“We’re going out tonight?”
“I thought we could use a treat. Now go, scoot,” Mom said with a laugh and shooed me off the couch. “And tell him his favorite episode is on next!”
I rushed downstairs, excited for a night out with Mom. I wished it could be the four of us, but we’d have to wait to see Dad again. I’d hardly slept the night before, thinking about how different our lives would be if he hadn’t disappeared.
“Oliver! Mom wants to know when you’re going to finish up? We haven’t seen you all day,” I called as I reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Hmm,” he managed to respond, and I heard tools clinking as I moved closer.
“What are you doing?” I stared in surprise to see he’d managed to almost completely dismantle the machine we had bought at the antique store. The pieces lay scattered all over his workbench. Most of them looked weird to me, but I recognized a few as matching parts on Grandpa’s working machine. Wires jutted out of a metal panel, and other things looked like coils from Star Trek instead of our world. “Mom says your favorite episode is on next.”
“Episode of what?” he replied without looking up.
“Episode of Star Trek. Come on! Leave this stuff alone for a little bit. Mom says she’s taking us out tonight as well.”
Oliver set his screwdriver down and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Really?”
“Yeah, so let’s not make her change her mind. All this stuff will still be here when we get back.”
“I just…I can’t stop thinking about what Dad said. He’s counting on us, you know, to figure this out. So is Grandpa. And I don’t want to let them down.”
I hadn’t even stopped to wonder what seeing Dad meant for Oliver. So much weight fell on him now, to understand what happened to Dad, and our grandpa, too. After hearing he got in a fight with Thaddeus, I started to worry that Grandpa might not have died of a heart attack as Mom was told. I didn’t want to think someone would go so far as to cause his death, but all the clues were starting to point that way. It bothered me even more after seeing Thaddeus last year even though Mom thought he had died.
“You won’t fail them,” I assured Oliver. I grabbed his shoulders and locked eyes with him. “You’re the smarted kid around. Dad knows it, and so did Grandpa. Why else would he have left us that note and the key?”
He shrugged, not looking convinced by my words of encouragement.
“I bet Grandpa went to the future, our futures, and he saw you become some famous scientist, just like he was,” I went on. “I bet you take this machine that Grandpa built and you show the world all these incredible discoveries that can change the planet and—”
“Ok, ok, you’ve flattered me enough,” he interrupted just when I was getting ready to throw some more compliments his way. “Let’s go watch Star Trek with Mom. Help me cover all this up first, will you?”
I helped him put Grandpa’s machine back in its box, and we hid it in a darkened corner of the basement behind a pile of old suitcases and bags, so it was out of sight.
The rest of the parts he collected into another box and hid that elsewhere to make sure that if someone found them, they wouldn’t be found at the same time. I watched him cover both boxes with a sheet and then stack more boxes around them.
“Wow, you’re paranoid, you know that?” I teased.
“What’s wrong with that? I don’t want Mom accidentally stumbling on this stuff and disappearing. Do you?”
I froze. “I hadn’t thought of that,” I whispered, horrified. “Think that’s what happened to Dad?”
“No, maybe…I don’t know.” He motioned towards the stairs. “Come on; we’ll get back to this mess later. Where are we going for dinner?”
“Wherever I decide,” I smirked as we climbed the stairs.
“You know where I would choose.”
“Yeah, but it’s my choice tonight,” I reminded him.
He grumbled behind me, and I grinned wider, knowing already I was going to pick the place he would have chosen. We were more alike than I cared to admit in so many different ways.
Though one thing I was sure of, he was the smart one of the family. I just hoped he could figure out all this time machine stuff so we could use it safely in the future. And when I thought again about Dad’s warning, a tremor of fear caused goosebumps on my skin. Had we already caused changes that could not be undone? And if so, what were they?
While I hoped that it was only Mom’s favorite color that had changed, somehow I suspected there might be something more; something that we were not yet aware of.
