18 May Week 2 - Stepping into the past

My heart skipped a beat. Nobody else was wearing lace-up sneakers! In fact, nobody was dressed like me at all! I swallowed hard and suddenly realised: I didn’t belong here! I noticed an old fashioned shop and as I walked slowly forward, I overheard some fancy-dressed women addressing me in hushed tones. “Look at that girl!” “I know, right!” “She looks SOOO weird!!” I didn’t think I looked weird. I thought I looked totally coco-bananas!! “Hello!” came a voice from behind me. I jerked around, expecting to see a fully grown man wanting to say how weird I looked. But I didn’t… Instead, I saw a boy about my age dressed in a tweed jacket and bow tie. “You look strange!” he said in a high-pitched, squeaky voice. “I get that a lot,” I said, trying to hide the annoyance in my voice. I wondered if I should ask the boy where (and when) I was, exactly. But how? I couldn’t just say, “Hi! I’m Isla Icklebogg and I just walked through an ancient grandfather clock and arrived here! I suspect it could have been time- travel! If so, where & when am I?” NO WAY! NEVER! NOT IN AMONTH OF SUNDAYS!! Suddenly, it hit me! “Umm… I’m sorry. I don’t know your name,” I said. “Colin,” he replied. “Colin Carter.” “I’m Isla. What’s the date today, please? I’ve travelled a LOONG way and I’ve… lost track of the time! Where and when am I?” Colin chuckled a genuine, high chuckle. “Fair enough. The trams out here are mighty unreliable! Today is Wednesday, the 15th June, 1929. And the answer to your ‘where’ question is George St, Sydney, NSW, Australia.” 1929! WOWZA! Now I knew I had time-travelled! Hold on! The 15th June, 1929! That was my deceased grandfather’s birthday! Maybe, just maybe, I could write a letter to my great-grandmother saying to take good care of her new baby!

“Oi get out the way you street rat” a soldier yelled at her. She did not bugge. Her brow raised. “Or I will use the hard way” he raised his sword threateningly. A boy with golden locks ran between Asterix and the procession. “She was only passing-” the boy broke off. “Not you Julius I am telling your dad, unless you move her” the soldier threatened. Julius dragged her off to a fountain. “Oh sorry for the interruption of the movie” she apologized. “What's a movie and are you out of your mind?” he asked. “I know you are pretending, it is the 21st century” she said. “You are in Rome” he sighed. What she thought I am halfway around the world ? She realized she was no longer in 2022 but in ancient Rome. Julius looked at her with strikingly blue eyes. He had noticed her family heirloom. “Did you steal my fathers treasure? '' he said, shocked.

‘Where am I?’ Casper muttered, as he looked through the forest, ‘is this virtual reality?’ he jumped out of the time bin, and walked through the forest… and came face to face with a bear. Casper cried out, stumbling back in shock. He felt it’s breath on his cheeks, and knew this wasn’t virtual reality. This. Was. Real. The bear was huge! It was a dark brown colour, and had shaggy brown fur. As he looked up at the bear, he noticed a boy and a girl were sitting on the bear. The boy was tall, with green eyes, and a blonde fringe. He was also wearing a page’s uniform. his sister was similar, but was wearing a dress instead of a page’s uniform. ‘What are you doing in lord Ambergur’s forest?’ he said, in a loud British accent, ‘you’ll be executed for trespass.’ ‘Lord hamburger?’ Casper asked, amused. ‘No!’ said the boisterous boy, ‘he’s name is pronounced like this. Am, Bur, Gur. You get that?’ ‘But that sounds a lot like hamburger to me,’ Casper said. ‘It does,’ the boy agreed, ‘but what is this hamburger thingy? Is it some kind of exotic creature? ‘It’s,’ Casper said, before realizing that he couldn’t explain it to him without telling him that he was from the future. He decided to tell him. ‘The hamburger isn’t a creature, it’s a food, and I’m from the future,’ he said. The boy stared at him for a second, then started to speak. ‘Whether you’re from the future or somewhere else, I want to be your friend. I’m Brandon, and my sister here,’ he pointed at the girl, who smiled shyly, ‘is Narcisa.’ Casper smiled awkwardly. ‘My names Casper,’ he said. Then, he realized they were looking at him expectantly. ‘What?’ Casper asked. ‘Well, what are you waiting for,’ Brandon said impatiently, ‘get on Zadie!’ Casper looked around for a second, before realizing that Zadie was the bear. He clambered on with some difficulty, and flopped down between Narcisa and Brandon. Then, they set off. It was comfortable, riding on a bear. The movement was very rocking, and Casper was about to go to sleep, when a question popped in his head. ‘Why are you riding a bear, not a horse?’ he asked, ‘I thought bears were extinct here.’ ‘They are,’ Narcisa agreed, patting Zadie’s back, ‘but she’s a pet.’ ‘Like a dancing bear?’ Casper asked, looking around at the trees. ‘NO!!!!’ both Narcisa and Brandon yelled at the same time, startling Casper so much that he nearly fell off Zadie, ‘our mum stopped dad from killing baby Zadie, and tamed her as a cub.’ ‘Oh,’ said Casper, wondering whether there was a whole sleuth of bears in the forest that Wikipedia didn’t know about.

Anne stared around in the early daylight. There was a cave next to her. Reluctantly she stepped inside to find a young woman a few years older then her. She was wearing what seemed to be fur. Now Anne understood the real purpose of Dr Dings portal. To get her out of the way for his master plan.

