Young Writers Society

Time travel. They'd already thought about it, joked about it, and hypothesized about it, but now it was confirmed: this was actually real. They were living in the plot of a movie, except it was real life, and instead of having to find a flux capacitor their best bet at getting back home was fixing the time machine with a frisbee.

A frisbee.

Bo had already been going through several stages of denial, but currently, he was trying to ward off two equally potent streams of anger and anxiety. They had already been warring for his attention, but now that everything they thought to be true was proven - they really were in 1943, not just miles away, but decades away from home - things suddenly felt very dire.

He chose to take that thought and let end there. The only way they were going to get back was if they actually tried, and gave it their best shot. Stubbornly, he was going to hold onto hope even if he didn't feel like it.

"I can help with the engine," he volunteered. Levi had good intentions, but Bo was more concerned about getting home than breaking a few rules. "You can keep your hands clean, Levi."

Levi turned and gave Bo a pointed look, but he didn't look like he was going to argue with him like he did with Adeline.

"And what about when someone eventually reports their stolen car? Won't that just cause more trouble for all of us?" Levi asked, but he pointed his question towards Sommers.

Sommers pursed his lips and shrugged, sighing.

"We'll it in my garage to keep it hidden for now," he said. "It's out back."

Bo nodded. It was separate from the house. That was a thing.

"What about the frisbee?" Levi asked.

"Well, I'm fresh out of frisbees," Sommers said with a small smile. "I'll have to send you out to get one."

Liam was about to say something, but Sommers corrected himself. "Well, not you, exactly. After the cop scare, it would probably be better to send Adeline," he said.

Adeline nodded. "Agreed."

"Magnolia could go with you. It would probably be best that you don't go out alone," Sommers said.

Bo looked over to Mags, sitting beside him.

"Sure," was her only reply. She had finished her pie.

"But, all of this can wait for tomorrow," Sommers said, getting up from his seat. "I'm sure it's been a long and confusing day, as well as exhausting at that. I have two spare bedrooms upstairs, back when my children used to live here. Both have bunkbeds in them, but I supposed that still leaves one of you without a bed--"

"I'll take the floor," Bo said.

"Oh, well, I have some mats we could lie on the floor, and blankets," he said. "I'll make sure you're comfortable."

Bo nodded. "Sounds good."

"And I suppose there's still the matter of your clothes, then," Sommers said, giving Bo a once-over. "I'll have to get something for you in the morning. I'm afraid nothing I own would fit you, but I can't have you wearing that."

Bo looked up at his hat, then down at the jacket, now with a hole in it.

"Fair enough," he said.

"Well, since it's getting later, I can show you all to your rooms and get you situated. And if you're still hungry I can fix you something else."

"I am!" Liam started his sentence very confident before it started to trail off. "I mean, I'm still kind of hungry I guess..."

Everyone laughed a little, but Sommers laughed the hardest. Bo could feel it. The laugh was needed to ease the tension.

"How about a sandwich, then?"

624 words

Liam had gobbled five sandwiches down, and was going to ask for another one, but Bo gave him The Look. Apparently Liam's dad wasn't the only one who could give The Look. But it made sense. Dr. Sommers looked a little more annoyed every time he had to make another sandwich. They had also had nice mint tea after that glorious apple pie.

Now, they were resting. Magnolia and Bo were talking about something, as were Adeline and Levi. Liam licked his lips and asked whether he could explore the house. Dr. Sommers had nodded. So Liam looked around. First he headed to the second floor. Sure enough, two bedrooms were there. One was a deep blue, with a nice wallpaper with those weird designs wallpaper often had. The other was a deep green, with a more leafy design. But the bunk beds looked a little weak. He arrived at a dilemma. He could call dibs on the lower bunk, but if the top fell, it would fall on him. Whereas if he was on the top bunk and it fell, he would get jerked out of his sleep but he would be squishing the person under him.

Eventually Liam just shrugged and was about to head downstair - when he noticed a little outline of a door in the wall of the green room. He stepped in quietly, and tapped the area of the wall nervously. It was hollow. Liam quickly headed back downstairs. He wondered what was in there. He would explore it tonight. And he had to find a way to take the floor from Bo.

"You okay, Liam?" Bo's voice sounded behind him

Liam nearly jumped out of his skin, "Yeah. But I think the bottom bunk should be big enough for you. I want the floor." Way to be inconspicuous.

Bo raised an eyebrow, "I think the floor would suit me better. Why do you want to sleep on the floor anyway."

Liam bit his lip in annoyance, "It reminds me of being the oldest sibling."

Bo's eyebrow crawled higher, "sure. I'm taking the the floor, Liam. Don't you want to sleep on a comfortable bed?"

Liam shifted awkwardly on his feet. Then he just walked away to the Kitchen, leaving a suspicious Bo behind. He didn't know why he just hadn't told Bo, but now he needed to keep it up.

397 words

Magnolia decided she needed a break. She left the dining room and made her way to the house's back porch, then sat down on the steps.

The back porch was quiet, despite the chaos indoors. Magnolia found herself enjoying it. The past few hours had been chaotic, and while she was starting to tolerate and even enjoy the company of the others, Magnolia needed a moment to breathe.

She inhaled, exhaled. There were crickets chirping in the bushes nearby, trees rustling in the wind. And although it was significantly cooler out than it had been earlier in the day, it was still comfortable. It was a while before Magnolia heard anyone approach.

The back door creaked open, and heavy footsteps approached her with long strides, before stopping at her side.

