Chapter Four
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“Well,” Brad says, “it looks like you two have more than one thing in common.”
I stare at my younger self. This is so weird. Can anyone imagine seeing themself like this? There is so much that could change the course of my life meeting with the younger me. I could tell her all of the things to look out for and avoid, she could keep away from all of my past harmful experiences. But, then again, wouldn’t that change my fate meeting Brad? I could prevent the pain I endured from that terrible shot he gave me, but wasn’t it worth this amazing feeling that enters my whole body and mind when he is near?
Just looking at him gives me a feeling of floating on air. And when he just touches my hand the experience is more memorable than Christmas, birthdays, and the sight of the most beautiful beaches in the world. This amazing feeling…what ever this feeling is he gives me, his acceptance of me…it’s a feeling I’ll never forget.
“Hello. My name is Mrs. Eileen Trinity. You must be the adorable little girl I saw playing in the next door neighbor’s yard yesterday.”
“Yes. That was me. My name is Eileen Ea…I mean Presario.”
“It is very nice to meet you Miss Presario. You may call me Lily if you like. This is my husband Bradley…”
He looks at the younger me with a friendly smile, “You can call me Brad. Bradley is just too formal.”
“Hi Brad,” she says putting her hand out in front of her. “You can call me what ever you want to.”
Everyone in the kitchen laughs at that comment except me and the younger me. Well, I guess a six-year-old doesn’t really have to worry about guy trouble and I don’t get embraced very easily.
“After breakfast, could we have a tea party? Those are so much fun.” The little Eileen asks.
“Would that be alright with you and Brad?” Elaina looks to me.
I say, “Of course. The more time we get to know each other the better.”
“Marvelous,” the younger me says. “Can we dress up?”
I know she’s up to something but the question is what? I remember being very clever, even at six.
“Of course dear. You know where the box is. Go on and pick something out.”
“Thank you Elaina!” she says running up the stairs.
“Your welcome.” Elaina smiles, “what lovely manners for such a young gal.”
“Indeed,” I say knowing for sure she is up to something.
“Now we must find you two something to wear. We should all dress up don’t you think Alfred?” Elaina asks her husband.
“Of course dear. If the little lady wishes, it shall be done.”
Elaina leads me up to the attic to find an extravagant dress for the tea party. Brad and Alfred go another guest room to find some of Mr. Cunnington’s old party tails.
We reach the attic and go up the last set of steps. The attic is like a loft. It would be the perfect space for an apartment or a study. We walk to an armoire at the back of the attic. Elaina opens the door and there are dresses so beautiful I can’t even imagine myself in one. “These dress are incredible Elaina. Are you sure you don’t mind me wearing one of these?”
“Of course not. Go ahead and pick one you like.”
“Maybe I should just wear the one I have on. I wouldn’t want to ruin something as fine as these.”
“You can keep the dress you have on, but you must dress up for Eileen.”
I nod and take a step closer.
All of these are lovely dresses, but there is one dress that I really love. With Elaina’s help I slip on a gold silk dress with purple flowers and green stems embroidered on the hem. The skirting is light and flows like water against my skin. I spin myself in a circle in front of the mirror and watch the dress twirl around me. This dress is perfect.
“Eileen said if she could fit these clothes, she would pick that one too,” Elaina says.
I turn quickly around to face her, but she shoves me into the armoire and locks the door.
I yell, “Elaina what are you doing? Let me out of here!”
“You were going to be the perfect cover-up,” she says to me.
“I don’t know what you are talking about. Now let me out of here, please!” I start to feel panicked.
“Lily, if only you could understand my situation you wouldn’t be taking this so hard. You see, I can’t have children. Eileen is the little girl Alfred and I always dreamed of having. With you and your husband staying here everyone would think we were too nice to kidnap a child and we would have witnesses to be our alibi. But you just had to get yourself interested in her didn’t you? She is the perfect little girl. I want her and you can’t keep me from having her.” I hear her start to walk away.