Peter woke with a jolt. He was in a white room, like a laboratory. Everything looked extremely blurry. Eventually, his eyesight focused and the room he was in was indeed a laboratory, but with giant windows on each side, looking slightly blacked out. But Peter was paying zero attention to the windows. His attention was focused on the strange, fish-human creatures that were leaning over him. Peter screamed the loudest scream he had ever done. He started desperately kicking and thrashing. Then he heard slightly disoriented voices in his head, a human voice riddled with gurgles. But they didn’t sound like actual noises. They sounded more internal, like actual thoughts. *Why are you screaming? Why are you screaming? We aren’t going to hurt you. Calm down.* The creatures were talking to him, without moving their mouths or any sort of facial movement. Their faces weren’t busy talking. They were frowning. But not an angry sort of frown. A concerned one. *You’re safe. Don’t worry.* Peter sat up, still hyperventilating. He opened his mouth to talk, then shut it. Then opened and shut it. He tried to speak, but the words came out mangled. “Wha… Nun… Nuhuh?” He babbled. *Num nums?* Asked one of the creatures. *Are you hungry?* The other creatures behind it sniggered. “Are… Who are you? What am I doing here?” Stammered Peter, finding his voice at last. *My name is Finn.* The alien answered. *You are here, well, becuase we saw you pop up out of nowhere, and then started screaming and thrashing about. We swam over to you, and when we reached you, you were just floating on your back, eyes closed, unresponsive. We thought you were dead.* There was silence for a moment. *Yeah! We thought you’d carked it!* Joked one of the aliens behind “Finn”. *Shut up!* Hissed Finn. “Wh-what are you?” Asked Peter. *Well, we were just about to ask you that.* Replied Finn flatly. “Are you an alien?* Asked Peter and Finn simultaneously. *No.” They both responded. “Okay, okay.” Said Peter breathlessly. “What species do you belong to?” *Aqua Rambiotistrique.* Replied Finn. Peter looked frightened. Finn sighed. *The water people.* Peter nodded uneasily. “I am a Homo Sapiens.” Finn stared at Peter blankly. Peter sighed. “Humans.” *OK. You ah… want me to show you around?* Peter nodded. It was the only thing he felt sure about. Finn walked Peter around the amazing lab. It was extremely high-tech, and the doors just opened as soon as you got close to them. Finn also gave a quick summary of the anatomy of “The Water People”. Their skin is a shiny, sky blue colour and it dries out in an hour, so they have to keep it wet. They have long tails that ended in a fork with a large, fin-like red fluke that was extremely strong, and was the main motor for swimming. Peter went white. Swimming? *Are you ok?* Asked Finn. “Yeah. I’m… fine.” Finn then proceeded to explain The Water People’s remarkable telepathic abilities. They could transmit their thoughts to another member of their species within any distance as long as they could see eachother. But with members of a different species, they could only transmit thoughts within a 10-meter radius. *But some of us, with enough training, become exceptional, and transmit thoughts to any species within a 30 meter radius.* Finn seemed to glow with pomposity. *Like me.* Peter rolled his eyes. Suddenly, a question popped into his head. “Finn…?” *Yes?* “Well, you know how you said you have to keep your skin wet? Well, why not build this place near water then?” Finn smiled. *But boy, we are.* He pressed a button on the wall, and suddenly, the walls retracted down. Behind it was a thick sheet of glass. And behind that sheet of glass was one of the most amazing, beautiful… and frightening, sights Peter had ever seen. The building seemed to be completely submerged in water, and outside was the most amazing marine life you could possibly imagine. Creatures with extremely long and bendy necks, leading down to a body with four flippers, like a school of Loch Ness monsters. There were these fish with beaks like a parrot, and glowing stripes down their body. “Woah…” Whispered Peter, his eyes wide. Suddenly, he started shaking uncontrollably. He broke out in a cold sweat. He turned and bolted down the hallway as fast as he could, barging past other water creatures like Finn, setting bemused looks on their faces. He couldn’t get away from the sight of all that water… every time he looked, he felt more and more scared, fuelling his urge to run further. Eventually, the windows ended and he came to a door. He crashed through the door into a smart, futuristic office and dived under a desk. He collided with some boots, and he heard somebody make a very surprised noise and then slumped in their chair. Peter waited for his heart to stop pumping in his mouth and slip back down his throat, and then got up to apologise. “I-i’m sorry I crashed into you. You see-“ Peter realised that the other water creature was unconscious. “Oh no.” He breathed. Peter began to hear Finn’s voice slip back into his mind. *Peter? Peter! Why’d you run away? What’s wrong?* “Finn? Finn! Come quick! I think I hurt someone!” Finn burst into the room. “What? Where? Who’s dead?” The water creature in the chair lifted his head and opened his eyes. He seemed stockier and older than Finn. As soon as he saw Peter he frowned. He clicked his fingers at him. *Finn? Who is this? He doesn’t look like anybody i’ve seen before.* His voice was a deep bass. *Erm, sorry sir. Apparently he’s a… uh… Pogo… Japiens?* Peter rolled his eyes. “Homo. Sapiens.” The other guy frowned again. *Are you an alien? Where did you come from?* He asked. I told him the whole story. About aquaphobia, finding the library and then the book. When I finished he looked throughly shocked. “Are you… alright?” I asked. He got up and took me by the arm. *Follow me.* He said.