Chapter 4
Dinner that night ended up being burgers, thick shakes, and cheesy fries at our local diner. Mom told me we could have gone anywhere, but the diner was always our favorite. I liked our small town and everything in it. And that included our local burger restaurant.
When we pulled back into our driveway afterward and made our way to the front door, I still had my milkshake in my hand. Double chocolate malted milkshakes were my all-time favorite, and I always saved them until last. Gulping down some more of the icy liquid, I winced when my forehead throbbed.
“Brain freeze!” I squealed, as Mom got her keys out to unlock the kitchen door.
Oliver and I waited impatiently to get inside and continue with the last episode of Star Trek. But Mom blocked the doorway, frozen in her spot; her face suddenly blank as she switched on the light and stared into the interior of our house.
“Mom? It’s a brain freeze, not a body freeze,” Oliver teased, but still, she didn’t move. “Mom?”
“Get back in the car and lock the doors, right now,” she whispered firmly, pulling the door closed again.
“What, why?” Oliver asked.
“Do as I said. Don’t argue!” Mom’s tone made Oliver give me a shove towards the Tahoe, and we climbed in, locking the doors.
“What’s going on?” I frowned.
Oliver shook his head, straining to see as Mom stood in the driveway and pulled out her phone. We tried to listen as she spoke, her voice shaky and unsure. “I think…I think someone has broken into our house.”
A chill came over me, and I grabbed the handle of the door hard enough to turn my knuckles white. Who would break into our home? Mom was talking faster now, running a hand through her hair as she nodded, looking ready to cry. I wanted to go out there and hug her, but when I started to unlock the doors, she heard it and waved her hand for us to stay where we were. She stayed on the phone, and about five minutes later, the local sheriff arrived with the deputy behind him, lights flashing, drawing the attention of the whole street.
As Mom talked to Sheriff Biggins, the deputy was already opening the kitchen door, flashlight in one hand and his other on his holstered gun. I couldn’t believe this was happening on top of everything else we’d experienced these past few days.
Sheriff Biggins talked to Mom, patting her on the shoulder.
He nodded his head towards us, and she knocked on the window of the driver’s side. Oliver unlocked the door and popped it open just as Sheriff Biggins followed the deputy into the house.
“It’s okay, kids,” she said, her voice shaky. “They’re just checking to make sure…make sure the house is empty.”
“Why would someone break into our house?” Oliver asked, confused.
“I don’t know. Sometimes bad people just do bad things.”
We all fell into an uneasy silence, waiting for Sheriff Biggins to emerge. It seemed to take forever before lights began appearing inside the house and the two men exited.
“There is no one inside, and this door is the only one unlocked,” Biggins informed Mom. “I’ll have a car with a surveillance team remain outside your house tonight, Mrs. Peterson. But tomorrow, I’d recommend getting a burglar alarm installed. I think it would be a good idea.”
“Thanks, Sheriff,” Mom said sincerely. “I’ll certainly do that.”
“The place is a mess, I’m not going to lie,” he added. “Just
take it slow tonight and make a list of everything that’s missing…though, to be honest, I’m not sure what they took.”
“What do you mean?” Oliver asked over Mom’s shoulder.
“Well, son, the TV is still there, so are the laptops and computers…I’m not sure what they were looking for, but I can almost guarantee they left without it.” He gave Mom a one-armed hug as she stared dumbfounded back at him. “If there’s anything else you need, Maggie, give me a call, day or night. I know it’s been hard all these years, and this, no one should have to deal with this.”
We climbed out of the car and left Mom outside talking quietly with Biggins and the deputy. The second we stepped into the kitchen, the rest of the world fell away.
A mess wasn’t the right word for it. Someone had come inside and torn our house apart. Every kitchen cabinet and drawer was open with its contents spilled over the floor. Dishes were broken, and I carefully edged around the shattered glass fragments, moving deeper into the house.
My mouth fell open to see the couch where we’d spent so many nights lazing around watching movies with Mom, damaged, stained and torn. There were tables and cabinets overturned as well as various trinkets and household items scattered everywhere.
