So, I thought I would try my hand at one of those "time travel" stories. However, this is not at all a self insert, there will be no inside jokes, nor an overwhelming amount of OFC's.
Warning for swearing, they're greasers after all. Feedback would be great.
Whenever your parents sit you down and say they need to talk to you, you know it's bad. When they preface it with, "We both love you," you know it's going to go downhill fast. And when they tell you it's not your fault? You're totally fucked.
And that's what I knew when my parents told me they were getting a divorce. And that only intensified when they told me they had "planned out" everything. Without even asking me what I wanted. So I'm being forced to leave York Beach, Maine with all my friends to Hicksville Oklahoma or Kansas or something. Either way I'm not excited. I don't want to leave my house on shortsands, or my job at the Goldenrod making the best saltwater taffy in the world, being able to text my friends and just walk down the road to meet them at the arcade. It's gone. It's all gone.
So I made a few rash choices. They were in the middle of telling me when we had to leave when I just bolted. They didn't run after me, I think they knew I needed some space. I wasn't even crying yet, I just kept thinking about the sound of them yelling after me to be careful.
Like they really care.
No, no, they do, I know they do. I'm not being fair, but I don't really have to be. They're ripping apart my life, I have every right to be a little bit upset. But still, I should let them know I'll be home soon.
I pull out my phone and text them both that I'll be back in about an hour, just enough time to calm myself down and think of how I'm going to face them. I put my phone back in my pocket as a I kick a pebble down the street. I emerge into the downtown area. Compared to a normal city it's tiny, but I like it. The roads are a mix of pavement and brick and all the stores just have this old feel to them. York's Wild Kingdom amusement park (if you can even call it that, it's more of a small carnival) lights up the boardwalk. From the top of the ferris wheel I would imagine that the whole town was back in time, in a simpler time. I walk down to the water. Most of the daily beach goers are gone, all the tourists who live here only in the summer are out shopping, or getting food, or just lounging at home relaxing after a busy day. The beach is almost empty except for a few locals who are out walking their dogs. I go to the hidden part where I love to go to sketch or just think. It's a little rocky, you have to be carefully when the rocks get slippery, but the view is amazing. You can see the lighthouse perfectly, the sun setting, the lights of the boardwalk twinkling on the calm waves.
Yes, I'd love to go back to a simpler time. 2012, it's a horrible year. Kids are spoiled, gas prices, the middle east crap, and all this technology. Is it helpful? Yea, sure, does it run your life? You bet.
I wish I could go back to a time when there was no technology, at least not the technology we have today. A time when gas prices were low and we didn't know what we were doing to the earth. When divorces weren't common in most marriages. When... when things were better.
"Please?" I ask, looking up at the full moon above my head, "Just take me to a better time. Before all this smart phone technology, when TVs were still black and white and families actually had time for each other! That's what I want! Please!" I grab my shaking hands as the tears start to flow down my face.
"Now why am I crying?" I whispered, shaking my head. I just need to calm down. I can't go back home like this, it will only worry my parents more. I curl back into a nook in the rocks, and curl up in a ball. It's summer, warm enough that by the cool ocean I'm not freezing. I shut my eyes and try to compose myself. Before I realise it, I'm asleep.
–
When I wake up, my first thought is that I slipped off the rocks and I was drowning. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. My head hurt a lot, though. I absent-mindedly rubbed it, not ready to fully wake up and open my eyes, but not getting back to sleep any time soon.
"You asshole! You hit someone!"
"Well who the fuck is sleeping in the middle of the lot?!"
"HEY! Steve! Two-bit I don't care about the circumstances, someone go get the ball and apologize."
"Fine, don't lose your head, superman." So much yelling, won't they just shut up? No, the angry muttering is getting closer. I guess I'm going to have to deal with them. Ugh, but I'm so tired-
"Hey man!" Someone yelled in my ear.
"What." I grumbled out, finally opening my eyes. I was face to face with grey eyes and not the best breath.
"Woah!" The face pulled back relieving a pumpkin coloured head of hair along with it, faded jeans, and a dirty grey shirt.
"Huh?" I asked, tilting my head to the side and sitting up more.
"You're not a man!" Grey eyes told me. Well, no duh. I gave him an unamused expression. "Sorry, doll, you are not the gender I was expecting you to be!" He gave a big laugh, almost as if we he was just cracking himself up.
I cleared my throat, "Thanks, I guess."
Grey eyes plunked down next to me and roughly clapped a hand on my back, "I like you!" He announced, "You're funny!"
"What was I thinking..." Another voice near me mumbled. "Two-Bit!" Leave the girl alone!" It yelled, and pushed "Two-Bit" away from me. I looked over to see a tall, not to shabby looking, man with green blue eyes and brown hair. He gave what I guess he thought to be a comforting smile but it looked more like a grimace.
"Sorry about that," He told me, "We were just playing football when this fool-" He gestured over to Two-Bit, "got... out of hand, and hit you. Are you alright?" I nodded. "I'm just going to ask you a few questions to make sure that you didn't suffer any head trauma, okay?" I nodded again. "Okay, so what's your name?"
"Julia," I told him. He nodded, satisfied with my answer.
"Where are you from, Julia?"
"York." I told him.
He tilted his head, "York?"
"Yeah," I told him, "York, Maine." Why wouldn't he know that?
"Where are you now, Julia?"
"...York?" I asked. He shook his head. It was then that I looked around. The calming sound of the waves were gone, the music from the arcade was gone, the smell of the beach: gone. It was replaced with a dusty smell, lack of trees, run down houses, and this big vacant lot I was currently sitting in under this small tree. Out of panic I started to notice things I'd missed before, the man in front of me was wearing such out dated clothing, and behind him was a group of about five more guys, all in the same type of clothes. All their hair was... slicked back. That must feel disgusting! My heart rate picked up and my breath started to quicken. What was happening? I didn't even feel my cell phone in my pocket! What was going on?!
"Hey, Julia, hey," The man tried to get my attention, grabbing my chin and somewhat roughly yanking my eyes back to him. "You might just be suffering from a little amnesia, it's fine, I'm sure it will wear off soon enough. Why don't I take you back to my house so I can get that bump on your head checked out. Okay?"
"Stranger danger.." I weakly mumbled, pulling back and pressing myself up against the tree.
He rolled his eyes before scooping me up in his arms, "Come on," He told me. I wanted to fight back but it was like I couldn't move. Panic was flowing through me instead of blood, was this what going into shook felt like? I looked up at the man again, he now had an annoyed expression on his face.
What was happening?
And that's a wrap! What do you guys think of the first chapter? Yay? Nay? The hurricane took me out of school today so I think I'm going to write another chapter and have it up soon, but let me know what you think!
Fairwinds!