My grandpa always tells me these ridiculous stories about people fighting off monsters, going on adventures that no one can believe and most silly of all, the stories where he tells me people can travel back in time using simple technology. I never believed in folktales and stories people tell me about though my grandpa says the tales I have heard of all have big meaning. Today, my grandpa and grandma took me out to the local park so that we could get some fresh air. The fact that we barely go out unless there was a special occasion. We were strolling through the park when my grandma told me that I could get something from the shop across the street. I grinned and dashed towards the store and something was especially salient. It was shimmering and was gold like my mum's eyes. I never got to see my mum. Just the photographs with very faint colour in them. I only got to visit my mum's house once a year. When I visited them, I only got to see my dad. A person that treats me as if I'm an object. Can I see my mum at least just once? I mean, if my mum and dad are in a poor relationship, sure just send me pictures of my mum through the mail! It's just that I didn't get to see my mum for more than half my life! I finally got the bright round object as I slowly put my buttery hands onto the slippery object. It felt like water. It was delicate. It felt like my bath. It was nearly everything. I gazed up seeing this lady with a pair of round orange glasses. She pulled me up from the rough stone floor asking me if I was cold. She wore a thick woolly jacket and had a grey beanie on her head. “You wear such funny clothes!” She joked “My grandma got this for me for my birthday,” I replied calmly “Your style of clothes surely don’t fit me!” She laughed “But my grandma said my clothes are the most modern clothing!” I said with pride “ Ok then, where are your parents young one?” The lady asked me “ My mum sort of abandoned me and my dad is very harsh and doesn’t love me,” I replied with sorrow She paused for a second and gave me and confused look. What is your name? “July Rachelson” (lie) I told her with glee. “Oh ok then are you willing to live with me?” She asked me kindly “Sure,” I said softly I sauntered through the street with many people staring at me with a confused and disgusted looks. I looked back at them with the same expression. I got stopped by a policeman with a long moustache and mean eyes. I backed off as he asked me what my name was and what the heck I was wearing. I replied with the same stupid things though, for the clothing, I said it was the new designer clothes only for women. “That is against the violation code 1213!” He grunted Everyone that was in the streets gasped as he fined me a whopping 2000 pounds! How was I going to pay that much money to him when I don't even have that money! I mean my grandma did give me ten bucks though it won't pay that fine off! He said I have to get my parents right on the spot to pay the fine. "I don't have parents!" I answered. "Well, how did you get your little designer's clothing?" He exclaimed "I found it near the river over to our right," I replied with a smart look. "Where are your parents anyway?" He asked "Oh, they burnt in a fire," I said in grief Something was wrong. I just realised! They don't have any violation codes for clothing anymore! They were also wearing different clothing! I think I've travelled into the past. I can't believe I just realised. The lady I saw earlier with the round orange glasses ran towards me and asked me what was happening. Her gold eyes lit up. She saw the policeman and she had a disappointed look. She shook her head slowly and walked away as if it was none of her business. "Hey policeman, look over there!" I shouted trying to grab his attention I sprinted to the lady's shop holding onto the orb. I woke up again holding onto something that was shining. It was a necklace. I think it was from the lady! I thought of returning it to her but why would she care? My grandpa and grandma staggered toward me seeing the necklace. "That necklace is your mum." The uttered...

In front of the tall, gold gate, dozens of guards were guarding it as she approached. Once again she introduced herself and she was let in. The elevated pillars loomed before her eyes. The clean marble floor sparkled as her new Nike sneakers squeaked on their surface. She looked up and there she was, her great great grandmother, the queen. Her throne is facing the other direction as she powders herself, not noticing that Lizzie was right behind her staring at her in shock. Lizzie cleared her throat and she turned around. “Who are you?”the queen asked curiously “L-l-lizzie” stammered Lizzie “Never heard of you, OFF WITH HER HEAD!!” screamed the queen The guards came rushing down with weapons and threw her out of the room. She lay there in doubt that she won’t be able to save her family’s most treasured possession.

BONG, BONG. The echoing of the grandfather’s clock forced Lydia out of sleep and she groaned with annoyance. She’d been dreaming - and it had been a good dream, too. She had been exploring an ancient castle, searching for a golden key. Just as she’d been about to open the chest with the key inside, the clock had rudely barged its way into her head. She rubbed her head and counted the bongs. 4, 6, 7! She’d slept in on the history fair day! Lydia leapt to her feet, slipped on her lucky bracelet and sprinted down the stairs two at a time, red hair flying after her. “Hey Mum! Hey Rob! Gotta run!” She grabbed her prepared lunch box, snatched an apple, stepped into her shoes and raced out the door in a whirlwind of excitement. Her eyes gleamed. Today she would be going to the National Museum of Australian History - which might seem boring to anyone else but to Lydia it was heaven. She’s been looking forward to it for weeks! Lydia loved history - it was her favourite subject and she knew everything about it. Which was why it was so important she made it there on time. She crunched on the apple whilst running, a stitch blooming painfully in her side. April clutched at her stomach as she sprinted. How much time did she have before the school bus went and she was left behind? As she neared the school grounds a shadow fell over and she looked up, face falling. The bus passed her, her best friend Nancy inside pulling a sad face and doing two thumbs down. She’d missed it. If only she’d been roused a little later, if she’d ran a little quicker, she could have… Tears of frustration pricked her eyes and she kicked a brick wall. Of all the days to wake up late, she had to choose today. Sometimes she just wished she could turn back time. That afternoon she trudged up the steps to her room, head hanging low. She’d had a bland day at school doing extra maths, science and english in textbooks all day. Even worse, she was the one of the only children who hadn’t gone. Today was a disaster. Even worse, April had had to finish up her schoolwork at the end of the day as all the other kids came in buzzing about their fantastic day. She slumped on her bed and gazed up at her grandfather's clock. She hadn’t wanted it in her room, but it was in her grandfather’s will that she have it, so here it was. He’d died two years ago and her eyes blurred every time she thought about him. She shook her head. It was best not to think about it. Her eyes flicked around the clock's exterior, paying full attention to every detail, her heart thudding. The hands ticked past slowly. Around in a circle. No start, no end. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. She stepped towards the clock without thinking, eyes trained on the hands. Bong. Tick. Tock. Bong. Tick. Bong. Tock. Bong. Four o’clock. As if in a trance, her hand stretched for the knob that opened the grandfather’s clock, grasped the handle and swung it open. Her foot lifted… and stepped inside. The door clicked shut. Suddenly, she realised what she was doing. April was inside the clock! Her hand strained against the door, trying to push it open. No, no, no! Her Mum had always told to be careful with it as it only opened from the outside. She opened her mouth to call for help but stopped short. Her elder brother Rob was at after-school football and Mum was shopping. They both wouldn’t be back for hours. Her heart thudded. Bong. Bong. Hang on, that doesn’t make any sense. She thought, craning her head around. It had just turned 4 o’clock and wouldn’t hit another hour for ages. Tick, Tock, Bong. BONG. BONG. BONG. TICK. TOCK. TICK. TOCK. BONG. The clock echoed in time with her heart beats, then faster and faster. And louder. BONG. TICK. TOCK. BONG. TICK. TOCK. BONG. It was deafening. Her eardrums screamed. Louder and faster it got. Colours streamed before her eyes but she couldn’t focus, so in pain were her ears. The pendulum swung once more. BONG. All went black. April rubbed her eyes and blinked, then reeled back in schock. Staring at her with large eyes - one green, one blue - was a boy with frosty white hair curled back along his forehead, dressed in blue and white tartan. He looked mildly familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. “What are you doing here?” He whispered in a thick courtney accent, his breath fogging up the glass of the grandfather clock. April struggled to respond. Her eyes roved absent-mindedly over the building, popping in shock. She was in a clockworker’s shop, filled with lovely clocks of all shapes and sizes - from intricately carved wooden cuckoo clocks to fashionable golden pocket watches. “Well, what are you doing here?” She retorted, then wished she could swallow her words right then and there when she realised what a terrible response it was. “What am I doing?” He ogled at her. “I work here. And you? What are you doing here in a grandfather clock?” She sighed, realising there was no easy way to answer that question. “Um, I… just let me out of here, would you?” He shrugged and gave the door a good tug, causing her to fall out and crash onto the floor face-first. “Are you all right?” April got up and dusted herself off, irritated. “I’m fine.” She replied curtly and strode towards the door. She stepped outside and her jaw. DROPPED. Outside was every history buff’s dream come true. The streets were simple and unkempt, with rows of Baroque style buildings. Horses and carriages clip clopped past, the manes and tails swishing by. Men strutted past in linen collars, large bulging pants and puffy sleeves of rich fabrics. Meanwhile the women dressed in puffy dresses with multiple petticoats and extravagant hats and hairstyles. For a moment her breath was taken away. What had happened? Where was she? April swallowed. Ok. Maybe she had fallen asleep and Mum had driven to her a fun history fair to make her feel better about missing out on the excursion. Yeah. That would make sense. She smiled brightly. That made sense. She went to step forward and greeted a man in frilly shorts. “Hi! Have you seen my Mum? She’s about -” The man’s face soured. “Beat it, girlie.” “No, but I -” He hit her sharply across the face and leaned in closer, leering, revealing brown teeth. Spittle flew at her. “I said, BEAT IT!” April reared back, stung, her hand on her cheek. She didn’t have to look in the mirror to know there was a red mark. She’d never felt pain like that before. April glanced around the street indignantly. Surely someone had seen that act of violence and would report it? But no one looked up. No one cared. Her eyes flashed around, seeing the things she hadn’t seen before. The river - dirty and polluted. The women - staggering around in tight corsets. The street urchins - dressed in little but grimy rags. This was no act. This was real. April stumbled backwards, gasping, and for the first time ever, fainted. In a very unladylike way. Not that she cared.

