim saw more as a jumble. When Chartreuse reached the end, denoted ¡®Mindy Arrival??¡¯, the mystic also scribbled ¡®Theresa?¡¯.


    Chartreuse spat the marker cap out of her mouth. ¡°Ohh, three CAN¡¯T survive that. Can it? It, like, totally can¡¯t. Can it?¡±


    Tim turned his attention back to Laurie. ¡°So, um, J-Julie needs us back upstairs.¡±


    Laurie nodded. ¡°Chartreuse, we need to go.¡±


    Chartreuse shook her head, not even turning. ¡°No no. I gotta see if that piece can fit in, Laurie. I gotta. I¡¯ll, you know, be up once I¡¯m sure. Don¡¯t leave without me.¡± She charged over to the other side of the room again, now writing ¡®Cafe Fire¡¯ above and between ¡®Glen Here¡¯ and what Tim now realized was ¡®Dance <3¡¯.


    Laurie looked at Tim uncertainly, as if wondering if that was okay. Or maybe wondering whether Chartreuse would be okay. Off his shrug, Laurie squared her shoulders and nodded. ¡°Okay Tim, let¡¯s go up and help Julie.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Hey, I just met you... this is crazy... here¡¯s my number..."


    ¡°Julie, honestly, you don¡¯t have to bury your thoughts under pop music,¡± Mindy/Theresa assured, a bemused smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not a mind reader. Besides, you know me, I¡¯ve been working in that cafe since before you even moved to town.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Julie shot back. ¡°You already admitted to nudging me away from seeing the truth. I don¡¯t know you at all any more. Now stop talking.¡±


    Mindy shrugged and leaned back against the wall in the mansion entranceway, hooking her thumbs into the belt loops of her pants. While still mumbling the song lyrics, Julie resumed her considerations of whether they needed Glen here ASAP.


    He¡¯d been her first thought, upon the revelation, but now? Well, Mindy was acting a LOT less hostile than anticipated. So, if Mindy was willing to help them whereas Glen wasn¡¯t... but what if that was her angle? Glen had also seemed nice enough, initially.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°This - is - cray - zee -¡° Julie emphasized in the refrain. ¡°So - call - me -¡°


    Her phone rang. She jumped, and looked down to see that it was Clarke. Clarke. She¡¯d even changed her phone to not use ¡®Phil¡¯. What had she been thinking? Would they ever be together again?


    Tim and Laurie walked out of the sitting room then, allowing Julie to relax a bit. In part because she remembered now what Tim had said - he and Mindy had come right from the cafe. No one else knew yet. Pointing to the former waitress and giving the arrivals a curt, ¡°I¡¯ll be back, don¡¯t let her talk to you,¡± Julie ran down the hall, accepting the call after the fourth ring.


    ¡°Clarke?¡±


    ¡°Glen said the location will be Willowdale Park. Can you get everyone else there in twenty minutes?¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, not really, no.¡±


    She could practically hear the frown in his voice. ¡°Why not? If we don¡¯t do this, we may never get Glen to hear us out again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Thing is, we¡¯re onto something here... it won¡¯t wait. Did you find enough data to convince Glen without us?¡±


    ¡°I... we hope so. Lee helped us find this article that--"


    ¡°Okay, great.¡± She was realizing there was a way to maximize their options. ¡°We¡¯re going to need either Frank or Luci back here, they¡¯re the best at temporal mechanics. Actually, make it Frank, you might need the Linquist angle and we¡¯ve already got Tim with us.¡±


    ¡°Julie, what is going ON?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite know. I only know that you can¡¯t know yet. Oh, I¡¯ll send you Corry in exchange for Frank, how about that? Between him and Lee, you should be able to handle Glen. Okay?¡±


    Clarke didn¡¯t reply. Which is when Julie realized how it must look to him.


    ¡°Oh no. Clarke, no... Phil, please, no, I¡¯m not trying to shut you out again. It¡¯s only, if I tell you, then Glen might..." The same old excuse.


    She clutched her phone, desperation returning. ¡°That is, it¡¯s not about the time machine, not completely, but if I say, then Glen will see it in your face, meanwhile out of all of us Glen might only listen to you, so if we end up needing him, taking you away now means we¡¯ll have blown it there. Clarke, Phil, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll have people here with me, but if you think this means we can never be a thing again, please tell me and I¡¯ll try to think of another--"


    ¡°Julie? Stop,¡± Clarke interrupted. ¡°You sound like Laurie on a bad day.¡±


    Julie swallowed. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll tell me all about this afterwards?¡±


    ¡°For sure.¡±


    ¡°Until then, the plan is for Jeeves to get Corry to the park, where he¡¯ll pick up Frank?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. We¡¯ll tell Glen the rest of you are tracking a lead. Just assure me that this isn¡¯t old habits...?¡±


    Julie exhaled. ¡°God no. I actually cannot think of how this situation could be any more screwed up than it already is.¡±


    ¡°Talk to you later then. About everything.¡±


    ¡°For sure,¡± Julie repeated.


    Clarke hung up, and Julie leaned back against the wall. Only to hear a car door slam. She raced back through the hall and out the front door, needing to get Jeeves and Corry back in the car before they could get inside and see Mindy.


    ***


    "Mindy? Theresa is Mindy?" Frank questioned.


    ¡°Keep your voice down.¡± Julie peered up the stairway, but it seemed like Jeeves was already out of earshot. ¡°Yes, Theresa is Mindy and she¡¯s in the living room with Tim and Laurie; Chartreuse is still down in the lab doing who knows what. We need you to assess whether what Mindy tells us makes ANY temporal sense, to know whether she¡¯s sincere. If so, maybe we won¡¯t need Glen, but we CANNOT let her pull the rug out from under us."


    "Theresa? The red haired waitress from the cafe?"


    Julie snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Frank, please, focus. She has mental abilities, like Glen. You need to approach this situation with confidence, don¡¯t give her a foothold.¡±


    ¡°Er, right..." His posture straightened. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Giving him a hesitant look, Julie nodded, and the both of them went into the living room. Mindy was sitting quietly on the couch, with Tim and Laurie in nearby chairs. The redhead looked at them with that hint of amusement in her expression, but continued to say nothing.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve grown your hair long since the first time,¡± Frank observed, a mite redundantly. He folded his arms. ¡°Theresa, just how old are you?¡±


    Julie was unable to suppress an eye roll as Mindy¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Starting with the more personal questions?¡± she remarked.


    ¡°Err..."


    ¡°I¡¯m about 32? Though I look younger,¡± Mindy answered. ¡°We Temporals don¡¯t quite age like you. Actually, I¡¯m now the oldest Temporal ever.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve spent how much of that time in our past?¡±


    ¡°Over 12 years since the temporal banishment... and here¡¯s a key thing I¡¯m realizing you don¡¯t know. Said banishment? It wipes the memory of the affected person. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be good to have someone from the future using their knowledge in the past, right?¡±


    Laurie gasped. ¡°So... so when you got blasted back..."


    ¡°All gone,¡± Mindy sighed, her smile disappearing as she snapped her fingers in the air. ¡°That is, beyond the most mundane things like a name, how to dress myself, and so forth. So I can¡¯t give firm dates. In fact, I was homeless. I stayed at the shelter in town, tried to find work. Kept screwing up my languages, people thought I didn¡¯t know proper English. Time lost it¡¯s meaning for me.¡± She tapped at her head. ¡°Underneath it though? Still a technical genius. Which was finally realized by one man in particular.¡±


    ¡°Linquist,¡± Tim concluded.


    Mindy pointed at him. ¡°Bingo. Last week, Tim, you asked me if I''d ever found myself not knowing who to trust? That was me every day, back when I had no memory. Linquist was the man who helped me through it. Saw something in me, that day outside the computer store when I was muttering about programming. Which is when things finally started going right for me - and wrong for him.¡±


    ¡°Why? What did you do to him?¡± Julie demanded.


    ¡°I... opened up a world of possibilities that he wasn¡¯t quite ready for. If my memory had been intact, I never would have done it. But he¡¯s the one who helped me put those memories back together.¡±


    Mindy shook her head. ¡°It was as I finally began to remember who I was, and realize what I was doing, that I tried to minimize my impact on your timeline. Pull away from Linquist. Find myself my own place, adopt the name Theresa, and get some less conspicuous employment. Something to keep me in the background, while still letting me see everything that was going on.¡±


    ¡°As a waitress,¡± Frank said.


    Mindy shrugged. ¡°Worked out pretty well, all things considered.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it let you manipulate us very nicely,¡± Julie remarked.


    Mindy shook her head. ¡°Julie, I have made no alterations to you or your friends beyond what was necessary to maintain my hidden identity. I¡¯ve merely guided you away from making any connections, like that time Phil Clarke seemed to recognize my voice the day after my younger self was here.¡±


    Julie glared. ¡°What about having us make you a time machine?¡±


    Mindy¡¯s partial smile returned. ¡°Ah, right. That. Well, I was originally sent back here on a mission, right? Those memories came back along with everything else.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t trust her. Could they? Julie glanced at her watch, noticing that it was the time when the others would be meeting with Glen. She wondered whether they were having any better luck.

 Part 82b: Remaking History 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.2 - Motivated


    PART 82b: REMAKING HISTORY 2


    ¡°So why are you the official substitute for Frank?¡± Luci asked.


    Corry carefully lowered himself down into the park swing. ¡°Damned if I know.¡± He used his cane to brace the swing and arrest it¡¯s motion. ¡°Might as well focus on Glen. What did you turn up?¡±


    In the swing next to him, Lee grinned. ¡°Luci, show him the article about--"


    ¡°Hold that thought,¡± Clarke interrupted, looking towards the tree line. ¡°Let¡¯s tell them both at once.¡± Luci turned to see that Glen had emerged, and was approaching them, looking around warily.


    "You''re short a few people," the redhead pointed out, stopping at least three metres away.


    ¡°Research is ongoing,¡± Lee countered, before Clarke could speak. ¡°You didn¡¯t specify we all had to be here.¡±


    ¡°Right. Look, if your plan is for the others to knock us all out, then ply me for secrets about my abilities? Save your time, I won¡¯t talk.¡±


    "Oh, shut it," Corry barked. "As if locking you in a box somewhere would be of any use. Me, I¡¯m interested in what¡¯s been discovered so far. Up to you if you want to listen too."


    Glen glared, but did close the distance between them. ¡°Do you actually have documented evidence that Mindy has been hiding out in the town¡¯s past?¡±


    Luci glanced at Clarke, who nodded. She pulled a page out of the folder she held. ¡°To start, an article from ten years ago. Talking about Linquist¡¯s research taking a bizarre turn ''since taking in that street girl¡¯.¡±


    Glen motioned with his hand, and after a momentary hesitation, Luci handed over the page. The redhead scanned it. "There''s nothing conclusive in this," he objected. ¡°No mention of who that ¡®street girl¡¯ was.¡±


    ¡°But notice the bizarre turn,¡± Clarke said, pointing. ¡°Linquist publishing a paper about relativity. Wormholes. Surely that points to an influence by Mindy.¡±


    Glen shook his head. ¡°No, it proves the opposite!¡± he said scornfully. ¡°I guess Carrie never said? Mindy¡¯s memories of such things would have been scrambled by the temporal banishing. Linquist would have needed something in his own background to put her pieces together this way, yet you¡¯ve now said this was a bizarre detour for him. You¡¯re wasting my time.¡±


    ¡°Except we also have some later news articles!¡± Luci protested. She pulled out another page. ¡°Including this one, where an interviewer says Linquist believed that aliens were feeding him information. If he started to think that Mindy was--"


    ¡°Luci, wait,¡± Clarke interrupted again. ¡°Glen, you say Mindy¡¯s memories would have been affected?¡± When Glen nodded, Clarke turned to look at Lee. ¡°The stuff Linquist was doing before that bizarre turn, wasn¡¯t it about memories?¡±


    ¡°Thought experiments, yeah,¡± Lee agreed. ¡°Including recollection under hypnosis. It was good enough to get that minor award.¡±


    Corry leaned forwards. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the real proof then. Linquist got access to the wormhole stuff by fixing Mindy¡¯s mind.¡±


    Glen¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°Show me the rest of your articles.¡±


    ***


    ¡°My original mission was to get ¡®Glen¡¯ away from Carrie, using any means possible,¡± Mindy answered Frank.


    ¡°How does a time machine help you do that now?¡± Frank asked.


    Mindy shrugged. ¡°It could have let me reason with one of them, away from the other. Worst case scenario, it creates the option of travelling back and planting as many subconscious triggers for Carrie as I could. Anyone spot that poetry I submitted some five years back?¡±


    ¡°So you again admit you¡¯re trying to manipulate us,¡± Julie noted.


    Mindy sighed. ¡°Seriously? My poem was minor. Calling you last weekend, so you wouldn¡¯t lose hope, was minor. I haven¡¯t done anything major.¡±


    ¡°You crashed a van into our school library,¡± Frank reminded.


    ¡°Anything lately! Though short term damage like that is also minor,¡± Mindy said dismissively. ¡°Time recovers. Also, I was younger and more impulsive then, stop trying to corner me.¡±


    ¡°What about the note you wrote me in Carrie¡¯s handwriting?¡± Julie accused. ¡°It was you, right? ¡®Rebuild it, in secret,¡¯ et cetera?¡±


    Mindy shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Right. Kind of minor? To be honest, I tapped Carrie to write that note herself, but it was years ago, back before her powers awoke. Kept it vague, removed the memory... I mean, it stood to reason that Glen would have her destroy the machine, after the stunt you all pulled on me using it. I just had to figure out who would be the best person to give that note to afterwards.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°SIX WEEKS of my LIFE, Mindy!¡±


    Mindy ran her fingers back through her hair. ¡°Okay. Okay, Julie, sorry. That was a bit more long term - but come on, less than 12% of a year? It¡¯s not as bad as it could have been. Not as bad as what happened to Linquist.¡±


    ¡°Why, what happened to him?¡± Laurie asked, biting her lip.


    Mindy exhaled. ¡°Euh. Well, I mentioned I had language trouble after the banishment, right? Truth is, we Temporals have our own language, and what with switching back and forth due to my memory blanks, Linquist kinda figured it out.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Tim said. ¡°You mean, the language in his logbooks...?"


    ***


    "%That little witch%..."


    Luci jerked her gaze from Clarke back to Glen. "What??¡±


    Glen waved dismissively. "Mumbling gibberish, never mind.¡±


    Luci frowned, trying to peg why the strange words felt familiar, but Glen was already addressing them again. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s not a strong case, but it¡¯s more of a case than I thought you¡¯d pull together. For the moment, I¡¯m on board with your suspicions.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Luci said, temporarily setting aside his mutterings. ¡°So, do you have any idea where Linquist and Mindy could be hiding out?¡±


    Glen handed the sheets over to Corry. ¡°No. In fact I may have run into them a dozen times and not known; Mindylenopia would have been on her guard for me, while I can¡¯t say the same. That witch would even slip past Carrie¡¯s headaches now, given how Carrie was the one who sent her back for those fifteen years or so.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not much help, is what you¡¯re saying,¡± Lee remarked.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying I¡¯ll be looking now. You want a suggestion? Let¡¯s talk with the guy Carrie referred to as ¡¯Shady¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Him? But he¡¯s in jail somewhere,¡± Clarke protested.


    Glen waved his hand in the air. ¡°Hi, I have mental powers. Plus Tim''s father is a lawyer, right? The combination should be sufficient.¡±


    ¡°But how does getting to that guy help?¡± Luci asked.


    ¡°Simple. ¡®Mindy¡¯ would have known ¡®Shady¡¯ was coming,¡± Glen countered. ¡°To awaken Carrie. More, that he had a time machine. Excellent opportunity for our nemesis to refresh her own knowledge, and perhaps obtain anything else he¡¯d brought along, before mentally adjusting him and leaving.¡±


    Luci and Clarke exchanged glances again. ¡°So, that¡¯s a scary thought,¡± Luci admitted. ¡°Still, if Shady got adjusted to forget, what¡¯s the point in us seeing him now?¡±


    ¡°Because wherever ¡®Shady¡¯ was staying in town back then could be a good place for Mindy to stay now,¡± Corry concluded, looking up from the articles. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s the only temporal lead we have, right?¡±


    Glen crossed his arms. ¡°Unless your missing friends have a better plan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve give Julie a call,¡± Clarke decided. ¡°Wait here.¡±


    ***


    ¡°So, is that it, Mindy?¡± Julie said, her hands tightening on the back of the couch. ¡°Is that all your manipulations?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mindy said. Then, glancing sidelong at Tim, she sighed. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Frank asked, rubbing his forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯ll like this one,¡± Mindy assured. ¡°The time travel chip? The one that you had Tim bring here last week? It survived.¡±


    Tim nearly fell forwards off his chair. ¡°What? But I SAW Carrie destroy it!¡±


    ¡°She destroyed something, sure. You¡¯re forgetting that I was paying attention to the time machine situation, thus had prepared a worthless dummy chip of my own. Just in case. And when Tim came to the cafe before heading out on the mission? I saw my chance.¡±


    ¡°You had him pull your dummy chip out of his pocket to give to Lee instead,¡± Julie reasoned, working to rein in her anger.


    ¡°Oh, I couldn¡¯t be sure exactly what would happen, but I left Tim with the suggestion to hide the original once he was alone, and to use mine in all interactions,¡± Mindy admitted. ¡°He brought the correct one to me the next day. He didn¡¯t know at the time. It was to keep him safe.¡±


    ¡°I feel so used,¡± Tim said, biting his lip.


    ¡°Mindy, honestly? With all those manipulations, you¡¯re not sounding much better than Glen,¡± Frank said.


    ¡°Rude! I¡¯m on your side. The temporal gun? For helping Carrie with her temporal self? My doing. You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°It was hidden in a safe,¡± Julie reminded. ¡°Was that done by manipulating Linquist?¡±


    ¡°Okay, a bit, yes,¡± Mindy said, becoming visibly exasperated. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t fix him, or do anything that might prevent Carrie from actually banishing me after my first trip into your time! So I made the best of a bad situation. It¡¯s all worked out to this point, what¡¯s your problem?¡±


    ¡°You were, like, silent too long.¡±


    Everyone turned to regard Chartreuse, standing in the doorway. Julie glanced reflexively at the china cabinet; Chartreuse must have come up through the pantry access. She wondered how long the mystic had been listening.


    ¡°What do you mean, Chartreuse?¡± Laurie asked, standing and moving closer to her.


    Chartreuse took a deep breath. ¡°Carrie¡¯s WHOLE deal was in how she¡¯d ended up, you know, destroying timeline three. The one Glen and ¡®Future Carrie¡¯ wanted. Except she hadn¡¯t.¡± Chartreuse advanced into the room, ignoring Laurie¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°You beat her to it, Theresa.¡±


    ¡°Very flattering, but Linquist¡¯s knowledge was not a direct--"


    ¡°Not only Linquist. It was through your cafe interactions with us. Both the, like, covert, in convincing us to be part of Carrie¡¯s life, or, you know, the more overt, creating that fire to split Carrie and Glen apart on their first date. We¡¯re in YOUR timeline now. We have been since the beginning.¡±


    Mindy shook her head. ¡°Minor, minor, all minor, major events would still happ--"


    ¡°Minor stuff ADDS UP,¡± Chartreuse interrupted again. ¡°Before this? I could still kinda make it work. Now? No way. There is NO way the Carrie in ¡®timeline three¡¯, the one who once left with Glen, has ever been my-- been our Carrie. Except our Carrie never, like, knew that before she ran away! And if she¡¯d known, maybe she could¡¯ve stayed, could¡¯ve figured something else out!¡±


    Mindy leaned forwards. ¡°Even IF Carrie is now different, Glen still has the power to steer her back. Remember, he¡¯s the villain here, not me. I came to you today of my own free will.¡±


    ¡°Free will?¡± Julie cut in. ¡°Or did you come here because talking with Tim made you realize we¡¯d soon have Glen identify you?¡± Mindy shot her a look. And Julie jumped as her phone rang again. She glanced at it, and upon seeing Clarke¡¯s name, excused herself from the room.


    ***


    ¡°So, Glen¡¯s talking about breaking us into a jail, how are you doing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re with Mindy. She¡¯s been rewriting time,¡± came the response.


    Clarke nearly dropped his phone. ¡°What? A-Are you okay?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. We¡¯re all fine, but in her own way, this woman¡¯s been as manipulative as Glen. It¡¯s annoying.¡±


    ¡°So... um, what do we tell Glen...?"


    ¡°Nothing. Simply bring him here. I think these two Temporals need to talk it out.¡±


    Clarke blinked, sure he¡¯d misheard. ¡°Bring him? Julie... Jewels, those two hate each other.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± she agreed. ¡°But Mindy needs someone to take her down a peg, and we can¡¯t keep this from Glen for long. Besides, it might be the only way to figure out whether all their plots are because of their time war... or whether one of them truly has Carrie¡¯s best interests at heart.¡±


    Clarke glanced towards the others. From the way their voices had begun carrying, it sounded like an argument had arisen about whether Linquist could have learned the power of mental manipulation. "Okay. We¡¯ll be there in less than half an hour.¡±

 Part 83a: Double Trouble

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.2 - Motivated


    PART 83a: DOUBLE TROUBLE


    ¡°Oh, what''s Theresa doing... here..." Glen''s voice trailed off as the two redheads locked eyes. Despite everyone now being present in the LaMille sitting room, an unsettling silence fell.


    It lasted precisely five seconds.


    ¡°You scared Carrie off, this isn¡¯t on me!¡± Mindy accused, quickly rising to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ve been passively watching, and only occasionally slowing down your orders at the cafe.¡±


    Glen shot a glare at Clarke before turning back to her. "%You expect me to take YOUR word, you traitor?%" he hissed back in Temporal. ¡°%I¡¯d be gone with Carrie by now if not for your interference!%¡±


    ¡°%Preserving a terrible future! Who wants that?%¡± Mindy argued. She looked to Julie. "This might have gone better if you''d said he was coming.¡±


    "This might have gone better if you''d been more up front with us from the start," Julie reminded her.


    "Move away,¡± Glen said to Luci, Lee and Chartreuse, who were between him and Mindy. The two girls automatically took a step to the side, but Lee remained where he was.


    "Dude, we might as well hear her side before the hurling of more garbled profanities or potentially heavy objects,¡± he remarked. Glen edged to the side, but Lee matched his movement, keeping the two Temporals apart. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t like getting physical, but I will if I have to.¡±


    "That person is a traitor to everything a Temporal stands for!" Glen seethed, pointing past Lee, towards Mindy. ¡°I¡¯d banish her again myself if I could.¡±


    ¡°Glinephanis, our stance shouldn¡¯t be that every Mundane is the enemy,¡± Mindy shot back. ¡°%Remember, they created us.%¡±


    ¡°%Yes, and we are superior!%¡± Glen reminded. "%Until they learn to accept that...%"


    "%They¡¯re not servants! Not slaves!%¡±


    ¡°%No, but they are SO helpless.%" Glen scoffed. ¡°%Playing around with technologies that they don¡¯t understand, it¡¯s not unlike giving teenagers a time machine. Let it continue, and everyone will be killed.%"


    ¡°%No, it''s sweeping generalizations like that which will kill everyone,%¡± Mindy responded. "%Don''t conveniently forget, fundamentally we remain human ourselves!%"


    "What gibberi--" Corry began, only to be quickly silenced by a motion from Luci, who had been exchanging glances with Tim.


    "%Temporals are the next generation of humans,%" Glen continued, ignoring Corry''s outburst. "%Imagine what we could accomplish without the petty restrictions of their society!%"


    "%We could turn more innocent girls into weapons?%"


    Glen managed to step around Lee, who had become distracted by Corry¡¯s outburst. Showing no finesse, his fist went flying for Mindy¡¯s face. Reacting quickly, Mindy stepped to the side and reached for Glen''s arm. As she tried to pull him off balance though, he twisted out of her grip, and the two of them faced off, eye to eye. Lee circled around, reaching out for Glen¡¯s shoulder from behind, only to hesitate as the redhead simply resumed talking.


    "%I''m not the one who woke her powers early,%¡± Glen seethed. ¡°%That was a Mundane! I¡¯m trying to HELP her.%¡±


    ¡°%Future her. Not the her of this time!%"


    ¡°%They are the SAME!%¡±


    ¡°%Not now. Not according to this one,%¡± Mindy asserted, pointing at Chartreuse.


    ¡°%That harlot?!%¡±


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Tim gasped. Glen turned to stare, and the blonde boy slapped his hand over this mouth.


    Glen narrowed his eyes as he looked back at Mindy. ¡°Oh no. No, this is unbelievable, did you teach all these Mundanes how to understand TEMPORAL?!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mindy protested. ¡°Though, okay, apparently they did find one of Linquist¡¯s logbooks in our language..."


    ¡°Meaning you taught HIM? Oh, I¡¯m out.¡± Glen¡¯s posture relaxed then - as did Lee¡¯s. ¡°Future Carrie can destroy your lives as she likes,¡± Glen decided. He turned away from the group.


    ¡°Glen, wait," Frank objected. "Truthfully, most of us have no idea what happened and would like to get caught up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, um, what were they, like, saying about me?¡± Chartreuse asked.


    Glen paused, looking from Frank to Mindy to Tim. Mindy simply clasped her hands behind her back, adopting a neutral expression. Tim looked towards Luci. Luci seemed about to speak, then thought better of it and gestured back his way. ¡°I caught words. You¡¯re the linguist, Tim, you probably have a better idea of how it all fit together.¡±


    Tim exhaled slowly. ¡°Oh. Okay. Um. S-Something about them - as Temporals - being superior, and how our ignorance could kill us... though at a fundamental level we¡¯re all the same? Except Glen didn¡¯t buy that. Then they were arguing about Carrie¡¯s powers, the use of her as a weapon, some garbling of tenses - hey, using a future imperfect tense almost makes sense now - and then on to Chartreuse. Which, ah, there¡¯s a particular page where Linquist was spouting off about aliens, and he used what seemed to be cursing, so while I¡¯m not entirely sure of the specific word..." He hesitated.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Mindy cleared her throat. ¡°That ass called you a--"


    ¡°Never mind,¡± Chartreuse interrupted, her hands making fists. ¡°I can guess.¡±


    ¡°Right, talk as if I¡¯M the ass,¡± Glen said, his gaze settling back on Mindy. ¡°Passively watching us, were you? If Carrie¡¯s different, you¡¯re the one who changed this past without considering the consequences.¡±


    ¡°I had no MEMORY when I met Linquist,¡± Mindy countered, jabbing her finger at her head. ¡°Because of what YOU made Carrie do! So don¡¯t you DARE lecture me, that man was like a father to me, he--¡°


    ¡°The change to Carrie¡¯s timeline had to be more recent, traitor! You couldn¡¯t have simply left town, noooo, you had to stay here and--"


    ¡°Yes, I had to TRY to create a better future, because it¡¯s not like anyone else knew--"


    ¡°What gave YOU the right to decide--"


    ¡°Okay, this was funnier when I didn¡¯t know what they were saying,¡± Corry grumbled.


    Glen took a step back towards Mindy, only to have Lee again step between them. Then Julie clapped her hands twice, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°HEY! Temporals! Laying blame isn¡¯t going to help bring Carrie back. So how about we all shut up and listen to each other until we¡¯re on the same temporal page, allowing us to actually find a path forward through all this mess. Okay?¡±


    Glen and Mindy glared back at each other. Then Glen rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine. Feels like that¡¯s the only way I¡¯ll find out where the present day Carrie is.¡± He marched over to sit himself in a chair.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Mindy agreed. ¡°Most of my cards are on the table already.¡± She sat back down on the couch.


    ¡°Lovely.¡± Julie put her hands to her hips. ¡°Chartreuse, since you¡¯re the one who understands Carrie¡¯s timelines best, how about you guide us through the discussion?¡±


    Chartreuse ceased her fumbling with the crystal around her neck, pursed her lips, then slowly nodded.


    ***


    Frank found that the various timelines made sense. Mostly. There was one notable issue. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± he said once Chartreuse was done, which took some time given the questions of others along the way. ¡°When ¡®Shady¡¯ initiated timeline three, that was a change. But Glen came back within that timeline - it was predestined. Mindy then initiated timeline four. That was a change. In fact, the very change that put us in this situation. So why the differences? What makes time travel predestined or not?¡±


    ¡°All time travel is predestined,¡± Glen grunted.


    ¡°Until it¡¯s not,¡± Mindy added, with an impish smile. Frank frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an acceptable answer,¡± Luci protested.


    The two Temporals exchanged glances. ¡°You want to waste your time on this?¡± Glen said, gesturing.


    Mindy raked her fingers through her hair. ¡°Oh, sure, let¡¯s give it a whirl.¡± She looked to Frank. ¡°Say you burn your dinner. You¡¯re bummed out. You travel back a half hour through time, to remind yourself to take it out of the oven. Meaning you don¡¯t burn your dinner. Awesome. So why even take the time trip? Things worked out fine!¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re predestined?¡± Frank ventured.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Mindy concluded. ¡°On an unconscious level, you need to go. For consistency, and so that your time travelling version has somewhere to return to. Perhaps the trip even avoids you being stuck in some sort of infinite time loop.¡±


    ¡°Wait. So did that dinner EVER get burned?¡± Laurie asked.


    Mindy smiled. ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Unless dinner¡¯s connected to paradox inducing Carrie Waterson,¡± Glen added, rising to his feet and wandering over to the china cabinet.


    Lee scratched his head. ¡°So time travel has become a way to remind yourself to do stuff that¡¯s gonna happen ANYWAY?¡±


    Mindy¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Hence, all time travel is predestined,¡± Clarke echoed. He looked to Glen. ¡°Except possibly when Carrie¡¯s involved.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the damn point to doing it then?¡± Corry asked.


    ¡°Funny you should say that, we keep telling the Mundanes as much..."


    ¡°Oh, Glen, lighten up,¡± Mindy said. ¡°Thing is, even setting aside having actual motivation via one¡¯s relative present being affected by a predestined trip, there are exception cases outside of Carrie too. It¡¯s a matter of getting your time trip to knock the prior timeline completely out of alignment, such that it starts getting overwritten with your new one. To do that, you need to aim for a lynchpin moment. Which, alas, are almost impossible to spot, even in retrospect. So sometimes a Mundane tries anyway, hoping to get lucky.¡±


    ¡°For instance, instead of going back in time to warn about dinner, you go back in time, disabling your time machine,¡± Frank offered. ¡°Lynchpin, and new timeline.¡±


    Mindy shook her head. ¡°Actually, that can be predestined. You might think you¡¯re disabling it, when in fact you¡¯ve enabled something that will force the trip.¡±


    ¡°Then the usual paradox of going back to kill your grandfather is a lynchpin,¡± Luci stated.


    ¡°Predestined,¡± Glen countered, now leaning against the wall. ¡°You never take the shot. Or he survives. Or it¡¯s a case of mistaken genetic identity. Time is more of an active force in this than you realize.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I know going back to try and kill YOURSELF does something,¡± Julie declared. ¡°All I¡¯m missing is the T-Shirt.¡±


    ¡°That can set up temporal waveforms,¡± Mindy acknowledged. ¡°Are you alive? Are you dead? Even are you both at once, that¡¯s a messy quantum possibility. But ultimately the timeline will collapse down into the most stable configuration... which is usually one of predestination.¡±


    ¡°Kinda hating the, you know, lack of free will here,¡± Chartreuse observed.


    ¡°You have free will in your actions,¡± Mindy noted. ¡°And in your perceptions, which honestly is the most important thing. After all, two people can see a single event very differently.¡±


    Chartreuse grimaced, as Mindy¡¯s remark reminded her of the incident at school with the broken violin.


    Mindy looked around at the others. ¡°So yes, you get less free will about the final destination, but that¡¯s all. To be blunt, everyone dies, the question is how did they live their lives.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re s-saying global warming was always going to happen,¡± Tim said.


    ¡°No,¡± Glen sighed. ¡°She¡¯s saying something was always going to happen. Free will and general human stupidity meant that the something became global warming. And now we¡¯re kind of stuck with it, along with a host of other somethings... Mundanes really screwed over the Earth we¡¯re trying to inherit.¡±


    ¡°But Mindy, doesn¡¯t this temporal inertia mean your mission to separate Carrie and Glen was always doomed to failure?¡± Frank protested.


    Mindy nodded. ¡°Maybe. But there¡¯s also early nudges on timeline alignment which can help knock it out when the lynchpin arrives, and with Carrie involved here, that was my goal. For while a mission to prevent Carrie¡¯s departure entirely would likely have failed, mine was to prevent her from going with Glen. Which, frankly, seems to have worked.¡±


    ¡°Temporarily,¡± Glen grumbled. ¡°Look, lecture over. Have we reached the point where you¡¯ll all tell me when Carrie took her time trip to yet?¡±


    Frank looked around the room at the others, seeing varied levels of confusion but no real argument. ¡°They might as well know. Chartreuse? Feels like you should do the honours again.¡±


    The pink haired girl nodded, again touching the crystal around her neck. She drew in a deep breath. ¡°We¡¯re almost certain that Carrie went back in time to get her mom. So that Hank Waterson would have someone here with him, after losing his daughter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, that won¡¯t work,¡± Glen and Mindy chorused. They turned to glare at each other, as if irritated to be so in synch.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Luci demanded, perching herself on the couch again. ¡°Carrie¡¯s involved. Can¡¯t she change things?¡±


    Glen lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Ooh. Gonna tell them all about it, ¡®Mindy¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Glinephanis. I¡¯m trying to work through the repercussions of that.¡±


    ¡°What repercussions?¡± Corry asked. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Mindy sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t. This goes beyond temporal theory, it¡¯s need to know information only.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend,¡± Chartreuse insisted. ¡°I need to know!¡±


    Mindy merely pursed her lips.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyway,¡± Glen said. ¡°If your present day Carrie went back to that time? My Future Carrie will pull herself out of there. Probably has already.¡± He smirked. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it here in the present. You¡¯re screwed.¡±

 Part 83b: Double Trouble 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.2 - Motivated


    PART 83b: DOUBLE TROUBLE 2


    ¡°Wait, stop,¡± Laurie protested. ¡°How can there BE this ¡®Future Carrie¡¯? Isn¡¯t she from that old timeline three? Chartreuse said it¡¯s gone!¡±


    ¡°Not entirely,¡± Mindy said, looking uncomfortable. ¡°In a sense, timeline three is a few milliseconds in our future. We¡¯re constantly in the process of overwriting it. So Future Carrie¡¯s still a threat.¡±


    Frank shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t see it. After all the changes, why isn¡¯t ¡®Future Carrie¡¯ destined to be from our timeline now?¡±


    ¡°She may be, but as we Temporals know, perception is everything,¡± Mindy sighed. ¡°Did your Carrie grow up alongside Glen? That¡¯s timeline three. Or did she grow up in a mental hospital being spoon fed memories of growing up alongside Glen? Because that could be our path now. They both lead to Future Carrie.¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± Chartreuse gasped.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll finish our time machine and go after our Carrie,¡± Julie asserted. ¡°It¡¯s time travel, we can get to her in the past before that future happens. We¡¯ll tell Carrie that she¡¯s been living timeline four, to give her another path forwards.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t work,¡± Glen asserted. ¡°Unless you leave soon, Future Carrie will easily spot when her past self ceased influencing your present, and she¡¯ll tie up the loose ends to preserve her own timeline. Even if it means the mental hospital in her past. Soon enough, you¡¯ll all be adjusted to think your version moved away or something. I warned you, didn¡¯t I? But oh no, nobody listens to--"


    ¡°Oh, stay shutted up,¡± Mindy interrupted. ¡°Know what, Julie? Yes. Doing that is better than doing nothing. Possibly better that Carrie end up with Glinephanis here versus... yeah.¡±


    ¡°Meaning we¡¯ll need to temporally hide out until until the machine is complete,¡± Luci realized. ¡°To avoid this Future Carrie¡¯s interference. How do we do that? What do we tell the rest of the school? What do we tell Carrie¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°Look. All you¡¯ll need to do, is make everyone in the present think Carrie¡¯s still here,¡± Glen admitted to them. ¡°It won¡¯t matter if she really is or not, her history is now in quantum flux. Basically, her future self can¡¯t be allowed to perceive a lengthy discontinuity.¡±


    Mindy rubbed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Carrie¡¯s father. We can stall a missing persons report.¡±


    ¡°Oh! More ¡®minor changes¡¯ to us?¡± Julie asked, her tone sarcastic.


    ¡°Julie¡¯s right,¡± Clarke agreed. ¡°Mr. Waterson should be told everything. Not have his mind adjusted.¡±


    ¡°Right, since giving the whole story worked SO well with your sister, Mary,¡± Glen reminded him.


    ¡°Yet you two Temporals have limits to your mind powers, yeah?¡± Lee noted. ¡°Can¡¯t change the whole school, not if there¡¯s more people like me. And how long is this time machine rebuilding going to take?¡±


    ¡°Days,¡± Mindy sighed. ¡°Okay, fine. For now I¡¯ll set things up to stall another twenty four hours.¡± She glanced at Julie. ¡°Let¡¯s have a meeting of all technical minded people, right here, first thing tomorrow morning. That will tell us how long our stalling needs to be maintained.¡±


    ***


    She¡¯d asked him to stay behind. So Clarke decided to give Julie the first words. It took about two minutes of her staring into the china cabinet before she spoke.


    ¡°We have a problem here, Clarke. Phil.¡± Julie turned. ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m sorry, how do you want me to refer to you?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with Phil,¡± Clarke suggested. ¡°Against all odds, I spent four straight years at our school. So I¡¯ve been wondering about using my first name more with everyone in post-secondary.¡±


    ¡°Phil then,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. I tore myself away from whatever we had because I thought it was for the greater good. And maybe it kind of was, even if I went about it badly. Not to mention how it ended up being a trick by Mindy.¡± She raked her hands back through her hair. ¡°So yes, I know I shouldn¡¯t have unilaterally decided to keep you out without giving you any options. Thing is, Phil, I can¡¯t promise that sort of thing won¡¯t happen again. Like how it did today, with Glen at the park. And you don¡¯t deserve that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself, Julie. Jewels.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to be - but you can¡¯t be so easy on me. I¡¯m not healthy for you, Phil. You must realize that.¡±


    ¡°I should get a say in that, yeah?¡±


    Julie moved closer. ¡°Yeah. But PLEASE, you need to see where I¡¯m coming from here. Logically, not emotionally. Phil, I did these things to you even after you saved my life last year. Do you understand?¡±


    Clarke shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t ignore my feelings...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you have to! However, you always seem to think more with your heart than your head. While I¡¯m the reverse, hyper analytical. And while my emotions are pulling me back towards you here, the rest of me is... worried. Because while I may have been acting more hesitant for the better part of this year, as I rebuilt my life, underneath it all? It turns out I¡¯m assertive to a fault. I could easily end up crushing you. Again. Please, if we¡¯re going forward, I want you to recognize that, and have a contingency plan.¡±


    ¡°You mean I¡¯ve got a blind spot when it comes to that part of you,¡± Clarke realized. He forced himself to consider that. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± he granted. ¡°But maybe you¡¯re also scared to be losing your objectivity. You¡¯re scared to give yourself over to your feelings.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Ohh, you¡¯re not wrong.¡± Julie held his gaze. ¡°Thing is, where does that leave us? Friends? More than friends? Something else?¡±


    ¡°Our relationship has always defied description,¡± Clarke said wryly. He reached out his hand. ¡°How about we start again here, as a couple, and see where that takes us.¡±


    Julie reached out, fingers twitching a little until their palms met. She was moving into the embrace almost before Clarke could pull her in. She drew in a long breath. After a moment, her shoulders began to shake - was she sobbing? Was she giddy with relief? When Clarke pulled back a little to try and see, she released his hand and held him tighter, burying her face in the crook of his neck.


    So he simply held her back. It was enough, he decided. They could rebuild from this.


    ***


    Sunday morning found all the technical specialists reunited in the LaMille sitting room: Julie, Frank, Luci, Mindy... and Glen. For while Glen was more of an expert on the theory than the hardware, Glen had refused to allow Mindy to be present without him.


    It meant that arguments between Mindy and Glen were not infrequent. But with arbitration by Luci, progress on the actual circuitry was made too. Slow progress. It was close to noon when Julie threw her pencil down onto the table in disgust.


    ¡°Mindy, you¡¯ve made this MORE complicated, not LESS. It¡¯s going to take WEEKS, not days.¡±


    ¡°I thought you agreed with me that we cannot fit the circuits back into that black box chassis,¡± Mindy countered.


    ¡°We¡¯re still on a deadline here. Stop adding stuff!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to sacrifice safety. The only hard deadline is the end of December, and that¡¯s only because once when we get into January there¡¯s no coins to return to your present.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re forgetting the smokescreen,¡± Luci said. ¡°The longer we obfuscate on where our Carrie is and what she¡¯s doing, the greater the chance that we¡¯ll be found out. At this rate, we could have this work cut off by outside forces from the future before we can finish.¡±


    Mindy shook her head. ¡°Once I saw this would take more than a few days - one week or three weeks, that won¡¯t make a huge difference. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°What IS the new framework you¡¯re aiming for?¡± Frank asked.


    Mindy looked from Frank to Glen. "I''d rather not say."


    "What, worried I''ll take a sledgehammer to it before you¡¯re done?¡± Glen asked, smirking. ¡°You forget, I want Carrie back too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so you can get her closer to your ¡®timeline three¡¯, versus letting us explore other options,¡± Mindy pointed out. She then looked to Frank, perhaps to pull herself back from a new argument. ¡°Though I admit, I¡¯m also holding back to avoid giving out more information about future technology than I have to.¡±


    ¡°Mindy, that¡¯s making it IMPOSSIBLE for us to--"


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time for a lunch break," Luci said, cutting Julie off. "Was Mimi making sandwiches?"


    "I think something was left in the kitchen, yes,¡± Frank agreed, as Luci shot him a look he interpreted as pleading for assistance. "Why don''t we adjourn there?¡±


    After a few assorted mumblings, it was agreed that food might be in order. Luci interposed herself between the two Temporals as they changed locations, and as such was able to hear Frank''s next question to them. ¡°So Mindy, with this ¡®new design¡¯, how many people are we going to be able to bring along? I mean, we¡¯ll need to track Carrie down once we¡¯ve arrived in the past, and the more people we have there, the easier that could be.¡±


    Mindy grimaced. ¡°No more than five.¡±


    ¡°Right. And I¡¯ll be one of those five,¡± Mindylenopia clarified.


    Luci managed to sidestep Julie, who had stopped in front of her, practically blocking the entranceway to the kitchen. They then understood why Julie had frozen in place. The kitchen was already occupied by a number of seated individuals: Mindy (or rather, Mindylenopia, who had spoken), Frank (or rather, Bernard), and also...


    "Carrie??" Julie gasped.


    In two strides she was at the other girl''s side, leaning down to look into her eyes. The blonde was dressed curiously, sporting a very out-of-fashion blouse with a long skirt, and she was wearing a cross on a necklace. Only her blue hairband was familiar. ¡°How are you feeling, are you... no. You''re not Carrie. Who are you?"


    The blonde haired girl faltered. "Um, I... I..." She turned to look at the time travellers. "Frank, help...?"


    ¡°I¡¯m Bernard now,¡± Bernard sighed back. He looked up at the rest of them. ¡°Everybody? This is Beth Parker. Beth, that¡¯s Julie, Luci, Glen, and, um, other ¡®us¡¯es you already know. It¡¯s an Astral Plane thing.¡± Beth raised her hand, giving a tentative wave.


    Frank slowly shook his head. "Beth Parker... I know that name. Why do I know that name?"


    ¡°This town,¡± Bernard offered. ¡°Decades ago. Carrie¡¯s lookalike, the Clayton Hotel, Mrs. Peabody..." Frank flinched as the memory came to him.


    ¡°Oh, this is rich,¡± Glen said. ¡°You honestly think a body double is going to work?¡±


    Mindylenopia rose to her feet. ¡°It will for a while, yup. Until things go south. We¡¯re not merely here to drop Beth off, we also need supplies before our trip back to the airport in Florida. Didn¡¯t have time to load up before coming back.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Luci asked.


    Bernard adjusted his glasses. ¡°We can¡¯t say. At present, there¡¯s a certain stability involved in our predestined time travel. We don¡¯t want to risk it teetering into an even worse future.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell us when you were me, so you won¡¯t tell us now,¡± Frank summarized. Bernard shrugged.


    Julie turned to eye the current Glen and Mindy. ¡°Could this be a trick?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put anything past Mindylenopia,¡± Glen grunted.


    Mindy finally spoke. ¡°Honestly? I¡¯d hoped we¡¯d experience something like this. It means my machine will work. Awesomeness.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s going to be sacrifices,¡± Mindylenopia countered. She jerked her thumb at Beth. ¡°First, we¡¯ve gotta acclimate her to this situation as fast as possible. And..." She exhaled. ¡°Play it straight with Carrie¡¯s dad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a terrible plan,¡± Glen and Mindy chorused. As they had the previous day, they then glared at each other.


    ¡°Second,¡± Mindylenopia continued, ¡°Glinephanis, if we DO run into Carrie¡¯s future self back there? You¡¯re one of the few people she might listen to. So we¡¯re willing to bring you along with us.¡±


    Glen folded his arms. ¡°So you can leave me stranded somewhere? No way!"


    ¡°Sweet.¡± Mindylenopia turned to Bernard. ¡°We tried, he¡¯s not coming."


    "Wait," Bernard protested, standing also. "Glen, we wouldn''t strand you. As much as I hate to admit it, you also know more about our own Carrie¡¯s emotional state leading up to her departure, and her capabilities. We need that information, that... expertise." He let out a quick breath. "Plus, causally speaking, the fact that you didn''t time travel back here with us? Implies that you''re stuck in our present. Would you rather be there? Or keeping an eye on what it is we''re about to do?"


    Glen''s eyes narrowed. "You neglect to point out that, if I come with you now, I won''t get to see what it is you''re planning through the month of December.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping we can lock you in a basement for the next few weeks to achieve the same result," present Mindy muttered under her breath. Glen shot her a look, which she ignored.


