A Trip To The Past

The year, 2008. The date, March 28th. The time, 12:30 a.m. Destination, the past.

"So, you ready to test this thing?" asked Jeff, motioning towards the time car.

"Ugh… Jeff, this had better be worth it, waking up to go to this Philadelphia Airport landing strip in the middle of the night, just to drive a car," I said, sleepily.

"Not just any car, a time car!" he said, excitedly.

"Whatever," I said, getting into the passenger's seat of the car. Jeff got in the driver's seat.

"Any suggestions on our first destinations?" he asked.

"How about the American Revolution?" I asked.

"Ah. Good choice," he said, punching numbers into a panel.

He shifted the gear into drive. The car started moving. When it reached 88 mph, blue electricity surrounded us. Suddenly, we found ourselves in a space-time void.

"I'ma roll down the windows," said Jeff.

He did so. All of a sudden, he was sucked out. I clung onto my seat and rolled the window up. I looked out the window and saw Jeff float away until he was a tiny speck. Suddenly, I found myself in the woods. I jumped into the driver's seat and veered away from the trees until I reached the Delaware River. A man got out of a boat with other men around him. I accidentally ran over the man.

"What is that thing?" asked one of the men. "It killed our leader".

I clambered out of the car to look at what I hit. I looked at the body under my wheels. I immediately recognized it. "OH MY GOD!!", I screamed. "I RAN OVER GEORGE WASHINGTON!"

"Who are you, boy?" asked a man.

"Ummm. Jack Wayne.," I replied.

"Well," said another man. "Unless you know some war tactics, our army is doomed. You crushed our leader with……with……whatever that thing is!" He pointed to my time car.

"Okay, dude. First off, it's called a car. Automobile. A no-horse buggy. Second, I'm sorry for running over your general, but I don't belong in this time," I said, getting into the car. "Now, farewell!" I started the car, but it wouldn't move. The tires made a screeching sound. "Stop that screeching!" said a man. "You'll blow our cover!"

"Cover? From who-," I started to ask, but was cut off from the cracking of a rifle.

The men drew their rifles. "From the Redcoats, that's what!" shouted the man.

"Oh, SHOOT!" I said, getting out of the car. I pushed my car out of the snow it was jammed into, bullets whizzing by me. I got in the car, and just before they shot at my window, I went into the space-time void. I soon entered the airport again and skidded to a halt. I turned on the radio, but the signal was jammed by a British voice saying, "You may land." Just behind me was an airplane. "SHOOT!" I said, flooring the gas pedal. I drove fast, with the airplane on my tail. I skidded away from the airplane and hit the brakes. I parked the car and hopped out. Looking around, I saw British flags everywhere. Where was I? The place sure seemed familiar. This couldn't be America! I got in the car and drove to Philadelphia. "This is all just a dream! Yeah, that's right. Just a dream!" I said, worried.

When I got to where Independence Hall was, I stopped. It wasn't there! Instead there was rubble. I read a nearby sign. It read, "This is the site where the colonists signed a silly document, declaring independence. It was burned down in 1783." Stunned, I gasped. "NO!!" I screamed. "OH PLEASE, GOD NOOOOOO!!"

As I panicked, people stared at me. When I was crying, a woman asked, "What is that strange accent?"

My eyes widened. Everybody mumbled in British. "Dear God…" I said. "I ruined America! RUINED IT!!"

Behind me, a voice said, "Look! It's Mayor John Arnold!" Arnold walked up to me and patted me on my back. "Now, now child…." he said. "What is the matter?"

"Don't you see?! Don't you all see??" I screamed. "This isn't how America should've turned out!"

"America?! Child that name hasn't been used for this country since 1781. It's been New Britain since then!" he explained.

"That's because I messed up the timeline! You see, I went to the past in a time ca—" I tried to explain.

"That's enough, child. You don't need to tell me more," he said. "Take him to the mental institution".

Guards ran up to me. I got into the car and locked the door. I drove off and turned on the radio. Well, hair metal was playing. Good chase music. Police cars drove after my car, sirens blaring. I sped down the street. When I checked my speed, I was going 56 mph. I set the coordinates for the past. Hopefully, I could change the future again to make it good. I checked my speed again. 70 mph. Just a few more seconds…I checked the road. "Oh, no…" I said. There was a turn ahead. If I burst through it, I'd fly into a river. I checked my speed. 88 mph. Too late. I went into the space-time void once more. Then when I went into the past, my car was HEADED STRAIGHT INTO THE RIVER!! I opened the door and dove into the snowy shore. I looked up and saw my car sink in the river. "Well…" I said. "Goodbye, 2008. I'll never see the future." Then I saw a boat nearing the shore. "Oh, SHOOT!!" I said. I ran towards the forest. Then I started to hear an engine getting louder. There were headlights flashing in the distance. "STOP!!" I yelled, "STOP!!" The car slowed and stopped in front of me. The door opened. There sat the "me" of the past.

"What am I doing here?" he asked. I pointed to George Washington getting out of the boat.

"That's George Washington. Had I not stopped you, you would've run him over, destroying America's future. Trust me. I already did it."

"Well, don't you owe him an apology?" asked the past "me".

"True", I said. We walked up to George Washington. "Mr. Washington…I'm sorry for running you over", I said.

"Sorry…Run over….Come again?", asked George with a puzzled look.

"Never mind, sir", I said. "Good luck on your first term."

"Thank you, I guess", he replied. As we walked off, we could hear him say to one of his men, "What is he talking about?"

"So I assume we'll use your car to go back into the future," I said. When we got back to the airport, the sun started to rise. I looked around and saw American flags everywhere. Everything was back to normal again. All of a sudden, my past self fused into me. "Wha….?" I started.

"I'm you, remember? Our future's the same," he said. "Goodbye." I drove back home.

"So, how was your time travel?" my mom asked.

"It was fantastic, mom," I said.

"Just one question," she said.

"Where's Jeff?"

Then it occurred to me that Jeff was lost in time. "Oh dear," I said. "Here we go again".

To be continued…