Out of Time

by April Sadowski

  “Okay, there’s a window. Hey! That’s my school. It’s so weird how it’s surrounded by fields. I don’t see any houses.” Sasha said, looking through. The building was old, maybe 1930s, before they started building the houses around there. Much of what Sasha recognized was missing and she realized, just before it “slid” away, that it must have been the original school, before they demolished most of it to expand to what she attended. “There it goes. I wonder how long it will take to find another.”

  Sasha moved around the room again, trying to find a way across into another room, when she heard a sliding sound. As she turned, she noticed the school again, and the sun was shining brightly through. “It looks right. The houses are there and the additions are in place. Looks like my stop! Now I’ve got to find a door.” It didn’t take her long to find one, as the doors and windows had a tendency to appear together.

  Sasha opened the door and was greeted with the warm glow of the sun. “I so hope I’m in the right time now.” she said, breathless. In truth, she should have been more careful. She might have realized that the sun should have been going down instead of glowing so brightly in the sky. As the door shut behind her, she turned and noticed the house was completely gone.

  “Shouldn’t you be in school?” she heard a man say behind her. She turned back and saw a uniformed police officer standing in front of her on the sidewalk she was also apparently standing on. She only came up to the middle of his chest and wondered how tall he was. Maybe eight feet? That didn’t make much sense, but she shrugged it off. Nothing was making much sense lately and Sasha wanted to almost pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, as if it would even work.

  “Huh?” Sasha asked, puzzled.

  The police officer looked down at his watch and stretched his arm out so she could see it. “It’s ten in the morning. Classes have started, haven’t they?”

  “Oh. Yea.” Sasha said to him, calmly, not wanting to make trouble. In the back of her mind she was terrified. It couldn’t have been later than six or seven at night when I entered Mankus’ house. How could it be ten in the morning?

  “I’ll escort you.” the officer said to her. “Who is your teacher?”

  “What do you mean? I have several teachers. I’m a junior. You mean my homeroom teacher?” she wondered. At ten, they would definitely not be in homeroom. It didn’t make much sense, if she was tardy why not send her to the principal’s office?

  “You look rather young to be in high school.”

  “I what?” Sasha asked, taking a step back. The police officer looked her over and raised an eyebrow.

  “Seventh grade, maybe.” he said, rubbing his chin. “I’m learning towards sixth.”

  “Seriously? I’m a...” Sasha trailed off, and then reality hit her for a second. She was still out of time. This man wasn’t a giant at all. She was just younger. She entered the past. “I don’t remember.”

  “Come on, I’m sure someone there knows who you are.” the man told her, leading her from the street towards the school.

  “Okay.” Sasha said hesitantly, afraid of what she’d see at the school.

  CHAPTER 11

  “Thank you, Mrs. Burns. I don’t know why she was out there.” the police officer said to the teacher after Sasha had entered the room in the tow of the officer. At the front of the class behind a desk, sat the teacher Sasha recognized as Mrs. Burns.

  She was a tall, youthful woman, who perhaps had only graduated from college a few years prior. She had wavy brown hair that she clipped back, and vintage styled glasses that almost made her look like a pinup. If this was high school, she would have a fan-following of male students, fantasizing about dating her. Luckily, she was teaching an age group that hadn’t fully maturerd yet. Boys just considered her to be a nice teacher, not a hot one.

  “I don’t know either.” Mrs. Burns replied, taking a hand and brushing over her forehead. “Last I looked, I saw her in the chair right there.”

  “Perhaps you should be more attentive to your class.” the officer warned. Sasha knew he was saying that because a girl could easily be snatched up, wandering around all by herself. It was his job to protect the citizens.

  “You aren’t going to report this to the principal, are you?” Mrs. Burns pleaded. The officer hesitated for a moment, and in that moment Sasha could sense he was attracted to Mrs. Burns. Perhaps the children in the room were too young to pick up on it.

