Author's Note: Upon taking a walk into Hill Valley Park, Doc encounters Edna Strickland.

November 12, 1980
7:30 PM PST

Dr. Emmett Brown sighed, as he stepped into Hill Valley Park. It was exactly 25 years ago, since he performed his first temporal experiment. At the time, he had simply felt optimistic about the future. After all, he never really dreamed that Biff Tannen would become so powerful - or that he would, essentially, turn the world into a living hell.

Certainly, he never expected for Biff to marry the mother of Marty McFly - the latter of who had spend a week in 1955. Doc swallowed, as he really felt bad for his young friend. How would poor Marty feel about returning to a world ruled by Biff Tannen?

Come to think of it, the fateful date was just a little less than five years away. Would he still be able to show Marty his time machine? Would he even really be able to finish his time machine? For that matter, would he even still be alive by then? Biff really had it in for him, after all. Indeed, there were so many questions going through his head.

As Doc caught sight of a bench, he saw a familiar old woman sitting there. As he took a close look at her face - her expression quite appeared to convey a mixture of rage, distress, and confusion. Doc took a seat next to her, as she appeared to be an ally.

"Dr. Brown, is that you?" the old woman asked. As Doc nodded, she continued, "I just can't take it, anymore! Ever since the hooligan won his first bet, he's really turned the whole town into a real cesspool of depravity - and he's really got the rest of the world falling prey to his wiles. I'm telling you, Dr. Brown, this hooligan Biff is the Antichrist!"

"Edna Strickland!" Doc gasped, as he realized just who the old woman was. "I suppose I can't exactly disagree with you. I'm no fan of Biff Tannen, myself - and I, too, simply hate what he's done to this world. I really wish there was some way of stopping him."

"Gambling is an abomination, Dr. Brown!" Edna ranted. "And so is bribery! If gambling was illegal for everyone, then this world would never have gotten quite like this. Well, not all hope is lost. I sure can take comfort in knowing that, on Judgement Day, Biff will have to answer to the Almighty - and he'll be thrown into the flames of hell."

Doc sighed, as he was quite at a loss of how to respond to Edna. He could not exactly argue against the fact that, had gambling been illegal, it would have been a lot harder for Biff to become so powerful. Indeed, Biff did not deserve with his wealth and fame.

"I've never reckoned that I'd ever feel sorry for a McFly," Edna continued. "Especially not after what Artie did to my brother, back in the twenties. Still, it's so scary to think of how Biff must be treating the McFly children. Biff certainly is not a very fit father."

"I simply can't argue with you, there," Doc agreed, softly. "I've always suspected that Biff was the one who killed George. He not only used to bully George, all the time - but he also used to chase after Lorraine. I'm surprised that Lorraine wasn't his first wife."

"That's also what I've suspected," Edna agreed, nodding. "It's just what you'd expect from a degenerate criminal like him. Now, if I really had any power to change the world, it would rather look a lot different from... from this. I'd rid the world of alcohol, gambling, and sexual promiscuity. I think Prohibition never should've been repealed."

"Yeah, I'm really not fond of this world," Doc replied, in a near whisper. "I wonder how much longer this park will last, in fact. Biff simply never was the type of person to care about nature. He's got all these... these pollution creating devices... around town."

"We're living in the end times, Dr. Brown," Edna insisted, emphatically. "I know it! It is real evident that the signs are all around us. Very soon, the Lord God is going to pour his wrath out on this wicked world, while us righteous folks will be delivered from it."

Doc sighed, as he glanced around the park. He knew that Edna always was an ardent moralist, long before Biff won his first bet. Once again, he was simply at a loss of how to respond to her. Still, she certainly did have a point about the state of the world.

"I'm rather worried about my brother, though," Edna continued, with sudden sadness. She began to cry, as she added, "I saw him, just the other day - and he had alcohol in his house. May the good Lord have mercy on him. All the other degenerates can really burn in hell, for all I care - but I don't want for my brother to meet that same fate."

"Well, Edna," Doc responded, in a near whisper, "I agree that the world has become a very terrible place. I would just like for nothing less than to take down Biff. He doesn't deserve to have all that power. It really isn't fair that he became... became so lucky."

"He used witchcraft!" Edna growled, angrily. "He has sold his soul to the devil, in order to acquire his vast fortune. He is going to be in for a rather big surprise, though - when Judgement Day comes. He'll sure be spending the rest of eternity, regretting his wickedness! Even if he was to repent, tonight - the damage has already been done."

