Future History

Chapter1

I looked at the clock 'only twenty past two' I thought to myself. I put my head back on the pillow and tried to go back to sleep. As I lay awake wondering how something as small this could affect my whole life, I began to think of what I had done. Claudia had told me not to go back, but I had to think that I would be alright, of course I wouldn't be alright I was with Helen, nothing is ever right with her.

Chapter 2

I first met Claudia Brown near the forest of dean. We were both in the same bar investigating an unusual creature sighting, I was just there minding my own business when I felt a tap on my shoulder and I heard very sweet "excuse me" as I turned round a brown haired woman was kissing me. I was shocked... who was this woman. As she stopped she gave me an explanation, she had told some weird man that I was her boyfriend, what could I say... glad to be of help? As I offered a handshake and my name she interrupted and said she already knew who I was and rapidly went onto business. As she spoke I got lost into her brown eyes, trying to pretend I heard everything she said she asked me "your not really giving this whole monster story any credibility are you?" Being Nick Cutter I defended my name by saying everything had to be checked out, with this I invited her to come on the search with me and my lab technician Stephen and a student I had met earlier Connor Temple. When I came back with a girl from the home office and not a drop of water for the two guys their faces were shocked and I have to say slightly pissed off.

As we entered the forest to search for this so called monster I couldn't help feeling an overwhelming amount of thoughts for Claudia, she was standing beside me and all I could feel was my hand and her hand occasionally brushing against each other. My mind was soon side tracked by an alarmingly call from Connor, what we saw was a cow from a tree, it had been placed ... this was no hoax or a wild predator this was something bigger and I didn't think it was here for the scenery.

As we continued walking my flashlight caught something it was, a monster, not the ones you see in films like a real prehistoric monster, I was in ore. This animal had been extinct millions of years ago how did it get here? As we all stood still, thinking this is the creature that caused the damage and the cow in the tree, my flash light caught something else, it was a girl, I told her to stay still and I walked towards her she introduced herself as Abby Maitland a reptile keeper at wellington zoo. I got closer to her I saw a strange lizard by her feet, it didn't look like an average lizard... it wasn't an average lizard it was another prehistoric creature, I was baffled I looked over at Claudia I gave her a big grin and she gave me an uneasy smile. She asked me what we should do and if we should kill the creature I said no It didn't do the damage she said "You don't know that" Abby backed me by saying I could know because the creature we had found was a vegetarian, this sent shivers down my spine if this creature didn't cause the damage. What did?

Abby began to tell me where she had got the lizard from. I young boy had found it the forest we decided to go talk to him. When we got there his room was a mess he started talking about a dinosaur attacking him his mother was getting furious with him, of course we believed him, at what I had just seen I would have believed anything. He said that he had saw the past through a flicking hole he said it was like glass floating with the sun reflecting light onto it, I couldn't help thinking that this might had been where the creatures had come from. When the boy told me about the past me and Claudia turned and looked at each other and I knew we both shared the same thought and it was find that hole! We walked out and entered back into the forest, if the creature we had found earlier knew where it was we were about to find out as well.

We got back to where Stephen and Connor were waiting we began to make the animal distressed so we could get it to show us where this hole... where this... anomaly as I called it was. We chased this animal and as we followed it we saw it enter back through the anomaly that the boy has so vividly described. Claudia turned to me with a worried tone and said "where's it gone" I replied "home."

Me, Claudia and Abby had to leave the scene to go to the home office, me and Abby had to sign the official secrets act, while the government crawled all over the site. As I was in the office with the document in front of me I looked up and saw Claudia, I smiled at her she smiled back our eyes met and then, she turned away.

The door opened and a man in an Italian suit walked in. James Leicester. He looked like a pole had been severely pushed up his arse, and was stuck there. He told me to tell him what had happened and what was going on, I told him everything I knew and I told him we should put the creatures back through the anomaly and wait for it to... if it ever did close. He reluctantly approved my "mission" if you will through the anomaly; little did he know I had no intention of coming back.

