by Jones, D. F.
Julia placed her forearm on the console and leaned toward Andy. “How close are we to Sunnyside Meadows? I want to see Sloane.”
Andy briefly glanced at her before returning his focus to the busy interstate traffic. “It’s not far. Just remember, Sloane is advanced in years and the shock of seeing you could possibly kill her.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, Julia said, “You don’t know my sister. She’s tough as nails. So, what did you do while I was getting beautified?”
“I went to the library and found several case studies on people who claimed to have time traveled. Some were kooks wanting their fifteen seconds of fame, but a handful of them recounted stories about traveling in natural portals like water, tornadoes, high winds, and hurricanes. I wrote down their names and addresses to look them up on the internet later.” Andy looked in the rearview mirror and turned on his blinker before veering off the exit ramp.
Julia fidgeted in the seat, flipped the visor down and then pushed it back up. “What if she doesn’t recognize me?’
Andy’s brows creased as he pulled to a stop at the red light. “I’ll go in with you. I have complete faith in your ability to assess the situation. Your love for Sloane will help you do the right thing.”
Fifteen minutes later, Andy pulled into Sunnyside Meadows’ parking lot.
Sunnyside Meadows was a home for the well-heeled elderly who needed assistance with their household chores and personal care. The senior living community looked more like a resort than a home for the aged, with two pools, a spa and a golf course, and several on-site restaurants located on the property.
Julia walked to the visitor’s check-in and rang the bell. Moments later, a well-dressed woman opened the sliding glass window. “May I help you?”
Julia said, “I'm here to see Sloane Boatwright.”
Andy quickly interjected, “Ms. Sloane Davis. We're friends of the Boatwright family.”
The woman said, “Please sign in, and I need to get at least one form of ID.”
Andy smiled and handed the woman a card with his photo. “Here's my driver's license. Kaye had the misfortune of having her purse stolen yesterday at the mall. It's gone downhill since Bernstein's moved out.”
The woman's eyes widened, and she replied, “I’ve heard those rumors. Ms. Davis is in her room. I'll ring to make sure she'll receive visitors, Mr. Clayborn. One moment.”
The woman returned a few minutes later and said, “Mrs. Davis will see you. She lives in Winthrop Hall, Suite 250. Here’s a map of the property and two key fobs that’ll give you access to most of the property. Enjoy your visit."
Andy placed Julia’s hand in the crook of his arm, and they walked through the lobby to the elevators. He scanned the key fob, and the door opened. Inside the elevator, Julia whipped around and said, “Ms. Davis? As in Brooks Davis?”
Andy nodded. “As in the late Brooks Davis.”
Julia rolled her eyes as she held on to the elevator handrail. “Oh, my god, I can't believe Sloane married Brooks. And what the heck is a fob?”
“I’m not sure why Sloane married Brooks. It’s before my time.” Andy looked down at the floor then back into Julia’s eyes. “A fob is a keyless entry device that works like a key. This one gives us access to the elevators and Winthrop Hall, and probably the pool areas and restaurants too. Without a fob, we’d be locked out.”
She adjusted the thin belt around her waist. “Well, isn’t that just the smartest little thing? Y’all have so many gadgets.”
Julia thought back to the night of her birthday party and the conversation she and Sloane had about Brooks. “I knew Sloane felt an attraction to Brooks, but she also knew Brooks hit me on more than one occasion. God knows what he’s done to Sloane over the years.” Julia grimaced at the thought of Brooks hurting her baby sister.
Exiting the elevator, Andy held Julia’s hand as they walked in silence down the luxurious corridor of Winthrop Hall. The wall coverings had bleached cotton fabric pastoral scenes with intricate designs. They stopped in front of Suite 250.
Julia looked nervously to Andy, and he squeezed her hand. He said, “It's going to be okay. She's your sister no matter how much time has passed.”
Julia gingerly knocked on the door instead of ringing the bell. A young nurse with dark red hair and a smattering of freckles across her nose opened the door. With a smile, she said, “Welcome. Ms. Davis is looking forward to visitors. She's just through the door on the left in her private study.” The lovely young nurse couldn't take her eyes off Andy.