"It's nice out," Bo said quietly, before sitting beside her. She could feel the wooden step give a little under his weight.

"It is," Magnolia said. "Could do without the mosquitos, but I'll take what I can get."
She swatted at one of the wretched little bugs.

Bo huffed through his nose. "Are you getting eaten?"

"Yeah." Magnolia swatted another mosquito. "I'm just hoping they aren't as hungry as Liam."

Bo snorted. "He eats like he still has the metabolism of a 16 year old."

Magnolia laughed. "Hey, time travel's hard work!"

"Side-effects include: nausea, tiredness, excessive eating, and in extreme cases, death."

"Guess he didn't read the fine print," Magnolia was wheezing.

Bo laughed a little, but then he went quiet. A small breeze brushed up against their legs, and it was surprisingly warm.

"So," Bo started, his voice softer, and quiet. "I know there's a lot of unknowns right now. And I'd rather not think too hypothetically far ahead because that will probably just give me a headache. But do you still want to stick with uh, our cover story? For now? If we end up being stuck here for a while..."

"Glad to know I'm not the only one who doesn't trust the frisbee idea." Magnolia said, a little bitterly. She didn't like the prospect of being stuck in the past for much longer, and Sommers' idea hadn't seemed especially promising. "I'm fine with the cover story, for now. It's convenient. But if we're stuck here for a while, then--" she sighed. "We can re-evaluate, if things change."

"I agree," he said. "I'm not sure what to expect, but I have a feeling the more we blend in the better." He paused. "Which will probably be easier for you guys than for me."

"I don't know, I feel like the cane and sunglasses probably stick out a bit." Magnolia said. It was a moment before she spoke again. "Though I guess I haven't really, er, got a detailed idea of what you look like."

Bo hummed. "True," he said, and then he shifted his weight. The wood creaked, faintly. "I guess I could describe myself to you." He paused, and though he was quiet for a moment, she could sense he was considering... something.

"If you wanted," he started, sounding a little hesitant. "You could like, touch my face to get a better idea. If that's like, not too weird for you."

Magnolia considered this for a moment before speaking. "You'd be alright with that?"

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't."

Magnolia seemed like she didn't know what to do with this information, until she slipped off her gloves. "Alright," she said, offering her hands. Bo took her hand gently, and guided it to his face.

"I guess there's still a few things you won't really be able to see through touch, so I can describe them," he started to say. "To start, I have brown... eyes. Like, a deep kind of brown, you know, the way dark brown eyes will catch the sunlight and will look like a molten gold, but in the dark they might as well be an extension of your iris. "

"You have a beard," Magnolia said, gently scratching Bo's facial hair. She seemed pleased with this discovery. "It feels nice. Not patchy, or anything."

She could feel Bo's mouth spread into a smile. "Thanks."

"My hair is also brown," he continued. "A lot of me is shades of brown, really. But my hair is like, closer to caramel than chocolate, because brown always gets the food analogies, and also I'm very familiar with caramel. Anyways. My skin has more red undertones, which I know because one of my old friends told me, and now I see it. But I think you could say I'm pretty tan for white-guy standards, so like, next to you, you look very pale in comparison. So like, you are the clouds, and I'm more like the sky of the sunset."

It was at this point that she came to touch his eye. "Your eyelashes are long."

"I got that from my mom," he said.

"Did you get your cheekbones from her too?" Magnolia asked.

"Those are from my dad."

Magnolia laughed, and moved her hand to where his other eye had been. She paused at the scar tissue, tracing the edges of his eye socket gently. She could feel him tense up, just a little.

"I... didn't know how to bring that up," he said quietly. "Normally people just see it." His voice got even quieter. "And it scares them. Most people, anyways."

"I wouldn't have known how to bring it up, either." Magnolia said, quieter than before. "But thank you, for trusting me with this."

word count: 924

Bo smiled, slightly. "Yeah. It's... um. From a motorcycle accident. A little over three years ago." He had to distance himself from the memory, whenever he told people. But it was okay. He was used to it.

"I was turning a sharp corner, and it was nighttime. A semi had drifted into my lane, and I veered off the road, but they clipped the back of my bike, and... well, I ended up in the ditch. Doctors said it was a miracle all I lost was an eye." And his depth perception.

Bo didn't expect to feel as nervous as he did with Magnolia's hands on his face, trying to explain what most people just made assumptions about by looking at him. There were always the few rude people, who would break the silent social norms and ask him where he got his scar from, and he would just tell them it was from an accident, and leave it at that. That normally got them to shut up.

But this was a first for him. Trying to describe himself to someone who couldn't see. Trying to... make sense of it.

"Sometimes I lie," he said, trying to fill the silence and quiet his buzzing nerves. "And say I was attacked by wolves, or I lost it in a bet with a pirate, or something bizarre because not everyone needs to know, you know? And it can be fun, sometimes, to make things up."

"Sometimes I lie about my eyes," Magnolia said. "People are rude, so I make up some story that sounds like it came out of a comic book."

Bo laughed. "You're a modern-day Daredevil."

"Damn, you figured it out." Magnolia snorted. "Rip to my secret identity."

"Oh, don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Secret's safe with me." He put his hand over hers, as it was resting on his cheek. Then he cleared his throat.

"So uh - other notable features." He led her hand to his ear and his earrings. "Studs. They're black. Both ears."

Magnolia brushed a fingertip over one of the studs. "They're metal," she said.

"Yes, it makes for very cold lobes in the winter."

"Gotta get you some earmuffs."

"Just for my earlobes, though."

