Your Future Past
This story and all ideas, themes and original characters are the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Any unauthorized use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and all characters and settings no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
Blake moaned. She could feel the sound in her throat and she knew she was back in her body. Wait. Back in her body? What the hell did that mean? That she had been..out of it? Oh, that didn't sound good. She tried to think, but all she could remember were some colors and some smells. That was a big help. She moaned again. Her head hurt. A lot. And so did the rest of her body. Cripes, what had she gotten herself into now? Oh, yeah. She remembered. Rain. Dirt. Flashlight. Gorge. Lack of ground to stand on. So, she was dead, huh? But that didn't jive. People didn't have pain when they were dead. So she must be alive. And if she was alive that meant she'd have to open her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do. Oh well, what must be done must be done. It took a second to get used to the light. But then when she did she saw a roof. Oh good. Someone had found her, out there in that gorge. How splendid. Her throat was dry and it hurt, maybe they could give her some water. She opened her mouth and took a deep breath, then tried to move her abdomen muscles so she could sit up. "Michaela!" a man's voice called. She turned her head just a little and saw him, but just for a second because she had to lay back down again. A woman's face appeared over her head. "You're awake" she said. Well, duh, Blake thought. The woman was pretty though, with red hair and a pleasant smile. "Let me help you sit up" she said and Blake could feel her hands under her back, helping her to slowly fold her body up. It left Blake feeling a little dizzy, and a bit nauseated, but she was glad to be sitting, instead of laying, prone, on her back. "I'm Dr. Quinn" the woman said. Both she and the man were dressed in antique clothing, circa 1860's Blake guessed. She figured she was at some kind of amusement camp, one of those frontier towns that were supported by class field trips and quacky parents that actually had time to spend with their kids. Everything looked pretty authentic though, down to the rumbling sounds of horse drawn wagons outside. Blake should know, she loved the Old West and had done tons of research on the times. If she had ever turned any of that work in for one of her school papers she might've passed with something better than a D+.
"Oh, where am I?" she asked, closing one eye against the thumping in her head. She reached back and felt a long row of stitches under her hair.
"Careful" the red head warned, "You had a nasty cut"
"You're in Colorado Springs" the man answered her. Blake opened her closed eye and tested the pain. It started to recede.
"Colorado Springs?" she repeated. Yeah, that's what that sign had said.
"You're lucky Cloud Dancing found you" Dr. Quinn said, "You had a bad head injury"
"Cloud Dancing?" Blake repeated with a big grin. What a ridiculous name! But she looked at the two faces and knew they were serious. Blake knew some Native Americans did have traditional names still. She toned the grin down to a polite smile.....well, she hoped it was polite anyway.
"Yeah, guess I am." she added, hoping she hadn't offended them already. The Doc just smiled at her.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Uh, Blake" she answered and recognized the look of surprise on both of their faces, "My parents were hoping for a boy" she added. The Doc nodded.
"I know the feeling. My name is Michaela"
"That's a girl's name" Blake said.
"Only by an 'a' " the Doc smiled, and Blake noticed she was writing something on what looked like a big chart, "What's your last name?" she asked. Blake rubbed the back of her head again, wishing she could just leave, go find her car and get back on the road.
"Sully" she answered, glancing around for her backpack. It was there on the floor.
"Sully?" the man repeated. Dr. Quinn hadn't introduced him. He was a good looking man, and Blake noticed he wasn't wearing a wedding band. Of course, men didn't during that period, so maybe he was just "in costume".
"Yeah, so?" she replied, reaching down for the backpack. The change in position brought pain into her head but she didn't give up. She just couldn't reach it, and before she got off the bed, the man reached down and handed it to her.
"Nothin'" he said, "It's just, that's my name"
"Congratulations" Blake said, unzipping the bag. She sighed, realizing she was being rude. She looked up and tried a half a smile.
"Sorry" she said, "I just...haven't been having the best day" Sully, as she now knew his name, just nodded.
"Where're you from?" Quinn asked.
"Around"
"Do you know how you ended up in the canyon?" The Doctor asked from behind her.
"I fell...I think" Blake answered, digging in the backpack. Everything seemed to be there. She hoped her CD player wasn't busted, cause that would suck, but she didn't figure this was the best time to pull it out and check.
"How'd you get all the way out there anyway?" Sully asked.
"Got lost I guess" Blake answered. She didn't know how far that Indian had carried her to get to this Colorado Springs place but she was getting the feeling that her car was a long way off, and probably in the middle of nowhere by the sound of "all the way out there".
"Are you traveling alone?" Quinn asked. She sounded surprised.
"Yeah" Blake confirmed, zipping the backpack up again and swinging it around onto her back.
"Brave woman" Sully commented.