    "Anyway, you''re not the only person from this time that we need to recruit," Mindylenopia finished.


    Julie frowned. "Why?¡±


    "Welllll," Bernard began slowly, after exchanging a glance with his companion. "As you know, our destination is Elaine Waterson. Last seen for sure in Miami, Florida. And we''ll need to time shift reasonably close to that position, both to minimize our temporal impact and to eliminate the possibility of unforeseen travel delays. So... we need someone who was in Miami that year.¡±


    "Someone to pull the handle," Luci reasoned.


    ¡°One of the Venitis," Frank realized.


    ¡°And Corry has his twisted ankle," Julie observed.


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re here for Laurie,¡± Mindylenopia confirmed. ¡°We need to pull her out of your time for this mission.¡±


    A hush fell over the room. It was broken when Beth swallowed her mouthful of sandwich, and gestured at the tray. ¡°Anyone else want one? They¡¯re very tasty.¡±

 Part 84a: Powering Up

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.3 - Complicated


    PART 84a: POWERING UP


    "Saints alive!" Beth Parker crossed herself and fell to her knees at her apartment door. "Is it really you?"


    "Yeah, uh... look, get up." Frank pocketed the radio transmitter with one hand, the other rubbing his forehead. Damn Carrie and her whole divine intervention story the first time they¡¯d encountered Beth. "Truth be told, I was never actually an angel, and I - we - kinda need your help."


    "I always wanted to thank you properly. I¡¯d hoped you''d return to me," Beth said breathlessly as she scrambled to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ve become very religious in the last year, did you know that? What am I saying, of course you know. And my part time work at the Clayton hotel has almost earned me enough to get professional singing lessons! I plan to do gospel. Are you pleased? Am I on the right path?"


    "Beth, please, I''ll explain everything." Frank paused. ¡°Okay, no... that would confuse you. But I''ll hit the highlights, so long as you come with me now. To the, um, oh heck with it, to an Astral Plane.¡±


    Beth peered out into the hall. "Why now? And where is your partner? The one who looked like me, the one named Carrie?"


    "That," Frank concluded, ¡°would be why we need your help."


    ***


    "We¡¯ll pull a girl out of the past," Luci whispered to Frank. "Is that ethical? That can''t be ethical."


    Frank eyed the blonde girl who was currently gaping at all the television channels and other technology Julie was demonstrating. ¡°We have to assume our future selves know what they¡¯re doing,¡± he muttered back. ¡°And I mean, we¡¯re right - while Beth is a couple years older, with a little makeup and Mindy providing an external boost on any naysayers? She could pass as Carrie at school. At least in the few weeks we need leading up to Christmas vacation.¡±


    ¡°And EVERYONE on your astral plane has these ¡®sell phones¡¯?¡± Beth gasped. She looked up at Julie. ¡°But why even call them phones if they do other things? Are you sure they¡¯re not demonic devices?¡±


    "Oh yeah," Luci said dryly. "It''s like she and Carrie are the same person."


    Frank sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll need to monitor her. The bigger question is Laurie. Can we really hold that situation together for upwards of three weeks?¡±


    ***


    "No, nO, NO, no, and, oh wait, how about a side dish of NO!"


    "You know, Corry," Mindylenopia observed. ¡°We¡¯re telling you as a courtesy more than anything else."


    "I''m trying to say ''no'' in a courteous manner. You''re not listening."


    The former waitress sighed, and looked to Frank. Or Bernard, Corry supposed, what with those two apparently being time displaced. Bernard was rubbing his forehead again. ¡°Look, Corry - we can, and in fact did convince your family that Laurie¡¯s away at an art camp. That she was recruited after someone saw that drawing that Megan published for her back in October. All we need is for you to warn Mindy if your parents seem about to--¡±


    "What about the school Laurie would be missing?" Corry challenged. "Not to mention potentially Christmas! You think my family will buy her being away for something like that?"


    ¡°I¡¯m in the room,¡± Laurie said, quietly.


    Both Venitis had been called and asked to come to the mansion a little earlier than everyone else. Corry turned to her on the sofa. ¡°I know. Sorry Laurie, but based on your reaction, I figured I should advocate on your behalf.¡±


    Laurie¡¯s hands tightened where they held her skirt. ¡°When they said what this trip would mean, I was shocked. I needed a moment. But there really isn¡¯t an alternative, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the alternative,¡± Corry asserted, waving off Mindylenopia before she could speak. ¡°My ankle¡¯s not that bad, and--"


    ¡°No, Corry.¡± Laurie stood up and turned to face him, her fingers releasing her skirt, in favour of twisting together. ¡°You¡¯re always jumping in, trying to protect me, and while I appreciate it - we¡¯re seniors now. It¡¯s like Megan says, I gotta do more on my own. Besides, my memory is still shaky, but I think maybe we¡¯ve had this discussion before? When you volunteered for time travel a year ago, to go after Julie? And I don¡¯t think I liked that. Even this year, when you and Frank were gone for two days after the van crash, I could barely handle it - no way can I bluff mom and dad for weeks! Whereas you can.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Laurie pulled her hands apart, forcing her arms to her sides. ¡°I¡¯ll do extra studying, plus I¡¯m taking History, and this is history. And Dad was away for the holidays two years ago, for work, so it¡¯s not that weird. I can even record a message now for you to use, saying my plane home was cancelled or the camp was extended or something. Because bottom line, the time group needs me, so I¡¯m going to go.¡±


    "C''mon little sis, you can''t really..."


    "Two minutes!¡± she reminded her brother, pointing at him. "Not THAT little. In fact I¡¯m not only doing this for them, it¡¯s for me too.¡± She paused for a breath. "Because here¡¯s the thing, Corry! I admire Carrie. I have for a long while. I admire all things she can do so much better than me, even including her power of time travel. But know what I¡¯ve learned? She can¡¯t do everything. Not on her own. She needs people like us. So I¡¯m stepping up. Last week with cheerleading, and now with this.¡±


    She then crossed her arms, imitating the posture Corry so often made - with only a slight shiver betraying her nervousness. ¡°Corry, I care about this group and what they¡¯re doing a lot more than some stuffy classes,¡± she continued. ¡°Except maybe art class, because here¡¯s ANOTHER thing, I also want to be a professional animator. And this cover story will make my parents see that maybe, I¡¯m just that good. So... so there. Deal with it, bro. I¡¯m going.¡±


    Corry opened his mouth to protest... and found he couldn¡¯t. Not after a speech like that. For some reason, he was reminded of something Chartreuse had said to him, back when Julie had time travelled: ''If Laurie wants to help someone, she''s going to do it. No matter what EITHER of us has to say.''


    After a few moments of standing with his mouth open, Corry finally found enough of a voice to say, ¡°Damnit Laurie, of all the times to make me proud, you just have to do it when there''s a chance of mortal danger, don''t you?!"


    Laurie blushed faintly, smiling back at him. She then nibbled on her lower lip and let her arms fall back to her sides as she looked back to Bernard. "Golly, there won''t be MORTAL danger, will there?¡±


    ¡°Look at it this way,¡± Bernard offered. ¡°Things go screwy for us in your future, our present. So maybe the safest place for you to be is with us, in the past.¡±


    Corry didn¡¯t feel entirely reassured, but he decided pushing the point would only make things worse for Laurie.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Laurie sighed. ¡°So how many days do I need to pack for?"


    "In theory, none,¡± Mindylenopia pointed out. ¡°We won¡¯t stay long in the past, then we¡¯ll simply be returning to your future. In practice, of course, whatever an art camp would need.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she repeated. ¡°Though before I do that, I¡¯ll need to teach this Beth girl our cheerleadering routines.¡±


    ¡°Heck. That¡¯s a good point,¡± Bernard realized. ¡°Let¡¯s go see if Julie and the others are done with their technology primer.¡±


    Laurie nodded, then looked back to Corry. ¡°And one last thing? Since I¡¯m not going to be here, please, tell Megan to go for it. Okay?¡±


    Corry lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Go for it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think she¡¯ll need extra encouragement. You can say I asked you to pass it along. Thanks Corry!¡±


    Corry was tempted to ask what his sister meant by that, but she seemed to have a lot to worry about already. Besides, he reasoned, it couldn¡¯t be too hard to figure out whatever Laurie was referring to.


    ***


    The whole group met, and everyone was brought up to speed. Only Glen wasn¡¯t there, having said he¡¯d render his decision about leaving or not once Mindylenopia and Bernard came by the hotel with Laurie.


    They¡¯d then determined that the people to tell Mr. Waterson the truth about Carrie would be: Frank and Luci, as two of the originals, Mindy/Theresa, as the adult, plus she¡¯d been to his house yesterday, and Chartreuse, who knew of mystical powers.


    Hank took it well, all things considered.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that, ever since she was shot, Carrie - my daughter - has been a time traveler?"


    Frank glanced over at Luci, then back to Hank Waterson. ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been helping Carrie come to grips with it,¡± Chartreuse offered. ¡°There are, you know, strange things in this world that at least 99.9% of the general population isn¡¯t aware of.¡±


    ¡°Thing is,¡± Luci finished, ¡°until we can get Carrie back, we¡¯ll need a girl named Beth to act like her double in the present. Because as long as the future thinks Carrie¡¯s still here, there won¡¯t be repercussions.¡±


    "Time travel,¡± Hank reiterated. He moved to sit down in one of the living room chairs. "This is like something out of a bad novel."


    "It¡¯s really happening though," Mindy (or to Hank, Theresa) observed. "Now, if you like, I can essentially hypnotize you into being okay with everything. It¡¯s simply better for everybody if you¡¯re dealing with Beth of your own volition instead, should any issues come up that I cannot foresee. Also, it avoids me needing to reiterate that ¡®everything¡¯s fine¡¯ every few days, as you start to feel like it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°We do have things more or less worked out,¡± Frank added. ¡°Beth will need to be in school Monday and Tuesday, for continuity, then you can take her out for some sick days as we regroup. Her being sick will also help explain away any odd behaviour. From there, we¡¯ll play it by ear.¡±


    ¡°How long will this go on for?¡± he asked.


    ¡°At least three weeks. Maybe to the end of December,¡± Mindy stated.


    ¡°Three WEEKS?!¡±


    "Mr. Waterson," Chartreuse said, reaching out for his hand. ¡°Listen, there¡¯s no way I can, you know, fully understand what you¡¯re going through. Because you¡¯ve gotta take a lot more here on faith than I do. But PLEASE sir, know that I, like, get some of it. Because Carrie and me, we¡¯ve been, you know, pretty close lately. Like, extremely close, actually. So know that I¡¯m scared for her, and that large parts of me now want to scream, or sob uncontrollably, or lash out at Theresa here... except I know those things won¡¯t help. This thing with Beth? It will.¡±


    He searched her expression. ¡°How can you be sure?¡±


    She swallowed. ¡°I... I can¡¯t. Not entirely. But we¡¯ve met future counterparts, and they say this is our best shot, so I figure it¡¯s gotta help. Please, sir, if nothing else, please trust that we all want the same thing here. We all want - no, we NEED - to, like, bring Carrie back to the present. To have her here with us again, all safe and sound.¡±


    Hank realized that Chartreuse was trying hard not to cry. His grip on her hand tightened, and his expression settled into one of resolve. If Carrie¡¯s friends could manage? Then he would as well. "All right then," he said. "Tell me more about this Beth, and what I have to do to bring our Carrie back home.¡±


    On the bright side, the first week was only mildly problematic.

 Part 84b: Powering Up 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.3 - Complicated


    PART 84b: POWERING UP 2


    ¡°Should we really let Chartreuse spend so much time with her?¡±


    At Frank¡¯s remark, Luci looked up at him, then followed his gaze towards Beth. Their stand-in for Carrie was back at school this Friday, after two days out ¡°sick¡±. Beth seemed to be adjusting surprisingly well to the present, all things considered. She had just stopped en route to their table in the cafeteria, in order to talk with the pink haired mystic.


    Luci considered that fact - it wasn¡¯t the first time the two had spoken. ¡°Why not?¡± she answered him.


    Frank frowned. ¡°People might start to talk. And if Carrie¡¯s not actually here to defend herself against rumours..."


    ¡°Defend herself against what? A relationship that we¡¯re pretty sure was forming anyway? For all we know, us being here together, there¡¯s rumours concerning our old relationship too. Besides, before Glen, Carrie used to spend time with both us and Chartreuse. So, since he¡¯s gone, why wouldn¡¯t ¡®Carrie¡¯ resume talking to our group again?¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, that¡¯s another thing. Did Glen really leave?¡± Frank countered. ¡°I got an email from him yesterday.¡±


    Luci pursed her lips. ¡°Yeah. I got one this morning. Vague ¡®watching you¡¯ stuff though, and according to the school, his ¡®parents¡¯ pulled him out - I think he must have timed those emails to send off in advance. Before he left with our future travellers last Sunday. To keep up appearances.¡±


    ¡°Or Glen could be hiding out in town,¡± Frank countered. ¡°And covering it up with his powers.¡±


    Luci shrugged. ¡°Maybe. So what if he is? Frank, at this point, I¡¯m done with my second guessing. It¡¯s given me nothing but grief. We have to trust our future selves.¡± She glanced back at Beth. ¡°As to Chartreuse, look at it from her point of view. In the span of a weekend, she lost her potential girlfriend, and Laurie, her best friend. If hanging with Beth is her way of coping, I don¡¯t think we can fault that.¡±


    ¡°Right... right,¡± Frank sighed. He ran his fingers back through his hair. ¡°And the busier Beth is, the less she might be prone to exploring our ¡®astral plane¡¯ too much. Which is good. I¡¯m just worried that we¡¯ll end up missing something.¡±


    ¡°You need to take a break from time travel analysis for once,¡± Luci decided. ¡°Don¡¯t follow anyone. Don¡¯t look up articles about Mindy in old newspapers. Don¡¯t watch temporal television. Just relax.¡±


    Luci tapped a finger against the cafeteria table. No one was paying attention to them, and Chartreuse seemed to be in the process of passing a crystal around Beth¡¯s head, so maybe now was as good a time as any to bring it up. ¡°Besides, when the time machine¡¯s done, I plan to go back with you. So you¡¯ll have extra support there.¡±


    Frank flinched. "What?"


    ¡°The later time trip will include Mindy, and possibly Glen, yeah? The only way you¡¯ll catch everything is if you have someone with you who can speak Temporal. Now, me and Tim have been putting together a rudimentary dictionary, but in a pinch it makes more sense to have one of us there in person. We¡¯re also the experts in the temporal gun, as Carrie herself pointed out in her letter.¡±


    ¡°But Mindy said only four people could go..."


    ¡°Or five.¡±


    ¡°And your double wasn''t there at Julie¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Meaning I was off guarding the new time machine. Frank, the only people who we can be sure WON''T travel back are Glen and the Venitis."


    "But..."


    Luci reached out to touch Frank''s palm. "Look, it¡¯s an option we should consider. Okay? Not worry about! Only consider. And, ah, by the way, my intention to go is based on a concerned about all our futures thing, not a romantic thing.¡±


    Frank blinked. ¡°Sure. Er, did I give off a romantic signal?¡±


    Luci shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m hoping I didn¡¯t, by touching your hand here.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t clue in. You¡¯re the observant one, not me.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Luci exhaled, pulling her arm back. ¡°Okay, last card on the table. I¡¯ve now been wondering if I broke up with you in part because you died in an alternate timeline. I... I feel kinda bad about that.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Frank half smiled. ¡°Well, don¡¯t. I mean, so what if you did? In this timeline we had a good run, we both had issues to deal with, and in the end, we¡¯re still able to talk about it like we are now. I think, if we couldn¡¯t, that would somehow be the worst thing.¡±


    Luci nodded, and found she could smile back. ¡°Okay then. End of the second guessing - and of the obsessive temporal stuff, yeah?¡±


    Frank hesitated, but finally nodded in reply.


    "Heya Frank, Luci," Beth chirped as she joined them. ¡°I don¡¯t care what Chartreuse says - have either of you tried adding ketchup to this poutine stuff they serve here? It tastes really good that way!¡±


    Luci''s smile faded. She wondered whether they could truly steer Beth through another couple weeks of approximating Carrie... and despite her own assurances to Frank, whether a failure to do so correctly would result in temporal issues before the trip back in time became possible.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ***


    Corry watched as Beth joined Frank and Luci, then resumed poking at his cold pasta with a fork. "Anything?" he asked absently, when he sensed the person sitting down across from him.


    "No," Julie answered. ¡°Megan¡¯s a cipher.¡±


    He made a face. "Yeah." Corry tossed his fork aside. ¡°We should have anticipated that Megan would blame me for Laurie vanishing to attend that ¡®camp¡¯. There was no advance warning.¡±


    ¡°We had bigger concerns. Amusingly enough, Megan¡¯s suspicions are not wholly unjustified.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, funny!¡± Corry said bitterly. ¡°Trouble is, it means my telling Megan to ¡®go for it¡¯ might have screwed things over, rather than fix them. She doesn¡¯t trust that I¡¯m passing on Laurie¡¯s true message. I should have pressed my sister for more information.¡±


    Julie shrugged. ¡°Might be nothing to it. ¡¯Go for it¡¯, could simply refer to a new story Megan¡¯s writing."


    "Yeah, or it could be a plot to mess up the school. One that Laurie hadn¡¯t clued into.¡± Corry picked up his fork, only to drop it again. "Geez, how could my sister think anyone but her would be a good choice for encouraging Megan? Laurie¡¯s the one who should be here now. Not me. Why did I let her go?! I mean, she''s so naive, so innocent, so... so..."


    "Corry," Julie said quietly, reaching out to take his hand. "Laurie''s fine."


    ¡°I know that! You think I don''t know that? Of course I know that. Who do you think I am?" He tried to pull away but Julie held fast.


    ¡°You¡¯re someone who cares about his sister, and who''s realized in the last couple days that he''s no longer there to protect her. But part of you knows your sister had to one day be free to make her own decisions, right? For good or bad.¡±


    Corry opened then closed his mouth. "Goddamn it," he grumbled at last. ¡°We should have at least sent someone aside from Frank. Like Clarke. Sure, she¡¯s over him, and I wouldn¡¯t want to mess that up, but he does think a bit like her. And he¡¯s more streetwise.¡±


    ¡°Corry.¡± She squeezed his palm. ¡°Me and Mindy are working as fast as we can... and as soon as the time machine is completed and activated, Laurie will be back.¡±


    The redhead sighed and kicked his foot out at a table leg. "I know. You don¡¯t have to remind me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I?¡± She smiled. ¡°Look on the bright side. You¡¯re starting to appreciate your sister¡¯s ability to connect with people on a level that you can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I never said Laurie didn¡¯t have good qualities.¡± He briefly squeezed Julie''s hand back before pulling his arm away. ¡°I guess there¡¯s also a part of me wondering how I would be treating her running off if I were on the outside. Like Megan is.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Do you think that sometimes, there¡¯s stuff going on that truly is none of our business?¡±


    Julie lifted her eyebrow and gave him a pointed look. It served to remind Corry about his flyer about her from last year, not to mention her own hushed up parental situation.


    ¡°Ah. Dumb question,¡± he answered himself. ¡°Better question - what about this ¡®go for it¡¯ thing with Megan? Should we keep prying, or is THAT none of our business?¡±


    ¡°I think we should monitor, in case it becomes our business... but you¡¯re not wrong. Inserting ourselves into it can only make the situation worse.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Corry toyed with his fork for a moment, then finally had some pasta. ¡°Okay then, to change the subject, Carrie''s double, this Beth... how will Frank and the others locate her in the past? Is your team working on that, as well as fixing the machine?¡±


    Julie''s brow creased. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s kind of another funny thing... we don¡¯t have to work on it. You remember how Frank gave us a rundown on his first encounter with Beth? And how she and Carrie traded clothes?¡± Corry nodded. "Well, soon after that, Phil wondered if I hadn''t left a small tracking device on what became Beth''s hairband over fifty years ago...¡±


    ***


    Clarke walked into the central cafe and hesitated, not sure if he should find a table or simply wait to chat with Theresa/Mindy. He decided to do the former. She brought him a hot chocolate moments later, then waived him off as he pulled out his wallet. ¡°On the house. My shift¡¯s done in ten minutes, see you outside.¡±


    Although the first snowfall of December hadn¡¯t stayed on the ground, it was cold enough that the hot chocolate was appreciated. At the same time, Clarke made sure not to leave Mindy waiting outside, heading out as soon as he saw her. She immediately set out for the LaMille mansion, jamming her hands into the pockets of her jacket.


    ¡°So... what did you want to talk to me about?¡± Clarke asked, after a few minutes of walking.


    Mindy chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve acquired the necessary parts for retrofitting the time machine. I had to tell Julie about it, since we¡¯re storing it all at her place - and she insisted I tell you too. Funny enough, I agreed. Not merely because of your potential expertise, but because I think it will be educational.¡±


    There was a playfulness to her tone that Clarke couldn¡¯t figure out. ¡°Educational? How so?¡±


    ¡°In that you¡¯ll finally have a secret you can¡¯t talk to the others about. Since Frank and the rest of them can¡¯t know. Not yet. The more people who know, the more temporal danger there is.¡±


    ¡°Theresa... Mindy... really? More secrets?¡±


    She stopped walking and turned to him. ¡°Yes, really,¡± Mindy asserted. ¡°Because first, Glen might still be in town. I want to make it difficult for him to prepare counter-measures. But more than that, the only thing I can think of that would send us back to ourselves unprepared? Is a future incursion. And the fewer people such an incursion can target for information about what¡¯s going on, the better.¡±


    ¡°What happened to time travel is predestined?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure we¡¯re going back,¡± Mindy said. ¡°The question is what wreckage we leave in the present - what we leave for Carrie to have to fix. I figure we should minimize that. That said, if you¡¯re not willing to help? I¡¯ll understand. This will ultimately be your decision.¡±


    Clarke sighed. ¡°I guess I¡¯m willing, but why did Julie even think I could help? I¡¯m not so technically minded.¡±


    ¡°To answer that, I need a more firm commitment. In now? Or not until the end?¡±


    Clarke looked up the street towards the LaMille mansion. He couldn¡¯t turn away, not if Julie was offering this olive branch. ¡°I¡¯m in now.¡±


    Mindy¡¯s smile returned. ¡°That¡¯s good. Because you¡¯ve taken tech classes, including auto shop, right?¡±


    ***


    Megan Falls wasn¡¯t sure exactly what was going on with the seniors. She only knew that Carrie Waterson was somehow at the centre of it. The blonde had been acting flighty ever since the talent show, and Glen¡¯s subsequent disappearance. It was like she was a changed person - yet also someone reverting to old habits, by hanging around those other students of her clique again. Who were, Megan decided, sheltering her. Even Carrie¡¯s father had rebuffed her when she¡¯d tried to drop by the cheerleader¡¯s house.


    Megan was having no more of that.


    On the Tuesday of the last week of classes before the winter break, she got some of her associates to corner the rest of Carrie¡¯s entourage, ensuring her meeting wouldn¡¯t be interrupted. Then she got Kim to personally escort the blonde to the library.


    ¡°All right, Waterson,¡± Megan began, after waving Kim off. ¡°I want to know what¡¯s going on. The truth.¡±


    Carrie glanced left and right, as if looking for an exit. ¡°We¡¯re talking in the library?¡± she offered.


    Megan glared. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that. You know what I mean - it¡¯s your whole ¡®changed person¡¯ routine over the last few weeks. The prevailing rumour is that you ¡®found God¡¯! Well, as an authority in this school on God, I don¡¯t buy it. At all. So either you tell me the truth, right here, right now, or I¡¯m going to make things VERY unpleasant for the rest of your friends.¡±


    Megan then smiled, placing her hands on her hips. ¡°Starting with Chartreuse. So what¡¯ll it be, Carrie? As always, the choice is yours.¡±

 Part 85a: Closing the Loop

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.3 - Complicated


    PART 85a: CLOSING THE LOOP


    Beth Parker wasn''t stupid. Naive, she would grant - and could hardly deny after how she¡¯d been duped by Ms. Peabody - but stupid? No. She had kept some savings back then. And this time, it had taken her less than a day to realize that the ''astral plane'' of her ¡®angels¡¯ was the very same town where she lived, somehow decades in the future. The dates she put on Carrie¡¯s class notes merely confirmed it. It explained a lot.


    At the same time, she wasn¡¯t about to let on about what she knew.


    Oh, surely Carrie¡¯s friends had to be aware of her suspicions; Hank Waterson most of all. In a way, Beth¡¯s heart went out to the poor man, who¡¯d had to put his faith in a bunch of teenagers, a waitress... and herself. An aspiring singer who had, thanks to a twist of fate, been sent back into high school. To learn about her future in a history class.


    But there was no point in inviting trouble, and that seemed inevitable were she to treat this experience as anything other than an ¡®astral plane¡¯. Besides, she had wanted to help her ¡®angels¡¯, and now, at last, she was. It was a pity they hadn¡¯t told her what to do about this girl Megan though.


    Beth regarded the junior student in the crisp white blouse and dark skirt who was glaring up at her, and she responded the only way she felt she could. ¡°Judge not, Megan, lest you be judged.¡±


    ¡°Nice try, Waterson,¡± Megan fired back. ¡°Can you even name the origin of your mangled quotation?¡±


    ¡°Matthew 7. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother¡¯s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?¡± Beth countered.


    Megan took a half step back. ¡°Huh. Okay. So you¡¯ve seen the musical ¡®Godspell¡¯, good job. Doesn¡¯t mean you found God.¡± She seemed rattled though.


    Beth slipped her hands behind her back, hoping she looked disarming. ¡°Listen, Megan. While I¡¯m not going to outright claim to you that Carrie Waterson has become religious, or that your demands on me are hypocritical, any truth I speak here? Would be rather subjective. And you know as well as I do that such truths would not set you free. So, what¡¯s the real issue behind cornering me here?¡±


    Megan pursed her lips. ¡°Okay. Okay, I guess I want to know what Corry¡¯s up to. Is he getting you to read up on scripture in order to attack me on my home turf?¡±


    ¡°I think Corry¡¯s too worried about his sister right now for such planning.¡± A thought struck Beth. ¡°Is this about Claude?¡±


    This time, instead of backing up, Megan reached out to grab the front of her shirt. ¡°Who have you been talking to?!¡±


    Beth eyed Megan¡¯s hand. ¡°Um, no one, outside of the few close friends I have here. But I notice things. Like how you were lurking around the music room last week, at the same time as me and Julie were there. Watching Corry¡¯s band rehearse for the Christmas assembly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking music! I was wondering if Mrs. Willis was around.¡±


    ¡°At first, maybe? But you were there for quite a while. And your attention wasn¡¯t on Lee or Tim. Now, I suppose it could have been directed at Corry, except didn¡¯t I hear that you were the one who got Claude into that band in the first place?¡±


    Megan¡¯s grip relaxed somewhat. ¡°I may have insisted, yes. Because Claude knew the music, and while he¡¯s not the best bass guitarist, he¡¯s a lot nicer than that jerk Tommy.¡±


    ¡°Nicer? You knew Claude personally?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Not then. But he didn¡¯t snark back at me that Friday when I said maybe he shouldn¡¯t disrupt the talent show. In fact he--" Megan stopped herself, using her hand to push Beth away. ¡°How dare you? Have your talks with Chartreuse been about how to handle me?!¡±


    Beth regained her footing and shook her head. ¡°Um, again, no. Your religious nature might have come up in conversation - not that I couldn¡¯t spot it - but no, Megan, Chartreuse didn¡¯t say anything about handling you. Or Claude. Do you fancy the guy, is that it?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Megan sized her up, then blurted, ¡°B-But he did ask me out.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So did you reject him, is that the trouble?¡±


    ¡°I... I didn¡¯t. Not outright. Except it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate, me dating Claude! Not with me and Corry being rivals. The poor guy might then become a lever that Corry could use against me, and moreover it¡¯s a clear conflict of interest.¡±


    Beth shook her head. ¡°Corry wouldn¡¯t use Claude against you.¡±


    Megan scoffed. ¡°Just when I thought you were making sense.¡±


    ¡°Really, he wouldn¡¯t. His friends wouldn¡¯t let him do that,¡± Beth insisted. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed how they act as his conscience? Are you sure you¡¯re not using Corry as an excuse?¡±


    Megan visibly flinched. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of a relationship. I¡¯m strong, I wouldn¡¯t be tempted into sin.¡±


    ¡°Great! So what¡¯s the real problem?¡±


    Megan¡¯s lips pursed again. It took a moment, but finally she answered again. ¡°The problem? Is it¡¯s a man¡¯s world out there, Waterson. Consider Corry. Mister Hunt. Even God, if you buy into the personal pronouns. Women like us? We have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously. I don¡¯t want to lose it all by dating Claude.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    That one forced Beth to stop and think. Since Megan wasn¡¯t wrong. In fact, Beth had been surprised by how much certain things had changed in the intervening decades - and by how much some other things, which she might have expected to change, had not. ¡°Valid point,¡± she granted. ¡°You said Claude was nice though. Do you think he would take control away from you?¡±


    ¡°Not intentionally.¡±


    Beth mused again. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a risk then. Though I don¡¯t think anyone would accuse you of being weak simply on account of a relationship. Not if they¡¯re smart, anyway. And regret? That¡¯s a terrible thing. So if it were me? I think I would go for it.¡±


    Megan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Did Corry tell you to say those words?¡±


    Beth sighed. ¡°No - and why would it matter if he had? In the end, you¡¯ve got to do what¡¯s right for you. Seems like Corry is the plank in your eye. Try to remove him.¡±


    Megan flinched, frowned, and then let out a long breath. ¡°Damn. That¡¯s the second time your little inner circle of seniors has surprised me. Maybe Chartreuse really was onto something with her talk back in the woods.¡±


    Not sure how to respond to that, Beth simply stood quietly. Megan fingered the cross on her necklace as she came to a decision. ¡°Okay Wat-- Carrie. You can go. Maybe I¡¯ll even loosen the screws I¡¯ve got on Corry, and focus more on my own grade level. Provided the rest of you can keep him in check.¡±


    Beth nodded, but couldn¡¯t help but ask before she left, ¡°And... Claude?¡±


    A hint of colour crept into Megan¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Time will tell.¡±


    Word had spread of her budding relationship with Claude even before classes ended for the December holiday break.


    ***


    "Megan emailed me yesterday," Corry remarked, walking behind Luci and Frank, his hands clasped behind his head. "Told me not to let my guard down in the new year. Said that she¡¯d resume demands if I tried to hurt her through Claude. Even included a picture of Sarah Michelle Gellar holding a cross out. Can you believe that? What, does she think I¡¯m a vampire?¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t antagonize her any more,¡± Luci sighed, boots crunching through the light snow on the sidewalk. The three of them had agreed to meet at the last intersection and walk to Julie¡¯s together. ¡°Considering what Beth told us about their conversation in the library, we dodged a bullet back then.¡±


    ¡°Hey, how is it vampires are still a thing anyway?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Like, I¡¯ve found that they¡¯ve been in pop culture for our entire life - either of you seen that ¡®Forever Knight¡¯ show from the late 90s?¡±


    Luci turned, raising her eyebrow.


    Frank held his hands out. ¡°Look, you said not to obsess over time travel. I thought I¡¯d ease into the horror genre.¡±


    Corry face palmed. "You''re both missing my point. This means me and Julie did the right thing, by staying out of it. We¡¯ve got control back! But don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take care not to abuse our power. I¡¯ve learned my lesson.¡±


    ¡°Peachy,¡± Luci stated. ¡°I¡¯m a bit more focussed on the fact that it¡¯s December 30th, and after what felt like the most subdued Christmas ever, we¡¯re finally getting to see what Mindy and the others have put together to fix this whole temporal mess.¡±


    Corry reached out to grab Luci by the arm, but at the last second, seemed to think better of it. He jammed his hands into his jacket pockets instead.


    ¡°Luci, you¡¯re talking to the guy who¡¯s spent all month without his TWIN SISTER. And I¡¯ve had to call Mindy three times in the past week to maintain the charade with my parents. So don¡¯t you DARE lecture me about how hard it¡¯s been, or how relieved you are for things to be over. Because that all goes double for me.¡±


    ¡°Right. Sorry,¡± Luci apologized, wincing.


    ¡°Look at the bright side,¡± Frank offered. ¡°In a way, the extra time has given Beth a chance to be changed back. Me and Carrie, we apparently turned her religious on our first trip. Now? Well, she¡¯s considering expanding beyond mere gospel singing.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure, but don¡¯t forget that Mindy¡¯s going to have to excise parts of Beth¡¯s memory,¡± Corry pointed out. ¡°Unless you want her becoming some kind of future prophet.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Luci tugged on her hat. ¡°I hate that. We were on such a high horse when Mindy first revealed her mind manipulations, telling her off... and now? We¡¯re becoming just as guilty.¡±


    ¡°Do you see an alternative?¡± Frank asked. ¡°We know she¡¯s worked it out.¡±


    ¡°No. But I still hate it.¡±


    They reached the LaMille mansion''s front door and Luci rang the bell. To their collective surprise, Jeeves directed the teenagers around towards the garage.


    ¡°They did recruit Clarke,¡± Frank pointed out as they approached. ¡°Maybe they''ve got a DeLorean in there.¡±


    "Chevy, actually," Mindy said, walking out of the garage while wiping her hands with a rag.


    Frank froze, and Luci almost plowed right into his back.


    "Of course,¡± Mindy continued, ¡°my original designs were for something more environmental, maybe a smart car. But I quickly realized the space in one of those is roughly equivalent to a phone booth. For this mission? We might need extra space. Besides, we can always pull the time interface and plug it into another vehicle later. Well, maybe. Kind of.¡±


    ¡°I was joking,¡± Frank murmured.


    Clarke poked his head out from around the opening to the garage. ¡°At last! Guys, you¡¯ve GOT to check this out... it''s pretty cool."


    After exchanging glances, the three of them filed in. "It''s... a Cavalier," Luci said, nonplussed.


    "I got a good deal," Mindy asserted. ¡°The guy was half ready to donate it to your high school, for their shop class to disassemble.¡±


    "Huh. Well, I have always said that you were supposed to be able to ride around inside a time machine," Corry yielded.


    "It''s more impressive than it first appears," came Julie''s tired voice. She poked her head out the driver''s side window. ¡°And we¡¯ve still got a couple adjustments to make, but at this point, a second - fourth? - opinion might be of benefit. Plus it means someone other than me can pass the information on to the others.¡±


    Luci was the first to stride over. "I don''t have a driver''s licence!¡± she protested. "Nor do some of the people in our time group who ARE of age, seeing as we live in a small town and can bike most anywhere. Why make the time machine a CAR?¡±


    "Safety,¡± Clarke said. ¡°From what I understand, having an enclosed object means everyone¡¯s sure to be pulled through the vortex.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Mindy concurred, giving up on cleaning her hands and throwing aside the rag she was holding. ¡°The old cash register version? It sucked through whatever was touching the handle, or more dangerously, whatever was touching people touching the handle. Here, you get the whole car, a metallic enclosure, and thus we won''t have to worry about leaving anyone behind. Just, you know, make sure you¡¯re inside. Not touching the doors. Definitely not hanging onto the hood. Okay, so it¡¯s not that much safer.¡± She smirked. ¡°Still, I always SAID it could be done, but noooo, they were fine with using their stationary temporal generators instead."


    ¡°Could be worse,¡± Frank decided. ¡°Could¡¯ve been a fridge, we wouldn¡¯t want anyone trapped in one of those. And this means there¡¯s a built in age requirement to get a time travel licence."


    ¡°Actually, the car doesn¡¯t need to be in drive,¡± Mindy countered. ¡°In fact, probably better that it¡¯s not. Unless you know you¡¯ve got plenty of runoff room at your destination time.¡±


    "Does the DNA sensor track everyone in the car then?" Luci said. "How does it know where to put you spatially?"


    ¡°Hi! If you''ll let me EXPLAIN," Julie said, motioning again in obvious exasperation. She waited until they were peering in the car windows at her, then she pointed to the modified dashboard.

 Part 85b: Closing the Loop 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.3 - Complicated


    PART 85b: CLOSING THE LOOP 2


    "Coin goes in here,¡± Julie said, indicating the slot on the Cavalier¡¯s dash, where a radio might once have been. ¡°The silver box thing from the old machine - which was a pain to install, by the way, but is one of the few items we can¡¯t reproduce yet - is back there. It¡¯ll auto-set the year and ultimately flash fry the currency. Keypad here is for entering the other coordinates, namely month, day, and time.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve fixed that random variance thing?¡± Corry mused.


    Julie shook her head. ¡°Nope, still a factor. If you arrive an hour or even a month off from the time you input? Don¡¯t blame me. Now, when you hit the hashtag, or rather pound key, it routes the entry through the assembly on the floor of the passenger side. Including Luci''s old modified circuits, meaning the pocketwatch you see here should also display your actual time of arrival."


    "Wait, you kept the pocketwatch?" Luci asked, reaching to tap where it had been mounted in the dash. "Why not use the digital time display from the car itself? Still an overheating problem?"


    ¡°Because the watch belonged to Carrie," Mindy interjected. ¡°Or rather her mother. From when she was left at the orphanage. Right?¡±


    "I think so," Frank agreed. "It never actually kept time, but in Luci¡¯s first reparations over a year ago, Carrie insisted on trying to hook it in. So we did, to humour her - and it¡¯s somehow synched up accurately upon arrival.¡±


    "Mmm hmm. Thought so," was Mindy¡¯s final word about it.


    "As to the DNA," Julie continued, undaunted, ¡°this blank looking panel here is actually a thumbpatch. It will pinpoint your geographic location. Hold part of your body there - presumably your thumb - for three seconds with the switch in the ''on'' position. That¡¯s the signal for the time jump to activate. Have two people press against it if you¡¯re going for a point between them."


    "What about rematerializing ten feet in the air?" Corry demanded. "I still remember that from my first trip."


    "It... shouldn''t do that," Clarke offered, hesitantly. "That''s part of the new stuff we''ve been hooking into the undercarriage. But it¡¯s also one of the things we wouldn¡¯t mind having a fresh set of eyes on."


    ¡°The licence plate and registration are also for Ontario, and next year,¡± Luci pointed out. ¡°How will that play out in the past?¡±


    ¡°Look, I''d be much happier with hologram technology and three years to perfect this," Mindy admitted. ¡°But you play with the cards you¡¯re dealt, okay?¡±


    ¡°Just show us the schematics then,¡± Frank stated. ¡°We¡¯ll see if we can offer any input.¡±


    ¡°Well, show those two tech wizards anyway - why did you want ME here so early?¡± Corry wondered.


    Julie opened the car door. ¡°So that you¡¯d know how close we were to bringing your sister home, partner.¡± She smiled. ¡°Oh, also I need your help hauling the briefcase of coins up from Linquist¡¯s lab. It¡¯s damn heavy.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m like the hired help. Fun,¡± Corry grunted.


    ***


    "You know," Corry mused, as he closed the secret passage behind the china cabinet. ¡°Since my ankle¡¯s healed, what''s to stop me going back with Frank and Mindy so that they don''t need Laurie?"


    Julie shrugged. ¡°The fact that you didn''t do it, so you can''t?"


    "Yeah, I''ve always hated that logic. What''s the REAL reason?" He hefted the briefcase, and the two of them headed for the hallway.


    ¡°I guess it has something to do with the future situation..." She paused as Jeeves strode towards them, looking worried. ¡°That¡¯s about to happen?¡±


    "Mr. Waterson called for that waitress, Theresa," he stated. "She''s on the phone with him now, and she sounds agitated."


    Julie dropped the electronics she was carrying, hurrying towards the phone in time to hear Mindy say, "Sir, this is important, did either of the two have red hair?" A pause, then, "Don''t worry. I was expecting this. We''re on it."


    "What?" Julie asked as Mindy hung up the phone.


    "Two suspicious people at the Waterson house looking for Carrie," Mindy replied curtly, already heading for the front door. ¡°They held Hank at gunpoint and searched the place. Beth wasn¡¯t home, perhaps fortunately, however she forgot to bring Carrie¡¯s cell phone along. Hank told me - and them - that ¡®Carrie¡¯ had gone to the public library."


    "The public... Lee''s working there today," Julie said. As Mindy strode out, Julie doubled back. ¡°Call the library. Ask to speak to Lee,¡± she asked Jeeves. "Tell him to keep an eye on Beth, and anyone looking for her. That is, for Carrie. Oh, he''ll know what I mean."


    "Certainly," the butler responded, heading back for the phone.


    "Bad?" Corry asked.


    "Is it ever good? We¡¯ve got the coins and the electronics for tracking the hairband, let¡¯s at least load those up while Mindy explains more precisely what it is that she was ¡®expecting¡¯."


    ***


    ¡°We¡¯ve reached a temporal crossroads,¡± Mindy stated, after getting everyone into the garage. ¡°Today is the last day ¡®Carrie¡¯, aka Beth, will be seen in the present before ¡®Future Carrie¡¯ abducts her from the past.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re going to recover Carrie and prevent that act!¡± Clarke protested.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°If we do, today becomes the last day me and Glen remain in this time,¡± Mindy countered. ¡°Because I still hope to get him away from Carrie. It all paints a target on December 30th.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I had hoped that the future war would leave our departure day alone, but it IS a potential kick they¡¯ll have at averting a predestined outcome. At actually affecting the timelines. Must have been too tempting of a target.¡±


    ¡°Why not travel back sooner, and stop us then?¡± Corry wondered, as he loaded the trunk of the Cavalier.


    ¡°If they had, this day might not have occurred,¡± Frank reasoned. ¡°Ripple effect.¡±


    ¡°Also, the fact that I kept things so quiet and controlled would cancel any earlier advantage,¡± Mindy added. ¡°Acting before now, they¡¯d merely have a greater risk of my snaring them into our predestined outcome.¡± She jerked her thumb at the car. ¡°Frank, get in, we¡¯re off to the library to get Beth.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Julie protested. ¡°What was the deal with red hair?¡±


    ¡°No time.¡± Mindy opened the driver¡¯s side door.


    Julie kicked it shut. ¡°Make time. What if those two come here next, after you¡¯re gone?¡±


    Mindy muttered under her breath.


    ¡°Rude,¡± Luci observed. ¡°Also, not yet in our Temporal dictionary.¡±


    ¡°All Temporals have red hair,¡± Mindy confessed. ¡°It¡¯s genetic. The two who pulled apart the Waterson house? Were blonds. So either they were Mundanes, or they were of your time, being influenced by a Temporal. Happy?¡± She yanked the car door open again. ¡°Either way, if they do come here, lay low. My best guess is that the future travellers want to abduct Carrie or Glen for themselves; they shouldn¡¯t do more than injure you. Luci, get out of the car.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m going back with you and Frank,¡± Luci asserted.


    ¡°Oh, for... we¡¯ll argue on the way,¡± Mindy groaned.


    ***


    They reached the library in record time. "Okay," Frank wheezed, as he released his fingers from their grip on the back seat. "I see now why your limit is five people - there¡¯s only five seat belts. Mindy, do they relax some traffic laws in the future?"


    "I''m not letting over a decade of time stuck here in the past come to naught!" Mindy snapped. "Which may be the case if we can''t shake these time travellers and restore Beth to our past, when she''s supposed to be. Now, any way to tell if that girl''s still inside? Or her pursuers?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send Lee a message,¡± Luci said.


    Frank pulled out his phone as it buzzed. ¡°I¡¯ve got a message from Chartreuse. She¡¯s on her way - one of the others must have called her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, hey, NO phones on once we¡¯re out of the present!¡± Mindy reminded, eyeing the two of them. ¡°Also, your argument for bringing Luci was unconvincing. I can translate whatever Glen says.¡±


    ¡°But will you do it accurately?¡± Luci questioned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like your tone.¡±


    Which was when the gunshot rang out.


    "Okay, those are NEVER good," Luci noted, her door open before she had finished speaking. Frank ran out after her, despite Mindy''s protests. They were met at the steps up to the library doors by a number of panic stricken people running out.


    ¡°Lee says go ¡®round back,¡± Luci said, eyeing the message on her phone. They rounded the building. There was a small theatre entrance there, as part of the structure also housed a small stage for local plays. Frank reached the door first, only to find it was locked.


    "Now what?" he asked.


    Luci eyed the keyhole. ¡°Now... we need lockpicks?"


    The door opened out unexpectedly, causing Luci to stumble back and fall on the ground. This left Frank staring at Lee, who was dragging after him a very scared looking blonde. "I''m sorry," Beth was wailing. "I know I shouldn''t have been looking up my own past, I couldn''t help it, please PLEASE don''t let them kill me!"


    "Math whiz, take her!¡± Lee said. He shoved Beth towards Frank. ¡°I clubbed the guy who had the gun with a set piece shaped like shrubbery, but there¡¯s another dude here somewhere. Go do whatever you''re supposed to do to prevent this from ever happening, I''ll keep them--"


    "Lee!" Luci shouted in warning. Barely on her feet, she jumped past him, tackling the blond man who had been about to swing the piece of wood. The two of them fell to the floor as Lee spun back around.


    "Luci!" he shouted, moving to help.


    "Wait!" Frank cried, stepping around Beth - too late to reach the door before it swung shut again. After verifying that it remained locked on this side, he lifted his palm to pound on the metal.


    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m so sorry," came Beth''s tearful voice.


    "It''s fine, it''s fine, it''s, you know, not your fault," came another voice, making Frank turn.


    It was Chartreuse, looking winded as she ran up carrying a trombone case. She fired off a weak smile at him, before hugging Beth close. "It''ll be okay, our wonderful Carrie stand-in. As long as you, like, go NOW," she emphasized. The last sentence seemingly meant more for Frank.


    "But Luci¡¯s in there..."


    ¡°I, you know, saw bits of this,¡± the pink haired girl assured. ¡°Tim¡¯s with Mindy back at the time machine. We¡¯ve spoken, and he¡¯s good to go instead. Oh, speaking of, cool car!" She gave a quick thumbs up. "Too bad I¡¯ll never get to ride in it."


    "Tim?? But..."


    ¡°Frank, PLEASE, those guys are gonna charge out in less than four minutes,¡± Chartreuse said, finally releasing Beth. ¡°Go! Go, go! Give Laurie my best."


