by Jill Cooper
My eyes flutter open and I glance down. It’s my bag, the one with all the evidence in it. I can’t look at her. I know what’s coming.
“Where is the video?” Anger begins to seep into her voice.
“The video is there.”
“Not the one of my conversation with that damn reporter.”
“You mean the one when you killed her?” My eyes open and I grin. “Oops.”
She grips my arm and bares her teeth. “Where is it! I am not playing games with you or your family.”
“No? You think I ever expect to get out of here? My mom? You’ll never let us go. I’ve seen enough movies to know we are too big a risk for you. We’ll all be framed or disposed of, so I see no reason to help you.”
I lay my head back and close my eyes to settle my rolling stomach. “If I am not released, if I don’t call your son, he will release the video to the media,” I lie, hoping it will buy me some time.
“You told my son?” Her voice is a hushed whisper. “He wouldn’t believe you.”
“No? Maybe you should ask him.”
Patricia backs out the door.
I hope Donovan will be all right. I’m sure he’ll piece together what his mom is up to, but I can’t bet on it. Somehow, I have to get out of this room and find Molly. If I can get the microchip and release the contents, the Senator will be arrested. It’s the only way to save me and my family.
****
“I can’t,” I say.
I groan, my back arching in pain. Electrodes are fastened against my temples, and I am strapped back in the chair. Overhead, the lights grow brighter. The intensity pounds painfully into my brain, but I can’t even move my head to get away from them.
“Again.” The Senator grits her teeth.
Rex is at the controls. I see him shift a gear, and the pain in my head magnifies.
I see a hallway, the one leading to my prison cell, but I resist using time travel. If I show them what I can do, all will be lost. The Senator will never leave me alone. She’ll make sure I’m never able to go back and fix my mistakes.
I groan again under the strain. My teeth chatter together, and saliva forms at the corner of my mouth. Part of me is drawn, pulled from my body, but I restrain myself. I grip the armrest, refusing to give in. It’s like the ultimate staring contest, but the more I hold steady and refuse to give in, the more it hurts, the more my body wants to blink.
“Enough!” Mom screams, trying to force her way past the mob thugs that watch us every step of the way. “She’s in pain. She can’t do it.”
“You better hope she does.”
The thug with the golden dragon tattoo says, “If she doesn’t, I have the authority to get rid of any loose ends. And you, your family, you’re all a loose end.”
I can’t see what Mom is doing, but I hear the fear in her voice. “Let me give her something. She can’t think like this, how is she supposed to do anything in this much pain? Give me a few minutes, please.”
“You have five minutes," the Senator says. “After that, we will need to see results, Miranda.”
A few moments later, a door latches behind us. Mom pushes a few buttons, and the machine restraints loosen. The tension in my head is gone, like a released vacuum seal. My mouth falls open, and I gasp for breath as Mom injects me with something.
“Mom?” I whisper with everything left in me.
“Oh baby.” She strokes my forehead. “We have to figure out a way to give them what they want.”
I shake my head. “That would be signing your death warrant, and then they’d never leave me alone. I need to fix this. I need to fix it now, Mom.”
Her eyebrows furrow. “How can you?”
“Time travel.” I give her a tired smile.
Her face drops. “But you can’t. You’ve been at it for hours.”
“I haven’t been trying. I’ve been trying not to time travel.”
Her hand grips mine. “It might … it might kill you.”
“It might not. If I don’t get this right, I’m as good as dead anyway.”
She wipes the tears off her cheeks. “You’re stronger than me, Lara. I don’t know how you’ve held it together this long, but I love you. Please be careful.”
That was always my intent. Even if I was really bad at it.
“Where will you try to go?”
“I don’t know.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. It’s time to try again. The pain is returning with a vengeance. Each blink is like sandpaper, and my tongue is as dry as the desert. If only I hadn’t been caught by Rick. If only I had found another way.
The room begins to spin and shift in front of me. The walls, the floor, everything moves in a circle except for me. I am stationary.
“What the?”
My heart races, and I grip the armrest of the bed as everything falls away. I float through darkness and space until my feet land on earth. Air fills my lungs, and everything falls in place around me, brick by brick, almost as if I were inside a LEGO model. A door and then some lights appear. I’m back in the hallway outside Rick’s apartment, standing beside myself.
But she is frozen like a mannequin and doesn’t seem to see me.
Somehow, I’ve gone back in time. My mom’s experiment worked. The Senator was right when she said it was me all along. My headache clears as Rick appears beside me, but he’s also frozen. For a brief moment, I peer up into his frozen face.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, and yank my duffle bag from his hand.
When the music begins to blare behind us, Rick’s face snaps to life. Without waiting for the confusion to clear, I sprint out the door. The air is cool as it greets my face. My legs pump, and my arms swing. I’m in for the run of my life.
Rick chases after me. “Wait!”
I hurry past the van and make a break for the curb. Shielding my eyes, I hear movement to my side and then gunfire. I leap to the ground, ducking behind a light post and an old newspaper vending machine for cover. I look up at the glowing Dunkin’ Donuts sign covered in a dream-like fog. It shatters under a hailstorm of bullets.
