ONE

I walk around in my new clothes that are now considered "normal." I am wearing a light blue shirt with a black quarter roy jacket with one silver earring in my left ear along with a golden ring on my right hand. My jeans are ripped at the knees and my hair has a little curl to it because of the humidity. I don't have any money so therefor I had to steal these clothes. There was no other way to make money. A girl who looks 13 cannot get a job, I try to convince myself.

I search for a type clue of what time period I'm in. I jog across the street my curls bouncing behind me. I head towards a gas station and dig in my pockets for a quarter. I can feel my eyes glow with success as I pull one out. I slowly unscrew the bolts that hold the glass onto the machine. I roll my eyes.

The past needs better technology.

I peel the glass away and snatch a newspaper. I put the glass back where it was. I don't even bother to put the bolts back in place.

No one notices anything here.

I hurry away to where no one will be. There is a small space between the gas station and another store. I squeeze myself into it and sit down. I start to read. Halfway through the article I realize I remember most of these events. I look at the very top and find my answer. It's 2023. It's September 15, the day that Syria is stopped. This is the day that everything goes downhill. The Muslims kept on attacking the United States. All was lost until the military finally realized what had actually happened when the SuperCollider exploded. They figured out that there were people with "superpowers." They took the best of us including me. They trained us until we reached our limits. When we were eventually shown approval, they took us to Syria to attack them. We won but both our countries were nearly destroyed. Syria dropped multiple atomic bombs in America and this country did the same. But these were no ordinary bombs, the were exact replicas of the Tsar Bomba. They were the most powerful nuclear weapons ever detonated. No one knows how the country was able to get a hold of one, but they did... or are.

My hands ball into fists at all of the memories rushing back to me.

Sarai wants me to die today with this country. I have to figure out where I am. I scan the newspaper article again. I'm in Kansas. A thought comes to me. Maybe I can get my old friends to help me get home!

I try to find colleges and homes where I suspect they may be. I finally find a college that doesn't look like anyone of my friends would go but I need to try. It's Kansas University. I walk inside and I'm immediately pushed into shelves and lockers by rushing students. I pick myself up and brush myself off.

"Me'gan?"

I turn around at the sound of my name. It's a tall girl with extremely curly hair and glasses. Her hair is bound in a messy ponytail and her T shirt was a soft purple color that made my day brighten. Charlie. She was one of my best friends when I was younger. She was like a sister to me. I was looking for her and some of my other friends to help me get home so I can save my people. Then someone walks next to her. He almost looks recognizable but I know it's him. Carter. They both stare at me wide eyed. I run to them. They engulf me in a huge hug. I cling to them hoping this moment will never end. They finally released me and push me away shocked that I look like I'm 13. They never knew about me. I ran away when I knew. They start bombard me with questions making me clear my head.

"How are you this young?" Was the main of their questions.

"I'll tell you later. Right now we need to get out of the school and somewhere private." I try to usher them out the door but they refuse.

"We still have classes to go to. We can come at about 5 o'clock. Until then please don't go anywhere." Carter says. Charlie nods with him.

"But you don't understand! This is an emergency! You need to come with me so we're not destroyed!" I put my head down. "This is your last day on earth." I try to convince them but nothing works.

They head to their next class shaking their heads as if I had said the strangest thing in the world. I run after them and grab them by their arms and try to drag them out of the university with me. They roll their eyes and take my hands off of them.

As they do, I reach out to them and use my ability on them and try to grab at the memories. They flood into my mind the good ones and the bad. Some are of us three walking to classes talking about the weird things in life. Some are of them staring at me while me and another friend of mine laugh until we feel like our lungs might burst. I start to smile at the thought of all of the memories that are now locked inside my head.

"Me'gan!" Carter and Charlie are shaking me back to reality.

"What did you do? It felt like you pulled something out of us." Carter says angrily. I silently tell them to come closer to me. We crouch on the floor. A bell rings and my ears pop. Charlie and Carter don't budge. Looks like they are going to stay and listen.

"Brace yourselves," I say before taking a deep breath. "I'm from the future." After saying this Charlie and Carter look at me doubtingly. "I'm serious! Do I look like I'm from this time period?"

"No," they reply in unison. "It looks like you're from the past," Charlie says. I groan. This is going to be harder than I thought.

"I just came here a few hours ago from 2056." They give me the same expression they did last time. I narrow my eyes at them. "Why doesn't anyone believe me?! I am not from this time period and I need to go home to save my people!"

"Your people?" Charlie looks at me with confusion laced in her eyes. "You need to come with me," I say. "What time is it?" I ask urgently.

"It is 10 past," Carter says. Good, I think. We have time to escape before our deaths. I pull them out of the building. They seem reluctant. I try to plead with my eyes so I don't have to say anything. I guess it worked because they are following me out the door.

I pull them to the alley near the gas station and begin to talk. "I need to get to ? so I can get some people I know to help me go back to the future. I know a mad genius named Eobard but he goes by Professor Zoom . I need you two to help me find him." That's all I say because that's all they need to know.

"What city are we in?" I ask before getting up.

"Lawrence, we are in Lawrence, Kansas."

I sigh in relief. "We are extremely close to where I need to go. An hour at the most. Where is a car?"

"Where exactly are we going?" Carter asks. I reply with a grin on my face, "Central City."