There she was, standing in the middle of the Colosseum. The gladiators fought around her. Just then, the man ripped apart the flesh from the tiger he was fighting and the audience showered applause. The man laughed and kept walking through the victors tunnel. Esme followed on her ‘tippy-toes’. There stood a burgundy and gold painted door. The man opened the doors. The room smelled like freshly baked cookies and there it was. Her leg was hurting so she sat on the sofa. She took in the extravagant lifestyle with luxurious furnishing, surrounded by the servants and slaves who were catering to each one of the victors desire. “I WANT A PARTY!” screamed the young man - approximately in his mid thirties, glowering at an old woman who was like his mum. They both had the same heart shaped face and green eyes. She wore a simple gown with a bonnet and a scarf to avoid the cold. She had a ragged cotton sweater covering her pale skin. The man held a small money bag in his extended fore-arm. From this situation, Esme derived that the family had taken part in the gladiator event because they were poor. “But son, we are not rich. We cannot afford to serve our guests with the exotic dishes of the day! We are poor and can only dream of such a life.” said the woman. Esme took out her pocket book and wrote down that there were not many rich people in Rome and that there was a majority of poor people. Esme's eyes flickered. A thought rushed into her mind and a chill shivered up her spine. How was she going to get back to town? Esme scanned her eyes across the cramped but luxurious sitting room. On the desk stood a similar book she had at home. She rushed to the book and took out the similar blue pen. She found a note lying beside it. It read “To get back home, you must find an object which has a hea and a tail but no body”. Esme walked around the room. Could it be a pen? A book? A lamp? She looked at the man. Why did he have his forearm stretched out? It hit her. CURRENCY! Esme took the money bag. The man didn’t seem to notice and carried his conversation. She tipped the money on the table and took out the coin which was slightly blackened. Nothing happened. She took another one, but again nothing happened. She tried and tried and finally, ZAP! She had vanished into thin air. A swirl of dust leaving her mark. There she lay on her bed. She looked up, rubbed her eyes and darted to her desk, finding her history book lying on the table. “Time to start writing!” she exclaimed.

Looming high above them was the castle. Tall, imposing, a fortress of unforgiving grey stone, of hard truths and dark secrets. The sounds of clattering and toil mixed with the whispering of the breeze as it tickled Jamie's arms. Suddenly, the smell hit him, a mix of pungent filth and excrement mingling with something sharper and greener. That was odd. In all his daydreams, he had never encountered this sort of olfactory- "Are you seeing this?" Lottie whispered. Now, that was unusual. He and his twin shared their hopes and dreams, but... not in a literal sense. "Jamie!" She added sharply, "this is not a dream. I think... I think it might be real. I'm pretty sure we just..." They finished the sentence together. "Time travelled."