"Tiny, tiny earmuffs."

Bo smiled, holding back another laugh.

"There's not much to say about my hair. It's buzzed. Which you can probably feel."

Her hand went up over his head. She seemed fascinated by the way his hair felt.

"It's, like. Fuzzy."

"Call me peach head."

"Absolutely not."

"Kiwi?"

"We're fake married. Don't make me file for a fake divorce."

Bo snorted. "I should really hurry up with those rings then."

Magnolia had moved down to feeling the nape of his neck. In the darkness, it was easy to miss her blush. Bo scrunched his shoulders up a little bit, and he laughed quietly. After a moment, she pulled her hand away.

"That's uh, I guess that's it for my face. But uh, I also have tattoos. Two full sleeves, one on each arm. Another thing that's not very 1940's, but easier to hide. Not that, uh, people don't have scars nowadays but -- you get what I mean."

Magnolia nodded. "What do the tattoos look like?"

"Well, on each arm there's a dragon. The right one is red, and the left one is blue, and they swirl up each arm. So their tails start at my wrists and their heads come up over my shoulders to my chest, and they're full color, so, there's blue and yellow fire around them too. They're not breathing fire, though. Their names are Sapphire and Fire, respectively. No, names are not open to critique."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Magnolia looked like she was holding back laughter.

"I would joke about them costing me an arm and a leg, but they really cost me an arm and an arm, since they're so big and full color."

"Oh my god."

"It's the most money I've spent on anything in my life, so I don't know what that says about my priorities. Unfortunately, looking cool costs money I guess."

"Sad but true."

Bo smiled and huffed through his nose. "What can I say? Fun fact: my dad actually has similar tattoos, but of snakes. I think mine look cooler though, no offense to him. I mean, he would agree. I got like, the upgraded version." He stopped for a second, laughing, feeling his nerves flutter in his stomach again. "Is that weird? Having semi-matching tattoos with my dad? I mean, I - you know what, sorry I'm. I'm probably talking too much."

"Do the snakes have names or just the dragons?"

Bo stared at her for a moment before he burst out laughing, and he could feel his face starting to burn. "I'm embarrassed for him to say what he named them."

Magnolia started wheezing. Well, now he had to tell her.

"Venom and Anaconda."

Through her wheezes, she got out: "Didn't age well, did it?"

"I am so glad my dad is extremely meme illiterate because I would die if he knew the song. The worst part is he would probably love it and I would literally pass away from second-hand embarrassment."

Mags continued to wheeze at his father's expense, but he was glad for it, and he couldn't help but laugh with her, even if he was cringing on the inside. Their laughter was interrupted, though, when the back door opened.

Liam was peeking out with a glass of water in hand, and a grin. Bo's laughter died down a little faster than Magnolia's.

"Too loud?" Bo asked.

Liam's eyebrows shot up and he shook his head. "Oh! No, no, you're fine, you're fine--"

"Too loud!" Adeline piped in from inside.

"Subtlety? Secrecy? Did you already forget?" came Levi's accented voice.

Liam rolled his eyes and turned back to them. "You probably should come inside though. It's getting late, and Sommers said it's about time to turn in. Or at least, start getting ready for bed. Not that we even have pajamas or anything."

"Yeah, I didn't pack a toothbrush," Mags commented.

Bo patted her shoulder. "RIP dental hygiene."

"Sommers said he'll have to get more things for us tomorrow," Liam said. "He just wasn't ready for us today. So we're going to have to, 'tough it out.'"

Bo got to his feet and waited to make sure Magnolia was good before striding to the door.

He patted Liam's head and ruffled his hair. "Just like camping, except not at all." Liam pulled away from the doorway. Magnolia laughed at that, and Bo let her go in first.

As the door closed behind him, he started to feel it.

He was ready to go to sleep.

1,126 words

Bo followed Magnolia out of the room and Levi, Liam, and Adeline were left in silence. Well, silence except for the constant sound of Liam chewing some sort of food. Adeline wished Bo hadn't have left to join Magnolia, even though she found their relationship cute, because she didn't find Levi and Liam the most interesting people.

"So.. how's the family?" Adeline asked. It took a few moments for their situation to dawn on her and she quickly corrected herself, "Sorry, sorry. I just usually start a conversation with that."

"It's no problem." Liam shrugged. Then, realizing his plate was empty once more, he turned went to the kitchen to find some food.

"I wonder how he doesn't just explode," that got a chuckle out of Levi, whose hands were folding in his lap. He was staring down in between his legs.

"Are you praying or something?" Adeline asked.

"No."

"Oh. Alright." Adeline pulled her necklace out of the collar of the dress. It had a black cord and at the bottom was the Star of David. As she fiddled with it, she thought about what time period they were in. 1943 - World War II - the Holocaust. Adeline had read about the Holocaust in countless history books, had seen numerous photos of what happened, and some documentaries.

But now that she was actually in 1943, she understood how people initially didn't believe it had happened. She shuddered at the thought of it.

To take her mind off of it, she dropped the necklace and turned to Levi, "Uh, back home, did you have a girlfriend or something?"

Levi looked up at her, confused, "Are you trying to hit on me?"

"No, no, definitely no. I have a fiancée," Adeline reassured him.

"So how is he-"

"She."

"Oh. Well, what's she like?" Levi inquired. He seemed genuinely curious.

Adeline smiled as she recounted Madison. Despite their rocky relationship at the moment because of Madison's secrecy, Adeline still thought she was the most wonderful woman in the world, "She's great, really. Maddy works as a journalist for the Chicago Tribune. You should read her articles once we get back. They're the best ones I've ever read."

