Abby

The Woman dressed in light blue head to toe, read the data off the wooden clipboard to the man in white who spoke in a deep but calming voice "And our Jane Doe, any change?"

The nurse frowned and said, "I'm afraid not," she looked over at the bed, "Two and a half years, poor thing."

Suddenly, the young woman's eyes fluttered to open and she weakly sat up. Without hesitation, the doctor in white sat beside the bed checking her heart and her eyes. Distraught and confused, she was frightened by the crowd of nurses and the doctor's light.

One of the nurses took her hand and spoke, "Hello darling, you are in Bellevue Hospital in New York City. You seem to have had trauma two years ago. Do you know your name." The young woman started at her blankly. "Miss?" the young nurse gently squeezed her hand. She shook her head. The nurse tried again, "What is that last thing you remember." The young woman gave another blank stare.

The man turned off the light and spoke to her in his deep voice, "We'll Miss, you look healthy enough for me to be on your way in no time. In most cases your memory should regain itself over time. Until then we'll call you Jane Doe." He pats Jane's shoulder and leaves the room.

The nurse that held her hand stayed behind and grabbed the clipboard off the wall, "I can see from my information that the police found you outside of the Shea Stadium after a Beatles concert. This was a little over 2 years ago. Do you remember any of this Miss?" The nurses looked to her.

The girl stared with confusion, "Beatles?"

The nurse replied shortly, "It's a band dear."

Several days had past. As far as physical health, Jane Doe's was near perfect the past few days because of physical therapy regained her strength. Her memory had not yet returned but no other part of her mental state had been affected by her tremendous coma. A young hospital volunteer, named Peter Odell, who was around the same age as Jane, had visited her room several times a day while she was conscious, had agreed to house Jane as she regained her memory. And so came the day Jane would be released from the hospital.

Peter hailed a taxi and he assisted Jane into the back seat, Then proceeding to go around the cab and sitting on the other side. "Greenwall Village." He said assertively to the driver. Jane clutched the seat as the car started, Peter held her arm to calm her down. Jane was in awe to the billboards and neon signs that were larger than life. Peter tried to get her attention "Jane… Jane... Jane!"

She finally turned to him "I'm not a Jane"

"Okay… Why don't you pick your name then." Peter said. Jane slumped in the seat and continued to admire the the neon lift and gigantic billboards. "Okay then Miss" He smiled at here he paid the taxi and open his door. "Well walk from here."

She followed him to the sidewalk "Where are we?"

"Well" Peter said "We're on the outer edge if the Greenwich village."

She tried to keep up with his fast pace and still explore her strange new surroundings. Suddenly she stopped at the red newsstand on the corner. "Dear Abby" she read the paper on a newsstand and see looked back to him. "Abby?"

"It's short for Abigail. It's an advice column" Peter replied "Abby gives advice to people who write letters to her." Jane starts to read the article as the vendor stands over her with his arms folded. "Why don't we take it with us," Peter sad give the vender the change that was in his pocket.

They kept walking till they got to a run down building. "Now my apartment isn't that big so try not to expect much." He said escorting her inside and up to the 2nd floor. There wasn't more than a small bed pushed against the the back wall, a couch that sat two, a kitchen with an oversized stove, and an even smaller bathroom. "I insist you take the bed I'll be on the couch." Peter smiled.

Jane laid on the bed and began to quietly sob "What if my memory never comes back? Or gets worse?"

Peter helps her sit up "You can't think like that; I'll make you a promise that everything will be okay." The two of them continued to sit on the bed till Jane fell asleep.

The next day Peter woke Jane up and said "Why don't we go somewhere? I have the day off from the hospital." Peter dragged her out of the apartment and pulled through the crowded sidewalks of a Saturday.

Jane giggled "Where are we going?"

Peter smiled and laughed. "Anywhere and and everywhere." They went to museums and took a walk in Union Square. "I have one more place that is my favorite view of the New York City." He said walking towards 16th street. Jane followed trying to keep up. They got to a brick building with about five stories.

