Forward In Time

 Kelsey Rose Brown didn't like being around her crazy uncle, let alone him and her cousin Alex. Her parents were moving but they didn't want her to be in the way, so she was forced to go live with them. Alex was super annoying. He was a year older than her, making him 16.

When she arrived at their house, no one answered the door. She knocked twice more and decided to just push open the door.

“Hello Brown” groaned Alex. “Oh shut up” Kelsey replied. “Whatever. Your room is downstairs in the basement” he continued “Also, don't go into the attic. My dad doesn't want anyone up there for whatever reason” Alex pointed towards the stairs going down. “Your room is down there” So Kelsey grabbed her bags and walked down the stairs.

The first thing she noticed was a door, painted bright pink with purple polka dots. And to make matters worse, this was her room for the weeks she was staying here. She groaned and opened the door.

“BOO!” yelled Alex from behind her. “Nice try” she grumbled. She put her bags on the bed as looked at her cousin. “Hey, what is your dad hiding up there anyway?” she asked. “I don't know, he won't even let me go up there. It is strictly forbidden” he answered. He sat down on an old chair. “You know, if we are going to live together, we have to get along. I have an idea” Alex looked at her with a grin.

*********

Kelsey's uncle, Phil called them for dinner. “Don't mind his meals” Alex said “They aren't the greatest” he frowned. They walked into the dining room and sat down beside each other. “Remember, don't let Phil know the plan” Alex whispered.

They ate dinner and headed to bed. Kelsey had a shower and brushed her teeth. She crawled into bed and called her mom to say goodnight. And hour later she flicked off her light.

“Kelsey!” Alex whisper-yelled. Kelsey rubbed her eyes. “I just fell asleep” she groaned and swatted him on the head. “Whatever, are you going with the plan or not” Alex asked. “Coming. I have a flashlight, just give me a second” she replied.

They crept up the basement stairs and onto the main floor. Kelsey's bouncy black ponytail flipped into her face and she and Alex ran through the living room. “That's the attic stairs” he pointed at a couple boxes. “Huh?” “They are behind there” they walked to the stack and started moving the boxes.

When they were finally done, the stairs showed. Alex went first and Kelsey went behind him. CREEK. The attic door opened. They crawled up into the small room. “Woahh,” they both said looking around. “Don't touch anything” Alex whispered.

They walked around the room. Uncle Phil, the inventor. It sounded so weird. There was one thing that caught Alex's eye. It was so simple. A little necklace. “Hey, look what I found,” he said, grabbing Kelsey and pulling her towards it. “It's a necklace,” she told him. “Well, yeah. But what do you think it does?” “I don't know. I can try it. Just hold onto me just in case it does something” Kelsey hooked the necklace around her neck. “What's happening?” she yelled. There was a sudden wind and they both woke up on a bench. “Get off the bench you rascals! The park is closed!” a man yelled in Kelsey's ear. “Huh?” Alex adjusted himself and rubbed his eyes. “You heard me!” yelled the man. Kelsey and Alex grabbed each other and ran out of the park.

“Where are we?” Kelsey asked. “I don't know. But how could we get here?” Alex looked at her neck. “The necklace!” he whispered. “What's the date?” Kelsey asked. “What do you mean? It's the 18th of 2030” Alex replied, with a confused frown. “No no, check your phone, mine is my room still” Kelsey insisted. Alex pulled out his phone. He looked at Kelsey, his eyes wide. “7:19am of 2200. 20th. What is going on?” “I don't know. But that is a time travel necklace.

Alex and Kelsey looked at there surroundings. There was a kid on a hover-bike headed to school. And the cars were hovering above the ground too! “What's that noise?” asked Kelsey. It sounded like a school bell. “Come on, let's follow the kid on the bike,” Alex told her, grabbing her hand once again and dragging her toward the school. “But we can't learn about what happens in our future-” she protested. “No no. That's not why. I want to know if the 2020 pandemic is still in history books. Pleeeease?”

“Stop talking like a baby, your 16. And fine we can go” Kelsey declared.

They arrived at the school. The building was a normal school on the outside, brick walls, and metal doors. But when they pushed open the heavy metal door, it was much different.

The floors were glass, looking into the basement. There was one square on the floor that was not glass. Under it was the bathrooms. The lockers were big. Alex took a peek into one, and there was a pet fish inside! It was hooked up to the classroom behind the wall.

They continued to follow the boy to his classroom. It looked very much like a history class. There were textbooks with all sorts of dates on the spine. “Oh look! It says 2020 Global Pandemic on it!” Alex pointed.