Julia turned to Andy and placed her hand on his forearm. “May I speak to Sloane in private? Maybe you could stay and keep this lovely young woman company.”
Andy already checking the redhead out, nodded and replied, “My pleasure, Kaye.”
Sloane's suite was remarkable. Several valuable pieces of art hung on the walls. Julia recognized a Monet and a Renoir as she gently knocked on the door of the study and stepped inside.
Sloane sat in a tan leather recliner reading a book. She looked up and tilted her head and frowned. “Damn it, Jessie. I told you those sumbitches keep upping my meds. I’m hallucinating again. Jessie, oh Jessie.”
Julia walked over and knelt before her sister. Placing her hand on Sloane’s knee, she said, “Sloane, it’s me. I'm not a hallucination.”
Jessica ran into the room. “Ms. Davis, are you okay?”
Julia moved back as Sloane stood slowly with the help of a walking cane. Sloane turned to Jessica and said, “I’m sorry, darling. You startled me. I rarely see visitors anymore. I’m all right.” Sloane turned back to Julia and said, “Would you like coffee or bourbon?”
Julia chuckled as she clasped her hands behind her back. “Both.”
Sloane laughed loudly at Julia, then looked at Jessica and waved her left hand. “Go on, child. Bring us a cup of coffee, and I’ll get my guest to pour the bourbon. And don’t give me that look, Jessie. I haven’t had a cocktail since last week. Please close the door behind you.” Jessica left the room and quietly shut the door behind her.
Tears glistened in Sloane’s eyes as she reached up with a trembling hand to touch Julia's face. She pushed a few stray black curls behind Julia’s ear. “Is it really you? You haven’t aged a day. Where have you been? Where did you go?”
Julia cupped Sloane’s face and kissed her forehead. “It’s really me, peanut. Yesterday it was 1948, and you were lying on the flat rock sunbathing when I slipped and fell. In an instant, I traveled in a time portal. Phillip’s grandson, Andy, found me in the pools of Burkett Falls. You and Phillip were gone. Half-naked people danced on our beach listening to strange and deafening music. It’s surreal, Sloane. Just yesterday, you were nineteen, and today you’re eighty-seven. It’s craziness, but I swear on Bunny’s diamond pendant, it’s true.”
Sloane chuckled, shaking from head to toe with laughter. “The authorities report stated you were lost somewhere in the cavern under the Falls. But I knew you didn’t drown. Phillip and I knew you disappeared from the face of the Earth. Nobody believed us. And don’t rub the eighty-seven part in because I’m still your baby sister.” She dropped the cane and reached for Julia.
Julia circled her arms around Sloane’s shoulders. “I’m so glad to see you. I’ve been utterly terrified. This new world is too foreign and too fast for me. I can’t believe Phillip married someone else, and that Mom and Dad are gone. I want to go home, Sloane.” She laid her head on Sloane’s shoulder and cried.
Sloane rubbed Julia’s back and said, “There, there, tulip. We better sit on the couch. The old gray mare ain’t what she used to be. Pour us a drink.” Sloane pointed to a small cocktail table in the corner next to a tall window overlooking the golf course.
Julia opened the crystal liquor decanter and poured her and Sloane two rather large bourbons, neat. She walked over to the plush bright yellow sofa with patterns of pineapples and handed the cocktail to Sloane before she sat down.
Sloane laughed again and said, �
�By God, woman, I missed you. Now, that’s a drink. Here’s mud in your eye.” Sloane knocked the glass back, drinking down the bourbon in three gulps.
“Geez, Sloane, should you drink so fast?”
“Honey, I could die any minute. Let the good times roll. Isn’t that what you said to me before taking the plunge?” Sloane leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes.
“Are you mad at me? I need you, damn it. Open your eyes. And what were you thinking to marry Brooks? Did he hurt you?” Julia took a sip of her drink.
Sloane flashed her eyes open and narrowed them at Julia. “Don’t you dare talk about Brooks. He was there for me when you disappeared. You just had to climb behind the Falls, didn’t you? Phillip went off the deep end. Bunny had a nervous breakdown, and Dad drank himself silly during the first year of your disappearance.”
