“Nope, not leaving that easily.” I started towards him. “We need to talk, Dad, we have a lot of catching up to do.”
Chapter 6
“Listen, kid,” Dad said as he followed me around the shop. “You need to get out of here before I call the cops.”
“Can’t, have to find something first.”
“There is nothing in here for you to find,” he argued. “And I’m not your dad! I don’t have any children!”
He’d said that about ten times already, as well as continuing his threat to call the cops. But so far he was following right behind me as I scoured the shelves for a part of the machine, something to show Kate and Oliver.
“Yes, you do have children. You have me, and you have Oliver,” I informed him. “And your wife is Maggie. You lost her because you got mixed up with some guy named Thaddeus Banes. There was a time machine, and events got out of whack. You were thrown into the future and then dragged back as your older self.”
Dad laughed behind me. “You sure do have one heck of an imagination, girl, but none of that’s true. Time machines don’t exist. Go back home and shove your nose in another book. Better yet, I’ll give you a book for free if you promise to leave my shop! Not a bad deal, right?”
“Not leaving,” I said, and he mumbled in annoyance. Ignoring him, I continued to browse the shelves. “There has to be something here!”
I expected him to go off and make that call to the police, or to leave me alone if he thought I was crazy. But he did neither, and every time I glanced over my shoulder, he was there, watching me closely. I went up and down every small aisle, climbed on top of a step stool to check the high shelves, and finally glanced towards the one place I hadn’t thought to look…the storage room at the back of the store. Before he could stop me, I darted behind the curtain, ignoring his yelling at me to get out of there before something fell on my head, and he was sued for damages.
But the second I stepped into that back room, I knew I’d found the object I was looking for. I felt it like a pulse in the air. The room was a mess, but I let my feet guide me, moving around the rubbish on the floor and the stacks of boxes before I reached the item I wanted to see so badly. It was tucked away on the floor in the back corner, a very familiar silver box.
Dad was still threatening to drag me out and to get the Sheriff onto me, but I continued to ignore him while I searched for a screwdriver to get the box opened.
“I mean it, kid! Ten seconds and I’m calling the police,” he yelled as I pried open the lock and lifted the lid. Dad started his countdown as I sat on the floor in relief to see what was there, covered in dust, but exactly as I remembered it from the first time I saw it. “Three, two…what is that?” he demanded as I walked back through the shop and set the machine on the front counter.
“That is what I was looking for. Know what it is?” I asked, holding my breath in hopeful anticipation.
He walked over to it slowly, running his hand along the top of it as he gulped a few times, his eyes widening. He gave himself a little shake as he glanced from the machine then back to me.
I saw his eyes brighten with recognition the instant that it all rushed back. He moved as fast as his old body could manage around the counter to hug me. “Holly! You…you’re my daughter!”
I nodded my head against his chest and hugged him back just as hard. Tears of relief spilled from my eyes. “Dad! I don’t know what happened, but something went wrong. I almost didn’t remember! And I didn’t think you were going to remember either!”
“But you did, and now I do…I think.” He frowned as he stepped back to the machine. “We were in a closet, right? And Thaddeus, he tried to take the machine away from Oliver. Your brother,” he said suddenly, “where is he? And your friend?”
“They’re at home, but they don’t remember,” I said, full of frustration. “I told Kate everything that’s happened, but she thinks it was all just a dream. And Oliver, he won’t even sit still long enough for me to try to explain.”
Dad tapped his fingers on the counter, lost in thought. “The reset, it was working, but I don’t think we can use it again. Too risky.”
“Then what do we do? I don’t want to stay in this totally messed up time warp! It’s not right!”
“Give me a few minutes to think. And you need to get Oliver and Kate here as fast as you can.”
“What are you planning?”
He grinned and my hopes lifted. “A way to make everything right again, using your original plan.”
“What plan?” I asked, struggling to remember that detail.