“Have you finished packing, Marie?” my Mama called. “Almost.” I replied. I was going to stay at my Grandma’s house for the weekend while my Papa and two brothers went on a guys-only camping trip. I hated camping. I threw my books into my backpack. Why, why was my school assignment due on Monday? I really wanted to see my Grandma but I would probably spend a lot of time studying. “Okay, I’m ready!” I shouted, walking out of my room and into the front garden. “Goodbye, sweetheart,” my Mama whispered, embracing me firmly. “Bye, Mama!” I smiled. “Bonjour, ma Cherie!” smiled my Grandma as I entered the living room. "Bonjour, Grandma!” I replied. “I’ve got a pot of onion soup on the stove,” she said. The tantalising smell wafted into my nostrils. “Yum! Merci, Grandma!” I grinned. Grandma smiled and sat down on an old, comfy sofa. “How is school?” she asked politely. I sat down next to her on the sofa as I thought back through the week. This one kid had bullied me, I had to do a tiring history project, and there was a lot of annoying gossip going around. At the same time, I was having fun writing poetry with my friends in English class. “It’s okay,” I shrugged. “I have to make a presentation on Versailles.” I watched my Grandma’s face light up. “Oh, how nice! I visited Versailles when I was your age,” she told me happily. “What was it like?” I asked. “It was simply wonderful, Marie. Intricate decorations, polished floors, and lots of long hallways. You would love it.” I beamed. That did sound nice. “If I’m not mistaken, the soup is ready now,” Grandma announced. She walked into the kitchen and served the soup into two pretty porcelain bowls. After laying them gently on the table, she pulled out some homemade bread for us to dip in it. I sat down at the old wooden table. “Bon appetite!” Grandma grinned. I slipped on the nightgown that Grandma had made me. It was made of airy white muslin, and had lots of frills and flounces. A bit embarrassing, maybe, but it was sweet that she had thought of me. I ran a brush through my strawberry-blonde curls and got into bed. As much as I would have liked to burrow under the sheets and drift off into the land of dreams, I had studying to do. I opened up one of the books I’d gotten out of the library about the palace of Versailles. I yawned as I read about the grand Hall of Mirrors, the king’s bedchambers, and the palace gardens. There were a few pictures of the gardens that showed the ornate fountains and neatly trimmed hedges. My brothers would love running up and down the rows of trees and getting muddy. I yawned again, and felt my eyes get heavy. I still had Saturday and Sunday to read up on this. I let my eyes close and before I knew it I was fast asleep. I opened my left eye tiredly. I could just make out…a tree? Both of my eyes shot open. I did not appear to be in bed anymore. “I’m in a garden,” I said in a voice that was barely a whisper. All around me were rows and rows of trees. This was not Grandma’s garden; hers had beds of roses and daises and violets and only one tree. And it wasn’t my garden at home either. This wasn’t any garden that I’d ever seen before. Where was I? I wondered around, still in my nightgown. Were there any other people here that could help me? I kept walking, the gravel scraping my bare feet. Eventually I came to a stone fountain, in front of a ginormous building, where there were people. Lots of people. They were all wearing weird, old-fashioned looking clothes and milling around gossiping. This was unlike any place I’d ever known. It smelled horrendous too. A woman in a green cotton dress strolled over to me, and said something in French. “Excusez-moi?” I asked. I was lucky that I’d learnt French from Grandma, or else I’d be lost. “Are you here to see Marie?” she repeated. How did she know my name? What was she even on about? “T-to see Marie? I am Marie.” I stammered. “Oh,” she gasped. “I’m terribly sorry, Madame. Tell me, where is your carriage?” Carriage? What carriage? “It…left?” I mumbled. “Come right this way. You can’t be seen in such clothes,” she said, tugging on my nightgown. I tried to remember what I had been doing before I came to this odd garden. Hmm…I had fallen asleep. So this had to be…a dream! Yes, of course, a dream. All I had to do now was follow Green Dress Lady and wait to wake up. At least, that’s what I told myself. I was led into the ginormous building. There were more weirdly dressed people inside, all whispering and pointing. I gazed around. This had to be the fanciest place I’d ever been, with its intricate decorations, polished floors, and long hallway- wait. There was something familiar about this. My eyes widened as I realised where I was: Versailles.

As I wandered around an unfamiliar dusty old road a filthy fragrance tickled my nostrils and I sneezed a few times. A weird old machine rattled past and I quickly bounded across the road. A couple of women dressed in long, straight dresses glanced at me with a strange and curious look in their eyes. Distant jazz music reached my eardrums. It sounded jazzy and fun. The song sounded familiar, like something off my granddad’s old jazz records. Hmm… The Town Hall clock nearby chimed 12 and I jumped nearly a metre in the dusty air! I landed with a soft thud and a crunch on the gravel below and looked down at my sneakers. My heart skipped a beat. Nobody else was wearing lace-up sneakers! In fact, nobody was dressed like me at all! I swallowed hard and suddenly realised: I didn’t belong here!

Trigger Warning: Mentions of cancer and eventual main character death. I blinked a few times as I readjusted myself, slightly off-balance. I took a moment to take in my surroundings. Huge fronds – taller than me – greeted me. Their leaves swayed slightly in the wind, almost as if waving to me. I stared at them for a second, before my attention was diverted by a loud shrieking noise. I silently edged closer to Uncle Percy, turning a questioning gaze on him. “That was it?” I asked incredulously. “We just time-traveled?”. He nodded, his lips quirking upwards. “You are now officially a time-traveler.” He said proudly. I smiled broadly before shrinking back slightly as I heard another shriek. “What… what’s that?” I asked, grabbing onto his arm. “Nothing to be alarmed about, just the local wildlife.” He said brightly. My eyes widened in concern. “Where are we? Or perhaps the better question- when are we?” I asked, my brows furrowing. Uncle Percy merely grabbed a hold of my hand, guiding me through thick foliage. After trekking through what felt like miles of jungle, the scenery abruptly opened up, leaving the two of us on a tall cliff overlooking a valley. “Welcome to Mammoth Valley.” Uncle Percy said, his arm sweeping out theatrically. I stopped, all breath leaving me in a sudden exhale as I stared, spellbound, at the sight in front of me. Hundreds of woolly mammoths moved slowly across the base of the valley, their shaggy coats a vivid contrast to the reddish clay ground. “Is that… are those woolly mammoths?” I breathed, my eyes misting over. Uncle Percy smiled as he nodded. “Every year, hundreds of woolly mammoths migrate through this valley on their journey north.” Uncle Percy tapped me on the shoulder. “I’ll just pop back to get us our picnic, alright?” he said. “I’ll be right back.” I nodded absently, still spellbound by the scenery. I turned just in time to see a ball of light engulf him. With a bang, he disappeared. I blinked a few times, still unused to the strange phenomenon, before watching as another ball of light appeared, stretching outwards to reveal the figure of Uncle Percy, picnic basket and blanket in hand. After a light lunch, I lay on the blanket, reveling in the wind’s gentle caress. As I rolled to the side to watch the woolly mammoths way down in the valley below, the truth of my reality hit me, escaping from its cage and wrapping its tendrils around me, slowly suffocating me. I closed my eyes, a deep, unfathomable sadness filling me. This was happening, I couldn’t deny it any longer. A tear escaped, unbidden, and carved its own path down the side of my face. Uncle Percy smiled sadly at me from where he was sitting next to me. “How’re you feeling?” he asked softly. I sat up, a sudden and abrupt anger bursting forth. “Why me?” I demanded harshly, jaw clenching. “Why did this happen to me? It’s not fair.”