“She and I are the same person. She is not perfect. She can travel through time as I can. My name is Eileen Lillian East. I was born in the year 1990 on August fifth. Right about now little Eileen has the CIA searching for her and sooner or later she is going to dematerialize back to 1996." I have to get out of here.
"What did you say dear? You aren't making much sense. Time travel? What in the world could that be? It has no importance to me. I want Eileen and you can't stop me. We can come back to bury you properly in a month or so. Goodbye Mrs. Trinity." She walks out of the room and closes the door.
“No, let me out of here! Come back Elaina!” I shout at her knowing she will not come back. I start pounding on the armoire door trying to get out, but it won’t budge.
Meanwhile…
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Elaina is in the kitchen with Brad, the little me, and Alfred.
Brad looks at the stairs, listening for footsteps. He turns to Elaina and asks, “Where is Lily?”
“Mrs. Trinity is just touching up in the powder room. She looks absolutely wonderful in the gold dress. Alfred why don’t you show Brad the shed while I get Eileen some ice cream.” Elaina gives Alfred a look and he nods.
“But I can’t have ice cream. I’ll get sick,” says the little me.
“Of course dear. How about a sandwich?” she says as Alfred leads Brad to the shed.
When Alfred pulls out his keys looking for the right one to open the door he says, "I am sorry it is so messy, I just get so busy sometimes. You know how it is.”
Brad nods and knows something is wrong but he can't quite put his finger on it. Once he takes his first step into the shed, he can easily see that it won't be too difficult. Then he sees something that catches his attention.
"Do you know what this is?" Brad asks in amazement.
Alfred looks questioningly at Brad, "A...rock sir?"
"This is a Time Stone. Eileen would..."
"What about Eileen?" he asks with slight anger in his tone.
"Oh. Sorry, I was talking about Mrs. Trinity."
"That's nice. Is that why you and your wife have such an interest in Miss Presario, because she seems so much like the two of you? Is that why you want her as your own?"
Brad shakes his head, "Lily and I are not ready for children. It is too soon in our marriage."
"I see. Well that changes things," Alfred says with his thoughts in another place. "I'll be right back."
Brad just nods and looks at the time stone like he is completely wrapped up in studying it. As the door locks Brad starts thinking about how to save me. He tries something he has never been successful with in his training sessions; he reaches out his thoughts in search for mine.
These people are so stupid. I hate itchy dresses. This tea is terrible. Where is the older me? Where is Brad? I want a Snickers. My shoulder hurts. I'm in a box? I'm having a difficult time breathing? I need to get upstairs. LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!
Those where the thoughts of the younger me, and then my own.
I am having trouble breathing due to the lack of oxygen. Where are you Brad?
Then back in the attic…
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/> "Lily?" Someone whispers.
I suddenly smile in relief, "Brad? Is that you?"
I hear him walk into the room, "Where are you?"
"I'm in the armoire."
"Just hold on. I'm going to get you out of there,” he says looking for something to pry the door open with.
“Are you okay?” I ask him. I know how he found me. I am starting to be able to feel his mind touch mine. It makes me wish I could read his mind.
“Yeah Alfred just locked me up in the shed. They are the kidnappers, by the way. They thought we were going to get to the little you, before they did. They sound pretty paranoid to me. Can you help push?”
“Yeah,” I say turning my back to the door and bracing a foot against the back of the armoire as I push. “How did you get out of the shed?”
“There was a window in the back that was blocked by a bunch of tools he has in the shed. He probably forgot it was there.”
The door flings open and I fly out and land in a chair, “Well that was lucky. Let’s go. They probably are going to try and run for it.”
Brad opens the door and I run down the stairs. I see them in the kitchen carrying a picnic basket and blankets. I continue running to the front door and lock it, as Brad pulls little Eileen away from Elaina’s grasp.
“Eileen!” Elaina screams.
“You are going to pay for interfering, Mr. Trinity,” Alfred growls.
Brad shakes his head, “No. You are the ones to pay for kidnapping a little girl and attempted murder.”