“You said the only way to fix everything was to get rid of Thaddeus for good. And to do that, we have to go back to the very beginning and make him see his other self.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?”
“Well, I think it’s our only hope. And right now, he’s probably just like the rest of us, with no memory of what happened after we used the reset switch.” Dad nodded firmly, giving the idea some more thought. “Yes, I think his memory loss will work in our favor. Go and get your brother and Kate, and hurry back. The longer we stay here, the less chance we have that Thaddeus won’t remember.”
I quickly hugged my dad one more time. He kissed the top of my head, then I was gone, out the door of the antique store and racing towards the park.
On the way, I texted Kate and then Oliver, begging them both to meet me, telling them it was urgent. Kate replied and said she would be there, but Oliver didn’t respond straight away. I texted him three more times before he finally said he was on his way. Kate arrived first, rushing towards me. But I didn’t want to tell her any details until Oliver arrived. I tapped my foot impatiently until eventually, I spotted him. I waved him over and told them both to follow me.
“Holly, Mom’s really upset with you by the way,” he said as they jogged to keep up with me. “And anyway, where are we going?”
“Trust me!” I threw back over my shoulder.
“Trying to, but you’re acting like a psycho,” he muttered from behind me. I didn’t slow down or stop at all until we were outside the antique store.
“Here? Why are we here?” Oliver frowned.
I stepped inside, and they followed me, whispering to each other behind my back.
“Dad?” I called out, scanning the store for any sight of him.
“Dad? Seriously?” Oliver snapped. “Holly, what is going on with you? Our father isn’t here!”
“But he is,” Dad said as he shuffled towards us. “Oliver, it’s time you and Kate remember. You need to know the truth.”
“The truth? What truth?” Oliver glared at me like I was a traitor and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the old man in front of him. “You’re too old to be our dad, so whatever trick you’re playing on my sister, it ends right now. Let’s go,” he said and grabbed my arm.
I tugged myself free. “Stop, Oliver! You and Kate, you just need a reminder, and it’ll all come back,” I told him.
“What are you talking about?” he asked hotly. I nodded to the machine in Dad’s hands. “What is that?” Oliver shook his head, clearly frustrated.
“The machine we’ve been using to get from each time zone to another,” I explained. Dad set the machine down on the counter and flipped the switch, to get the gears whirring and the blue lights flashing. “Pretty cool, huh?”
Oliver and Kate both stepped closer, their eyes focused on the blue lights as if in a trance. Their faces scrunched in confusion, and a few seconds later, they were both holding their heads as they tried to process what was going on. Dad shut the machine off.
“Dad?” Oliver gasped suddenly. “Holly?”
“What…what happened?” Kate shrieked, grabbing her stomach. “Oh man, it’s all coming back. And I don’t feel very well.”
I hugged Kate, squealing with joy to have my friend back. I tackled Oliver in a hug next, and he patted me on the back, still not quite sure what was going on.
“Hey, Oliver… are yo
u with us?” I asked him.
“Yeah, sorry,” he said, turning to me sheepishly. “I guess I should’ve listened to you.”
“Usually a good idea,” I smiled.
“So, what’s the plan now?” he asked. “What are we going to do to fix this mess?”
“Thaddeus Banes,” Dad said as he glared at the door to his shop. “We need to find him.”
“What, why?” Oliver looked from Dad to me and back at Dad again. Then his mouth dropped open in recognition. He shook his head and grinned. “I thought you said getting Thaddeus to see his other self was a bad idea.”
Dad nodded. “I did, but we’re down to no other option.”
“I’m in,” Oliver replied with no hesitation whatsoever.
Kate nodded eagerly. “Me too. Let’s get this finished.”
“Right then,” Dad said. “Girls…Thaddeus is your science teacher…do you think you can come up with a way to get him to the storage lot, the one that’s down the road from here? Once you’re there, the three of you need to use the machine to take him back to the very beginning. Back to when this mess all began.”