Asterix grasped the jeweled book and ran. The voices got nearer and nearer. She ran out of the library and slammed the door shut. She ran along the hallway to her room where she reached for her phone and put next-to her book. She opened it and held up her phone to take a selfie. Then, She opened the book. Her heart skipped a few paces. She was flying through space and time. She fell. She was hopeless. She opened her eyes. She was standing in the middle of a market in ancient Rome. Shoppers barged past each other. Women wrinkled their noses at her. She looked at her phone. Strange there is still wifi, she thought. Suddenly everything stopped. Horns could be heard. A procession was heading towards a building. Soldiers marched with pride. Prisoners hid their faces and people jeered at them. Asteriex was standing in the way of the procession and her jaw dropped.

SPLASH! Vincent found himself treading on the river, helplessly, as a group of men watched him from the bridge. People! he thought. He treaded towards them, having no idea what was happening. "Where am I?" he muttered to himself. After he managed to swim to the shore, he stared at the men in utter confusion. They looked like they were Chinese, but if they were, they did not look like the people back in 2022. They wore straw hats and thin shirts. Vincent was about to ask them where he was, when. “SHOO, SHOO! GET OUT OF ‘ERE, YER IDJITS!” shouted a man The band of men walked away from the man. He was holding a pan and looked more like a farmer. “Well, that was rude. Never mind. Er, where am I?” asked Vincent. “Oh, we’re in Nundle, Australia,” he said. “Looking for any gold?” “Gold?” “Yeah, haven’t yer heard? It’s the gold rush, year’s 1854,” Oh, boy, Vincent thought. Now I find myself in the gold rush…

Author's note In this story, Mei does time travel to the past - instead she starts in the past and time travels to the future - present day. Long black hair streaming behind her, Mei sprinted barefoot across the rough terrain. The hare was in reaching distance, its powerful hind legs kicking against the dirt, spraying soil on her ankles. She persevered, swinging over a log and catapulting forwards round, turning the corner so the hare was cornered and throwing a net on top. She’d caught it. The hare gazed back at her, nose twitching, eyes blinking solemnly. Mei couldn’t capture it. It was alive, just like her. Staring into its muddy eyes a final time, she lifted the net, releasing the hare which bounded away into the undergrowth. She watched it go, hoping it would find a better life, far-away from these hunting grounds. A nearly imperceptible movement in the leaves in the corner of eye was out of place amongst the common rustling. She turned with practiced ease, guilt warming her face. Her ears reddened. “Sensei, I-“ A woman with sleek black hair curled into a bun and red robes swung down out of the tree. Herface was stern, the lines of her face sharp. “You had the chance to capture the rabbit.” She spoke in a clipped voice. “Why did you not?” Mei looked down, hanging her head. “I’m sorry, Sensei. But it was alive too. How could I capture it knowing it would be killed?” Sensei Zhen softened. “I appreciate your kindness towards animals - yet that only gets you so far. We need to eat - all animals do. That is the circle of life.” “I know. I’m sorry.” “Yes. But-“ Loud caws sounded, and a flock of noisy birds erupted out of a group of trees. They both looked up in alarm. “The monastery.” Mei and Zhen raced through the forest, darting the path they knew well. At last they reached a clearing. A resplendent monastery sat, spherical crimson domes and towering spires, with the walls marble and shining so polished you could see your reflection. Mei had spent all her childhood there. Mei skidded to a stop. In a moment, it exploded. Her ears rang, her eyes burned. She was knocked back against a tree. Wiping her eyes, she squinted at the monastery. It was ruined. Her friends, senseis, all inside - there was no hope for them. Ninjas - Wéixiân ninjas from the enemy clan in black suits swung in from the trees. Mei reared back in terror, heart thudding. She looked to Zhen for guidance, knowing the Sensei never lost her calm demeanor. But to her horror, Zhen’s blue eyes sparkled with tears, and her mouth was set in a thin line. “Go. Keep running. Don’t stop. Get away from here. Keep going till you reach the sacred tree, then turn straight right, understand? You can come back when it’s safe. I know you can do this.” “You said I wasn’t ready for the sacred tree! Not for years!” Zhen shook her head. “There’s no time to explain. Now go!” Mei turned to sprint, then turned around. “Why aren’t you moving?” “I have to fend them off!” “You’ll get hurt! I can’t leave you.” “I’ll be fine. I can look after myself, Mei.” Sensei Zhen glanced behind as ninjas advanced, swords outstretched. “Now go!” “I’m not leaving you.” Mei sobbed. “I’ll be right behind you, Mei. Go, now!” Tears streaming down her cheeks, Mei ran. She ran as fast as the wind at her ankles, black hair streaming behind her in waves. Boom! Another explosion rocked the woods, sending Mei to the ground. She looked up, winded, slowly turning around. Fires danced in her eyes as her last hope of reaching Sensei was lost. The thicket of trees where she’d been running through just seconds earlier erupted into the flames, blocking the path. “No!” Mei cried. Tears shook her body and she collapsed. She didn’t notice the roots upon which she lay, entwining together at the base of the sacred tree. She didn’t care how long she lay there, exhausted, weeping. She didn’t think about anything other than the aching pain in her heart. Exhausted, she fell unconscious, the last thing she saw was a figure, dressed in red and yellow. Then all went black. Chapter 1 Mei woke up to bright lights. She shot up, delirious. Another explosion? No, this was different. This came from small rectangles in the ceiling. Strange. Mei rubbed her head, trying to recall what had happened. Zhen.. She choked back a sob. She missed her so much. Sensei Zhen had been her teacher all her life. Wiping tears from her eyes, Mei sat up, suddenly alert to the constant beeping to her right. She blinked in surprise. A flat black board had a green line somehow weaving itself across it. A woman walked in, with brown hair and dressed completely in white. “Hi,” Mei ran the language through her mind. She’d been taught multiple languages at a young age. “Hi..” She finally croaked. “That was a nasty fire, there. You’re lucky a fireman was there to save you or-“ “Fire… man?” Mei interrupted. “The fireman. He rescued you, remember?” Mei straightened, shaking her head in confusion. “I’m so tired…” The nurse nodded. “That’ll be the anaesthesia drip we put you on.” She waved to her arm. Mei glanced at her arm. A tube stuck out of it, connected to a bag. She squealed, ripping it out. “Woah, woah, woah. Easy, now, girlie. It’s to help you. It numbs the pain.” She walked slowly towards Mei, her face consoling. “Let me go.” Mei spoke through gritted teeth. She needed to get back to her Sensei. She needed her! “Sorry, but we need you to stay here until we can find your parents. What’s your name, dear?” Mei growled. She clutched her foot, feigning pain. The woman glanced down. “Are you okay?’ It was a split second, but it was enough. She lunged, aiming a kick for the woman’s shins and feeling a touch of regret as the woman recoiled, rubbing her injured leg. Still. She had to if she were to escape, didn’t she? This was no time for weakness. She shook her head and skidded out the door. The lights were bright and many people in white costumes walked past. People pointed and she made a run for it. “Get her!” She raced for the exit, wherever it was. Through white corridors she ran, until finally she broke into daylight. Her jaw dropped. Chapter 2 Mei stared at the environment. It was covered in tall prisms many metres high. Everything was strange - rectangular and smooth with perfect lines. Beneath her bare feet was no soft grass but hard white blocks that burned her toes beneath the sunlight. And the people. They were dressed in clothing of all colour and fabric - from fluffy to glittery to thick, like leather. This place was like nothing that she’d ever seen before. Suddenly she became very self conscious of her usual red ropes fringed with pale pink. Where was she?

