The Other Side Of The Painting

by Amelia Rey

  “Annabelle has no chance now. Not after Katherine’s tragic death.”

  “Not if we move fast and find the device,” Elisabeth said.

  “How would that help now? All of our hopes have been shattered by Katherine’s death.”

  “Just listen to what she has to say.” Ruth persisted.

  “OK,” said Cornelius. “But I can assure you both that whatever it is she wants to say will not make sense anymore.”

  Ruth asked Elisabeth to share her thoughts with them.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I think that if we find the time machine, Katherine’s death can be prevented.”

  Cornelius was in shock. “Oh, my God! Why didn’t I think of that? That’s a great idea! I’m sorry for being so rude and negative before.”

  “All we need to do is find it,” Elisabeth said.

  “You say that as if it were the easiest thing to do,” said Ruth.“You forget that we don’t know where the device is.”

  “We will find it, and we won’t rest until we do,” she replied.

  They all sat down in Cornelius’s living room to analyze Nathaniel’s diary, which Ruth had brought along.

  When they got to the part where Cornelius was sent to the year 1980, Ruth said, “This part I know it by heart. It talks about the painting where the time machine was carefully hidden.”

  “What?” Cornelius almost choked on a sip of water. Ruth immediately got up to assist him. She helped him back to his seat and made sure he was all right. “I’m all right,” he said, “but why didn’t you mention the painting before? If you had mentioned it, then Katherine would be alive right now. She had the painting at her house all this time.”

  “Oh, my goodness!” Ruth exclaimed.“I don’t know why I didn’t think about telling you where the time machine was hidden. How did the painting end up with Katherine?”

  “I don’t know,” replied Cornelius. “All I know is that the painting was a portrait of me and that there were also some letters hidden somewhere in the frame of the painting. That’s how we know about our life in the past.”

  “We need to get the painting right now,” Elisabeth said.

  “But how are we going to get inside Katherine’s house?” Ruth asked.

  “That’s not a problem,” Cornelius said.“She kept a spare key underneath a flowerpot. I saw her place it there yesterday when we left for the library.”

  “What are we waiting for? Let’s go and get that painting,” Ruth said anxiously.

  The three of them headed to Danielle’s house. When they arrived, Cornelius found the painting and handed it to Ruth. “Where is the device hidden?” he asked her.

  “The diary said it was on top of the frame on the left-hand side.”

  When Cornelius lifted the frame, there it was. All three of them were astonished by the small size of the time machine. It had just enough space to enter the year they wanted to travel to.

  “OK, what’s the plan now?” Cornelius asked, looking at Elisabeth.

  “The plan is to send you back to yesterday. When you and Katherine go to Ruth’s house, you will mention the painting to us because only you will have a memory of what happened today. You will also leave the device behind so that even after you go back in time, the device will remain where it belongs.

  “That’s the safest way to do it. Just in case something goes wrong, we can undo it or prevent it. You need to avoid the circumstances that lead to Katherine’s death. That way, we can send you and her back to the 1800s.”

  “OK, let’s do it,” he said.

  “Not just yet,” said Ruth. She remembered that the brain protector must be worn to retain memories. “The brain protector is at my house. Let’s go there and bring the device with us. We can do everything from there. Who knows? It might help since everything began at my house over a hundred years ago.”

  Elisabeth was concerned about where the device would be if they took it to Ruth’s house. “If we bring the device with us, wouldn’t that mean that when Cornelius travels back to yesterday, the device would be at Ruth’s house instead of in the painting’s frame at Danielle’s house where it belongs?”

  “I don’t think yesterday would be affected in any way,” said Cornelius. “When I go back, everything would be where it originally was.”

  Cornelius grabbed the device, and they headed to Ruth’s house. Once there, they found the brain protector and proceeded to send Cornelius back to the day before.

  Chapter 11

  Everything went according to plan. Cornelius had successfully gone back to the day before with his memory intact. He started the day the same way as before. He was very careful not to change anything that would interfere with him meeting Ruth all over again and therefore saving Danielle’s life. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t block the moment he watched Danielle die from his mind.

  “This will be the longest day of my life,” he said. Cornelius did exactly what he had done the day before, and he made sure nothing changed. But it was hard for him when he saw his mother, Elmirah, again. This time he knew that she was his mother and had been stranded in a time that was not her own, all because of him.

  Still, he was able to control his emotions. The day progressed nicely with no problems. At Ruth’s house, Cornelius anxiously waited for the right moment to mention the painting.

  When Danielle said, “I know we need to focus on finding the time machine,” Cornelius immediately interrupted her.

  “Danielle, you have the time machine. It just hit me! The letter said that to come back to the year 1839, we need to bring the painting with us.”

  “Yes, that’s right,” said Danielle. “Why didn’t we realize that before?”

  “That’s exactly where the diary said the time machine would be,” said Ruth.

  “We need to get that painting immediately,” Cornelius said.

  “Today has been a very hectic day, and I’m really exhausted,” Danielle said.“I think it would be best if we went home and rested. Tomorrow we can meet here, and I can bring the painting with me.”

