I’ll never forget the road-it was long and endless. The uninterrupted path stretched into the abyss of western white pines, soaked green from the heavy rain. The soil was dark and rich. The air, thin like glass, wavered in the faint wind. I stood in the middle of the road. I felt a fresh breeze breath onto my freckled face, nipping and snapping at my raven curly hair. I stretched my hand out at the tunnel of trees that outlined the road. I was trying to capture the moment. The picturesque scene that could never be replicated. I wanted to grab it and stuff it in my ripped jeans pocket, so I could pull this scene out and mesmerize over it later. But my hand was too small. I couldn’t take it all with me. Have you ever tried to do that? I’m sure you have. Haven’t you ever been in a place, not any place particular, but a place where you felt completely and incandescently perfect? There was nothing wrong. You had no worries, no daunting thoughts haunting your mind? You were cleansed from it all. Have you ever tried to take that exact moment with you, so you can pull it and look at it later? Well I have, many times. And I have discovered that it partially works, but you will never be able to take the whole of it with you. Never again will you feel the way you feel at that exact moment. That’s why it is so special. It is a fleeting moment that will disappear as quick as the sun on a cloudy day. You must enjoy it while you can. That’s how I felt when I was on that road. I didn’t have a single worry. It was just me and the trees. Nothing else.
While my hand was out, I closed my eyes. I could feel light drops of the fog resting on my eyelashes. My chapped lips were rough like tree bark but cool. I could hear the pine trees whispering to one another. Their limbs moaned and groaned as the wind rushed against the leaves. I heard birds conversing among themselves in a joyous tone. It then stopped. I felt small bursts of cold rain trickle down on me. It was starting to snow. I no longer heard the trees or the rumbling of the road, except for the singing of a single bird. Its chirping deeply echoed into my ears. It suddenly grew louder and louder. I squeezed my eyes tighter, clenching my wet hands, begging that the piercing sound would stop. I refused to open my eyes yet the bird’s screeches grew louder. My eardrums began to ache as the sound stabbed through them. With each second it felt like a pebble was getting bigger, weighing down my ears. I couldn’t help but scream. I then opened my eyes. Once I opened, the beautiful road was gone and all that was in front of me was a white wall. My aquamarine eyes chocked up with tears. My mouth was dry. I felt parched as if I had been stranded in the desert for days without water and food. I looked down at my body. I was draped in a white sheet. My toes were ice blue but my hands were a ferocious red. I was strapped into a chair. White bands were strapped around my chest, my hands, and my legs. I looked around. I was in a small room, maybe 8 x 8 ft. Three of the walls were solid white, except for the wall behind me. I tried my best to turn my head but a striking pain jolted down my spine every time I tried to get a glance. When I did get a peek, I could make out that it was a glass wall, and there were blurry faces watching me. I tried to move the chair but it was cemented to the floor.
“What do you want with me?” I screamed as tears streamed down my face.
“Let me go!” There was no reply.
“P-p-please.” I mumbled. I then heard a door slide open behind me. I heard footsteps approaching me. A cold hand touched my shoulder. A sharp shot of pain hit my neck as I could feel a needle deeply sinking into skin. I was gone after that.
I awoke in a room. I was sitting at a metal table, with a man sitting in front of me. He was dressed in a black suit with a grey tie. He wore red framed glasses and was biting down on a pen. Pilled in front of him were stacks of folders. I glanced down at the tabs on the folders. Each one had a different date. The first one said 1789, and the one below said 1536. I couldn’t read the rest. Once the man realized I was looking at the folders he calmly placed his arms over them.
“Emma.” He spoke my name in such a calming way, that it relieved me. I knew it was my name, even though I couldn’t remember anything about myself.
“I apologize. You must be a little confused as to why you are here.”
“You think?” I sarcastically spoke. The man in the suit smirked.
“My name is SA365 and I am your counselor. I am to….”
“That’s your name? SA365.”
“I haven’t earned my name yet. Unlike you.” He proudly smiled. “You’re an example to all.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked.
“You have been chosen from a selected few to change the world. I’m here to take note of what happened while you were away. I’m going to need you to take this pill so you can retrieve your memory. The transition…”
“Don’t give me that saving the world bullshit. I don’t freaking remember a single thing.” I slammed my fist on the table.
“The last thing I can remember is waking up in that room! Why the hell can I not remember anything. I didn’t even know my name once you told me.”
“Now I can see how you are upset, but I assure you, once you take this pill, everything will make sense.”
“I’m not going to take this freaking pill.” I stood up and leaned forward. I grabbed his shirt collar and lifted him out of the chair. I totally underestimated his stature in his baggy dark suit. He was a skinny frail guy with twigs as arms. I glared into his grey eyes.
“You are going to tell me right now what’s going on. I want to know my full name, where I’m from and why the hell I’m really here.” The man in the suit only mumbled. He looked terrified as I gazed into his eyes. The closer I looked into them the more I realized that there was something seriously wrong with him. His eyes didn’t look human, there was something off.
“What are you?” I shook him again. He was unable to speak as if I had put him in shock.
“Answer me!” Then a silvery thick liquid began to ooze out from the corner of his mouth. I continued to hold him but leaned back. He then began to shriek and shake uncontrollably. I let go of him unsure of what to do. I thought he was having a seizure.
“Are you alright?” I stupidly ask.
“Help! Someone help.” I pulled him to the ground and put him on this side. The grey liquid that began to come out of his mouth started to flood out of his eyes. Before I knew it, his whole face was covered in it. I screamed and cried. I crawled backwards from him to the corner of the room and helplessly watched as his body shook and the silvery liquid swamped out of him. He eventually stopped. I knew for a fact he wasn’t human. And I wasn’t in a hurry to find out what he was. I stood up and slid against the wall till I reached the white door. I turned the knob and surprisingly realized it wasn’t locked. I threw it open and ran out. I didn’t even look where I was. I just ran, looking for an exit. I found myself running down long corridors with lights glaring down upon me. I then saw it, the exit. It was in big, red bold letters. I ran towards it, my breath quickening. I heard shouts from behind me. I pushed the door open and found myself tripping over rocks and falling into a pile of mud. I shook my head and spat profusely everywhere, trying to get the slimy mud out of my mouth. As I cleared my eyes I could see where I was. People dressed in colonial outfits were scattered about what looked to be a battle field. Soldiers were on the muddy ground covered in blood, horses were engulfed in ash and gun powder. Everyone was frozen as if a paused scene in a film. I looked around in confusion. I then saw a man on a horse. His arm was pointed out at what seemed to be his enemy. The sweat on his forehead were frozen like ice crystals. He had curly hair white as snow and a wise face. He had a black cloak on with cherry red underlying. He also wore a dark blue pointed hat with three sides. I didn’t know how this was possible but it was no doubt George Washington. I was on a battle field during the Revolutionary War. I knew I was no longer in modern day. I wasn’t even sure where modern day was, since I couldn’t remember anything about myself, but I knew this was different and I didn’t belong. No one was moving around me. Horses that were about to tumble to the ground, floated in the air. Cannon balls were still hovering high in the sky before collapsing down and killing soldiers. I turned behind me, there was still an awkward out of place white building that I had come out of. I then heard voices, and looked far to my left. I saw people in white astronaut outfits coming towards me. They grabbed me by arms and dragged me back into the building. I didn’t even fight back; I was in too great of shock. As they took me back into the building, I saw the white astronaut looking people swarm the battle field taking pictures and covering the bodies on the ground with white sheets. But this isn’t where I should start the story. I need to start it from the beginning. The first day I left the year 3028 and traveled back into time.