Abraham Lincoln: Time Traveler
Prologue
The cold sweat ran down the old man's neck. The slow hooting of owls rang in the distance. He didn't know why he had run, he just did. The little boy he was with got lost in the crowd of people. He had thought that they would be ready for it but he was wrong. The sound that came after was the worst thing he had ever heard. He could never go back. The boy would have to find his way through the world by himself, for the man was a loner ever since he had almost died. For he was Abraham Lincoln, the time traveller.
When the boy awoke, he was shivering. "MOM," the boy screamed at the top of his lungs. The sound of movement on the stairs helped him calm down. His mom was coming to help with another one of his nightmares. This would be... he thought for a moment. This would be his fifth this month. When his mom came to the boy's room, he had calmed down and now only the sound of his pet fish, Mr. Bubbles, was in the background.
"Honey, what's wrong," the boy's mom asked softly.
"It happened again, the man being shot, the boy being hanged, and the black smoke rising over both of their bodies," he said, shaken up by the thought of the dream. Even though he was sixteen he stilled relied on his mom for help.
"I know honey, do you want something to drink?" she asked her son.
"No, I'm fine," he replied tiredly. "I'm going to go to bed. Love you," he added.
"Love you, too," his mom said. She walked away looking back, every three steps.
He slowly laid down. He thought about his life, his parents were divorced, he was bullied at school for pretty much living in the library, and he had no friends. His best friend told him to dye his hair brown, so he did. Around four days later his friend moved and he slowly lost contact with her. He kept thinking and slowly drifted off.
The next day he awoke to the smell of coffee. His mom always checked on him before leaving for work so that must be where the scent came from. He quickly got changed and walked down the stairs. Today was Saturday, his favorite day. His mom got off work at 3:00 P.M. and it was 9:00 A.M. now so he had twelve hours. When he strode into the kitchen he saw a note that said.
Please clean the dishes and vacuum the carpet.
Try to get outside more. I will be home at 3:00 P.M.
Be home as soon as possible. See you soon, Mom.
Well that will take him about an hour. Get outside more what did she mean by that? Well for a Saturday this was going to be kind of boring. After the dishes he headed outside to see if there was something to do.
"Hey Charlie," he said to his neighbor. He was mowing his lawn like all other Saturdays. Of course Charlie, losing his hearing, didn't hear him so he just put his hand up in a hi wave-like jester. Charlie copied his motion and went back to mowing. Then all of a sudden he stopped his mower and started to come over.
"I've got a question I wanted to ask you," Charlie said to the boy. "Someone broke into my house last night and stole some food and clothes, did you see anyone by my house around 10:00 P.M.?" Charlie seemed very worried like something more valuable than clothes or food.
"No, I didn't. I would have seen who did but I was watching tv," the boy said very slowly trying not to make his neighbor angry.
"I can't believe someone would do this, can you even imagine my anger, Jim," Charlie sobbed out.
The boy didn't like to be called his name. He liked to be called Jimmy. People even called him John and Johnny and he liked that better than Jim. Sensing the emotion from this man he didn't speak up about it, though.
"Uh, no sir. I can't imagine what you are feeling," the boy croaked out, he felt very tense with the pressure of saying something wrong.
"Well if you see anything come find me," Charlie yelled out as he turned on his mower and started off on his way.
That is enough 'outside' for me, Jimmy thought but continued to look for something to do. He has asthma but only his mom and the gym teacher know because if the kids know then they will not only bully him for reading but also for that. This meant practicing football, baseball, and all that other junk are out of the question.
Jimmy decided that he would go inside and watch the nature channel if is was about birds and tell his mom he saw those birds. He had done this before because who likes the ticks and bugs sucking your blood as you watch one bird eat. He had just settled down on the couch when the phone rang. He looked at the caller i.d. and saw it was a *67 number so he didn't answer and went back to the couch. The phone kept ringing at once it was done a new call came in. Jimmy didn't even look because it was probably the same number so he stayed on the couch and when the phone stopped. He looked at the tv and changed it to the local news and watched as mass hysteria was going through the town because there were a lot of robberies like Charlie's. People had gathered to see what local law enforcement were doing. Since they were doing nothing, people were rioting. They had what looked like a man with a top hat.