"She sounds nice," Levi said as Liam rejoined the group with a half eaten peach and glass of water.

"What are you peeps talking about?" Liam asked as he plopped down on a settee.

"Adeline's fiancée," Levi answered. Liam nodded and faced Adeline, waiting for her to say something else.

"Um, we live in a basement apartment. But we're moving to a nicer apartment once we sign the papers! Maddy does all that, though. I'm not smart enough to. The new apartment will only be a twenty minute walk from Lake Michigan."

"Cool," Liam said. He took a huge bite of the peach and quickly swallowed it. The group sat in silence again. After a couple minutes, Dr. Sommers appeared from the other room. He had been listening to their whole conversation, and he had to admit, it was interesting to see how things had change.

"Time for bed, guys," he said. All their heads turned to him, "It's best for you guys to go to bed and rest up. I bet you're tired, anyways."

"Yeah," Adeline stretched, "Pretty tired. Oh, Julius-"

"Dr. Sommers."

"Dr. Sommers, is there a bathroom upstairs?" Adeline asked.

"Yes, near the bedrooms," Dr. Sommers replied, "Have a good night, everyone. I'll probably be up by nine, so please stay in the house until then."

"Good night," Liam, Levi, and Adeline said in unison. Dr. Sommers turned and disappeared to his bedroom.

Suddenly, the sound of laughter erupted from outside. The group turned their heads to see the outlines of Magnolia and Bo laughing through the thin curtains.

"...meme illiterate...," they heard Bo say, "...would die..."

Liam stood, threw away his the peach's pit, and opened the back door. Bo and Magnolia went quiet almost immediately.

"Too loud?" Bo asked.

"Oh! No, no, you're fine, you're fine--" Liam started. Adeline rolled her eyes.

"Too loud!" Adeline yelled.

"Subtlety? Secrecy? Did you already forget?" Levi exclaimed.

"You probably should come inside though. It's getting late, and Sommers said it's about time to turn in. Or at least, start getting ready for bed. Not that we even have pajamas or anything," Liam said as he walked back inside the house.

"Yeah, I didn't pack a toothbrush," Mags commented. Adeline chuckled.

Bo patted her shoulder. "RIP dental hygiene."

"Sommers said he'll have to get more things for us tomorrow," Liam said. "He just wasn't ready for us today. So we're going to have to, 'tough it out.'"

Bo got to his feet and waited to make sure Magnolia was good before striding to the door.

"Just like camping, except not at all," Bo said. Liam pulled away from the doorway. Magnolia laughed at that, and Bo let her go in first.

"Should Liam, Bo, and I have one room and you girls the other?" Levi asked as he stood up.

"That sounds good. Magnolia and I get the bathroom first though!"

"Yeah, we call dibs!" Magnolia exclaimed.

"Sounds good to me," Bo said. Adeline stood and the group walked up the stairs. This time it was Adeline who escorted Magnolia to the bedroom with the blue wallpaper. On each side of the room was a bed with metal poles at every corner. Each comforter was an ugly off-white color.

Magnolia wondered over to her bed and sat on it, while Adeline dug through the drawers to find something that would fit her. Finally she found two, white buttoned up shirts and what Adeline could only assume were boxers.

"Are you OK with wearing men's clothes?"

"Yeah."

"Even boxers?" Adeline asked.

Magnolia hesitated a moment, "Nah, I'll just take a shirt."

Adeline set the shirt on Magnolia's lap, "I'm going to the bathroom."

"OK."

Adeline walked out of the room and ducked into the bathroom. It was... ugly, to say the least. It had yellow tiles stretching up half the wall and then the top was painted white. There was a large tub in the center of the farthest wall, and then a toilet and sink on the other end. Adeline quickly changed, went to the bathroom, and washed her face before returning to the bedroom.

Liam was dressed in some loose pajamas of the time. Bo had insisted on sleeping on the floor which presented a dilemma for Liam. Thankfully, he had convinced Levi to sleep on the upper bunk, so he wouldn't have to worry about him. After everyone got in bed, Liam realized that it had been a while since he had slept with anyone. The light breathing bothered him immensely and he was glad none of them snored very loudly.

As he waited till everyone was deeply asleep, he thought of Magnolia and Bo. And he thought of his sister and her husband, and Adeline's fiancé. A seed of jealousy began growing in his heart. He just wanted someone who would love him to. He'd had several girlfriends, and everyone of them had left him, all for different reasons. It would have been easier if they had left for the same reason - then he could've fixed that part of him. But apparently nothing of him was right.

Once he was sure they were all deep asleep, Liam and his seed of jealousy tiptoed past Bo. For a moment Bo whispered something in his sleep and it nearly gave Liam a heart attack. He continued creeping towards the outline in the wall. He sighed in relief when he finally reached it.

As he gazed at intensely and decided his plan. He would stick his hand right in.
When he did, his hand gently slipped through the crack in the wall, pulling the door towards him. Shivers crawled across Liam's skin. He decided to tell himself it was from the chilly air. It wasn't. The door creaked open and he nearly jumped when Bo turned in his sleep. Little did he know, Levi had awoken.

So Liam entered, and closed the door behind him. The wind groaned as it flowed through the stairs upward. Every single step seemed to creak, much to Liams annoyance. And, Just when he reached the top, a hand clamped on his shoulder. Liam jumped upwards, but then a familiar voice said,

"It's me Bo. Don't worry." And laughed

Liam turned to look at him and scowled, "Why are you following me?!"