    The door banged as if something heavy had hit it, but it failed to re-open. Frank hesitated only a moment more before grabbing Beth''s hand and heading back for the library parking lot. "Is this why you didn¡¯t mind me knowing about the future?¡± Beth asked tearfully. "Is it because I¡¯m going to die now?"


    "Not if we have anything to say about it," Frank answered. ¡°You¡¯ll only forget a few things.¡± He saw Mindy already had the car running, and Frank noticed Tim in the front seat. He helped Beth into the back, then ran to the trunk, slapping his hand on it.


    "What are you doing? Get in!¡± Mindy said, poking her head out of the window.


    ¡°We need a coin,¡± Frank said. "Pop the trunk."


    "Let''s get to safety first, then... oh fine," Mindy sighed, sensing Frank wasn¡¯t going to budge. She hit the release, and with some effort, he pulled out the briefcase. The second shot rang out as he was climbing into the back seat again.


    Mindy ceased her mumbling ¨C it was English, so Frank caught something along the lines of "create a fully mobile time machine and they all just stand around it" ¨C in order to step on the gas.


    "S-S-Seatbelts?" Tim suggested.


    Frank tried to ignore the effects of acceleration long enough to peer out the back window. A man was running down the front steps of the library. He waved his gun at another car that had been about to pull out, forcing it to stop. Oh no, he hoped this wasn¡¯t going to become a car chase.


    "Coin?" Mindy said pointedly.


    "Oh, uh..." Frank fumbled with the briefcase, only to slide into Beth''s lap as Mindy turned another corner. "Can we slow?"


    "No. I¡¯m busy being ticked off about your group substituting Tim for Luci.¡± With one hand on the steering wheel, Mindy moved her other to hover over the keypad. "What date shall I set?"


    Tim flinched. "I thought we¡¯d be going three weeks back..."


    "We have to drop off Beth first," Frank said, managing to get his hands on the coin changer for the 1950s. "Not to mention pick her up. Hey, maybe that works as one trip - Beth, on what day did we find you?"


    "I... uh... I..." the blonde stammered, gripping the seat in front of her, tears in the corners of her eyes. Then her eyes closed and she began to whisper a prayer.


    Frank sighed. ¡°Well, for continuity, use the same date as her arrival in our present," he decided. He was reminded of what Clarke had said - this Beth would need to bury her blue hairband somewhere in the forest, so that no one would be able to track her down again.


    Mindy¡¯s fingers flew over the keypad, as Frank handed Tim the necessary coin. "Drop it in that slot," he advised. Tim did so - after which Mindy flipped the time switch and reached out for the DNA trigger.


    "Mindy!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t exist then,¡± she assured him. ¡°My failsafe should ensure that we end up in roughly the same spatial--"


    ¡°Mindy, we¡¯re in MOTION,¡± Frank insisted. ¡°What if we appear in front of a wall back then?!¡±


    The redhead spun the wheel one handed, throwing Frank into Beth as the car swerved into an alleyway. She immediately stomped on the brake, thumb on the pad. "I was ABOUT to get us out of the--"


    There was a bright light and a popping noise as the car disappeared.

 Part 86a: M. I. A.

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.3 - Complicated


    PART 86a: M.I.A.


    The waves lapped quietly against the shoreline until shortly after midnight. At which point the waves found themselves lapping up against a set of car tires as well. Inside the car, the redhead who had her thumb on the dashboard slumped forwards unconscious. Another redhead, in the driver¡¯s seat, winced as she looked through the windshield.


    "Brilliant, Mindylenopia," came Glen''s voice from the back. "Hey, let''s make the time machine into a car! Then you can ride in it! Except you can''t drive on water."


    "Shut up, Glinephanis," sighed Mindy. She put the car into reverse and eased backwards towards a beachside boardwalk on the compacted sand.


    Next to Glen, Frank turned to regard Tim, who had also fallen unconscious. It would probably be one of the last times Tim would succumb; this arrival in Miami marked his third time trip. Frank thought back to the first time the blond boy had regained consciousness after time travel, back in the 1950s.


    Tim had seemed nervous, so Frank had brought him along as they had gone to track Beth, leaving Mindy alone with... well, Beth. To make their Carrie stand-in think that her prior weeks in the future had been a dream of sorts.


    ***


    "Sorry we didn¡¯t get a chance to talk before leaving,¡± Frank apologized. He attempted to split his attention between Tim, and the tuning of Julie¡¯s tracking device. It was hard to be sure which building on this block contained Beth. ¡°It all happened so fast. Are you sure you''re okay with this, Tim? I mean, what did Chartreuse say to you?¡±


    ¡°She s-spoke to me about how Laurie would end up going to Miami,¡± Tim answered, trying not to fidget. ¡°And she s-said that her friend might feel better having someone else along without much time travel experience. Even if I¡¯d only be g-guarding the car when you and Mindy go off to convince her."


    "Ahhh.¡± Frank frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not saying Chartreuse coerced you?¡±


    ¡°Oh no!" Tim assured. ¡°I¡¯d already s-said I wanted to help. That is, actually help for once, s-since keeping myself at a distance has only allowed me to b-be manipulated by Glen and Mindy. And here, I can keep them from chatting in s-secret in front of you! Finally do my part, s-since I do understand Temporal better than Luci. Um, no offence to her.¡±


    ¡°No offence assumed.¡± Frank started walking, eyeing his screen. ¡°Though, Tim? You said some of that as if you were still trying to convince yourself."


    "I..." From the corner of his eye, Frank saw Tim rub his forehead. "M-Maybe. It¡¯s a lot to take in. But I care about Julie and Carrie and all Clarke''s other friends too, so... yeah. I¡¯m committed. Really.¡± He swallowed. ¡°One other thing though... there was a point when Chartreuse said my language skills would be needed in the future. Not the past. The future. Do you know what that meant?"


    ¡°Likely your personal future, no matter how the timeline wraps.¡±


    Tim frowned. ¡°Maybe. But it didn¡¯t seem like that. She back-pedalled, said her tenses were all wrong.¡±


    Frank eyed Tim uncertainly, then shrugged. "Well, the furthest we can go with the coins we have is back to our present - plus a day, to the 31st - so I''m not sure what Chartreuse meant by that." He smacked the side of the tracking device. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s better. Okay, I¡¯m going in. Tim, maybe you could look over that list of things we figured we¡¯d need, for when we bring Beth back to our present year? We were thinking big, like the temporal gun, but maybe you¡¯ll spot something more, I don¡¯t know, linguistic.¡±


    Tim nodded. ¡°S-Sure. Uh, and actually Chartreuse s-said something about the gun too... ah, you don¡¯t need a hand with Beth in there?¡±


    Frank shook his head. ¡°Not initially - Beth knows me, not you.¡± He looked up at the front of the apartment building. ¡°I really hope this meeting goes well.¡±


    ***If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Frank was pulled out of the memory as the rear wheels of the time vehicle sank in the sand, accompanied by the sound of spinning car tires. "Damn!¡± Mindy cursed. She tried to edge forward and back, to no avail. ¡°Uh, so,¡± she concluded, turning to the back with a smile, ¡°good thing we included a shovel and a couple planks of wood with the rest of our supplies, huh?"


    It took them an hour to get the car back to a roadway. Laurie then suggested they drive a short distance away to park, because they were close to her old house, which was a little unsettling for her. And then Frank suggested they catch some sleep in shifts; for him, Tim and Mindy, it had been the equivalent of a whole day already.


    By the time they got together for their breakfast (dinner?) in a park, it was nine o¡¯clock in the morning. Laurie handed out the sandwiches, which had been packed in her present. Frank unwrapped his, finding his thoughts wandering yet again. They had made it, and the reality of the situation was fully dawning on him.


    ¡°We¡¯re back on the date of my first ever time trip,¡± he remarked aloud. ¡°I suppose I always knew I''d return here, given Carrie¡¯s insistence... but thought it would be under different circumstances."


    ¡°Y-You were here before?¡± Tim asked.


    ¡°Oh, not in Miami,¡± Frank clarified. ¡°In Ontario. Carrie tried to keep her mother from boarding her first plane, to come down here. Which reminds me, if we end up talking to Elaine? We¡¯ll want to make sure she doesn¡¯t think we¡¯re part of a setup by her coworker... uh, oh damn, I forget the name. It was either Bob or Doug.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure we needed to travel to Miami then?¡± Laurie asked. ¡°I mean, Miami is nice, but what¡¯s to keep Carrie from picking up in Ontario, wherever she left off last time?¡±


    ¡°She has a better understanding of how to handle the timelines now,¡± Mindy asserted, swallowing her bite of sandwich. ¡°Carrie¡¯s own personal history is based on Elaine Waterson disappearing after being in Miami at this time. The closer she can get to that event, the easier it will be to leverage without causing headaches or something worse.¡± She frowned. ¡°That said, I suppose Carrie could decide to arrive even later. On Elaine¡¯s plane, after it leaves the airport..."


    ¡°No,¡± Glen offered. ¡°Young Carrie is neither experienced enough, nor disciplined enough to be able to hit a moving target like that.¡±


    ¡°The Earth itself is a moving target,¡± Frank reminded him.


    ¡°Pedantic much?¡± Glen said, annoyed. ¡°I mean moving relative to the Earth. Besides, Carrie can¡¯t risk popping into existence right beside her mother, and scaring the hell out of everyone around. She¡¯ll need space, a geographic margin of error.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯ll appear at the Miami airport,¡± Tim concluded. ¡°Tonight.¡±


    Frank nodded. ¡°Seems likely. Elaine reaches Miami around 11pm. She''ll then switch to a smaller corporate plane to take her the rest of the way to Bermuda. That¡¯s the window of time where Carrie¡¯s liable to turn up, and thus why we brought along those relevant maps.¡±


    "So, what do we do?" Laurie asked, wringing her hands. "I mean, Carrie¡¯s never talked about specifics of where her mother was - has she?¡±


    ¡°No. I did speak with Mr. Waterson,¡± Frank admitted. ¡°During those few weeks when the time machine was being reconstructed. But he couldn¡¯t add much. It doesn¡¯t seem like there was any layover to check out the plane, as Carrie had suggested on our first Ontario trip, but her father didn¡¯t know if that was because a request was denied, or was never made. Elaine meets someone from her company after getting her bags, that¡¯s all we have.¡± He looked to the two Temporals. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you two can add anything about ''the dangerous true circumstances¡¯?¡±


    Mindy pursed her lips. ¡°Let''s just say we know Carrie won''t be changing anything here and leave it at that.¡±


    "%They wouldn''t understand the ramifications even if we told them.%"


    "Hey," Tim protested, looking to Glen. "Frank, Julie, Chartreuse... they''ve all f-figured out a lot already!¡±


    Glen sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, right, that one vaguely understands us. I hate you all."


    ¡°Okay, well, when we¡¯re done eating, let¡¯s pick out key locations in the Miami airport where Carrie is liable to appear,¡± Frank concluded. ¡°Then see how hard it is to gain access to those spots. Presumably we can do it by obtaining disguises or allies, which is part of the reason we aimed to give ourselves the whole day here, rather than only a few hours.¡±


    Glen nodded. ¡°So, we drive to the airport and then split up?¡±


    Frank shook his head. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t split up. For one thing, we¡¯re not all seasoned time travellers.¡±


    Laurie looked briefly chagrined, until Tim reached over and touched her arm. The both of them shared a quick smile.


    ¡°For another, you don¡¯t trust us Temporals,¡± Mindy added.


    Frank frowned, then nodded. ¡°True. But if you were me, would you?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s why I said it,¡± Mindy chuckled.


    ¡°Okay, except the five of us wandering around together? That¡¯s going to stick out like a sore thumb,¡± Glen complained, rolling his eyes. ¡°We need to be sneaky, we need to gain access to restricted areas, and we need to talk our way out of situations. Easy enough for me and Mindy, damned impossible with you Mundanes cramping our style.¡±


    Frank rubbed his forehead. ¡°Two groups then,¡± he decided. ¡°With regular check-ins via our walkie-talkies. Me and Glen will be one group, the rest of you can be another.¡±


    After all, Mindy had been nice enough to this point - Glen was the bigger problem. Right? Frank frowned. Unless his personal feelings about Glen¡¯s motivations were clouding things?


    He looked around at the others, who either nodded or shrugged in response to the assertion. Glen added a snort of derision, but also didn¡¯t complain. Frank looked back at his sandwich. They were certainly an eclectic group. He hoped he wasn¡¯t making a big mistake here.


    Glen got away from him later that afternoon.

 Part 86b: M. I. A. 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.3 - Complicated


    PART 86b: M.I.A. 2


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re getting a boarding pass unless someone buys a ticket,¡± Laurie sighed, watching Mindy talk to the airline receptionist.


    Tim poked her arm. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s only..." He used both hands to slip on the sunglasses he was holding. ¡°A matter of ¡®time¡¯. Yeeeeaaaaaahhhh?¡±


    Laurie slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. ¡°Tim! Ohmigod, no, we have to stay serious! Also, I hated that CSI show. The original was better.¡±


    Tim pulled the shades back off. ¡°S-Sorry, couldn¡¯t resist. And you seemed really tense.¡± He glanced over towards Mindy, then back to Laurie. ¡°Tense is not good. Understandable, b-but maybe you need to try to relax?¡±


    Laurie pulled her hands back to her sides, her eyes again on Mindy. ¡°No. Carrie¡¯s in trouble. Frank¡¯s trusted us to keep track of Mindy. I can¡¯t screw that up. I can¡¯t relax.¡± Her fingers curled.


    Tim shook his head. ¡°Laurie, if you wind yourself up too tight, you¡¯ll crash, like you--" He winced, but couldn¡¯t think of another way to end the sentence. ¡°Well, like Chartreuse said you have before. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll d-do your best, we all will, but if the unexpected happens... d-don¡¯t beat yourself up, okay? If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve found out about our time group, it¡¯s that n-nothing really goes according to plan.¡±


    The redhead nibbled on her lower lip. ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re d-doing good here,¡± Tim assured her. ¡°Give yourself permission to smile at my lousy j-jokes.¡±


    The corner of Laurie¡¯s mouth twitched up. Which was when the walkie talkie she was holding crackled to life. Her arm jerked up. ¡°Yes?¡± she gasped, mashing the talk button.


    ¡°Get everyone back to the car,¡± came Frank¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Frank, what¡¯s the problem, what happ--" She caught Tim¡¯s look and checked herself. ¡°Okay. We¡¯re meeting at the car.¡± She released the talk button. ¡°Tim, go get Mindy, okay?¡±


    He nodded back, hoping for the best but fearing the worst.


    ***


    ¡°You let Glen get AWAY?¡± Mindy said, slamming her hands down on the car hood.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t let him get away,¡± Frank countered, equal parts anger and sadness gnawing away at him. ¡°Glen told me that if I didn¡¯t let him leave, he¡¯d tell security that I was some sort of terrorist. And with his power, they¡¯d probably believe him. Pop the trunk, we need to get Julie¡¯s tracking stuff back out.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Mess with her devices while I move the car,¡± Mindy sighed. ¡°Glen knows where we parked, we don¡¯t want him escaping with the time machine.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re saying you put Beth¡¯s tracking device on Glen?¡± Tim asked.


    ¡°Kinda,¡± Frank admitted. ¡°The one Julie got off that hairband over fifty years later, at any rate. So, not ideal, but she¡¯d charged it up and tested it. And since I kind of suspected Glen would try something like this, I slipped it in his pocket while we were moving the car off the beach.¡± Mindy handed the central device over to him. ¡°I¡¯ll just need to retune all this so that it reads Miami, at this point it¡¯ll likely show Glen as being in our town library..."


    ¡°Why would Glen run away now?¡± Laurie piped up.


    ¡°What?¡± Frank asked, already messing with Julie¡¯s device.


    ¡°Why do it now, while there¡¯s still time for you to react?¡± Laurie pressed. ¡°And not later, like when Carrie¡¯s mom is about to land?¡±


    Tim¡¯s hand reached out to cover the display, forcing Frank to look up at him, then over to Laurie. She was biting down uncertainly on her lower lip.


    ¡°That''s... a good question,¡± Frank yielded. ¡°Glen must have figured now was his best chance. What with being away from Mindy, who might otherwise advocate on our behalf. I shouldn¡¯t have split us up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine that you did, the decision seemed sound,¡± Tim assured. ¡°But Laurie makes a good point - are you sure nothing happened right before Glen left?¡±


    Frank thought back, slowly shaking his head. ¡°We were looking for ways around security while you were checking out the boarding pass angle. We¡¯d just agreed that even security outfits might not be enough to do it when Glen leaned in and told me he was leaving. He..." Frank frowned. ¡°He did seem to be looking at something over my shoulder. I glanced that way, but I don¡¯t know what he saw.¡±


    ¡°Something temporal,¡± Laurie concluded. ¡°It had to be.¡±


    Frank shrugged. ¡°Maybe. Let¡¯s see if we can figure out where he went before speculating.¡± It took almost thirty minutes to recalibrate the machine, by which point Mindy had walked back from re-parking the car. She glared at him.


    ¡°Is it a good time to point out that I never wanted Glen along in the first place?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Frank grumbled. ¡°Here¡¯s the weird thing though. Unless I¡¯ve done something wrong here, it looks to me like Glen¡¯s left the airport entirely.¡±


    ¡°That is weird,¡± Tim agreed.


    ¡°So Glen knew you were bugging him, and thus put the tracker on someone else,¡± Mindy suggested.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Frank winced. ¡°Possible.¡± He frowned, then finally directed his attention back to the three of them. ¡°Okay, well, I think Glen¡¯s already told us all he was going to about the limits of Carrie¡¯s abilities. Is it practical to still chase him down? Or do we resume our efforts inside?¡±


    Their eventual consensus was to make sure they had an airport plan before getting sidetracked looking for Glen. Laurie even pointed out that if things went badly that evening, they could time travel back to now, so that they could follow Glen instead... which Frank suspected would cause larger issues, but he made a note of how Laurie¡¯s simpler way of looking at time travel might prove useful later on.


    ***


    ¡°I think Frank sees me as a nuisance,¡± Laurie sighed. ¡°I was the wrong person to come. It should have been my brother.¡±


    Tim shook his head. ¡°D-Don¡¯t say that. From what Clarke told me, when Frank was with Clarke and Corry back in the past, your brother was a bigger n-nuisance than you could ever be.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°Except my brother saved Julie!¡±


    ¡°Just as you¡¯re helping to save Carrie.¡±


    Laurie poked her fingers together. ¡°But I can¡¯t understand things, not the way Corry can! I¡¯m only here because it¡¯s Miami. So Frank¡¯s been dismissive, and I¡¯ll probably end up tensing up like you said, and then we¡¯ll all have to try again somehow, which we wouldn¡¯t need to with Corry and what if in the end I¡¯ll have spoiled our only chance to save--"


    ¡°Laurie,¡± Tim broke in, stepping closer to meet her gaze. ¡°Breathe. First, Frank¡¯s not being dismissive, he gets p-preoccupied by technology. P-Plus he¡¯s concerned about Glen, and he¡¯s f-focussed on Carrie.¡± The blond boy smiled at her. ¡°Second, being aware of tensing up means you¡¯re less likely to do it. And f-finally, you¡¯re more connected to Carrie than Corry could ever hope to be. Don¡¯t lose sight of that.¡±


    Laurie swallowed. ¡°Chartreuse tell you to say some of that?¡±


    ¡°That last bit,¡± Tim admitted. ¡°Honestly though, I¡¯m making up a lot of this as I go along. In f-fact, focussing on you is kinda helping me not f-freak out myself. So thanks for that.¡±


    The corners of Laurie¡¯s mouth twitched up again. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± She took in a long, slow breath. ¡°I wish this wasn¡¯t a life or death situation for the girl I idolize.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. Not yet, at least,¡± Tim said.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Frank said, approaching them with Mindy trailing along behind. ¡°So, we¡¯ve now got clothes that can have me pass for an airport worker. Don¡¯t ask. I figure we grab some dinner, then have Mindy liberate us some boarding passes.¡±


    Laurie¡¯s partial smile faded. ¡°We¡¯re sticking with that plan then?¡±


    ¡°Unless you¡¯ve come up with a better one.¡±


    Laurie dropped her gaze to the ground. Corry would have come up with a good plan, she reasoned. She wasn¡¯t the planning type. ¡°No. But try and make sure you don¡¯t disrupt anyone¡¯s vacation, okay?¡± she murmured.


    ¡°Being choosy about our targets would draw more attention to us,¡± Mindy countered. ¡°And time will smooth out minor changes.¡±


    ¡°Laurie¡¯s right though, individuals are still important,¡± Tim put in. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, Frank?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Frank agreed. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s be choosy on the passes we grab. Thanks guys, keep acting as my conscience check whenever I lose perspective.¡±


    Mindy let out a noise of exasperation, which made Laurie want to cringe. But then she felt Tim nudge her arm, and she looked up in time to catch Frank¡¯s grateful smile towards her.


    ***


    They had all been through security now. Mindy had ¡®convinced¡¯ the ¡®donors¡¯ of their boarding passes to stay in the main airport until after 11pm. Which wasn¡¯t too much of a stretch, since Frank and the rest of them had gone through security at only half past ten. Frank glanced at his watch. Elaine Waterson¡¯s plane would be on the ground by now.


    "Check, check... we set? Over." Frank clicked the button on his walkie-talkie.


    "Clear at customs," came Mindy''s voice.


    "Um, all good here!" Laurie reported, situated at the entrance to the baggage claim area.


    "N-Nothing on my end,¡± Tim reported. ¡°And no way to tell who might be here to pick up Mrs. W for her transfer.¡±


    "All right. From this point on, report on any sighting of Glen, Carrie, or her mother,¡± Frank concluded. While the others were stationed at points that Mrs. Waterson would logically have to pass, he was mobile, able to go wherever he was needed. For now, he paced around the baggage area, pretending to look for misplaced luggage.


    Slipping his walkie talkie away for the moment, Frank reached down to adjust his belt. Pity that the room Mindy had located hadn¡¯t had any pants in his size. But he wasn¡¯t going to quibble over something that helped him to blend into the background.


    "Excuse me, sir?"


    Frank whirled. "Could you tell me where the washrooms... oh, never mind, I see the sign," the woman in the purple dress finished. She smiled at Frank. "Thanks anyway!"


    "Ma''am," Frank said, nodding as she sauntered off. He quickly made for an area with fewer people, deciding there probably was no such thing as a perfect disguise.


    Ten minutes later Mindy made the first report. "W''s clearing customs," she reported. A pause. "She''s through, and heading for a red haired man who went through right ahead of her. They seem to know each other."


    ¡°Is he from her company? Or a Temporal agent?" Frank asked.


    "How should I know?" Mindy said crossly. "I''ll follow in a moment. No sign of Carrie or Glen.¡±


    The seconds seemed to stretch out longer than before, until Laurie''s frantic voice came onto the channel. ¡°Ohmigod. That¡¯s my DAD, guys! Carrie¡¯s mom, she¡¯s with my dad, and they¡¯re coming this way, do I run and hide?!¡±


    "What?" Frank nearly dropped the walkie talkie.


    ¡°Dad must have been on the plane! What if I''m somewhere else in the airport too? Or what if I''m not, but something happens here with my dad that screws up my future?!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t, it¡¯s all predestined,¡± Mindy broke in.


    ¡°Laurie, you¡¯ve got this,¡± Tim added right after.


    Frank was busy making for Laurie¡¯s position. A couple paces away he was brought up short at the sight of Elaine Waterson. Looking eerily the same as she had during Frank''s first time trip, right down to her clothing. Which made sense. Oh no, she wouldn¡¯t recognize him from that encounter, would she?


    Realizing that Laurie had turned away, inspecting the wall, Frank turned too, so that he was only seeing Elaine out of the corner of his eye.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Mindy said over the system. ¡°Update?¡±


    Frank brought the walkie-talkie back up but Laurie¡¯s voice came over the channel first. ¡°I tried to look casual - they walked right by me! Saying something about town. Because, golly, it makes sense, Dad¡¯s older brother lived there. That¡¯s how we ended up - will end up - moving.¡±


    Frank frowned. ¡°Was your uncle friends with the Watersons?¡±


    ¡°Um... I dunno. Our families don¡¯t mingle these days,¡± Laurie said.


    ¡°M-Maybe they m-met on the plane,¡± Tim suggested. ¡°Sitting next to each other.¡±


    ¡°Focus!¡± Mindy said sharply. ¡°Carrie. Glen. Anywhere?¡±


    Damn it. Frank angled his way back towards Mrs. Waterson and Mr. Veniti, looking around for any trace of the other time travellers. ¡°Not yet,¡± he reported. ¡°Laurie?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see either of them,¡± Laurie said.


    ¡°Nor me, and I¡¯ve been scanning en route,¡± Mindy said. ¡°Could Carrie have arrived earlier, outside the airplane from Ontario or something?¡±


    ¡°I hope not,¡± Frank sighed. He approached Carrie¡¯s mother, trying to keep his back to her. She was still talking to Mr. Veniti, saying something along the lines of ¡®good luck on your genetics project¡¯.


    ¡°Nothing my end yet,¡± Tim offered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be headed your way soon, Tim,¡± Frank muttered into the walkie-talkie. ¡°If we have to, we can regroup and..."


    He almost missed her.


    Something told Frank to look left; maybe it was intuition, or perhaps there had been a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. But when he looked, there she was. Carrie Waterson, dressed the same way she had been the night of the talent show. Gripping a photograph. She looked around, seemingly disoriented - and their gazes met. And her eyes widened, briefly flickering back to gold.


    Then she turned and ran, shoving her way back through a few people.


    "Frank? You trailed off," Mindy pointed out.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found Carrie,¡± he gasped. ¡°I¡¯m in pursuit.¡±

 Part 87a: The Plain Truth

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.3 - Complicated


    PART 87a: THE PLAIN TRUTH


    Frank ignored everyone else in the Miami airport, devoting all his attention to not losing sight of Carrie. After all, this might be their only chance - and she was angling for an ¡®Employees Only¡¯ door. He shoved the walkie-talkie back in his pocket and got a grip on the belt of his slightly-too-large pants as he ran. He pushed past someone, mumbling an apology.


    The door Carrie was aiming for seemed to open in front of her as she arrived, and she charged through it at full sprint. Frank tried to sprint himself, reaching out and catching the door before it could swing shut. He burst through, spotting Carrie down the passageway. ¡°Carrie,¡± he called out, risking the shout now that they were out of the main area. ¡°Carrie, wait, we¡¯re in another timeline!¡±


    ¡°Frank, stop,¡± Carrie said.


    Except she hadn¡¯t said it - the voice had come from behind him. He spun as the door closed, revealing... Carrie. Another Carrie. Except this one was dressed differently. She was wearing a white blouse with a blue business suit, her hair having been gathered up underneath a flight hat. Which made her look much like Elaine Waterson had, moments ago. ¡°Carrie, what--"


    Frank stopped, for as he turned back to look at the prior Carrie, she disappeared. One second she was there, then there was a flash of light which made him blink, and then... nothing. Empty hallway. Of course, Frank realized - she¡¯d escaped through time, to become the Carrie in the business suit, who was here now. Frank turned back to her. ¡°Carrie?¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t stop her,¡± Carrie observed. ¡°Maybe you can¡¯t stop me either. But I have questions. So many questions.¡±


    ¡°H-How far back did you just go?¡±


    ¡°No, Frank. I get the first question. Namely, how in hell did you get back here? I destroyed... at least, I thought I¡¯d destroyed..."


    ¡°The chip?¡± Frank finished, as her voice caught in confusion or possibly frustration. ¡°You did, but you didn¡¯t. It¡¯s complicated.¡± He reached into his pocket to shut off the muffled noises coming from the walkie-talkie.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer,¡± Carrie countered. ¡°I need more.¡±


    Frank rubbed his forehead. ¡°Well, what we all thought was the chip wasn¡¯t really the chip. So we were able to reconstruct the time machine after all. Which we did because we had to get a message to you. And it all took weeks, Carrie - weeks where we never saw you. Or your mother.¡±


    She flinched at that.


    ¡°We figured out what you were planning,¡± Frank continued. ¡°At least in as much as saving your mom - and with you dressed like that, is it your intention to take her place? To vanish instead?¡±


    Carrie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°That other me jumped back a day and a half,¡± she said after a moment. ¡°To give herself time to prepare for this event. I¡¯d rather not time slip again, but I will if I have to. If you make it necessary.¡±


    It took a second for Frank to realize that she had answered his initial question, about how long she¡¯d been in town. ¡°So what about your intentions here?¡±


    She stared. ¡°Was it you who brought Glen back in time?¡±


    It was Frank¡¯s turn to flinch. Had she been watching them? Well, there was no point denying it. ¡°Yes,¡± he admitted. ¡°Which goes to show that he doesn¡¯t want you to do this either, Carrie.¡± A thought occurred. ¡°Wait, have you already spoken with Glen?¡±


    Carrie crossed her arms. ¡°My intention is to bring Mom back into our present. To give her back to Dad. Admittedly, she¡¯ll be almost fifteen years out of time synch, but saving her in the ¡®now¡¯, and having her around while I grow up - I already know that¡¯s not a possibility. Her absence made me too much of who I am. It brought me to this point. If I try to paradox my way out of that, it¡¯s liable to render the younger me comatose. So, this is the best alternative I could think of. A parting gift, as I return to this airport and vanish in her place.¡±


    Frank shook his head. ¡°Except Elaine was never in our present. So I¡¯m afraid your plan won¡¯t work.¡±


    Her jaw clenched. ¡°Maybe it will work if you tell me the date when you left.¡±


    Frank exhaled. ¡°But Glen also thinks this event is something you can¡¯t affect. He wouldn¡¯t tell us why.¡±


    Carrie frowned. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s truly the case, I have a backup plan.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re a couple questions deeper than me now. And here I thought I was the curious one.¡±


    ¡°Carrie..."


    She pulled her hat down tighter against her head. ¡°Did Char-- or rather, who all is actually here with you and Glen?¡±


    So she hadn¡¯t been watching them after all. ¡°Laurie is, that helped us get to Miami. And Tim, to translate any Temporal talk. And, ah, well, Mindy.¡±


    Carrie¡¯s posture became rigid. ¡°Mindylenopia?!¡±


    ¡°Is that another question?¡± Frank said, seizing the opportunity.


    ¡°No!¡± Carrie countered, her face a flurry of emotions. ¡°Except how is that possible, she... I banished..."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    He wanted to spill, to tell her about Mindy/Theresa and Chartreuse¡¯s conclusions about Timeline Four, but at this point, he also desperately wanted to know what her next plans were. He had to be assertive, the way he had been that day in the hospital over a year ago. Well, over a year, relatively speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain it all, but first it¡¯s your turn to answer a question,¡± he insisted.


    Her hands curled then uncurled. ¡°Glen spoke to me earlier,¡± she admitted. ¡°He must have spotted me as I was checking out security at the airport. I didn¡¯t want to speak with him, but he pursued me, blocks away. Tried to offer up an alternative plan, said that we could leave here and still relocate somewhere, somewhen.¡±


    ¡°Carrie, even though he came here with us, his plans aren¡¯t the same as ours,¡± Frank insisted.


    She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I wouldn¡¯t let him finish. I knew I had to be here to open the door for myself, and to delay you.¡± Her lips pursed. ¡°But I did say that I would meet him again, after this conversation.¡±


    So she was going to Glen next. Frank swallowed. ¡°Okay, well, here¡¯s the thing. Our whole worldview is ¡®Timeline Four¡¯, Carrie! Not Glen¡¯s ¡®Timeline Three¡¯, not the one that Chartreuse told us about. Because, thing is, when you banished Mindylenopia... she became Theresa. The waitress in the cafe.¡±


    Carrie¡¯s eyes went wide, and she took a step back. Frank charged on.


    ¡°See, in our past, Mindy influenced Linquist, who created that temporal gun, and he in turn influenced us, and Theresa influenced us, and then Mindy¡¯s the one who fixed our time machine, and so it¡¯s all so interwoven at this point that ¡®Timeline Three¡¯ can go to hell! We want you back, Carrie. Everyone wants you back in the present, and maybe that can be a thing in this New Timeline.¡±


    Aside from biting down on her lip, Carrie hadn¡¯t displayed any other outward signs of emotion. She seemed to be processing the information. So Frank gave her the time.


    ¡°I¡¯m not good for you, not good for any of you,¡± she said at last.


    ¡°Chartreuse would dispute that,¡± Frank objected. ¡°And maybe it¡¯s egotistical, but I think we¡¯re better for you than Glen. And better than you being by yourself. Actually, there¡¯s been talk of a rather nasty ¡®Future You¡¯, which is what Mindy had initially been trying to change... and it¡¯s not too late to change that future. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not.¡±


    She stared at him, then slowly shook her head. ¡°Going back to our present to fix my future, I don¡¯t see that as an option.¡± She drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Thing is, if all else fails, there was a first timeline. The one where I was never here, where you all led perfectly good Carrie-free lives. That¡¯s what I was angling for by doing this, and if I can¡¯t manage it by disappearing in your present...¡±


    She let her voice trail off, giving Frank a pointed look. It took a second, but the piece snapped into place - oh no, was she referring to her ¡®backup plan¡¯? ¡°Carrie, no,¡± he gasped. ¡°You can¡¯t... look at what happened when Julie tried to erase herself from history!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not Julie,¡± Carrie said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m Temporal Paradox Girl.¡± She tugged on her hat again. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave you now, Frank. Don¡¯t follow, or I¡¯ll be forced to temporally freeze you in place, and I¡¯m not sure I have the skills yet to put a short time frame on that effect.¡±


    ¡°Carrie, we came here from December 30th,¡± Frank blurted. ¡°We had a stand-in for you at school, so your absence wasn¡¯t missed. Your Dad knows about you, and he¡¯s okay with it. Please, don¡¯t throw all that away. Look into all the options before you do something rash!¡±


    She back-pedalled away from him, down the hall. ¡°No, no, stop making everything harder for me,¡± she pleaded. ¡°Stop talking! Don¡¯t follow.¡±


    ¡°Carrie..."


    She turned and ran. Frank clenched his fists, but as requested, he didn¡¯t follow. After all, he had to tell the others everything, and if she ended up temporally freezing him, the truth might come out too late.


    ***


    "I gave Carrie the whole story," Frank said.


    As soon as Carrie had vanished from view, he''d radioed the others, and everyone had converged at the ''Employees Only'' door. ¡°I... I don¡¯t think she took it well,¡± Frank admitted. ¡°She seems determined to disappear, whether she can rescue her mother here or not. And she said she¡¯d freeze me in time if I followed her.¡±


    ¡°A-Are we letting that stop us?¡± Tim asked.


    Frank shook his head. ¡°No. But you¡¯ve got to understand her state of mind before we pursue. She doesn¡¯t seem to want to accept any alternatives..." He shook his head. ¡°Yet I can¡¯t think of how to convince her to find another path forwards! Damn it, what other arguments can we make??¡±


    Mindy sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but maybe Carrie has to know.¡±


    Frank turned. ¡°Know WHAT?¡±


    ¡°The reason she can¡¯t save her mother. The reason she shouldn¡¯t destroy herself. Trouble is, I have no idea what that knowledge will do to her. She might give up and shut down entirely.¡±


    ¡°Carrie¡¯s not the sort of person to give up,¡± Laurie asserted. ¡°And we have to do something.¡±


    ¡°We are running out of options,¡± Frank agreed. ¡°Mindy, if revealing your secrets will help..."


    Mindy grimaced. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not telling YOU. I¡¯m not even sure I¡¯m telling her. First, I¡¯ll try speaking to Carrie as I used to as Theresa, maybe that passive assistance I gave to her counts for something. We¡¯re going to lose her trail though, if we stand around here much longer!¡±


    ¡°Maybe not. She went to meet Glen,¡± Frank said. As Mindy¡¯s eyes widened, he added, ¡°so that¡¯s how we¡¯ll find her. Based on what Carrie was saying, I don¡¯t think Glen found our tracking device after all.¡±


    ***


    Carrie ran into the small lounge room, wanting to get away - only to find that he was already there, waiting for her. Of course. He would have had to use his mental abilities to clear the room out of other people. Besides, what other events would be on his schedule for the evening?


    Carrie sagged back against the door as it closed behind her. ¡°We¡¯ve never been in Timeline Three,¡± she accused him.


    "So you did speak with Frank," Glen remarked. "Pity. But whatever this timeline is, it doesn¡¯t change anything."


    Carrie used her palm to wipe away any tears that might have escaped after her prior conversation. ¡°If that¡¯s so, then you¡¯re not stopping me any more than Frank was. This attempt, it¡¯s my true ''swan song'', alright? My parting gift. At least give me that."


    Glen stared at her for a moment. "I''m sorry, Carrie. So sorry. But you can¡¯t save your mother. Just... let¡¯s run away together. Then we can zap the time machine into oblivion, once Mindy and the others return to the present, okay?¡±


    ¡°WHY? Why can¡¯t I do this? Because you should know that, if I truly can¡¯t do this, I¡¯ll be heading back to make myself disappear before Mom even gets to Miami instead!¡±


    ¡°That would have... similar repercussions. If you stop and think about it, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll really want to do either of those things.¡±


    Carrie strode over to grab Glen by the front of his shirt. ¡°WHY?¡± she shrieked again. ¡°Why can¡¯t I actually do the ONE thing that I want to do with these temporal powers of mine?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not old enough to know that yet.¡±


    She shoved him back, making him stumble. ¡°Wrong! If I can mentally project myself around the present, temporally banish someone, and find people up and down my own timeline, I¡¯m damn well old enough!¡±


    He grabbed a chair for balance. ¡°Carrie, no. This isn¡¯t how things are supposed to play out...¡±


    ¡°Because I change things! I¡¯m Paradox Girl, that¡¯s what I do, right? You¡¯re just bitter because of how I got you got in trouble for losing me at the talent show, huh?¡±


    "Carrie, please, you need to calm down. I want you to experience us being together, I don¡¯t want to see you to be captured and spoon-fed those memories, but the longer this conversation goes on, the more likely that outcome is becoming...¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave,¡± Carrie asserted. ¡°Leave this conversation, this room, this time. Unless you tell me right the hell now, I¡¯m time jumping, and no one will find me ever again! Not you, not Chartreuse, not Frank, not anyone!¡±


    ¡°Carrie..."


    ¡°Bye, Glen.¡±


    ¡°Carrie, when your mother was taken, she was pregnant.¡±

 Part 87b: The Plain Truth 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.3 - Complicated


    PART 87b: THE PLAIN TRUTH 2


    She had allowed the time stream to coalesce about her, had been about to pinpoint her mother and jump to her, which was when...


    ¡°Carrie, when your mother was taken, she was pregnant.¡±


    The water became deathly cold. Cracks formed in the scene around her, and then the image shattered, leaving Carrie standing back in the small airport lounge, staring at Glen. With a twisting in her gut. ¡°No,¡± she whispered. A reflex word, because deep down, she knew it to be the truth.


    Things were starting to make sense.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Glen said. He looked around. ¡°Carrie, maybe we can still run away together."


    That time in the hospital, when she had felt like she and her mother couldn¡¯t both exist, because of a strain on the time streams... it had actually been because she and a sibling couldn¡¯t both exist. One person with temporal powers was bad enough, to have two?! Insanity. Why had nobody ever told her this?


    ¡°My Dad... did he..."


    Glen shook his head. ¡°He didn¡¯t know. Elaine was barely a month along, I¡¯m not sure if she even suspected.¡± He continued to look around nervously. ¡°Carrie, please, we need to get out of here.¡±


    The repercussions continued to wash over her. If she saved her mother, all she was doing was pushing her fate onto her unborn brother or sister. Removing herself from the timeline as a child wouldn¡¯t fix things either. The future could simply try again, with someone else.


    How could she do that? How could she make someone else suffer in the same way that she was suffering here? How could she make a SIBLING suffer that way? Was the path forwards with Glen truly the only one?


    Glen pulled at her arm. ¡°Carrie..."


    She ignored him. There was something more to this. Why hadn¡¯t she been able to pinpoint where her mother had gone, that time she had first tried to figure it out? Why hadn¡¯t she ever been able to learn the fate of Elaine Waterson? The only one who might have been able to stop her would be someone with similar powers...


    A rip began to form in the fabric of space-time.


    ¡°I did it to myself,¡± Carrie realized. ¡°I can¡¯t save my mom, because I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to abduct her. Along with my unborn sibling, in order to stabilize the timelines. I do it because... because I was always predestined to do it. I¡¯m the Chosen One, the ONLY one with the power to do it and hide the truth from myself, so it has to be me.¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell,¡± Glen gasped.


    A fifty year old Carrie Waterson stepped through the rip in space-time, dressed in a bright yellow gown, and looking royally pissed off.


    ***


    ¡°Glen¡¯s up here,¡± Frank asserted, looking down at the tracking device as he ran. ¡°In a room, it¡¯s probably some lounge area.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Mindy asserted, reaching out to grasp him by the shoulder.


    Frank shrugged her off. But when he turned to look at the redhead, his feet stumbled to a stop, not having expected the look of horror on Mindy¡¯s face. Tim and Laurie stopped also, looking back and forth between them.


    ¡°What?¡± Frank asked. ¡°What, are we too late?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Mindy said. ¡°Let¡¯s approach cautiously, okay? Listen at the door first. There''s..." She shook her head. ¡°You ever get the feeling that your past has finally caught up with you? Even if that past is the future?¡±


    ***


    Carrie couldn¡¯t move. She wanted to scream, wanted to run, wanted to lash out at the older version of herself - and she couldn¡¯t. She was trapped. But then, in a way, they were both trapped, trapped by time, by fate, by the cosmic forces that refused to cut her a break.


    Insanely, the thought that popped to the forefront of her mind was how at least her present day three-year-old self was tucked away safely in bed - so which of them here in Miami should be adopting the middle-name tradition of becoming Elizabeth?


    ¡°You have irrevocably screwed up my past,¡± Elder Carrie said, glaring at Glen. ¡°That¡¯s NOT why I sent you back, Glinephanis!¡±


    He winced. ¡°You, that is, she-- Carrie, your younger self was about to time slip, and mess with your mother. Telling her the truth, it was our last chance.¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t jaded enough for that knowledge. Not as this teenager! Even now, she¡¯s trying to figure out a way out of this one.¡±


    Glen swallowed. ¡°Which you know, because you were once her?¡±


    ¡°Which I know because it¡¯s taking considerable effort to keep myself temporally numb. Plus yes, it¡¯s what I would be thinking in her position.¡± Elder Carrie bared her teeth. ¡°You broke her, Glinephanis. Broke ME. She will still have been me though. I¡¯ll now have to see to it personally.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Glen apologized.


    Elder Carrie glared at him for a moment, then shook her head, brushing her hair off her shoulder. ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t your fault. You did your best. I know who¡¯s really to blame - it¡¯s these stupid Mundanes and that damnable Mindylenopia! They¡¯re all dooming my childhood.¡± She peered at him. ¡°Perhaps you can still be a bright spot in my younger self¡¯s life though? Will you come with me now? Some of my memories could remain valid, not be inserted by force.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Glen nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯m with you to the end. But Carrie, there are more time travellers here in Miami. Mindylenopia and a number of your old classmates. We all came in a time car. They might still try something.¡±


    A growl came from the Elder Carrie¡¯s throat. ¡°Fine, I will deal with them as soon as I get my younger self here restrained back in my present. Grab hold, we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Carrie felt her future self (or alternate future self, maybe, somehow? Oh God... so trapped...) grab her by the collar. And Glen latched onto Elder Carrie¡¯s arm, and then they were all being pulled back towards the rip in space-time...


    Which was when the door burst open. ¡°Carrie!¡± Laurie shrieked.


    ¡°Carrie, fight it,¡± Tim called out. ¡°Whatever is going on, fight!¡±


    Frank charged in between the two of them.


    ¡°Frank, don¡¯t get close!¡± Mindy shouted, grabbing onto him by the waist, slowing him down. Not that it mattered.


    ¡°Carrie, FUTURE Carrie, it doesn¡¯t have to be this way!¡± Frank shouted, looking from her to her Elder Self. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, not to yourself..."


    And Carrie felt the time streams pulling at them, and there was nothing her friends could do, she was being pulled away, pulled off into the future, down a path that had no turns...


    Wait, could she move? Was Elder Carrie losing her grip? Carrie twitched her fingers, but no, that wasn¡¯t enough, she was unable to pull away... a single tear trickled out of the corner of her eye, as Carrie Waterson, the future Temporal Weapon, surrendered herself to the inevitable.


    ***


    Frank pounded the floor where they had disappeared.


    "This is bad," Mindy murmured, her face pale. "She''ll be monitoring us from this point on... oh no, no, no. Tim, get Frank. Laurie, you¡¯re with me. We''re heading back to the Chevrolet. NOW."


    "B-But..." Tim began. However, Mindy had already grabbed Laurie by the arm, and was maneuvering her out of the room. So Tim looked towards Frank, who was now kneeling on the ground and looking like he''d just lost his best friend. Which, Tim supposed, might not be far from the truth.


    "Frank," he ventured, moving to touch his companion''s shoulder. "We''ve gotta go."


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have waited,¡± Frank said numbly. ¡°We should have tracked Glen right away. We could have stopped this.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. Frank, Mindy needs us back at the Chevy,¡± he said, tugging on the other boy¡¯s arm.


    ¡°And what did the older Carrie even mean?¡± Frank said, turning his head. ¡°The bit we heard, about Glen having broken her... damn it, what were they even talking about before that?¡±


    ¡°Frank, time machine. We still have a chance to do something. Come ON,¡± Tim said, surprised at the force of his own voice.


    Frank swallowed. ¡°Right.¡± He scrambled to his feet. ¡°Right. And we still have Mindy, she might tell us more now. Let''s go."


    The two of them quickly caught up to Mindy and Laurie in the corridor. They all hurried out through the arrivals section, pausing only when Mindy started snapping her fingers. "Paper, I¡¯ll need paper... Tim, come with me, stammer a lot and make writing motions. We''ll ask that businessman to lend us his pad."


    "B-B-But," Tim began again.