"This has a great view of New York?" Jane asked but Peter was already half way up the first flight of stairs. She smiled and followed him up the spiral staircase. He stopped at the fourth flight of stairs. "What's Wrong?" She asked, he pointed to a flock of hundreds of pigeons at the top the the next flight of stairs.

Peter extended his hand "would you like the honors?" Jane smiled and ran up the flight of stair and spun on the landing conducting the flock to the open skylight. She felt as if she could fly with them. She kept runny up the next flight of stairs to reach the roof. Mesmerized by the sky of her flock. She looked out over the street.

Peter caught up with her and called "It might not be the tallest or the most important but it keeps you grounded and you're not staring at the air conditioning units and heating vents everywhere you turn." He watched her admiring the view. "I would trade potions with you in a heartbeat. For one thing you wouldn't have to be feel devastated of a loss memory of you identity. And so that i can feel free. I feel like I'm stuck and that I'm struck in the same poor neighborhood working at the hospital forever, I'm trapped where i am but you're the lucky one." He sat next to her.

Jane closes and then looks at him "No you don't; you don't want to have people look at you and get angry with you because you don't remember something or how to act. You don't want to sit and think that you don't know yourself at all. You might be feeling stuck at your job but making patients happy and feeling better is what you love to do, take today as example. Maybe you just lost that and just see it at a job and not what you love. If so then make it fun again but you don't need to lose your memory to feel free."

Peter sighed and then smiles "Your right. Where did that advice come from?"

"My heart I guess" She replied.

Peter said with smile "Thanks."

Jane smiled back. "Just call me Abby"

The Porcelain Box

Hayden,

I've finished my app that will transport me through time and space. I will be testing out the app in 1920 Philadelphia and I promise I'll bring you back a souvenir. But if you're reading this it means I'm stuck or I'm dead but my death affected the course of history. If so, tell mom and dad how much I love them. All my journals of the app are in the basement. If I never see you again know I love you.

Your brother,

Ryker

May 24, 2027

Ryker slipped the note under the bedroom door and snuck down to the cold basement. He pulled from his pocket a small, blue, round, puck-like object that litt up the dark and dirty basement. He placed it on the floor as to display the wide control panel on the floor and made his last adjustments. "Okay... " he takes a deep breath, "I won't need the translator on, but I will need the eras clothing. The location must be a secluded area but not specific. I'll need the current currency, and it wouldn't hurt to download the current events on file. Now, a final check on the change of history warning and the return functions. Okay." he finished and picked up the puck. He took note of the date and time in his journal and stuffed it in his pocket. Then, pressing the puck with his thumb he spoke calmly "Scan" the disk then scanned his body.

Ryker woke up in an alley between two brick buildings. He stood up to find himself in a pair of tan slacks, a collared shirt with suspenders, a matching tie, and a gray tweed newsboy hat. He walked out onto the busy street looking for a newspaper to buy. The date on the newspaper read October 28th, 1920. He took note of the date in his journal. He then rolled the paper up and held it under his arm.

Ryker was over the moon excited that it had worked now all he had to do was get Hayden's souvenir. He danced down Ludlow street to find The Shops of Liberty Place. He was amazed by the large skylight ceiling and the round open area and walked past Tiffany's, Bloomingdale's, even Woolworths, and no luck. Finally as he was walking out, he came across a local boutique that had a small antique porcelain box in the window. He went in the store where there was only the clerk and one other man that held his hand behind as he browsed the small clean shelves. He grabbed the box and took it to the clerk.

The woman said with a smile "That is a lovely box sir, and our last one. I will wrap it up for you."

Ryker avoided eye contact "Okay, thank you Ma'am."

"Now, there's no return policy and there is no warranty of any purchase" She said sweetly handing him the small paper bag with the porcelain box in newspaper.

Ryker headed for the exit and tipped his hat to the other customer. As he walked out the main doors of the shopping center, the puck began to beep. He hurried to the nearest ally and placed the puck on the ground. The projection flashed red. "Warning, alteration in history…. Caused by this item…" it displayed The porcelain box. "This purchase lead to a chain of events that lead to Warren G. Harding losing the presidential election. This rift in history leads to alternate future than when you left." it continued, then displaying a short video of the destruction of Ryker's home and the world in shambles. Ryker quickly dismisses the warning and tried to press the return function but nothing happened. He tries going back to the beginning of that day. The projection flashes again "Error, due to rift in history, time travel does not exist!" He picked up the disk and threw it at the wall. Then he slumped down against the wall and sobbed.

