September 4, 1885
10:45 a.m.
Annie's POV
Timmy and I watched as Doc poured purple liquid into the front of the car. Marty was trying desperately to start it. He told Doc, "Bartender said that's the strongest stuff they got." I got a whiff of it, plugged my nose, and responded, jokily, "I'll say." Timmy got a whiff of it too and added, jokily, "It smells like clam chowder three days old." Doc ignored us and urged, "Try it, Marty." Marty tried to start it. But instead of the engine a bubbling noise came from the back of the car. There was a loud boom and a metal piece of the car came flying out. Doc groaned, "It blew the fuel injection manifold. Strong stuff all right. It'll take me a month to rebuild it."
I moaned and pointed out the oblivious, "A month? Doc, you're going to get shot on Monday!" Doc started to think aloud, "I know, Annie! I know! I wish...wait." Timmy advised, "Watch those two words, Uncle Emmet." Doc ignored him and added, "I've got it! We can roll it down a steep hill...no, we'd never find a smooth enough surface. Unless...of course...ice. We can wait until winter...when the lake freezes over…" Marty pointed out, "Winter! Doc, Monday!" Timmy also pointed out, "It's three days away!" Doc stopped for a second and responded, "Okay, let's think this through logically. We know it can't run on its own power, and we know we can't pull it. But, if we can figure out a way to push it up to 88 MPH...huh?"
We heard a whistle in the distance and I said, an idea forming in my head and in Docs', "Did you say 'push' it?" We went to the train station. I turned to Marty and said, "You know, this is the first time I actually saw a train." Marty shot me a look and I added, "Model trains don't count." Timmy added, "I never get near trains when Cosmo is around. He's idiot 24/7. But, since he's not here… This is awesome!" Marty and I laughed. Cosmo did sound like a total idiot. Anyways, Doc went over to the engineer and the engineer repeated, "How fast can it go? Why, I've powered her up to 55 myself. I hear that fearless Frank Fargo got one of these up to near 70 out past Verde Junction."
Doc asked, "Can it be possible to get it up to 90?" The engineer shot him a look and responded, "90? Tarnations, why would anyone would be in such a hurry?" Doc explained lying threw his teeth, "Well, it's just a bet he and I have going. Theoretically, could it be done?" He replied, "Well, I suppose if you had a straight stretch of track with a long level grade, and you weren't hauling no cars behind you...and if you could get the fire hot enough...I mean hotter than the blazes of hell and Tarnations...well yes, you might be able get her up that fast." Doc asked, "Tell me, when does the next train comes through here?"
The engineer responded, "Monday morning at 8 o'clock." Doc, Marty, Timmy, and I went over to a map. He explained, "This spur runs off the main line 3 miles down to Clayton Ravine. There's a long stretch of track that will still exist in 1985. This is where we'll push the De Lorean with the locomotive. Funny, this map calls Clayton ravine Shonash Ravine. Must be an old Indian name for it. It's perfect. Nice long run that goes clear across the bridge over the ravine, you know, over near that Hilldale housing development." Marty pointed to the map and responded, "Right Doc but according this map…."
I finished his sentence, "There is no bridge." Timmy said, "We better head out there and see for ourselves." We headed out to the ravine and Marty pointed out, "Well, Doc. We can scratch that idea." I added, "There is no way we can wait a year and a half for this thing to be finished!" Doc smiled and explained, "It's perfect, you two! You're just not thinking forth dimensionally!" Timmy added, "It's actually a perfect plan." Marty muttered, "Yeah, we have a real problem with that." I shot Timmy a look and asked, "What do you mean 'it's actually a perfect plan'?"
Doc broke up our fight and explained, "Don't you see? The bridge will exist in 1985. It's safe and still in use. Therefore, as long as we get the De Lorean up to 88 MPH before we hit the edge of the ravine, we'll instantaneously arrive at a point in time where the bridge is completed." Timmy added, "We'll have track under us, and coast safely across the ravine!" Marty and I shot Timmy a look and he explained, "Being here these past eight months has really improved my forth dimensional sense." I pointed out to Doc, "What about the locomotive?" Doc regretfully answered, "It will be a spectacular wreck." Timmy added, "Too bad no one will be around to see it."
We mounted our horses and then we heard a female voice screaming for help. Doc saw this and yelled, "Great Scott!" We rode off in a shot. Doc caught up to the horse and buggy and yelled at the woman, "Jump!" She jumped off the wagon and into Doc's arms. The wagon fell over the ravine. "Oh, thank you, sir, you saved my…" she started as she lifted her hat. She paused as she looked into Doc's eyes. "...life." she finished dreamily. "Emmet Brown, at your service, Miss…" Doc said sweetly. "Um...um...Clayton. Clara Clayton." she answered as if she were in a daze.