    "Good, like that," Mindy asserted. "Frank, wait here a moment with Laurie," she added, practically dragging Tim towards the guy in the suit who was scribbling something in a book as he talked on his cell phone.


    ***


    "She''s scared," Laurie said to Frank, as they watched. "She''s trying to act in control but... but in seeing that future Carrie... golly, it really freaked Mindy out." She shook her head. "That... it IS what we saw, right? That was a future Carrie abducting... herself?"


    "I think so," Frank answered. "But we''re not finished yet. We can¡¯t be. Mindy must know somewhen we can go. Or have some future knowledge we can use.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Laurie shifted her weight back and forth. ¡°Really? Or are you only hoping that, because we¡¯re kinda outta other options.¡±


    Frank didn¡¯t answer, which Laurie supposed was answer enough. Mindy strode back towards them then, scribbling something on her newly acquired piece of paper. The man briefly called something out to them before getting pulled back into his phone conversation.


    "All right," Mindy concluded, folding up the sheet. "This is for you, Frank. Put it in your pocket, and wait two days before looking at it, all right?"


    He blinked as he took it from her. "Um, okay, but why..."


    "We''re going to hang around Miami for at least two days, acting normal, see?" Mindy continued. ¡°Blending in. Acting passive. We time jump, we enter her domain, whereas so long as we¡¯re here, she probably won''t bother to trace us closely. Not for any length of time. She¡¯ll jump ahead instead, and if she focusses on anyone, it¡¯ll be me. If we get separated, remember, she can use time as a weapon, but she¡¯s not omniscient. She can miss things. Details. Be covert.¡±


    Laurie didn¡¯t like the resignation in Mindy¡¯s tone. When her brother planned things, he never sounded like that. ¡°You¡¯re talking as if we¡¯ve already lost,¡± she murmured.


    Mindy grimaced. ¡°Now that Carrie¡¯s Future Self is involved? I guess I am. But there¡¯s still a chance. Maybe. To that end, you might as well know the truth about why Carrie couldn''t succeed with her mother - I¡¯m pretty sure Glen spilling the beans is what created this mess. But if I tell you, it¡¯s on condition that you all agree to let things play out normally for two days. No matter what! You all cross-your-hearts promise that?¡±


    "Of course!¡± Frank blurted.


    ¡°O-Okay, if it helps Carrie,¡± Tim said.


    ¡°Are you sure we can handle it?¡± Laurie squeaked.


    Mindy flashed her a smile. ¡°Oh, Laurie. Don¡¯t worry, a lot of my earlier reluctance was a fear that one of you would tell Carrie. Which, if she already knows, is no longer an issue. But know what? On your few visits to the cafe this past year, I¡¯ve seen you really coming into yourself. Emerging from the shadow of your brother. Yes, I believe you can handle this.¡±


    Laurie nodded back, feeling a newfound confidence. ¡°Okay then.¡±


    So Mindy told them. And while the thought of Carrie, faced with the choice of either inflicting her own destiny onto a sibling, versus one day removing her own mother from the timelines, made Laurie feel sick to her stomach... she wagered the temporal truth of the situation was even worse, given the way Frank reeled.


    ¡°So there¡¯s no way to get Carrie¡¯s attention through her mother,¡± Frank said. ¡°When Elaine¡¯s plane leaves the airport shortly..."


    ¡°Oh, Gods, do NOT mess with that,¡± Mindy said, eyes widening. ¡°Remember, you do NOT want Carrie¡¯s attention. Not the one who¡¯ll be looking now. Rather, we need to do everything we can to AVOID her attention.¡± She glanced around. ¡°We¡¯ve spent too much time talking in one place. Wait out front, I¡¯ll go get the time car, we can take it to a hostel for the night.¡±


    Mindy began to stride for the exit, the teenagers hurrying to catch up. ¡°Wait, Mindy,¡± Laurie protested. ¡°Why take the car?¡± Something about that felt wrong.


    ¡°Glen¡¯s still with HER,¡± Mindy said. ¡°Since Glen knows about it, we can¡¯t hide it, but we CAN make her think it¡¯s broken or something. So stay back, okay? Also, two days, acting normal, no matter what. You all promised!¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Frank said, exchanging a glance with Tim.


    ¡°Good.¡± She paused, a ghost of a smile flickering over her face. ¡°One last thing. If this all goes south as fast as I think it will - in the end, know that I¡¯m glad I could make an impact.¡±


    Mindy ran off. The knot in Laurie¡¯s stomach tightened. ¡°Frank, no. Something¡¯s wrong. I wonder... I wonder if this is maybe how Chartreuse feels sometimes?¡±


    ¡°F-Frank, she¡¯s right, we¡¯re missing something,¡± Tim said. ¡°Was Mindy maybe mentally influencing us? She wouldn¡¯t try to time travel without us, would she?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Frank said. He blinked. ¡°But we did miss something. Mindy moved the car. Glen wouldn¡¯t know where it was, not right away. All she¡¯s doing here is leading him and that Future Carrie right back to it. Why?¡±


    ¡°So that Future Carrie¡¯s not watching us?¡± Laurie whispered.


    ¡°But if she¡¯s watching Mindy instead..." Tim murmured.


    They all exchanged glances, then Frank took off at a run. He¡¯d barely made it outside before there was the sound of loud explosion from out in the parking lot.


    By the time the teenagers got there, they were unable to even approach the flaming, burning wreckage of the Chevrolet Cavalier. Or it¡¯s lone occupant.

 Part 88a: Getaway

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.3 - Complicated


    PART 88a: GETAWAY


    Laurie felt like she had become the most stable person of their tiny time group. That in itself was freaking her out, and yet in the same way that Tim had said that focussing on her had helped him, it was by focussing on Tim and Frank that she seemed to be able to quell any panic attacks over Carrie¡¯s abduction and Mindy¡¯s apparent demise.


    They had made tracks after the car explosion. Found their way to a Miami hostel, pooled their money (admittedly Canadian funds, with only some of it valid in this time) and pleaded their case. Anne, the desk clerk, had taken pity on them, and given them some beds.


    Laurie had heard Frank crying for the first time that night. He¡¯d kept quiet about it the following day, but it seemed to her that he was becoming emotionally unstable. Pinning all his hopes on whatever note Mindy had given him, though as per her instructions, he was waiting the requisite two days before looking at it. To honour what may have been the Temporal¡¯s last request.


    By contrast, Tim was shutting down. Resigning himself to the fact that they were trapped out of their time. He had initially brought along enough of his medications to last four days, yet he was now looking into ways of getting those over-the-counter drugs while stuck in the past. Along with investigating how they might find jobs. His practicality was becoming a counterpoint to Frank¡¯s desperation.


    Laurie felt stuck somewhere between them. She had to believe there was a way out - she HAD to! - because time travel existed. She couldn¡¯t even completely accept Mindy¡¯s death, because again, time travel. Yet at the same time, Laurie was reluctant to place all of her faith on Mindy¡¯s note.


    To that end, on the morning of the second day, Laurie travelled back to her old house. It occurred to her that, if she could somehow send a message forwards using her younger self, at least Luci or one of the others would eventually know about the situation. How would that help? She wasn¡¯t sure. In fact, in the end, she hadn¡¯t been sure how to manage it.


    ¡°So what d-did you d-do?¡± Tim asked her.


    Laurie finished chewing her half of the granola bar, which was effectively their dinner, and swallowed. ¡°Nothing,¡± she answered. ¡°I stared at our Miami house, then walked away.¡± She looked across the street, to where Frank was staring into space. ¡°I¡¯m telling you because, well, maybe suggesting it to Frank is an option? Tomorrow morning, after whatever fallout he feels from that note?¡±


    ¡°C-Could do,¡± Tim yielded. ¡°Might help keep him going. Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea, Laurie.¡±


    Laurie bit down on her lower lip. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not delusional, am I? There... there IS a way out of this, right?¡±


    Tim sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t felt this messed up since Julie sprang her whole ¡®get the chip¡¯ mission on me.¡± Tim reached out to pat her knee. ¡°But know what, Laurie? I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve got a plan. Your hope helps give me hope.¡±


    Laurie felt a smile flicker across her face. ¡°I just want to get home.¡± She squirmed. ¡°Or failing that, at least get into a change of clothes. These ones are getting gross.¡±


    Tim nodded. ¡°I hear that. Pity our car blew up. You were the most prepared of any of us, what with having a whole art camp bag packed.¡±


    Laurie slumped. ¡°And now I¡¯m gonna need to buy new coloured pencils when we get home. The good ones aren¡¯t cheap.¡±


    ¡°Right. Sorry for bringing that up.¡± Tim withdrew his palm.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Laurie said, reaching back to grasp his hand. ¡°Speak your mind. Be true to yourself! That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do here.¡± She forced a smile back out. ¡°It¡¯s only, the thing that¡¯s making this all feel so weird? Is that you¡¯re the ones who came into the past to recruit me. So I feel like you should kinda be the smarter ones in terms of figuring out how to resolve this kind of situation. You know?¡±


    Tim shook his head. ¡°Intelligence and wisdom are two different things. You are wise, Laurie, in your own way. Seeing the best in people and situations. In fact, your optimism reminds me of Clarke¡¯s... except it¡¯s somehow a lot more infectious than it is with him.¡±


    Laurie nodded, then as an afterthought squeezed Tim¡¯s hand, until he smiled back at her. The both of them then turned their attention back to Frank, who remained staring at the darkening sky.


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Frank said. He looked away from his watch, which synched to local time now read 11:30pm, and towards his two time travel companions instead. Their faces were partially illuminated by the streetlight above. ¡°I... I just want to say, if this note thing doesn¡¯t work out, I really am SO sorry to have dragged you both into--"


    ¡°Frank, stop.¡±


    He blinked at Laurie. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°And AGAIN you¡¯re sorry,¡± she pointed out. She stepped closer. ¡°Stop saying that. It¡¯s actually beginning to bug me! You¡¯ve been like this for the last 48 hours, talking to us like we didn¡¯t want to be here. Sure, it¡¯s not what we expected, but golly, no one ever held a gun to my head. We came here for Carrie. We did our best. This trip is what it is, Frank, and if you apologize again for something so obviously outside of your control, I¡¯m gonna... gonna slap sense into you. So help me, I will!¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Frank gaped at her for a second, not sure how to respond. He looked over towards Tim, who smiled and shrugged back. ¡°Her Veniti attitude is coming through, Frank. She¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Um. Well, okay then. No apologies. Only this note.¡± He thrust his hand into his pocket. He felt the paper there, hesitated, then slowly drew it out. He fingered the edge of the sheet. ¡°Dammit, I feel like this is Mindy¡¯s last will and testament or something..."


    ¡°So let¡¯s see what she wanted us to have,¡± Tim soothed.


    Frank nodded. Carefully, he unfolded the page and smoothed it out on his leg. The other two leaned in to see. The scrawled handwriting read: ¡®Tim has the coin. Laurie has the key. Frank, set March 25, 7pm.'' It was followed by a string of ten digits.


    They stared for a moment.


    "The coin?" Frank murmured, looking to Tim.


    Tim stared back, then reached for his back pocket. ¡°I r-remember what Mindy said to me now,¡± he gasped.


    ***


    "Tim, come with me, stammer a lot and make writing motions. We''ll ask that businessman to lend us his pad."


    "B-B-But," Tim began again.


    "Good, like that," Mindy asserted. "Frank, wait here a moment with Laurie," she added, practically dragging Tim towards the guy in the suit who was scribbling something in a book as he talked on his cell phone.


    As she did so, she leaned down to whisper to him. "I have something for you.¡± She pressed the coin into Tim¡¯s hand. He blinked in surprise, looking down at it. ¡°Put that in your back pocket,¡± Mindy continued. ¡°Do NOT spend it. In fact, forget all about it until Frank mentions it. Our survival may depend on it.¡±


    Tim shook his head. ¡°Mindy, HOW? This c-coin is from--"


    ¡°Shhhh,¡± Mindy cut in. ¡°I know. Fun fact, the guy you call Shady, the one who activated Carrie¡¯s powers? I managed to steal his future currency. And for over three years now, I¡¯ve kept that coin on my person - now you must do so in my place. Okay?"


    "Um, okay...?"


    ¡°Now seriously, stammer something."


    "B-B-B-But," Tim began anew, that request becoming a tired refrain.


    They had reached the businessman, and Mindy quickly negotiated for some sheets of paper and a spare pen from his pocket. She began to scribble on the sheet as she walked back. "Hey, I thought the kid needed it to communicate!¡± the businessman protested, before giving up and returning to his phone call.


    ***


    Frank felt his heart rate quicken as Tim explained. ¡°So when Mindy says the key,¡± Frank decided as Tim finished, ¡°did she mean a literal..."


    He turned to look at Laurie, only to see that she was staring at him, a surprised expression on her face, and a car key dangling from a loop of wire in her fingers.


    ***


    Mindy grabbed Laurie by the arm, maneuvering her out of the room, leaving Tim to deal with Frank kneeling on the ground.


    "Laurie, I''m giving you something very important right now," Mindy said, pressing the object into her hands. "Don''t look at it, simply carry it with you. Secretly. You''ll know when to bring it back out. In the meantime, you¡¯ll have to be strong - but I know you can be. And no matter what anyone says, for the next couple days, you will never lose hope. You understand me?¡±


    ¡°Ah, s-sure," Laurie said, taken aback by the urgency of Mindy''s tone. ¡°But Mindy, it feels like you handed over--"


    ¡°Shhhh,¡± Mindy smiled. ¡°Turns out it¡¯s a good thing I swapped licence plates to throw Glen off our trail. Now, don¡¯t think of it for two days, since as of right now, we¡¯ve got to move.¡±


    Frank and Tim quickly caught up to the two of them in the corridor.


    ***


    Laurie gasped. ¡°That¡¯s why it felt wrong. When Mindy was going for the car. Because back then, I was the one with..."


    "Don''t say it," Frank broke in. ¡°Not out loud. Objects back in pockets.¡± He shoved the paper back into his own pants. ¡°We play it casual, like Mindy wanted. We can check this out tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What? Frank, why wait??¡± Tim protested.


    "We might only have one shot at this," Frank explained, forcing his mind to shift back into gear. ¡°And even if Mindy drew Elder Carrie¡¯s attention, maybe the future is still tracking us. Expecting something like this, something to be triggered two days later. So we don¡¯t let it play out on schedule. We can¡¯t make this easy for those future trackers.¡±


    Laurie nibbled on her lower lip uncertainly, exchanging a glance with Tim, who shrugged. "He''s the time expert," the blonde boy yielded.


    ***


    They made their way back to the Miami airport the following afternoon, all of them hungry and tired. ¡°Mindy''s choice of a Chevy was fortunate,¡± Frank murmured as they regarded the parking lot. ¡°There were a bunch of them in the States around this time. I only hope we haven''t been towed."


    It took about ten minutes of searching, but a shout by Tim brought them running. The Ontario plates had been swapped out for Florida ones - of course, since it had been an Ontario registration that had blown up over two days ago now - but through the driver''s side window, the interior looked just as they remembered it. The time machine was intact.


    The trio stood there for a moment, letting it sink in. Frank slowly exhaled. "I guess it could be booby trapped, but there¡¯s no point leaving it here. If you want, you two can head back to a safe distance while I start the car up.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t start it,¡± Laurie suggested. ¡°Use my key to unlock, you set the date, drop Tim¡¯s coin in, and we go.¡±


    Frank blinked. ¡°Good point."


    Tim fished Mindy''s coin back out of his pocket. ¡°Do we really use this though? Our stuff must still be in the trunk, including our coins. We could use one of them to return to the present. To recruit more help.¡±


    Frank shook his head. ¡°If Elder Carrie is the one gaining control over things, the only hope we have against her is OUR Carrie. And in order to get to that Carrie before the older version can solidify her position, I think we go straight to the date Mindy¡¯s provided. No side trips.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Tim rubbed his forehead. ¡°At l-least Chartreuse saying I¡¯d be using Temporal in the future m-makes sense now.¡±


    ¡°Frank, how can you be so sure our Carrie will be at that date?¡± Laurie pressed.


    Frank exhaled. ¡°I can¡¯t be. But the date Mindy said to set? Coupled with the coin, it¡¯s the night before Carrie¡¯s fiftieth birthday. That can¡¯t be coincidence.¡± He turned. ¡°If you¡¯d prefer to wait here though..."


    Laurie shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°L-Let¡¯s do this,¡± Tim agreed.


    Carefully, the three of them piled into the time machine. Laurie in the driver¡¯s seat, Frank tapping in the coordinates from the passenger side, and Tim in the back. They dropped in the future coin. Then they all eyed the DNA pad. Frank cleared his throat. ¡°So, which one of us..."


    Laurie reached out, pressing her thumb against it. ¡°Like riding a bicycle,¡± she breathed.


    Three seconds later, there was a popping sound, the car vanished... and it immediately spun, as if it the front had been struck by a heavy object. Frank grabbed for the dashboard, despite that not making sense, because he couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t grab, they were being dematerialized in a wormhole, and how could they even be in a car accident there?


    He opened his mouth to shout, but he couldn¡¯t do that either, and for the first time in over a year, Frank felt himself losing consciousness on account of a time journey.

 Part 88b: Getaway 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.3 - Complicated


    PART 88b: GETAWAY 2


    And Carrie felt the time streams pulling at them, and there was nothing her friends could do, she was being pulled away, pulled off into the future, down a path that had no turns...


    Wait, could she move? Was Elder Carrie losing her grip? Her fingers twitched, but no, that wasn¡¯t enough, she was unable to pull away... a single tear trickled out of the corner of her eye, as Carrie Waterson, the future Temporal Weapon, surrendered herself to the inevitable. Her hands slipping into her jacket pockets.


    Which was where she felt a hard object. Of course - it was the meditation crystal. The one Chartreuse had given her yesterday, or rather the day of the talent show.


    Carrie had brought it along with her, feeling like it might help her to feel connected to Chartreuse... and by extension all of the other people she had been hoping to protect. But she had failed them. She had failed them all. Even her parents.


    Carrie¡¯s fingers curled around the crystal object, aware that more tears were coming. Because here she was, at the mercy of her Future Self, being time shifted into Her Future... a future where Carrie would never see her parents, her friends, or that one ray of sunshine - her once possible girlfriend - ever again.


    ¡°CARRIE!¡±


    Oh no, now she was imagining Chartreuse¡¯s voice in her head.


    ¡°Carrie, are you there? We don¡¯t, like, have much time, but PLEASE hear me, there¡¯s something you¡¯ve gotta do!¡±


    ***


    Frank gently tapped at Laurie''s face until she murmured and her eyes blinked open. She immediately sat up, seemingly registering how he¡¯d taken her out of the time car, to be laid in a field. "What happened?¡± the redhead gasped. ¡°Did it work? Are we in the future?¡±


    Frank nodded. ¡°We... think so. The time circuits shorted out.¡± He looked towards Tim, who was pacing around the car. It sat a short distance away, in the same field. ¡°Anything?¡±


    Tim shook his head. ¡°No sign that we were hit. But you¡¯re right, the trip didn¡¯t feel like the previous ones, and I thought I saw sparks through the windshield before I blacked out.¡±


    Laurie looked back and forth between them. ¡°What? Problem with the length of the jump? The fact that it was trying to orient on a future me? Something else?¡±


    ¡°No idea,¡± Frank said. ¡°We¡¯ve done even crazier things than what you¡¯ve described, and never experienced a jolt like that. I can¡¯t explain it.¡±


    Laurie shivered. ¡°There¡¯s patches of snow out here,¡± she realized. ¡°This weather is is a far cry from Miami.¡± She peered through the dusk towards a nearby rural road. ¡°But at the same time, it all seems weirdly normal, huh?¡±


    Frank reached out a hand to help Laurie to her feet, which she accepted. ¡°I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re back in Ontario,¡± he observed. ¡°But there¡¯s no way to be sure.¡±


    Laurie began to brush herself off. ¡°No, I meant, if this is the future that Glen and Mindy were talking about, the one with the temporal war, it looks normal instead of more... more... golly, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Post-apocalyptic?¡± Tim suggested, approaching.


    "Different," Laurie decided.


    Tim chuckled. ¡°W-Well, we have yet to look around. Though after four time trips, I see the car still hasn''t managed to arrive on a road. Boy, s-so much for the practical aspects of a time machine vehicle, huh?¡±


    Laurie smiled back. ¡°We¡¯re in the future. Maybe we can get a hover conversion, like in the movies.¡±


    ¡°Hah,¡± Frank said, smiling too. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the sense in flying cars. Unless you¡¯ve got something like an airport control tower, there¡¯s no practical way to avoid mid-air collisions.¡± He turned back to the road, spotting a vehicle turning the corner. It was going to drive right past them. ¡°Uh oh. I hope that¡¯s not a future version of us.¡±


    ¡°H-Hide?¡± Tim asked. ¡°Or ask for h-help?¡±


    Laurie scrambled to get over to the side of the road. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re gonna see the car anyway.¡± She waved. ¡°And I think that¡¯s a tow truck!¡±


    ¡°Help then,¡± Tim concluded. He looked at Frank. ¡°Because I d-don¡¯t think we want to split ourselves up OR leave the time machine alone in the middle of this field."


    ¡°Still...¡° Frank grimaced, then sighed. "Okay, I yield. Let¡¯s flag it down."


    They stood by the side of the road, the tow truck slowing as it approached. It probably would have stopped even if Laurie hadn''t been jumping up and down with her arms in the air. Frank barely had a chance to register the logo for ''Sam & Al''s Garage¡¯ on the door before it opened and a blonde haired man in his late forties or early fifties jumped down out of the cab.


    "Hey," the guy said with a wave, slamming the door behind him. He pushed a pair of glasses up higher on his nose and adjusted his cap. ¡°Lucky break for you guys that I was driving by. What¡¯s the... trouble... damn. Is that an old Chevy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re not from around here,¡± Frank said. He wondered why the blonde guy¡¯s voice sounded familiar. ¡°Plus our vehicle might have sustained damage, so I¡¯m nervous about starting it up. Could you maybe give it a quick once over?¡±


    ¡°Amazing. I haven¡¯t worked on one of these since my senior year of high school,¡± the blonde said, letting out a low whistle. He walked over to run his fingers over the hood. ¡°How did a bunch of teenagers get their hands on..." He paused, looking at them a bit more closely. His eyes gradually widened. ¡°No. No, it can¡¯t be you. This is impossible.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Clarke?¡± Laurie ventured. ¡°Clarke, is that you?¡±


    That¡¯s when Frank caught the resemblance. Laurie was right. This man could definitely be Phil Clarke, over thirty years later.


    ¡°Laurie? Tim?¡± The tow truck operator looked from the both of them over to Frank, and then took a couple steps backwards. ¡°No! How can you all be here - looking like THAT? None of you ever... we never... what date are you all FROM?!¡±


    Frank looked over at his companions. Could they trust this version of Clarke? Then again, did they have much of a choice at this point? ¡°December,¡± he offered. He provided the year, and when it looked like Clarke was trying to do mental math, he added, ¡°Your aforementioned senior year of high school.¡±


    Clarke shook his head. ¡°Impossible. That¡¯s impossible. That''s..." He stepped forward, and reached out to poke at Frank¡¯s shoulder, tentatively, as if wondering if his hand would go right through. When they made contact, Clarke recoiled, then turned and headed back for the truck.


    ¡°W-Wait,¡± Tim protested. ¡°Clarke, we¡¯re really here. We landed in an unknown future, we need a hand!¡±


    ¡°I have to make a phone call first,¡± he shouted back. The cab door slammed shut. Moments later, it lit up inside, as if Clarke had a very bright phone engaged where he was hunched over.


    ¡°Are we in trouble?¡± Laurie wondered.


    ¡°Clarke¡¯s m-my friend,¡± Tim insisted. ¡°Whatever he¡¯s doing, it will help us.¡±


    Frank was getting an uneasy feeling. ¡°I hate to say it but... based on that reaction? Maybe we don¡¯t end up returning to our present. Or at least, not to our home town.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we go back home?¡± Laurie demanded.


    Tim flinched. ¡±Because Clarke¡¯s acting like he hasn¡¯t seen us in thirty years,¡± he deduced. ¡°Oh no. Does the present think we died?¡±


    ¡°Then again,¡± Frank continued, ¡°maybe Clarke¡¯s shock is simply the result of some Temporal wiping our memories. Meaning we¡¯ll be unable to tell the present about this trip, and as such, we¡¯re very unexpected.¡±


    ¡°So we CAN get home?¡± Laurie asked, wringing her hands.


    ¡°I thought a Temporal¡¯s m-mental influence faded over time,¡± Tim objected. ¡°Unless we WANT to f-forget, like Clarke¡¯s sister did. S-So why would we want to f-forget this?¡±


    Frank winced. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Though Carrie¡¯s memory wiping? That would last, from what we know of her impact on Shady.¡±


    Tim frowned. ¡°S-So you¡¯re s-saying Carrie might end up tampering with our..."


    ¡°Know what?¡± Laurie interrupted. ¡°Maybe we simply NEVER talk about this to anyone. Because all your talky alternatives sound awful.¡±


    Frank exhaled. ¡°Maybe that.¡±


    Clarke looked out at them from behind the tow truck¡¯s windshield, shook his head, and a moment later, the glow surrounding him disappeared. He reopened the door, adjusting his hat again. ¡°Okay guys. Let¡¯s have a look at that Chevy.¡±


    ¡°I-Is everything okay, Clarke?¡± Tim asked.


    The blonde hesitated, then nodded. ¡°It will be. And hey, call me Phil, all right?¡± He gave the group a tentative smile.


    ***


    ¡°So this car... it¡¯s your time machine?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Frank affirmed. ¡°Do you see anything wrong with it?¡±


    Clarke poked his head back under the hood. Tim felt worried - based on Clarke¡¯s reactions to this point, Frank¡¯s theories about memory manipulation seemed valid. Because while Clarke remembered the Chevy, he didn¡¯t seem to remember converting it into a time machine.


    Then again, maybe when you got old, you forgot about a lot of childhood stuff? Except their temporal activities seemed like the sort of thing you¡¯d remember. Unless Clarke hadn¡¯t helped with the time machine car in their present after all... but then, what else could he have been doing at Julie¡¯s for most of December? With a sigh, Tim decided to stop speculating.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the car¡¯s about to explode when you start it up,¡± Clarke concluded. He straightened, and dropped the hood back in place. ¡°Man, I miss having them this easy to diagnose. These days, cars mostly drive themselves, to the point where you have no idea what the issue is if they grind to a stop.¡± He pulled a rag out of his pocket to clean his hands. ¡°Granted, as far the time machine pieces go, that¡¯s beyond my understanding.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t time machines exist now?¡± Laurie wondered.


    Clarke shrugged. ¡°Not in cars. And there¡¯s no ¡®For Dummies¡¯ books about them. The technology is highly regulated, and to handle security leaks, the ¡®net was flooded with misinformation, things designed to blow you up before you could ever manage to create a time distortion.¡±


    ¡°So time travel isn¡¯t d-done by the general public?¡± Tim mused.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Clarke affirmed. ¡°Not since... well... yeah, I probably shouldn¡¯t be giving out future information. Even if...¡° He glanced at Frank. ¡°Damn, I am SO out of my depth here. But if you¡¯re willing, I had hoped to bring you to someone who could help. She¡¯s the person I phoned when I first realized who you were.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Is it Carrie?¡± Laurie asked.


    Clarke visibly shuddered. ¡°Hell no, not her. Not Carrie. You will know this person though. I think. Which is probably all I should say until we¡¯re there.¡± He glanced at the Chevy. ¡°You want to try driving it and follow me? Or shall I tow? I¡¯d recommend the latter, since there¡¯s room for everyone in my truck, and I wager this thing¡¯s still running on regular unleaded gasoline. No point draining the tank.¡±


    Frank rubbed his neck. ¡°Tow then, I guess. Except where is this person you¡¯d be taking us to? For that matter, where are we now?¡±


    Clarke thought for a moment. ¡°You¡¯d realize soon enough. We¡¯re a little ways outside Ottawa. That¡¯s where we¡¯re headed.¡±


    Laurie did a double take. ¡°Wow. Is Ottawa still the capital of Canada?¡±


    Clarke nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Frank pulled Mindy¡¯s piece of paper back out of his pocket and looked at it. ¡°That means we¡¯re in the 613 area code. This string of ten digits... it could be a phone number.¡±


    ¡°Ten digits... an old school phone number?¡± Clarke said. ¡°You¡¯re just full of surprises. I mean, the system¡¯s backwards compatible, so whatever you have should still work, but who are you planning to contact thirty years out of date?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t know until I try it,¡± Frank admitted. ¡°Can we use your phone?¡±


    Clarke tugged on the brim of his hat. ¡°Depends,¡± he said. ¡°Will it get me in trouble?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hang up if it¡¯s someone problematic,¡± Frank assured him. He looked to Tim. ¡°But there¡¯s a chance I¡¯ll need your linguistic expertise.¡±


    Tim nodded, closing the distance between them.


    Clarke frowned, but reached into his pocket to pull out a small device. ¡°All right. Phone,¡± he said. The bright light from earlier returned, and this time Tim saw that a holographic keyboard had been illuminated in the air. Clarke moved his fingers around the virtual image. ¡°I¡¯m keying in audio only, anonymous guest, location tracking off,¡± he noted. ¡°Keep the call short. Not because I don¡¯t have the bandwidth, but because I feel like we don¡¯t want to be noticed.¡±


    Clarke swiped left, and the keyboard image resolved itself into that of a virtual numerical pad instead. It included buttons to dial and hang up. ¡°There.¡± He placed the small device into Frank¡¯s palm, then turned. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know what you say, so Laurie, care to help me position things for the tow?¡±


    As Clarke went to join the redheaded girl, Tim looked down at the device, then up at Frank. ¡°Who do you think will answer?¡± he murmured.


    Frank eyed Mindy¡¯s note. ¡°I figure maybe it¡¯s whomever helped Mindylenopia get back to the past in the first place. And maybe that person has information we need about Carrie - except maybe they only speak Temporal.¡±


    ¡°L-Lots of maybes,¡± Tim observed.


    Frank nodded. ¡°Translate if you can?¡±


    Tim nodded back, and Frank reached up to tap experimentally at the holographic keypad, keying in the ten digits. After a series of clicks, there was a buzzing noise that Frank took to be equivalent to a ring. Almost immediately, a female voice came on the line, demanding, "Who is this and how in hell did you get the number?!"


    They both recognized the voice, Frank¡¯s eyes going wide. "Mindylenopia?¡± he blurted out.

 Part 89a: Future Imperfect

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.3 - Complicated


    PART 89a: FUTURE IMPERFECT


    "%You have five seconds to explain how you know me, after which this phone will be permanently deactivated. Five... four...%"


    Frank looked up expectantly, and Tim realized that his friend was anticipating a translation. But Mindylenopia was counting down! By the time he¡¯d explained that she wanted an explanation, they¡¯d be out of time.


    ¡°%Three... two...%"


    The only thing he could think of to do that might keep Mindy on the line long enough might get them in trouble instead. But he¡¯d made a number of gambles for their temporal group already. At this point, what was one more? He summoned his resolve.


    ¡°%One...%"


    "%We is be friends,%¡± Tim said, leaning in closer to the device. "%We want with, uh...%" He snapped his fingers twice, unable to think of the word for help. ¡°%We serve you and be happy future!%"


    For a moment, there was silence on the line, Frank simply looking at Tim in surprise. Then there was the sound of muffled laughter. ¡°Okay,¡± came Mindylenopia¡¯s voice in English. ¡°You''re either the smartest espionage team ever, certified loons, or people who may actually be of service to me. I can spare some time to find out. 10pm, at the train station."


    Before either of them could speak, the ensuing dial tone indicated that Mindylenopia had hung up.


    Frank reached out to tap at the holo-button that would cut off the call. ¡°Uh, thanks Tim,¡± he acknowledged. "I didn''t realize you and Luci could speak Temporal as well as understand it."


    ¡°We can''t," Tim sighed. ¡°I may have told her that we were friendly, and want be her future slaves. But she was counting down to cutting us off for good, and there was no way I could sum up our situation in five seconds, so I thought I''d better try something unexpected.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, assuming we can find her train station, that means we still have a shot at figuring out why Mindy gave us her own phone number. So again, thanks.¡±


    Tim shook his head. ¡°How could that even BE Mindy? She... well...¡±


    ¡°This must be before she travels back,¡± Frank reasoned. ¡°For some reason, when Mindylenopia sent us forward to the future - it was also into her own past.¡±


    ¡°So did she KNOW?¡± Tim wondered. ¡°The whole time she was Theresa, in our present, did she know we¡¯d eventually meet her, in her past?¡±


    ¡°That might depend on what we end up saying to her.¡± Frank sighed. ¡°My new worry is that we might do something that prevents her from going back in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Oh. OH.¡± Tim¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I feel like that would be BAD.¡±


    Frank nodded. ¡°For now, let¡¯s get the car into town and meet with Clarke¡¯s contact. Maybe they can provide us with some much needed future context.¡±


    ***


    Apparently, Clarke hadn¡¯t ever played professional basketball, had become a mechanic and tow truck driver about ten years ago with the intention of helping people, and had not married Julie. At least, he¡¯d admitted to the first two, and Laurie was pretty sure that his body language had answered that last question, not to mention his changing of the subject. Unless they were divorced? She worked with him for another few minutes in silence.


    ¡°How¡¯s your sister?¡± Laurie asked at last, again seeking some common ground with the Clarke she knew.


    He shook his head, looping the length of chain around the front of the Chevrolet to secure it. ¡°Another thing we probably shouldn¡¯t talk about.¡±


    Laurie slumped her shoulders. ¡°Really? We¡¯re stuck with favourite foods and recent movies from my time that are being remade yet again in this future?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Laurie,¡± Clarke apologized. ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk changing anything about my past.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can,¡± Laurie assured. ¡°Most of the talk I¡¯ve heard surrounds all time travel being predestined.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what I thought too.¡± She fancied then that his gaze drifted to Frank, but maybe he was simply looking back at the tow truck. ¡°I sure hope Luce can sort all of this out.¡±


    ¡°Luce... do you mean Luci?¡± Laurie ventured. ¡°Wait, Cl-- Phil, are we going to see Luci??¡±


    ¡°Crud. Yeah,¡± Clarke admitted. ¡°And I am seriously going to stop talking now. Otherwise I might let slip about more things. Like that huge ban Canada has on Japanese anime art.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± Laurie practically shrieked. ¡°The future has banned... okay, NO, don¡¯t even kid about that. Seriously!¡±


    Clarke¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Sorry again. Bad joke, but I couldn¡¯t remember what your other teenage passions were. My point being, sometimes the truth isn¡¯t something you want to know, yeah? And now I truly am done talking.¡± He hit the lever to pull the front wheels of the Chevy up.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Laurie fired off a look that she hoped was an angry pout. Yet at the same time, she suppressed her desire to ask any further questions.


    ***


    The trip into Ottawa took less than twenty minutes, but since no one was talking, it felt longer to Frank. At last, they pulled into the parking lot of a small cafe, on what seemed to be the outskirts of town, and she was there waiting for them.


    Frank felt a lump in his throat, looking at the older version of Luci. It reminded him more of her twenty-year-old artificially aged version than the one they¡¯d left back in the present. Perhaps because the normally so omnipresent little ponytails she sported were gone, in favour of longer hair.


    It fact, it seemed like Luci had aged well, even though her figure was largely covered up by a long coat. Could she have been his wife, if the two of them had decided not to break up? He shoved those thoughts aside as they all piled out of the tow truck.


    Lucille Primrose was all business, her first words to Laurie being ¡°open your mouth¡±, the asian woman holding out a Q-tip. When Laurie obeyed, Luci swabbed inside, then dropped the Q-tip into a small device she was holding.


    She peered at it for several seconds, then repeated the process for Tim, and again for Frank. A ¡°ping¡± came from her device at the end of his analysis, and she looked uneasy.


    ¡°Are they the real deal?¡± Clarke murmured.


    Luci didn¡¯t acknowledge the question, instead looking to Frank. ¡°How did you get here?¡± she demanded.


    Frank pointed to the Chevy. ¡°Time car. The circuits burned out on arrival.¡±


    Luci peered at everyone with her heterochromatic eyes, then finally addressed Frank again. ¡°Show me.¡±


    He went back to show her the setup. Her apparent skepticism gradually began to shift into a mix of confusion, with hints of fear. ¡°This is impossible,¡± she said, echoing Clarke. ¡°How would you even have the means to come this far forwards?¡±


    Frank decided to hedge. ¡°The one who went back to activate Carrie¡¯s powers? He had a coin,¡± he said, cutting out the Mindy-Linquist part of Tim¡¯s revelation.


    ¡°Damn.¡± Luci rubbed her forehead. ¡°Better question then, WHY make this trip? What could you possibly hope to gain by it?¡±


    Frank again wondered if it was prudent to bring up Mindylenopia.


    ¡°Your Future Carrie abducted our Carrie,¡± Laurie offered. ¡°We want ours back.¡±


    Luci snapped her gaze over towards the redhead. ¡°Impossible.¡±


    ¡°You keep using that word,¡± Tim quipped. ¡°I d-do not think it means what you think it means.¡±


    Luci regarded them each in turn once again. She seemed to come to a decision. ¡°We¡¯ll need to compare histories. Could take a while. Do you want to freshen up first?¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t, we kind of have a deadline,¡± Frank said, thinking of Mindy¡¯s meeting at 10pm.


    ¡°But we haven¡¯t had a proper meal in a couple days,¡± Laurie noted, looking towards the nearby cafe.


    Luci followed her gaze, and a smile flickered over her face. ¡°You look like it. Okay, don¡¯t go nuts in there, but I can credit you a meal as we talk.¡± She turned to Clarke. ¡°You in, or should I recap later?¡±


    ¡°You know I hate getting mixed up in your extracurricular activities, Luce,¡± Clarke answered, adjusting his glasses. ¡°Plus I¡¯ll never be able to follow your temporal talk. Call me once you know for sure.¡± He turned to Frank, hesitated, then extended his palm to shake. ¡°I know I ended up acting pretty weird here, but... it was good to see you again. Really.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Frank said, shaking back, even as he wondered as to Clarke¡¯s wistful tone of voice.


    He watched as the tall blonde moved to start uncoupling their Chevy from his truck. ¡°Actually, Phil,¡± Luci broke in, ¡°since you¡¯re set up, could you tow that over to the warehouse? I can give these three a lift to wherever they want after we eat.¡±


    Clarke turned. ¡°Luce..."


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind do you?¡± Luci said, eyeing Frank. ¡°It¡¯ll stand out like a sore thumb in this time period, and maybe our techs can fix it.¡±


    ¡°Techs?¡± Frank wondered.


    A smile tugged at the older Luci¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m connected.¡±


    Frank wished he knew more about this future. ¡°You can take it on condition that no one messes with it unless me, Tim or Laurie are present. If our histories have diverged, it could contain information you¡¯re not ready for yet.¡±


    She thought on that for a moment. ¡°Fair. Phil?¡±


    ¡°I can take it over, but then I wash my hands of the whole deal. Except for the phone call you owe me.¡±


    ¡°Also fair,¡± Luci agreed. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ll owe you a favour too.¡±


    Clarke chuckled. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll call it in next time I need medical assistance.¡±


    Tim turned to Luci. ¡°Oh, are you a doctor? Because I might need some medication.¡±


    She nodded back. ¡°I have a day job. For now, let¡¯s go talk.¡±


    Laurie raised her hand. ¡°Can I get my suitcase of clothing and art supplies out of the Chevy¡¯s trunk first?¡±


    ***


    Luci, it seemed, couldn¡¯t remember a whole lot about high school. The major events had stuck with her over time, and seemed to have transpired the same way Frank knew them - namely Carrie getting them involved in time travel, Corry¡¯s flyer about Julie¡¯s past prompting the theft of the time machine, and Glen showing up in their senior year. But when they delved a bit deeper, the inconsistencies surfaced.


    ¡°I was never artificially aged,¡± Luci asserted. ¡°And Linquist didn¡¯t hide out, when he sold the mansion it was to live in a smaller house in town instead. One that most people avoided.¡±


    ¡°But if that¡¯s so, then when did you tell me you, uh, had feelings for me?¡± Frank pressed.


    Luci swallowed. ¡°After Carrie got shot by Julie,¡± she admitted. ¡°It helped me realize how little time all of us have.¡± She bit down on her lip. The way she was reacting towards him... Frank shook it off.


    ¡°So that¡¯s a change of maybe two weeks,¡± Frank decided. ¡°What else happened around that time... the drugs in Carrie¡¯s locker?¡±


    ¡°Oh right,¡± Luci recalled. ¡°Yeah, that set up the whole Carrie-Chartreuse dynamic, since they both got detentions.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so they started dating then?¡±


    Luci laughed. ¡°WOW, no. But Carrie did do some strong-arming, and in the end Chartreuse fell for her in a Stockholm Syndrome kind of way.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that might be a parallel..." Frank let out a breath, glancing towards Tim and Laurie.


    Tim shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re kinda before my involvement. I¡¯ll shout if I hear something wrong.¡±


    Laurie looked up from the menu, which Luci had downloaded into her device upon entry, and had then offered to share around the table. ¡°Ditto. And what are ¡®spam tacos¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Like fish tacos, but vegetarian,¡± Luci said absently. ¡°Frank, are you trying to pin down a specific event in Carrie¡¯s past?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I kind of think I know what it is now,¡± he admitted. ¡°As much as I don¡¯t want to admit it. Luci, after the locker drugs, do you know if Carrie came to see me? If she ended up apologizing to me for everything, and crying on my shoulder in the park?¡±


    Luci flinched back. ¡°Big no, unless that¡¯s something you never told me about. Rather, she cut off everybody, and practically blackmailed the both of us into fixing the time machine. With the intent to, as I later learned, go after her mother. Probably would have done it too, if she hadn¡¯t been shot first by that time traveler.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s Theresa,¡± Frank sighed. Carrie had said something to him in the days following their park encounter, about having had a talk with Theresa. Who was Mindylenopia. Except, she wouldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Theresa?¡± Luci questioned, as if to verify his fears.


    He might as well just ask. ¡°Luci, in this future... did I die? Back in the past? And is that when Carrie and Glen left town?¡±


    Luci bit down on her lip again. ¡°Yeah,¡± she admitted, her voice suddenly quiet. ¡°Over a month before you claim to have travelled here. Hence our skepticism and whole ¡®this is impossible¡¯ angle.¡±


    Frank slumped down in his chair. That explained it.


    Somehow, they had ended up in the future of ¡°Timeline Three¡±. The timeline without Mindy¡¯s trip into the past.

 Part 89b: Future Imperfect 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.3 - Complicated


    PART 89b: FUTURE IMPERFECT 2


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Luci said dismissively.


    ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense,¡± Frank insisted. ¡°We have to help Mindylenopia get back in time. That¡¯s what restores our timeline!¡±


    ¡°No! If you remember her being there, Mindylenopia will go back without your help,¡± Luci reiterated, with exaggerated patience. ¡°The same way she must have managed it before your arrival in this future.¡±


    Tim glanced back and forth between the seventeen year old Frank Dijora and the forty seven year old Luci Primrose. He and Laurie had tacitly decided to keep out of the conversation during the time it had taken to order, and then receive their food at the cafe - but the two of them had been at an impasse for some time now. He decided had to say something, otherwise they¡¯d have no idea where in the future to go next.


    ¡°R-Run through it for me,¡± he suggested to Luci. ¡°However they teach it in schools these days. Explain to m-me why Frank¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Luci looked at him, then set her meal aside and flipped over her paper placemat, reaching for the small container of crayons next to the ketchup bottle. ¡°We don¡¯t teach this in schools. But here.¡± She drew a long yellow line, the length of the page. ¡°Timeline one, with the alien artifact. Damn it!¡±


    The asian woman tapped the end of her crayon against the side of her head. ¡°Look, forget I mentioned that last bit. Either way, that timeline¡¯s gone.¡± She dropped the yellow crayon, picking up the red, and drawing overtop of the majority of the line she¡¯d already placed there. ¡°Instead, timeline two, where Carrie exists as the ultimate temporal weapon. Able to end it all, unless the Temporals get what they want.¡±


    ¡°We knew this much already, Luci,¡± Frank said. ¡°Carrie once explained it to Chartreuse, after which it was explained to us.¡± Tim noticed Frank was using the same tone of exaggerated patience that Luci had used.


    ¡°Fine! Gone,¡± Luci said, glaring at him as she dropped the red crayon and grabbed a black. She drew overtop of the last part of the red line, and just as the red had obscured the yellow beneath it, the black obscured the red. ¡°Timeline three. Came into existence when we sent back-- what did our younger selves call him?¡±


    ¡°Shady?¡± Tim offered.


    ¡°Shady, right, with a mission of activating Carrie when she might be a little more reasonable. Or, well, destroying her if it turned out she was not. A mission which succeeded, when Shady managed to hit on a lynchpin point.¡± She intentionally met Frank¡¯s gaze. ¡°And for what it¡¯s worth, I spoke out against the latter option. But we¡¯re fighting a war here. Trying to save as many lives as we can.¡±


    ¡°How do you know it was you who spoke out?¡± Frank countered. He pointed at the placemat. ¡°Before Shady went back, the timeline was red. How do we know it was you who said something in that timeline two, versus the black timeline we seem to be in now?¡±


    Luci leaned back. ¡°Hmph. Excellent question, actually,¡± she yielded. ¡°On the one hand, there is no red timeline any more - aside from here, between Elaine Waterson¡¯s appearance in the past, and the lynchpin at Shady¡¯s alterations,¡± she noted, tapping the line where the red was visible. ¡°So your question is irrelevant. On the other hand... yes, it¡¯s theoretically possible that it wasn¡¯t me. That it was someone else. Individuals still have the free will to screw things up locally, as the Temporals sometimes put it. Still, safe bet someone did it. Might as well say it was me, since I¡¯m the one who has a memory of doing it. Okay?¡±


    ¡°And so now, with M-Mindy?¡± Tim asked, before the two of them could start arguing again.