Ryker returned to the boutique to find that is was closed for the evening and the customer that was meant to buy the Box was nowhere in sight.

Ryker continued to walk down Ludlow street until he came upon a small hardware shop run by an elderly man.

"Hello sir! May I use some tools and your back room, no questions asked." Ryker said out of breath, laying a crippled $50 bill on the counter. The man nodded and point to the back room. If only Ryker could find a way to rig the device to go back to his alternate time. But how? He grabbed the welding equipment to give him a small opening in the wall, and began redesigning the chip. Testing and retesting until he finally found the perfect arrangement to transport him to alternate realities. "The scanner's broken." He muttered. "There no way it has the power to transport me back."

He kept working. He grabbed some wires and an old pocket watch and synced his heart rate to the disk. "As my heartbeat stops the day will reset and everything will return to normal. It's the only way the device can get to Hayden." He grabbed the The disk and placed it on the floor. He set the device to May 24, 2027 inside of Hayden's room. He took out the delicate box and laid out the news paper. "Scan!" Ryker commanded with his last breath as he stabbed himself in the gut with a small knife.

And there lay the porcelain box and the newspaper with curled up edges and the date October 28th, 1920, on the carpet of Hayden's room.

The Streets at Night

"Uh… Sam... Sam!" Kai violently shook my shoulder "Wake up."

"What the hell Kai? I'm trying to sleep." I said groggily sitting up against the cold brick wall.

Kai hugged his knees and rocked back and forth and gulped, "I heard it again. The growing, there's some sort of monster out there."

"Kai!" I hissed "You're 13 and living on the streets with us, you have to chill. There's no monsters now grow up and go to sleep." I turned around and faced the wall.

I woke up with the sun beating down on me and Anthony yelling at the crew. "I want to know where the hell Worm is now!"

I rubbed my eyes and sat against the wall. Kai sat in the dirty junk yard couch in tears with Jazz on his right. "The monster took him … After Sam went back to sleep I saw him under the street light on the bus bench reading his overdue library book reading it for yet another time. He didn't believe me either and told me to go to sleep, and now he's gone." Kai hugged his knees.

Sutton stood in his corner "Oh a big scary monster Jazz, do you need me to protect you," he laughed.

"Fuck off Sutton," Jazz barked throwing a large rock at him.

Anthony snapped "Enough you two, this isn't about your stupid rivalry. Now Worm's a smart kid, but he doesn't know his way around the streets. He could be in hell of alot of trouble right now. I want everyone to find Worm and lay low. I have to get to work if you want to eat this week. Kai, you're coming with me today." he said hopping the fence into the parking lot as Kai followed.

As far as school Worm was the smartest out of all of us. He only dropped out of school because he wasn't learning anything. He would take books out of the rete box at the library and make sure to return them before someone would catch no. Worm was nine months older than me. I don't know how he became part of the crew, but was the first to make me feel like I was a part of them.

Gage came from the far end of the lot and continued to kick the rock.

"And where the hell have you been?" Sutton yelled. Gage continued to stare at the ground and kick his rock. "What, cat got your tongue?" Sutton tested. Gage gave him a deadly glare. "Uh… well Worm's missing and we need to pair up. So … uh… you'll go with Sam." Sutton quivered.

Gage was 17 and Sutton only turned 16 a month ago. Everyone in the crew was afraid of Gage. He never talked to anyone, and was the only one in the crew that carries a weapon; a small pocket knife that I find him cleaning all the time. Anthony is the only one he'll talk to. Anthony is 18 and has a job, and a car. If he wanted to he could leave, but he always pointed out how no one in the crew was as street smart, and if it wasn't for him we'd all be thrown in the system again. Kai idolizes Anthony and Jazz, he was only 13 when he escaped from his social services because of the series of abusive foster families. I am more scared of Jazz than I am of Gage. She's 16 and a half, and is the toughest girl I've ever met. She can outrun all of the crew.