I saw everything, but nothing seemed to process. I looked from one spot to the next. The person who entered our house hadn’t left any spot unchecked. Even the family photos that had lined the walls had been torn down and ripped from their frames.
A hand fumbled for mine, and I glanced over to see Oliver in the same confused and angry state of shock that I was in. Our home had been brutally invaded and damaged. I hadn’t realized I was shaking until I felt Oliver’s firm grip trying to steady my hand. Neither one of us seemed to know what to say so we remained silent as we stared around us. I knew we should check upstairs, and in the basement, but at the sound of a gasp from behind us, we turned to see Mom standing in the kitchen, her hand over her mouth, and angry tears in her eyes. Without a sound, we went to her, and the three of us huddled together in the midst of the destruction left behind by one person’s hatred.
“We’re going to get through this,” Mom assured us, holding us at her sides. She kissed the top of my head then Oliver’s. “We’re going to make it through this crisis just like we’ve done everything else.”
I nodded, hugging her tighter.
“We will, Mom,” Oliver promised. “We have each other. We’ll be okay.”
“You two are staying home from school tomorrow…maybe Tuesday, too. Let’s get the glass cleaned up at least, and tomorrow, tomorrow we’ll work on everything else. Why don’t you check your rooms, first? Hopefully, they haven’t been touched.”
Reluctant to take the first step, I felt fearful of what I’d find. I shuddered at the thought of some strange person going through my closet and my dresser, touching everything I owned. But with Oliver holding my hand, I managed to find the strength to keep moving.
Before we even reached our rooms, we were faced with a sight that chilled me to the core. “Mom!” I yelled, my panic setting in worse than ever. “Mom!”
I heard the pounding of her steps as she raced up the stairs. “Holly? What’s wrong—oh no!” she gasped, and her hand flew to cover her mouth as she skidded to a stop beside me.
The attic ladder had been pulled down, and a trail of debris hung over it, littering the hallway. Boxes were ripped apart, and photos were scattered everywhere amongst the wreckage. They were pictures that Oliver and I had already seen of course, though Mom didn’t know that. They had been in Oliver’s room, but now they covered the hall. And Mom obviously thought they’d come from the attic. Not that it mattered anymore. Slowly, Oliver bent down and reached for a few of Dad holding us. He stared down at them.
“Is this…our dad?” he whispered.
He was a better actor than I was and I bit my tongue to stop myself from saying anything. Mom nodded slowly as she took the photos from him, then bent down to gather more. We helped her scoop them up as she sank to the floor, resting her back against the wall. Oliver and I sat on either side of her, unsure of what to do. Tears slipped from her eyes, and she smiled sadly as she ran her fingers over Dad’s face.
“He was so happy,” she told us. Her voice was shaky with emotion. “We loved each other, loved our lives and when you two came into the world, I’d never seen a happier father. He would hold you both so close as if afraid he would lose you…” She trailed off and sifted through the photos until she found one of Dad holding Oliver. “He told me he was going to teach you all he knew; show you all his technology know-how, build robots with you and do so many other things.”
Oliver smiled as she handed him the picture. “I never knew Dad was into tech stuff.”
“Yeah, it’s where you get your brains. From him and your grandpa. Those two would disappear for hours together in your grandpa’s lab. Two peas in a pod.” The next picture was of Dad holding me as a baby. She cried even harder as she let me take that one from her. “When you came along, Holly, he called you a mini-me. He would’ve given up anything for you two.”
She began to sob, clutching the pictures in her hands. “Mom?” I asked worriedly and put my arm around her. She rested her head on my shoulder, and Oliver held her, too. I’d never seen her cry that way before and my heart hurt from seeing her pain, the pain she’d suffered all these years.
“I’m sorry,” she gasped between sobs. “I’m sorry. I don’t ever talk about him…and I’m sorry you think I hate him, but I don’t…your father…I miss him so much.”
“We don’t think you hate him, Mom,” Oliver told her firmly. “We just thought the whole thing was too hard to talk about.”
She nodded against my shoulder. “That day, I know he didn’t just walk out on us.”
