Zebra gasped for air, when she felt it was safe enough to breath. Then, she wrapped her arms around Meg's neck in jubilation and relief. "We did it!" She squealed triumphantly.
Meg only nodded. 'What exactly have we done?' She pondered to herself.
Things still weren't sitting right with her. She had a strong, gut feeling, that this was only the beginning of their troubles.
Another thunder bolt cracked against the pouring rain. This one, shook the ground beneath the girl's feet. The cue to go forth was soon at hand. The last screen showed different coordinates and travel destinations.
'Would you like to proceed to the last entered time period?' It asked.
Meg nervously looked up at Zebra for the answer, and dreading, she already knew. As expected, Zebra nodded her consent, excitement sparkling in her eager brown eyes. Meg shut her eyes tightly as she, for the final time, hit the 'enter' button.
There was a brief moment where nothing happened, only the soft patter of rain droplets as they shattered against the roof.
Waiting in silence for whatever fate might spring, beads of perspiration broke across Meg's forehead. A mound of pressure seemed to pulsate around them. The platform, before the time machine, began to glow. Very faint at first, but with increasing power, it illuminated the entire room. The earth groaned and started to tremble. Even Zebra was growing a bit frightened by the sudden change in the atmosphere.
Outside, an electric bolt of lightning found it's target and struck, directly hitting the metal rod on the house's rooftop. It's power traveled down, into the time machine, triggering the filament spires. A small rift appeared above the lighted platform. Opening it's jaw wide, the gap glowed a brilliant white. Electric sparks twisted throughout the ever growing hole.
Meg and Zebra's eyes widened to their full expanse, not fully comprehending what was happening.
Instinctively, Meg took a cautionary step back, preparing to flee. An alarm sensor seemed to buzz in her head, warning her of the danger.
But Zebra stood frozen on the spot, unable to tear herself away from the phenomenon enfolding before her.
"Zebra......." Meg's voice was barely louder than a whisper. She moved toward her friend, intending to drag her back.
Suddenly, without warning, the void began to draw in anything not bolted down, like a cosmic vacuum. Zebra's feet began to slide forward, toward the rift. Without a chance to react, a stray piece of pipe came hurdling at the back of her head, knocking her unconscious on the spot. The magnetic force increased, and Zebra started flying into the void.
Frantically, Meg grabbed Zebra's arm, pulling her back. Before getting herself forever lost, she scraped and clawed for a handhold. Her outstretched hand finally grasped the handle to the door leading upward. She grunted as she struggled to maintain her grip against the pull.
"Zebra, WAKE UP!" She screamed over the sucking wind.
Meg was pretty sure she would be free to escape, if it were only her weight she held stable. But she had Zebra to account for, and there was no way she would abandon her best friend to........THAT! The portal seemed determined to draw them in, for Meg's grip was beginning to slacken, her palm slick from the straining sweat. Her last finger slipped from her only anchor, and they both sailed into the time rip. Meg let out a shriek as the portal sealed behind them, seemingly satisfied. The power blew out, as the machine collapsed, overwhelmed by the power used.
Next door, Julius Sander's neighbors, Emma and Glen Hunt, were having some odd, electrical complications. For the past half-hour, their lights periodically flickered on and off.
"What's going on?" Emma asked her husband, as they watched some late night television.
"I'm not sure", her husband grunted.
Then, at last, the light flickered and faded into darkness. Making his way into the kitchen, Glen searched blindly through the drawers, pulled out a flash-light and flipped it on. "Blast that power company!" He cursed. "In the morning, I'm marching straight down to their main office and demanding an explanation, plus full compensation."
Was this what it was like to die, swirling around aimlessly in a mass of indescribable colors? This wasn't at all what Meg had pictured, when one's life were flashing before their eyes, before meeting the light at the end of the tunnel.
She felt as if she were speeding forever backwards. Meg didn't realize that, at that moment, they were falling through time. She kept a tight grip on Zebra's hand, for fear of loosing her to the void.
As the young women continued their plummet, small windows of historical past events flew by, like a kiss on the wind. Such as; the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the sinking of the Titanic, Joan of Arch- burning at the stake, numerous wars, and kingdoms conquering kingdoms. Too bad Zebra wasn't conscience to behold such sights, Meg knew that she would have appreciated it more than she, herself, ever could. Unfortunately, she was still out cold, a nice sized goose-egg was forming on the back of her skull.
After what seemed like an eternity, the time table of scenes abruptly stopped appearing, and Meg felt the sensation of suddenly coming down! Another portal opened a path beneath their feet, and they were headed straight for it. Meg shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself for a hard impact. To her surprise, the ground seemed to materialize under their bodies. Lying on her back, Meg looked over to her right and was relieved to see her best friend beside her, as always. She hadn't much strength to do much else. The journey seemed to have drained her of all energy. The drowsiness was overpowering, spreading to her limbs. Before her eyelids dipped, Meg did a once-over of their surroundings; Lush, green trees, and rolling hills. She scoffed, chiding herself, passing it all off as some demented hallucination. Perhaps, she too, had been knocked out and was now laying unconsciousness in some hospital bed, a prisoner to these visions.
'Sleep', she diagnosed for a cure. 'I need to rest. Things will become clearer....after....sleep....' Her head fell to the side as she dozed peacefully.