    Luci dropped the black crayon onto the table with a shrug. ¡°Given how Shady¡¯s mission failed to fix things in our favour, Mindylenopia¡¯s said she intends to go back next. I don¡¯t know much more than that. As an apparent Temporal defector, she tends to keep to herself. Our resistance movement doesn¡¯t call her, she calls us, that sort of thing. Which suits us fine, as the less she knows, the less likely any of us will be in trouble if she switches sides again.¡±


    ¡°But now we have to help Mindy get back,¡± Frank insisted. ¡°To restore our timeline, where Carrie seeks us out as friends. Where I don¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Luci jabbed her finger at the black line. ¡°You. Do. Not. Exist. Yet.¡±


    ¡°Then who. Are you. Arguing with?¡± Frank challenged.


    ¡°Agh! I am not having this conversation. Literally, not having it, because look, once Mindylenopia goes back, you... damn it, I shouldn¡¯t have used the black there..." Luci began to colour over the black with a blue, pressing hard, trying to make the black vanish beneath it. ¡°You WILL come into existence in this blue ¡®timeline four¡¯. But that will only happen if you lie LOW now, and don¡¯t screw up our timeline three.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain how we can be here now,¡± Frank insisted. ¡°The only way we¡¯re here is if it¡¯s to create the blue timeline four in the first place.¡±


    ¡°STOP that.¡± Luci threw the blue crayon at him. ¡°DAMN it Frank, I have thirty years of temporal theory behind me here, whereas you¡¯re a bunch of teenagers who don¡¯t even know how to access a present day restaurant menu! Why, why are you doing this to me? Why can¡¯t you simply allow me to be happy that you¡¯re alive again, after all this time?!¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    A tear blinked out of the corner of Luci¡¯s eye, causing a hush to fall over the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Frank apologized. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about that.¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡± Luci swallowed. ¡°You know what, Frank? You¡¯re part of why I went into the medical profession. Because of how I couldn¡¯t save you. Back when Carrie insisted that you rewire the time machine for an unmanned jump... and it all blew up in your face. And I couldn¡¯t save you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Luci... don¡¯t be like that. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Frank winced. ¡°I guess we were even going out at the time?¡±


    ¡°More or less. Damn it, Frank...¡± Luci repeated. She drew in a shaky breath, then grabbed a napkin, using it to blow her nose. ¡°I SWORE I wasn¡¯t going to do this..."


    ¡°Luci, Gods, I¡¯m truly sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to spark the memories you must be experiencing." He reached out for her. She waved him off, but then seemed to reconsider, grasping his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Luci said. ¡°Besides, I doubt this conversation will have gone this way once Mindylenopia goes back. Understand? It¡¯s like you said, regarding my memory of objecting to Shady¡¯s final option. Once this weird anomaly resolves itself, we¡¯ll remember having discussed the weather, or how to rescue your Carrie, or something else. So it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Except..." Tim kind of hated to break up their moment, but he couldn¡¯t help but notice what Luci had done. He reached out to tap at the coloured timelines. ¡°L-L-Look. Our blue timeline four exists, and yet so does your future black timeline three.¡±


    Luci looked down. ¡°Only because I didn¡¯t get a chance to colour in all the way to the end.¡±


    ¡°Right. Something stopped you before you reached the future.¡± Tim looked sidelong at Frank. ¡°D-Didn¡¯t something like this h-happen with Julie?¡±


    Frank eyed the placemat. ¡°You mean when she sort of killed herself, except how she didn¡¯t because of how I went back with Clarke and Corry? I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s quite the same thing... but you might be onto something. Luci?¡±


    Luci started to look vaguely ill. ¡°No. Oh no.¡± She released Frank¡¯s hand. ¡°The temporal waveforms in the past. If they haven¡¯t reached us yet... but no, how could they NOT reach us? The only person who could prevent this temporal system from collapsing down into a single time frame by now would be..." Her voice trailed off.


    ¡°Carrie Waterson?¡± Frank speculated.


    Luci nodded mutely.


    ¡°S-So which Carrie is m-mixing us up?¡± Tim asked. ¡°Our Timeline Four Carrie, or your Timeline Three Carrie?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re SUPPOSED to be the same Carrie,¡± Luci said bitterly. ¡°Damn her ability to paradox. If she¡¯s directly involved, that changes everything.¡±


    Frank tapped his finger on the timelines. ¡°More to the point then, is this being done so that we can get Mindylenopia back to our present year, setting all of this in motion... or is it being done so that we¡¯ll screw up Mindy¡¯s ability to leave on schedule, which might make us disappear?¡±


    Luci shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no way of knowing. None.¡±


    A clattering sound brought Tim¡¯s attention away from Luci and Frank, and back towards the fourth person at their table. Laurie had dropped her fork down into her empty plate. Her head was bowed, forcing the redhead to look slightly upwards to stare at them. ¡°You all talk and talk and talk - but you haven¡¯t even touched on the most important thing yet,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°What¡¯s that, Laurie?¡± Tim asked gently.


    Her shoulders tightened. ¡°If Mindy gets sent back... she¡¯s going to be banished by Carrie. Meaning she¡¯ll lose her mind, screw with Linquist and Julie, indirectly put that girl Beth in danger, and then finally get herself killed on our last trip.¡±


    Laurie shook her head, and her gaze lifted. ¡°So you¡¯re talking about sending someone on a time trip to be tortured, and then to die, merely for our own benefit! How can you even be saying that¡¯s an option??¡±


    No one at the table seemed to have an answer for her.


    ***


    They went out to meet Mindylenopia. Partly it was from a hope that she would know why her future self had given them the phone number, but mostly, Frank had argued that doing so would maximize their options. Because if they were, indeed, supposed to help Mindy get back in time, there was no way they could do it without being close to her.


    ¡°She had to mean the Fallowfield train station,¡± Luci said, as she drove. Or rather, as the car drove itself according to her instructions. Frank had given up on understanding all the future technology. ¡°We¡¯ve used it as a transfer point before. Mindylenopia must have avoided being specific with you on the phone in order to be sure that she was getting someone with true connections to our resistance. Versus random loons or some kind of sting operation.¡±


    ¡°How m-many people know about the whole resistance thing?¡± Tim asked.


    ¡°Not many,¡± Luci admitted. ¡°Granted, we like to believe that it¡¯s bigger than we think. After all, it¡¯s not like we can have regular meetings. Since Temporals could force out any information about when they might be, using their mental powers, and thus catch lots of us at once.¡±


    ¡°Why did your group decide to trust Mindy then?¡± Laurie wondered.


    ¡°Ohh, we didn¡¯t. Not at first. Even now, we¡¯re not sure if she¡¯s a plant, gathering intelligence. But she¡¯s too good of a technical asset to pass up. She can also obtain things, like the present day coin we gave to Shady - that¡¯s the one you ended up with, I guess. There¡¯s not a lot of coin currency around at all now, let alone this early on in the year.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of coins, do you know anything more about how Mindylenopia will get back?¡± Frank asked.


    Luci paused. ¡°Okay, yeah, I guess you need to know that too. Portable time machines? They¡¯re dangerous and geographically unstable, not to mention hard to obtain covertly. So unless she¡¯s managed to secure parts to make her own, we figured Mindylenopia was angling for the stationary temporal station in town. Those can target their own building on the jump, instead of DNA, but they¡¯re highly fortified structures. I¡¯d call that a suicide mission most days of the year, except tomorrow is Carrie¡¯s birthday, so...¡± She shrugged.


    ¡°Wait, how d-do stationary temporal stations work?¡± Tim asked.


    ¡°Very well, thank you,¡± Luci said dryly. ¡°Next question?¡±


    She refused to give them any further information about futuristic technology, or her own personal life, reasoning that it could become a problem once they, presumably, became able to travel back to their present. So, as with Clarke, the trip lapsed into an uncertain silence.


    They reached the train station with ten minutes to spare.


    ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t get out,¡± Luci remarked. ¡°After all, I wouldn¡¯t even be here if it weren¡¯t for you. You should be the only variables.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go either,¡± Laurie admitted. ¡°Not if it means I end up helping to cause what we know happens to Mindy.¡±


    Frank nodded. ¡°I can respect that. Tim?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still in. For now. You might need a t-translation.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± He looked out the car windshield. ¡°Here goes nothing then.¡±


    Frank emerged from the car, followed by the shorter blonde boy, and the two of them walked over to the seemingly deserted train station.

 Part 90a: Timeline Three

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 90a: TIMELINE THREE


    She came around the side of the building moments after Frank and Tim sat down on the bench. Frank hoped his initial shock didn¡¯t show on his face.


    After all, Mindylenopia looked so much younger, having reverted back to being the teenage-looking version who had driven the van into their school. With shorter hair and everything. And despite the chill March air, she had her jacket open, revealing a tight red blouse, which matched her knee length skirt. Hoping to distract them, maybe?


    Frank started to rise, only to have her gesture for him to sit. The redheaded Temporal then sat down next to him, peering out at the landscape. ¡°So, are you simply Mundanes trying to speak our language?¡± Mindylenopia asked, without turning. "Or are you under someone else''s control, trying to determine my true allegiances?"


    "The former," Frank answered, before he could stop himself. Perhaps she''d exerted her power. "We..."


    "If you''re able to run interference for me tomorrow night, keep talking, if not, I have no use for you.¡±


    "We want to make sure you succeed in your..."


    ¡°Great, then can you find a redhead who could double for me, and who also speaks your rudimentary Temporal?¡±


    It occurred to him that Laurie kind of fit that description. ¡°Maybe, but Mindylenopia, can I finish a..."


    "No. Concerning the redhead, switch to a definite yes or no, otherwise I¡¯m out.¡±


    Frank let out an exasperated sigh, as he realized Mindy''s future incarnation was at least ten times less patient than Theresa had ever been, even on a bad day. "Yes, PROVIDED," he added quickly, "that I come with you."


    Mindylenopia frowned and finally turned to look at him. "%You want to go on a suicide mission?%"


    Tim flinched. "S-She says you could get killed."


    ¡°Will,¡± Mindylenopia corrected. ¡°Will get killed. Because I¡¯m the only one travelling back, and as such, anyone else still in the compound after I leave? Has no chance.¡±


    ¡°Why, are you planning to blow it up?¡± Frank said, eyes widening.


    The redhead rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be stupid. I¡¯m not a killer. But I can only delay Carrie for so long, and scrubbing the video footage isn¡¯t on my agenda.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, here¡¯s the thing,¡± Frank continued. ¡°Mindy, er, Lenopia, we got your number from... from someone who knew we¡¯d be fighting against that Elder Carrie. Can you think of why she would want us to talk to you first, before you left?¡±


    ¡°So I could tell you that you¡¯re morons? You can¡¯t get close to Carrie. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep her past self away from whoever drags her out of town. We¡¯re pretty sure it was Glinephanis.¡±


    ¡°Okay but, hypothetically speaking,¡± Frank pressed, ¡°if even after your mission, there was still the need for someone to attack Elder Carrie, why would someone like you send us here to talk to, ah, you?¡±


    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Who did you say you were?¡±


    Frank swallowed. ¡°Call me Bernard.¡±


    ¡°Mmmmm. People who want my missions to fail say ¡®Quack!¡¯.¡±


    Frank blinked, glancing sidelong at Tim, who shrugged.


    Mindy rubbed her chin. ¡°Pity, it¡¯s funny when conspirators do that. Okay, fine. So I¡¯ve been constructing a prototype weapon, something I loosely refer to as a %temporal gun%. It¡¯s my ace in the hole, but it¡¯s non-lethal, and has never been tested.¡±


    Tim poked Frank. ¡°Bernard - we may need that.¡±


    ¡°If I accompany you, can I get your %musical gun%?¡± Frank asked.


    Tim winced. ¡°Uh, she used a longer ¡¯t¡¯ sound..."


    ¡°Are you going to get me a redheaded double who speaks Temporal before you commit suicide?¡± Mindylenopia reiterated.


    ¡°I can do that,¡± Frank said. ¡°And I¡¯m not planning to commit..."


    ¡°Then yes, I¡¯ll let you come along, and once I¡¯m gone, you can have the gun. I figure bringing back future tech is only asking for trouble, particularly when it might not even work. But you are on your OWN once I leave, yeah?¡±


    ¡°I can live with that,¡± Frank concluded.


    ¡°Oh, I very much doubt it,¡± Mindylenopia snorted. ¡°But it¡¯s not MY funeral.¡± She rose. ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch through regular channels about where to put my double, and where you¡¯ll meet me. You won¡¯t be able to use that old phone number again. Don¡¯t follow me, or the deal¡¯s off.¡± She then marched off the way she had come, muttering, ¡°%I must be out of my mind%.¡±


    Frank remained seated until she was out of earshot before looking at Tim. ¡°So that object she spoke of was..."This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°The temporal gun,¡± Tim affirmed. ¡°The one we don¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Frank adjusted his glasses. ¡°Remind me again of why I gave our most powerful temporal weapon to Chartreuse.¡±


    Tim shook his head. ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me why.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well... maybe you¡¯d better run through the whole conversation Chartreuse had with you? Since part of it could be relevant now, and once we¡¯re back with Luci, we can¡¯t talk about it. Not with that gun not existing in her past, the past of Timeline Three.¡±


    Tim sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll try to remember.¡±


    ***


    Chartreuse had turned up at his house the morning of December 30th, an hour after breakfast. Asking to speak to him in private. Having sensed it would be about the time travel group, he¡¯d taken her up to his room.


    The mystic girl hadn¡¯t disappointed, or indeed wasted any time, sitting with him on the bed and reaching out to grasp him by the hands. ¡°Okay, so, like, here¡¯s the thing. We need your help. Are you able to help out the group?¡±


    Tim swallowed. ¡°I... y-yeah. If I can actually b-be helpful. Instead of b-being the guy that causes Glen to mind manipulate people, or the one M-Mindy uses to learn everything about everyone, or the f-friend who has no technical skills to help Clarke with whatever he¡¯s..."


    ¡°Aw, Tim. Don¡¯t get like that.¡± She squeezed his hands. ¡°You¡¯re the linguist! Like that person in the ¡®Arrival¡¯ movie, you¡¯re handling the thing most of us are hopeless at doing. Which is why we need you now. See, Luci¡¯s not gonna be able to go back with Frank. I saw that. But he¡¯ll still, you know, need someone who can speak Temporal with him while in the future.¡±


    ¡°You m-mean the past,¡± Tim corrected.


    She smiled. ¡°Right, the past, totally tensed up there.¡±


    He shook it off. ¡°S-So wait, you think that I can..."


    ¡°I KNOW that you can. Because here¡¯s the other thing, Tim. Laurie, my dear, sweet Laurie, when she leaves, having been recruited to be the Miami signpost? She¡¯s gonna be on her first time trip. With the guy who¡¯s been time tripping since the start, plus two Temporals, and that¡¯s GOTTA be intimidating. Even I¡¯m intimidated, and I¡¯m staying here! Whereas you, you¡¯ll be, you know, in the same boat as her, kinda.¡±


    Tim sighed. ¡°Meaning clueless.¡±


    ¡°No, meaning inexperienced,¡± Chartreuse protested. ¡°But Tim, you¡¯d be gaining experience, while translating Temporal, and making sure Laurie doesn¡¯t have a panic attack when things, you know, inevitably go south! I swear, the both of you, you¡¯re stronger than you think, yeah? And hey, I¡¯ll need someone to remind Laurie, in case if she ever wishes Corry was there instead, that she¡¯s, like, more connected to Carrie than her brother could ever hope to be. Okay?¡±


    Tim dropped his gaze to the bedspread. ¡°You r-really think I¡¯m the p-person who can do this?¡±


    She released his hands, reaching up to tilt at his chin, making him look back at her. ¡°Totally do. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    There was no sarcasm in her voice, and nothing but sincerity in her expression. It was now or never, wasn¡¯t it. The same way it had been with Julie and the chip - was he in, or was he out? Tim straightened his posture. ¡°Okay. When do we leave?¡±


    Chartreuse beamed, and for a moment it looked like she would hug him. But instead, she pushed herself off the bed, glancing at her watch. ¡°At the library, in about half an hour. Bring four days worth of your meds, just in case.¡±


    A shiver ran up Tim¡¯s back. ¡°That¡¯s soon. Exactly what did your future vision show you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t really explain what I experienced, it became... kinda vision plus,¡± Chartreuse admitted. ¡°Oh! And that reminds me. In case I don¡¯t get to tell him while he¡¯s rescuing Beth, when you go back to pick up Laurie, and get supplies? You need to tell Frank to give the temporal gun to me. Like, past me. Instead of taking it along on your trip.¡±


    Tim flinched. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean, he¡¯s gonna do it, because I have the gun, and I think that¡¯s how, like, time travel works. But trust me, we¡¯ll need it here, the timing is real important. Frank can hand it off to me between our big meeting, and when the bunch of us gather to tell Mr. Waterson the truth about Carrie. Got that?¡±


    ¡°Wait, h-how does this fit into everything else?¡±


    Chartreuse chewed on her lip. ¡°It''s complicated. Even I don¡¯t know everything, not yet.¡± She pulled a meditation crystal out of a pocket on her dress, staring at it as she rolled it around between her fingers. ¡°Not yet. But soon.¡±


    She continued to stare for a moment, finally slipping the crystal back into her pocket and meeting his gaze. ¡°That¡¯s all, like, my problem though. Not yours. Are you, you know, okay to get to the library and such?¡±


    Tim nodded. ¡°Y-Yeah. I can do this. I can.¡± For that matter, if they didn¡¯t need the gun, what was the worst thing that could happen while in the past?


    ***


    ¡°Complicated,¡± Frank repeated back. ¡°And at the time, I thought it was related to the people who would be chasing down Beth when we left. I never imagined... this scenario.¡±


    ¡°M-Maybe there¡¯s a thing where we¡¯ll need that temporal gun in the present, and another here in the future?¡± Tim suggested.


    ¡°Except Mindylenopia wouldn¡¯t know whatever Chartreuse knew, would she?¡± Frank protested. ¡°Only that we didn¡¯t have the gun. Hence the phone number left for us, it must mean she¡¯d hoped we¡¯d use her first gun for an assault on Elder Carrie, right?¡±


    ¡°D-Dunno.¡± Tim shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s f-funny, I always f-figured I didn¡¯t get what you guys meant because I was out of the l-loop. But there really is no l-loop, huh? None of us knows what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Frank affirmed. He rubbed his arms, becoming aware of the chill. ¡°For now, let¡¯s get back to Luci, and find somewhere warm. And get some sleep. I¡¯ll see if I can convince Laurie to act as Mindylenopia¡¯s double tomorrow.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it,¡± Laurie asserted. ¡°Not unless you tell Mindylenopia what¡¯s going to happen to her.¡±


    ¡°But if she knows, that might change everything,¡± Frank sighed.


    They had all slept the night at Luci¡¯s place. Frank and Tim had given Laurie the bed-in-a-wall, grabbing some blankets to sleep on the floor. Frank had elected not to bring up the content of his conversation with Mindylenopia until breakfast, after everyone had been able to shower and get a change of clothing... more or less.


    Laurie had used her suitcase, and her T-Shirt and track pants worked for Tim, while Frank had managed with some male items that Luci had found in the back of her closet. He decided not to ask why they¡¯d been there.


    ¡°Might change everything for the better,¡± Laurie countered.


    ¡°Or might mean we don¡¯t end up here at all,¡± Frank said. ¡°I mean Laurie, think about it. What if... what if something we say to Mindylenopia now means she doesn¡¯t talk to Carrie back then, meaning I die in the past after all?¡±


    ¡°No, no, everyone says time travel is predestined,¡± Laurie insisted.


    ¡°But not in this case! Right Luci?¡± Frank turned to where the older woman was sipping on a mug of coffee.


    ¡°Oh, we are SO off the map with this one, I can¡¯t even,¡± Luci declared. ¡°I¡¯ve already told our people to lock down your time car and not let anyone near it until this situation has been worked out.¡±


    ¡°D-Do you think Laurie should do it then?¡± Tim asked her. ¡°Be Mindylenopia¡¯s double?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re in over your heads,¡± Luci remarked. ¡°Worse, you¡¯re dragging the rest of us under the water with you. Related, please stop talking about Mindylenopia¡¯s possible future in front of me. It freaks me out more than a little bit.¡±


    Frank sighed. ¡°Fine. If Laurie¡¯s unwilling, is there someone else in the resistance who resembles Mindylenopia who would be willing?¡±


    Luci¡¯s grip on her mug tightened. ¡°Over. Your. Heads.¡±


    Frank leaned on the table. ¡°So help us. Please.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. Not the way you want me to.¡±


    ¡°Then at least help us understand why you can¡¯t,¡± Frank pleaded.


    Luci brought her mug down hard on the table, sloshing coffee everywhere. ¡°Because! This isn¡¯t Timeline Three, okay? It¡¯s more like Timeline Forty-Seven!¡±

 Part 90b: Timeline Three 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 90b: TIMELINE THREE 2


    Frank reached for the napkin holder on the table, but Luci waved him off. ¡°Don¡¯t, I¡¯ve got it, don¡¯t do that,¡± she sighed, standing and moving to a cupboard. She pulled out a cloth which she used to mop up the coffee she had spilled.


    He stood, uncertainly holding a napkin in his hand. ¡°I guess I could keep apologizing,¡± Frank said. ¡°Except I¡¯ve found that can be bothersome to people if I do it too much.¡± He glanced towards Laurie.


    Luci tossed the cloth towards her sink, resting both hands on the edge of the table. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing you don¡¯t seem to have realized,¡± she stated. ¡°Namely that, while the rest of us have to hunt for lynchpin moments to divert the time stream, Carrie isn¡¯t bound by that rule. She can change time on a whim. She doesn¡¯t do it indiscriminately, granted, mainly because making changes seems to leave her with a hell of a headache. But that power? It means that she can thwart us every time we try to move against her. Or by extension, the Temporals.¡±


    Tim cleared his throat uncertainly. ¡°And s-so forty-six times..."


    ¡°I made up that number,¡± Luci admitted. ¡°There¡¯s really no way to track it. We only know it¡¯s happening, not how often she¡¯s triggered it. But that¡¯s not the worst of it.¡± She pushed off from the table. ¡°The worst part is all the prejudice that¡¯s resulted.¡±


    ¡°Prejudice?¡± Frank looked over at Tim, then Laurie, then back to Luci. ¡°Can you give us ANY more context?¡±


    Luci regarded him, then looked up at the ceiling. ¡°In for a penny, in for a pound. Fine. I suppose if giving you knowledge changes bits of this in your new timeline, it would be for the best anyway. Plus we might be able to make you forget, if absolutely necessary. You won¡¯t get many specifics though.¡± She pointed at him as if to emphasize that, then walked towards the kitchen. ¡°It all starts with the alien artifact. I¡¯m going to make toast, anyone want buttered toast to go with your fruit?¡±


    Frank blinked at the non sequitur. ¡°No, thanks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have some,¡± Laurie said, lifting her index finger.


    ¡°S-Sure,¡± Tim said, uncertainly.


    Luci pulled the loaf out of the breadbox device where she stored it. ¡°The artifact turned up... let¡¯s say many years ago. The information it provided was completely unintelligible, for the most part.¡±


    ¡°When you say alien, did the artifact come from space?¡± Frank wondered.


    Luci waggled her finger. ¡°No specifics. Now, I never worked on it, and accounts differ... but it either contained genetic material, or had information about rewriting our own genetic code. At the time, the thought was, if we used the information, or spliced the material into us, whichever, we¡¯d be able to understand the rest of whatever the artifact was trying to communicate. See where I¡¯m going with this?¡±


    Luci hit the plunger on the toaster. For whatever reason, among the various high-tech items Frank had seen in Luci¡¯s residence, the toaster had at least retained it¡¯s familiar functionality.


    ¡°I-Is it that gene stuff which m-made Temporals?¡± Tim asked.


    Luci nodded. ¡°Bingo. But more than that, it turned out that the gene sequencing or whatever they did only worked for one percent of the world¡¯s population. A slice of the population who share a trait that makes them stand out in a crowd, so to speak.¡±


    ¡°Red hair,¡± Frank gasped, recalling what Mindylenopia had said to Julie right before they¡¯d left the mansion in the time car. ¡°All Temporals have red hair.¡±


    Luci¡¯s eyebrow arced. ¡°Your new timeline is just FULL of surprises, huh? Fine, yes, red hair. The genetics worked on them. You can see how a racial-style divide might start forming.¡±


    Laurie looked up from eyeing a lock of her hair. ¡°Gingerism. Oh no.¡±


    Tim looked over at her, frowning. ¡°Prejudice based on red hair? That¡¯s a thing?¡±


    Laurie chewed on her lower lip. ¡°Kick a Ginger Day, Kiss a Ginger Day, it¡¯s kinda hard to miss such things when you are one. No one¡¯s ever tried doing those things to me though. Possibly because of Corry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you are NOT going to like where this is going,¡± Luci sighed. She shook her head. ¡°Moreover, full disclosure here, we don¡¯t know why red hair is a trigger. It¡¯s even possible the first scientists screwed something up, and locked it in. There¡¯s been some incidental research into finding lynchpin moments around the time of the first Temporals, but Carrie was deemed the bigger threat.¡±


    The toast popped up out of the toaster. Luci pulled it onto a plate with a pair of tongs, and reached for the loaf of bread again.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Frank said. ¡°When you first mentioned the artifact last night, you associated it with timeline one. If this is timeline three, or forty-seven, or whatever..."


    ¡°The artifact itself is what you might call a fixed point,¡± Luci yielded. She dropped more bread into the toaster, plunged it down, then reached for the butter dish. ¡°It must exist in all changed timelines, because it¡¯s what leads to time travel in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Then that¡¯s what the artifact was c-communicating,¡± Tim realized. ¡°The stuff you couldn¡¯t f-figure out was the time machine knowledge. Which eventually only r-redheaded Temporals were able to understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but time travel is only one of the things the artifact provided,¡± Luci said. She slowly turned the butter knife around in her hands. ¡°Again, not giving specifics, but the first Temporals? They still linked themselves to us ¡°Mundanes¡±. The ¡®pure¡¯ Temporals, who came a bit later? They rejected last names entirely, started using the Temporal language to communicate cross-culturally, and basically see themselves as the next stage of evolution.¡± Luci grimaced. ¡°Even though that¡¯s not how evolution WORKS, you stupid, self-aggrandizing..." She stopped herself, letting out a slow breath before slicing her knife into the butter. ¡°Sorry.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying there was more information about genetics in the alien artifact¡¯s translations too,¡± Frank said, hoping to pull the conversation back on track.


    Luci sighed. ¡°Yes. Tough to say if that¡¯s where their mind manipulation power comes from, or if it was baked into the initial genes. It could even be that ¡®pure¡¯ Temporals like Mindylenopia are from actual parents, and not a result of genetic engineering - they simply reject their families. I¡¯ve seen medical scans, and I can¡¯t tell either way. All we know for sure is that there was SOMETHING more in the artifact, because of how Carrie was created.¡±


    ¡°Meaning they did something to her mother?¡± Tim gasped. ¡°Before sending her back?¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s how they did it.¡± Luci shrugged. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t have all the answers there, we should go back to the stuff I¡¯m clear on.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, um... is your society in the midst of some ¡®redheads versus the world¡¯ thing?¡± Laurie said tentatively. ¡°Should I even go outside?¡±


    Luci finished spreading butter, and brought the plate of toast to the table before answering. ¡°Let me put it this way. If you were a redhead when the news broke, you became associated with the artifact. Followed by being linked to genetic engineering, mind manipulation, knowledge of time travel - even if you had no flipping CLUE about ANY of that stuff. Meanwhile, some countries with very few - even no - redheads cried conspiracy. They demanded the real truth, wanted a piece of the action, and so forth.¡±


    Frank winced, finally getting a sense of why Mindylenopia might have had trouble recruiting a redhead to pose as her double. And what Luci had meant by them being in over their heads.


    Which was when the forty-seven year old asian looked at Laurie. ¡°And then Carrie made it so much worse for all of you.¡±


    ***


    It wasn¡¯t her Carrie. Luci didn¡¯t mean her Carrie, because this wasn¡¯t her future. Not really. Laurie felt like she had to believe that, to cling to that tenuous fact, lest she lose her grip on reality itself. She swallowed, but before she could ask whether she wanted to know what Luci meant, Tim spoke.


    ¡°H-How do you make that situation worse?¡±


    Luci turned away, heading back for the toaster. ¡°To fully understand THAT, you need to know how Carrie operates. Let¡¯s say we need to kidnap someone, to isolate them for a couple of days so that they¡¯re freed of a mental suggestion they¡¯ve been given.¡±


    ¡°You kidnap people?¡± Laurie gasped.


    Luci reached for the tongs as the next set of toast popped up. She continued on as if she hadn¡¯t heard Laurie¡¯s outburst. ¡°Carrie¡¯s got a few options. The first is to ignore us, and let it happen; maybe she decides that the Temporal goal isn¡¯t so hot after all, or there¡¯s some other way to accomplish it without this person.¡±


    ¡°So Carrie does have a conscience?¡± Frank asked.


    Again, Luci ignored the interjection. ¡°Her second option is to tweak the past, jumping us into timeline twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two... we¡¯re now aware of when this happens, simply because details don¡¯t match up. The route our target was supposed to take, it¡¯s suddenly different. Or our lookout, he¡¯s delayed getting into position, because of a flash mob, or a car accident. Little things. The sort of thing you¡¯d chalk up to bad luck - except, digging deeper, we realize Carrie had been involved. Directly or otherwise.¡±


    Tim looked up from his toast. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s l-like when she destroyed the chip,¡± he offered. ¡°Right Frank? Back when I was going to give the time chip to L-Lee, and instead, Carrie destroyed it. Except, aside from that, the week p-played out kind of the same.¡±


    Frank simply nodded back at him. Laurie belatedly reached out for her slice of buttered toast too.


    ¡°Carrie¡¯s final option,¡± Luci said, gesturing with the butter knife, ¡°is a complete rewrite. Where, ironically, victory is ours - but it¡¯s a Pyrrhic victory. We win, but we¡¯ve lost. For instance, same scenario, but we¡¯ve planned more. Plotted out the other probable routes, and we get a dozen lookouts, with two possible vans to make our escape, and then only identify the safe house to the driver after the target¡¯s acquired... we build in SO much redundancy that Carrie can¡¯t stop us, not with a minor alteration. So she doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Luci crunched down on her toast, as if waiting for them to draw the necessary conclusion. Laurie looked at Tim and Frank, gratified to find that they looked as confused as she felt. But they seemed equally as hesitant about admitting to it.


    ¡°So you win - but lose how?¡± Laurie asked.


    Luci swallowed her bite. ¡°First, it means we¡¯ve committed so many resources to that project that we need to lay low for a while. But second, more importantly, it turns out that our target was a patsy - and ¡°had been all along¡±,¡± she said, dropping her toast to make air quotes. ¡°Meaning all the intelligence we¡¯d gathered which pointed to that guy - was false. Which I don¡¯t believe for a second. No, what that TRULY means is Carrie sent information back, telling her Temporal friends to not give this guy the swing vote after all. To have it be someone else... and yet to keep on him, as planned, so that we¡¯d THINK we were getting the right guy.¡±


    Frank let out a low whistle. ¡°Hello paranoia city.¡±


    ¡°Such beliefs are not completely unfounded,¡± Luci said, retrieving her toast from the plate. ¡°There¡¯s a thing we¡¯ve dubbed the ¡®bleedthrough effect¡¯. Curious actions on our part, which make more sense once we assume there¡¯s a timeline being overwritten.¡±


    ¡°H-How does that make it worse for redheads though?¡± Tim asked.


    ¡°Because,¡± Luci sighed. ¡°When Carrie makes the changes I mentioned, minor or rewritten? If she can, she targets the gingers. Every. Single. Time. It helps sow the seeds of suspicion and discontent within us. Makes us think they might be agents.¡±


    ¡°That''s terrible... but also a weakness!¡± Frank realized. ¡°Since if you KNOW Carrie operates by targeting the redheads, that means you can foil her by using... them... as... crud.¡±


    Luci nodded. ¡°Now you see it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re bait,¡± Laurie concluded. ¡°You¡¯re saying redheads in the future are either genetically modified people who feel they¡¯re superior, bait for Carrie within your resistance, or stuck somewhere in between. Seen alternately as villains or heroes by society at large.¡± With her stomach in knots, she dropped her half eaten toast onto the table, looking towards Frank. ¡°I want to go back home now, okay?¡±


    Luci moved back in, resting a hand gently on Laurie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Maybe I should have said nothing.¡± She looked back at Frank. ¡°But do you understand now? What you¡¯re truly getting yourself mixed up in?¡±


    Frank nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± He ran his hands back through his hair. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing though. Based on what you said, there IS still a weakness. Because Carrie operates by tweaking your past, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Luci said, patiently.


    Frank pointed at the rest of them. ¡°We¡¯re not part of that past. Well, not your local past. Your Carrie can¡¯t account for us. Or even if she can, we¡¯ve got a Carrie from our time who can run interference. Maybe she¡¯s doing that even now! As such, we might be your best shot at finally taking your Carrie out of the equation. Particularly if we get our hands on a certain weapon that Mindylenopia can give to us. That is, assuming we go along with her plans as I outlined.¡±


    Luci stared. Laurie felt the older woman¡¯s grip on her shoulder tighten slightly, before releasing. ¡°You''re... not wrong,¡± Luci realized. ¡°Except we¡¯d have less than a day to pull together some kind of... then again, working so fast, it would be equally unexpected. Can we do something?¡± Her teeth ground together. ¡°Unfortunately, I think our only shot at managing this SAFELY means I call in... well, hell, no one would expect me to do that either.¡±


    ¡°Expect you to do what?¡± Frank asked.


    Luci spun on her heel, stalking towards an adjacent room. ¡°Would expect me to call on Julie LaMille for help.¡±

 Part 91a: Fight the Future

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 91a: FIGHT THE FUTURE


    For a while, no one spoke in Luci¡¯s dining room. The forty seven year old version of Luci had left minutes ago, disappearing into the other room, claiming she needed to make some phone calls. Frank knew that his own silence was rooted in a sensation that there was too much to say, with no idea of where to start. Tim became the first to speak up.


    ¡°Here¡¯s w-what I don¡¯t get,¡± he ventured. ¡°If Carrie¡¯s been thwarting every m-move of this resistance - w-why did they send Shady back to activate her early? W-Weren¡¯t things better for them in timeline two?¡±


    ¡°Predestination,¡± Laurie said glumly. ¡°They had to do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Frank said, as he reflected on it. ¡°Yes in that it happened, so they had to have done it. Even knowing that the result wouldn¡¯t be quite what they wanted, they had to... assuming they were even consciously aware of the final result. But no, in that the first time it happened - if we can even call it a first time, when that¡¯s been overwritten - they probably weren¡¯t much better off.¡±


    ¡°B-But Carrie wasn¡¯t active in the prior timeline,¡± Tim protested.


    ¡°Not as a teenager. But I imagine the Temporals recruited her as soon as this alien artifact incident caught up with them,¡± Frank explained. ¡°The difference being, in that timeline two, she was working for them, whereas now... well, I wonder if the Temporals are working for her.¡±


    ¡°NONE of it is our timeline though, right Frank? Right?¡± Laurie pleaded. ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡±


    Frank ran his hands back through his hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Laurie. I truly don¡¯t. Even if their Elder Carrie wins, and implants memories into Our Carrie to force her down this path... I¡¯d still be alive. I think. Unless telling Mindylenopia is what changes that.¡±


    ¡°Frank, we CAN¡¯T send her back blind,¡± Laurie insisted, standing up. ¡°It¡¯s not right! Now more than ever, I see that using her to our benefit, it would mean we¡¯re no better than these resistance people.¡±


    Frank nodded. ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°And since I won¡¯t be her double unless we tell her the truth, it means we don¡¯t have a... a..." Laurie blinked. ¡°You agree?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He exhaled. ¡°Laurie, I¡¯ll tell Mindylenopia about her possible future. I admit, to this point, I was looking at this whole situation as being a broken timeline for us to fix. But Luci¡¯s made it feel... real. With real people. Like Mindylenopia.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She swallowed. ¡°Which means I¡¯ll get to be the bait. For her.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Frank shook his head. ¡°Not unless we can guarantee your safety. Including a complete two way communications link back to Tim, so that he can interject with Temporal linguistic information as needed.¡± He grimaced. ¡°I probably overestimated whatever Mindylenopia was hoping for.¡±


    ¡°S-Sounds like Luci was keen on s-safety though,¡± Tim noted. ¡°So even that s-should work out.¡±


    ¡°But can I act like Mindylenopia?¡± Laurie said, wringing her hands. ¡°She was always so... so... together. So self-assured.¡±


    ¡°She seems more impatient these days,¡± Frank remarked.


    Tim smiled. ¡°Laurie, I w-wouldn¡¯t worry. The w-way you stood up for your beliefs just now? It¡¯s the most self-assured I¡¯ve ever s-seen you.¡±


    The redhead¡¯s cheeks bloomed a bit brighter. ¡°Oh? Golly.¡±


    Tim turned his attention away, and towards the adjacent room containing Luci. ¡°Here¡¯s m-my other wonder. Will we soon m-meet Future Julie?¡±


    Frank followed Tim¡¯s gaze. ¡°Given our own Julie¡¯s paranoid streak concerning Glen and Mindy? I¡¯d be surprised if she simply took any requests made by Luci on faith alone.¡±


    ***


    The trio of time travellers spent the day inside Luci¡¯s home - with strict orders not to depart. On the one hand, that suited Tim just fine; he understood Luci¡¯s concerns about making changes, or seeing things they weren¡¯t meant to see. As well as her own need to leave and go to work, to keep up appearances and to make a few ¡°in person¡± requests.


    Luci had even left them with some holo-game devices (which Laurie had gravitated towards for the animations), a pad of stories locked into the ¡®classics¡¯, some music discs that weren¡¯t ¡°discs¡± at all (but Tim supposed the name had stuck), and some technical odds and ends (which had interested Frank).


    On the other hand, Tim felt like it was tough to simply bide your time when you were in a foreign environment with a dangerous mission ahead. He had managed to interest Laurie in learning a few typical Temporal phrases - while hoping he was getting the pronunciation correct. He had also figured out the remote for the microwave, and been able to make their late lunch a hot one. But it was hard to concentrate for any length of time.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    All things considered, it was a relief when the doorbell rang early that evening. The relief lasted until Tim looked at the video monitor, and realized that the person at the door wasn¡¯t Luci. Well, that made sense - why ring the doorbell of your own house?


    ¡°Frank! Laurie!¡± he called out to them.


    Frank was already approaching, and Laurie joined them moments later. They all looked at the image of the brunette woman with long, wavy brown hair, which seemed to be partially greying. She wore a professional looking suit, had a pair of glasses perched on her nose, and carried a tote bag.


    Laurie gasped. ¡°Is... is that..."


    ¡°Gotta be,¡± Tim affirmed. ¡°D-Do we let Julie in?¡±


    Their visitor reached out to press the doorbell again, then peered in the direction of the camera, her lips moving. Tim reached out to tap at the volume control.


    ¡°...so I know you¡¯re in there. Let me in, or the deal¡¯s off,¡± came the curt voice of the elder Julie LaMille.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let her in,¡± Frank decided. ¡°You two wait in the other room. Just in case.¡±


    Tim nodded, retreating out of sight. He heard the front door open. Then silence. Then Julie¡¯s voice again, no longer distorted by the video feed. ¡°So she wasn¡¯t lying. It really is you. Before you died. Bloody hell.¡±


    ¡°Uh, technically it¡¯s me after I died... er, you want to come in?¡± Frank asked.


    Julie¡¯s tongue clucked. ¡°If I do, will my DNA trigger some kind of home defence system that fires lasers at me?¡±


    ¡°I... don''t... think so?¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Tim heard the older Julie stride into the house. ¡°I suppose even Luci wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to incinerate a member of Parliament.¡±


    Frank closed the front door. ¡°Okay! So you¡¯re in the government. That¡¯s... neat.¡±


    ¡°What other job would I have here? Ottawa is still the capital of Canada,¡± Julie noted. Tim heard her drop her tote bag on the floor. ¡°I¡¯ve got your supplies. Guessing Luci¡¯s not here yet?¡±


    Tim decided it was safe to emerge from the other room. He saw Julie was now removing her glasses, smirking a bit as she tapped something on the side of them. The lenses seemed to dim.


    ¡°That¡¯s the c-communications equipment for me and Laurie?¡± Tim asked, gesturing at the tote bag.


    She looked his way. ¡°That, plus a voice modulator, some bulletproof laser vests...¡± Her features seemed to soften as Laurie came out beside Tim. ¡°I am so sorry she got you mixed up in all of this.¡±


    ¡°We kind of mixed ourselves up in it,¡± Frank admitted. ¡°Did Luci mention how your Carrie abducted our Carrie?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Julie said, eyeing him as she tucked her glasses away. ¡°Merely that your being here means we have a chance at taking down Carrie, and subsequently acquiring the local stationary temporal generator. I guess anything more than THAT was on a ¡®need to know¡¯ basis. And since I do my OWN thing, which pisses off her little resistance to no end, I didn¡¯t ¡®need to know¡¯.¡±


    Tim frowned. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re able to do your own thing? With a war going on?¡±


    ¡°Cold war,¡± Julie corrected, crossing her arms as she leaned back against the wall. ¡°And yes. Because I have an acquired immunity to the Temporal mind power. Which comes from being told as a teenager to shoot my former best friend, which in turn made me want to shoot my unborn self. That sort of trauma? It makes a girl throw up mental guards to prevent similar incidents from ever happening again. To prevent her from becoming anybody¡¯s puppet. Surely you remember all that better than me.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good,¡± Frank remarked. ¡°Oh, not the trauma!¡± he amended, as Julie glared at him. ¡°More it¡¯s good that it¡¯s possible for some to resist the influence. The way Lee seemed to be able to do it.¡±


    Julie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Luci hasn¡¯t even told you about THAT, has she. Typical.¡±


    ¡°Told us what?¡± Laurie wondered, fidgeting in her hands with the holo-game cube she¡¯d been playing.


    The corners of Julie¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°About what her little group of medical resistance fighters have been working on all these years. I mean, has it slipped your teenage minds that the one who went back, the one who had me shoot Carrie, was a Mundane? Not a Temporal at all?¡±


    Tim felt his stomach drop. ¡°Y-You¡¯re saying that she... that Luci is trying to unlock the Temporal ability..."


    ¡°Fun fact,¡± Julie said. ¡°Her friends haven¡¯t figured out a way of turning the Temporal power of suggestion off, or even suppressing it, as with Lee. But, in certain cases, they¡¯re able to turn a rudimentary version of it ON. In non-redheads.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Frank said, slumping against the wall. ¡°That¡¯s why you two don¡¯t get along. Because Luci¡¯s the indirect cause of the trauma you experienced as a teenager.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Julie said, shaking her head. ¡°No, my parents caused most of the trauma I experienced back then. I don¡¯t get along with Luci because of how her resistance killed Corry Veniti!¡±


    The holo-game cube dropped to the floor. ¡°What?¡± Laurie rasped.


    ¡°See, these resistance people, they¡¯re not very big on ethics,¡± Julie said. ¡°Granted, being a politician, it¡¯s a bit of the pot calling the kettle black, but at least I¡¯m aware of my duplicity.¡± She nodded towards Laurie. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I made sure your future self was set up somewhere safe outside of town. Phil Clarke still visits on occasion.¡±


    Tim reached out to support Laurie, as it looked like her knees were about to give out. ¡°It¡¯s okay Laurie,¡± he soothed. ¡°It¡¯s l-like you said, this is n-not our timeline. It¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Julie,¡± Frank whispered. ¡°Did you REALLY have to say that?¡±


    She eyed him. ¡°Yes. Because if you truly are from a divergent timeline... you can¡¯t fix the things you don¡¯t even know about. Right?¡±


    ¡°JULIE!¡± The scream was accompanied by the sound of the front door banging open. ¡°Julie, you came EARLY you good-for-nothing..." Luci turned to Frank, her eyes blazing with anger. Based on the medical looking cloak she wore, and how out of breath she seemed, Tim wagered Luci had hurried home as fast as she could. ¡°What did she say? How much has she already said?!¡±


    ¡°I knew she¡¯d have a DNA notification coded into her place,¡± Julie muttered, barely audible.


    ¡°Luci, Julie merely... well, she told us about your medical research,¡± Frank admitted. ¡°And about Corry.¡±


    ¡°Of course she did. Of COURSE.¡± Luci stomped over to the brunette, and pointed back to the door. ¡°Get OUT of my HOUSE. NOW!¡±


    ¡°If I do, I take my government issue communications tools and other gear with me,¡± Julie shot back. ¡°I thought your people needed it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find another way!¡±


    ¡°Oh, good luck with that.¡± Julie reached down and grabbed the bag.


    ¡°Julie, wait,¡± Tim pleaded, looking up from where he was holding Laurie around the shoulders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t anyone stop her,¡± Luci said, glaring his way.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Julie said. ¡°Her resistance idiots can just keep on firing blindly, enraging Carrie and the Temporals to the point where they completely wipe us out..."


    ¡°At least we¡¯re TRYING SOMETHING.¡±


    ¡°And some of us wish you¡¯d STOP.¡±


    Julie stepped towards the front door. Frank moved to bar the way. ¡°No. Please, Julie, you can¡¯t go. Luci, we need what she¡¯s got, you said as much this morning.¡±


    ¡°Frank, DAMN it!¡±


    ¡°Besides Julie, you need us,¡± he continued, looking back at the brunette. ¡°Because you can¡¯t just march in here, tell us all that, and hope we¡¯ll fix all of time for you. That¡¯s not how it works.¡±


    The side of Julie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure, but..." Frank let out a breath. ¡°We are going to sit down at the table and talk this out.¡±

 Part 91b: Fight the Future 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 91b: FIGHT THE FUTURE 2


    Julie had pulled her glasses back out. The way she tapped at the arms and blinked very deliberately helped Frank realize that they were some sort of technological device; maybe she was using them to read the daily news. Or to communicate with someone?


    Then again, Luci didn¡¯t seem to be concerned by Julie¡¯s actions. The asian woman merely glared at her house guest from across the dining room table, as Julie continued to stare at her lenses. Deliberately ignoring everyone present.