I locked eyes with Oliver over Mom’s head for a brief second before she wiped her eyes on her sleeve and lifted her head. “You do?”
“Yes. Your father loved us all too much to just disappear. Something happened to him, stopped him from coming back to us. For years, I did everything I could to find him. I know you two think it’s because of your grandpa that everyone in this town thinks we’re all a bit strange,” she said with a bitter laugh. “But it’s mostly because of me, because of what I did after he disappeared.”
“What did you do?” I asked.
“I searched and pleaded, I begged for the Sheriff not to give up looking for him. But there was nothing to go on.” She wiped her eyes again and breathed heavily. “I would’ve kept it up, but there was talk amongst our friends in the town. They were worried about my sanity and you two. I realized that if I didn’t stop, if I didn’t find a way to let your dad go, they’d think I was unfit to look after you and I’d lose you both as well.”
She reached for our hands, kissing them, and for the first time in my life, I understood my mom. I knew why she was so hard on us to do well, and why anytime we mentioned Dad, she became defensive. She was keeping us from falling down the same rabbit hole that had almost cost her life, her sanity and nearly had us taken away from her. I knew she was strong for raising us on her own, but now I realized just how incredible she was.
“He’d be so proud of you both,” she said, gently pushing away Oliver’s hair from his forehead. “So very proud of his prodigy and his bright, curious little girl.”
“You think?” Oliver asked, sounding almost like a little kid again.
“Definitely.” She let go of our hands so she could pick up the photos that lay in her lap. “Would you like to see these?”
We bobbed our heads eagerly, and she began with the first one, starting with their wedding day. She placed it down in front of us, and I stared at the image longingly. They looked so in love and so happy.
She went on to tell us all about the dad we’d never had a chance to meet; apart from the precious few minutes that we’d had with him the day before. Every picture brought a new memory that had Mom smiling brightly, and soon the three of us were laughing as she
told us about Dad’s terrible singing. Though, according to Mom, it was the only thing that helped get Oliver to sleep on so many nights. She told us about the way Oliver would ride around on Dad’s shoulders, both of them howling like wolves at the moon. And when I came along, she said his singing became even worse as he carried me around the house in his arms, making up new lyrics about mermaids and princesses.
It didn’t matter anymore that the house was in shambles, nor that it would take time to get everything tidied again. They were just belongings, household stuff. Whereas sitting there alongside Mom and my brother, listening to Mom’s memories, that was real. We stayed in there in the hallway late into the night before we finally reached the last picture of Mom and Dad hugging each other tightly, her holding up a stuffed polar bear.
“He always found me a polar bear,” she murmured. “Every year for our anniversary and my birthday and Christmas. I’d get a new miniature statue or a stuffed animal. My closet is filled with them.”
“Maybe it’s time you put them out somewhere,” I suggested. “Show them off.”
“You know what, I think you’re right!” She patted my leg and then stood, stretching her arms over her head. “Alright, I vote we camp out in my room tonight, pop on a movie. What do you two say? We can tackle this in the morning after a huge stack of pancakes.”
I was more than happy with her idea, staying close to them both would be the only way I’d get to sleep. I went into my room to grab my pillow and some pajamas, but as soon as I stepped one foot in the doorway, a shiver ran down my spine at the thought of an invader going through my things. Thankfully though, my bed hadn’t been touched.
When I went to my desk to see if my laptop still worked since it had been carelessly tossed onto the floor, I glanced out the window, and the hairs on the back of my neck abruptly stood on end. I wasn’t sure what caused me to peer out into the darkness. I spotted the squad car that was parked out on the street as promised but there was something else that had caught my eye. The more I stared, the more convinced I became that there was a dark figure hidden behind a large oak tree on the other side of the road. I blinked, rubbing my eyes and pressing my nose to the glass. All I could see, however, was the gentle rustle of the long unmown grass in the evening breeze.
Time Traveler - Books 1, 2, 3 & 4: Books for Girls aged 9-12 Page 17