"Hey!" Bo raised his arms, "Levi was awake and worried what you were doing climbing into strange doors past midnight."

Liam shrugged in annoyance, "I saw a weird door, I took my chances."

Bo laughed again, "Liam, you must have missed Dr. Sommers saying there was an entrance to the attic in this room."

"Attic?! Wait are you saying-"

Bo nodded, attempting to hold in more laughter, "Yes, this is the attic Liam, not some mysterious door. At least I know why you wanted to sleep on the ground tonight."

Liam blushed violently, glancing at the ground as if attempting to kill it.

Bo patted his back, "Hey, it's alright, everyone makes silly mistakes, now let's get down to bed."

Liam nodded and agreed, and when they did, Levi had his laugh as well. Then they all went back to sleep. But Liam did not go to sleep alone. Jealousy was sleeping with him this time.

519 words

Magnolia

Magnolia was half-asleep by the time Adeline emerged from the bathroom. It had been a long day, and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and not think about things for a few hours. But she went through the motions nonetheless, washing her face and changing into the clean clothing -- all the while contemplating the downfall of her dental hygiene. There was a bottle next to the sink that smelled like it could have been mouthwash, but there wasn't any label to ask Adeline about, so she wasn’t going to risk it. (Had mouthwash been invented yet? Magnolia didn’t know, though she sincerely hoped it had been.)

She left the bathroom and walked back towards her bed. There was a nightstand next to it, covered in a thin, circular cloth. The drawers were empty, so Magnolia took off her sunglasses and gloves, and set both of them inside for safekeeping -- making a mental note to ask Sommers if he had a glasses' case that she could borrow, when she had the time. Because seriously, no-one, especially Magnolia, needed her glasses to break.

The bed wasn't uncomfortable and the comforter was warm. Magnolia didn't have any complaints. She settled under the covers and closed her eyes, muttering a quiet: "Good Night," to Adeline before letting herself drift off to sleep.

Dreams? Nah, Magnolia woke up too soon for that!
She frowned, covering her eyes with a hand and trying not to groan. It was still quiet out -- just enough that she could hear someone talking in another room. Magnolia tilted her head to listen.

It seemed that Liam had discovered the door to the attic.
Riveting.

Magnolia rolled back over and went back to sleep. She could investigate that tomorrow.

Word count: 293

Bo's sleep had been fitful; full of tossing and turning, dreams he couldn't remember, and then Liam waking up. He'd been struggling to get his mind to stop racing for hours, and then when he'd finally fallen asleep, he'd awoken to Liam's stirring.

He couldn't blame Liam for being restless. He was too. It was just poor timing.

Eventually, though, he did manage to drift off, but he woke up within an hour, with his neck and back aching all the way down. Sommers had done his best, putting cushions and pillows and blankets on the floor, but it didn't change the fact that the floors were hardwood, and that Bo had no back support. It also didn't help that the position he fell asleep in was with his head tilted at what might as well have been a 90-degree angle, smushed against his shoulder.

When he sat up straight, he could hear a loud crack as something popped in his neck. Three consecutive cracks followed, and Bo had to bite back a groan. Hints of sunshine were peeking through the window from the slow-rising sun, but it looked like Liam had finally managed to fall asleep. Bo couldn't be sure of Levi, hidden somewhere in the top bunk, but he could see Levi's foot peeking out the side where the ladder was.

Bo slipped out of the room with quiet steps. He'd noted which floorboards creaked last night, especially when Liam was tip-toeing around him.

When he made it to the bathroom, it looked like he was the first person awake.

In a sleepy haze, he splashed water on his face in an attempt to wake himself up. It helped a little, but mostly, it just made his eye sting and tear up. He sighed and rubbed at his eye, leaning on the counter as he looked in the mirror.

His eye was puffy, and a little red. He loved it when his body gave everything away (that was sarcasm), but he did have the thought that at least Magnolia wouldn't be able to see how terrible he looked.

Bo took a step back from the mirror and gave himself a once-over. He'd slept in his clothes last night, unlike everyone else, and he couldn't help but feel a little dirty. A little sticky. He lifted his arm and sniffed himself for a moment, and pursed his lips.

It wasn't... terrible. But it wasn't great. He'd definitely gotten a little sweaty in his sleep.

With a sigh, he shook his head rapidly (kind of like a bird) in one last attempt to shake off the sleep deprivation and he leaned down to the sink to water-fountain a mouthful of water. He didn't have toothpaste but he could at least rinse his mouth out, but there wasn't much else he could do. He had no hair to comb, and no clothes to change, so after one last look in the mirror and pointing at himself with a dead-eyed smile and finger guns, he turned to go downstairs.

508 words

Coffee existed in 1943, but Bo didn't normally drink it, and he had no idea where it was in the house. Though Sommers had done everything he could to make his surprise house-guests comfortable, he hadn't told them to, so you say, 'make themselves at home.'

The reason they were there was Sommers' fault, but they were still strangers, and Bo could understand that. He wouldn't want a bunch of people from a different time period snooping around his house either. Well, he wouldn't want anyone snooping, regardless of the time they were from.

He thought of Liam, and couldn't help but laugh a little.

Bo had settled down in the living room for a little bit by the back window where he was able to get sunshine without it being blinding, and without being in view of the neighborhood. He was still acutely aware of the fact that Sommers' house could continue to be monitored for suspicious activity. One sweep of the area was enough to keep law enforcement off their backs for a minute, but Bo was too suspicious of cops to think they'd just leave it at that.

