Note: Ha ha. I just HAD to write this. I've been holding off from posting new stories, but I just couldn't help myself. I saw all these other time travel fics, so I decided to write my own.. I hope you guys like it. It's a little fast paced, but why go on about blah blah stuff when we can go to something exciting! So please let me know what you think, and thanks for reading this. I'm also in the process of writing a Newsies fic called Place To Belong, and Co- authoring a story with Eruanna Undomiel, which is called Newsie Letters. Enjoy! Note-9/25/11- This chapter will be revised in the future.
A Change of Time Chapter One - The Machine
Sharron Duncan pulled her back pack high on her shoulder as she walked into her huge home.
"Dad, Maddie, I'm home!" Someone yelled something unintelligible from the basement, so Sharron sighed as she set her bag down. She walked into the kitchen, pulling an apple out of the refrigerator. Whistling, Sharron pushed open the basement door. Clattering noises came from below, as the fourteen year old happily skipped down the steps. Mr. Duncan was wearing a face protection, and holding a torch, welding something. Bill Duncan was an inventor. That explains the big house. Mr. Duncan was also pretty successful in selling his inventions to various buyers on the market.
"What are you up to dad?" Sharron asked, taking a seat beside her ten year old sister Maddy, who was watching the whole affair with much interest.
"His newest invention of course," the tiny, black haired girl said, smiling up at her big sister, blue eyes sparkling with fun loving mischief.
"Which is?" Sharron took a bite from her apple, watching curiously as her father set up the tall cylinder which seemed to have a door on the side.
"A time machine," her sister whispered. Sharron nearly choked on her apple bite.
" What?" she asked, swallowing the dangerous piece. Mr. Duncan turned around, lifting the metal protective visor.
"A time machine, Shar. I believe I've worked out the little kinks, now I'm perfecting the hardware. I've made it so fire, water, and who knows what else cannot hurt it. So how was the drama class?" Sharron was still staring confusedly at her father's newest attempt atinventing something spectacular. Slowly she pulled her eyes off of it to look into the laughing eyes of her father.
"It was good. I am getting a bit better I think, with the whole standing so the audience can see your face and everything." Mr. Duncan nodded.
"Your gonna look great when they decide to choose a play."
Sharron smiled. "Thanks dad." The two sisters sat watching their father for several minutes until he turned around.
"You know, I'm getting hungry. Before I do a test run, let's have some dinner." Maddy jumped off of her perch, excitedly beginning to run upstairs.
"Can we have pizza?" she squealed. Their dad grinned.
" Why not? This is a time to celebrate!" A frozen pizza was popped into the oven, and fifteen minutes later, the three sat at the dining room table.
"I- I've been practicing my cooking," Sharron said, taking a small bite from the cheese pizza. Mr. Duncan nodded, staring at his plate. The family hadn't had a real home cooked meal for a year. Since Mrs. Duncan died in a horrible automobile accident which killed seven people.
Maddy, always the ray of sunshine in the family smiled. "I'll learn to cook. I want to be an inventor like you though. dad."
Mr. Duncan laughed, then his face turned serious."Now Maddy, remember that inventing can be a dangerous job. Anything could happen."
Maddy nodded with understanding."Sure dad."
After a few minutes of silent eating, Mr. Duncan pushed himself away from the table. "Well, I'm off for a test run." Maddy scrambled from her seat, and her father smiled at her. "Alright Maddy, you can come.. But you have to promise to stay on the stairs okay?" The little girl nodded, and they began to walk off.
"Are you coming Shar?" the younger sister asked, eyes inquiring. Sharron shook her head.
"Naw, that's okay. I thought I would get some reading in." Maddy shrugged, and Sharron smiled running up the steps to the second floor. The girl walked into her cozy little room. It was perfect for a person who loves to read, or write for that matter. There was of course, a bed, and a desk in one corner with a lamp next to it for her writing. In another corner was a big, soft recliner, and bean bag. A lamp hung over them, and Sharron chose to sit in her bean bag chair. She picked up the book she had sat down when she last read.
After a few minutes she was caught up in the classic of Heidi. All of a sudden, the girl was pulled out of the Swiss alps by loud noises coming from the basement. After a short while, Sharron was convinced she smelled smoke. The girl frowned. Normally dad turned off inventions if they didn't work right away. That would explain the smoke. With a sigh of resignation, Sharron set Heidi down, and ran down the stairs to check on her father and sister. The smoke thickened as Sharron entered the concrete stairwell. As the acrid smoke entered her lungs, Sharron coughed. Now she was getting worried.
"Maddy? Dad?" she choked out, stumbling over something on the basement floor. Then she saw the red flames, licking from the section Mr. Duncan had apparently been working on. Fire fumed out of a broken pipe coming from the machine. A groan came from somewhere in the room, and Sharron turned, desperately searching for her father."Dad!" she cried when she spotted him. It seemed that part of the machine had blown off, hitting her father, and sending pieces all over the room. Mr. Duncan lay on the ground, unmoving. There was a large gash in his forehead.
"Alright Maddy, you can come.. But you have to promise to stay on the stairs okay?"
Her father's words came to Sharron's mind. She rushed back to the stairs, and there, looking unbelievably pale, Maddy sat, her arms around her knees. Sharron could hardly believe she had not seen her sister before. She decided the reason Maddy was extremely quiet was from the shock of the whole encounter."Come on Maddie, we've got to get out of here!" While Sharron had been busy with her father and sister, she did not notice the flames rapidly climb the walls. Suddenly, looking up, Sharron saw the basement door on fire. The only area that had not caught flame was around the front of the time machine.
"I've made it so fire, water, and who knows what else cannot hurt it."
Sharron remembered about the machine. Though other things had proven to have been wrong with the mechanisms, the girl decided it was her family's only hope of survival.
"Help me, okay Maddy?" The little girl slowly nodded, and helped tug the arms of Mr. Duncan towards the machine. After tugging, pulling and pushing, the two finally arrived at the machine. The flames were getting higher, and closer. Sharron leaned down under her father's shoulder, pushing up with her back. Maddy did her part by lifting her dad's legs. When they finally got him in, Sharron looked up. The sight scared her half to death. The ceiling beams were burning, the flames licking down like all they wanted to do was consume this small family that had just recently recovered from tragedy.
"Get in!" Sharron yelled, pushing her little sister through the door. After she was in, Sharron climbed into the machine as well. Looking one more time at the basement, all of her father's other machines, now engulfed in fire. Then Sharron shut the door. She didn't notice the little timer next to the opening. The timer read May 16th, 1900. In a flash second, Sharron felt herself spinning, then she heard Maddy scream.