“We were going to adopt her. We would never hurt our little Eileen,” Elaina claims.
“Oh please. You could have killed me just by feeding me that ice cream,” the younger Eileen says rolling her eyes.
That makes Elaina start to cry.
“Oh don’t cry sweetheart. I’m sure Eileen didn’t mean it. She loves you,” Alfred tries, hoping to comfort Elaina.
“Of course I meant it. I only went along with this because I was waiting to go back to the future.”
“Lily, go get the sheriff,” Brad says keeping an eye on the Cunningtons.
“Okay,” the little me and I say in unison.
“The younger one. Lily, I need you to help me tie them down.”
So the younger me runs out the door to find the sheriff and Brad and I slowly move towards the Cunningtons.
In my head I hear Brad say, 1...2...3!
I catch Alfred, wrestle him to the ground, put my knee in his back, and tie his wrists together with a rag hanging from the sink. I turn around to see Brad holding Elaina against the wall with her trying to kick him while she screams. I throw Brad a towel and ties her legs together right below the knees.
The door bursts open with little me pulling two sheriffs through the door. Out of breath she says, “the...two tied...up.”
“Good job, Eileen!” I tell her with a smile.
She smiles up at me with a look of triumph on her face.
Brad explains to the sheriff what had happened, not including the time traveling part, while little me and I bandage up my arm and wrist.
“Thank you for catching these two. They are wanted for the kidnapping and deaths of several children. Is there anything we can do to pay you back for your help? We are in your debt,” the first sheriff says.
“Could you set up the paper work and tell Mr. and Mrs. Presario that Eileen has found her parents?” Brad asks.
“Of course,” says the second sheriff.
“We have a long journey ahead of us and we should be going,” I say, not knowing how much longer we have until we dematerialize.
The first officer shakes his head, “Everything will be taken care of,” the first officer says shaking Brad’s hand. “Have a safe journey.”
“Thank you. Eileen, Lily, lets go,” Brad says taking the younger Eileen’s hand and wrapping his arm around my shoulder.
“Wait, I’ll be right back,” little Eileen says and runs up the stairs. When she comes back she has something in her arms, “I almost forgot my bag.”
We walk back quickly through the woods to the shed.
When we get there little Eileen pulls me aside asking, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure.” I say looking at Brad as we walk a little ways.
“Does he,” referring to Brad, “try to kill me in the future?”
“It’s a long story. Wait, how do you know?” Did I go into the future when I was younger?
“I don’t. I just caught it in his thoughts when he was in my head.”
I relax at that, “Well just forget about knowing what will happen. You’ll understand when you get there.”
“Okay,” she says a little disappointed. Then she smiles and pulls me down so I can hear her better, “Does he become my boyfriend?”
A little surprised I laugh, “I don’t think so.”
“Oh,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders, “too bad, he’s really cute,” she says.
“He is, isn’t he? But you will find a great boyfriend. Everything has a way of working itself out.”
“Okay well I guess it’s time to go,” she says handing me a bag. She has another one in her hand. “I don’t think Elaina will care that I took these. They wouldn’t fit her anyway. I put your books in there as well. Don’t look until you get back. It’s a surprise.”
I nod, “Be safe. You know how to get home from Elm Street?”
“Yep,” the younger me says as she dematerializes when waving goodbye to Brad and I.
“Ready?” I ask him.
He doesn’t say anything. Instead he slips his hand into mine and gently squeezes it three times.
I squeeze his three times back. I’m not really sure what it means but it seems to be a fitting gesture. Then we start to go back.
I think about what the younger me said. If Brad became my boyfriend in the future would it be so bad? Knowing we are almost back home I take his other hand and pull him close. This time when we materialize Brad doesn’t fall.
“Thanks,” he says.
“No problem.”
He looks into my eyes, mirroring the slight sadness at the thought of going back to how things were. “So I guess you better get back home.”
I nod, “Yeah, my excuse can only be believable if I do.”
