Running towards the past

It was the fall season.The leaves were crisp orange, dry and were pelting down from trees.The air tinged with mystery.The flowers faded away as the birds stopped tweeting merrily.The clouds and the sky were a dull grey and looked thunderous as if, in a bad mood.Children were going around; preparing for trick or treat and the atmosphere was chilly as a gust of wind leapt through behind the branches.

There were many people in the eateries nearby and very few people roamed outside in this chilly evening.Fires shown inside the restaurants but freezing cold.It was unusually quiet in this part of the city and all of a sudden, out of nowhere appeared a teenage girl.

She had a sallow, yellow face with a greyish tinge upon her skin.her eyes were a deep piercing blue with a look of misery.She had long brown curls in her neck and light eye bags under her eyes and was wearing a brown trench coat with ripped jeans and a worn out shoe.She was a supple and slim figure.

I just came in from a two hour road trip from Mississippi to Kentucky, where my father's funeral was. My dad passed away three years ago and my mum left the world after I was born. I just couldn't accept what fate had for me, it seemed like my dad was here just yesterday and today, vanquished without a trace.Even my aunt and uncle couldn't believe it had been three years.The most familiar memory I had of him was when we went apple picking and he was about to tell me something serious until it started raining. My aunt and uncle were coming later and I wanted to be there for my dad to pray for him in the after life.

I trudged down a narrow alleyway through the pelting rain above.As I walked down I passed by what looked like an antique shop but an odd looking machine caught my eye. Even though the shop was dark and gave me eerie vibes I brushed it away and went inside. The bells above jangled and no one was at the cash counter. "Hello?!,"I asked nervously.It didn't seem that anyone was about so I decided to venture deeper in this store.As I walked, I saw tons of crystal balls, expensive jewellery, shelves of unknown looking objects.The lights were dimmed above the dark blue ceiling.

It was then I saw it. The same odd looking machine.I edged closer and pushed upon the glass door to enter it. Honestly, it looked like the machine to build a spaceship with black screens and a bunch of random buttons with numbers.What I saw next made my heart drop to the floor like lightning. It said"Time machine, choose how many years you want to go back"

I was baffled and my heart was pounding like a drum in my chest,"Was this even real or could it just be a hoax?,"I tried to think rationally but it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.With trembling fingers I pressed the button 3y which probably meant to go 3 years back.

The entire machine began to vibrate.Blood started pounding in my ears as the machine began to spin and everything was blurry.I cried out for help as I was being thrashed aside on to the machine but no one heard me and everything instantly went black.

I stirred, my head hurting as though it had been shot. With a lot of difficulty I got up and managed to see my surroundings.A cool breeze gushed across my face and the sun seemed to be smiling upon me.The lush green hills swayed below and birds tweeted merrily amongst the high tree tops.The road sign read 'Chestnut Lane'

I froze, paralyzed with shock.This was were me and my father used to live."How was this possible?,"I wondered allowed."Sarah!!," a voice called out and I almost tripped over the hills.My heart jumped my throat as I edged closer and closer to the voice.Then when I got nearer I saw the same house I used to live with my dad years ago.The sweet smelling flowers, the whistle going off, the tree leaves falling and my dad's loving voice.This couldn't be... I pinched myself but I never woke up.This was real, in alternate reality perhaps.

I saw the 11 year old me coming as I walked up to my dad.I tried screaming to him that I was here but, he couldn't hear the future me, like I was invisible.Then I saw the younger me and my dad chatting while picking our best apples and laughing.Tears welled up in my eyes to see my dad in person again.We looked so cheerful until it came to the moment where my dad was about tell me.The same something he never told me 3 years ago.To my astonishment it didn't rain.

The suspense in the air was bursted when he said gravely" Sarah, I have got something very important to tell you. I think the time has come.Your mom never did die.She's in the Avenue mental hospital as she faced psychological issues after giving birth to you.Even now she still thinks you're a baby,"he started sobbing. Before I even had time to react.Everything started spinning around, my dad's sobs echoed, the cold wind leapt across my face making me feel breathless and I was knocked out cold.

I woke up at dazed at my surroundings.I was a few metres apart from that alleyway. Questions swarmed my mind like honeybees.Did I just travel back in time? Why was the secret of my mom kept from me? I felt energetic, if this turned out to be true, I would really able to see her, even if she was insane.I realised I was late for my dad's funeral and rushed to that street, why didn't my dad convey it to me before he passed away?

Apparently after the funeral my aunt and uncle noticed my being rather sombre and enquired about it.When I told my mom there eyes were widened and shock was clearly displayed on their face. "How did you know", he whispered. I didn't reply, none of them bothered to tell me and I was hurt to the heart.I ran away to that mental hospital as I had passed it before.Butterflies swarmed in my stomach.I went over to the reception desk and asked about my mom(Her name was Nina Williams), slowly dreading the answer it had been a dream.

I was astounded when she told me where my mom was. I walked slowly, the environment becoming more mysterious the entire hallway was quiet and smelled of mothballs with sick patients being strolled around. I opened the room which the receptionist told me my mom was in.Then I saw her.She looked bedridden, hair all over the place but she still had warmth in her eyes. "Mom!!,"I cried as I hugged her. All those years, I thought.Even though my mom didn't recognize me I was happy enough to be with her, this was a dream come true.

As I went back in the evening in blissful happiness, I wondered who owned that time machine.I trudged over but to my bewilderment, it wasn't there.It was like the shop never existed.I had wanted to know more secrets if I could have.Had I dreamt it all and somehow got the secret of my mom?Or was there something where more depths of secrets lurked behind those walls?