"Why?" Blake knew that the deserts tended to harbor freaks and weirdos, but she hadn't been planning on stopping for hitchhikers, and she couldn't think of anything else that would be too terribly dangerous on an interstate highway. Except maybe semi's.
"On horseback, alone, even if you are dressed as a man" Sully indicated her attire. Blake looked down at her hip hugger-bell bottoms, steel toed combat boots and blue pin-striped belly button length collared shirt. She doubted she'd ever see a man in that kind of outfit. Not a straight one anyway.
"Are you serious?" she asked. She looked back and forth between the Doc and Sully, who both wore confused expressions, but very serious ones. Blake knew then she had landed right in the middle of Quack Central.
"Okay, well then" she said, standing up. She took a second to let the dizziness pass, then started backing up towards the door, "Thanks, for fixing me up, Doc, and if you'll just...point me in the direction of my car, I'll be going now" She stopped at the door, crossing her fingers and just willing them to lift their arms without another word.
"Car?" Quinn repeated, looking at Sully, but he just shrugged.
"You know...a car....a horseless carriage?" Blake restated, inwardly rolling her eyes at their feigned ignorance. She wasn't there for the show.
"Cloud Dancing didn't find no carriage" Sully told her, "Or no horse either"
"Oh great!" Blake exclaimed, "So it was stolen!"
"It might've just run away" the Doctor suggested.
"If you have money we can get you another horse" Sully added. Now Blake was getting annoyed.
"Why the hell would I want a horse?" she asked, but then shook her head when it looked like they were going to respond.
"Never mind" she told them quickly, backing out the door, "I'll just....find another way" she said and turned around to run. She was struck still, however, by the sight she found herself faced with. It was an entire town, all genuine 1860's. Maybe 70's. There were what looked like probably represented hundreds of people walking up and down the dusty road and plank sidewalks, past old fashioned store fronts and tied up horses and wagons. Blake was impressed by its magnificence. Quite a set up.
"Must be well funded" Blake said to herself and took a step into the dirt road. She promptly backed up again as a wagon went hurtling past. She heard the door opening behind her though and took off again, anxious to get away from that nutty couple.
"Blake!" she heard Quinn calling after her and picked up the pace a little. Before she could get much farther than the middle of the road though she felt a familiar woozy feeling creeping out from her stomach to turn her legs into jelly.
"Great timing Blake" she said to herself before she lost consciousness.
This story and all ideas, themes and original characters are the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Any unauthorized use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and all characters and settings no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
Blake moaned. She could feel the sound in her throat and she knew she was back in her body. Wait. Back in her body? What the hell did that mean? That she had been..out of it? Oh, that didn't sound good. She tried to think, but all she could remember were some colors and some smells. That was a big help. She moaned again. Her head hurt. A lot. And so did the rest of her body. Cripes, what had she gotten herself into now? Oh, yeah. She remembered. Rain. Dirt. Flashlight. Gorge. Lack of ground to stand on. So, she was dead, huh? But that didn't jive. People didn't have pain when they were dead. So she must be alive. And if she was alive that meant she'd have to open her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do. Oh well, what must be done must be done. It took a second to get used to the light. But then when she did she saw a roof. Oh good. Someone had found her, out there in that gorge. How splendid. Her throat was dry and it hurt, maybe they could give her some water. She opened her mouth and took a deep breath, then tried to move her abdomen muscles so she could sit up. "Michaela!" a man's voice called. She turned her head just a little and saw him, but just for a second because she had to lay back down again. A woman's face appeared over her head. "You're awake" she said. Well, duh, Blake thought. The woman was pretty though, with red hair and a pleasant smile. "Let me help you sit up" she said and Blake could feel her hands under her back, helping her to slowly fold her body up. It left Blake feeling a little dizzy, and a bit nauseated, but she was glad to be sitting, instead of laying, prone, on her back. "I'm Dr. Quinn" the woman said. Both she and the man were dressed in antique clothing, circa 1860's Blake guessed. She figured she was at some kind of amusement camp, one of those frontier towns that were supported by class field trips and quacky parents that actually had time to spend with their kids. Everything looked pretty authentic though, down to the rumbling sounds of horse drawn wagons outside. Blake should know, she loved the Old West and had done tons of research on the times. If she had ever turned any of that work in for one of her school papers she might've passed with something better than a D+.
"Oh, where am I?" she asked, closing one eye against the thumping in her head. She reached back and felt a long row of stitches under her hair.
"Careful" the red head warned, "You had a nasty cut"
"You're in Colorado Springs" the man answered her. Blake opened her closed eye and tested the pain. It started to recede.
"Colorado Springs?" she repeated. Yeah, that's what that sign had said.
