Travel cleff

Alex slammed down her book on business in frustration. She HATED reading. Especially on topics she didn’t like.

Alex was a short brunette, with green eyes and freckles. She was a determined girl who usually completed what she set out to do. unfortunately, music was not one of them. Her father wanted her to run a business of her own, not play in a so-called, “stupid” band. Whenever her father told her this, Alex‘s face usually went red and she stormed off to her room on the top floor, where she brooded.

She sighed, exasperated and got up from her chair. Alex walked through her mansion, heading towards the library.

“I wanna play the freaking guitar, not run some crusty old business,” she grumbled.

Alex stepped Through the arched doorway to her relatively small library. There were two hundred books or so in the library, so she was kept busy.

She scanned the shelves for a book on music, though she wouldn’t be surprised if there were none. Her father was a very stubborn man. Despite her doubt, her hand stopped over a big textbook, which had the words, “Music for Bright Minds” on its side in silver letters.

”Jackpot,” Alex whispered.

The book was heavy. She staggered under the weight of the massive textbook. ”I can‘t hold this,” she strained.

Slowly, Alex had trudged over to the podium facing the middle of the room and placed the book down. She put her hands on her knees and took a heaving breath; that book was REALLY heavy.

After catching her breath, she stood and faced the podium. She opened the book to the middle, page 66 to be exact.

Suddenly, there was a deafening rumble that nearly knocked Alex over. She looked to where the noise was coming from and saw that the center of The library was opening up to a spiral staircase.

Once the floor had stopped shaking, Alex crept forward and peered down the opening in the floor. It was dim, only lit by lamps in holes in the wall. As she looked further down, she saw light at the bottom. Curious, she began her decent.

The stairs were rickety and creaked under her weight. As she made her way down, the light became brighter and brighter. Once she had reached the bottom, she found herself in another library, quite larger than the one above her.

Alex scanned the space, amazed that she never knew the room was down there.

She tiptoed forward to the first set of bookshelves. There was a book, obviously recently read, that was sticking out a little more than the rest. The book was titled, “The Making of the Pyramids.”

The title grabbed her attention. She quickly opened the cover and began reading.

”The Pyramids of Giza were built as a peace treaty with the Egyptians. I, President Jared Giza, was leading an excavation on the site of the alien landing. The alien‘s ship had been buried under the ever-hardening sand in Egypt. While the excavation was being prepared, the natives came with their chariots and weapons. They attacked my crew, killing Jon Byres. We managed to take out half the native‘s army with our pulse rifles, but still, the Pharaoh remained. He begged with me to spare the rest of his troops, and we complied. We made a deal. In exchange for their silence, we built them the Pyramids. After we had excavated the alien spacecraft, we built tunnels where the Egyptians would bury their Pharaohs to come, and over top of that, the Pyramids.”

Alex stared at the journal entry in awe. The Pyramids were built by this man, Jared Giza, to keep the Egyptians quiet. As she looked at the plans for the Pyramids, another book caught her eye.

This book was labeled, “The assassination of JFK.” She scanned the pages and read about how Kennedy found out about the “TCA,” and had to be terminated. It also explained who did the dastardly deed and how he got away without a scratch.

Alex put down the book and ran her hand along the continuous line of book spines. It stopped on a book, just labeled, “Roanoake.”

She picked up the book and her eyes landed on the word “liquidated.” Instantly she put the book back and looked across the way at another book, “The Coronavirus Pandemic.”

”That’s happening right now,” Alex breathed. She picked up the book and flipped to the first page.

”The Coronavirus pandemic was designed to rid the world of the senior population of the Earth. The symptoms are dry cough, fever, and shortness of breath. The virus only effects the very old and the very young. Young was not intended. By the end, 37,000 people die.”

Alex gasped. Only about 2,000 we’re dead, last time she checked. Did that mean that 35,000 more would die by the end? Alex didn’t want to think about it.

”Alexis,” a familiar voice said from across the room.

Alex turned and stared in fear at her father. He had a stone cold expression on his face. Alex couldn’t tell whether he was mad or not.

”Dad! I, I can explain—“

“It was about time you found out.”

”Found out about what? Dad, what is all this?!” Alex shouted.

”This is all of the records of history for the TCA,” he answered. “I am the Record Keeper.”

”It talks about how Kennedy was shot! About Roanoake, about the Pyramids!” She exclaimed. “What haven't you been telling me.”

Her dad sighed. “Did you ever wonder why I put you in business?”

”Yes, many times.” Alex crossed her arms nervously.

”You are going to grow up and be a part of the Time Control Association.”

”This is crazy! What else is in here? Huh?!” She screamed.

“All of the unsolved mysteries of the world and more that society’s never heard of,” her dad explained.

Alex stared at her father in shock. That shock slowly morphed into anger.

”Is this where you go off to every month?”

”No. I go to headquarters. To get more files on what’s to come,” he said calmly.

”And what’s to come?”

”That is classified.”

Alex growled. “I’m leaving.”

”I can’t let you leave until you agree to join the association.” her father furrowed his thick brow.

”I won’t. This is madness.”

”So be it.”