  “No. I think I’ll let this one slide. I don’t think it was your fault. I do think you should discipline her. Detention, maybe?” the officer offered. Mrs. Burns nodded emphatically and responded,

  “For skipping class? Absolutely!”

  “I’ll leave you to get back to teaching. Good day, Mrs. Burns.” the officer said with a wink. He left the room but not before Mrs. Burn could make out a breathy thank you.

  After the classroom door shut, the teacher turned around to address Sasha. “Sasha Midleton, I hope you are quite pleased with yourself. You are going to spend the next three weeks in detention starting today. I’ll call your mother after class to notify her. Please sit down.”

  “Okay.” Sasha said in a whisper. I remember Mrs. Burns. Sixth grade history teacher. As she headed to her desk in the back of the room, which she assumed was the only one not filled with a student, and quickly recognized a familiar face.

  “Hey.” Mandy whispered as Sasha sat down, but not before putting down the backpack she didn’t realize was on her until she tried to get into the chair. “What did you think you were doing? You like...disappeared. One minute you were there and the next...gone.”

  “You aren’t going to believe me.” Sasha whispered back. It was probably much safer to talk, even in a whisper, than pass notes. In the back, the teacher might not be able to hear them, but she could most definitely see when a note was being passed. It drew more attention.

  “We’ve known each other for three years. Of course I’ll believe you.” Mandy insisted, whispering back.

  “Not about this.” Sasha said, her voice hushed as she slumped back into her chair.

  Mrs. Burns addressed the class, holding up a textbook. “Okay class. Let’s get back to our social studies. Please open your books to chapter five, ‘The Wild West’.”

  As books were opened and shuffled through, Sasha grunted miserably. High school was bad enough. Did she really want to relive her past again?

  CHAPTER 12

  Sasha ate in silence. She had dug through her backpack to find a squished lunch, thanks to her accidental smush against the desk’s seat. Mandy was sitting next to her, just staring away. Sasha wanted to tell her to buzz off and give her some space, but Mandy should know.

  “Can you please tell me what’s going on?” Mandy asked her.

  “This isn’t me.” Sasha said, taking a bite out of her sandwich.

  Mandy’s eyebrows furrowed. “What isn’t you?”

  Sasha put down the sandwich and swallowed. “I’m sixteen years old. I’m a junior in high school. I’m not a twelve-year-old sixth-grader.” At this, Mandy broke out laughing.

  “Stop making up stuff.”

  “I’m not.” Sasha insisted. “I’ve got to find a way to get out of here. I need to find my way back. How do I get to the attic?”

  “The attic? What attic? You mean in the school?” Mandy asked Sasha who nodded. “We might have one, but I’ve never seen it. They were talking about making the top level into classrooms in the next seven years. There isn’t a way to get there.”

  Sasha then remembered that her high school used to be the middle school before they expanded and converted, and then put the middle-schoolers in the old high school.

  “The door must be somewhere else then.” Sasha stated.

  “What is wrong with you?” Mandy asked.

  “Wait a minute.” Sasha said, lifting a finger in the air.

  “What?” Mandy wondered.

  “I’ve told you about the psychic thing by now, haven’t I?” Sasha wondered. She
was thinking if Mandy knew about her abilities, this whole situation would be much easier to explain and maybe make more sense to her.

  “What ‘psychic thing’?”

  “Oh great.” Sasha said, half tempted to roll her eyes in despair. She didn’t because Mandy was still staring at her as if she was an alien or something. Not the best situation to be in, and highly uncomfortable. They continued eating until they were finished and someone broke the awkward silence.

  “Do you want to play on the swing set for recess?” Mandy wondered. Sasha slung her head back in frustration.

  “I’m too old for that.” Sasha said, annoyed.

  “You’re only three months older than me.” Mandy told her. Sasha thought to herself, Physically, not mentally. “What?” It was apparent Mandy could tell Sasha was thinking.

  “Fine.” Sasha stated. “I suppose that’ll be the perfect time to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?” Mandy demanded.