He sunk into the couch, sliding down until his butt slid off the seat.

He needed to do something. It was like, 5 am. The grandfather clock in the hallway told him so.

Bo grabbed his hoodie off the back of the living room couch, slipped it on, and shuffled his way quietly to the back door, and through the backyard to the garage. They'd pulled the truck in last night before everyone went to bed, to keep it out of sight.

His bare feet first met the dewy morning grass and then the cool concrete floors as he walked on the pads of his feet over to the truck. He still had the keys in his pocket.

First, he popped the hood up, to get a look at everything inside. Sommers had written "engine" on his piece of paper, but Bo wasn't sure if that meant he needed the entire thing, or only bits and pieces. He didn't know how a car engine would translate to a time machine.

He paused, looking at it, and then made his way to the driver's side, sliding in, and opening the glove compartment.

The gun was still there.

He picked it up and looked it over. It was an automatic, and it looked like a single-shot pistol. It was a tiny little thing, but it was loaded, and the first thing Bo did was make sure it was empty. He searched the rest of the glovebox for bullets but found nothing. It was just the pistol.

He sighed and looked down at the little gun and turned it over in his hands.

He was... thinking.

He didn't think they'd need it. Sommers seemed like a kind old man, and he was open to helping them. The police were off their backs for now, and Bo didn't want to cause trouble that would stay with Sommers forever.

He found himself stashing the bullets in his pockets when he saw the garage door open out of the corner of his eye. Without thinking, he shoved the gun behind him, hidden under his loose hoodie, and tucked into his pants.

It was Sommers.

He looked a little groggy, and he pushed his glass up the bridge of his nose. The doctor was wearing a pair of worn slippers that looked like that had a fluffy lining inside.

Bo stepped out of the car and walked around the hood so Sommers didn't have to come to him.

"Did you sleep alright?" Sommers asked.

Bo huffed through his nose and smiled slightly. "Not really, but I'm okay."

"Were you looking at the truck?"

Bo glanced back at the engine. "Yeah. Was trying to figure out what it is you might need me to help with, and how exactly we could get the whole engine out if you need the whole thing intact."

Sommers hummed thoughtfully and wandered closer to the truck, looking with Bo under the hood. He stood there for a solid moment in silence before reaching up to pat Bo on the back.

"I think I need some tea before I think about engines. How about you?"

Ah. Tea.

"That would be nice," Bo said. "Would you like help making breakfast for everyone?"

Sommers raised his brows. "Oh, you can cook?"

Bo's smiled returned, but this time it was warm and full. He patted Sommers on the shoulder. "Can I cook? Show me what you've got to work with in the kitchen."

765 words

Adeline awoke to the sound of heavy footsteps travelling down the hallway. Bo, no doubt. She tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but with the combination of Bo walking, Magnolia's breathing, and a little bit of sun shining through the window, Adeline couldn't. Once Adeline heard Bo walk down the stairs, she got out of bed and looked in the mirror above the dresser. After combing through her hair with her hand, she dug through the drawers for some pants, but after seeing how hideous her options were, she opted for the dress from the farmhouse.

Adeline walked out into the hallway, being careful not to wake the others, and went downstairs. To her surprise, no one was there. She peeked her head infront of the window to find Bo walking out towards the truck. Adeline just shrugged and walked about the house, looking at all the photographs, paintings, and things.

She came to the fireplace, which had a large painting on the wall above it and some other photos on the mantle. Adeline looked over them briefly, until she came to a picture of Dr. Sommers and a young woman. She picked it up and examined it. The photo was in black and white, of course, but Adeline was able to tell she had blonde or light brown hair and had rosy cheeks. Adeline smiled. The lady sure was pretty.

A noise coming from outside startled Adeline and broke her from her trance. She looked through the window to see Dr. Sommers and Bo walking towards the house. Adeline panicked and dropped the photo, before picking it up again. She didn't want to seem like a creep, looking at Dr. Sommers photos, so she quickly rushed over to the mantle and set it back in place.

"Good morning, Adeline," Bo said from behind her.

Adeline spun around to face Dr. Sommers and Bo. She hadn't been quick enough. Awkward.

"Good morning!" she exclaimed in a fake-peppy voice, "How are you guys?"

"Fine. I was going to make omelets," Bo said, his thumb stuck out over his shoulder so that his thumb pointed at the kitchen behind him.

"Nice, nice," Adeline bobbed her head. They stayed silent for a moment, just standing, until Adeline decided to address the elephant in the room, "So, Dr. Sommers, who's the girl in the photo?"

"Oh!" a grin grew on Dr. Sommers face. Maybe he hadn't noticed her staring at it, after all, "That's my daughter, Rosemary. Were you looking at the photographs?"

"Uh, yeah, I was," Adeline said, "I hope that's alright."

"It's perfectly fine, dear!" Dr. Sommers exclaimed. He wandered over to the mantle and grabbed the photo. He looked at it for a moment, then passed it to Bo. Bo didn't seem to know what to do with it, so he just smiled, looked at it for a moment, then passed it to Adeline.

"Rosie, as I call her, actually lives a couple streets away. You may have passed the street she resides in on your way here," Dr. Sommers said, "She's a nice girl. You'd like her."

"Yeah, yeah, I probably would," Adeline smiled and handed the picture back to Dr. Sommers. He set it back on the mantlepiece then put his hands on his hips.

"Now, who wants omelets?"