    Sighing, Frank made sure Tim and Laurie were okay on the sofa, with the blonde boy doing his best to console their redheaded friend, before returning to the table. Frank knew he¡¯d never been great at negotiating between Luci and Carrie. Could he do any better here? Well, he had to. That¡¯s all there was to it.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Frank began. ¡°Julie first. Here¡¯s the thing. Your supplies? Luci thought they would make this mission safe for us. Or safer, at least. Knowing that, why would you willingly take those items away, increasing the danger?¡±


    ¡°Because obviously you don¡¯t need them after all,¡± Julie said dryly. ¡°Besides, if Luci truly cared about safety, then her resistance friends wouldn¡¯t be--"


    ¡°I have been trying to FIX that, Julie! I was making an effort then, and I¡¯ve redoubled my efforts since losing--¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, you want points for better late than nev--"


    ¡°Okay, stop!¡± Frank said, smacking his palm on the table.


    They looked back at him. He drew in a long breath. This was obviously more about emotions than logic. How could he handle that?


    ¡°Look,¡± Frank began anew. ¡°I obviously don¡¯t know the whole history here. But I DO know you two - or knew you - when you were my age. Back when Julie tended to work on her projects all by herself, while Luci had a habit of speaking her mind regardless of the consequences. Back when, despite those differences, you both cared. About each other, and about what was going on around you. So, know what? I think you still care. Both of you. Somehow, you¡¯ve simply blinded yourselves to that reality over the last thirty years.¡±


    Julie¡¯s posture went rigid, and she reached up to pull her glasses back off. Luci bit down on her lower lip, turning away from Julie to face the wall. Neither spoke.


    Frank leaned in. ¡°Until you can talk nicely to each other, talk to me.¡±


    ¡°People are dying, Frank,¡± Luci whispered after a moment. ¡°You of all people MUST realize that. And when you care too much, and then people die, it hurts that much more. Well, I got tired of hurting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not about to die,¡± Julie muttered. ¡°I¡¯m too crafty. And yet, Luci¡¯s resistance people never seem to care about how I stick my neck out.¡±


    ¡°Because you questioned what we were doing,¡± Luci said, slowly turning back to face the brunette woman. ¡°ALL the damn time.¡±


    ¡°Because you were blinded by vengeance! Sorry,¡± Julie immediately amended, meeting Luci¡¯s gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t mean you personally. Some in your group were though. Still are, in fact. And I can¡¯t be a party to it.¡±


    ¡°Why, because you¡¯re such a saint?¡± Luci sniped.


    ¡°No, precisely because I¡¯m NOT a saint,¡± Julie said, making a fist. ¡°And I don¡¯t enjoy seeing my darker places being reflected in your resistance group! Hence, my trying to clean things up for you - leading to my getting attacked for those efforts. Damn it Luci, if only you¡¯d listened to me back then, then maybe..."


    Julie¡¯s voice trailed off, her palm falling back open. Luci sat back, looking tired. Frank looked back and forth between them uncertainly.


    ¡°Julie, Corry was never my call. You know that,¡± Luci murmured.


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just..." Julie shook her head, then began staring at the ceiling. ¡°Fine. Maybe Frank has a point. Maybe, in the end, I was looking for a reason to wash my hands of the whole thing. To work solo. And I finally got it.¡±


    ¡°And maybe I didn¡¯t like you showing us what we were becoming,¡± Luci admitted. ¡°I won¡¯t deny my ethics have become flexible over the years.¡±


    Julie rubbed her forehead. ¡°Tell you what.¡± Her gaze swung towards the two teenagers on the couch. ¡°I¡¯ll stick with you for this one, if you can guarantee young Laurie¡¯s safety.¡±


    Luci nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll give you that guarantee. You know that your acquired immunity to mind control makes you a useful asset, Julie. Not that I only see you as an asset,¡± she amended. ¡°I mean, I do care. At least a little.¡±


    Julie chuckled. ¡°Suddenly friends again?¡±


    Luci snorted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. But we¡¯re not adversaries.¡± Her gaze softened. ¡°We never should have let that happen.¡±


    She hesitated, then stretched her arm across the table. Julie regarded the hand, then reached out to take it, squeezing gently.


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Frank sighed in relief. He winced as both ladies turned to look at him - he hadn¡¯t meant to say that out loud. ¡°Um, yeah, so what¡¯s the plan then?¡±


    Luci dropped Julie¡¯s hand, standing back up. ¡°The plan? Is to follow Mindylenopia¡¯s plan, until she travels back. At which point we storm the stationary generator, so that the Temporals are facing chaos both inside and out. That gives us our best chance ever to obtain time travel... as long as Carrie doesn¡¯t rewrite everything. That¡¯s the key. We cannot attempt this without that piece in place.¡± Luci lifted her eyebrow.


    ¡°Right. Well, we should have a few tricks in store for your Carrie,¡± Frank said, glancing back towards Tim and Laurie. ¡°Mindylenopia¡¯s prototype weapon will help.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Julie said. ¡°What¡¯s going to stop Temporals from using the stationary temporal generator in the States next week? Or the one in Japan, or Ireland, or any of the other sites around the world? They could travel back from then to yesterday, and be here to mess with Canada now. After all, they¡¯ve already got their representatives in town for Carrie¡¯s birthday celebration.¡±


    Luci shook her head. ¡°Temporals may have the better grasp on time travel theory, but without Carrie, they¡¯re as locked into predestination as we are.¡± She grinned. ¡°Meaning we long as we can take the building in the present, we¡¯ll HAVE it.¡±


    ¡°Just one loose end remains,¡± Frank said. ¡°What did Mindy say, when you told her she could be tortured and killed on her mission to our past?¡±


    He shifted his attention back to Luci, only to see that she was frowning. ¡°Frank, I mentioned she calls us, we don¡¯t call her, yeah? Well, we know where you and Laurie need to be positioned - but when you meet her? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to give Mindylenopia that information yourself. At which point... well, yeah, I guess she could abort the whole thing.¡±


    ***


    Frank stood by the side of Highway 19 that night, south of Ottawa. Luci had dropped him off there, before driving back in to monitor Laurie; Julie had offered to take Laurie and Tim to their necessary locations in advance. Frank took a moment to mentally review what he knew of that part of the mission.


    Carrie apparently had residences in many capital cities around the world - but she preferred Canada, where she had grown up. So her fiftieth birthday was being held locally. And Mindylenopia had been invited.


    Luci had hypothesized that the invitation was a test of the redhead¡¯s fuzzy allegiances, or simply a way to keep an eye on her... either way, Mindylenopia had RVSPed. To the tune of ¡®I¡¯ll stick to lurking outside, not unlike the spy you take me for¡¯.


    So Laurie would lurk in her place. And as long as the Temporals thought Mindylenopia was there, they wouldn¡¯t be looking for her to storm the building housing the stationary time machine. The building that Frank and Mindylenopia would soon be inside, so that he could get the prototype temporal gun... and then, assuming sending a message was possible, he would cue the resistance to storm in. Piece of cake.


    Assuming Mindylenopia had no problem with dying in Miami, years later down her timeline.


    Frank checked his watch - almost nine thirty.


    ¡°Bernard, why are you wearing that ridiculous disguise?¡± came a voice from the darkness.


    Frank jumped, absently reaching up to touch the blonde moustache and wig he¡¯d put on. ¡°Uh, I thought it would help fool the video cameras.¡±


    ¡°Right. Because they only use video to identify people,¡± Mindylenopia said, coming close enough for Frank to see her rolling her eyes. ¡°Oh well, it¡¯s low tech, so it can¡¯t hurt. Maybe you¡¯ll buy yourself time because they¡¯ll be so busy laughing. Come on.¡±


    ¡°Mindy. Mindylenopia, wait,¡± Frank said. ¡°You have to know something first. About what¡¯s liable to happen to you if you succeed in going back. I promised someone I would tell you.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh, sure. I already checked the history books, there¡¯s no record of me,¡± she objected.


    ¡°Right, true enough.¡± Frank drew in a shaky breath. ¡°Thing is? I¡¯ve got very good reason to believe that you¡¯ll end up temporally banished by the Carrie you meet in the past. And that, although you¡¯ll survive, and rebuild many of your memories, you won¡¯t survive what comes after that.¡±


    ¡°Speak the truth, please,¡± Mindylenopia grumbled.


    ¡°I did,¡± Frank said, speaking automatically.


    In the process of turning away, Mindylenopia froze. She slowly swivelled her head back. ¡°Are you one of those vision mystics?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve spoken with one.¡±


    ¡°Not as such.¡±


    ¡°Yet somehow, you think past Carrie knows that I¡¯m coming for her?¡±


    ¡°Not that either.¡± Frank shook his head. He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± he yielded, using the word Chartreuse had with Tim.


    She stared at him. ¡°Part of me wants you to spill everything now.¡± She licked her lips. ¡°But the sensible part of me only wants to know one thing. This future for me, which you seem to be forecasting - will that Mindylenopia change things? Will her ripples eventually kick this timeline in the teeth, or preferably somewhere even more painful?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go with yes,¡± Frank said. After all, how could he even be here otherwise?


    Mindylenopia considered that. ¡°Good. Come on.¡±


    Frank hesitated. ¡°Mindylenopia - are you sure?¡±


    She looked over her shoulder again. ¡°No, of course not. Where¡¯s the fun in being sure? Even with the effects of time travel being globally predestined, nothing¡¯s ever sure, not really, not until it¡¯s happened. So, since I¡¯m not in the history books, I¡¯m banking on your predicted past future being flexible. Heck, this mission to get me back could still fail somehow.¡±


    ¡°But if it succeeds, and it leads to banishment and death..."


    ¡°Everybody dies, Bernard,¡± Mindylenopia observed. ¡°The question is what sort of footprint you want to leave behind. Sounds like I¡¯ll go out making an impact.¡±


    She began to stride away. ¡°Look, I appreciate the warning, but don¡¯t bring it up again. Because even if we assume a Carrie-esque banishment leads to me forgetting about this conversation? No one should really know too much about their own destiny. Otherwise, there¡¯s a chance it¡¯ll become someone else¡¯s.¡±


    Frank felt a tension in his shoulders relax. He felt like he¡¯d legitimately held up his end of things, and their plans hadn¡¯t been aborted. ¡°Okay then. I¡¯m right behind you.¡±


    ***


    Carrie glared at her reflection. She didn¡¯t enjoying seeing the lines on her face, the hints of grey in her hair, or even the bright yellow gown that she had chosen for her birthday celebration. But her displeasure went deeper than that. "There is an anomaly."


    ¡°There is? What is it, my love?¡±


    Carrie didn¡¯t bother to turn to face the woman who had spoken. She continued to glare at her reflection, her eyes flickering from blue to gold and back, hoping to pinpoint the problem. Annoyingly, if there was a source behind things feeling not-quite-right, it remained elusive.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Carrie said at last, spitting the words out. That was a three word chain she spoke very infrequently. ¡°Probably just a sign that I¡¯m going to need to rewrite the timelines, and go through this day again with a massive headache. Stupid Mundanes, don¡¯t they know that messing with today will simply make me ANGRY?¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to make you feel better? A massage? Bring you some chocolate? Do a vis-- I mean, a massage?¡±


    Carrie snorted. ¡°No.¡± She pushed herself away from the vanity, clenching her hands into fists. ¡°Wait, were you about to say vision quest? Did you get back into those while I was out of town?! I thought we¡¯d cured you of all that mystic nonsense, along with that silly accent.¡±


    ¡°N-No, I m-mean yes, I mean... my love, I only stumbled into an online forum where they were discussing it.¡±


    ¡°Stay off that forum. Better yet, tell me about it tomorrow, we¡¯ll shut it down.¡± Carrie felt her fingernails digging into her palms. ¡°I¡¯m the one and only authority on what DOES or DOES NOT happen within the time streams. Is that understood?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, my love... I meant no disrespect..."


    ¡°Fine, good.¡± Carrie finally turned to regard the woman sitting on the edge of her bed.


    Like Carrie, she was dressed in an elaborate gown. However, hers was purple, to complement her hair, which had for years now been dyed a bright red. When in Rome, and all that. Carrie smiled, seeing that the woman¡¯s eyes remained cast down, towards the floor. In obedience. As it should be.


    ¡°It¡¯s time I got out there,¡± Carrie decided. ¡°Moreover, if you perform well tonight as my pretty Canadian eye candy, I¡¯ll allow you to give me a special birthday gift after everybody has left.¡± She grinned. ¡°Would you like that?¡±


    Her companion swallowed. ¡°Oh yes, my love,¡± the woman repeated. She started to look up.


    ¡°Excellent. Eyes down. Remember your place.¡±


    Carrie¡¯s first ever female paramour immediately complied. Honestly, there were times when Carrie wondered why she had even bothered to track down and recruit Chartreuse. But the girl had been so fond of her in high school... and then so malleable because of their history together. Even now, Chartreuse still had her uses, for instance in identifying illicit online message forums.


    Snapping her fingers at her old high school friend, and with the hints of an anomaly still tickling at her senses, Carrie strode out to meet her birthday guests.

 Part 92a: Veni Vidi Veniti

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 92a: VENI VIDI VENITI


    When Julie had said she was taking him to the mission hub, Tim hadn¡¯t been sure what to expect. In retrospect, he¡¯d expected something more impressive than the back room of a music store. ¡°R-Really? Um, operations are r-run out of a place like this?¡±


    ¡°Operations are mobile, the sites change,¡± Julie answered. ¡°So they can¡¯t be pinned down. Or that¡¯s how it worked before I cut my ties.¡±


    ¡°Still works that way,¡± came a voice from behind a piano.


    Julie and Tim rounded the corner to see an older man in a faded sport jacket with unruly hair. He was sitting on the ground in front of a set of holographically projected keyboards and video monitors. Julie clucked her tongue. ¡°Lee. Surprised to see you¡¯re here.¡± Tim¡¯s eyes widened in recognition.


    ¡°Likewise,¡± Lee said, glancing over his shoulder.


    ¡°Conflict of interest much?¡± Julie pressed.


    Lee shrugged. ¡°Luci felt my personal investment in this particular target would prevent any rash actions on their part,¡± he explained. ¡°Also, I was available on short notice. Don¡¯t worry, we still have redundancy, Megan¡¯s observing my every move, ready to jump in.¡± He gestured at a monitor off to the side.


    ¡°For we walk by faith, not by sight,¡± came the voice of the dark haired woman pictured there.


    ¡°Luci¡¯s approaching the spot for Laurie¡¯s retrieval,¡± Lee continued. ¡°The men on site have eyes on the door with no sign of Mindylenopia, but it¡¯s not quite ten o¡¯clock yet. No abort has been given.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll stick around until I know Laurie¡¯s safe,¡± Julie decided. She sat herself down on the piano bench.


    Lee shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± He turned to Tim. ¡°Your communications are working?¡±


    Tim jolted out of his reverie. He reached up to touch his earpiece. ¡°Ah, y-yes. Laurie¡¯s already checked in twice since we dropped her off. She¡¯s w-walking the perimeter.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. We¡¯re a go in six minutes and ten seconds. Mark.¡± He then lay back on the ground, clasping his hands behind his head.


    ¡°One question though?¡± Tim ventured.


    ¡°Ayup?¡± Lee asked, tilting his head a bit.


    ¡°It¡¯s just... I mean, I know my confidence is better of late, but am I r-really the best person to be doing this? The translation, and the prompting? Surely, in the future, your r-resistance has other people capable of speaking Temporal..."


    ¡°Ayup,¡± Lee repeated. ¡°But first of all, their temperaments might stress out your Laurie. Second, again, short notice. With Carrie in town, Ottawa was kind of the last choice for running a major operation - our best linguist is currently in Australia, where Carrie¡¯s right hand man, Glinephanis, is busy stirring up trouble. And third...¡± He flashed a smile. ¡°Call me crazy, but I think you¡¯re a good guy to have around in a pinch.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay, thanks,¡± Tim acknowledged.


    Megan cleared her throat. ¡°You know, you could simply tell Tim that he¡¯s the younger variant of that agent in Australia.¡±


    Lee shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t care what Luci says, Megan, I don¡¯t want to accidentally impact our past.¡± He glanced at Tim. ¡°Australia¡¯s still got dangerous snakes, y¡¯see. Given a choice, I might¡¯ve picked the assignment in Europe.¡±


    ***


    Mindylenopia checked her watch. ¡°Okay, the front guard¡¯s going to check in at 10:04pm. We move in right after that, gives us a full fifteen minutes to get to the displacement room before their next check.¡±


    Frank nodded. ¡°Right..." He eyed the shed-like structure. ¡°And how many people are in there?¡±


    ¡°Night like this? Couple dozen. We should be able to avoid most of them though,¡± Mindylenopia said. She peered closer at him. ¡°You DO realize the majority of the structure is underground, yes?¡±


    Frank blinked. ¡°Right,¡± he repeated. Now that she said it, he remembered Luci remarking on how the nature of the place made aerial assaults impossible.


    ¡°Also, for when you use it..." Mindylenopia reached into the handbag she held, pulling out what looked a bit like a cross between a pistol and a fancy corkscrew. ¡°My %temporal gun%.¡±


    Frank was taken aback by the smaller size, before remembering that not only was it a prototype, it was also made with more futuristic materials.


    She pointed at a switch. ¡°Two settings. Carrie, and Not-Carrie. Every time you stun someone with the latter, you use up power that could have been used for the former. So don¡¯t go crazy with it.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Frank frowned. ¡°Meaning a Carrie shot drains the batteries?¡±


    ¡°Right. But it should temporarily drain hers as well, and the more juice you hit her with, the longer that lasts. That said, the recoil will be proportional to the strength of the shot, watch for that. And don¡¯t bother with the Not-Carrie setting on Carrie. She¡¯ll be able to shake off such a mild freezing effect.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s all or nothing with her? No middle settings?¡±


    Mindylenopia snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll consider more settings for my next upgrade.¡± She shoved the gun back into her bag and looked at her watch again. ¡°Okay. Get ready. It¡¯s almost time.¡±


    ***


    Laurie began to fidget. She wasn''t sure if that was something Mindylenopia would normally do, but she couldn''t help it. Pacing around the block and ducking behind cars and trees, it might have been fun under other circumstances. But she was pretending to be a Temporal double agent or whatever Mindy was, while eyeing a property that was easily twice the size of the LaMille mansion back in town.


    She would do this though. She would get through it, to restore their timeline. And in doing so, she would restore her brother. That¡¯s the way these things worked, right?


    Laurie forced herself to stop playing with the skirt on her red dress. Trouble was, it didn¡¯t fit quite right, hugging her body in the wrong ways... but it was supposedly a double for the one Mindylenopia was wearing. And the voice modulator taped at her throat would make her voice sound the same too. All part of the plan.


    ¡°L-Laurie? It¡¯s time,¡± Tim said. ¡°Are you in position?¡±


    She closed her eyes briefly, then reached up to tap at her earring. ¡°Right. I¡¯m here.¡±


    Laurie reached for her handbag, pulling out the first cartridge. Her hand shook slightly as she tapped the button, but she steadied her nerves in order to throw the object high into the air. The firework exploded several metres up, and Laurie ran quickly to her next location.


    ***


    Mindylenopia marched up to the building as if she owned it. Frank found he could only follow along, attempting to project the same confidence. "Names?" said the bored looking woman at the front door.


    She looked very young, and seemed to have red hair. Frank wondered if she was a Temporal - then felt ashamed at that prejudicial thought. Hadn¡¯t taken long to become suspicious of gingers, had it! Still, it made some sense to have your main guard be someone who couldn¡¯t be mentally influenced, and who was definitely on your side.


    ¡°We¡¯re Smith and Jones," Mindy said, flashing a smile.


    The guard looked closer. "Who?"


    "He''s Smith, I''m Jones, we''re expected," she continued easily. ¡°I have the data key with the orders on it right here.¡±


    ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you--"


    Mindylenopia, having reached into her handbag, now pulled out a perfume bottle. She sprayed it into the guard¡¯s face. The redhead on duty only had the time to fumble for the gun on her belt before crashing to the ground unconscious. Mindylenopia dropped the bottle back into her purse.


    "Smith?" Frank asked.


    She reached for the guard, grabbing a swipe card, then pressing the woman¡¯s hand up to a sensor by the door. "I spent some time watching old time travel shows. To better fit into the past,¡± she explained.


    There was a click as the door unlocked.


    ¡°One down, three to go,¡± Mindylenopia sighed.


    ***


    Laurie peered around the tree trunk. The person advancing on her position from the house was getting closer. Feeling glad that there was not only a tree, but also a fence between them - even if it was only a four foot high fence - she reached up to tap a few times at her earring.


    "Tim? You still there?" Laurie breathed.


    "Y-Yeah. How many security people coming?¡±


    ¡°Just the one.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. If he speaks loudly, I s-should hear, s-so long as you''re still w-wearing the brooch. S-Simply repeat what I s-say.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Laurie reached down to adjust the brooch ornament even as she tried to make herself blend into the tree trunk even more. She reminded herself that things were going according to plan.


    "Mindylenopia?" came the male voice. "%Is that you setting off those fireworks?%¡±


    ¡°%Happy five zero!%¡± Laurie blurted, off Tim¡¯s prompting.


    The guy sighed. ¡°%Don¡¯t be so juvenile. Why not come inside, with the rest of us?%¡±


    ¡°%Here I like being!%¡± Laurie retorted. ¡°%You, you can go have some fungus, you who keep believing life is happy. Fun, some fun,%¡± she amended, off Tim¡¯s pronunciation tip.


    The young man didn¡¯t answer. Laurie edged partway around the tree, to take a peek, and saw that his hand had gone to his gun. Oh no. Had she muffed it up? She pulled back again.


    ¡°Some of the others say you¡¯re a traitor,¡± the Temporal continued after a moment, using English. ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe that. But this may be your last chance to prove yourself. Please, join us inside.¡±


    Laurie licked her lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use English!¡± Tim whispered, causing the ¡®no¡¯ to catch in her throat before she could speak. ¡°Say this..."


    ¡°%I am not the one here speeching like them do%,¡± Laurie fired off. ¡°%Maybe you be the alien instead%.¡±


    ¡°%Funny.%¡± There was another moment of silence. ¡°%It¡¯s your funeral. No more fireworks, okay?%¡±


    ¡°%You throw boring parties%.¡±


    The security man snorted and moved off, saying something into his own communications device. Once he was out of earshot, she repeated it to Tim.


    ¡°They¡¯re standing down,¡± he sighed. ¡°That guy even told you no more fireworks. So make one last circuit, then meet Luci for the pickup.¡±


    Laurie felt weak in the knees. ¡°Okay.¡± She moved off in the opposite direction to where the security man had gone.


    Moments later, she heard the sounds of a struggle.


    ***


    Frank had once been inside the Diefenbunker, outside of Ottawa, on an educational trip. He found that the stationary temporal generator building was vaguely similar on the inside; there had even been a long corridor behind the first door requiring Mindylenopia to babble all the way down, to mentally influence the guard at the end before he could react. Since then, they had made it down three levels.


    ¡°We may have a problem,¡± his redheaded companion remarked, as she dumped the latest security guard into a janitor¡¯s closet and shut the door.


    ¡°They know something¡¯s going on?¡± Frank wondered.


    Mindylenopia made yet another derisive noise. ¡°Bernard, they¡¯ve known something¡¯s up since I jabbed that datalink into the panel inside the entrance,¡± she acknowledged. ¡°It¡¯s scrambling their feeds. But they won¡¯t interrupt up the chain unless they¡¯re sure they won¡¯t get a dressing down for being incompetent about a minor glitch, so it¡¯s fine. No, the trouble is, we can¡¯t knock out the last guard. I¡¯ll need that person conscious, to summon a tech to the displacement control centre.¡±


    ¡°So, you use your mind power on them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing,¡± Mindylenopia sighed. ¡°One of the security people who work here is immune. And I haven¡¯t seen her yet. So, if it turns out she¡¯s the one we need awake..."


    ¡°Ah. Then we have a problem,¡± Frank affirmed. He hoped they could also think up a solution.

 Part 92b: Veni Vidi Veniti 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 92b: VENI, VIDI, VENITI 2


    ¡°Tim, I can hear someone nearby who¡¯s in trouble,¡± Laurie said.


    ¡°On or off the property?¡±


    ¡°On,¡± Laurie answered. The sounds of a struggle were coming from within the small grove of trees, where there seemed to be a gazebo.


    ¡°Okay, well, HQ here assures me that it¡¯s not safe to approach,¡± Tim stated. ¡°Double back, and meet up with Luci.¡±


    Laurie felt torn. Given the trees, she might be able to approach the gazebo unseen. But Tim was right - what if she was caught? And what if being identified screwed up everything? Worse, what if she somehow messed up their timelines for good? Besides, what could she even do to stop whatever was going on?


    ¡°Please,¡± came a female voice. ¡°Please, stop.¡±


    Laurie made a fist. No. She had already been taken advantage of so much in her life - she wouldn¡¯t wish that fate on anyone else. More to the point, her standing up to Frank about Mindylenopia this morning? It would mean nothing if she couldn¡¯t follow through on her own principles now.


    ¡°Tim, I¡¯m going in anyway,¡± she asserted. Drawing on her cheerleading abilities, Laurie jumped over the fence.


    ***


    ¡°Good evening... how exactly do you have authorization to be here?¡±


    The brown haired security woman stared levelly at Frank and Mindylenopia. Almost before Frank had registered the movement, her weapon was out, and pointing their way.


    "We need to run a systems check,¡± Mindylenopia said casually. ¡°Call down a tech who can set the controls for a thirty year time jump, okay?¡±


    The woman lifted an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s back to before this facility was even built. I¡¯ll have to phone up the chain for confirmation."


    "No, you won''t," Mindylenopia countered, putting emphasis on the words. She took a step closer.


    The security guard¡¯s head shook. ¡°No, I really will. Also, I think you should put that handbag on the ground before you come any closer?¡±


    Mindylenopia looked sidelong at Frank. It was as she had feared - her mind power was ineffective against this person. So it was up to Frank to come up with a better plan, before Mindylenopia was forced to provide the necessary incentive by firing off her ¡®temporal gun¡¯ at people. Shots which would render the thing less effective against Carrie herself. Fortunately, he had the hints of an idea.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Frank began. ¡°The two of us, we¡¯re with the... Chronologic Patrol. It¡¯s a new unit - we conduct safety inspections. We need to see how well the system aligns for a time jump of that magnitude. It doesn¡¯t necessarily mean we¡¯re activating anything tonight."


    The security woman shook her head. ¡°A new unit, where the dress code is casual? Including bad wigs? And why haven''t I heard of you?"


    ¡°The Patrol works under the radar,¡± Mindy continued smoothly. ¡°Undercover. Moreover, there''s reason to suspect one of your technicians here is violating safety standards, hence our turning up unannounced. We have clearance though. How else could we be this deep in the facility?¡±


    The security woman stepped a little closer. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she answered, gun still up. ¡°How else COULD you be this deep?¡±


    That¡¯s when Frank spotted the ID badge at the woman¡¯s hip. And the first name on it: Faye. That name, coupled with the woman¡¯s apparent immunity to Mindylenopia¡¯s mind control - it triggered a memory. A memory of Lee¡¯s sister, who in grade nine, had come close to beating up a boy to get a book back for her younger sibling. Could this be her? Was there a way to use that knowledge?


    ¡°Question for you, Faye,¡± Frank blurted. ¡°If you had to choose between your job and your family, which of them would you pick?¡±


    Her gun swung to point only at him. ¡°No contest. Do you think I¡¯d even be working in here if it didn¡¯t help me keep my family safe?!¡±


    Frank realized he had hit a nerve, and so chose his next words carefully. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, Faye. Maybe, after our inspection, you won¡¯t need this job to ensure your loved ones are safe.¡±


    Her arm shook slightly. ¡°What, are you talking promotion? Or are you part of some military coup?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Frank glanced at Mindylenopia, wondering whether they should admit to one of those. Her ¡®what the hell are you doing¡¯ face made him realize he was now in this on his own. ¡°I¡¯m saying we¡¯re the Chronologic Patrol,¡± he said, turning back to face Lee¡¯s sister. ¡°We¡¯re conducting safety inspections.¡±


    Faye stared. She seemed to be thinking hard. Then the gun barrel swung down, and she presented the hilt of the weapon towards them. Mindylenopia quickly stepped close enough to grab it away from her. ¡°It is now possible,¡± Faye remarked. ¡°That I did this under duress. To help my family.¡±


    She marched back towards the communications link at her station. ¡°Priority request,¡± she said, thumbing the button. ¡°Send a tech. A couple of inspectors have turned up down here.¡±


    ***


    Laurie was close enough to the gazebo to hear everything now. It sounded like a man and a woman arguing. And the female voice sounded somehow familiar, the same way Clarke¡¯s voice had sounded familiar to her the previous evening.


    ¡°What?¡± the male was saying. ¡°I heard you go both ways. Am I not good enough for you? Or is it that you only give it up for the lady with the golden eyes?¡±


    ¡°Her name is Carrie,¡± came the quiet response. ¡°And we¡¯re in love.¡±


    ¡°Hah! That¡¯s rich. She¡¯s got girls in every country. Probably guys too. And if ¡®your Carrie¡¯ really loved you, she would¡¯ve kept you close tonight. Or at least had someone stop me when I dragged you out here. No, Chartreuse, she expects you to give influential people like me a good time tonight, in exchange for receiving favours later. Yeah?¡±


    Laurie¡¯s breath caught in her throat at the name.


    ¡°Just... stop. PLEASE stop,¡± Chartreuse begged.


    ¡°Stop what? Telling you the truth? Or stop doing things like this to you?¡±


    Chartreuse whimpered.


    The firework was arcing over the gazebo before Laurie even stopped to think about it. It exploded with a bang, lighting up the area, and causing the two figures to separate.


    ¡°Kick him and run, Chartreuse,¡± Laurie shouted immediately after, pressing herself up against yet another tree trunk. Her heart was beating so fast, she was worried it would burst out of her chest. ¡°Kick him and run, and, like, keep on running!¡±


    ¡°Who the hell is out there?¡± the assailant snarled. In the brief light of the firework, he¡¯d looked at least forty, and a bit out of shape.


    ¡°Someone who, like, believes people like you can get away with stuff too often, you know?¡± Laurie wasn¡¯t entirely sure why she¡¯d decided to spout ¡®valley girl¡¯ talk. She supposed it was in the hope that it would trigger something in her old friend. ¡°And someone who is finally, like, taking a stand!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? Well, news flash. I¡¯m smarter than my father. I won¡¯t get caught and jailed the way he was. So you better run along now before you become a victim too!¡±


    Laurie looked to the heavens and crossed herself. ¡°No. You leave Chartreuse alone!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re gonna get it now..."


    Laurie heard the sound of someone being shoved to the ground, but from the measured steps in her direction, it didn¡¯t sound like the person approaching was Chartreuse. It occurred to her that the only advantage she had was the fact that the guy didn¡¯t seem light on his feet.


    ¡°Stand back up and kick him down, Chartreuse,¡± Laurie pleaded. She began to backpedal from tree to tree as he came closer. ¡°Take a, you know, stand! You¡¯ve gotta do it, if not for yourself, then for, like, me, and people like me, otherwise this guy¡¯s gonna keep doing it, or maybe he¡¯ll get a firework in the face next, because I, you know, didn¡¯t think this through, and don¡¯t know what else to do, and golly, now I could be screwing up the timelines, um, please, Tim any suggestions...?"


    She then realized that in her haste to get away, she¡¯d started back-pedalling towards the house. Perfect.


    ¡°Laurie,¡± came Tim¡¯s calm, measured voice. ¡°Try to hide. Luci¡¯s on her way.¡±


    People were going to have to bail her out. Again. The same way her brother always did. Her brother, who didn¡¯t even exist in this timeline. Laurie felt like crying. As she¡¯d feared, she was ruining everything. What more could possibly go wrong now? Could this get any worse?


    No, she realized. Things couldn¡¯t get any worse. She had hit rock bottom, she was at the point where she had nothing left to lose.


    ¡°When I get my hands on you,¡± the man growled, ¡°you¡¯re gonna wish you¡¯d minded your own..."


    Laurie knew that a red dress wasn¡¯t the best outfit to be wearing when performing a back handspring. But in retrospect, that¡¯s probably what made the guy freeze in place, allowing the cheerleader to complete her maneuver by planting her hands and kicking back and up with her legs. It was a solid hit, right where she¡¯d intended. The predatory man crumpled to the ground with a high pitched whine.


    Nothing left to lose. Had she seriously just done that?


    Laurie grabbed her handbag back off the ground and charged back towards the fence, leaving the man laid out in the dirt, sobbing. She only paused long enough to catch her breath, upon registering the fact that the fifty year old version of Chartreuse was now standing by the gazebo, her mouth open wide.


    ¡°D-Did you just flatten Councillor Linford?¡± Chartreuse gasped.


    Laurie shrugged. ¡°Your turn next time,¡± she declared. ¡°Also, you look good. The red hair works. It¡¯s never too late to find a nice man or woman who truly loves you. Okay?¡±


    Not waiting for a response, Laurie sprinted off the property.


    ***


    One moment, Carrie was reaching for an hors d¡¯oeuvre. The next moment, she was on the ground, her palm against her forehead.


    Someone was going to time travel. And they were going to do it with intent - and more importantly, with a plan - for changing history. Who was it? Some fool with a homemade machine in their basement, and lottery numbers in hand? Carrie dropped her mental shields into place, and tried to localize the disturbance.


    It was North America. It was Ontario. It was... in town? Ridiculous. In that case, she wouldn¡¯t even have to warn a prior self. She could get there in person. Was the person so clueless?


    A shiver ran down her back, as she focussed in... and realized that it wasn¡¯t some crazy person in a basement. The stationary temporal generator to the south was powering up. Impossible. How could anyone have gained access, much less someone who might change history?!


    Carrie turned her attention to the time streams, looking for the warning signs, looking for something to nudge. But she couldn¡¯t track back mentally - there was now a waterfall in the way. The anomaly she¡¯d sensed. Well, that was a problem.


    She could still deal with this though.


    Pushing herself back to her feet, and ignoring the concerned mutterings of all the people around her, Carrie began to speed up time for herself, relative to her surroundings.

 Part 93a: Rewrite the Future

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 93a: REWRITE THE FUTURE


    "What''s taking so long?" Mindylenopia demanded. Carrie had to be onto them by now.


    The primary tech, a man named Walter, looked up at her. "Well, actually," he began, "the temporal generator has no geo-temporal records to draw on, for a time from before it was built. And while we do have the material on site that can localize earlier times, the system still has to compensate geographically, ensuring that a traveller doesn¡¯t end up floating in space or buried in the ground or something."


    The redhead sighed. "Yes. I¡¯m Temporal, I know that. You wouldn¡¯t even be here if it weren¡¯t for your authorization codes. But look, the specific day in October doesn¡¯t matter, I picked it randomly. So if that¡¯s the problem, I can..."


    She stopped, as the slight rumbling noise in the control room ceased, followed by a chirp from the computer terminal. The main panel changed to green, and Walter turned back to his old style physical keyboard. ¡°There we go," he remarked. "Year is encoded. Your date... locked in place. Displacement room is set for a thirty-three year trip to the past. Satisfied?¡±


    "No," Mindy stated. "Not yet." She looked through the large glass observation windows of the control room, down to the displacement room below. It was large, the size of a small theatre, capable of sending back a hundred people at once, if necessary. ¡°I¡¯m going down there to uncouple the wall circuits. When I wave my hand at you, you will activate the displacement.¡±


    Walter looked uneasy. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t advise that.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t send me back, not with the wall circuits cut. That¡¯s the failsafe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, uh... we¡¯ve been having some... glitches in the system this evening.¡±


    Mindylenopia turned to Bernard, who had been quietly observing the last several minutes from the doorway. ¡°Make a note. Safety at this site has been compromised.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Walter protested. ¡°It¡¯s only that, if something went wrong, you¡¯d have no way of getting back, and there¡¯s so much paperwork."


    Oh brother. She couldn¡¯t play along with this any more - they were out of time. Mindylenopia stared Walter in the face. ¡°Listen. When I wave my hand at you, you will activate the displacement.¡±


    ¡°When you wave your hand, I will activate the displacement.¡±


    ¡°Good man.¡± Mindylenopia tossed her handbag in Bernard¡¯s direction, and he fumbled to catch it. ¡°The rest is your problem.¡± She sprinted for the stairs leading down to the temporal displacement room.


    ***


    ¡°She¡¯s active! All units, please acknowledge, Carrie is active and using super speed to bear down on the generator.¡±


    Luci reached up to touch her earpiece. ¡°Acknowledged.¡± She didn¡¯t question how Lee was aware of that fact. In a way, this was actually a good sign. It meant that Carrie wasn¡¯t using any finesse - which in turn implied that their blonde nemesis was worried. Were they about to pull this off?


    She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as young Laurie Veniti ran up to her, gasping for breath, and grasping her by the shoulders. ¡°Luci!¡± Laurie squealed. ¡°Luci, I... ohmigod, I did it. A creepy guy was about to sexually molest a version of Chartreuse, and so I did it, I kicked him real hard in the... the..."


    ¡°Good for you, Laurie,¡± Luci said, giving the redheaded girl a hug. ¡°Good for you.¡± She squeezed once. ¡°But we have to get back to the car now, okay?¡±


    Laurie looked up at her, nodding wordlessly.


    ***


    Frank walked closer to the large glass windows. There was the sound of what he assumed to be a door sliding open and closed, and moments later, Mindy strode into the room. She looked up at them, and waved. Walter reached out for the panel...


    And then everything started to move as if in slow motion.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Frank didn¡¯t clue in right away. It merely looked like the tech''s hand was meeting incredible air resistance, or like he was trying to resist Mindylenopia¡¯s mental command. But then Frank realized that Walter¡¯s eyes were squinting, and closing, and gradually opening... as if in a protracted blink. What?


    Now the tech¡¯s hand was an inch away from the panel - and that¡¯s when she appeared.


    The blonde woman was drawing in great lungfuls of air, her face was drenched in sweat, and the yellow dress she was wearing had been torn in two places... but she was there. Holding Walter''s hand back, preventing the final activation. Then she pulled him bodily back from the main board, shoving his chair to the side, causing the tech to collapse onto the floor.


    "Good,¡± the Elder Carrie said, her chest heaving. She slammed both hands down onto the edge of the desk that ran the length of the room, under the observation windows. Seemingly trying to prevent her legs from collapsing out from under her. ¡°SO GOOD. But. You. Were. Not. Good. Enough.¡±


    She reached out to smack a button, drew in a huge breath, then leaned down to yell into the nearby microphone. "Mindylenopia! I see you down there. This was the last straw, you understand? You''re finished! You hear me? FIN-ISHED.¡±


    Though the observation window, Frank saw the redhead''s hazel eyes widen in horror - and then she collapsed down onto the floor, like all the fight had gone out of her. Which was when Frank finally realized that Elder Carrie was paying absolutely no attention to him. The time dilation hadn¡¯t even affected him, had it? How else could he have registered what was going on? Did Carrie not care about him, could it be that only Walter¡¯s palm could activate the time jump?


    He had to try. He stepped in, reaching around Carrie to bring his palm down on the necessary panel.


    Except his hand passed right through. Then it continued down, right through the desk, and Frank stumbled forwards as there seemed to be no solid objects around him to arrest his motion. With mounting horror, he realized that even the floor felt weirdly spongy. Frank brought his hand back out of the desk and up to his face. He could see right through it.


    Well, of course he could. Because if Mindylenopia didn¡¯t travel back, he didn¡¯t exist. Right? Numbly, Frank wondered why time was pulling a slow fade on him, like Marty McFly in ¡°Back to the Future¡±, rather than simply winking him out of existence. Did that mean that there was still a chance? That he was somehow neither alive, nor dead? But what chance did they have if he couldn¡¯t TOUCH anything?


    "I win again,¡± Carrie said triumphantly.


    "Sorry, no,¡± Carrie answered herself.


    ***


    Carrie spun, reaching up to wipe the sweat out of her eyes. She felt her mouth forming an ¡®o¡¯ of surprise. Because yes, somehow, it was her who had spoken. An older her. Had to be older, the lines in the face were still there, and the blonde hair looked even more grey... except at what point would she think a sweater like that would be a good fashion statement?


    "You... you can''t be here," fifty old Carrie choked out. ¡°Why would I want to change THIS?¡±


    "Funny thing that," even-older Carrie chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that the future isn¡¯t all it¡¯s cracked up to be. And this, in a sense, this was the major turning point. This lynchpin moment.¡±


    ¡°But you... I... how... why..."


    Sweater-wearing Carrie, whom Carrie decided to dub ¡°Sweater Liz¡± in her own mind for the sake of convenience, gave her a pitying look. ¡°Really? My fiftieth birthday, and I¡¯m still that stupid?¡±


    Carrie clenched her jaw. She snapped her gaze towards the observation windows and then back to Sweater Liz. ¡°Mindylenopia¡¯s really working for me somehow? Is that it?¡±


    Sweater Liz seemed to ponder that. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a good an answer as any.¡±


    ¡°Meaning that¡¯s NOT an answer.¡±


    Sweater Liz sighed. ¡°Fine. You¡¯re making my point for me here, you know. We¡¯ve never been good at these sorts of interactions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve learned how to handle Future Me,¡± Carrie retorted.


    ¡°I know,¡± came the retort. ¡°I¡¯m you. Your plan is to rewrite your history to eliminate the need for me to even be here. Works great in the short term. What about the long term?¡±


    ¡°I never travel back long term. Never erase that much of myself.¡±


    Sweater Liz gestured. ¡°Mindylenopia¡¯s going back long term.¡±


    Again, Carrie¡¯s gaze drifted to the windows and back. ¡°It¡¯s not like she can change me. Not that much. Not with Glinephanis back... wait, how far forwards in my timeline are you?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to find out?¡± Sweater Liz crossed her arms. ¡°Because here¡¯s the thing, Paradox Woman. I¡¯m going to trigger that panel. Which both sends Mindylenopia back AND locks you into being me, and oooh, we both know how much I HATE that. Right? Being locked into a destiny? Your only alternative would be to rewrite the last few minutes, perhaps days, to keep me from ever being here... but guess what. In that timeline, Mindylenopia MUST go back too. Otherwise I¡¯ll still be here to see to it.¡±


    ¡°That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard,¡± Carrie snarled. She wished she wan¡¯t so tired and dripping sweat everywhere, not to mention partially propping herself up using the desk. It felt like that took some of the bite out of her words.


    Liz chuckled. ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. Have you ever wondered, whether there might be a better way for us to deal with our future selves?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve started wondering. About that, and more.¡± She rubbed her chin. ¡°In particular, I wonder... when is it that we stopped being curious about what we could do?¡±


    Liz smiled. And Carrie realized that her Future Self really was going to do it. At some point in the future, she was going to go crazy in the head, and come back to give herself this asinine choice, this ultimatum... and Carrie was forced to admit that, truly, she now had no idea how to stop herself.


    Which meant there was no way to prevent Mindylenopia from going back. Even beating up Liz here only meant that she¡¯d get beat up by herself in the future. And as Liz had said, there was only one sure fire way she knew about to avoid becoming a future incarnation.


    ¡°I HATE YOU!¡± Carrie screamed.


    ¡°I know,¡± Liz said.


    Liz reached out for the panel.


    Carrie flashed back in time a day and a half.


    Everything changed.

 Part 93b: Rewrite the Future 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 93b: REWRITE THE FUTURE 2


    Luci had just arrived at home when when she received the call. She pulled the device out of her pocket, blinking at the display. ¡°Answer,¡± she told it. The call connected. ¡°Phil? Something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Yes. No. I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, his holographic face looking very frustrated.


    Luci tossed her key fob on the side table and shut her front door. ¡°How was the visit? Is Laurie okay?¡±


    ¡°Laurie¡¯s fine. Luci, I¡¯ve pulled my tow truck over to the side of the road.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I feel like maybe it¡¯s bleedthrough?¡±


    She peered at his expression. He seemed sincere. ¡°Can¡¯t be. There¡¯s no major operations planned in the area that would attract attention.¡±


    ¡°Luci, I¡¯ve pulled over to the side of the road, and for no particular reason, I¡¯m remembering that time I worked on a Chevy in... I think it was senior auto shop class.¡±


    ¡°Phil, I swear, we¡¯re not up to anything.¡± Luci chewed her lower lip. ¡°Want to meet though? At the small cafe on the outskirts of town?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, for some reason you saying that makes me feel better.¡±


    ¡°Okay, good. See you there in an hour.¡± Luci hung up the phone, reaching back for her key fob, as well as the medical device she used to identify people in the database after swabbing them for DNA.


    She stared at it. Why on earth had she picked that up?


    ***


    ¡°Luci, what in the hell are you idiots doing?¡±


    Luci sat back on her couch, staring blankly at the angry holographic face of Julie LaMille. She was beginning to feel overwhelmed. ¡°You too?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean me too?¡±


    Luci shook her head. ¡°Bleedthrough.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Julie snapped. ¡°For some reason, I¡¯ve been expecting you to call me for the last half hour. What operation are you people--¡±


    ¡°No operation. Julie, you don¡¯t understand,¡± Luci insisted. ¡°This is crazy, for some reason we¡¯re experiencing bleedthrough on a massive scale, the likes of which we¡¯ve never seen before. I¡¯ve got techs talking about a car that isn¡¯t there, an operative who says Mindylenopia contacted us out of the blue looking for help with her suicide mission, and plus I made way too much toast for breakfast this morning. NONE of which is connected to ANYTHING!¡±


    Julie frowned. ¡°Back up to the suicide mission thing.¡±


    Luci sighed. ¡°That¡¯s just Mindy fulfilling her destiny. She¡¯ll go back in time today, then get banished by Carrie. It never changed anything, remember? In the end, Glen still managed to snare Carrie, spiriting her out of town.¡±


    There was the sound of Julie drumming her fingers on a desk. ¡°So are your people helping Mindylenopia go back?¡±


    ¡°No. We explored the possibilities weeks ago, and couldn¡¯t find a new lynchpin. Don¡¯t spread it around, but the whole mission was deemed a predestined lost cause.¡± She grimaced. ¡°We were WAY too cunning in our youth.¡±


    ¡°Is there a rogue faction within your ranks plotting something then?¡±


    ¡°Julie..."