  “I agree with Danielle,” said Ruth. “We can all use a little rest. I would ask you to spend the night, but that would only delay the process of sending you back to your time since you have the device at your place.”

  “We need to get going,” Danielle said.“I want to be home when Shane calls. I don’t want to make him suspicious.” Danielle asked Elisabeth, “Would you like for us to give you a ride home?”

  “No, thanks,” she said. “I’ll spend the night here with Ruth. You guys head on home, and please try to be here early tomorrow morning.”

  Cornelius drove Danielle home, and on his way there, he realized that if he did not go to his house, Sabrina would not meet Danielle and therefore would not kill her. Once they arrived, he asked her if he could spend the night.

  “Don’t you want to go home and change your clothes?” she asked.

  Cornelius was embarrassed by Danielle’s comment.

  Danielle looked at him and extended her hand. “Come on in. I was just kidding.”

  Cornelius felt a tremendous relief, as if a heavy weight was taken off his shoulders.

  Inside, Cornelius and Danielle began to talk about what the consequences of returning to their time would be.

  “We have a very delicate and difficult decision to make,” said Danielle. “I don’t think we should rush into going back to our time until we analyze every aspect of our options and the consequences they could bring.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more,” he said, “but what are those options?”

  “Well,” said Danielle, “we can go back to the year 1838 instead of 1839so we can warn Nathaniel of the danger of his time machine and convince him to destroy his invention.”

  “What makes you think he will listen to us?” Cornelius said.

  “Well, we could show him his diary, which we will take with us as proof, and I also want to take the newspaper clipping that talks about the fire wher
e his wife, Sarah, lost her life. He will compare the clipping to what he wrote in his diary about the circumstances that surrounded her death, and he will have no doubt afterward. He would also recognize his handwriting. Best of all, Nathaniel will have the information to prevent Sarah’s death…”

  “I don’t know if giving him the diary is such a good thing after all,” said Cornelius.

  “Why would you think that?” Danielle asked.

  “Because that would also mean that Nathaniel would have knowledge of his own death.”

  “What do you suggest we do instead?”

  “I think we should remain in the year 1990. If we go back to the year 1839, not only would we have to tell Nathaniel about his death and his wife’s death, but we also would have to live with the memories of the ten years we lived here. The worst part is that you would have vivid memories of the birth of our daughter, Annabelle, and the knowledge of her death.”

  “I have been giving this a lot of thought, too,” said Danielle, “especially the part about our daughter, but I’m certain she will not cease to exist because nothing would change the fact that she was actually conceived. The only thing that would change is her birth period.”

  After saying that, Danielle sat in silence. She was upset because the conversation was leading to the possible nonexistence of Annabelle, and she was not willing to let anything or anyone jeopardize that.

  Danielle abruptly got up from the sofa where she sat next to Cornelius, and she looked straight into his eyes. With a firm tone of voice, she said, “We will go back to the year 1838, or I won’t go back at all. No matter which way we decide to go, our future has already been altered. But if we travel back to 1838, our daughter’s life would be saved, and in the end, that’s all that really matters to me. My priority is to see her alive, and I strongly believe that by going back to 1838, we’ll be doing just that.”

  Chapter 12

  The next morning, Cornelius picked up the painting, and he looked in the exact place where the device was. Danielle asked him how he knew exactly where to look.

  “I don’t really know. I just knew it was there.” Cornelius couldn’t tell Danielle that he was reliving the day because if he did, he would also have to tell her about her tragic death. Cornelius was very anxious to leave, but Danielle was taking her time.

  “We need to be on our way,” he said. “Ruth and Elisabeth are expecting us early this morning.”

  Danielle grabbed the key to her car, but Cornelius insisted on taking his car instead. He had the feeling that if they took her car, the same outcome as before might be triggered, and Danielle would end up dead. He convinced her to ride with him, and they stopped for gas on the way.

  As he was filling up his tank, he saw a car that looked a lot like Sabrina’s car from a distance. When he finally realized that in fact it was Sabrina’s car, he panicked.

  Oh, dear Lord, this is not happening! What am I going to do to avoid Danielle’s tragic death from happening all over again? He immediately stopped the pump and hurried into his car.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Danielle. “Why are you so nervous?”

  “It’s nothing,” he said.

  Danielle noticed Sabrina heading their way, waving her hands and calling for Cornelius.

  “I think that woman is trying to get your attention,” said Danielle.

  “She might be trying to get someone else’s attention because I definitely don’t know her,” he replied nervously.

  “No, it’s definitely you she’s calling,” Danielle insisted. “Let me find out what she needs.”

  Cornelius was about to drive off, but Danielle got out of the car. Sabrina was hysterical, yelling at Cornelius, who was grabbing Danielle and trying to get her inside the car to protect her from Sabrina. That only made things worse because when Sabrina noticed Cornelius’s interest in Danielle, she pushed her away from him with such force and anger that Danielle fell to the ground and hit the back of her head. She died instantly.

  Once again, Cornelius watched her die. He got down on his knees and desperately cried as he held Danielle’s body against his own.