"I'm not used to eating breakfast this early," Dr. Sommers said, poking at his omelet. He had eaten half of it, unlike Adeline and Bo, who had already finished theirs.

"I am," Adeline replied, taking a sip of her tea, "I usually have the morning shift at the local Whole Foods, so I get up pretty early."

"Whole Foods?" Dr. Sommers asked. He scanned his memory for "Whole Foods," but to no success, "Is that a grocery store?"

"Yup," Bo answered, "I go there sometimes. It's expensive, though."

"Really? How much is it for, let's say, a gallon of milk?"

"$6, maybe? I don't know, but it's more than other stores." Adeline shrugged, "I don't really pay attention."

"$6.00?!"

"Inflation." Bo said.

"I know, but I didn't think it'd be that much!" Dr. Sommers grabbed a yellow notepad and pencil off the kitchen counter and scribbled down some numbers. After a few moments, he continued, "That's more than a 1,000% increase!"

"How'd you do that so quickly?" Adeline asked, looking over Dr. Sommer's shoulder at the notepad.

"I have a degree in Mathematics along with Engineering and Chemistry," Dr. Sommers explained.

"Wow," Bo mumbled. He grabbed his plate and cup, stood, and put them in the sink.

"Did you two go to college?" Dr. Sommers asked.

"No," they both said in unision.

"I'm going to try to get into one once I can pay for it," Adeline said, "I don't want to take out a loan."

"What would you major in?" Bo asked.

"Economics, architecture.. anything that pays well, really."

"Sounds like a good plan," Dr. Sommers said. Adeline smiled. She enjoyed the relatively normal conversation, especially in this not-normal situation. The sudden sound of footsteps upstairs filled the room and Bo looked up.

"I wonder who that is."

Liam stumbled down the stairs and saw Adeline and Bo and Dr. Sommers having breakfast. Before he knew it, his stomach growled and the word, "food?" Flew out of his mouth.

Bo laughed heartily, "Come sit with us! How was your sleep after your little adventure?"

Dr. Sommers eyebrows flew up, "Adventure? Please do tell."

Liam thought that Bo was going to explain, but then realized that everyone was looking at him. He quickly mumbled, "Attic. Thought you were hiding something," then sat down at the table.

Adeline grinned, "You didn't- The door! You must've been eating when Dr. Sommers told us there was an attic in the room you guys slept in."

Dr. Sommers nodded, "And you must've missed my explicit request not to go up there."

Liam blushed all the way to the tips of his ears and sat down, quickly inhaling as much food as he could. Everyone gazed at him in surprise, "what?" He said through mouthfuls, "I'm hungry."

It was the laughter that awoke Levi and Magnolia. Levi looked a bit tired, but Magnolia was refreshed from a good nights sleep. They came down stairs and ate breakfast. Magnolia sat by Bo and they talked happily. Liam laughed along and grinned, retelling his night adventure at least 5 times. Liam was glad these were the people he was with, and not some other group, who might've been less lenient towards his eating habits. Though, every time he looked towards Magnolia and Bo, he grimaced internally, trying not to let the jealousy invade his mind.

260 words

Magnolia

Magnolia wasn’t used to being woken up with laughter, but she found that she didn’t mind it all that much. Laughter meant things were good. It meant the police hadn’t found them. And while she couldn’t smell coffee, Magnolia figured that the laughter meant there was some sort of caffeinated beverage. (She didn’t smell coffee -- and oh dear God coffee was probably rationed wasn’t it.)

It helped that she had gotten a full night’s sleep. She didn’t get that very often, given her schedule and general stress level. Aside from the brief wakefulness brought on by Liam’s attic adventures, Magnolia had been out like a light. A sleepy, sleepy light.

She grabbed her sunglasses from the drawer and put them on. It didn't seem as bright as it had been yesterday, but Magnolia wasn't in the mood for accidentally giving herself a headache -- or making one worse, given that she could already feel the beginnings of one. She got dressed and walked downstairs, finding the kitchen without much trouble. She sat down next to Bo.

"Please tell me there's coffee," she said, successfully resisting the urge to faceplant on the table. She was well rested, but caffeine usually helped with her headaches. (Or made them worse, if she had too much. Not that she had any experience with that haha what's a monster energy drink.)

"We have tea," Dr. Sommers said.

"What kind?"

"Black tea. Would you like some?"

"Please."

Dr. Sommers poured her a cup. Magnolia held it in her hands, warming her fingers while she waited for it to cool. She started sipping it once it wasn't scorching.

"How is it?"

"It's good." Magnolia said. "Makes me glad to have missed the Boston Tea Party by a few years."

Dr. Sommers resisted the urge to sigh.

"I think that's a bit of oolong way off," Bo said.

"Yeah," Magnolia said. "My estimation was a little steep."

Dr. Sommers sighed.

Word Count: 321 words

When Dr. Sommers stepped out that morning to go get things for everyone, Bo couldn't help but feel a little guilty. In honesty, he felt torn.

It was WW2. Resources were scarce, supplies were rationed, and Bo knew even for a genius scientist like Sommers - because he had to be a genius if he was able to make a time machine in his basement with a frisbee - it couldn't have been easy. But on the flip side of that same coin, Sommers was the one who decided to make a time machine, and as harsh as it sounded, it really was his own fault for messing with the fabric of space-time. Sommers had to deal with the consequences and take responsibility for them as much as all of them had to adjust to what was going on.

Thankfully, Sommers didn't seem bitter. He was understanding and doing all he could to help them out.

