The Other Side Of The Painting

by Amelia Rey

  “That brings us to our next question, Dr. Lancaster,” said Zack.

  “I know what you’re going to ask,” Shane immediately responded.

  “How is it that there is no record of Annabelle’s death?” asked Cornelius.

  “That’s because she is not dead,” replied the doctor.

  “What did you do to her?” shouted Cornelius.

  “She is back in the 1800s with her grandmother. Two of my former college professors and their nephew, who were all scientists, had been working on a time traveling experiment years before Danielle arrived. I went to them with the information I got from Danielle.”

  “Don’t you mean Katherine, Doctor?” Zack asked sarcastically.

  “All right, I went to them with all the information I gathered from Katherine. They were astounded by the information and anxious to try their own invention.

  “They wanted to travel back to the year 1839 and meet the great Nathaniel Miller, but they decided to travel to the year 1840 instead. They thought Annabelle should be in the year in which she would have been born if her mother had not travelled into our time period. I saw the opportunity to send Annabelle back to her rightful time and took it. My friends traveled back in time with her, but something must have gone wrong because they never made it back to our time.”

  “Are you telling me that my daughter is somewhere lost in time?” Cornelius was devastated.

  “No, Cornelius, I’m certain your daughter is where he says she is,” Zack offered.

  “How can you be so certain?” Cornelius asked.

  “Because a few days ago, Danielle crossed the barrier of time somehow. And she met and talked to Annabelle and also to a woman who acted as if she had known her from before. She also mentioned seeing two older men there and a younger man tied to a bed. She said that the woman in the house said that those men needed to go back.”

  Shane approached Cornelius and said, “I’m sorry for everything you and Katherine had to go through. I’m sorry for sending your daughter back. I honestly believed she and her mother belonged back in their own time.

  “I was planning on sending Katherine back as soon as she got better, but the professors never made it back. I had to give her an explanation. Telling the truth was not an option due to her lack of memory.

  “To be honest, I fell in love with her the first moment I laid eyes on her. And knowing she was alone in a time that was not her own, I wanted to protect her.”

  Cornelius was touched by the sincerity in Shane’s words. “I can understand your actions,” said Cornelius. “Thank you for taking care of her all these years.”

  They shook hands and said good-bye. Shane left the station, deeply saddened. Nothing seemed important to him anymore. All he wanted was to go home and mourn his beloved Danielle.

  Cornelius stayed at the station with Zack. He was waiting for Ruth and Elisabeth, who were on their way to the station to pick him up. When the two women heard the tragic news, they were profoundly sad. They could not believe the shocking truth.

  “What do we do now?” asked Elisabeth.

  “There is nothing for us to do now,” said Ruth. “Katherine’s death changes everything. I don’t suppose Cornelius wants to go back without her,” she said, looking at him.

  Cornelius took her hands and looked straight into her eyes. He whispered softly, “Let’s go to your house. There is something I need to tell you both.” On the way there, Cornelius reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny device.

  “I will go back and prevent her death,” he said as he gazed at the device with tears running down his face. Ruth and Elisabeth stared at Cornelius with great sadness. They assumed that he was speaking out of grief.

  When they arrived at Ruth’s house, Cornelius told them that with their help, he had traveled back to prevent Katherine’s tragic death once before. Elisabeth could not bring herself to believe the marvelous truth. “The device really works!” she mumbled in disbelief.

  Ruth, on the other hand, was terrified because if what Cornelius said was true, and he traveled back before to prevent Katherine from dying, she died anyway. No matter how many times he traveled back in time to prevent her death, Katherine may be destined to die by Sabrina’s hands.

  Cornelius noticed Ruth’s silence. “Why are you so quiet, Ruth?” he asked.

  “It’s nothing,” she replied.

  “All right, then!”said Cornelius. “Let’s get started on sending me back to yesterday.”

  “I don’t think that’s the right thing to do now.”

  “Why not?” Cornelius and Elisabeth asked simultaneously.

  “Because by doing that, you’re just making Katherine, and also yourself, relive her death over and over again.”

  “So, what you are trying to say is that you believe that no matter how many times I travel back into the past to prevent her death, Katherine is going to die anyway?”

  “Yes, I’m almost certain that she is destined to die. And no matter what you do to prevent it, she will die by Sabrina’s hands. We might be able to avoid destiny, but I don’t believe we can’t cheat death.”

  “Cornelius, don’t let Ruth’s skepticism shatter your hopes,” said Elisabeth. She reprimanded Ruth for her insensitive way of sharing her doubts.

  “I totally disagree with you, Ruth,” said Cornelius. “I believe that if we know ahead of time what obstacles we might encounter, we can try to overcome them. And in this case, we have the advantage of knowing precisely what and who that obstacle is. I can understand your skepticism, Ruth. That is why I believe this time, you should come with me,” he said.

  “Do you honestly believe that taking me with you this time will make a difference?” she asked.

  “I’m almost certain it will. As you know, the first time, Katherine dies in front of my house as we are about to leave to bring the device to your house. Knowing that, I avoided the trip to my house the second time around by spending the night at hers. That way, we would go directly to your house instead.