“Excuse me. But who are you?” asked the male teacher. “I'm Alexander Phil Peterson,” he said, looking at Kelsey with a grin. “Don't joke like that, he was a bad man. See me after class, but take a seat. You” he pointed at Kelsey “must be a new student too. Both of you take a seat” he looked at Kelsey again. “What's your name young lady?” he asked. “I'm Kelsey Brown. What is your name again sir? I come from a long line of bad memory” asked Kelsey, pretending that she knew his name. “I'm Mr. Andrew” he replied.

As they sat down, Kelsey looked at Alex. “He must be mistaken” Alex stammered. “I can't possibly do anything that bad” “Ha!” Kelsey said jokingly. “Shh!” the teacher demanded.

They both sat in their desk, bored, trying not to listen to what the teacher was saying. Kelsey pulled a sheet of paper from her desk and scribbled a note onto it.

We can't sit in this class but we can't leave. We can't

know about the future.

Alex took the note and scribbled “yes” onto it.

Alex and Kelsey stayed quiet until one sentence caught their attention. “It is time to learn about Alex Phil Peterson” Mr. Andrew looked at Alex. “I never got your real name,” he said to Alex. “Josh Martin” he made up on the spot. “OK thank you” Mr. Andrew replied. “And I'm Marie” Kelsey added.

The lesson started. Alex and Kelsey paid close attention. “You would all know that Alex was a bad man and he did many things wrong. He was a thief. I will now be handing out textbooks on him” Mr. Andrew stated. He handed them out, one to each student. “OK. Now that every one of you has some information in your hands, please flip to page 21” Mr. Andrew said.

Alex (Josh) and Kelsey (Marie) started to read.

Alex Phil Peterson is known for his massive robberies. He robbed all of the banks from New York to Texas. At 4 am on July 16th, 2059

he was finally caught. He had a team but they were not caught until 5 years later, after fleeing to Mexico. Peterson was put in jail until he was 65. He was released, due to mental and physical health. He left to a private

Mental Hospital, where he was then poisoned by his caretaker.

Kelsey gasped. “Have you all finished reading yet?” asked Mr. Andrew. The class nodded. “The bell for a break will be going soon, make sure to fill out this paper on him. And remember, John, I will be seeing you soon” Mr. Andrew said.

They filled out their papers on him. The bell for break finally rang. “I'll meet you by the door we came in” Kelsey told her cousin “and good luck” She left the classroom leaving Alex alone with the teacher. Alex tried to plan out everything in his head.

“You should know not to joke about Peterson, Martin. He was not a good man” Mr. Andrew stated. “Yes but he didn't deserve to be poisoned” Alex protested. “He did. He robbed many banks and was even accused of murder” “It didn't say that in the article” “Stop arguing with me. You are dismissed” he commanded “and will I be seeing you tomorrow?” he asked. “No. I am a one-time student. Goodbye”

Alex left the classroom.

Sure enough, Kelsey was waiting outside. “That's unbelievable” Kelsey scolded “I can't believe that you would leave Canada to rob banks in New York and Texas. That is just crazy!” “But how would I know that I-” Alex stammered. “And then to flee to Mexico!” Kelsey finished. “Let's go” Alex declared. He started walking back to the park.

“You still have the necklace, right?” asked Alex. “Yeah, of course,” Kelsey replied, annoyed at him. “OK, I want to go home and go to bed” Alex sighed. “Stop being a baby, I want to look around” Kelsey groaned. “You aren't the evil guy here” Alex mumbled. “Fine, we can go back, but how much time has passed at home, we can't let your dad know we snooped in the attic,” she said to him, starting to get stressed. “OK,” He grabbed his cousin's hand “3.....2.....1” The great wind came again and soon they woke up on the floor of the attic, with Uncle Phil staring over them. “You are late to breakfast” Uncle Phil glared at Alex. “I have told you so many times not to go in the attic” he started to yell, but then his voice fell silent “you must not tell a single soul that time travel exists” “OK, dad” Alex stammered. Kelsey nodded. “I was in the same time as you were in once. I pretended to be a new teacher. I heard the history teacher talking about you, Alex. I will make sure that never happens” he said, giving them both a smile.

They enjoyed their breakfast of pancakes and fresh strawberries,

Two weeks passed and no one spoke about the time travel. Kelsey was sleeping when she heard her mom's voice. She got up out of bed and got dressed. She headed upstairs to greet her parents.