“Okay well…I’m sorry you didn’t get your outfit back.”
I stop then look at the bag, “The little Eileen gave me this bag. Maybe it’s in here.” I look inside. Underneath the books there are three dresses from the armoire and the aqua dress Elaina said I could keep. My outfit slash dress that Brad made wasn’t included. “What is my mom going to say, better yet what am I going to say?”
“Come on,” he says taking my hand.
I resist his pull, cringing a little because of my feelings for him.
“Just follow me.”
I follow him around the back of the clubhouse. There isn’t anything there except a random wall that seems to belong to an old fallen down building. Brad puts his hand on the wall. A door slides to the side that I could have sworn wasn’t there before.
We step inside and a robotic voice says, “Welcome back Sergeant Trinity. Hello Agent East. How may I be of service?”
“Can you make Agent East a replica outfit of what she was wearing before the mission?” Brad asks.
“Please?” then I add to Brad when he gives me a strange look, “I was just being polite.”
“Anything for Miss East. Would either of you like a drink while you are waiting?”
“No thank you.” Brad says.
“How about you Miss East?”
“No thank you. I’m in somewhat of a hurry.”
“If you want to change, you can go through the black curtain to your left.”
“Thank you,” I get dressed and walk out of the dressing room. “Thank you…umm…what do you call her?”
“You can call me AMY. You’re welcome. Drive safely! I h
ope to see you again.” The robotic voice says.
Brad and I walk out the door. I watch it close and go back to being a wall with no hint of a secret door. Then we walk over to my car. “On the bright side, I have a dress for prom and I didn’t need to buy anything,” I laugh half-heartedly.
Brad’s jaw drops, “After that experience you’re going to wear one of her dresses?”
“You have to move on from the past. Besides it should bring back good memories shouldn’t it? I’ll remember we saved my younger life together.”
We both laugh.
“That sounds kind of weird doesn’t it?” I say smiling at him. I open the trunk of my car and take out my racer style jacket.
“How fitting?” Brad laughs.
“Ha, ha.” I slip on my jacket, fold the collar, and flip my hair to the side. “How do I look?”
“You look great,” he says with a smile.
“Good,” I smile back.
“You look perfect.”
We stand there silently for a moment not really sure what to do.
“Well I guess I better go. My mom will be getting worried.”
“Right,” he nods.
I give him a hug and take my keys out. Brad opens my door for me but I don’t get in yet. I feel like there is something I’m not saying. Something I need to say.
“Brad I…I,” looking at the ground I don’t know how to put my feelings into words.
Looking confused he asks, “What?”
“Umm. Nothing. Never mind. Well you see…I. I don’t know.”
“You’re rambling.”
“I know. Just forget it, I don’t know what I was trying to say. I guess I was…”
I can’t finish that sentence and not because I don’t know what to say. Brad pulls me to him and kisses me. At first I am tense and shocked, and then I relax. I feel like I am as light as a feather, just floating on air. I’ve never felt this way before. This is my first kiss and I couldn’t be happier with it. Why do I feel this way with Brad? It is so…wonderful. But it’s wrong. He still thinks I have a boyfriend.
I pull away a little ashamed and confused.
“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t…”
I put up my hand to stop him. “Thanks Brad. For everything, but I really need to go.” I get in my car, pull out of the parking lot and head home.
When I get in the house I hang up my keys and walk into mom’s game of twenty questions at the kitchen table.
“Did you give that nice boy your notes?” she asks stirring creamer into her coffee.
“Yes, mom.” I say to her, rolling my eyes.
“Do want to date him?”
“I thought you liked Jared and you told me I needed to get back with him so as not to break his heart.”
“Come on dear this is high school! High school is a very small part of our lives. You have plenty of time in the future for love. Besides Jared gets D’s and F’s every now and then. That is not a good example for you. Do you want a cookie?”
“Before dinner?” I ask.
“Oh right. What was I thinking? Lily you need someone that is intelligent.”
“Like a collage professor?” I ask, thinking she might be crazy enough to say yes.