Doc looked at her and repeated, in a love daze, "Clara. What a beautiful name." I took out the picture I took of the tombstone and Marty, Timmy, and I exchanged horrified looks. Marty asked, "Do we have a plan, Annie?" I shrugged and answered, "Nope, we'll just have to make it up as we go along." Timmy shrugged back and responded, "That's a better plan than the one you made up at the dance." I nodded in agreement. Doc came back over to us and introduced us, "Clara, these are my friends and assistants, Clint Eastwood and his cousin, Amelia Lamont." Clara smiled at the two of us and responded, "It's nice to meet you." I smiled and responded, "It's nice to meet you too." Marty smiled too and responded, "We're glad that you're alright, ma'am." Doc gestured towards Timmy and added, "And this is my nephew, Timothy Turner." 'So, Timmy didn't have any ancestors back here. That's a relief.' I thought to myself.
Clara smiled at Timmy and said, "A pleasure to meet you, Timothy." Timmy tipped his hat and responded, "Glad you're okay, ma'am." She smiled at Timmy's manners and got on her one horse that hadn't gone over the cliff. She gathered her supplies that had not gone over. Marty took the supplies off the horse and put them on the porch of Clara's cabin. Doc gestured to the items she had saved and asked, "May I help you inside with these?" She smiled sweetly and answered, "Oh no, that won't be necessary. You've done more than enough already." Doc insisted, "But it's really no trouble."
I responded, "Doc, uh, Emmet. She's says its fine and we've really got to get going." Timmy added, "Besides that, it is getting late, Uncle Emmet." Doc ignored me and Timmy and told Clara, "Clara, I'll straighten everything out with Mr. Stantler from the buckboard rental...don't you worry about that. I feel somewhat responsible for what happened." She responded, dreamily, "Oh, well, that would be very gentlemanly of you, Mr. Brown...Emmet. You know, I'm almost glad that snake spooked those horses. Otherwise, we might never have met. I suppose it was destiny." Marty tried next and called, "Uh, Doc. We do have to get going." Doc finally snapped out of his love fog and responded, "Uh, right. Excuse us, Clara. We do have to get going."
Clara asked, dreamily, "I will...see you again, won't I?" Doc responded, "Of course, you'll see lots of me, I'm sure, I have a shop in town. I'm a local scientist...uh...uh...blacksmith." I rolled my eyes. I knew that scientist weren't exactly around in the 1880's. Doc had just sunk himself. She asked, interested, "Science? What sort of science? Astronomy? Chemistry?" Doc admitted, "Actually, I'm a student of all sciences." Marty, Timmy, and I called in unison, "Uh, Doc. We got to get going."
Only Timmy said, "Uh, Uncle Emmet. We got to get going." Doc finally decided to leave and he said to Clara, "Oh yes, well, excuse us Clara, we have to get...going. Toodle-oo." Clara waved goodbye dreamily. We rode away from the house and I blurted out, "What the hell are you doing, Doc? Clara was the person you were supposed to stay away from!" Timmy added, "I'm not against true love and neither are the fairies but I'm saying that you have just sunk yourself!" Marty added, "And why did you tell her that you're going to see her again?" Doc shot us a look and responded, "Look you three; I might see her again but only in passing."
Marty smirked and said, "Ah, come on, Doc? Didn't you see the way she was looking at you? And I thought I was a ladies' man." I muttered, "At least you don't get hit on by weird guys and assholes." Timmy nodded and said, "That's true." Doc admitted, "Well, she did have quite a scare, right? After all, Miss Clayton almost ended up at the bottom of Clayton Ravine. Clayton Ravine…" I realized something as did Marty. Marty yelled, freaking out, "Holy crap! Clayton Ravine was named after a teacher." I added, "They say she fell in there a hundred years ago!" Timmy cried incredulously, "A hundred years ago!" Doc pointed out, "That's this year!"
Marty explained, "Every kid in school knows that story because we all have teachers we'd like to see fall into the ravine." I nodded and added, "Even Strickland." I know it sounds cruel but Strickland hates us all. Timmy pointed out to me, "Isn't that kind of mean?" Doc stopped his horse before I could respond to Timmy and yelled, "Great Scott! Then she was supposed to go over in that wagon...and now, I may have seriously altered history."
Marty responded, "Well, what's the worst thing that can happen?" Timmy pointed out, "They just don't name the ravine after her." I added, "Let's just get the De Lorean ready and go home." Doc shook his head and responded, "I wish that I never invented that inferno time machine. It has caused nothing but disaster. Once we get Timmy home, I'm destroying it once and for all." Marty sighed and said, "I guess it is for the best." I nodded and admitted, "I'm sure going to miss it, though." Timmy admitted, "Me too. It really has changed my life." With sadness in the air, we went back to the store.