  “Come on.” Sasha urged, pulling Mandy’s arm. They wandered outside the school, where a small playground had been set up. There was a slide, swing set, monkey bars, and a dome climber. As they left lunch first, they had dibbs on the equipment. They each took a seat on a swing.

  “So?” Mandy asked tentatively.

  “I see things.” Sasha said to her.

  “What kind of things?” Mandy wondered.

  “Ghosts sometimes. Sometimes I see visions. Or I dream them.” Sasha said, memories of some of them flooded into her mind. She remembered seeing her grandfather telling her something she couldn’t remember and a series of events unfolding like a movie.

  “Like The Sixth Sense? You see dead people?” Mandy asked with a snicker.

  “I’m serious.” Sasha said to her. Mandy gulped.

  “Okay. So?”

  Sasha took a deep breath before continuing. “I am from the future. Your future.”

  “But you are right here. You look the same.” Mandy told her, looking her over. Nothing appeared different. Sasha was still the same age. Yet Mandy felt as though Sasha knew more than she. She had immediately acted differently than earlier this morning.

  “Yea, I can’t really explain that. You know how I disappeared from the classroom?” Sasha asked.

  “I told you already. One minute I was looking at you, then I turned my head and looked back and you were gone. Poof.” Mandy said, kicking up gravel as she pushed herself forward.

  “Because I arrived.” Sasha started. “I came through a door in the attic and it lead to a house, and then from the house I ended up in the street. Just not in the same time. I replaced the Sasha of this time. At least...I think. It makes the most sense.” Although what didn’t make sense to her, was why she didn’t replace the Sasha in position as well, if the house in the attic, the Everidge house, used to be on the land of the school. Why did she end up in the street?

  “How do I get her back?” Mandy asked, referencing the original Sasha. The one that was her friend. The one that was three months older than her in all ways.

  “I suppose I need to find the door. I don’t think there can be two of me in one time.” Sasha rambled.

  “Where’s the door?” Mandy asked. Sasha was sure she had mentioned the door in the attic moments before to her, and wasn’t sure why Mandy was acting so ditzy.

  “I don’t know. Wherever the attic is.” Sasha commented, hoping Mandy was actually meaning where attic was that contained the door, rather than the door itself. “It was in a house though. I guess...it could be anywhere.”

  “We can look after school. If your parents will let you.” Mandy told her. Sasha’s eyes grew wide.

  “Parents?” she asked, half excited, and half confused.

  “You know what parents are, don’t you?” Mandy snorted. Sasha decided to ignore her sarcasm. Mostly because she couldn’t contain her excitement.

  “My dad! My dad’s alive!” Sasha yelped. She wanted to run away, back to her house. Given recent events, she wouldn’t want to get in trouble for skipping class twice in one day.

  “Um...yea.” Mandy gave Sasha a look as though Sasha were completely off her rocker. “Why wouldn’t he be?” Sasha wasn’t paying attention to Mandy anymore. Her focus had slammed into the reality that she could see her dad again.

  “I could keep him from getting in the car accident.” Sasha said softly as her minded wandered.

  “What car accident?” Mandy wondered. Sasha kept forgetting Mandy didn’t know of future events.

  “Nevermind.” Sasha mumbled, brushing Mandy away. “It’s over your head.”

  “That’s not nice!” Mandy wailed angrily.

  “Let’s go back inside.” Sasha said dismissively. Mandy threw herself out of the swing and stood firmly with arms crossed.

  “Fine!” she told Sasha, annoyance clearly evident. Sasha just thought about if she was to ever find her way back.

  “If you ever get into a conversation about me wanting to get into an attic when you are older, tell me not to. Please.” Sasha said to Mandy.

  CHAPTER 13

  Sasha walked with Mandy to the buses. They were all lined up in the school parking lot, waiting to pick up students. Mandy started to walk towards her bus, number twenty-one, as Sasha told her bye. Mandy turned back and shouted,

  “See you tomorrow if your parents won’t let you! They are going to be pretty upset over you getting detention.” Sasha knew in the back of her mind she had planned something with Mandy that evening, but couldn’t remember what. It was hard trying to dig up memories from over five years into her past.