Chapter 3

Eight years before this creature sitting I had a wife, Helen. Eight years ago she disappeared in the forest of dean, her body was never found, no blood no clues nothing. This was my only explanation for her disappearance; she must have found the anomaly and gone through it and if it was the last thing I did I was going to find her.

As I suited up to go through the anomaly Abby passed me the lizard, a solider called Ryan was to accompany me through, I heard Claudia say whatever you do bring him back. I was thinking good luck with that mate! We walked through. I was astounded I was just in the 21st century and now I was in the prehistoric times! I and Ryan walked, we saw a camp, there was a camera with HC written on them it was Helen, and she had been here.

An hour passed he told me we had to go, I refused I ad to find Helen. He hit me. I got knocked out he carried me up the hill. As I began to come around I struggled off his shoulder and sat down, "I can't go back" I screamed

"You have too" he said

"I have to find my wife"

"Fine you stay I stay"

"Well that's just really immature" I said to him the anomaly began to close as it started to fade I said come on then, and we ran up the rest of the hill and jumped through just as it got weaker. Claudia came up to me with a beaming smile, which I repaid her with a hostile scowl, she looked hurt. I said to her "My wife is still there"

"There's nothing I can do Nick" she replied sincerely, again she looked hurt, all today I had been give her signals, signals that I meant and then to almost stay on the other side of that anomaly, I couldn't imagine what I had done to her.

There was a sigh of relief in the atmosphere, we were all fine, but wait. What about he predator? We heard a low roar, I turned around there it was the predator we all began to run. I heard a scream behind me. It was Claudia. She had tripped, I ran back screaming her name, I grabbed her and pulled her to the side protecting her, the creature had run back through the anomaly and it had shut. We looked up, I looked at her she looked at me I could feel fire burning inside of me, we sat here just for a few seconds, until Stephen came back and helped us up, I looked at Claudia

"Are you okay?"

"Yes thanks to you" she gave me a smile titled her head down and pushed her hair out of her face. She brushed herself down and began to walk away I told Stephen to go help Abby and I walked in front of Claudia

"So do you need a lift home?"

"What would make you think that Nick?"

"I was just wondering since your car has been crushed by the creature that nearly killed you"

"Oh, then yes I guess I do need a lift"

"Come on" I smiled to her

I drove Claudia home, with awkward silences every second on the way. When we pulled up outside her house I gave her a kiss on the cheek and said goodbye, she gave a smile and got out.

"Thank you, I guess I'll see you tomorrow"

"Really? Why?"

"Work, Leicester offered you that job?"

"Oh yeh" I smiled and drove off.

Chapter 4

The next day I was looking forward to seeing Claudia again, I was willing to make an effort, after what had almost happened yesterday I didn't want to feel I hurt her anymore. I put on my best blue jeans, spiked my hair just right and drove to walk trying to figure out what to say when I saw her eyes, her hair, and her freckles.

When I walked into the home office Stephen, Abby and Connor were already there which left one question...where was Claudia?

Around ten minutes later Claudia walked in, she looked upset, like she had been crying I needed to speak to her, after yesterday I had to be there.

After Leicester had given us a brief, I pulled Claudia into the locker rooms her head dropped, I lifted her head, I looked into her eyes and a tear rolled down her face, then she bursts into tears. She wrapped her arms around my neck, I put my hands around her waist and gave her a hug, we just stood there, like it was just natural, I felt like I had something to live for again. After 5 minutes she slowly took her hands from my neck, and she sat on the bench and bowed her head again. She pulled a tissue from her pocket and dabbed away her tears, "Sorry about this" she said.

"Don't worry about it" I replied placing my hand into hers. She looked up and smiled weakly. The door opened I stood up letting go of Claudia's hand. It was Stephen he told me Leicester need to see me so I left, I turned around and smiled at Claudia, she didn't look up. Five minutes later Stephen and Claudia came out of the locker room. Claudia's emotions looked different, she was still upset but she looked angry, I thought "What now?" I walked up to her "Are you okay now?"