I cover my head as a set of tires squeal. Donovan’s sports car pulls up on the curb to cover me. I dive into the passenger seat, my head down low and scream, “Go!”
Donovan peels away from the curb in a 180 and drives back the way he came. His eyes stay on the road, but his hand squeezes mine. “You all right?”
I nod and clutch the duffle bag to my chest. “Keep driving.”
“Where?” His eyes flash from the road to me.
“Police station. I need you to drop all this stuff off in case I don’t return.”
Anxiety creeps into his voice. “Return? Return from where?”
“The past.”
“Lara, you’re not making any sense.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” I bite my lip. “There’s no time to explain. I need to fix all of this so my dad was never framed and Molly was never kidnapped, and there’s only one way to do that. I need to go back to the beginning.”
Donovan drives under an old abandoned bridge. He cuts the engine and turns to me. His eyes study me, and I study him because I’m afraid the next time I see him, he won’t love me at all.
“How do we do that? Do we need to get into Rewind?”
I shake my head and stroke his cheek. “Not anymore.”
The features of his face are drawn together. “You never make things dull, you know that?”
I laugh and lean over. In the background, sirens wail and I hear a rush of footsteps. “Remember me when I’m gone.”
“Don’t talk like this. I could never forget you, Lara.”
When our lips meet, the moment is magical. I feel warm everywhere in the blanket of his love, understanding, and compassion. My mind opens up, and suddenly I remember everything.
Everything.
I wish to stay with him forever. I grip his jacket, and his arms squeeze me tight.
But in my mind, I see an
alley.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I only had fifteen minutes.
That was how I created the incredible mess that is now my life, but I can fix it.
I need to.
I step out onto the crosswalk. I see the alley, and I see myself get shot. I watch my body crumble.
Mom screams and falls to her knees. “Oh my God,” she whispers, throwing glances over her shoulder. “Help! Someone help us!”
“You’re going to be okay,” she says to me as I lie supposedly dying but really only phasing. “You’ll be okay.”
I remember how it felt, but I can’t pay attention to them as a crowd gathers. I tune out their screams and questions as my eyes focus on Rex. He’s running from the alley toward the dumpsters and the chain-link fence at the back. I take off sprinting, pushing through the crowd and shoving people out of my way. I jump over my fallen body.
“Hey!” my mom screams, but I don’t think she notices how much I look like the girl she is tending to.
Good.
I keep going, jumping over the dumpster and springing over the chain-link fence. I land in a squat, and his form, dressed all in black, charges down the street. He’s fast, but I can do better. I take a deep breath and take off again. Air fills my burning lungs, and I pump my arms. My legs are going faster than ever before.
I never take my eyes off of him. When he rounds the corner toward a shopping center, I pray I won’t lose him in the crowd. I push myself even harder and nearly trip over my own feet as I round the same corner. He’s in the crowd. He’s slowed down and winded but still ahead of me and about to step into the parking lot, maybe looking for his getaway vehicle.
I hurry, push on. He’s only feet in front of me, but he’s still moving, and I can barely breathe.
I scream with the last of my air, “Rex!”
Pausing briefly, he turns and sees me. His face flashes with confusion, and I realize this Rex doesn’t know me yet. “I shot you?”
“Wrong.”
I grit my teeth and go after him swinging, hand over fist into his face, then I kick him in the gut and let him crash down onto the pavement. Lying on his stomach, he struggles to get up, and I blow my knees into his back, forcing him back down. I straddle him as people begin to take notice. I sit on him as hard as I can, so he can’t escape, when someone asks me…
“What’s going on here?”
I glance up, tear-stricken. “He tried to kill a lady … over by the Tower Records. Someone needs to call the police. He still has the gun.”
I nudge his pocket with my foot and can feel its form. He didn’t dump the gun. He didn’t have time yet to frame my dad. He would, if given the chance, which is the only reason he hasn’t jumped forward in time yet.
It is the only thing that saved me and will crucify him.
People are on their phones dialing 911. A man kneels down beside me with horror on his face.
“Honey, you shouldn’t have chased him. What if he hurt you?”
I smirk. “He won’t, but he works for Patricia James. She’s dangerous.”
The man scowls. “The CEO of Rewind?”
The crowd makes sure Rex has nowhere to go as we wait for the police. They arrive, take statements, and place him under arrest. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one who saw him. An old lady reported a man matching his description running from the alley. Now the police had a reason to believe her.
Thanks to me. Thanks to my gift.
But if I want to save my family, I need to get rid of this ability. I can't travel in time anymore.
When reporters and camera crews appear, I disappear. I walk into Kmart and find a secluded aisle. I touch the fluffy towels and smile up at the security monitor watching me. I think of young Mike and Molly, Dad, Mom … Jax. I don’t know what the world holds for any of us, but I’m ready to face it.
I’m ready to leave this past behind.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Knock-knock-knock.
I open my eyes and see I’m lying in bed. Gone is the room I grew used to at Jax’s house. The walls are brick, and the bed is only a double, not a queen.
I’m back in Charlestown.