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m serious. The phone call I was expecting? I feel like you wanted me to get you things.¡±


    ¡°¡®Things¡¯? What ¡®things¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, let¡¯s see. It was either party favours for Carrie¡¯s birthday, or ¡®things¡¯ that could help Mindylenopia get access to the stationary generator.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha.¡± Luci shook her head. ¡°Look, according to our intelligence, Carrie made a call yesterday demanding a DECREASE of security at the generator this evening. So Mindylenopia doesn¡¯t need us anyway, it should be no problem for her to... to... wait. WAIT.¡± She seized the edge of the couch. ¡°Julie, why would Carrie do that?¡±


    Julie rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re asking me? I presume it was to make sure Mindylenopia succeeds in taking the trip, predestiny and all.¡±


    ¡°No, no, there¡¯s no need to make SURE she succeeds, we KNOW she succeeds,¡± Luci protested. ¡°She¡¯s in our past. That¡¯s not a change Carrie has to make. So why are we feeling the effects of bleedthrough here? The only way it makes sense is if... oh no. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but could Mindylenopia have once FAILED to make it back? Are we now overwriting a timeline where she FAILED?¡±


    ¡°Luci, that would mean Carrie wanted someone to mess with her past. Worse, the implication is that, to fix things, we have to stop Mindylenopia from going on her trip.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± If she¡¯d felt overwhelmed before, now she felt positively adrift. ¡°So... I guess we better keep our options open. Julie, if you wouldn¡¯t mind, please get us your ¡®things¡¯? Meanwhile, I¡¯m going to organize an emergency strike force to take on the generator station... having them ready might mean we can stop Mindylenopia. If we have to. Hell, we might even manage a foothold, given the lower security - though I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s not a trap we¡¯re falling for here either.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ***


    Carrie glared at her reflection. She didn¡¯t enjoying seeing the lines on her face, the hints of grey in her hair, or even the bright yellow gown that she had chosen for her birthday celebration. But her displeasure went deeper than that. ¡°At least it¡¯s almost over."


    ¡°What is, my love?¡±


    Carrie didn¡¯t bother to turn to face the woman who had spoken, continuing to glare at her reflection. ¡°This damn headache. Which a future me in a horrible sweater indirectly inflicted, for absolutely no good reason. I¡¯ve spent the better part of a day looking into things, and the only conclusion I can draw from my latest experience is that I hate myself. A lot.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to make you feel better? A mass--"


    ¡°No,¡± Carrie snorted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Liz won¡¯t be back, not in this timeline. Also, tomorrow, I want you to give me the name of that forum where they were talking about visions. I want it shut down.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, my love... I meant no disrespect..."


    ¡°Fine, good.¡± Carrie finally turned to regard the woman sitting on the edge of her bed, the one dressed in the elaborate purple gown. And Chartreuse¡¯s eyes were cast down towards the floor. As it should be.


    ¡°It¡¯s time I got out there,¡± Carrie decided. ¡°Moreover, if you perform well tonight as my pretty Canadian eye candy, I¡¯ll allow you to give me a special birthday gift after everybody has left.¡± She grinned. ¡°Would you like that?¡±


    Her companion swallowed. ¡°My love, I d-don¡¯t want to go out there..."


    Carrie tensed. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Because if I do... I feel that... that I might be hurt..."


    ¡°You want to defy me, on my fiftieth birthday??¡±


    Chartreuse shrank back, curling into a ball. ¡°My love..."


    ¡°Well, you can stay in here then. With your pretty dress and your stupid visions!¡±


    Raising a palm and twisting it in against her pounding head, Carrie stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.


    ***


    ¡°Lee? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He turned to look over his shoulder at Julie. ¡°The bleedthrough, I guess?¡± he admitted. ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel dumb about sending Luci out to Carrie¡¯s property. Yet I still feel like someone¡¯s supposed to be stationed there, and reporting in.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Julie ran her fingers back through her hair. ¡°Well, if there¡¯s something to find, Luci can find it.¡±


    Lee chuckled. ¡°Kind words you have for the same woman who, just last month, you referred to as a--"


    ¡°We reached an understanding earlier today,¡± Julie interrupted. She furrowed her brow. ¡°For some reason, it felt right.¡±


    Lee raised his hands in the air. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m happy for you both.¡± He looked back at his monitors. ¡°What I¡¯m not happy about is the fact that I¡¯m running out of time to pull the trigger on our forces at the generator. Do we storm in, or not? We still have NO intelligence on whether we can allow Mindylenopia go back in time.¡±


    ¡°We should let her go.¡±


    Lee turned to the side monitor to look at Megan. Then he mentally checked himself - Megan wasn¡¯t his redundancy for tonight¡¯s mission. Theresa was. One of the oldest members of the resistance. ¡°But Theresa, how can you be sure?¡± he protested.


    She smiled quietly back at him. He was reminded of the knowing looks she¡¯d had before, way back when she had been a simple waitress in their hometown cafe. ¡°You¡¯ll simply have to trust me,¡± Theresa said.


    ***


    One moment, Carrie was reaching for an hors d¡¯oeuvre. The next moment, she was on the ground, screaming. Her past - it was completely breaking apart. Carrie dropped her mental shields into place, and tried to pinpoint how things could possibly be going so very, very wrong.


    She had never thought her temporal pain could be any worse than an ice pick to the skull - and yet now, on top of that, it was like her head was simultaneously in a vice, making the misery so much worse, even through the shielding. Making things hard to track.


    The issue, it seemed, was that hadn¡¯t left town with Glinephanis? Except she damn well HAD left! But no, she hadn¡¯t. For some reason, it now looked like she had still been in town for Christmas during her senior year of high school. Then... wait, where the hell had her past self ended up? And how had Young Carrie become so... so BROKEN?


    Carrie¡¯s eyes widened, as she deciphered the key moment. In a time period when she should have been three years old.


    Pushing herself back to her feet, and ignoring the concerned mutterings of all the people around her, Carrie tore open a rip in the fabric of space-time, and stepped through it. Into the lounge of a Miami airport.


    ***


    Elder Carrie glared at him for a moment, then shook her head, brushing her hair off her shoulder. ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± she assured Glinephanis. ¡°You did your best. I know who¡¯s really to blame - it¡¯s these stupid Mundanes and that damnable Mindylenopia! They¡¯re all dooming my childhood.¡± She peered at him. ¡°Perhaps you can still be a bright spot in my younger self¡¯s life though? Will you come with me now? Some of my memories could remain valid, not be inserted by force.¡±


    Glinephanis nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯m with you to the end. But Carrie, there are more time travellers here in Miami. Mindylenopia and a number of your old classmates. We all came in a time car. They might still try something.¡±


    She growled. Cleaning up her history was going to be a real pain, huh? She hoped she wouldn¡¯t need to mess with too many memories. ¡°Fine, I will deal with them as soon as I get my younger self here restrained back in my present. Grab hold, we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    She grabbed her teenaged self by the collar. Apparently, that Carrie had dressed herself up in a blue business suit, almost like she was pretending to be their mother. Good grief, how had she EVER been so STUPID? Glinephanis took her by the arm, and she pulled them back towards the rip... with her younger self still trying to break free of the freezing. Apparently, this was going to be a long trip home.


    The lounge door burst open. ¡°Carrie!¡± Laurie shrieked.


    ¡°Carrie, fight it,¡± Tim called out. ¡°Whatever is going on, fight!¡±


    Frank charged in between the two of them.


    ¡°Frank, don¡¯t get close!¡± Mindylenopia shouted, grabbing onto him by the waist, slowing him down. Not that it mattered.


    ¡°Carrie, FUTURE Carrie, it doesn¡¯t have to be this way!¡± Frank shouted, looking right at her for a change, rather than at her broken teenaged variant. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, not to yourself..."


    Carrie did her very best to ignore them all, busy concentrating on getting a foothold on the time streams, without losing her mental hold on the Younger Carrie. It was surprisingly difficult.


    It occurred to her that maybe that¡¯s why the old ¡°Liz¡± version she had encountered in the generator hadn¡¯t tried this genre of persuasion? Preferring to snare herself in the ¡°Mindylenopia Catch-22 scenario¡± instead? Which had, she now realized, somehow precipitated this entire situation.


    Well, she would soon set everything right. Young Carrie was weak, and no match for her.


    Pulling Glinephanis and her younger self forwards into the time streams, Carrie soon realized that the time trip, which should have taken seconds, would instead drag on for close to a minute. Because Young Carrie continued to wriggle against her hold, at one point whimpering out, ¡°Chartreuse?¡±.


    Carrie decided that her best plan would be to arrive in the future at the stationary temporal generator outside Ottawa. There were dampening fields in the displacement room which she could activate, ones which might help her to control her younger self long enough for a memory implantation, or removal, or whatever else she¡¯d be forced to do to get history back on track.


    As such, they emerged from the time streams in the main control room of the Ottawa generator facility.


    Where a teenaged Frank Dijora immediately shot her with a prototype for a temporal gun.

 Part 94a: Timeline Four Redux

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 94a: TIMELINE FOUR REDUX


    Carrie¡¯s fingers curled around the crystal object, aware that more tears were coming. Because here she was, at the mercy of her Future Self, being time shifted into Her Future... a future where Carrie would never see her parents, her friends, or that one ray of sunshine - her once possible girlfriend - ever again.


    ¡°CARRIE!¡±


    Oh no, now she was imagining Chartreuse¡¯s voice in her head.


    ¡°Carrie, are you there? We don¡¯t, like, have much time, but PLEASE hear me, there¡¯s something you¡¯ve gotta do!¡±


    Okay, this was becoming surprisingly vivid for a delusion.


    ¡°Chartreuse?¡± Carrie whimpered.


    ¡°Carrie!¡± the voice came again. ¡°Yesssss! Ohhh, I really hope you¡¯re, you know, the right one. Look, we¡¯re not giving up on you. The others, they¡¯re gonna follow you, they¡¯re following you even now - but you¡¯ve gotta, like, hide them from the other you. Okay?¡±


    Carrie blinked. What the hell did that mean?


    ¡°I mean you¡¯ve gotta, like, spot their time car, and nudge it. Nudge it ahead, into, you know, the other timeline. Temporarily. Hurry!¡±


    Oh sure, right, piece of cake, just do the thing she had no idea how to do, while her Elder Self was busy keeping her powers in check.


    ¡°If anyone can do it, you can! Please Carrie, PLEASE, otherwise... otherwise, you know, I think you¡¯ll be lost to us forever.¡±


    The meditation crystal dug into her palm so hard it hurt. No. She wasn¡¯t going to lose Chartreuse forever. Hell, nothing in life had been easy to this point, right? Why assume that knowing the truth about her mom would have made things any easier?


    So, as she was towed along in the wake of her Future Self, Carrie cautiously extended her senses, looking for the ¡®time car¡¯ that kept getting referenced. At the same time, she became aware of a wake, as if behind a boat, that was rippling out around them... could she somehow nudge a time traveller out of it¡¯s path, and ahead of them? Even preserve it in some sort of time bubble?


    She spotted the vehicle right before her Future Self emerged into The Future, wincing as her ¡®nudge¡¯ ended up being more like a powerful ¡®bump¡¯, and what little temporal energy she had left completely ebbed away at the act.


    ***


    Frank stared. Both Carries had disappeared. At this point, neither the old-old Carrie who had been reaching for the activation panel, nor the old Carrie who had been arguing with her, were present. Instead, Frank saw that Walter had somehow set his chair back up, and was reaching in for the activation panel himself.


    Frank looked around the room, feeling like he¡¯d missed something. He leaned back in towards the observation windows, catching sight of Mindylenopia down in the displacement room - she was standing and waving. Not on the floor, defeated. Then there was a bright flash of light, forcing him to look away, and when he turned back, the displacement room was empty.


    Walter jerked his hand back from the panel. ¡°What did I just do?¡±


    Frank reached out to tap at the desk. It felt solid now.


    Walter spun to face him. ¡°Where did you just come from?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Chronologic Patrol.¡± Frank fumbled in Mindy¡¯s handbag for the temporal gun, pulling it out and pointing it Walter¡¯s way. ¡°Just stay calm, I don¡¯t want any trouble.¡±


    There was another flash, and three more individuals appeared in the room. The Older Carrie was back! Along with Glen, and a blonde teenager in a blue business suit... but that had to be his Carrie. Could it be that, somehow, he was here at the end of their journey from the airport?


    Frank quickly reached down, flicking the switch on the gun over to ¡°Carrie¡± mode, and he fired at the Elder Version.


    At the pulse of high energy, the old Carrie collapsed down onto the ground, even as the recoil sent Frank flying back into the wall, hard enough to leave a crack. He groaned, dazed. His version of Carrie didn¡¯t look that much better off, having slumped to the floor after their arrival.


    ¡°I¡¯m OUT,¡± Walter shrieked, running for the door. ¡°You don¡¯t pay me enough for this!¡±


    As such, the only person in the room retaining full command of their faculties ended up being Glinephanis, aka Glen Oaks. And after taking in the situation, and snarling, ¡°You Mundane morons,¡± his next move was to drag the unconscious Elder Carrie towards the door, following after Walter.


    ¡°Glen, wait,¡± Frank protested. He took a couple of shaky steps, then decided it might be better to check on the status of his own Carrie instead.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She looked up at him as he touched her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m still here,¡± she murmured, dazed. ¡°So did that time bump on your car work? Did it hide you from my older self? Have we won?¡±


    Frank crouched down. ¡°We haven¡¯t won yet.¡± He glanced at the door through which Glen and Elder Carrie had exited. ¡°But we may have bought ourselves some time.¡±


    ¡°Peachy.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Okay, her freeze effect is wearing off. I feel like I¡¯ll be able to do time stuff again soon. For my next trick, I shall attempt to not become the Carrie who kidnaps mom, along with her unborn child.¡±


    ¡°Er, great. How will you do that?¡±


    ¡°No idea. Help me up.¡± She blinked at him. ¡°Actually, correction. Take off your stupid wig while I remove this jacket, and then help me up.¡±


    Frank straightened, tugging off the disguise he¡¯d been wearing. Meanwhile, Carrie tossed aside her flight hat, allowing her long blonde hair to flow down her back again, and she shrugged off the jacket part of the business suit.


    He reached a hand down. Carrie clasped it, and he pulled her onto her feet. ¡°Do we have a plan?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Good question.¡± Carrie looked around. ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°A stationary temporal generator on the day of your fiftieth birthday. Mindylenopia was just sent back in time, into our past.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay, sure.¡± Carrie moved to look through the observation windows. ¡°Why are we here? Didn¡¯t you arrive in a time car?¡±


    ¡°We did,¡± Frank admitted. ¡°The circuits were fried. Luci impounded it yesterday, sort of. I¡¯m not sure where it is now.¡±


    Carrie shook her head. ¡°Wait, what? You didn¡¯t mention Luci had come back to Miami with you.¡±


    ¡°Er, no, not Luci from our Present. This time¡¯s Luci, a Future Luci.¡±


    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s going to get confusing, isn¡¯t it,¡± Carrie sighed.


    ¡°Well, not necessarily. I died in the past, so if anyone says Frank, it¡¯s probably me,¡± he said, trying to make a joke of it. He frowned. ¡°Then again, I used the name Bernard with Mindylenopia..."


    Carrie shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re not dead, Frank, don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s Timeline THREE where you died, and that¡¯s gotta be where I ended up hip-checking your car, to keep you safe. When I left you in the airport, a few minutes ago, you were raving about us being in ¡®Timeline Four¡¯. So that should still be where we¡¯re at now - er, unless you¡¯re saying you later died in ¡®Timeline Four¡¯ too?¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know. Wait, you did what to our vehicle?¡±


    ¡°You were constantly a few seconds ahead of the temporal wave created by Mindy¡¯s arrival in the past, until right before my arrival here. It was Chartreuse¡¯s idea.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Er, which Chartreuse?¡±


    Carrie smacked her palm against her face and dragged it down until it slid off her chin. ¡°I don¡¯t know, one of ¡®em. Look, for my own sanity, as of RIGHT now, everyone who¡¯s temporally displaced? Meaning not part of this future? Meaning us? Middle names. Understood?¡±


    Bernard nodded. ¡°Sure. Except I... I don¡¯t actually know the middle names for Tim or Laurie.¡±


    Elizabeth exhaled. ¡°I will make them up if I have to. Where are they, anyway?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re still out with the resistance forces. Actually, I need to get them a message,¡± Bernard realized. ¡°With Future Mindylenopia back in our past, and Carrie temporarily down, Luci and the rest of them need to know that it¡¯s time to storm in and take this building.¡±


    ¡°Thrilling. Meanwhile, I kind of want all of us middle namers together, so let¡¯s see if I can¡¯t kill two birds with one jump. Give me a moment, knowing how to centre on people is fresh in my head.¡± Elizabeth closed her eyes. Moments later, she disappeared.


    ***


    ¡°Freeze!¡±


    Tim jerked his hands into the air. ¡°Whoa, whoa, J-Julie, it¡¯s me.¡± He turned to Lee, only to see that the operations co-ordinator had also drawn a weapon. Though unlike Julie, he wasn¡¯t pointing it at Tim. Yet.


    ¡°How did the kid get in here?¡± Lee demanded.


    Julie shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I turned around, and there he was.¡±


    Lee turned his head. ¡°Theresa, did you see where he came from?¡±


    ¡°Theresa?¡± Tim blurted. ¡°Wh-What happened to Megan??¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± the red haired woman said, over the video link. ¡°It IS possible that things get a little weird now...¡±


    Which was when seventeen year old Elizabeth popped into the room. ¡°Hi!¡± she chirped at Lee. ¡°Resistance, yes? Start the attack. I need to borrow... Tim, what¡¯s your middle name?¡±


    ¡°Um, Anthony?¡±


    ¡°To borrow Anthony. Correction, I¡¯m taking him, because he¡¯s from the past, and as such, probably not coming back here. Thank you, have a nice day.¡±


    Anthony shook his head. ¡°Carrie, what--"


    ¡°Elizabeth,¡± she corrected, before grasping his shoulder and time jumping.


    ***


    Laurie did a double take. One moment, Luci had been walking ahead of her, leading her to the car - and in the next moment, the asian woman was gone. Except, turning around, Laurie discovered that Luci was now approaching her from behind. ¡°Luci?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Okay, where did you come from?¡± Luci demanded.


    Laurie blinked, and pointed over Luci¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Back there?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean one moment I was alone out here, and now I¡¯m not,¡± Luci insisted. ¡°How did you do that? And how do you know me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Laurie protested. ¡°Okay, no, see, one moment you were up there, and now you¡¯re back here.¡± She continued to point for emphasis.


    Luci shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re not making sense - but you do look familiar. Are you one of the guests from Carrie¡¯s party, perhaps? Is this why Lee wanted me out here?¡±


    Laurie stared. And then Elizabeth appeared beside her. ¡°Found you,¡± the blonde said. ¡°Why are you with - ooh, hold up, you¡¯re Luci, right?¡±


    Luci nodded, now looking concerned.


    ¡°Luci, can you make a point of locking down the time car that must have recently appeared? I can¡¯t grab it yet, but I sure as heck don¡¯t need the extra aggravation of worrying about it while I fight myself.¡±


    Luci gaped. Elizabeth then turned to Laurie. ¡°I think your middle name is Amelia?¡±


    Amelia blinked. ¡°Yeah - y-you know about that?¡±


    ¡°I must have looked it up at some point. Come along, Amelia.¡± Elizabeth reached out her hand. Amelia took it, and then the both of them disappeared off the street corner.


    ***


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± Anthony said, as Elizabeth and Amelia appeared in the generator control room next to him and Bernard. ¡°Carr-- um, Elizabeth, could you, like, pop the entire resistance invasion force into this room by doing that?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elizabeth said, letting out a slow breath. ¡°Because first, it would have to be one at a time, second, I only made it back here by centring on Bernard, and finally, those couple trips took a LOT out of me.¡± She released Amelia. ¡°But I wanted us all here because I need your input. Given how I think I¡¯ll now need to defeat... me. Future Carrie.¡±


    ¡°You... you¡¯re okay with doing that?¡± Amelia wondered.


    Elizabeth shook her head. ¡°No. Not really. Because I don¡¯t see how it¡¯s even possible. Carrie knows my every move, not merely because she¡¯s particularly canny, well educated, or - let¡¯s toss this in for laughs - hauntingly good looking, but because she WAS ONCE ME. Meaning the Elder Carrie HAS TO KNOW whatever it is I¡¯m going to try next.¡± The blonde bit down on her lower lip. ¡°As such, whatever I think of is a bad idea. So I¡¯m kind of open to suggestions?¡±


    At first, no one spoke.

 Part 94b: Timeline Four Redux 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 94b: TIMELINE FOUR REDUX 2


    Carrie Elizabeth Waterson looked around at her time travelling companions. ¡°Don¡¯t all talk at once.¡±


    Timothy Anthony Whitby cleared his throat. ¡°What about Mindylenopia¡¯s weapon?¡±


    Frank Bernard Dijora held it up. ¡°Drained. I already used it to take down Future Carrie, that¡¯s why she¡¯s not breathing down our necks.¡±


    Anthony nodded. ¡°L-let me have a l-look then. M-Maybe I can see how we m-might recharge it?¡± Bernard handed it over.


    ¡°Related, how much longer is that one shot going to keep Future Carrie out of it?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    Bernard shrugged. ¡°No way of knowing.¡±


    Elizabeth sighed. ¡°Perfect.¡±


    Then again, she reasoned, if they kept using the gun, there was an obvious defence. Whenever Carrie regained consciousness later? She could theoretically jump back to right after she was shot. Negating the effectiveness. Good thing her future self wouldn¡¯t have tried that already. ¡°The gun¡¯s hardly a permanent solution anyway.¡±


    ¡°Permanent?¡± Laurie Amelia Veniti gasped in horror. ¡°You¡¯re saying you want to kill future you?¡±


    Elizabeth jerked her gaze towards Amelia. ¡°Whoa! No, no, I want to... to... I don¡¯t know, fix her. So that I have something to look forward to, something that isn''t... isn¡¯t HER.¡±


    Bernard leaned in. ¡°That reminds me. I did overhear Carrie talking to, um, an even more Future Carrie."


    ¡°Liz,¡± Elizabeth offered.


    ¡°Sure, to Liz. They were saying that the only method Carrie had for dealing with a future self was to overwrite bits of her own past. To remove the need for Liz to interfere with herself in the first place.¡±


    Elizabeth raked her fingers back through her hair. ¡°Okay. Except I¡¯m not about to change the events that brought me here. Especially the truth about mom. I won¡¯t deliberately hide that from myself. I can¡¯t. Because as long as I know about it, I also know that I don¡¯t want to become the sort of person who would do it.¡±


    ¡°I get that,¡± Bernard said. ¡°Thing is, Liz was wondering if there was another way. She didn¡¯t give details.¡±


    Elizabeth pursed her lips. ¡°So maybe Liz sensed something, but it¡¯s a thing she needs a younger self to do? I don¡¯t suppose she passed along anything helpful, like a note.¡±


    ¡°I was insubstantial at the time, I don¡¯t think the Carries even knew I was listening. But even if Liz had, her existence is being overwritten here.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Amelia gestured out towards the observation windows. ¡°Aren¡¯t we sitting in a huge time machine here? Can¡¯t we use that to our advantage?¡±


    Bernard adjusted his glasses. ¡°Fair point. I guess I was mostly watching when Walter set the controls, and as such might be able to do something - but when would we all travel to?¡±


    ¡°Back to our present,¡± Amelia asserted. ¡°Or, well, your present,¡± she amended. ¡°A few weeks ahead of me, whenever you left to recruit me.¡±


    ¡°Carrie would only follow us back,¡± Elizabeth countered.


    ¡°So we¡¯ll set a trap for her,¡± Amelia insisted.


    ¡°I can see through time,¡± Elizabeth sighed. ¡°So we have to assume that Carrie can too, and that she¡¯s better at it. She would look before she leapt, then pop in before we could come up with the trap. Or worse, find a way for us to spring it on ourselves. No, we¡¯ve GOT to deal with Carrie in the here and now, before she regains her full strength.¡±


    ¡°It was a good thought though,¡± Bernard assured Amelia, off her crestfallen look. ¡°Actually, in a similar vein, maybe we can use the information in the building¡¯s database? The future knows more about Carrie than we do."


    As Bernard walked over to the main board, there was a flash of light over by the exit. ¡°Sorry, but we¡¯ve got to get out of here, now,¡± the newest arrival asserted, pulling the door open.


    Elizabeth did a double take, recognizing another seventeen year old version of herself. ¡°Uhm, yeah, okay ¡®Buffy''..."


    Buffy rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m serious, there¡¯s going to be a--"


    ¡°Lockdown. Lockdown,¡± came an automated computer voice. ¡°This building is now in lockdown.¡± A red light on the wall came on, strobing, as half the overhead lights switched off.


    ¡°And they¡¯ll start to pump knockout gas into this room momentarily,¡± Buffy concluded. ¡°So get a move on.¡±


    ¡°Okay, n-not a fan of gas,¡± Anthony decided, hurrying to the door. Amelia ran over after him. Which was when the lock on the door clicked - but as Buffy was holding it open, there was no problem.


    A hiss of air came from some overhead vents, and vapours began to pour out. ¡°Damn. Glen must be in some auxiliary control room,¡± Bernard reasoned, hurrying after the others.


    Buffy followed them out... shutting the door in the face of a surprised Elizabeth.


    ¡°Buffy,¡± Amelia shrieked. ¡°You locked yourself in!¡±


    ¡°No. She¡¯s about to realize she has to travel back to give you the warning,¡± Buffy assured the redhead. A puzzled look began to form on her face. ¡°Meaning I¡¯m Elizabeth again.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Bernard lifted an eyebrow. ¡°You know,¡± he remarked. ¡°Maybe we should be trying to figure out a way to use your time travel abilities as our weapon of choice.¡±


    ***


    Glen tapped at the holographic keyboard that had allowed him to interface with the building. It looked like he hadn¡¯t been able to gas the main control room in time - and now he wasn¡¯t sure where the other time travellers had gone. With the whole place in lockdown mode, he didn¡¯t have complete access to the sensors any more.


    Still, once he¡¯d been notified of the external resistance forces closing in, initiating the lockdown had been the priority - along with getting their internal forces to mobilize in response. He wondered why security had been decreased throughout the building; what few personnel they had here would now have their hands full. New regulations following his departure, perhaps?


    Oh well - on the bright side, he hadn¡¯t seen the Theresa version of Mindylenopia on the monitors yet. And surely he and Carrie could take care of the rest of those idiotic teenage Mundanes by themselves.


    A groaning noise brought his attention back to the fifty year old blonde woman, laid out on the floor nearby. He turned away from the computer systems, crouching next to her. ¡°Carrie? Are you conscious yet?¡±


    ¡°What. The. Actual. F--"


    ¡°Somehow, Frank managed to get here ahead of us,¡± Glen interrupted. ¡°With some sort of energy weapon. He hit you with it. Are you okay?¡±


    Carrie blinked her blue eyes open. ¡°No,¡± she snarled. ¡°No, I am NOT ¡®okay¡¯. Somehow I¡¯ve been cut off from the time streams.¡±


    Glen frowned. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m lying? I can''t--" She broke off, as an attempt to push herself up merely made her eyelids flutter. She nearly hit her head as she crashed back down onto the ground.


    ¡°Maybe you should take it easy for a bit,¡± Glen suggested. ¡°Frank and the others from your past, they¡¯re not going far, not with a lockdown in place.¡±


    ¡°I will NOT take it easy,¡± Carrie snapped. ¡°Not so long as my younger self is out there, running around my present and screwing up my history.¡±


    ¡°Carrie, it never goes well when you lose control of your emotions,¡± Glen soothed. ¡°Besides, if the video image I pulled up is any indication, so far the only thing your prior self has done is pull in the rest of her prior time travelling companions - minus Mindylenopia. And with the lockdown, the dampening field will make any further attempts like that difficult for her at best.¡±


    ¡°Peachy.¡± Carrie took a few deep breaths. ¡°But you¡¯re not wrong. Okay, finding my zen.¡± She blinked a few times, then smiled. ¡°There we go - I AM still attached to the time streams, it¡¯s only that my senses have been... somehow numbed. Temporarily.¡±


    ¡°See?¡± Glen remarked. ¡°So we get you back to full strength, trap the other time travellers in a room somewhere, and then you can send them all back to their--"


    ¡°Back to the Stone Age,¡± Carrie growled.


    Glen frowned. ¡°Er, really? Because even if you never directly interacted with those ones after we left town, surely they¡¯re still a part of your past. I¡¯m not sure you can simply--"


    ¡°I¡¯m Goddamn Carrie Elizabeth Waterson, Temporal Queen!¡± Carrie spat out, her anger bubbling up again. ¡°If Mindylenopia can mess with my past, I sure as hell can do whatever I want with it too. Yeah?¡±


    ¡°O-kay then.¡± Glen cleared his throat. ¡°Except you can¡¯t banish your younger self to the Stone Age. Can you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Carrie yielded. Her lips tightened. ¡°No, but I have other plans for her.¡± Her eyes focussed on his face. ¡°She will become me. Make no mistake.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m n-not sure how to charge the gun back up,¡± Anthony admitted. ¡°That is, I c-can see how, based on our version, but I have n-no idea what sort of outlet or b-battery it plugs into. That part¡¯s different.¡±


    The four of them had retreated to a janitor¡¯s closet. Bernard knew about it, because it¡¯s where Mindylenopia had stashed their third security guard. Curiously enough, the room was now empty, containing only cleaning supplies. He decided it was a Timeline Three versus Four thing.


    ¡°Pity we don¡¯t have a way of using Julie¡¯s tracking device,¡± Bernard mused. ¡°We might use it to pinpoint Glen¡¯s location, and thereby trap the two of them, the way they just tried to trap us. Except I left the main assembly back in the time car.¡± He turned. ¡°Elizabeth, do you think you could jump there and get it?¡±


    Elizabeth shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t ever seen that car, not really, and I don¡¯t think anyone I know would be around it now either. Moreover, it feels like that lockdown triggered some kind of temporal dampening field. Becoming Buffy and warning you about the knockout gas, it required more concentration than I would have expected.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re saying we can¡¯t get out to Luci or the resistance either,¡± Amelia sighed.


    Elizabeth swallowed. ¡°Know what? I hate to say it, but maybe we should simply surrender.¡±


    Bernard turned again, from where he¡¯d resumed examining the janitorial chemical bottles. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    Elizabeth looped a strand of hair around her fingers, tugging on it. ¡°Yes, I can be. Because the longer I think about this? The more doomed I feel I am. No matter how good my time travel skills are, hers are better. That¡¯s the way it works. A more experienced me will always be better, that¡¯s got to be why Carrie always avoided a ¡°Liz¡±-style conflict.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Amelia said softly. She stood straighter. ¡°I don¡¯t know if my motivational speeches have improved since the hospital over a year ago, but Elizabeth? You CANNOT tell me that the Carrie out there is a better person than you are. No way. You... you¡¯ve always been my mentor.¡±


    Elizabeth looked at her. ¡°Amelia, seriously? Me a mentor?¡±


    The redhead nodded. ¡°So I have faith that you can fix this. Because we never know what we¡¯re capable of until we¡¯re forced into a corner, which is what¡¯s happening to you here. So don¡¯t surrender to the evil Carrie, okay?¡±


    Elizabeth swallowed. ¡°Thanks Amelia, I... I¡¯m flattered. And frankly undeserving, given my attitude towards you and so many others throughout the majority of our time in high school together. But even if I can say I¡¯m a better person now, we¡¯re not fighting a battle of ethics here. We¡¯re fighting a battle of inevitability.¡±


    The blonde cheerleader sighed. ¡±Meaning if I turn myself in, maybe the future Carrie will respect that. And sure, my OWN future will suck, but I can accept that if at least the rest of you can go on with your lives. Because when I left you behind in the present, that¡¯s all I really wanted.¡±


    ¡°I d-don¡¯t think that¡¯ll happen,¡± Anthony protested. ¡°I mean, b-based on what Future Luci said to us? Our future lives will suck for as long as you¡¯re w-working with the Temporals. In any timeline.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re also not leaving without you,¡± Amelia insisted.


    Elizabeth yanked on her hair hard enough that she winced. She pulled her fingers free. ¡°Look, I¡¯m still open to other alternatives - but really, what can we DO? We don¡¯t even have a Temporal to consult for advice, and Carrie¡¯s got Glen on her side.¡± She frowned. ¡°Speaking of, what happened to Mindylenopia, or Theresa, or whatever you decided to call her? I didn¡¯t spot her when I was looking for people who¡¯d recently experienced a massive temporal displacement.¡±


    Bernard put a bottle of bleach back on the shelf, letting out a sigh. ¡°She didn¡¯t make it, Elizabeth. Back in Miami, Mindylenopia drew Carrie¡¯s attention away from us, to a decoy car, and it exploded.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait, no,¡± Anthony said, pushing himself off the wall. ¡°I saw Theresa. Like, an old Theresa, way older than she had b-been in Miami. She was w-working with the resistance in this timeline.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Amelia gasped. ¡°But we saw Mindy die. Didn¡¯t we?¡±


    Bernard frowned. ¡°So... maybe what I told her in Timeline Three bled through, and she lived? Except if that¡¯s true, why would we still remember the explosion.¡±


    ¡°Agh, it¡¯s just more questions without answers,¡± Elizabeth groaned.


    The door to the janitor¡¯s closet swung open. Bernard reached back for the bottle of bleach, Anthony grabbed a mop, and Amelia dropped into an approximation of a fighting stance. But it was only Buffy standing in the doorway, smiling wryly. She then tossed an apple at her past self, Elizabeth catching it by reflex.


    ¡°There you go,¡± Buffy remarked. ¡°There¡¯s our biggest unanswered question.¡±


    Elizabeth looked down at the apple, then back up at herself. Her eyes went wide. ¡°Oh, Buffy. We cannot be serious,¡± she gasped.

 Part 95a: Carrie Versus Herself

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 95a: CARRIE VERSUS HERSELF


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Glen asked.


    ¡°Preparing to isolate myself,¡± Carrie grumbled. The fifty year old pulled the small bomb out of it¡¯s container in the armoury. ¡°This ought to do it.¡±


    Glen shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m still not following.¡±


    She turned to glare at him. ¡°The only reason younger me - hell with it, let¡¯s call her Elizabeth - is able to function here in the future, and wherever they are in this building, is because of whatever her friends are now telling her. Yes?¡±


    ¡°I suppose that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°So, if we eliminate them, Elizabeth becomes an easier mark. And a bomb is a lot more efficient for doing that than a bunch of separate temporal banishments.¡±


    Glen rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Ignoring the historical ramifications for the moment, the fact that they¡¯re unlikely to split up? Means that if you blow up Elizabeth¡¯s friends, you¡¯ll blow up your past self too.¡±


    Carrie nodded. ¡°Hence I go after the others before they got here.¡±


    ¡°Except they already ARE here. So... how does that work, exactly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. But I¡¯ll make it work,¡± Carrie asserted. ¡°I¡¯ll destroy them before they arrive, and let that ¡®bleedthrough¡¯ effect thing sort the rest out.¡±


    ¡°Um, Carrie? You don¡¯t experience ¡®bleedthrough¡¯,¡± he reminded her. ¡°You¡¯re the cause, not the effect. You get saddled with the memory headaches. Ergo, even assuming you can pull this off, what if it merely leaves you with a massive migraine, unable to act at all?¡±


    ¡°Then at least Elizabeth will be similarly affected,¡± Carrie snapped, feeling her patience slipping away again. ¡°Look, Glinephanis, there must be some way I can do change things in the same manner as Mindylenopia did. But to succeed, I¡¯ll need to know everything I can about how to identify that ¡®time car¡¯ back in Miami. That way, as soon as my connection to the time streams fully kicks back in, I can go back to destroy her friends before they get here.¡±


    ***


    Amelia looked from Elizabeth, who was now holding an apple, over towards Buffy, standing in the doorway of the janitor¡¯s closet, and then back to Elizabeth. ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Anthony chimed in.


    ¡°I might,¡± Bernard said, looking uneasy. ¡°Except I still don¡¯t like it. It violates the law of conservation of mass, among other things.¡±


    ¡°Show them,¡± Buffy suggested, stepping into the room and gesturing towards the door.


    Elizabeth looked down at the apple she was holding, pursed her lips, and then marched back out of the janitor¡¯s closet. She pulled the door closed behind her. There was a brief silence.


    ¡°So... now what?¡± Amelia asked.


    Bernard crossed his arms, looking over at Buffy. She was now holding her palm against her temple, and grimacing. ¡°You just went back in time, came back in here, and tossed that apple at yourself, right?¡±


    Buffy nodded. ¡°Yeah. Meaning I¡¯m back to being Elizabeth again, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Wait, s-so where did Elizabeth get that apple f-from?¡± Anthony asked.


    ¡°From Buffy,¡± Amelia said, with a shrug. ¡°The real question is where Buffy got HER apple from.¡±


    ¡°That was from being Elizabeth,¡± Bernard said dryly. ¡°You¡¯re both asking valid questions, you see. There never was an apple - and yet it was once here.¡± He rubbed his eyes, beneath his glasses. ¡°She¡¯s done this once before, WAY back when we first discovered the time machine. It¡¯s a Catch-22, and I never did work out how she pulled it off.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s simply something I can do,¡± Elizabeth admitted. ¡°I even did it with the time machine once. I assume I¡¯m using it here to try and tell myself something. Maybe that¡¯s also what Liz tried to do with Carrie.¡± She sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I have to keep picking the path of temporal headaches.¡±


    Amelia stared back at the door. ¡°Maybe Buffy is about to walk back in, not carrying an apple, but instead carrying the ultimate weapon to use against her future self?¡±


    Again, there was a brief silence.


    ¡°So, n-not that,¡± Anthony concluded.


    ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m trying to tell myself something,¡± Elizabeth repeated. ¡°Subconsciously. But WHAT?¡±


    ¡°An apple a day keeps the Carrie away?¡± Amelia suggested.


    Bernard leaned against the nearby shelf. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re trying to hint that this is something Carrie can¡¯t do,¡± he decided. ¡°That it¡¯s something she¡¯s never mastered. So if you can nail it for her, you can change her mind, make her realize that your path is the better path forwards.¡±


    Elizabeth gave him an uncertain look. ¡°And I demonstrate this bizarre power in some definitive way to Carrie... how, exactly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Bernard said. ¡°But I¡¯m starting to feel like we won¡¯t find out by staying here, in defensive mode.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ***


    ¡°For the record, I don¡¯t think this is a good idea,¡± Glen remarked.


    ¡°For the record, I don¡¯t care,¡± Carrie shot back.


    They had purged the remaining knockout gas from the generator¡¯s control room and then returned there. It was a position they could easily fortify, and even use to draw in reinforcements if necessary, given the proximity to the displacement room.


    ¡°We¡¯ll release the lockdown for at most ten seconds,¡± Carrie insisted. ¡°That will drop the temporal dampening field, and allow me to jump back to Miami, despite my current weakened condition. Once I¡¯ve planted the time bomb in their car, I leap back here to reap the rewards.¡±


    Glen eyed the monitors that he¡¯d pulled up. ¡°It looks like the resistance incursion is stalled at level two. All right. When you¡¯re ready, give me the word.¡±


    He supposed he should simply be happy that he was finally dealing with a Carrie who could embrace her powers, even if she seemed to have become a bit overconfident about them. That was the Carrie he¡¯d met when he was young, before going back to when she was a teenager, so it was nice to finally be back with ¡®his¡¯ Carrie.


    ¡°Go,¡± Carrie stated.


    Glen dropped the alert. Carrie disappeared in a flash of light. Glen began to count in his head, one-onethousand, two-onethousand, three-onethousand... and Carrie was back. He reinstated the lockdown. ¡°Well?¡±


    She glared at him. ¡°Well what? Do you still remember Frank shooting me with the weapon and all that?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Glen affirmed.


    She glared out through the observation windows. ¡°I rushed that. Maybe they split up. Or a couple of them escaped the blast. You didn¡¯t mention they had another means of time travel available to them.¡±


    Glen shook his head. ¡°They didn¡¯t. Or not that I know of.¡±


    Carrie rubbed her chin. ¡°Perhaps they saved key circuits. Rebuilt a device. I should have lobbed the bomb at them, instead of setting it in the car.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t try again,¡± Glen remarked. He gestured at the floor. ¡°We looted the armoury, we have more bombs.¡±


    ¡°Right. Hold on, I¡¯ll see if I can track their actions after the airport affair a little more carefully..."


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep trying to pick them up in the present on internal sensors,¡± Glen offered. He began to tap at the keyboard again.


    ***


    Anthony peered out the door. ¡°You¡¯re r-right, Elizabeth - they must have dropped the lockdown. The r-red lights are..." The corridor lighting changed again. ¡°...back.¡± He quickly re-closed the door.


    ¡°Is the resistance breaking through?¡± Amelia wondered.


    ¡°No,¡± Elizabeth said, pressing her palm against her temple again. ¡°No, I should have realized this. If I were in charge here, I¡¯d have tried retaking the control room. Damn it! They must be there now, with Carrie doing experimental time jumps. Maybe they can even bring back future reinforcements. I need to start thinking strategically. To start thinking like... ugh, like that Carrie.¡±


    ¡°So what d-do we d-do?¡± Anthony asked.


    ¡°Well, Bernard¡¯s right,¡± Elizabeth sighed. ¡°We can¡¯t keep playing a defensive game. There¡¯s only one way I¡¯ll be able to stop a single-minded Carrie from harming anyone else - no matter the cost to myself.¡± She looked around at them. ¡°Know that you don¡¯t have to come along.¡±


    ¡°Still not leaving without you,¡± Amelia reminded.


    ¡°Right.¡± Anthony reached back for the mop. ¡°After all, s-someone¡¯s got to deal w-with Glen as you face yourself.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re stuck with us,¡± Bernard agreed.


    Elizabeth smiled. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t deserve... actually, hmm. Know what? On second thought, strike that. Maybe I do deserve friends like you.¡± She looked towards the closet door. ¡°More to the point, maybe I even deserve friends like Buffy.¡±


    ¡°Um, friends like yourself?¡± Amelia asked.


    Elizabeth nodded. ¡°Yes. Yes, because you know what? THAT¡¯S Carrie¡¯s weakness. How she hates herself. How, *I* hate myself.¡± She smiled. ¡°Think about it. Nearly every time I¡¯ve met another incarnation, I¡¯ve argued, I¡¯ve tried to beat myself up, I¡¯ve hoped to change my own experiences... I¡¯ve never seriously tried to work WITH myself. To accept my flaws, and my future... and consider that maybe they¡¯re not so terrible after all.¡±


    ¡°Um... except f-for how this f-future kind of is terrible?¡± Anthony said, gesturing around them.


    ¡°Oh, well, this future is terrible, sure. But for the first time, I¡¯m starting to wonder if I can accept that MY future destiny ISN¡¯T.¡± Elizabeth straightened her posture. ¡°Or rather, that it won¡¯t have to be, not once I truly deal with myself.¡± She stepped towards the door. ¡°Meaning it¡¯s not only time for the final battle between Carries...¡± She pushed the door open. ¡°But that it doesn¡¯t have to be one-on-one.¡±


    ***


    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Carrie said, her eyes flickering from yellow back to blue. ¡°When I centre on them, all they¡¯re doing is moping about Miami. But when I jump ahead a few days, I can¡¯t pick them up at all.¡±


    ¡°So track them more gradually,¡± Glen said idly.


    ¡°Even ignoring how I¡¯m not at full strength, and the fact that watching a minute back then is the same as a minute in the here and now, it¡¯s SO BORING,¡± Carrie moaned. ¡°I am narrowing it down though. I think something happened on their third day there. Damned if I know what. Where are Elizabeth and her friends in the present, have you spotted them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re approaching our position.¡±


    Carrie blinked. ¡°Wait, for serious?¡±


    Glen nodded. ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ve locked and re-keyed the ID on the door here to a random sequence. We¡¯re secure. I¡¯m more worried about these resistance forces. They¡¯re not giving up. Maybe you should pop up there and scare the hell out of them, make them retreat?¡±


    Carrie gestured. ¡°Fine, fine. In a little while, I¡¯ll time travel back to now, and do that.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± There was a brief silence. Glen cleared his throat. ¡°Thing is, you haven¡¯t appeared to them yet, implying that in the future you might not--"


    ¡°Glinephanis?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Carrie?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Okay then.¡±


    She resumed trying to pinpoint whatever Elizabeth¡¯s group of friends had been doing in Miami. Instead of focussing on Elizabeth herself.


    ***


    "Slight problem," Bernard remarked. Again, he reached out towards the ID reader. Again, he tapped the access card that Faye had provided, back when Walter had first arrived to program the temporal generator. And again, nothing happened. ¡°This card isn¡¯t working any more.¡±


    ¡°Carrie¡¯s in there though," Elizabeth murmured. ¡°I can sense it.¡±


    "Maybe they''ll open the door if we knock?" Amelia said hopefully.


    ¡°No,¡± Elizabeth said slowly. ¡°It¡¯s time. Give me a moment. As long as I believe in myself, and believe that I can... that I AM going to survive this encounter... I... I will be able to..."


    ¡°...give myself this,¡± Buffy finished, appearing in a flash of light. She seemed scared and out of breath, her eyes flickering between blue and gold, but she nevertheless extended her hand to her double. It held a new key card.


    ¡°Nice! You got the card off of Carrie,¡± Bernard said, grinning.


    Buffy drew in a long breath, then turned to him, smiling weakly and rubbing her temple. ¡°Nope.¡± Her eyes settled on blue.


