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An Unexpected Time



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Fri Oct 30, 2020 1:09 am
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Corvid says...



Magnolia

Magnolia was in the truck's passenger’s seat, with Bo next to her on the driver’s side. Magnolia didn’t know what year seat warmers had been invented -- but she was really starting to wish that they’d all been sent there, instead. The car was unexpectedly chilly, to the point that, when Magnolia reached over and started to feel for the truck’s glove box, she jerked her hand away in surprise.

"You okay?"

"A little chilly," Magnolia reached back towards the glove box.

"I can roll down the windows a bit if you'd like. Just enough to let the warm air in."

"That'd be nice, thanks."

"Alright."

Magnolia could hear a creak as Bo cranked the window down a little. A faint breeze rushed in, but it wasn't too loud. They couldn't have been going that fast.


Magnolia muttered another "Thanks," and pulled open the glove box. She reached inside and. Yep. That was a gun. She didn't say anything just yet, trying to keep her expression neutral as she carefully felt to see if the safety was on. There was. No safety. But the revolver wasn't cocked, and didn't seem on the verge of exploding when she set the gun back down.

"Does it feel like there's any maps in there?" Bo asked.

"Um," Magnolia bluescreened for a second, before checking. "There's a folded up piece of paper, so probably?" She took it out of the glove box, held it where Bo could see.

"Oh! That's a map!"

"Gucci," Magnolia said. Bo chuckled quietly. She put the map on her lap for the time being. "Should probably do something about the gun, though."

There was a small pause. "Can you tell if it's loaded?"

"It's not cocked, but--" Magnolia felt the gun again. "Couldn't tell you anything else."

"When we stop, I can make sure it's empty," he said. "So there aren't any accidents. But for now let's not fuss with it too much."

"Sounds like a plan." She went back to fussing with the gun, carefully sliding it further into the glove box. Her hand brushed against something else. "Oh, there's--" Magnolia pulled out a pair of gloves. They were leather, and comfy.

"Yeah, I'm stealing these."

Magnolia could hear the smile in Bo's voice. "Are your hands that cold?"

Fake shivvering in 3...2...1...
"Totally." Magnolia said, as she put the gloves on.

"Uh huh." Bo's amused sarcasm was obvious. "Well it's good you found them then."

"Right? I don't know what I would've done without them." Magnolia was smiling. Somewhere, somehow, Levi felt a disturbance in the force.

There was a short lull in conversation, and Magnolia felt Bo grab the map off her lap, and the paper rustling as he unfolded it. He was quiet as he shifted gears, and the hum of the engine got a little louder.

"I can't really tell where we're at just by looking at the map," Bo admitted. "It's Oklahoma all right, but we're somewhere out in the farmlands. We'll have to wait until we hit a road sign." He hummed deep in his throat. "Hopefully we have enough gas to make it to a town. We have a little over 3/4 a tank, and I don't know the gas mileage on this piece of history, but that should be enough." He paused, again. "Should be."

"Let's hope."

Suddenly, the car hit a bump in the road. Bo's arm shot out in front of Magnolia to catch her, and he pushed her back in the seat, keeping her from flying forward.

"Ah! Sorry! Sorry. That pothole came out of nowhere."

Magnolia wasn't especially happy at suddenly being restrained, even if it did keep her from hitting the dashboard. She grabbed Bo's arm on reflex, and was entierly unsuccessful in concealing the fact that she was checking out his muscles. Magnolia seemed to realize what she was doing, and pulled her hand back. She didn't say anything for few seconds. Awkward.

Bo let out a small laugh and pulled his arm away and cleared his throat. "The breaks on this thing are touchy. Been a minute since I've driven stick."

"Sure felt like it."
Her face? Red. A glorified tomato.

Bo started looking at the map again, or so it sounded. The paper crinkled again.

The silence stretched on.

"So where are--"

Magnolia cut herself off when she realized Bo was talking too.

Bo laughed, but it sounded tense. "Sorry. You first."

"I was uh, gonna ask. Where are you from?"

"Oh! I'm from Los Angeles, California, originally. That's where I was born. Travelled a lot since then, but it's where I was before, well, this. What about you?"

"I'm from the mountains," Magnolia said.

"Oh, yes. THE mountains." She could hear him smiling. "I hear they're very mountainy in the mountain time."

Magnolia snorted.

"But really, mountains where?"

"Pennsylvania," Magnolia said. "A liiiitle bit past the Amish."

"Wow, so you're really out there, huh. You get wifi that far out?"