  “We thought that by doing that, Sabrina would not have the chance to meet Katherine and therefore murder her. But for some unexplained reason, all of it was in vain. Destiny outsmarted us and led Sabrina to cross Katherine’s path once again.

  “But now we have the power to make it right. If we travel back to the day before, you will tell Katherine that you have the device because this time we will take it with us, and that very night, Katherine and I will return to 1839. I’m certain that if we return as planned, Katherine will not die by Sabrina’s hands.

  “Both times, she dies the following morning after meeting you and Elisabeth. That is why I believe that if your theory is accurate and Katherine is destined to die the following day after meeting you, then it is crucial for us to beat destiny by a day and travel back to the 1800s on the very day we meet.”

  “Your confidence has persuaded me,” said Ruth. “Elisabeth and I will assist you in any way we can.” Elisabeth was glad to finally see Ruth agreeing with them again. The three of them went over a few minor details before proceeding with their plan.

  “Ruth, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of our mission. Please keep in mind that once we go back, there is no place for any mistake on our behalf that can trigger the same tragic outcome for Katherine. Nothing can interfere with you meeting us. The day should go as it went previously—no changes whatsoever. And remember that we would be the only ones with any memory of everything that has happened here.”

  “Don’t worry about me making any mistakes,” said Ruth. “Everything will go according to plan.”

  They gathered everything they needed, and without further hesitation, they traveled one day into the past. Once there, they were both aware of their mission to save Katherine. The day was going exactly as planned, at least until they arrived at the library where Cornelius saw Elmirah once again.

  This time, Cornelius had a flashback of his childhood. In his flashback, he sat on his mother’s lap as she tenderly cuddl
ed him and softly sang a lullaby. Cornelius became emotional, but he was able to control his emotions. After getting the information they needed, they were about to successfully leave the library.

  Unfortunately for Cornelius, as he and Danielle were about to head out the door, Elmirah rushed after them.

  “Young man! Wait, please!” she shouted as she walked toward them.

  Cornelius struggled with his emotions and desperately tried to leave, but knowing that the woman who desperately called was his own mother, who had been stranded in a time that was not her own because of her unconditional love for him, he couldn’t walk a step further.

  Cornelius turned around and walked up to his mother. “Were you calling me, ma’am?”

  Elmirah looked at him with profound sadness. “Have we’ve met before?” she asked in a soft, tender voice.

  Cornelius nervously laughed. “I’m just blessed with having a very familiar face.”

  “That must be it,” said Elmirah in a cynical tone of voice. But inside, she was emotional. She did not understand why she felt so sad and so happy at the same time when she met Cornelius.

  Elmirah was also suspicious about the information he and Danielle had requested. All through the day, Elmirah found herself speculating about Cornelius’s absurd response when she asked him if they had met before.

  Their dubious behavior contributed to Elmirah’s determination to investigate the matter. She picked up the phone and dialed Elisabeth’s home.

  “Hello,” said the voice at the other end of the line.

  “Hello, Mary,” said Elmirah. “May I speak to Elisabeth?”

  “My mother is at Ruth’s house,” said Mary.

  “Have you any idea when she’ll return?”

  “Yes,” replied Mary. “She’ll be back tomorrow morning. She called a few minutes ago to let me know she would be spending the night there.”

  “Oh, I see. Well, maybe you can help me,” she said. “I sent a couple to see her this afternoon. Do you know if they made it there?”

  “Yes,” said Mary. “They accompanied my mother to see Ruth. By the way, Elmirah, how did you know those people?”

  “They came to the library to do some research about a reverend and two other people who apparently lived here in New York in the mid-1800s. I figured your mother would be of more help to them since she has lived here all her life and her family can be traced back to the early 1800s. Why do you ask? Are you concerned about her safety?” Elmirah asked anxiously.

  “No, not really,” said Mary. “That couple seemed very nice. It’s just that I overheard them telling my mom that they believed they were from the 1800s.”

  “Oh, my goodness! That’s insane. What was your mother’s reaction to that absurdness?”

  “She took it quite calmly,” said Mary. “She asked them to accompany her to Ruth’s house so that she too could listen to what they had to say.”

  “I think you and I should go to Ruth’s house ourselves and find out what’s going on,” said Elmirah. “For all we know, those two could be escapees from a mental institution. Elisabeth and Ruth might be in a very dangerous situation right now.”

  “For God’s sake, don’t frighten me with your silly suspicions,” Mary replied.

  “I’m not trying to scare you. I’m just worried about Elisabeth.”

  “Now you made me worried as well. As soon as I hang up, I’ll head to Ruth’s house.”

  “I’ll meet you there,” said Elmirah.

  Chapter 13

  On the way to Ruth’s house, Elmirah had a vivid flashback. She had a long blue dress on, and her hair was set in a sophisticated style. She was dancing the waltz with a very handsome young man in what seemed to be a wedding celebration.

  The annoying sound of a loud horn and the shouting from other drivers brought Elmirah back to reality.

  “Move your car out of the way, lady! Don’t you see the ambulance coming through?”