Dad looked at us as he twisted the knobs on the machine. “You must go back to the day, years ago, when I agreed to meet him at the storage unit. That was the day he took me away from my family. It’s the only hope we have of returning to our original selves.”
“Why not just bring him here?” I frowned.
“You land in the same place you leave from, remember?” Oliver reminded me. “The easiest way to make this work is to be in the storage lot when we land.”
“Oh, of course, good point,” I nodded.
“You’ll have to get him to unit number 56. Both Thaddeus and my younger self will be there.”
Kate and I exchanged a worried glance as Dad and Oliver tinkered with the machine, wiping the rest of the dust from it, and triple checking that the date was set right.
“What if he remembers before we can get him there?” I asked.
Dad smiled softly. “I have faith that you will know what to do. Have a little faith in yourselves. You can do this.” He clapped his hands together. “Now, any suggestions for tracking him down?”
“He’s still in the park,” Kate said, and I blinked in surprise. “I saw him still sitting on the park bench.”
“Do you think you can somehow get him to the storage unit?” Dad asked.
Kate bobbed her head. “Yes, I do,” she announced suddenly. “That storage place is right by the park. I have a perfect idea, and it’s better if I go on my own.” She grinned confidently at me. “I’ll text you soon. See you guys there.” Before I could say another word, she bolted to the door.
“Be careful,” Dad warned her. “He might already remember.”
Kate nodded and took off, the door banging closed behind her. I just prayed that whatever her plan was, it would work.
Oliver picked up the machine, holding it gingerly against his chest as if terrified it was going to be taken away from him again. I knew the feeling well and followed him and Dad nervously to the back door of the store.
The storage facility wasn’t too far from the shop, and we made it there in decent time. Kate texted to let us know that she and Thaddeus were on their way. How she’d convinced Thaddeus Banes to go with her was beyond me, but as the minutes ticked by, I finally heard her voice.
“It was headed this way, and it looked badly hurt,” she sobbed. I could tell she was fake crying.
“Are you sure it was a kitten?” Thaddeus replied, sounding out of breath. I smirked remembering all the cat pictures in the classroom. This version of Thaddeus was a cat lover. Score one for Kate.
“Yes, it was tiny, but I saw it hobble in this direction. It was badly injured. I’m sure it’s leg is broken! And I know how much you love cats. I thought you could help.”
Dad squeezed my shoulder then Oliver’s before he darted out of sight, just as Kate and Thaddeus turned the corner, entering the lot. Thankfully, there were no staff or security people around to stop us.
“I think I can see it, over there against the wall,” Kate pointed urgently as Thaddeus stepped inside the gate, not seeing me.
But he spotted Oliver, clutching the machine to his chest. It was glowing subtly, and Thaddeus came to a sudden stop as Kate rushed in behind him, blocking off his backward escape.
Thaddeus took a few more steps, lifting his hand to point at the machine. “Who are you? And what…what is that thing?”
“An end to this game you started,” Oliver told him.
“Game? What game?” Thaddeus reached up and rubbed his forehead. “I’m here to help an injured kitten, not play some game!”
He shook his head as confusion spread across his face. He staggered a few steps, and for a moment I thought he was going to collapse. But all of a sudden, he cackled loudly. When he straightened, I knew our luck had run out. He had his memory back. “Why don’t you just hand that machine over, son, before you hurt yourself?”
Oliver shifted the machine in his arms and grinned. “Never.” His eyes shot to me, and he nodded.
This is it! I said to myself and burst into action.
Chapter 7
“Oliver! Now!” I yelled as I slammed the gate shut, locking it closed with a heavy padlock that was hanging open on a chain.
Thaddeus cursed as he spun around, but he was surrounded by Oliver, Kate, and me. He wasn’t getting away from us, not this time. We closed ranks, and the machine glowed brightly in Oliver’s hands. Thaddeus tried to shove past us, but I tripped him up, and he hit the ground hard, grunting in pain. Kate and I each grabbed hold of his shoulder with one hand and reached for Oliver with the other. We couldn’t let Thaddeus escape. The blue light surrounded us all. Then the ground shook beneath our feet. Thaddeus fought to get up, but he was an old man, and we were three very determined kids.