Sloane paused a moment, taking deep breaths before she said, “Brooks was my friend, and then we became lovers. I didn’t want to get married. I moved to New York to live your dream. It made me feel close to you, and Brooks followed me. And for your information, Brooks told me what he did to you in his fraternity room. He was eaten up with guilt after your disappearance. Get me another drink, and I swear I’ll punch you if you mention my age again.”
Julia went over to the liquor table and poured Sloane a smaller drink. “Here, drink it a little slower this time. I want to talk to you, and not have you pass out on me. So, Brooks never hit you?”
Sloane placed her drink on the French provincial side table. “No. Not once. We fought about you many times. I wanted to kill him for hurting you, and Brooks cried like a baby. He quit drinking liquor and rarely drank beer. We eloped to Niagara Falls and lived in New York for a year before moving back home. Brooks helped Dad manage the dealership, and I ran the farm. We moved into the mansion after Mom died. Dad and Phillip became very close. The two of them traveled the world looking for time portals.”
Sloane sighed and said, “I sold the farm and house to the city when Brooks died. You live long enough, and everyone you ever cared about dies, Mom, Dad, Brooks, and then Phillip. I’ve been alone for years.”
Julia reached over and squeezed Sloane’s hand. “No children, Sloane? I’m sorry. I wished I could’ve been here for you. I didn’t do this on purpose.”
“I know you didn’t. I couldn’t have children. Brooks said we could adopt, but I think after you left I got afraid. What if a child got trapped in one of those time portals? I’m tired, and I’m old, and now I can die since I’ve seen you again. I think that’s what I’ve been waiting on, for you to show up.”
Julia slipped off her flip-flops and sat cross-legged facing Sloane. “Oh, honey. Please don’t die on me. You’ve had years to deal with my disappearance. I’m only going on thirty-six hours. Sloane, how did Phillip and Amelia happen?”
Sloane took in a deep breath and exhaled. She looked at Julia and said, “Phillip was a ghost. He lived in a different world after you left. Many thought Phillip was crazy talking about time travel, but not me. He held to the belief, and now you’ve proven he was right. Amelia initially came around to comfort me, and then she started helping Phillip with research. I think it was a couple of years after your disappearance when I found out about Phillip and Amelia.”
Sloane began to wring her hands nervously. “Amelia died. It was so sad. Phillip lost both of you. But he never stopped looking for you. So, his grandson found you? How odd is that?”
Julia uncrossed her legs and picked up the cocktail glass tracing her fingertip around the rim. “It’s ironic. Andy has Phillip’s journals. I’m reading them to find a way back home.”
Sloane rubbed her eyes and said, “What difference does it make now?”
“It could make all the difference. If I find my way back, Phillip and I will get married. I will be there for you, Mom, and Dad.”
Shaking her head, Sloane said, “But what if you go back and change my outcome? Brooks and I may never marry. He came to me because of your disappearance.”
“What are you saying? That you don’t want me to go home? You expect me to live here? I can’t, Sloane. I belong to the period that I was born in, not this one.” Julia stood and walked to the tall window, placing her hands on the frame. She heard Sloane rustling to get off the couch but didn’t turn around. Julia stared out the window and, with tears in her eyes, she asked, “Is that what you want me to do?”
Sloane shuffled slowly across the room and grabbed one of Julia’s hands. “No. That was selfish of me to say. If Brooks and I are meant to be together, we will be. I want you to find your way home, Julia. I want us to grow up together. I want us to grow old together. If it’s God’s will, then I’ll marry Brooks. If not, then I’ll accept the consequences. Come home to me. Ah, Julia, why did you color your hair black? And why are your eyes blue?”
Julia chuckled and turned around to face Sloane. “Did you know the town celebrates my disappearance every year?”
Laughter bubbled out of Sloane. “Yeah, I knew it. So, that’s why you changed your looks? Is Phillip’s grandson here?”
“Yes, he’s outside talking with Jessica. He looks so much like Phillip. Do you want to meet him?”
Sloane went over to the recliner and slowly eased herself down. “Yes, I’d love to see him again. I met him years ago when he was a boy. Does he have any plans on how he intends to help you?”