I followed Gage as he hopped the wire fence on the south side of the lot. He kept walking into a small ravine, completely ignoring my existence. A police car pulled over and yelled for the Highway railing "Hey! What are you too doing down there?"

Gage bolted left, through the trees toward the train tracks. I knew I would never catch up to Gage. In panic, I ran toward the highway and under the bridge running up California Street till it became dark. I had ran myself to the northwest side of Redlands, where Anthony said never to go because it wasn't our turf.

I clung to my jacket and walked the streets trying to find a familiar street that would take me back. This jacket is the only thing I still had from when I ran away from my home in Los Angeles. Anthony found me the night I got into Redlands and offered me a ride and a let me stay the night with the crew. I picked my corner and marked it with my symbol in spray paint, and I've been with them for two years. That is my permanent home now.

I kept thinking about the crew when suddenly I heard a growl from behind me. I turned around and realized I had wandered further away from town. I was at the far end of road, and all I saw was the silhouette of a warehouse and a power plant even further in the distance. I walked closer to the warehouse hopeing there was a way in with no luck.

I sat against the cold metal warehouse. when a metal gate began to rattle, making the hairs on my neck shoot up. I heard the growl again. I looked around me and nothing was there. I thought of Kai and the noise he had told me about the night before. The growling became louder and the wind that rattled the gate grew stronger.

I tried to close my eye. "It's no real, there's no monster, it's not real," I muttered to myself as I found myself hugging my knees like Kai.

The growling drew even closer, I could now hear it scratching at the pavement as it came closer. I could feel its hot breath as it let out a crying hiss. Turning around and the last thing I saw was his beating eyes as it lunged at me.

Adena and the Vorlianth

Her old sneakers tried to grip the loose rock of the steep incline. "C'mon Herbie." Adena called before whistling. The dog stopped barking at a cactus and trotted behind her. She climbed on top of a dusty, red rock and waited for the black lab to sit beside her panting. She jumped down from the rock and held onto the rough side of it to prevent herself from slipping. She sat at the edge of the cliff and looked out into the vast desert that surrounded her. Scratching Herbie's head, she thought about her family and friend that she left behind in Georgia in order to live with her grandmother in Utah. She recalled how she received the strangest looks when she spoke with her backwood accent. This has kept her quiet and her bright red hair and freckles that specked across her nose and cheeks didn't add to her popularity.

She stood up, dusted off her jeans and grabbed her backpack. Scouting the area, she saw a white figure less than a mile away from her. She hurried closer to it and realized it was a horse with no rider. It drew her closer and closer like it was in a trance, leading her to a shallow pool. She grabbed Herbie and hid behind a large rock and carefully peaked at the horse from the side. Herbie grew impatient and barked at it. The horse appeared to fly into the air and dove into the water. They ran to the pool expecting an injured horse but it had simply vanished. Herbie ran into the water and splashed around proving it was indeed shallow. Adena notice a light from where the creature had dove. "Herbie!" she yelled as he jumped into the light. She jumped in to reach him.

Adena continued to fall, until softly landing in a field of flowers with Herbie by her side, panting. She sat up and saw a boy about her age staring at her. "Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?" she said.

The boy kept staring at her and answered with a foreign accent, "Um… this is the Lothoeila Province of Wicerich. Are you alright miss?"

She stood up and dusted off her jeans before replying."I'm fine, I was follow this horse and - Wait, where am I again"

"A horse? What is that? Is it that?" he said pointing to Herbie.

Adena chuckled, "No, that's my dog. His name is Herbie."

"Oh," he smiled "Um… perhaps you were you talking about the baine." He pointed to the white horse in the sky, only now it had enormous wings. She nodded in fear as it landed near hear. The boy laughed "Her name is Mawu. You're not from here, are you? My name is Nadim, from the Tilard Province of Wicerich. I'm the Seer's apprentice." he said.

"My name is Adena McKinney." She said holding out her hand for a handshake.