  Sabrina stood nearby in total shock, looking at Danielle’s dead body until the police came and took her away. Cornelius couldn’t understand why Danielle had to die again when everything was going according to plan.

  Cornelius said to himself, “If I had stayed back in the 1800s, none of this would have happened! I have to travel back and prevent this tragedy again!”

  One of the police officers overheard his comment and turned to his partner and said, “This poor man is beginning to lose his mind from the terrible shock.”

  “I know,” said the other officer. “When the ambulance was taking the woman’s body away, he was shouting incoherently. Something about preventing her from dying.”

  As the officers were still talking, another officer arrived on the scene. “Hello, guys! Have you got everything under control here?”

  “Yes, Officer Jones. We were just about to take the gentleman to the station to give his statement.”

  When Cornelius heard the officer’s voice, he immediately recognized it. He got up from the ground and walked up to him. “Officer Zachary Jones!”

  The officer looked at him and immediately recalled that night ten years ago when he found him on the streets. “Cornelius? Is that you, buddy?”

  “Yes, sir,” said Cornelius sobbing. “I’m so glad you still remember me.”

  “Is the victim related to you?”

  “She is my wife, Katherine, sir. I’ve just found her, and now she is dead!”

  “I’m so sorry for your loss, Cornelius.” Officer Jones asked one of the other officers to hand him the report. He was saddened when he read the name of the woman. “I know this woman,” he said as he looked at Cornelius. “Her name is Danielle Lancaster. Her husband’s name is Dr. Shane Lancaster.”

  Cornelius looked at him with tears in his eyes. “No, sir, that’s my wife, and her name is Katherine Montgomery. We traveled through time ten years ago from the year1839.”

  Officer Jones put his hands on his head. “My God! As crazy as that sounds, I believe you. The morning that I met Danielle, she was having some visions about a man being tied to his bed in a house that supposedly was in the graveyard across from the park. And come to think of it, that’s on the same street where I found you ten years ago, Cornelius!

  “I also remember that earlier on the day that I found you, Danielle was sitting in the park across from the graveyard. She did not know where she was or how she got there. I asked her name, and she said it was Katherine Montgomery. I took her to Lancaster’s clinic, and when I went back to check on her the next day, Dr. Lancaster Jr., who we know as Danielle’s husband, said that her family came for her.”

  “Officer Jones, I will travel back to today and prevent Katherine’s death, but when I do, the only person who will remember what has happened here today is me. Before I do that, I would like for you to help me find some information about Annabelle Lancaster’s death.”

  “Who is she?”asked Zack.

  “She was my daughter. Katherine was pregnant when she arrived in 1980, but the child died a few hours after birth.”

  “Let’s go the station. I’ll be able to pull that information from there.”

  “Thank you for believing me, Officer Jones.”

  “I was the one who found you both when you crossed the time barrier. I don’t think that was a coincidence,” he said as they entered the car. “And please, call me Zack.”

  “Zack, you didn’t have to believe me, and you did. Thank you again!”said Cornelius.

  Once they arrived at the station, Officer Jones began to search for information about Annabelle’s death. “Where else has Danielle lived since her arrival in the year 1980?” he asked Cornelius.

  Cornelius smiled. “Well, as you already know, Katherine lived here in Greene County, New York, for a very short period after her arrival. She then moved to Charlotte, North Car
olina,” he said.

  Two hours later, Officer Zack got all the information he needed.“Cornelius, there were no death certificate reports filed in New York or in North Carolina for an Annabelle Lancaster.”

  “But Katherine said she died hours after her birth!”said Cornelius.

  “Apparently, the doctor lied to her. He can explain it to us when he arrives. He is on his way back from Washington, DC.”

  “You called him? No! Why did you have to go ahead and do that? I need to prepare for traveling back to today to prevent Katherine’s death. His presence here might create a problem.”

  “He is her husband. I had to inform him of his wife’s death.”

  “No. You and I know that’s not the truth. I’m her husband!”

  “You are her husband in the 1800s,” said Zack. “But in 1990, he is legally married to her.”

  “You are right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get so upset.”

  “I understand,” Zack replied.

  Six hours had passed, and Cornelius was still at the police station. Shane finally arrived. Officer Jones took him to his office, and after giving him the details of his wife’s death, he introduced him to Cornelius. Shane was not surprised when Cornelius told him about him and Katherine being husband and wife in the 1800s.

  He told him he knew the truth from the start. The day Katherine arrived at his clinic, he suspected she wasn’t from his time. He said that there was something different about her—the clothes she wore, the way she spoke, and especially the strange handbag she held against her chest as if her life depended on it. He also told him that the next day, when she was still asleep, he looked inside the bag and found a letter that was dated 1839. It was addressed to her mother, Annabelle Johnson.

  In that letter, she told her mother about her pregnancy and the circumstances that contributed to her decision to travel into the future. She promised her mother that if the child was a girl, she would name her after her mother. Something must have gone wrong that prevented Katherine from leaving the letter behind for her mother.