"Yep" she replied with a vicious tone

"Oh good do want to get something to eat later?"

"Sorry Cutter I'm busy and I believe you have a wife to worry about" she walked away.

I was stunned who could of told her about Helen?

I thought about Claudia all day, how could she have known? Then I realized it couldn't have been could it? Stephen. It had to be him he was only the other person who I told, I was fuming, I walked up to him... "Did you tell Claudia about yesterday?"

"I had to you were getting close I didn't want her to get hurt"

"You had no right, it's my business keep out of it" I walked away searching for Claudia everywhere, I peered over the balcony and saw her signing out.

I ran down the stairs getting to her just in time "Claudia wait" she let go of the door and turned around stood with her arms folded... "What nick? Do you want me to make a bigger fool out of myself, you almost stayed there! What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry I didn't want you to find out but I came back didn't I?"

"Why nick, for what? If you whole life was Helen then why didn't you stay did you some back so you can make me feel even more inferior than I all ready feel?"

"Claudia, please just forget yesterday" she bowed her head and pushed her hair out of her face, my eyes were locked on her she tilted her head to the side and said "So where do we go from here Nick?" she smiled weakly.

"I say we grab something to eat I'm starved"

She laughed "Okay that sounds good"

"Yeh?"

"Yeh come on lets go"

We walked out of the building and went to Luigi's. We talked and smiled and talked and smiled and I'd get lost into her brown eyes all over again. I walked Claudia home we stood outside herself in an awkward silence, she went to go into her gate when I stepped in front of her I put hands around her waist again, she put her arms around my neck.

"Déjà vu or what" she said.

"Yes but this time you smiling not crying"

"I have to admit I was smiling a bit before" she laughed and put her head on my chest, I looked at her she looked at me and I leaned in for one kiss. We stood in the dark for what seemed like forever, just standing there, hugging, and kissing. It felt so good to have someone to hold again, someone who felt the same way did, to have someone you look up at you and smiles because she's seen your face. After a while she spoke softly, "So... this is going to fun at work"

"Well, we'll have to see tomorrow won't we?" I smiled and gave her one last kiss, I gave her one last hug, where she buried her head into my shoulder, I rested my head on hers, my eyes looked up and I saw her. Across the road. It was her. Helen. She was just standing there I closed me eyes shut and when I opened them she was gone, I kissed Claudia on the head and she walked up her stairs opened her door and walked into her house she turned round smiled and I smiled back, she shut her door and I walked away.

Chapter 5

The next day I went to meet Claudia before work. I knocked on her door she opened it, her beauty over through me it hadn't even been twenty four hours since I last saw her but it felt like a life time. She smiled at me, I smiled back. I walked up the stairs, gave her a hug and I kiss, the same way I had yesterday, we just stood there, I felt myself overwhelmed, I had knew this girl for two days yet, I felt myself falling for her. We stopped standing in the doorway and began to walk, our hands just occasionally brushing, after the fifth I time I decided it was now or never so I took her hand and we carried on walking I looked over at Claudia and she had a smile all over her face.

After breakfast me and Claudia began to walk to the home office, suddenly Claudia stopped she pulled my arm back and kissed me. She brought her my face close to hers "what was that for" I said laughing, she laughed as well "Listen Nick I'm really happy for us to see each other, but I need time to process what's going on is there anyway we can keep this between us for a while?"

"Anything you want" I went to kiss her when my pager went off she sighed

"Leicester"

"Yeh, look I've got to go I'll see you in about ten minutes"

"Yeh, see you in a bit" I gave her a kiss and began to walk on my own to work."

When I got to the home office, Leicester wanted to brief us, he asked me if I'd seen Claudia, remembering what she asked, I said I hadn't seen her since yesterday.