  “I’ll call.” Sasha answered back as the door started to close behind Mandy. In a whisper she said to herself, “You already moved, thank goodness.” Mandy used to live much closer. Her parents move in from another state three years prior and they were nearly neighbors. Then this year, Mandy’s parents moved out into the country so they could tend a small organic garden and care for antibiotic-free animals.

  As the buses started to depart, Sasha headed back to the school. Her mind was racing with thoughts. So my dad is alive?! I can’t wait to see him. This is all very, very weird. I should have went to the bathroom and checked out myself. I don’t know what I look like. I don’t remember what I looked like. Wait a minute. She paused for a moment, and sat down on the parking lot sidewalk, opening up her backpack and taking out a small purse. She rummaged through it in search of a compact. Man I was messy. I know I kept a mirror in here...somewhere. She started to slowly empty the contents of her purse until she found what she was looking for. Ah! There it is. She opened it and took a glance at herself. Her heart went down into the pit of her stomach. Whoa. Now I remember what I used to look like. I do look young. She was the younger version of herself. A little chubbier in the face, which she lost during freshman year when she decided to join the track team. Even after she discovered competitive sports weren’t for her, she still continued running while in high school. Her face had perfect skin, as the onset of freckles from staying out in the sun too long in eighth grade hadn’t occurred.

  “I wonder if there is a way to save my dad.” Sasha thought aloud as she put the contents of her purse back in, and then stuffed it all in her backpack. “I’m sure there would be. I just need to be more careful. I don’t want my parents thinking I’m crazy. I just need to stew on it.” She stood up and threw the backpack over her shoulder, fitting her arms in the straps. “Mandy. She’s really annoying at this age. Was I this annoying?”

  “Come on in Sasha.” Mrs. Burns called from the steps of the school as Sasha started walking back. “I’ve got a desk with your name on it. I know you’ve got homework to do.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Sasha said without hesitation. There was no arguing her way out of this one.

  “Now you want to be polite and proper?” Mrs. Burns said with a smile as she put her hand on Sasha’s backpack and urged her inside. “Come this way.”

  They walked down the hallway corridor in silence. Sasha remembered the high school
and couldn’t believe she forgot how much it changed over the course of the years. They had to have temporary schooling in mobile units until the building was complete.

  They entered the social studies room and Sasha sat down in the char, this time remembering to remove her backpack before doing so. She pulled out some paper and a pen from her backpack and started on her homework. All that could be heard was page flipping from the teacher, reading a sappy novel, the studious writing of Sasha, and the room’s clock ticking away. Sasha stopped writing, mumbling to herself, Too easy.

  “Done already? Let me look at those papers.” Mrs. Burns said as she closed her book and came towards Sasha, hand outstretched. She shuffled through the pages while deftly scanning over the answers. “All correct answers. Your handwriting has improved quite well since just yesterday. What have you been doing?”

  “Uh...” Sasha started, not sure how to explain the situation to her teacher. “Practicing. At home.”

  “Well, I don’t think I can have you sitting in here longer just staring at the ceiling.” Mrs. Burns laughed and smiled. “If you are learning at home and can apply it to class, it would be better that you go home. Perhaps even detention is a bad idea. Would you like me to drive you?”

  “It’s not that far.” Sasha said.

  “Yes, but you are young and I don’t want to be responsible if anything happened to you. You can sit in the front. Your mom said she wouldn’t be able to get out from a client meeting until five and I don’t want you being unproductive. She didn’t mind me driving you.” Mrs. Burns explained and Sasha relaxed. How bad could a drive with her teacher be?

  “Okay.” Sasha replied.

  “You live on Pinecrest, right?” Mrs. Burns asked sweetly, pulling one of the clips from her hair and setting it down on her desk. She ruffled her hands through the area so it didn’t look so stiff and flat against her face.

  “Yea.” Sasha stated.