"I doubt that Biff is ever gonna... repent," Doc replied, quietly. "He's quite a ruthless man. I really am concerned about his wife, as well as his stepchildren. I know that he sends the children away to boarding school - but what about... when they're home?"

"I shudder to even consider," Edna replied, disgustedly. "If they were my children, I'd really show them plenty of love and discipline. I'd spank them, when necessary - but I would not beat them, simply for the fun of it. They'd grow to become model citizens."

"I wonder what is going to happen," Doc mused, "when they become adults. Come to think of it - I believe Dave has turned eighteen, this year. I would not blame them for wanting to get far away from Biff. Man, I really do hope that they even get a chance at life. Their lives could not have been very easy. My heart really goes out to them."

"I wonder why I'm even still living in Hill Valley," Edna grumbled, sighing. "I really wish I had more money, so that I could leave this country. Oh, well! I do know that the good Lord will bless me, when my time here is done. Many will rather follow the wicked path, while very few will follow the straight and narrow - just as the Bible has predicted."

"I used to feel a lot more optimistic," Doc commented, sighing, "until George McFly was murdered. It rather is a shame that the Coalition Against Biff fell through. I doubt that most of those deaths were accidental. I bet they were all orchestrated by Biff's men."

"I'm not so certain that CAB was much better," Edna pointed out, grouchily. "Granted, their purpose was to take down Biff - which is what I also wanted. Still, they quite had their own agenda. I mean, I really despised the hippie values that they espoused."

Doc swallowed, as he did not know how to respond. He himself had been a member of CAB, and he felt insulted by Edna's comment. He has always admired the ideals of the hippies. Then again, he knew that Edna disapproved of the drugs and sex culture.

"Yes, I know, an enemy of an enemy is a friend - right?" Edna added, sighing. "That's what they say. The lesser of two evils is still evil, though. I sure wasn't about to compromise my morals, just because I happened to agree with their main purpose."

"If only there was a way we could stop him," Doc grumbled. "Unfortunately, he's got the authority on his side. All he has to do, is simply bribe everyone with money - and he's really got everyone eating out of his hands. The worst part of it all... is the fact that he's really in no danger of going broke. The sad fact is, the world is his oyster."

"The devil might seem powerful," Edna commented, with disgust, "but God will prevail, in the end. As for Biff bribing his way to power... Well, it rather goes to show how we can't even trust those in authority to have any morals. It is wrong to accept bribes!"

Doc swallowed - as he, suddenly, felt a little guilty. He thought of the fateful week in 1955, when Marty was stuck with him. At one point, when he was setting wire to the lamp posts, a police officer had simply inquired about what he was doing. He thought of how he had actually bribed the police officer, after being asked if he had a permit.

"Yeah, you're right," Doc finally replied, quietly. "If the police would just do their jobs, then Biff wouldn't be such a tyrant - and this world wouldn't be quite a hellhole. It can be so discouraging, not knowing if or when Biff would ever decide to come after you."

"I know I'm not exactly his favourite person," Edna pointed out, with a wry chuckle. "I don't really know if the world would be that much better, though. Those dreaded hippies might have taken over - and they, too, would've led the world to destruction."

"At any rate, I guess this is the world that we have to live in," Doc replied, sighing. He figured that it was no use to argue with Edna about the merits of hippies. "I mean, we can't do anything to change that. We'll just have to make the most of what we have."

"Sadly, I reckon you're right," Edna replied, shaking her head. "I must say, Dr. Brown, you really aren't so bad. We should consider spending more time, together. It'd simply help to have someone to keep me from going insane in this world. For now, I guess I'd better start heading home. My cats need me, and I could really use a cup of hot tea."

"You take care, Edna!" Doc commented, as Edna stood up from the bench. "It's rather been nice, talking with you. It's good that you have your cats to keep you company. I at hope the tea helps you to relax." As Edna waved at him, he shouted, "Take care!"

As Edna walked off, Doc actually managed a little smile. As crazy as Edna might be - it was quite nice that she, at least, had her cats for company. After all, he felt the very same way about his sheepdog - who he named Einstein, after the great scientist. The loyal sheepdog really did, in fact, help him to maintain his sanity in an insane world.