Bo just wondered if there was more to him than that. Sommers was very kind, but Bo didn't know what he wanted with a time machine in the first place.

Was it just one of those "I have this genius idea and might as well try it out things?" Or did he have some other motive? Time travel wasn't just something you woke up one day and decided to do on a whim. There had to be something, right?

Bo, Adeline, and Levi were in the kitchen, washing the dishes from that morning in an efficient line of wash, dry, and put-away. Bo was the one washing, and he got the view of the backyard from the sink.

There was the hedge of trees that lined the wire fence, and practically swallowed the back of the fence - so that you couldn't quite see where it ended. That's where they'd hidden when the cop came by.

On the left side, there was the garage (which Bo kept thinking of like a shed, more than anything) and on the right side, there was a smaller fenced-in area for a chicken coop, where the chickens were out, pecking at the ground. Sommers must've just fed them. In the back of his mind, he started taking notes on things they could do around the house to help during their stay. Feeding the chickens could be one of them.

He finished cleaning the last plate and handed it to Adeline, who went at it with a towel.

"You'd think he'd have a dishwasher," Adeline mumbled.

"I don't think those were as common in 1943," Levi commented as he took the plate, now dry, and stacked it in the cupboard.

"Aren't as common in 1943," Adeline corrected.

"I don't know why you keep correcting us," Liam spoke up, poking his head in. He'd dipped out of dish-washing to go to the bathroom. Apparently, all of the food from last night finally caught up to him. "It's not like anyone's around to hear us."

Adeline narrowed her eyes at Liam. "If we're going to be here for a while we can at least try to pretend we're from here."

"If we wanted to do that, then we probably shouldn't even be mentioning the year," Levi said, closing the cupboard door. "People don't talk about the present like it's foreign to them."

Adeline opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, sending her narrowed eyes in Levi's direction. Liam, from the entrance of the kitchen, stifled a laugh.

"Liam," was all Bo said, but it got Liam to stop laughing.

Mags was in the living room, and Bo stepped a little closer to the doorway of the kitchen. He could just see her from that angle, and she was sitting on the couch, beside the big radio. Sommers had turned it on low volume. Right now it was just playing soft music that carried down the hallway.

He watched her for just a second, as she sat peacefully, with her chin resting in her hand.

He wondered if she was thinking about getting back home as much as he was, at least, in the back of his mind. It was hard not to.

Liam caught his attention again. "So, what are we going to do until Sommers gets back?"

Bo looked back at the other three.

"Well, you could always explore the attic," Adeline said.

Liam smiled wearily, and Levi shot Adeline a look. Bo could tell Liam was over it, already.

"I already said I was sorry," Liam mumbled.

Bo patted Liam on the shoulder.

"It's okay." He paused, and glanced out the kitchen window, back out at the backyard, and he hummed.

"I guess I could take a look a the truck again." Sommers had told him a little of what he was thinking about over breakfast.

"I don't really know much about cars," Liam admitted. Adeline didn't look too interested, and Bo ended up making eye contact with Levi.

"It would give us something to do," Levi said.

Bo smiled a little and nodded. "Okay." He turned to head out back, but paused in the hallway, looking into the living room.

"You okay in there Mags?" he called.

"Shh! You're interrupting this very riveting news report on the price of butter."

Bo snorted and glanced back at Liam and Adeline. "Maybe you guys can find a different channel or something."

And then he headed out back - this time with shoes on - out to the garage. Levi, after a moment's hesitation, followed behind.

919 words

"Well.." Adeline mumbled as she dried her hands on a rag. Her arms were sore from cleaning five people's plates.. well, it was more like nine because of Liam's constant need to eat. She turned to Liam, who was now the only person in the room besides her, "What should we do?"

"I'm going to go see if Levi and Bo need any help. They probably are alright, with Bo and all, but I might as well see," Liam shrugged.

"Sounds good to me."

Liam exited the room and Adeline leaned against the counter, shifting through Dr. Sommers' mail. Now she really was a snoop. She couldn't help herself, though. All the magazines were so fascinating. The art, the clothes, just the way they were advertised compared to what she was used to interested her. And the flyers, urging Dr. Sommers to buy food stamps and ration looked like something out of a history textbook. Adeline could have sworn she saw the same poster she was holding in her hand in her 10th Grade History textbook.

"Did Liam go upstairs?" a voice called from the other room. Adeline spun around. She had completely forgotten Magnolia was there.

"Yeah, he did," Adeline answered. She walked out of the kitchen and joined Magnolia in the living room. It felt off to Adeline. The lack of a television and an Alexa made her feel completely out of place, "You all good?"

"Just wonderful. I can't imagine how Dr. Sommers lives like this, though," Magnolia said as she lifted her head off her hand.

"How come?"

"Well, for one, they're talking about the price of butter on the radio," Magnolia chuckled.

Adeline laughed, "You've got a point there."

Silence fell upon them as the broadcast about rationing switched to the news.

"The invasion of Sicily start... British landings at Augusta... island’s eastern side, American landings to the south.. the island was invaded both amphibiously and by air.." the announcer read.

"That's cool," Adeline said once it switched to more local news.

"Sort of, yeah." Magnolia stretched, "So, what are we going today?"

"I was thinking we'd go into town, get the frisbee and... whatever else he wanted," Adeline said.

"Cherry pie."

"Oh, yeah! We better get two of them, one for Liam and the other for us." Adeline snorted.

Magnolia laughed, "We should wait for Dr. Sommers to get back first, so we know what to do."

"Sounds good to me."