Valentina Bleech landed with a thud as she fell face-first on to the hard, dusty and cracking ground. Val got up staggering and brushed off all the filth on her skirt. She scanned the surrounding scene. Tall, dark trees stood stubbornly facing her, Their rough bark highlighted the small pond nearby. It was unusual to see this in a desert. Up on a steep hill, Val could see thousands of men stacked on horses, galloping down the mile long hill. Val panicked. There wasn't much place to hide. The only hope was hiding within the branches of the trees. Val was too far away to be spotted yet, so she sprinted towards a large oak tree and scrambled up to the high tops. Luckily, there was a clear of branches just where her eyes where. 'Small, but clear,' Val thought. 'I wonder if they can see me' Val peeked through the clearing. She spotted the men stop all of a sudden. Val heard an inaudible shout and at that cue, all the men stepped off their horses and some lay on the ground, obviously very tired from the journey. The men stayed there for hours, not seeming to leave. They were all dressed in some sort of medieval armour. It looked like the costumes you'd see in the museum. Swords were at their sides. A small leaf in the tree dropped onto Val's lap. It had been scratched with a stick. '!^!$' Was it some sort of code? Then Val remembered the numbers on a laptop keyboard. "!" was very common. She then realised it read '1614'. The year of a war. Val NEEDED to get out. Val slowly climbed down the tree while the men were sleeping. There was nowhere to go but up the hill. Val sprinted up the hill. It was like cross-country races combined. When Val got to the top, she had a view of the most beautiful village you could imagine. Lovely shops stood still waiting for the morning. Val needed to find out where she was, why she was there and a place to stay the night.

"Crash!" went Eve as she landed on the old road. "Where the heck am I ?" she yelled. A man on a black horse stared at her rudely. Eve just shrugged. She saw ladies wearing long gowns when it is scorching hot and saw men wearing coats, long topped hats and shiny shoes. She smelt... " Hang on a minute!" she said. "IS THAT HORSE DUNG I SMELL!" she yelled. Everyone got annoyed by Eve.