“You don’t understand!” he tried to argue.
But we were done listening. One second, we were in a completely warped version of the present time, and then, after a loud pop echoed around us, we crashed to the pavement, still in the storage lot, but in a very different year. The three of us jumped back as Thaddeus swung his fists wide attempting to hit us. His steps were uneasy, and he staggered to his feet, not able to move well enough to be a threat.
“Are we in the right time?” I asked.
Oliver checked his digital watch. “Oh yeah, we’re right on time…for once!”
Thaddeus’ eyes widened as he realized what we’d done. He struggled to his feet. “No, no! Get me out of here, right now!”
“What’s the matter? You don’t want to say hello to yourself?”
He stared at me in full panic before he launched himself at Oliver, trying to get to the machine. It dropped to the ground and Thaddeus dove for it. Oliver shoved him off as Kate rushed over and picked it up, carrying it deeper into the storage facility.
“Get to 56! Go!” Oliver yelled just as Thaddeus managed to throw Oliver off. “Run!”
Kate and I took off at a dead sprint, searching for the right number garage. We made a sharp left turn, and I counted off the numbers in my head. “Come on, come on,” Kate whispered under her breath. “There! It’s down there!”
I glanced over my shoulder to see Thaddeus still chasing us, just as planned. I knew he’d go after the machine the second he realized where we were, especially if he believed there was a chance he could get out of here without running into his other self. He wasn’t about to let it out of his sight, not when it was his only way of getting back to the present.
But this time, it was going to be the right present.
I hoped.
The other Thaddeus Banes was, in fact, in number 56 at this very moment with another man I very much wanted to see. We stopped at the garage in time to hear their voices yelling. I banged on the door just as Thaddeus was feet away, screaming at the top of his lungs for us to give him back the machine. I yelled louder, calling out both men by name when finally, t
he door gave a grumble, and someone inside slid it upwards, revealing a makeshift lab. There, standing side by side was another Thaddeus and a young version of my dad. He frowned at me in confusion, then at Kate holding the machine.
“Holly?” he asked, completely bewildered. “I told you guys not to mess with that thing!”
“What is this, what’s going on?” the other Thaddeus demanded.
“No,” the same voice echoed behind us. I whirled around to see the Thaddeus we’d brought with us frozen in shock and horror as his eyes locked onto his younger self. “What have you done! No!”
The Thaddeus in the storage unit tried to turn, but Dad was faster. He grabbed hold of the man and shoved him forward, causing him to trip and fall into the other version of himself. I watched the pair fall to the ground in a tangled heap. The two Thaddeus’ grappled with each other, but it was too late. Their hands were already disappearing.
In a flash of light and a blur of color, I watched them fade away bit by bit until they vanished completely and there was nothing left of Thaddeus Banes.
He was gone from all timelines.
Gone from our lives.
For good.
When I turned, I saw Dad hugging Oliver and reaching to pull me into his arms as well.
“We did it! We actually did it!”
Part of me waited to hear Thaddeus laughing as he came out from some other storage unit, tricking us yet again, but as the seconds ticked by and nothing happened, I knew it was finally over.
“I don’t know what’s going on or how you did it,” Dad said, “but I am so glad to see the last of that man. And I am so proud of both of you.”
I was about to tell him exactly what had happened, every detail of the crazy adventure we’d just been on when Kate let out a panicked yell, and we all whipped around to stare at the time machine suddenly coming to life. It sparked and sputtered, shaking so hard it leaped off the pavement. Dad dragged the three of us away from it, placing himself in front of us protectively.
Time Traveler - Books 1, 2, 3 & 4: Books for Girls aged 9-12 Page 28