“I hope so.”
Chapter 6
The Far Side of the Moon
Ruben chuckled. It would be good to live on Earth again. Jeans-clad and shirtless, his russet brown hair hanging to his shoulders, Ruben held the flame from his lighter to the end of his cigarette, took a puff, and placed the lighter back into his pocket. He took a longer drag, then put the cigarette in the ashtray on his platinum steel desk. His trusted and loyal dog lay at his feet.
On a mission trip to Jarulean, an outpost in the galaxy, Ruben found the alien-bred dog that resembled a mix between an English Bulldog and a Jack Russell terrier. He had a solid white coat with a dark blue spot over his right eye and killer instincts. Klock had been easy to train, and Ruben considered him as a soldier. Ruben could also understand every word Klock said when he barked, thanks to the translation chip embedded in his wrist.
Reaching down, he scratched Klock’s ear. “You ready to go on a trip, fella?”
Klock’s ears perked up, he barked and jumped into Ruben’s lap. “Yeah, Boss!”
Aliens existed in the Universe, and the different planets’ speech patterns and languages were the only way to tell them apart from the human species. The Lord Supreme created an intergalactic translation system using a gold chip inserted into the Tracker’s skin. Without the chip, Ruben would’ve lost his hearing long ago.
Rubbing Klock’s back, Ruben searched the hologram screen for the morning readings and tallies from yesterday’s Spinners from his personal unit on ATTRA’s space station, located on the far side of the moon.
The Alien Time Travel and Research Agency (ATTRA) worked with an intergalactic council to monitor natural time portals on Earth and its neighboring planets. They also worked on research and development into time-space exploration.
The agency used Trackers, like Ruben, to locate individuals they referred to as Spinners, who fell through the natural portals of time. A Spinner had two possible outcomes. The Time Tracker got to the Spinner before the fall and redirected them on a different path, or the Spinner fell through the time portal and either died on reentry or was recruited by ATTRA. To go back in time, the Spinner had to complete ATTRA’s rigorous Time Tracker training program, which of course meant Spinners could not go back to their old life but now belonged to ATTRA.
ATTRA only recruited and trained the strongest of the Spinners to be Trackers. The other Spinner refugees were assigned various jobs in space and on Earth. Ruben had been drafted shortly after WWI as a Time Tracker.
Ruben didn’t mind joining the agency. It was an adventure in the beginning. His grandfather had died
before WWI, and he had no other living relatives. So, Lunar City became Ruben’s home. His ability to adapt physically, mentally, and emotionally during time travel secured and elevated his position in the hierarchy of the organization. ATTRA employees no longer aged due to the pioneering efforts of the Jupiteranians, but they were still mortal.
The human’s destructive life patterns with the development of the A-Bomb during WWII revved up ATTRA’s recruitment process to prevent Earth’s annihilation. Earth’s natural resources fueled ATTRA’s projects, and as the sun increased its energy, it looked as if time travel may be the only way to save the species on the planet.
But while ATTRA had the resources to send their Trackers around one hundred years into the past, time travel into the distant past had never been achieved.
Ruben’s job took him to and from Earth during different time periods spanning one hundred-years. His newest assignment was a female Spinner named Julia Boatwright caught in a natural time portal in the town of Burkett Falls, North Carolina, USA.
The Lord Supreme had hand-picked Ruben for the mission. Ruben was honored, although he wasn’t sure why he’d been chosen. All he needed to do was find her and evaluate her for the Time Tracker program, right?
The Lord Supreme had mentioned something about Julia’s offspring being detrimental to future exploration in time travel, but he didn’t elaborate. The Lord Supreme sometimes spoke in mysterious ways, so Ruben figured he’d just dig in and do his job. He scanned the data, memorizing the details regarding Ms. Julia Boatwright.
The unit’s door hissed open, and Commander Monica Adams strolled into his room, wearing a white body-hugging suit with a pair of shiny black boots.
Klock jumped down from his lap and snarled and growled at Monica. “Hate the bitch, hate the bitch.”
Ruben said, “Knock it off, Klock.” Klock’s ears pinned next to his head, his hair on his back rose. He could tear out Monica’s throat with one word.