    ¡°Okay, so, key cards are our new apple,¡± Elizabeth remarked. She reached out to accept it, turning it around in her hands as she looked Buffy up and down. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m guessing I¡¯m more on offence this round?¡±


    Buffy nodded. ¡°Yeah. And I¡¯m afraid when I left I still hadn¡¯t figured out how to resolve our ultimate paradox. Namely how we can accept becoming her, and yet somehow NOT become her.¡±


    ¡°That is a puzzler,¡± Elizabeth agreed. ¡°Keep working on it, okay future me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you bet.¡± Buffy dusted off her hands, becoming increasingly more chipper. ¡°After all, I think I will have been getting close soon, knowing what I will have to be seeing a short time ago while I have drawn her fire like you already will.¡±


    Anthony rubbed his forehead. ¡°Okay, that sentence right there? That¡¯s where Temporal ends up being a better language than English.¡±


    The two blondes glanced in his direction. ¡°Sorry,¡± they chorused in unison. They then looked back at each other and let out simultaneous giggles.


    ¡°That is somehow cute, and yet scary as hell,¡± Bernard observed.


    Elizabeth smirked. ¡°If you think that¡¯s scary?¡± She brandished the new key card, moving in closer to the reader. ¡°Just wait until we¡¯re both fighting our future incarnation.¡±


    The reader pinged, and the door unlocked.

 Part 95b: Carrie Versus Herself

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 95b: CARRIE VERSUS HERSELF 2


    They barely got three paces inside the room before Glen was pointing a gun at them. ¡°Freeze!¡± he said. Elizabeth¡¯s companions froze in place. She realized then that he¡¯d used his mental power.


    Except while Glen sounded confident, Elizabeth noticed that he looked worried. He obviously hadn¡¯t expected their mad rush into the control room. Then, looking around, she realized something else. Elizabeth quickly reached out, grabbing the mop that Anthony was still holding, tossing it back behind them. Keeping the main door ajar.


    ¡°Move back.¡± Glen waggled his gun, and Elizabeth, Bernard, Amelia and Anthony all stepped backwards, towards the wall. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you managed to gain access,¡± Glen remarked. ¡°But this facility DOES have an armoury, and we WERE prepared for that unlikely eventuality.¡± He gestured at the floor, where there were at least a half dozen other gun-style weapons, along with a small box of what Elizabeth assumed were bombs.


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Elder Carrie remarked from behind Glen. ¡°To think that I was once that insanely stupid. God, I hate myself.¡±


    ¡°Come over here and say that,¡± Elizabeth challenged.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother with them,¡± Glen said to Carrie. He rose from his chair and began to advance. ¡°The only question now, Elizabeth, is whether we send your friends here back to their present as they are now... or whether you force us to do it with them a little more... let¡¯s say, wounded?¡±


    Bernard turned to look at Elizabeth. ¡°A version of you actually picks this guy over us?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Elizabeth sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m working on it.¡±


    Glen stopped a few paces away. ¡°Funny. Come on now, this will be SO much easier if you simply accept your destiny."


    ¡°That¡¯s far less interesting!¡±


    Glen spun at the unexpected voice. He found himself unable to bring his gun to bear in time, Buffy having followed her remark up with a sprint inside the room, and a full body tackle. With the redhead on the ground, his gun bouncing away, Elizabeth shifted her own attention towards Carrie.


    The fifty year old Carrie stepped towards one of the other weapons on the floor, then seemed to think better of it as Bernard made a similar dive. For a moment, Elizabeth sensed her future self trying to establish a temporal freezing field. She nullified Carrie¡¯s efforts.


    With that, Carrie charged out of the nearest available exit. The one that led down into the displacement room below. ¡°What, are you trying to escape?¡± Elizabeth shouted. ¡°If you think you¡¯re so superior to me, PROVE it!¡± She chased after herself.


    ***


    Buffy beat her fists into Glen¡¯s side, smacked him about the head, and tried to knee him in uncomfortable places. ¡°Why?¡± she shrieked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you make me into a better person? WHY?!¡±


    ¡°Stop! Carrie, I¡¯ve been trying to help,¡± Glen answered, trying to protect his body while simultaneously attempting to push her off of him. ¡°Besides, that¡¯s still in our future, I haven¡¯t even done anything yet. Stop, I haven¡¯t done it yet!¡±


    ¡°Eliz-- err, Buffy, we got this,¡± Bernard said.


    Buffy stopped herself, breathing hard, noticing that Bernard was now holding a gun on the both of them. Amelia was rounding up the rest of the weapons, moving them to the corner, out of reach, and Anthony was approaching with some rope.


    Buffy pushed herself back, rising again to her feet. ¡°Right.¡± She eyed Glen. ¡°I forgive you too. That said, you try any more of your mental tricks here? Things will not end well for you.¡±


    Anthony began to tie Glen up.


    Bernard inclined his head towards the exit. ¡°Buffy, go help yourself.¡±


    ¡°Just a second,¡± Buffy said, straightening her blouse. ¡°You¡¯ll need the code to turn off the lockdown here, so the resistance can get in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never give that up,¡± Glen assured them.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to,¡± Buffy noted. ¡°Seeing as you entered it into the system, in this room, maybe five minutes ago.¡± She allowed the time streams to coalesce about her, and after carefully anchoring herself in the present, she slid back to see what the necessary computer input was.


    ***


    Elizabeth supposed that she should have expected her future self to ambush as soon as she¡¯d charged through the sliding door into the displacement room. And yet, she hadn¡¯t anticipated it, and as such, she had the wind knocked out of her as the two of them then fell on the ground in a flurry of arms and legs. Elizabeth tried to kick out at her counterpart, but the fifty year old had the advantage of leverage - and of course, a future her would knew most of her moves. Or her expected moves, anyway.


    Elizabeth reached out and yanked hard on Carrie¡¯s long hair.


    ¡°Yeow!¡± Carrie screeched. ¡°What, are you in grade school?¡±


    ¡°I was going to say the same,¡± Elizabeth shot back. ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me play in your sandbox?¡±


    ¡°My God, I¡¯m so immature,¡± Carrie groaned.


    Carrie still seemed temporally weak, but Elizabeth fast realized that where Carrie was holding onto her, her arm was going numb. The feeling was spreading up and into the rest of her body. That wasn¡¯t good. But Elizabeth couldn¡¯t seem to squirm free, she couldn''t seem to... oh. Wait. Duh.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Her eyes flickered to gold, and she slipped back in time thirty seconds. After rolling to the side, she then rejoined the present, in time to see Carrie face plant into the floor as her prior self disappeared. Elizabeth quickly pushed herself back up onto her feet, rolling her shoulder to try and regain the feeling in that arm. There was no point in her tackling the prone Carrie - this battle wasn¡¯t going to be won physically.


    Sure enough, Carrie had soon risen to her feet as well. ¡°I guess I should be glad that I¡¯m finally displaying half a brain,¡± she remarked.


    ¡°This won¡¯t be like it was in Miami, Carrie,¡± Elizabeth declared. ¡°I¡¯m no longer that vulnerable girl. I¡¯m ready for you.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Sure you are. Considering less than an hour has passed for us since then, I¡¯m hardly shaking in my boots.¡±


    ¡°Weirdly enough, it feels to me like mom¡¯s disappearance happened a lifetime ago. Despite you being the old maid here.¡±


    Carrie snorted. ¡°Oh, stop. You must know you cannot possibly win?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that at all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m YOU!¡±


    ¡°And yet... you seem unsure.¡±


    ¡°While you seem weak.¡±


    Carrie brought her arm up, and Elizabeth realized too late that her future counterpart had been readying a charge of temporal energy. It hit her with enough force to launch her back into the far wall of the room, and it was all she could do to avoid getting herself pushed out of the present, and a few seconds into the future.


    Carrie could have prepared a finishing blow in those few seconds.


    Elizabeth slid to the floor, ending up in a seated position. ¡°You know,¡± she wheezed, ¡°I should really look into this masochistic streak I seem to have.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking,¡± Carrie said. Her eyes flickered over completely to gold, and she fired off another blast of energy.


    Elizabeth snapped her arms up. She¡¯d anticipated Carrie¡¯s move this time, but all she¡¯d been able to think of as a counter-move was to try and freeze time in her immediate vicinity. Rookie mistake - the blast was still moving for her, albeit much more slowly, and now she¡¯d never be able to speed up her own time to dodge it. Not without releasing the freezing field and being hit.


    Carrie laughed. ¡°I am such a..."


    Elizabeth never found out what Carrie thought she was, because right before the temporal blast could reach her, it was struck from the side by a counter-blast of temporal energy, sending the whole sparking assembly careening off to the side. It impacted the wall, a chunk of the panelling vanishing completely into the streams of time.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late,¡± Buffy said from the doorway, lowering her arms. ¡°Bunch of things cropping up at the last moment. You know how it is.¡±


    ¡°Not as such, but I guess I¡¯ll know soon enough,¡± Elizabeth said. She pushed herself back to her feet. ¡°Thanks, Buffy.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Carrie jerked her gaze back and forth between both versions. ¡°At least you¡¯re making this interesting,¡± Carrie acknowledged. ¡°But even with two of you, you still have only a primitive understanding of our power."


    ¡°We¡¯re fast learners,¡± Elizabeth noted. She allowed the power to wash over her then, tentatively embracing the sensations, knowing that her own eyes were flicking to gold - and yet allowing it to happen. After all, she would become Buffy, right? She would maintain control.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Carrie snarled. ¡°Let¡¯s do this. But first, I¡¯ll make sure we have no interference from your friends up there.¡±


    She fired off two more pulses of temporal energy. Two wall panels were temporally banished in their wake - along with whatever was behind them, if the sparking was any indication. A klaxon sounded briefly, and the door to the room slid closed, along with blast shields slamming down over the observation windows above.


    Elizabeth frowned, as a burn mark also appeared on the wall, spreading out from one of the missing panels. And whereas at first, the dark scorching had looked like it would follow a single path, it very quickly radiated out, looking more like a trident or a tree branch. Multiple paths. For some reason, that felt significant.


    Elizabeth was so distracted by the image that she didn¡¯t even notice the huge tree trunk that came hurtling at her moments later.


    ***


    ¡°Damn. We¡¯re cut off,¡± Bernard remarked, as the blast shields dropped into place, blocking their view of the three Carries down below.


    Anthony glanced sidelong at Bernard. He was now holding the weapon on Glen, as they had determined that it was an energy pulse set to stun. So it¡¯s not like he was about to fill the Temporal full of holes if Glen tried anything. ¡°Can y-you undo that?¡±


    Bernard shook his head. ¡°Doubt it. Carrie probably fried the hardware.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t there be sensors in that room or something?¡± Amelia guessed.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Bernard yielded. ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to turn them on. So aside from having shut off of the lockdown, there¡¯s not much more I can do. Aside from watch the progress of the resistance, which is what Glen had calibrated the system for.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t help you,¡± Glen said.


    Bernard sighed. ¡°No one even asked you for help.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only making this harder on yourselves,¡± Glen continued. ¡°And harder on Carrie too. You need to surrender now, it¡¯s the only way that girl can have a happy childhood! That¡¯s her ONLY chance, you understand me, you Mundane morons? The ONLY way that you can still live out your dull, pathetic lives, is to give up. So that we can fix Carrie¡¯s mind, retrain her, such that she doesn¡¯t remember how one day she will--"


    Anthony fired, and Glen slumped to the ground, out cold.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Amelia gasped.


    He looked over at his friends and smiled weakly. ¡°It occurred to me that he might be using his mental power more subtly. To w-wear us down. W-We¡¯re all tired of being manipulated, yeah? W-We didn¡¯t need him conscious... right?¡±


    Bernard grinned back. ¡°Good point. Wish I¡¯d thought of that myself.¡± He turned back to the monitors. ¡°I think Luci¡¯s forces will be here in less than five minutes. They can help us out.¡±


    ¡°Weirdly enough, I don¡¯t think Elizabeth has that kind of time,¡± Amelia sighed, looking again towards the blocked windows.


    ***


    Buffy tackled Elizabeth in the nick of time, the tree trunk flying over their heads and slamming into the wall. Elizabeth snapped her gaze over towards the huge object. ¡°Whoa! Where the hell did that come from?¡± she gasped.


    ¡°When the hell,¡± Buffy corrected breathlessly, continuing their roll across the floor. ¡°Reverse banishment, that was a something Carrie knew about, which could be manifested from somewhen.¡± A mist began to appear within the room, making it harder for them to see. ¡°Takes hella energy and concentration though, so I¡¯d say we¡¯re good for at least another ten seconds.¡±


    "You will become me!¡± Carrie shrieked from within the growing fog. ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel these events in my past now.¡±


    ¡°Not good.¡± Buffy swallowed. ¡°Look, Elizabeth, this is where we part ways. I need to strategize.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Pity. It¡¯s been fun,¡± Elizabeth said weakly. She pushed herself back up off the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can come up with a way of dispelling this mist first?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m creating it,¡± Buffy admitted, her golden eyes glowing. ¡°So that it¡¯s harder for Carrie to target. Remember from geography, the foggiest place on Earth, just off Newfoundland?¡±


    Elizabeth blinked. ¡°We¡¯ve already figured out how to reverse banish?¡±


    ¡°Kinda? I¡¯ve had some time to consider, since I told myself about the ability, and fog¡¯s basically air. I really want to turn my concentration back to our Ultimate Paradox though. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Elizabeth clasped herself by the shoulder. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank YOU,¡± Buffy said. ¡°You¡¯re the one who will soon give yourself the key card, after all.¡±


    Elizabeth chuckled, then pulled Buffy back down as another huge tree flew through the fog towards them. ¡°Right, that¡¯s got to stop.¡± She exhaled. ¡°Okay, here goes nothing.¡±


    Launching herself forwards, Elizabeth charged through the fog towards her future self. And, to the increasing annoyance of the temporal powers she tended to keep locked away, away from her destiny.


    So her powers began to push back.

 Part 96a: The Ultimate Paradox

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 96a: THE ULTIMATE PARADOX


    ¡°Missed me,¡± Elizabeth shouted as she charged through the fog, getting near to where she imagined Carrie would be.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not have even more memories of being in hospital, but I will if I have to,¡± Carrie shouted back - with a voice that was far too close.


    Elizabeth back-pedalled, and carefully began to generate a temporal attack in her palms. A blast that she hoped would freeze at a distance, and not be the temporal freezing that required transmission by touch. ¡°You will be banished,¡± she shouted, hoping to continue to keep Carrie¡¯s attention on her, and off Buffy.


    ¡°I can¡¯t banish myself, stupid,¡± Carrie snarked back. ¡°I¡¯m immune!¡±


    ¡°I mean you will be banished from being my future. Ha!¡± Elizabeth retorted. ¡°Because even if you ARE good looking, you¡¯ve got a lousy attitude.¡±


    Something cut through the mist towards her. Elizabeth dropped towards the ground, firing off the charge she''d been generating. Energies collided, spiralling left, and there was a booming sound as they blew out (in?) another part of the wall. Well, that had been pointless. She probably wasn¡¯t going to win this with temporal energy either.


    ¡®Not unless you create a larger charge!'' a part of her insisted then. ''Just give yourself over to it, time is everything, it''s the humanity holding you back... let it go...''


    Elizabeth grit her teeth, and pushed herself back up onto her feet. ¡°Yes, fine, you¡¯re part of me, but I remain in control,¡± she asserted, saying it aloud to put more force behind the thought.


    ¡°No, I¡¯M in control,¡± Carrie¡¯s voice came again. ¡°Because I¡¯ve now worked out how to deal with there being two of you here.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? Kinky, but no thanks,¡± Elizabeth shouted back. She back-pedalled again, knowing every time she spoke she gave away her position - and she nearly stumbled into the wall. Damn it, the mist was disorienting her now.


    ¡°The reason I can affect memories,¡± Carrie continued, as if she hadn¡¯t heard, ¡°is because they¡¯re formed by the passage of time. Meaning, of course, if I can reach into someone¡¯s past and disrupt the particular time when those memories were stored? I can erase, or with a bit more finesse, even alter them.¡±


    Elizabeth tried firing off another blast towards the sound of Carrie¡¯s voice. Carrie simply laughed.


    ¡®You can do better than that. You need to let yourself go.¡¯


    It felt like the temporal side of her was starting to pulse within. Elizabeth did her best to ignore it. She couldn¡¯t fight a war on two fronts. ¡°You going somewhere with this?¡± she hollered.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Carrie¡¯s voice had come from right behind her! Elizabeth spun, but Carrie had already grabbed hold of her arm, twisting it, even as her other hand pinched in at Elizabeth¡¯s chin.


    ¡°Because here I am, RIGHT here, RIGHT now, and I¡¯m about to make both of our pasts an absolute misery unless you surrender. So, do you surrender? Well, Elizabeth, my pathetic defeated teenage self, DO you? Because it¡¯s not too late for us to have a few genuine, happy memories, you know...¡±


    It occurred to Elizabeth then that Carrie was probably homing in on the sound of her own voice, at which point she would jump back in time a few seconds in order to get Elizabeth into this undignified position, and thereby allow herself to home in. Well, wasn¡¯t that clever.


    ¡®Two can play at these games... let it happen...''


    ¡°I¡¯m not surrendering,¡± Elizabeth gasped. ¡°Not to you, nor to my temporal demons!¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ve already lost,¡± Carrie said. ¡°Really, Elizabeth, see sense. Allow me to tweak your memories. That way you won¡¯t realize that when you go back and become your other self in this room? You¡¯ll be working for me. And everything you¡¯ll do will lead us to an outcome here where I am the victor. Where you both gave up."


    Elizabeth brought her heel down as hard as she could on Carrie¡¯s foot, twisting free of her counterpart¡¯s grip - and feeling like she was out of time. She was getting angry, and scared, and confused - soon, if she did much more than jump back to become Buffy? She might indeed lose control. Which she couldn¡¯t afford, her prior self needed the keycard tucked in her waistband. She reached for it - it was still there. In fact, yes, it was time.


    ¡°Know what, Carrie? I forgive you,¡± Elizabeth breathed. ¡°Now pardon me as I..."


    She time slipped back.


    ***


    Carrie growled, as she reached out for Elizabeth a second too late. ¡°Fine,¡± she declared, spinning around to face the mist. ¡°That merely makes it one-on-one again. All too easy.¡±


    ¡°Or not,¡± came a response from somewhere ahead of her. ¡°Because our paradox - I¡¯ve finally figured it out. In fact, it¡¯s not even a paradox at all.¡± The sound of footsteps drew nearer. ¡°Though if it¡¯s any consolation, you were right about one thing.¡±


    And seventeen year old Buffy - or rather, the most up-to-date version of Elizabeth - stepped out of the fog. With her eyes a bright gold, and her blonde hair flowing in waves around her, despite the lack of any wind. ¡°I did end up having to surrender to something.¡±


    ***If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    When the words ¡®accept incoming call?¡¯ appeared on the main screen, Bernard reached out to acknowledge. ¡°Who is this?¡± came Lee¡¯s voice. ¡°Turn on a video link.¡±


    ¡°Um, it¡¯s Bernard? That is, a friend of your resistance,¡± Bernard clarified. ¡°Er, no video available?¡±


    ¡°Huh. Okay. Let me know when Megan¡¯s team gets there?¡±


    Bernard eyed the other feeds. ¡°If you mean the resistance forces, I think they¡¯ll reach the control room in a couple minutes. Looks like there¡¯s no one else left to stop them any more.¡± He turned to Amelia. ¡°Come to think, we¡¯d better prop the door back open, so they can get in.¡± The redhead nodded, moving to replace the mop.


    ¡°And what¡¯s the status on Carrie?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s down in the displacement room. Hopefully incapacitated,¡± Bernard said.


    ¡°Hopefully? Can you maybe sound a little more certain?¡±


    Bernard didn¡¯t answer. He couldn¡¯t - he¡¯d vanished from the room.


    ¡°Amelia!¡± Anthony gasped. ¡°Bernard''s--" The blonde boy disappeared too.


    Amelia turned from where she¡¯d propped the door open. ¡°Uhm... guys?¡±


    The control room remained empty, save for Glen¡¯s unconscious body, until Megan Falls walked in three minutes later.


    ***


    Carrie fired off a temporal blast at Elizabeth. And to her shock and confusion, Elizabeth seemingly absorbed it. How? This teenaged version was too young to know how to do that.


    ¡°See, I figured out what I was trying to tell myself,¡± Elizabeth said airily. ¡°With the apple.¡±


    Carrie readied another blast, a bigger one.


    ¡°I was actually trying to remind myself of the discussion I¡¯d been having the first time I ever pulled off that little trick. Last year for me, ages ago for you.¡±


    Carrie fired off her second blast, one that would bump Elizabeth several minutes into the future, rather than a few seconds. Again, incredibly, Elizabeth absorbed it.


    ¡°It was a talk with Frank about self-consistency,¡± the teenager continued blithely. ¡°Versus multiple time tracks. By which I mean timelines that can branch off from the main one, looking much like the way that circuit burned out into forking paths on the wall there - do you remember that talk at all?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t POSSIBLE,¡± Carrie screamed. She began to form an even bigger charge in her hands. Yes, it was all about power. Power, a power that she had, which her younger self didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Wrong,¡± Elizabeth countered. ¡°This IS possible. What¡¯s really incredible about this whole future is that, despite all of the arguments we made back then... in the end, you latched onto the temporal model of self-consistency? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°No, NO, you can¡¯t,¡± Carrie said with mounting horror. A horror that came from an increasing awareness of what Elizabeth was saying. She tried to make her charge even bigger. ¡°I¡¯ll freeze you and reprogram you. You won¡¯t be able to absorb this. Never in my past have I have EVER been able to absorb something like this!¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you a secret.¡± Elizabeth took a step forwards and leaned in closer to Carrie¡¯s ear. ¡°Not. From. Your. Timeline,¡± she whispered.


    ***


    It had happened the day Frank died, saving Luci¡¯s life. After her consciousness had become trapped inside him. What had shaped that temporal lynchpin?


    Mindylenopia! Oh God, Mindy was the key. By inserting herself into the timeline, Mindy had forced Carrie to power up faster. To learn a technique like banishing sooner. Mindy had moved her abilities along at an accelerated rate - in fact, Glen likely wouldn¡¯t have revealed himself two weeks ago, if not for Mindy! Surely, Mindy¡¯s involvement meant that Elizabeth/Carrie had it somewhere within her to undo this.


    Moreover, she had told Luci/Frank that she would fix things, one way or another. She had meant that.


    And there WAS a way. She saw it now.


    ¡°Go to hell, other me,¡± Elizabeth gasped. Her eyes flashed golden. She felt like she was being torn in two...


    And Carrie gave up. Glen guided her towards the stairs, out of the Dijora house, and out of town.


    And they never returned.


    And Carrie grew up to hate herself even more.


    And later she went back in time and abducted her own pregnant mother.


    And Theresa, after receiving a mysterious mental message about her mission, bided her time through history, ultimately joining the resistance, to ensure that Mindylenopia could go back, so that the split would occur.


    The split that resulted from the fifty year old Carrie facing off against her seventeen year old self.


    ***


    It had happened the day Frank died, saving Luci¡¯s life. After her consciousness had become trapped inside him. What had shaped that temporal lynchpin?


    Mindylenopia! Oh God, Mindy was the key. By inserting herself into the timeline, Mindy had forced Carrie to power up faster. To learn a technique like banishing sooner. Mindy had moved her abilities along at an accelerated rate - in fact, Glen likely wouldn¡¯t have revealed himself two weeks ago, if not for Mindy! Surely, Mindy¡¯s involvement meant that Elizabeth/Carrie had it somewhere within her to undo this.


    Moreover, she had told Luci/Frank that she would fix things, one way or another. She had meant that.


    And there WAS a way. She saw it now.


    ¡°Go to hell, other me,¡± Elizabeth gasped. Her eyes flashed golden. She felt like she was being torn in two...


    And Elizabeth pulled away, vanishing into the time streams.


    And Frank¡¯s life was saved.


    And shortly thereafter, Elizabeth decided to save her mother too.


    So Theresa revealed herself, and the time machine was reconstructed in a car, and her friends came after her, only to have Mindylenopia sacrifice herself back in Miami.


    And from there, Elizabeth was dragged back into the future, to seal the split and reunite the timelines - except they would not be reunited. Could not be reunited.


    Not once Elizabeth had seen a way to defeat her fifty year old self.


    ***


    ¡°STOP!¡± Carrie howled. ¡°There can be only ONE timeline. *MINE*!¡±


    ¡°Lynchpin moments are a bitch, aren¡¯t they?¡± Elizabeth remarked, stepping back. ¡°Turns out we can do more than simply overwrite when targeting one. It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m building up to a timeline separation here, so you¡¯ll have your own future back soon enough. For all the good it will do, given how the resistance is closing in.¡±


    ¡°NO.¡± Carrie continued to charge up the insane amount of energy in her palms. ¡°You can¡¯t. I mean think about it, if you do this - your mother, she¡¯ll be trapped in THIS timeline. Where I dragged her, out of our unified past, and hid her from you. Our mother will be in what you¡¯d call an Alternate Timeline Four. You¡¯ll NEVER see her again.¡±


    Elizabeth stared. She nodded. ¡°I know,¡± she said, sadly.


    In one last ditch effort, Carrie brought her palms up, and released all the temporal energy that she¡¯d been generating, right into Elizabeth¡¯s face.


    Elizabeth simply boomeranged it.


    Carrie fell back onto the ground, her body locked in temporal suspension, her mouth frozen open in an ¡®o¡¯ of surprise.


    Elizabeth stepped forwards. ¡°You¡¯ll get our mom, and an extra teenaged Glen in this alternate timeline. Good for you. As for me?¡± She looked up at the ceiling. ¡°I get my future back.¡±


    The blonde drew in a huge lungful of air, increasing her concentration. Her mental message back through time to this timeline¡¯s Theresa had been sent. She¡¯d shoved her friends back into their present, into the other timeline. Her timeline. What was becoming the true timeline. The only thing left to do was... separation.


    The Earth began to shake all around her.


    It was like that time she¡¯d planned on channelling the destructive force of Shady¡¯s bomb into the time streams, except the sensations felt a hundred times more amazing. For while this alternate future timeline could continue on as it liked, with Megan¡¯s forces in control of the building, Elizabeth/Carrie would be able to rewrite the future of her true timeline. Everything from this point of her life onwards? Would be a complete unknown.


    As such, the Earth around her could be moulded in her image.


    Everyone would have to bow down before her.


    Bow down, because she was a cosmic force.


    No, more than that, at this point she was A TEMPORAL GOD.


    Unyielding. Unbeatable. Unstoppable.


    Carrie Elizabeth Waterson threw back her head and laughed in an insane euphoria. It was time to return to her present. Time to introduce them to their new God.

 Part 96b: The Ultimate Paradox 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    PART 96b: THE ULTIMATE PARADOX 2


    Chartreuse counted to ten before following Frank and Beth around to the front of the library. She watched as the time trippers piled into the time car and, after Frank grabbed the briefcase from the trunk, finally pulled away from the building.


    She then ducked down as the gunman who had fired in their direction ran down the front steps of the library, waving his weapon. The guy managed to prevent a vehicle that had been pulling out of the parking lot from leaving. It was as the guy climbed into the passenger seat, pointing his gun at the driver, that Chartreuse knelt down in the snow, to open the trombone case she was carrying.


    She pulled out the temporal gun. Along with one other item.


    As the gunman¡¯s hijacked car drove out onto the road, there was a flash of light. The driver swerved to avoid hitting the glasses-wearing teenager who had appeared. The car hit a patch of ice and spun out, slamming into a nearby telephone pole. The passenger door was wedged shut in the impact; for the moment, there was nothing to worry about there.


    Chartreuse attached her item onto the recharge port of the gun. She then moved to get herself a good bracing position at the bottom of the staircase, kneeling down, pressing the bottom of her boot back into the concrete pillar. She knew the kickback from the gun would be a problem.


    A second blond man ran out of the library, followed closely by Lee and Luci. The guy dashed down the stairs, and got about three steps further before being clocked in the head by the dictionary Lee had thrown. Their adversary went face first into a snowbank. Not that far away from him, another familiar person appeared from out of nowhere.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Luci gasped. She took the stairs down two at a time, pausing at the bottom. ¡°Chartreuse? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Preparing,¡± she muttered back. She took aim across the parking lot.


    Luci blinked. ¡°When did you end up with the temporal gun? And why is the safety off?¡±


    Luci reached down for it, and Chartreuse slapped her hand away.


    ¡°Chartreuse!¡± Luci said. ¡°You¡¯re being reckless - and what do you have on the recharge port?¡±


    ¡°A battery.¡±


    Luci¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°WHAT? You CANNOT be thinking of charging that thing while you¡¯re firing. That¡¯s INSANE.¡±


    ¡°So is she,¡± Chartreuse whispered.


    A short distance away, Laurie appeared.


    Luci now reached down with both hands, and so Chartreuse shoved her friend back, out of the way. Luci fell into the snow. ¡°Luci, I¡¯ll, you know, explain later, there¡¯s no time now!¡±


    ¡°Why not? Chartreuse, what is going on?¡±


    Chartreuse looked back at the asian girl, and then at Lee, who was helping her stand back up. In that instant, Chartreuse wondered, what if she died here, and never got to explain?


    ¡°Okay, fast version? The day after we, like, talked to Mr. Waterson, I had a vision of today. Looking into it more led me to this experience ten minutes ago, where I used a set of paired relaxation crystals to tell our Carrie to, you know, nudge Mindy¡¯s time car. And now I know that in, like, a few seconds, I¡¯ll have my only chance at saving her.¡±


    Chartreuse looked back across the parking lot. Which was when the blonde teenager appeared, her maniacal laughter echoing eerily around the whole area, her feet starting to lift off the ground as temporal energy sparked all around her, originating at her fingertips.


    Chartreuse fired.


    Energy lanced out of the gun.


    The cackling blonde girl absorbed it. At first.


    Chartreuse never moved her finger off the trigger. Even as her own body was driven back into the concrete post behind her, she continued the sustained burst. Tears sprang to her eyes as she felt an ankle give out with a snap, but she kept the gun up and on target. The battery on the port chirped... and the energy blast continued. Carrie stopped laughing.


    ¡°Chartreuse, stop!¡± Luci shrieked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not losing her again,¡± Chartreuse cried. ¡°Carrie! Carrie, I love you! CARRIE, COME BACK TO ME!¡±


    ¡°Chartreuse, the gun¡¯s overloading!¡± Luci reached out again, only to have Lee pull her back, twisting his body around and using it as a shield.


    The temporal gun exploded in Chartreuse¡¯s hands.


    But not before Carrie¡¯s head had snapped back, her body falling into the snow as the golden light in her eyes faded away.


    ***


    Carrie listened to the voices around her for a minute or two. From the sound of things, she was again in a hospital. And... geez, had the entire temporal group come to pay her a visit? She cracked open an eyelid.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Carrie¡¯s awake now,¡± Luci said immediately.


    Opening her other eye, Carrie was able to make out... well, Luci, Frank, Clarke, Julie, Corry, Laurie, Tim, Lee, and even her own father. But not... ¡°Char-treuse?¡± Carrie croaked out, through dry lips.


    Laurie clasped her hands together. ¡°Carrie immediately wants her girlfriend. The one who saved her soul. Oh my God, all the squee!¡±


    The people closest to the head of the bed moved away, and as Lee did so, he made an elaborate gesture towards the next bed over. Carrie followed his motion, where she saw...


    ¡°Hi Carrie,¡± Chartreuse chirped. ¡°I¡¯d, you know, give a thumbs up, except..." She held up her arm, which had been completely wrapped up in bandages.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Clarke broke in, as Carrie found herself unable to avoid looking horrified. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, in fact we originally came here to see Chartreuse,¡± Corry remarked, crossing his arms. ¡°We didn¡¯t know when you¡¯d wake up. So don¡¯t get a swelled head, Waterson.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± the older Waterson objected.


    Carrie licked her lips, her gaze shifting over to her father. ¡°Dad. Gods, I¡¯m sorry, I never meant to leave you alone in the present for so lon-- geuh, I... I mean..."


    ¡°He knows about the power,¡± Frank reminded Carrie. ¡°There was this whole thing where you had a double named Beth wandering through the school last month? So we kind of had to fill him in?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right.¡± Carrie brought her hand to her forehead. Last month? ¡°What day IS it?¡±


    ¡°January second,¡± Tim supplied. ¡°H-Happy new year.¡±


    ¡°I really hope having no coins means we¡¯ll get a few months before we see more time travellers,¡± Julie observed.


    Carrie exhaled. ¡°Yeah, there... there won¡¯t be any more of that happening. Not now. We¡¯re on a parallel time track now.¡±


    The people around her bed exchanged glances. ¡°Carrie,¡± Frank began. ¡°Based on the temporal theory that a Future Luci explained to me, it¡¯s highly unlikely that multiple time tracks--"


    ¡°TRUST me,¡± Carrie interrupted. ¡°Our Luci¡¯s path itself could be different going forwards. We can talk theory later, but for now, even if anyone from the revised future does try to rewrite us? Believe me when I say I know how to divert them out of our timeline.¡±


    ¡°In a SAFE way, yes?¡± Chartreuse piped up. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want a rerun. Even setting aside the, you know, temporal gun blowing up on me, I had to stick close to Beth last month in order to get a read on her majorly displaced temporal energy. That way I could, like, use it, in order to forecast my way further into the future than I ever have before. And that sort of ¡®vision plus¡¯? Featuring Insane Carrie clarifying the library events I¡¯d seen? Not my, you know, happiest place.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a safe way of dealing with time travellers,¡± Carrie assured. She checked herself. ¡°Actually Chartreuse, we both will. Together.¡±


    Chartreuse beamed.


    Carrie¡¯s gaze shifted back to her father. ¡°Thing is, in this timeline, I can¡¯t bring Mom back. I¡¯m sorry. If it means anything, she was alive, in the future of another timeline... maybe that¡¯s why some part of you felt like Mom never died?¡±


    Hank Waterson flinched. ¡°Oh. Well. Was she happy there?¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know.¡± Carrie¡¯s head hit her pillow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have tried to check in. Hell, maybe I could have even brought her too, I had all that power, it¡¯s just I didn¡¯t even think, I was so focussed on the separation. Dad, I¡¯m so sorry..."


    His hand reached out to squeeze hers. ¡°It¡¯s okay, honey. Let¡¯s assume she was happy, and focus on the present. Because Carrie, you¡¯re what¡¯s important to me right now.¡±


    She squeezed his hand back, and found that she was able to meet his hopeful look with a smile.


    Lee cleared his throat. ¡°Uh, hate to interrupt a moment, but we already DO have two other time travel guys? Arrested at the library?¡± He jerked his thumb towards the window. ¡°Do we worry about them?¡±


    Carrie frowned. ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t. If they were trying to disrupt the awakening of my full potential, it didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve filed a police report there anyway,¡± Mr. Waterson added. ¡°Along with what happened at the library, they¡¯re being charged with the attempted kidnapping of my daughter. Never mind that it was technically that Beth girl at the time.¡±


    ¡°So, like Shady, they¡¯re going to end up in the justice system,¡± Luci mused.


    ¡°S-So what¡¯s next for us then?¡± Tim wondered. ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Carrie groaned. ¡°I pass on doing ANYTHING for the next while. Well, aside from schoolwork, which I guess I¡¯m massively behind on, since my leaving during the talent show.¡± She looked towards Laurie. ¡°Meaning guess what? You¡¯re still in charge of the cheerleading. In fact, if you¡¯re willing, it¡¯s yours for the rest of our senior year.¡±


    Laurie blinked. ¡°Golly. Thanks.¡±


    Carrie smiled. ¡°Just because this new timeline has me staying in town, that¡¯s no reason to take your future away from you.¡±


    ¡°But Laurie¡¯s behind in her schoolwork too,¡± Corry protested. ¡°She left for her fake art camp right after you vanished, Carrie!¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ll work hard,¡± Laurie said, crossing her arms in imitation of her brother. ¡°Plus I have lots of friends who can help. I¡¯m not letting Carrie or the other cheerleaders down, bro!¡±


    ¡°Ooh, watch out, Power Cad,¡± Lee said, chuckling at Corry¡¯s sigh of resignation. ¡°Double V here might end up running the school with the Cross One. Instead of it being you and the Rich Witch.¡±


    Clarke frowned. ¡°Witch? Lee, you might want to consider updating--"


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine, Phil,¡± Julie interrupted. ¡°After all, those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it. The only thing that matters to me right now is how the two of us could work on the time car together. To kind of... find ourselves again.¡±


    She fingered her rose brooch before leaning into him with a smile. Clarke grinned back, raising his arm to encircle Julie¡¯s shoulders.


    Frank turned to Carrie. ¡°That reminds me. We didn¡¯t spot the car anywhere in town. Did you send it back?¡±


    Carrie pressed her hand to her head. ¡°Oops. No, forgot. Didn¡¯t want to do a global removal, or we¡¯d likely have ended up with our Glen again. He¡¯s a headache I don¡¯t need. It¡¯s probably for the best though? No time machine, no time gun, no Temporals, just us, and our normal, everyday lives from this point on.¡±


    ¡°No car and stuff?¡± Laurie moaned, her arms uncrossing. ¡°Golly, I really hope alt-future-Laurie enjoys using my art supplies.¡±


    Mr. Waterson cleared his throat. ¡°Well, as much as I¡¯m enjoying learning more about recent events, unless there¡¯s anything else that¡¯s urgent, I think my daughter and her girlfriend could use their rest.¡±


    Carrie¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Oh. My. God. Dad, NO, do NOT say girlfriend yet, we haven¡¯t really officially - oh NO!¡± She jerked her gaze back over to the adjacent bed. ¡°Chartreuse, you said you had to get close to Beth? Are you saying you two have, like, kissed the way we did, and that the whole school now knows about... about..."


    ¡°No,¡± Chartreuse gasped. ¡°Carrie, you¡¯re, you know, the only one for me. And if you want, no one outside of this room has to, like, know that.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Okay, good.¡± Carrie let out a breath. ¡°I mean, others can know. I just need a few days here, minimum.¡±


    ¡°Confirming it IS a relationship?¡± Luci said, winking.


    ¡°She did say kissed Beth ¡®the way we did¡¯,¡± Corry remarked.


    ¡°Plus there was that whole soul saving they did,¡± Julie observed.


    Carrie felt her face getting warm. She pulled her bedsheets up over her head. ¡°My Dad said it¡¯s rest time. Goodbye now!¡± There were a few chuckles, followed by a shuffling of feet as people started moving away.


    She gave it a good ten seconds, then pulled the sheets back down to her neck. ¡°But before you leave? Thanks. For everything. I mean it.¡± Carrie made a point of meeting each of their gazes with a smile, as they looked back at her. ¡°Because I wouldn¡¯t be here now. Not if it weren¡¯t for each and every one of you.¡±

 Part 96c: Respite 2

    TIME & TIED: RESOLUTION


    ARC 4.4 - Terminated


    "The innumerable possibilities are now in your hands," Frank remarked, coming up to stand beside Carrie.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Here we are, in the world with an unknown future,¡± the blonde mused. She spun the graduation cap she was holding, finally turning away from the school library. ¡°Where really, my hands are no more important than anyone else¡¯s.¡±


    Frank jerked his head back towards where she¡¯d been looking, in the process dislodging his own cap, which he caught. ¡°Were you just thinking about the van crash, the timelines, and Mindylenopia?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Carrie admitted. ¡°And not only her sacrifice in the past. I¡¯ve realized she¡¯ll likely still be a part of our future.¡±


    Frank frowned. ¡°Wait, what? Carrie, our paths are all un-predestined here. Especially for us, two people who never graduated high school in that alternate timeline.¡±


    ¡°Meaning we can change this timeline, Frank,¡± Carrie asserted. ¡°ONE timeline. We didn¡¯t change the nature of the universe. So while our lives will be different, that alien artifact that your Future Luci mentioned? Something tells me that¡¯s a fixed point for us as well. Meaning there will be time travel. Meaning Temporals. Meaning a new Mindylenopia could be born into this future, with a new Glinephanis, and new interferences.¡± She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s how we HANDLE all of those events, that¡¯s what becomes the real difference.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Frank said. He smiled back. ¡°You¡¯re getting good at this temporal theory stuff. And you can peek a few days ahead with your power too, so that¡¯s an advantage if there¡¯s trouble.¡±


    Carrie snorted. ¡°Yeah, but no. One thing Chartreuse and I have kinda decided is to leave future vision scrying to her. I mean, even setting aside the ¡®me seeing only pre-destined things¡¯ problem, if I¡¯ve resolved not to randomly poke my fingers into my own past? Then I should have the courtesy to not to do it to my future self either. Or anyone else¡¯s future selves.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°So you¡¯re renouncing your powers?¡±


    Carrie shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t say THAT.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s merely that you prefer to think about... other things whenever you¡¯re with Chartreuse?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that eith--" Carrie eyed his waggling eyebrows, then reached out to smack him in the arm with her graduation cap. ¡°Seriously? Get your mind out of the gutter.¡±


    Frank chuckled. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just, ever since it became official around the school, you¡¯re both so cagey about how far you¡¯ve actually--"


    ¡°And you KNOW I¡¯ll smack you again if you keep on that topic, right?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, back to time travel. Carrie, what if by not using your powers, you end up making an otherwise avoidable mistake?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll make mistakes.¡± Carrie idly pulled some strands of hair into her fingers, twisting them about. ¡°After all, you only truly learn by messing up, and then correcting things. Assuming you can. Because the alternative? Being told ¡®hey, you have to do this now¡¯? That¡¯s not learning. That¡¯s damn annoying. Whether you¡¯re being told ¡®what to do¡¯ by a future version of yourself or not.¡±


    Frank grinned. ¡°Wise words. For the record, I voted for you. For valedictorian.¡±


    Carrie chuckled. ¡°Thanks. But I¡¯m glad Laurie won instead. I think she¡¯s come further than anyone else did in our four years here. Well, in terms of the stuff normal people get to know about.¡± She dropped her hair and sighed. ¡°We should get going to our designated grad rooms. Keep in touch next year from university, and all that?¡±


    ¡°For sure,¡± Frank agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll message you whenever I¡¯m doing my mathematics homework.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Carrie rolled her eyes. ¡°I said I was considering a MINOR in maths, so that I¡¯m not completely out of the loop on time travel theory and whatever. Kinesiology, that¡¯s where it¡¯s at for me.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean I¡¯ll want someone with cool temporal stories to tell, who can remind me why I¡¯ll want to keep studying this stuff.¡± Frank grinned, then began to walk away, only to pause and gesture. ¡°After you, O Temporal One?¡±


    Carrie shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t inflate my ego. Let¡¯s simply head towards the uncertainties of the future together, okay?¡±


    With a shared nod and a smile, the two teenagers clasped their hands and walked down the school hallway one last time.


    END?

 Author Aside on Resolution

    Final stats and commentary. 96 parts, plus 4 "Author Asides" on each "Book" makes for 100, which is a nice stopping point. Except... the story is not, in fact, over. If you want to read more, I offer the following:


    1. "Touch And Go" is a short story I wrote for Drew Hayes'' site as a guest post. It takes place between Parts 96b and 96c, featuring Carrie, Chartreuse, Azure and Faye. You can find it here (and check out the rest of Drew''s site): http://www.drewhayesnovels.com/guestposts/gw2</a>


    2. I wrote an April Fools update for "Fantasia", which you can find here on RRL (my post is filed at the end). At the same time, Rev Fitz wrote an April Fools update for me, which is posted on my personal site. It takes place after Part 88a, featuring Evil Elder Carrie and Glen: https://mathtans.wordpress.com/2017/04/01/tt4-88b-a-future-darkly/</a>


    3. I also write a story called "Epsilon Project" featuring characters from my stories and roleplay activities, where readers can vote on the plot. Chartreuse was a prominent character in the second storyline entitled "Wish Fulfilment", about a magic world ravaged by wishes coming true. It takes place after part 96c. You can find it here: https://mathtans.wordpress.com/2014/12/06/wish-fulfilment-index/</a>


    4. There is also a sequel. Titled "Time Untied", it looks into the exploits of Carrie in her first year at University. It''s only partly written so far (40,000 words, which is maybe a quarter of the way through), and is unlikely to be posted here. Given how there has been zero feedback through all 26 parts of Book 4 (aside from emliche encouraging me to continue, which was appreciated), and zero voting on any of the four character polls through all November, it''s obvious that, despite good reviews, this story''s not engaging for the RRL audience.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    We had a better run here than we did on Wattpad, where we never got past the first book. Much thanks to my 31 followers, the 3 reviews I got, the 7 additional rankings I was given, and the 9 favourites I received. That''s actually an increase of one favourite since last month, so I guess I''ll call that a win, in the end. We take the victories where we can.


    As promised, statistics, for the curious, or those who want to compare:


    -Average rating 4.8, final rank #879. No doubt that will be lower by the time you read this, because it constantly slides lower as no new rankings are given to T&T. The highest we ever got was #510, back around June 20th, 2017.


    -The first part, 1a, has 1,980 views. Part 1b has 969 views (less than half). Part 2a has 851. By Part 4a we''re down to 551. (All of those have been out for over 9 months.) Part 96, posted last week, has 18 views (for both ''a'' and ''b''). The dropoff doesn''t feel atypical, but what do I know.


    -The poll in Part 23b (fave female) from 8 months ago now has 6 votes. Four for Carrie, and one each for Luci and Chartreuse. The poll in Part 24a (fave male) has 4 votes, all for Frank. By Part 47, the poll (fave overall) managed 5 votes, with three for Luci, and one each for Carrie and Lee. The poll in Part 65b (fave pairing) still had 5 votes, four for Carrie/Chartreuse and one for Carrie/Glen. So we conclude five people were engaged enough to read that far; by Part 69b (fave minor char) we only had one vote, for Azure, and there''s been nothing for the latest polls. (The poll in Part 3a ("do you want a previously segment") ended up 2 votes yes, 2 votes no, and one don''t care.)


    For what it''s worth, here''s MY favourite character rankings, from least to greatest: (12) Tim. (11) Glen. (10) Corry. (9) Clarke. (8) Mindy. (7) Lee. (6) Luci. (5) Julie. (4) Laurie. (3) Frank. (2) Carrie. (1) Chartreuse. It''s crazy how many new scenes in rewrites used Chartreuse; she does return with Carrie in "Time Untied", though as a minor character. At some point in the future, you may be able to find that on my personal site. I''m "mathtans" almost everywhere on the web.


    Thanks again for reading. I''ve enjoyed our "time" together.