"You aren't the only one thinking this is crazy," I said shaking my head. "It just doesn't make any sense at all. It has to be some kind of joke."
Her eyebrows suddenly knitted together in thought and it looked like something large had just crossed her mind.
"What was the date when you took the fall?" she asked in a low voice.
"December seventeenth eighteen-" I started but I didn't get a chance to finish the date.
"Eighteen?" she questioned. "Clearly you have the year wrong."
"Pardon me?" I asked. "I may not venture into sociality much but I do know what year it is."
"I don't know how to tell you this Sherlock but the year is two thousand five," she said taking her bottom lip between her teeth.
"What?" I asked as my mouth dropped open.
I was in America during the year 2005. Somehow I had managed to skip over a hundred years. Watson will never believe this when I tell him. That if I get to tell him. If I was really a hundred years in the future how would I get back to my own time.
"You really think you're from the 1800 hundreds," Beverley said her eyes widening. "I thought it was a joke."
"No joke," I said with a snort. "Somehow the blow I took the head threw me into the future."
"That's crazy," she said looking away from me. "I think I know what's really going on here."
"You do?" I asked.
"Of course," the girl looked back at me. "You hit your head and now you think you're from the past."
"You're saying that I'm making this up?" I asked in a slightly raised voice.
"I'm not trying to offend you," she said quickly. "It's just that sometimes after a fall like you took people will believe things are true that could never be true. It's a mental thing. I don't really know much about it but I've read about it in school before."
"So you are suggesting that I am suffering from an illusion?" I questioned.
"I mean it in the best way possible," Beverley said. "I'm saying that you've suffered major head trauma and that it might take a little while before you sort yourself out."
I shook my head closing my eyes and trying to sort everything out. It didn't look like I was going to be able to. My trip to the future was something that I didn't understand and there was little that I didn't understand.
"Are you hungry?" Beverley asked out of no where.
The sudden breaking of the silence by the woman in the room caused me to open my eyes. Even though I hadn't thought I was hungry I suddenly became hungry at Beverly's words. Food seemed like a really good idea.
"Yes," I said sitting up. "Now that you mention it I am hungry."
"I'm not much of a cook," she explained with a small laugh. "So I hope you don't mind eating at McDonalds."
"McDonalds?" I asked in a confused voice.
"Uh…it's as restaurant," Beverley said standing up from her chair. "It's fast food but I love it. I'll get your hat and coat."
Beverley walked out of the living room leaving me alone once again. If she hadn't returned right away I would have slipped off into thought. There was so much to think about and not enough time to do it. I was in a strange place, a strange time, and was getting ready to eat at a place I had never heard of.
She returned a few seconds later with my coat and hat. I took off the robe and replaced it with the coat. When I put the hat on my head Beverley tilted her head at me and gave me a strange look.
"What?" I asked.
All she did was shake her head slightly as if she was debating something in her head. We walked together in silence out of the living room and down the hallway. To my surprise the hallway was pretty bare. I had expected it to be as decorated at the living room. We walked out the front door and onto the street.
What I saw was once again not what I expected. A snow covered scene was laid out before me. There were only a few houses along the street. I thought that she said that she lived in the city.
"I do," she said as if she could read my mind. "But this is just the quiet part. I'm afraid that we're going to have to walk. I haven't had a car for years. It cost way to much to have them in the city."
"Makes sense," I said even though I had barely understood.
Without another word we walked down the side walk. Only a few minutes had passed before we left the quiet part and got into the real city. There were buildings everywhere with signs and names that I didn't recognize at all. The streets were lined with people and cars like I had never seen before.
"Welcome to the city," she said with a laugh. "You're really acting like you've never seen anything like this before."
"I haven't," was all I said.
Beverley seemed happy with my answer because she turned her attention back to the buildings in front of her. She walked up to a yellow and red building that bore the words McDonalds in large yellow letters. Despite the fact I was a bit nervous my curiosity got the best of me and I started to walk a little faster.
Even though I had never felt the emotion called love towards anyone besides my family I couldn't help but be a gentleman around women. I opened the door for Beverley more out of habit than anything and followed her inside.
Restaurants in London, during my time that is, are usually packed with people. This restaurant only had a few people and from the looks of them they were young people. One of them gave me a strange look as I walked past with Beverley. She was headed towards the counter so I followed.
"Hi Bev," a woman behind the counter said. "The usual"
"Yes," she answered with a nod.
The woman noticed me for the first time and sent me a rather large smile.
"Who is this?" she asked looking back at Beverley. "How dare you bring a new boyfriend in here without telling me first?"
I only smiled and looked away at her words. Even though her words were untrue they were indeed flattering. Even though I would never entertain the thought of dating this young woman she would still make some lucky guy a great girlfriend.
"He isn't my boyfriend Sally," Beverley said coloring slightly. "He's just a friend and his name is Sherlock."
"Well what will your 'friend' be having?" she asked shaking her head.
"A number one," Bev said.
"Alright then," Sally said punching something into the box in front of her. She looked up suddenly. "Wait…did you say Sherlock?"
"She did," I said. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason," she laughed slightly. "Your parents must have had a strange sense of humor."
I didn't know how to respond to that Why did my parents have to have a strange sense of humor to name me Sherlock? I didn't get a chance to say anything back.
"Lay off," Beverly said narrowing her eyes at her friend.
Sally walked away into back of the restaurant without another word. I looked at my friend with a questioning look.
"If she bugs you or ask questions you don't like just tell her to lay off," she advised. "Sometimes she doesn't know when to shut up."
I simply laughed at that because I didn't know what else to say. We stood against the counter in silence for what seemed like forever. In reality we only stood there no more than ten minutes. Our food came on a tray. Beverley picked up the tray and walked across to the restaurant to a table in the corner. We sat down and she started to eat right way. I looked down at my food in mild confusion.
Mrs. Hudson would never had called what was in front of me a meal. There was large cardboard contained holding a large amount of French fries that looked like they would break into tiny pieces if I so much as touched them. There was what looked like a beef burger sitting on the table but it was unlike any beef burger I had seen before. It was slopping and a loud amount of a grease was sweeping out of it.
"What's wrong?" Beverly asked when she saw I wasn't touching my food.
"What is this?" I questioned looking up at her.
"It's a hamburger and fries," she said laughing slightly. "I know you've eaten a hamburger before."
"They didn't look like this," I said poking the hamburger with one of my fingers.
"Try it," she urged. "You'll like it."
I wasn't sure that I would like it but I couldn't help try it. It may one day be the fall of me but I just can't help trying out new things. I picked up the hamburger and took a bite. I knew there were other things on the hamburger but all I could taste was grease and meat. To my surprise it tasted good. Beverley laughed when she saw I was enjoying the meal.
"Man I have got so many things to show you."
I didn't really know what she talking about but I couldn't help but get excited at her words.