About five minutes later Claudia walked in, I would casually look over to her and I saw her look at me a few times as well, even though she wouldn't admit it, I think Stephen might have noticed because when the brief was over he didn't wait up.

Claudia was standing outside of the locker rooms making sure that the anomaly site was sealed so nothing could leek to the press, she leaned on door, I opened the door I heard her gasp, I grabbed her waist turned her around and kissed her. "What was that for?" she said, I just laughed and carried holding her "Let go someone will see us" she said it in a jokingly tone.

"Come on take a walk on the wild side" I picked her up and kissed her, and then let her go.

"Do you want to go out tonight?"

"Sure" I gave her one last kiss and went to get the equipment sorted while Claudia went to the anomaly site.

When we got to the site we found a teranodon, we thought it had killed a golfer, but as it turned out it was a vegetarian, as we tried to bring it back to euthanize it, it hit Claudia, I was petrified I thought it was going to kill her. As she came round, I told Stephen to go and check on teranodon, when she woke up she was panicking, I hugged her tight and told her she was fine, I asked her If she had any funny feelings or sensations "Just the one thing"

"What's that?" I said smiling thinking she was joking around.

"I can't see" my eyes widened.

"Okay... how much can you see?"

"I can see a little its getting better"

"See you'll be fine"

"Nick, if the creature was a vegetarian...what killed the golfer?" just then I heard a tapping, I looked up, a swarm of dinosaur piranhas pecking at the glass roof. "Claudia we've got to go"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Lets ask questions later" I grabbed Claudia and jumped away from the glass roof, we ran into a different room and locked the door. I got my phone out, it was out of battery "Damn thing there's got to be a phone round here somewhere"

"You've got to go and I find one" she whispered

"I'm coming back" I kissed her like it was the last time I would. I walked out of the hotel with an attitude of "I'm going back for her"

I ran to the ambulance when I heard a huge explosion. It was the hotel it had blew up. "Claudia Brown" she was still in there.

Stephen ran up to me "What happened?"

"I don't know, but I have to get Claudia out"

"Nick... wait for the professionals, let them do there job"

"Claudia might be dead and you want me to wait for the professionals?" with this I ran towards the burning inferno, I ran into the room where I had left Claudia she wasn't there. Where could she be? I saw a door in the room I went through the door it led to the kitchen, it was in flames, I saw another door on the other side of the room, I saw a foot. I screamed Claudia's name. I found a way around the flames and opened the door; there was Claudia on the floor, her head bleeding, I checked to see if she was still breathing, her pulse was barely going, I picked Claudia up and carried her out of the hotel and into an ambulance, my heart had stopped beating, I had only just found her and thought of losing her was unbearable, if she died it was my fault and I couldn't live with that.

When we got to hospital Claudia was checked out it was established that she would be okay, they said she had a mild concussion and a sprained ankle and should recover in a few days and that someone should keep a close eye on her. When she woke up it was around ten o'clock she stroked my hair and said my name as softly as when I first heard it. I woke up and held her hand tight "hey how are you feeling" she didn't reply "Claudia what is it?"

"After you left" she began croakily "A woman saved me"

"What do you mean a woman?"

"I think her name was Helen"

My eyes widened "Claudia what was her last name"

"I...I don't know, its all kind of blurry, does it really matter?"

I put on a fake smile "You're all right that all that matters. Now get some sleep" I kissed her hand softly and left her to rest I walked out of the room, could it really of been that Helen could it of been my wife?

The next day Claudia was discharged, a doctor had told her that she had to have a close eye on her, "I can take care of myself" she said

"I'm sorry Miss Brown, but you've already had someone volunteer" I waved my hand

"Miss Brown if you care to get in the car" I winked at her

"Nick you don't ha-"

"I insist"

I drove Claudia to my house and helped her out of the car, "Nick you really don't have to do this" she took a step back and put her hand to head.

"Err I think I do" she gave me a weak smile, and fell forward into my arms. I carried her to the guest room and lay her on the bed. I let her sleep and went downstairs.