"You're lucky Cloud Dancing found you" Dr. Quinn said, "You had a bad head injury"
"Cloud Dancing?" Blake repeated with a big grin. What a ridiculous name! But she looked at the two faces and knew they were serious. Blake knew some Native Americans did have traditional names still. She toned the grin down to a polite smile.....well, she hoped it was polite anyway.
"Yeah, guess I am." she added, hoping she hadn't offended them already. The Doc just smiled at her.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Uh, Blake" she answered and recognized the look of surprise on both of their faces, "My parents were hoping for a boy" she added. The Doc nodded.
"I know the feeling. My name is Michaela"
"That's a girl's name" Blake said.
"Only by an 'a' " the Doc smiled, and Blake noticed she was writing something on what looked like a big chart, "What's your last name?" she asked. Blake rubbed the back of her head again, wishing she could just leave, go find her car and get back on the road.
"Sully" she answered, glancing around for her backpack. It was there on the floor.
"Sully?" the man repeated. Dr. Quinn hadn't introduced him. He was a good looking man, and Blake noticed he wasn't wearing a wedding band. Of course, men didn't during that period, so maybe he was just "in costume".
"Yeah, so?" she replied, reaching down for the backpack. The change in position brought pain into her head but she didn't give up. She just couldn't reach it, and before she got off the bed, the man reached down and handed it to her.
"Nothin'" he said, "It's just, that's my name"
"Congratulations" Blake said, unzipping the bag. She sighed, realizing she was being rude. She looked up and tried a half a smile.
"Sorry" she said, "I just...haven't been having the best day" Sully, as she now knew his name, just nodded.
"Where're you from?" Quinn asked.
"Around"
"Do you know how you ended up in the canyon?" The Doctor asked from behind her.
"I fell...I think" Blake answered, digging in the backpack. Everything seemed to be there. She hoped her CD player wasn't busted, cause that would suck, but she didn't figure this was the best time to pull it out and check.
"How'd you get all the way out there anyway?" Sully asked.
"Got lost I guess" Blake answered. She didn't know how far that Indian had carried her to get to this Colorado Springs place but she was getting the feeling that her car was a long way off, and probably in the middle of nowhere by the sound of "all the way out there".
"Are you traveling alone?" Quinn asked. She sounded surprised.
"Yeah" Blake confirmed, zipping the backpack up again and swinging it around onto her back.
"Brave woman" Sully commented.
"Why?" Blake knew that the deserts tended to harbor freaks and weirdos, but she hadn't been planning on stopping for hitchhikers, and she couldn't think of anything else that would be too terribly dangerous on an interstate highway. Except maybe semi's.
"On horseback, alone, even if you are dressed as a man" Sully indicated her attire. Blake looked down at her hip hugger-bell bottoms, steel toed combat boots and blue pin-striped belly button length collared shirt. She doubted she'd ever see a man in that kind of outfit. Not a straight one anyway.
"Are you serious?" she asked. She looked back and forth between the Doc and Sully, who both wore confused expressions, but very serious ones. Blake knew then she had landed right in the middle of Quack Central.
"Okay, well then" she said, standing up. She took a second to let the dizziness pass, then started backing up towards the door, "Thanks, for fixing me up, Doc, and if you'll just...point me in the direction of my car, I'll be going now" She stopped at the door, crossing her fingers and just willing them to lift their arms without another word.
"Car?" Quinn repeated, looking at Sully, but he just shrugged.
"You know...a car....a horseless carriage?" Blake restated, inwardly rolling her eyes at their feigned ignorance. She wasn't there for the show.
"Cloud Dancing didn't find no carriage" Sully told her, "Or no horse either"
"Oh great!" Blake exclaimed, "So it was stolen!"
"It might've just run away" the Doctor suggested.
"If you have money we can get you another horse" Sully added. Now Blake was getting annoyed.
"Why the hell would I want a horse?" she asked, but then shook her head when it looked like they were going to respond.
"Never mind" she told them quickly, backing out the door, "I'll just....find another way" she said and turned around to run. She was struck still, however, by the sight she found herself faced with. It was an entire town, all genuine 1860's. Maybe 70's. There were what looked like probably represented hundreds of people walking up and down the dusty road and plank sidewalks, past old fashioned store fronts and tied up horses and wagons. Blake was impressed by its magnificence. Quite a set up.
"Must be well funded" Blake said to herself and took a step into the dirt road. She promptly backed up again as a wagon went hurtling past. She heard the door opening behind her though and took off again, anxious to get away from that nutty couple.
"Blake!" she heard Quinn calling after her and picked up the pace a little. Before she could get much farther than the middle of the road though she felt a familiar woozy feeling creeping out from her stomach to turn her legs into jelly.
"Great timing Blake" she said to herself before she lost consciousness.