“No. That’s too old Lily. I wouldn’t mind someone who graduated early though. I would say a maximum of three years older than you. This guy isn’t shorter than you is he? That just looks terrible. Is he blond perhaps? Those are the cutest.”
“Thanks for the tip mom,” I say sarcastically. She is right though. Brad is blonde and he’s taller than me…
“Your welcome dear, but that doesn’t answer my question,” she says to my back as I walk out of the kitchen.
I walk up the stairs and plop down on the bed. No sooner than I lay my head down my phone starts ringing. I don’t really want to talk on the phone right now. I look at my cell. It’s Nicky; she is my best and only friend. I can talk to her no matter how upset or confused I am.
“Hey Nicky.”
“Hey Lily,” she says a little too calmly.
“What’s up? Is everything okay?”
She pauses then says, “I just wasn’t sure if you wanted to talk about it with me.”
“I can talk to you about anything.” She knows that.
“Okay then. I just wanted to see how you were with the whole Jared and Tina thing.”
“What thing?” I’m confused.
“Cassidy talked to Jared who told him he was breaking up with you because he liked Tina better. Cassidy told Jessie, then Jessie told Riana, then Riana told me. I just want you to know I’m here for you if…”
“What?” That’s all?
“Cassidy talked to Jared who…”
“No, no. I heard what you said I’m just surprised. He hadn’t talk to me about Tina, but we already broke up.”
“I’m so sorry I thought you knew about Tina. So why did you break up?”
“It’s okay. I’m kind of relived actually. Besides I’m always the last to know everything anyway. I knew he still liked her. We broke up because I wasn’t ready to kiss him when he was ready. If I’m going to be in a relationship, it needs to be one that means something.”
“You always have a way to move on.”
“Yeah, I feel… free.” Free for what?
“Good. At least we are only in high school. We shouldn’t be crying over guys.”
“Right,” I laugh. “I’m going to take a nap. It’s been a long day for me.”
“Kay! Talk to you later girly!”
I fall asleep as soon as I get off the phone with Nicky. Suddenly I wake up to the sound of Eminem blaring from a sub woofer out front. I look at my clock it’s 9:30 pm. I can’t believe I slept all day. The doorbell rings. I walk downstairs and open the door. It is Chad, the school’s quarterback.
“I heard you and Jared broke up,” he says.
I nod. Why is he at my house?
“That’s too bad. I was wondering if you wanted to go to a party or something to cheer you up.”
My cell phone starts ringing, “Can you excuse me for a second?” I ask Chad.
He nods.
“Please make yourself at home.” I tell him. I answer my phone, “Hello?”
“You are going to go to Iraq, September eighth 2001 at three a.m.; travel time in forty min. You’ll be looking for the plans on a terrorist attack.”
“Thanks for the warning,” I say under my breath.
“Goodbye and good luck.”
I walk into my mom’s room. She’s watching It’s a Wonderful Life.
“Hey mom, can I go to a party with Chad?” I ask.
“Who is Chad?”
“The quarterback.” I say knowing she will say yes because she is friends with his mother.
“Of course dear. Have fun.”
I walk down stairs, “She said I can go.”
“Great, lets go!” he puts his hand on my back and leads me out the door.
We have been driving around for a while with the music turned up pretty loud. For some reason I don’t think we are going to a party. He seems like he needs to talk about something really important. Someone probably told him I was a good listener and give good advice. I pretend to tie my shoe and set my hologram on the floor. I only have thirty more seconds.
Blackout. This time seems different. Something isn’t going the way it is supposed to. Everything looks like a slide show of two movies at once that I am actually in. I hear the sound of guns going off. I scream from an excruciating pain in my arm.
“My arm! It hurts! Chad what going on?” Bright lights are all around me. Everything goes black again. I smell smoke. I still feel severe pain in my arm. I hear sirens. I taste blood in my mouth. I am so tired. I think I’m falling asleep. Well why not? If something goes wrong Chad will wake me up.