  Elmirah immediately moved to her right to make way for the ambulance. She was terrified. She did not understand what had just happened to her. Now, more than before, she was anxious to get to Ruth’s house. She thought that maybe they could explain what those visions meant.

  At Ruth’s house, Cornelius and Danielle were preparing to travel back to the year 1839. Ruth and Elisabeth were debating on whether or not the diary should be returned to its original and rightful owner, Nathaniel Miller. They feared that if something went wrong and they somehow lost track of the diary, it would be virtually impossible to help Cornelius and Danielle again.

  Cornelius firmly believed that if they did not take the diary with them, Nathaniel would not believe that their time travel ever took place. “You should also take into consideration that once Danielle and myself return to our time, our existing in your time would never take place. Therefore, keeping the diary can seriously affect your future because once we return to our own time, the future would take its natural course, and neither one of you would have a memory of our existence because it would never have happened.”

  “I’m concerned about Elmirah’s existence,” said Elisabeth.

  “My mother will not have a memory of her life here. When we get back to our time, she will be there as if nothing happened. Danielle and I would be the only ones with knowledge of the truth.”

  “You are forgetting one important detail,” said Elisabeth.

  “What would that be?” asked Danielle.

  “Annabelle. What would happen to Annabelle?”she asked.

  “She will still be our daughter,” said Cornelius. “The only difference would be that she would be born in the same period she was conceived. It’s only natural for her life to take place in the year 1840, the way it was intended.”

  Cornelius noticed that Ruth had remained quiet all throughout the conversation. “Ruth, why are you so quiet?”

  “I’ve been thinking that maybe you shouldn’t return to the year1839.”

  “Why not?” he asked.

  “Because if you do, your mother will be stranded in our time forever. By the time you and Danielle arrive there, Elmirah would have probably found the device and traveled to our time. But if you go back to the year 1838 instead, you can destroy the time machine as soon as you arrive, and Elmirah’s travel into the future would have never happened.”

  “I totally agree with her,” said Danielle. “It makes more sense to travel back to the year 1838. Maybe we should postpone our return until tomorrow. We need more time to think things through.”

  “No!” said Cornelius and Ruth simultaneously. They became worried when she suggested that. They knew that if they waited until tomorrow, Danielle would most likely die all over again.

  “There’s nothing to think about,” said Cornelius. “We will return today to the year 1838.”

  Ruth immediately helped them put on the brain protectors, and Elisabeth changed the year on the device to 1838. They all hugged and cried as they said their good-byes.

  Suddenly, they heard the doorbell. “Who could that possibly be?” asked Elisabeth.

  “I don’t know,” replied Ruth. “But we need to hurry up and finish here.” She handed Danielle the diary, and Danielle immediately put it in her purse.

  Elmirah repeatedly and desperately continued to ring the doorbell. “Ruth, open the door! I know you’re in there. I just want to know if you and Elisabeth are OK.”

  They all became nervous once they realized that Elmirah was at the door. “We need to go now!”said Cornelius. Ruth handed him the device, and Cornelius and Danielle held on tightly to each other. Cornelius pressed the device. In a matter of seconds, Danielle and Cornelius went back to the year 1838.

  Chapter 14

  It was their wedding day, right when Cornelius was dancing the waltz with his mother. When he realized that he had successfully made it, he couldn’t contain his emotions, especially now that he could also remember his life in the 1800s. He hugged his mother and cried on her shoulder.

  Elmirah also hu
gged her son and whispered in his ear, “Son, you know that a gentleman always removes his hat when dancing with a lady, especially one as horrific as the one you are wearing.”

  Cornelius then remembered that he was wearing the brain protector, which Nathaniel had so ingeniously disguised as a black fancy hat.

  Elmirah also noticed that Cornelius was holding a small object in his left hand. “What is it that you are so mysteriously holding?” she asked.

  Cornelius immediately put the device in his pocket and said, “That’s a gift for Katherine.”

  Elmirah smiled. “I’ve noticed that you have been acting strange and glancing anxiously around the room for her for the past few minutes.”

  “I can’t hide my contentment from you, Mother,” he said. “You, Katherine, and Uncle Henry are the most important people in my life. That is why I want to plead for your true acceptance of my wife, and I beg you to stop giving Uncle Henry so much grief for truly accepting Katherine into our family.”

  Elmirah chuckled. “Son, you are the most important person in my life. I will always act in your best interest. Katherine has to prove to me that she is worthy of you. After all, she married into one of the wealthiest and most prestigious families in the State of New York, but you know that I’ll do whatever it takes to see you happy. I can see that sharing your life with Katherine makes you happy. I give you my word that from today forward, I’ll try my very best to get along with her. As for my brother Henry, I promise to patch things up with him. He is my only brother, and I love him dearly. I couldn’t be mad at him for long.”

  Cornelius was very happy to hear those words from his mother.

  “There is something very different about you today,” she said. “And I have the feeling that whatever it is it has nothing to do with the satisfaction of being finally married to the woman you love.”

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Katherine talked with Nathaniel and his wife. Well, they were doing all the talking because Katherine was mesmerized, staring at them in disbelief.

  “Are you feeling all right, Katherine?” asked Sarah.