Instead he grabbed her hand with both of his hands. "Adena? Of course! We must hurry back to the Seer." He pulled Adena toward a nearby village market.

They made it through the crowded market to a booth with a small old man chanting over a large book. "Nadim, you found Adena." He called without turning around.

"Yes, Oemis. I found her in the Ephionoom field while I was out with Mawu. She claimed it lead her her there just as the prophecy said." he exclaimed leading Adena inside.

"Wonderful!" Oemis exclaimed turning around to greet her "And not a moment late. Come, miss." he called her over this book where it shows an illustration of her on top of a scaly dragon welding and silver sword. "You must slay the Vorlianth."

Adena took a step back "No, that can't be me, there ain't no chance I'm slayn' a dragon."

"But you must it is you destiny and the Kingdom of Wicerich depends on it" Nadim said.

"You have nothing to worry about dear. Nadim will accompany you." Oemis cheered.

Nadim gasped, "But sir I'm not in the prophecy."

Oemis said nothing. He stepped out into the crowded market square with a wooden crate. He placed the crate down and slowly fixed himself on top of it. "Attention everyone," He spoke grandly as vendors and consumers peaked their heads out of stalls. "Our future is about to change. Nadim has found our valiant hero that will slay the Vorlianth. With the accompaniment of my young and noble apprentice, Nadim. " He gestures towards Adena and everyone turned. Adena's eyes grew large as the villagers began to clap and cheer.

Nadim and Adena began to gather supplies for the journey. They loaded their items onto the back of Mawu. Before leaving Oemis blessed Adena with the silver sword she was to slay the Vorlianth. He Instructed "When destiny comes id will be s the sword will wield its self and the one that poses it."

Adena lead Nadim, Herbie and Mawu through the grand forest. Herbie trotted and wove in and out of Mawu who grunted angrily trying to scare him away. Nadim walked next to Adena, "On behalf of Wicerich thank you, what you are doing is very heroic."

Adena mumbled "I didn't have much of a choice."

"You always have a choice, the future is a series of choices." Nadim replied. Adena shied away embarrassed that Nadem heard her. He continued "The prophecy isn't always right but if I would've found you or you wouldn't have fallen from the sky the the all hope for Wicerich would have been lost. The Vorlianth has plagued the Kingdom of Wicerich for decades, It had already destroyed 10 of the 13 provinces. Lothoeila was one of the first to be attacked and is still facing its aftermath. The province of Tilard was completely destroyed onlys 7 years ago and I fled to Lothoeila. Our Government is in shambles and they have tried everything to keep the kingdom together, even as much as promising the throne to whoever defeats the Vorlianth. You would make an excellent ruler if you accept it." Nadim looked to her to find that she was ahead of him.

Adena froze as he stood at the top of the hill To see the view of a city reduced to ember and ash.

Nadim caught up to her and sighed "Slelyra, It's one of our most wealthy provinces." he shakes his head. "It must be close, The scorch pattern continues north towards higher ground," He points to the right at a mountain rage.

Adena gulped "Nadim, I still don't believe I can do this. I have no knowledge of this creature or how to defeat it. It was not my choice to come here or to slay the Vorlianth."

"As Oemis had said when the time comes the sward will wield it self and you." Nadim informed.

Without another word Adena turned right and continued toward the mountain. "C'mon Herbie" Herbie barked and ran by her side.

Nadim follow behind and whispered to Mawu, "She's abit strange isn't she, but a good heart, she will save us like the prophecy foretold."

They had arrived at the foot of the grand summit and stopped to see any sign of life of the rock terrain. Herbie barked loudly as he saw the Vorlianth head peeked out of a cave a mile up. The mighty scaly Dragon flew down to the foot of the summit before them as Adena raised the sword from its holster.

Adena approved the Vorlianth quivering in fear and sword in hand. The Vorlianth blew his fiery breath circling her in flames as if it was laughing at her. Adena lunged the silver badge at the scaly beast scraping its arm. The Vorlianth let out an angry howl as it flew above her. She raised the sword, stabbing the creature in the neck and drawing the blade out slitting its throat. The Vorlianth laid there as it's blacken blood poured out.