The saw "Leaped out of his hand, or seemed to leap

He must have given the hand.

However it was,

Neither refused the meeting."

Robert Frost, "Out, out – "

'I'm not lying, you know.'

Jennifer's eyebrows were raised, her lips pinched together in what looked like amusement. Marty felt sudden rage bubble inside him at the look of utter scepticism on her face.

Clenching his fists as he tried to control his anger, he said as casually as possible, 'So?'

Jennifer smiled in bewilderment. 'So…what, Marty?'

'C'mon, Jen…don't you have anything to say about all this?'

'Oh, Marty.' Jennifer was still smiling, but she now looked distinctively uncomfortable. She made a poor attempt at a giggle. 'What joke are you playing on me?'

'Joke!' Marty was on his feet in an instant, leaping off the porch swing. He was so furious he could hardly see straight. 'What the hell are you talking about, Jen? Do you think I'd make this up?' His girlfriend blinked up at him; she started to speak, but Marty cut her off, his voice rising all the time, 'Jesus Christ, you must remember! Doc! The DeLorean! You were there, you gotta remember!' He ran a hand through his hair in distress.

Jennifer was no longer smiling; she was staring at him with a kind of horror. 'Oh my God, Marty,' she whispered, getting to her feet as well and placing a hand on his arm. 'Doctor Brown…what did he do to you?'

Marty roughly shook himself free of her, pulling backwards. He was staring back at her with equal horror. The two stood apart, eyes locked; an invisible shutter had come crashing down between them.

Eventually Marty found his voice. 'You think Doc did something to me?' he whispered. Tears were beginning to well up in Jennifer's eyes; to Marty's shame his own eyes were prickling. 'What, you thought he…he experimented on me or something? Made me go crazy? Jesus, Jen, you're just like the rest! Just like the rest who thought he was a mad old scientist! Well, they haven't seen what he can do – but you have! You have! YOU WERE THERE!' He yelled the words in her face. Jen moved backwards, her lips trembling violently, the tears now trickling down her face.

Marty stared at her a second longer, panting, his face hot; he was unable to see how self-contained she was, how unwilling to face the simple facts –

'Marty,' whimpered Jennifer, reaching out to him. 'Marty, please – '

Marty wrenched himself free of her grasp and backed away down the porch steps. 'Go to hell, Jen,' he spat, before spinning away and leaping into his truck.

The surroundings on either side of Marty blurred as he floored the accelerator. The speed seemed to give some relief to his rage.

His hands were clenched so tightly around the steering wheel his knuckles had turned white.

How could Jennifer be so simple-minded? How could she ignore the facts when they were right there in front of her eyes? She had been there! She had seen what Doc could do!

Doc…

Marty did not slow down as he thought of his best friend; in fact, he grew angrier than ever and drove even faster. He had lost his girlfriend, and now he had lost his best friend too. Doc was a hundred years in the past, and Marty was alone.

He would go to Clayton – Shonash Ravine. He would pick up the shattered remnants of all that remained of the DeLorean. And then…

Then what?

What was left for him now?

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Jennifer began to sob as Marty roared away from her house, the sound fading, fading, until he was gone. Pressing a hand to her mouth, she slowly lowered herself to the porch swing.

'Marty,' she whispered, her whole body shaking with tears she was shedding for something that hadn't happened yet. 'Oh, Marty, Marty. What's happened to you?'

He'd reacted with such vehemence to Jennifer's suggestion that Doctor Brown had experimented on his mind – but what other explanation could there be? Jennifer had met the scientist a few times but he always seemed nice enough.

But Marty was rambling on about time travel and DeLoreans and he said that Jennifer had seen it all…

Upon thinking that, Jennifer frowned and rubbed her head. Now that she thought of that, she did recall a little of her odd dream – Marty and Doctor Brown had been involved something and they were in…the future?

Suddenly her hand rustled against something in her pocket rustled. A piece of paper?

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Marty was barely aware of the tears welling up in his eyes until he couldn't see anymore. He made no move to brush them away, but kept driving, accelerating…

The blare of a horn, screech of tires – the tears fell away from Marty's eyes and he could see – there was another car in front of him, he could have braked, he had the chance to brake, the slightest, merest chance –

He didn't.

The present has a way of repeating itself.

Even if the circumstances and results are changed. The principle is still there.