But this room is bigger than the one I had at home with Dad. The knock continues, and I lean up on my elbows when the door opens. Dad sticks his head in.
“They’ll be here soon. You want to think about getting out of that bed?”
“Dad.”
My throat croaks. I jump out of bed and leap to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. I take a deep breath and inhale his musky aftershave. His arms wrap around me in a big bear hug, the kind I remembered. It feels like years since I've felt his hug. And I’m sorry I wanted to trade them in. So sorry. I want to tell him all that, but I don’t.
I don’t.
“Well, usually morning wake-ups don’t get me such a warm reception. Usually, it’s mumbling and growling.”
“I don’t growl,” I smirk. “Sparky growls.” I pretend to roll my eyes, but I don’t think it’s convincing.
Dad looks at me as if I were growing an extra head. “Well, get dressed. Then we can have some breakfast before your ride gets here.”
When he leaves, I bounce into action. I’m thrilled to see my wardrobe no longer resembles Barbie dolls. All the rhinestones are gone, but some sparkles remain. Dressing in some jeans and a sparkly top is a lot easier than skinny jeans and platform pumps.
This I can do.
I keep my hair loose and curly, then pick up my purse in the corner of the room and go through my possessions. My phone is black again, and inside my wallet I find my student ID.
Lara Crane.
I squeeze my eyes shut and say a thankful prayer. I hurry to breakfast with Dad. We’re alone, and I enjoy his burnt toast, eggs, and juice. My favorite pup resides under the table between my legs and I feed him bits of my bacon. He’s happy, and I am too. Scratching the top of Sparky’s head, I smile at Dad. I hear a squeak from the next room, and Dad stands.
“Oh, she’s finally up.”
He goes back into the kitchen, and I turn to see Mom standing there in her flannel pajamas. She rubs her belly. It’s big. Pregnant. I gawk at her.
“Mom,” I whisper and run to her.
She hugs me the best she can. “Good morning, princess. We finally decided what we would name her. It came to us last night.”
“Molly,” I say, incredulously.
She smiles back—soft, angelic. “Molly.” She kisses my forehead, and I put a hand to her belly, where my baby sister kicks. “Sit with me while I have breakfast, okay?”
She lowers herself into the seat and rests her hands on top of her belly. “Where are you off to today?”
“School,” I answer, hoping it’s the right one.
Dad comes back in and puts a plate of eggs and toast in front of her.
“Thank you,” she says with a big smile and rubs his cheek. “You’re too good to me, John.”
He kisses her as though he loves her more than life itself. “Who knew that we, at this age, would be getting ready to become parents again?”
Mom glows. “I always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom for Lara, but I couldn’t do that. Now I can.”
“You don’t work?”
Mom looks offended. “I work ... here. It’s not easy growing a new human being, you know, and keeping up with you and all your activities.” She bites into her toast.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
She smiles at me. “Go wash up for school. Your friend will be here soon.”
I almost forgot to brush my teeth. I rush to the bathroom, flick on the light, and find my toothbrush. Something about my reflection bothers me. I pull back my hair and see a pinhole mark on my neck where I was shot. But that was in a different timeline. That should have faded like my bullet wound when I was shot in the alley, right?
What is going on?
My teeth clean, I put my toothbrush down and place the toothpaste back into the medicine
cabinet. When I shut the door, I prick my finger on the sharp corner. I grimace, and a small spot of blood appears. I feel my blood pressure rise, and the room blurs and fills with fog.
Suddenly, I’m not standing in the bathroom. I’m in a large, sterile room strapped to a gurney. Machines are beeping, and I can barely catch my breath as my heart races out of control. Tight straps hold my hands and arms still. Needles prickle my body at dozens of entry points. My eyes are dried like peeled grapes, and I can’t even blink. All I can do is arch my back when I strain.
People run around in a panic. “She’s waking up. She’s waking up!”
My back arches. “Let me go! Help me!”
Rex leans over my face. He strokes my hair back. His voice is soft, soothing and it makes my skin crawl. “Relax, Lara. Relax. Your Uncle Rex is here. He’s going to take good care of you, I promise.” He snarls as he looks up at someone else in the room. “Inject her again.”
“It seems she’s resistant to the—”
“I don’t care. Then give her twice the dose. Three times. Whatever it takes.”
Something slips beneath my skin, and a moment later I am rubbing my forehead. When I open my eyes, I am sitting in the car with Rick. I glance around, unsure how I got here and where I’m going, but I’m with Rick, which is what I wanted. So why is there so much dread? Why am I so upset?
He parks the car in the high school parking lot, then he turns it off and faces me. His hand plays with my hair, which feels nice. I close my eyes as he edges in for a kiss. Our lips meet, and everything about it is perfect. I’ve missed him so much, but my mind flashes to Donovan. My heart wrenches with guilt, and when I think I have everything I want, I pull away.
“What’s wrong, Lara? You’ve been acting funny since I picked you up.”
I doubt I’ll ever act the same again, not unless they can scrub my mind and I can forget everything I’ve seen and done over the past few days.
“Sorry, I have a headache. And Mom … is getting close to having her baby. A lot going on at home. I’m glad you’re here though.” I give him a smile.
