From Future Past

Fingernails dug into the bedsheets and a sigh raked through her body as her eyes flung open. She watched her chest heaving and her wonderous wide eyes sparkled with remembrance. Her pale cheeks slowly turned pink and a soft smile was carved onto her face. Susan, what a dream that was! The apparition of herself spoke from above. But I do not believe that was a dream at all, she spoke to herself when her soul returned to her body.

At that moment her young maid walked in, completely unaware that her lady was awake, she hummed a soft tune putting fine teacups into a tray.

"Theresa?" Susan's hoarse voice alerted the maid. She shot up straight and dropped the tray, breaking the teacups. They shattered with an ear-splitting clatter and Susan groaned in discomfort at the sound.

The maid crouched picking up the pieces onto the tray frantically muttering,

"Lady Susan. Lady Susan is awake."

"L-leave that. Come here now," Susan was struggling to get off the bed. Am I sick?

The maid curtseyed, her shaking hands clutching onto her frock and her eyes rimmed with red.

"Help me up now."

Theresa obliged. She rearranged the pillows and assisted the Lady into a sitting position before handing a glass of water to her from the bedside table. After gulping down the water, she spoke with laughter,

"It is rather curious that I feel so stiff. Do you not think? It is as if I haven't moved for a month."

"Madam you have not," the maid fiddled with her fingers as she avoided Susan's gaze.

"Have not what?" her face was suddenly pale again.

"My Lady, you have been in bed for the-the whole of the winter," Theresa's hands shook violently.

Surely, surely, not. But it was a dream, was it not? What if it happens again?

Then she remembered what she had promised to the friends in her dream,

"I will return. I promise. Just as soon as I tell Charlie. I wouldn't want to disappear without telling him now."

She had promised to return.

"C-call for Ch- Mr Campbell r-right this instant!" her voice trembled violently.

"But Madam..."

"Call him!" she shouted. The maid scurried away and soon enough Charlie did come. The door swung open and there he was.

"Susan! Susan! You're awake!" his face gleamed. He brought a chair and sat by her bed, holding her hand in his palms.

"How are you feeling? The doctor could not even say what it was. There were so many, and they all believed differently," he frowned and the dark circles under his eyes and dishevelled hair told Susan she was dearly missed.

"I am fine, I am, and I am sorry for having kept the visit off for so long," she placed her other hand over his and squeezed it gently.

"Visit? What do you mean?" his eyebrows were furrowed and he looked away from her intense gaze.

"All this time I have been in another world, Charlie and..."

"Another world? Susan? You are not well. Rest. ," he slipped his hand out of the grasp and placed the back of his hand against her forehead but she did not have a fever.

"Charlie. You must believe me," she pushed his hand away from her face and spoke in a stern tone which made Charlie smile.

"Charlie! It is not funny," she took her hand back and crossed her arms, looking away from Charlie.

"You really look beautiful," Charlie coaxed. She looked back towards him from the corner of her eyes with furiously red cheeks,

"You must let me finish. You must believe me!"

"Of course, I'll believe that you went to the stars if you tell me so. You being awake is a bigger miracle," Charlie nodded solemnly before taking each of her hands in his.

"Yes, well, I have been to this new world. They tell me it is the future and I believe them. It is beautiful. When you look up, there is no sky but infinitely tall buildings. It is so very beautiful. The streets are filled with brightly coloured signs and so many amazing scents and the women there... Oh my, the women there dress so scandalously," she let out a little giggle. Charlie looked away with a blush.

"But that is normal there and the women can do whatever they please. They work and dance and drink, and they do not even worry about marriage. Their lives are even busier than that of a man's now. I have made some friends there. I met them when I first arrived there. They were shocked to see me. In an attempt to retrieve someone from the past, their machine latched onto my soul. Unfortunately, they were unable to get my body so they made a body for me out of this strong glass. They call is fibreglass. I look almost exactly the same, except that I am taller. Everyone there is so tall. Well, they need my help to make a new machine so that they can get people's bodies too rather than just their soul. Oh, and I also help them get into party places, called clubs, they are quite loud and extravagant. Since I am so innocent looking and genteel, the guards let us pass." Charlie and Susan both chuckled at that.

"You? Genteel? You are so stubborn. I cannot believe it," he teased.

"Neither could I! I told them so and they laughed. Well, now we are to find out how I went from the past to their time because they're not very sure how the machine did it. This was a trial run, to see if one of their theories worked. I suppose it has... S-soon I believe I will go back. Since the conn-, there is something called a 'connection', and that only remains intact for a few hours. I have to return before I get stuck in the 'middle area' so I-I do not have much time," her face was etched with sorrow and she spoke quickly. Charlie looked down onto their intertwined hands and said nothing.

"They say they could even make a time machine. Then maybe you could come too! There are already so many amazing technologies there like a device called the iPhone and Androids and they are making robots. It's all so fascinating. Even still, I told them I must go back to you, and tell you all this. Now that I see the few months I have spent there have also passed her, I-I don't know when I'll be back Charlie," she watched him shake his head in denial and hold her hand painfully tight.

"No.No. I will not let you go. How do expect me to live? There is nothing for me here. Take me with you or else-else I shall die," he suddenly fell onto her lap and let out horrible choking sounds. She stroked his thick black hair. Tears flowed down her face and she felt untimely drowsiness. So soon.

"Charlie. I think I am going now. Please don't cry. I am alive. Are you not happy for me? My love, do you not love me enough to let me go? Look at me, Charlie. I'm sure I will come back soon, tell mother that I am well, b-but you mustn't wait. Get married, have children, be happy and know that I-I am too. Look at me, Charlie. Look at me," she pushed his head up off her lap and made him look into her eyes.

Both their eyes shone with unshed tears.

" I love you, Susan," he gazed longingly into her eyes. She cupped his face in her hands and brushed her thumb against his soft, pink lips.

" I love you, Charlie." She leaned forward and captured his lips with breathtaking intensity, until the last moment, her hands were tangled in his hair and his hands pressing against her back, but the drowsiness passed through her once again. Her hands fell by her side, and her head fell back. Charlie placed her back onto the bed and pressed his forehead against hers.

"You better visit soon my love," he smiled through his tears.