Chapter Seven: Escape From the Past

Matti looked up. She landed right in the middle of the hallway in her old high school, Coney Island High School. She looked at the watch that she always kept on her wrist and saw the date... It was March 19, 2002. She had somehow gone back almost a year! She had never been able to do that.

"Russell! You belong in your first period class already. Do you need to be brought to the Dean for cutting?"

Matti looked behind her and saw one of the security guards who was on the payroll of her enemy gang... And always trying to kill her in school. She saw the usual predatory look in his eyes.

"What do you want Travis? I don't have time for this."

"You're cutting class. I'm taking you to the dean's office."

"In your wildest dreams. You'd have to catch me first."

Matti darted to the stairwell in the science wing. She ran down the first two flights of stairs and ran out of the stairwell and down to the History wing of the school. When she got into the history wing she began to search for Mr. Johnson, her favorite teacher. She found his class just before she heard Travis pounding down the hall behind her.

Matti ducked into Mr. Johnson's Freshman class and, without saying anything, hid in the cabinet by the window. Seconds after she closed the cabinet door, she heard Travis come into the classroom.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Mr. Johnson, but have you seen Mathilde Russell today? She's cutting class again and I need to bring her to the dean's office."

"No, I haven't. I will, however, talk to her when I see her."

"Thanks. If you see her, call security."

"Of course."

Matti heard Travis leave and a few seconds later, Mr. Johnson opened the door of the cabinet.

"Good morning Matti. How are you today?"

Matti looked up and smiled at her favorite teacher.

"I'm good. How are you?"

"Why are you running from security?"

"Hard to explain. When is your free period?"

"You know that my free period is fifth period."

"Right. I'll explain things to you then, okay. I'm gonna leave you to your class."

"Matti?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you in trouble?"

"More than you know. I'll talk to you later."

Matti walked out of the classroom and cautiously looked down the hall. When she was sure that nobody was there, she ran to where she knew she could find herself... The football field. She knew she would be outside with Mickey right now and could have both her past and future selves together without scaring him.

Matti snuck out to the football from over by the girl's gym with the tennis gym class. She walked around the football field with the team and when they got over by the bleachers, she climbed up and walked over to Mickey and herself. Mickey looked thoroughly surprised.

"Matti? I thought you're not supposed to see yourself time travel."

"I'm not," said both Mattis in unison.

"What's going on?" asked Mickey.

"I'm from the future. I had to escape to save my life. I somehow wound up back here in Brooklyn. I didn't mean to time travel. I was just trying to teleport. Something must've gone wrong."

"Why did you need to run?"

"Because there was one nasty little shit following me trying to destroy me."

"Where? Bring me there."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Mickey, I just can't. You can't help me in the future."

"Why not? I'm here to protect you Matti."

Matti thought about telling him the truth. The reason he couldn't help her was because he was dead... Killed by Travis to protect her. She couldn't bring herself to shatter him like that so she told a half-truth.

"Because I'm in California in the future. My mom is gonna move to Los Angeles."

"What can I do for you then? You wouldn't have come to see me if you wouldn't have thought there was no way for me to help. What do you need?"

"Someplace to hide. I can't go back home with the other part of myself. I'll get killed. I don't think I can make the jump like I did again... It would be too dangerous. They'll be watching me."

"Who will be watching you?"

"The people who want me destroyed in the future. They'll be checking the tunnel for me. Can you help me?"

"Yeah, mija. You can stay with me."

"Thanks Baby."

"No problema."

Matti turned to her past self.

"Watch Travis today. He just tried to kill me inside. I hid in Mr. Johnson's class. I need to talk to him fifth period. Go to your classes and play la chica buena. Don't give him a reason to kill you today. Go."

Matti's past self walked away. She turned back to Mickey.

"Hold me. I'm losing my mind."

"No problema mija. Tu es mi amor."

"I love you Mickey."

He tilted her head up and kissed her. They stayed in the bleachers until fifth period and then Mickey went with her to see Mr. Johnson. They found him in the office on the second floor. There were no other teachers there.

Matti explained everything she could in the limited time she had. She told Mr. Johnson everything so she knew he would believe her. He knew about her abilities. He listened to her and then gave her a hall pass to the Nurse so she could officially leave the school for the day and hide.

Mickey and Matti left the school and took the train back to his house. When they got there she had him hold her for a long time. She missed being in his arms like that. At sunset, she decided to try to make a leap into the future, but she had to do it slowly. She didn't want to let go of Mickey, but she couldn't let her friends get killed while she hid in the past. She kissed Mickey one last time and left. She jumped to September 13, 2002... She didn't realize at first that she had just jumped to Mickey's death.

Matti looked around and slowly realization set in that she was in the time and place that Mickey got killed for her. She froze. She was trying to make another jump, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was stuck.

Over the top of the hill, she could see herself with Mickey, just being held. They had come up here because she wanted to see the sunset. She sent a mental message to herself that she needed to cherish this night with Mickey. She was about to try to make another jump, when all of a sudden the tunnel opened behind her and somebody grabbed her.