As soon as she was in it she was out. She heard the sea before she felt it, the loud mixture of seabirds and waves crashing all mixed together in one sound. Then as soon as the chill of the nowhere dissolved into the beaming warmth of the sun, she was plunged straight back into it. The piercing pain of the ice-cold water parelised her, she was drowning. Unable to move Henrietta sank down slowly, she knew it was a dream, it had to be. One second she was cooking a crumbled jam tart, the next she was sinking to her death. She couldn’t panic, she couldn’t swim, she couldn’t breath. The pain was excruciating like ten knives poking into her at once, if the ocean didn’t kill her then whatever was on her foot would. Etta opened her mouth to scream, but a huge gulp of water swam in instead. She thrashed around the pain in her foot growing at every small movement she made. She now knew why her parents wouldn’t let her out of the house, there was danger everywhere. “Tis a big one! Tonight’s a feast Cap’ain” A muffled voice from above the sea shouted as Henrietta was pulled upwards. Water rushed past her as the warmth of the air wrapped her up like a blanket. “Er, Cap’ain, that ain’t no fish.” The pain in Etta’s foot disappeared as her head slammed straight into the wooden boards. There were screams and gasps all around her as she stood up, beneath her was a puddle of bright red liquid, Blood, she guessed, yet she had never seen it before. “What’s happenin’!” The loud voice was strong and most around her, backed away to make way for the man. When he was finally visible to Henrietta’s eyes, she gasped. He wore long baggy pants, and a long red leather coat. On his belt was a cutlass, Etta tried not to think of what terrible thing the blade could have done. The man looked her up and down, piercing blue eyes staring straight through her soul. His long dirty hair tied up in a ponytail coming loose. “What you doin’ on ‘The Dragoneer’?” The man spoke again, voice cold and menacing. Henrietta opened her mouth to respond then shut it, she didn’t know what she was doing on ‘The Dragoneer’, or why she was in the middle of the ocean. After six seconds with no response, the man raised his cutlass, “Chuck ‘er!” A roar of agreement sounded from the other members of the crew. Then the man who’d fished her out of her watery death, picked her up and held her over the side of the ship. With nothing to lose, Etta spoke, “There was a pan and a cookbook, that I think belonged to Arcelia Carlton, and-and I think it was a portal …” but before she could continue, the man who everyone called Captain ordered the fisher to lower her. “Take her down to the boy! Quickly, before she escapes!” Two of the crew members grabbed her by the arms, grubby hands squeezing her tightly. She didn’t bother crying for help, no one here had a kind enough heart. Below decks the smell of rotting fish made her feel faint. “In!” Before she could think she was tossed into a damp room. “Hallo.” Staring down at her was a boy, dark bronze coloured hair, slicked back against his face. Round green eyes smiled at her through cracked glasses. They looked so familiar, like she’d seen them before, “Father?” The boy stared at her in confusion, “I’m ten.” Henrietta sat up disappointed, the boy looked so much like her father. “My name's Thomas, Thomas Carlton.”

Chapter II Peter woke with a jolt. He was in a white room, like a laboratory. Everything looked extremely blurry. Eventually, his eyesight focused and the room he was in was indeed a laboratory, but with giant windows on each side, looking slightly blacked out. But Peter was paying zero attention to the windows. His attention was focused on the strange, fish-human creatures that were leaning over him. Peter screamed the loudest scream he had ever done. He started desperately kicking and thrashing. Then he heard slightly disoriented voices in his head, a human voice riddled with gurgles. But they didn’t sound like actual noises. They sounded more internal, like actual thoughts. *Why are you screaming? Why are you screaming? We aren’t going to hurt you. Calm down.* The creatures were talking to him, without moving their mouths or any sort of facial movement. Their faces weren’t busy talking. They were frowning. But not an angry sort of frown. A concerned one. *You’re safe. Don’t worry.* Peter sat up, still hyperventilating. He opened his mouth to talk, then shut it. Then opened and shut it. He tried to speak, but the words came out mangled. “Wha… Nun… Nuhuh?” He babbled. *Num nums?* Asked one of the creatures. *Are you hungry?* The other creatures behind it sniggered. “Are… Who are you? What am I doing here?” Stammered Peter, finding his voice at last. *My name is Finn.* The alien answered. *You are here, well, becuase we saw you pop up out of nowhere, and then started screaming and thrashing about. We swam over to you, and when we reached you, you were just floating on your back, eyes closed, unresponsive. We thought you were dead.* There was silence for a moment. *Yeah! We thought you’d carked it!* Joked one of the aliens behind “Finn”. *Shut up!* Hissed Finn. “Wh-what are you?” Asked Peter. *Well, we were just about to ask you that.* Replied Finn flatly. “Are you an alien?* Asked Peter and Finn simultaneously. *No.” They both responded. “Okay, okay.” Said Peter breathlessly. “What species do you belong to?” *Aqua Rambiotistrique.* Replied Finn. Peter looked frightened. Finn sighed. *The water people.* Peter nodded uneasily. “I am a Homo Sapiens.” Finn stared at Peter blankly. Peter sighed. “Humans.” *OK. You ah… want me to show you around?* Peter nodded. It was the only thing he felt sure about. Finn walked Peter around the amazing lab. It was extremely high-tech, and the doors just opened as soon as you got close to them. Finn also gave a quick summary of the anatomy of “The Water People”. Their skin is a shiny, sky blue colour and it dries out in an hour, so they have to keep it wet. They have long tails that ended in a fork with a large, fin-like red fluke that was extremely strong, and was the main motor for swimming. Peter went white. Swimming? *Are you ok?* Asked Finn. “Yeah. I’m… fine.” Finn then proceeded to explain The Water People’s remarkable telepathic abilities. They could transmit their thoughts to another member of their species within any distance as long as they could see eachother. But with members of a different species, they could only transmit thoughts within a 10-meter radius. *But some of us, with enough training, become exceptional, and transmit thoughts to any species within a 30 meter radius.* Finn seemed to glow with pomposity. *Like me.* Peter rolled his eyes. Suddenly, a question popped into his head. “Finn…?” *Yes?* “Well, you know how you said you have to keep your skin wet? Well, why not build this place near water then?” Finn smiled. *But boy, we are.* He pressed a button on the wall, and suddenly, the walls retracted down. Behind it was a thick sheet of glass. And behind that sheet of glass was one of the most amazing, beautiful… and frightening, sights Peter had ever seen. The building seemed to be completely submerged in water, and outside was the most amazing marine life you could possibly imagine. Creatures with extremely long and bendy necks, leading down to a body with four flippers, like a school of Loch Ness monsters. There were these fish with beaks like a parrot, and glowing stripes down their body. “Woah…” Whispered Peter, his eyes wide. Suddenly, he started shaking uncontrollably. He broke out in a cold sweat. He shrieked and turned and bolted down the hallway as fast as he could.