When his mom got home she looked flustered and out of whack.
"Mom, what's wrong," he asked over and over again and she never responded. She seemed so consumed in the news that she forgot to make dinner so he made some chicken broth and ate that. He then headed up to his room while his mom was glued to the tv.
When he woke up he went downstairs and in his house was a strange man talking to his mom.
"Well it wasn't much just some clothes and some food," said the man.
"Well you still don't steal from people," his mom replied back angrily. She then turned and saw Jim. She got up and shooed him out of the room. He quickly ran up to his room and moved his bean bag where a hidden vent was.
He didn't think his mom knew about it but it wouldn't surprise him if she did because she always for looking around and decorating.
"You have to tell him or else he will get suspicious," the strange man said, "He may only be a kid but he should know."
"I will tell him when the time is right," he mother said sounding like she was done with the conversation.
Jimmy heard footsteps coming up to his room. He quickly picked up his red bean bag and put it over the vent. He then sat on it, making himself look like he was pondering something. His mom came in and before he could speak she asked demanding an answer, "How much did you hear?"
"Not much, just a little about telling me something. Who is he?" Jimmy asked politely.
"He is just a friend from a while back. I met him in this house right before you were born and your father left," she said starting to cry. Jimmy just nodded until she left the room. He went to bed right after.
The next day was Sunday the day to relax. When he walked down the stairs, his mom and the man were talking.
"You should turn yourself in before this gets out of hand," his mom said.
"I'm sorry but I can't, I'll just make people madder," the man said.
"Hello," Jimmy said walking down the stairs.
The man started to open his mouth when Jimmy's mom gave the man a look and he quickly closed it. Jimmy ate breakfast in silence. His mom turned the tv on and still it was a mob of people by city hall asking for this mad man to be put to justice. Jimmy looked at one of their signs and it was the strange man in his house.
"What did you do to get people mad at you?" Jimmy demanded.
"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," the man shrugged, "There was a man stealing things, and I was near there house looking for your mother. One thing lead to another they blamed me."
Jimmy was confused. "Shouldn't we go clear your name then and you can leave," Jimmy said because this man made him feel weird. Not with fear but just a different thing about him that no one else had.
"We could but no one listens to reason in this day and age. Not like they used to," the man said very slowly. He definitely had a weird feel to him.
"People listen to reason," Jimmy's mom chimed in, "You just need to phrase it right."
"Yes, well if you phrase it right people will listen to a lie as well," the man said in a harsh tone.
"Just go down and tell them at like 5:00 P.M. and they will listen," Jimmy's mom said.
"You have more faith in the human race than anyone else I know," the man said, "But I shall do what I'm asked of, though."
At 5:00 P.M. the man accompanied by Jim and his mom went downtown. They had a very hard time getting through the huge crowd of people. When they did make it to the stage, the man walked up and calmly went up the stairs of the town hall. He turned toward the people and as if he had talked in front of crowds a million times started talking to them.
"Hello, people," the man said loudly.
Seeing this the people got riled up because over fifty percent of the people recognised the man. The ones who didn't we getting told by the ones who did so now they all knew.
"You all know who I am. I didn't steal any of your things. There is a different man who is doing all this," the man said very politely.
The crowd were mostly just confused after this comment. A man started making his way up to the town hall.
"He is just saying these things because if you say your not guilty some people may think your telling the truth but are we going to listen to him this time," the man asked the crowd.
"No," the whole crowd said. Then the crowd rushed the man and he started running toward Jim and his mom. The crowd followed his motion. Jim didn't see this till it was too late. He turned and tripped over a stone. The crowd rushed over him like water. All he saw was a mob of people and then it was black. Jim woke up five days later in a hospital bed. His mom was with him that was all that mattered. He didn't like what happened but he couldn't redo it.
"Mom," Jim croaked out with a lot of effort.
"Yes," his mother said, her eyes sparkling with new tears.
"Who was that man. The one who changed our life," he said because it was the only thing that came to mind.
"He was Abraham Lincoln, your great-great-great grandfather," she said.
Jim closed his eyes and pondered this new information. When he opened his eyes he was in his house on the Saturday, when his life changed.