"Calling it wifi would be a stretch." Magnolia said, only partially sarcastic. "I'm sure it'd be too slow for your city-boy standards."

Bo laughed with a huff through his nose. "Maybe. You might be surprised. I've gone without wifi for a lot of my life. I think I could learn to live without it again. Or, just, you know, be patient for the minute or five that the webpage loads."

Laughter erupted from the back of the truck. It sounded like Levi. Not that they'd heard him laugh until this point.

"It's usually just faster to go to the closest McDonalds."

"Ha! You're right."

"Oh my gosh, there's no McDonald's now, is there?" Magnolia's voice was full of mock-horror. "Crap. How else am I gonna get McNuggets."

"I don't have enough money for chicken nuggets," Bo said in a fake-cry voice. He was referencing the iconic chicken nugget vine. Magnolia recognized it instantly. "And there's no more chicken nuggets to buy!"

Magnolia let out a howl of laughter. "Oh thank God. I don't know what I would've done if I got time-napped with someone who didn't have an encyclopedic knowledge of vines."

Bo laughed. "Mags, I don't even know how many vine compilations I've watched, but it's way too many." He paused. "... Is it okay to call you Mags? Or do you prefer Magnolia?"

Magnolia seemed to consider this for a moment. "Mags is fine." she said. "But for blending in, you should probably go with Magnolia."

Bo was quiet for a moment.

"...Bo probably doesn't sound very 1940's, does it. And it's - it's already a nickname."

"Not as a name, no." Magnolia said. Her face flushed red again. "But, uh. It does sound like a pet name that was used, then."

"Oh." Another pause. "Would that be weird? Should we come up with something else?"

"I don't know." Magnolia said, after a beat. "It's your name."

"It could be a good cover story," Bo said quietly. "My actual name doesn't sound very American, and while I could just pick a fake name, I don't think I'd actually respond to it at first. It might be easier to stick with Bo. That is, if you're okay with it. Because, well, you know. People make assumptions. Especially in the 1940s... I imagine."

"Yeah, I imagine." Magnolia went quiet for a moment, thinking. "It might be a good, er, cover story, though. Tactically."

Bo hummed. "Especially since people will probably be wondering why I'm not -" he swallowed. "Out to war."

"That's--" Magnolia sighed. "Almost forgot about that, for a second."

"We'll have to pick up fake rings, though." Magnolia adjusted her grip on the handle of her cane. "Guess I can check jewelery theft off my bucket list."

Bo folded up the map, and it sounded like he set it on the dashboard.

"We'll see if we can find something," he said softly. "We're gonna be okay."

Magnolia's expression softened a little, until it resembled something like relief. "Teamwork makes the dreamwork."

Bo sung quietly under his breath: "What's gonna work? Teamwork."

"What team?" Magnolia whispered.

In unison, her and Bo said: "Wildcats!"

Magnolia gave a small smile.

The truck came to a slow stop.

"There's a sign." Bo announced. "Milthes. Ten miles. That's the town from the address."

"Let's check it out." Magnolia said, quietly. "Even if it's a dead end -- we'll need gas, right?"

"Yeah." The car started up again, and they turned left.



word count: 1413
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Fri Oct 30, 2020 1:17 am
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JasmineFelicia says...



Back Seat

Liam


Liam was squished awkwardly in the middle of Levi and Adeline. Not exactly his preferred spot, but, after being the first one to 'offer' the middle seat to Levi, he had been given that spot instead. What an uno-reverse. Now he couldn't ignore everyone and lean against the window, no, now he had to sit straight and look ahead, or else risk eye contact and an awkward car conversation. Flashing past them were trees and creeks, and the sky was blue. A pretty boy blue. Only a few clouds speckled the sky. Liam sighed loudly and attempted to situate himself better.

Levi smiled lightly, a look of some ironic, self-amusement. 'So, darling, come here often?' he said.

Liam almost jumped when he heard Levi speak, but thankfully he didn't otherwise he would've ended up in Adeline's lap. "Are-Are you talking to yourself? Or is there someone following us outside with super speed"

Adeline rolled her eyes and scoffed. "He better be talking to you, not me."
'My sincerest apologies,' Levi said, quickly realizing how easily his statement could be misinterpreted. I think I was talking to the wind.

Liam laughed awkwardly, "the wind is nice haha am I right?" He attempted scooting away from either of them but that didn't work. He wanted to exit the truck. But he could not.

He turned to Levi, "random question, what is your favourite sound and smell? Actually, you too Adeline, what is your favourite sound and smell?"

Levi paused in thought. it was hard to think of anything except for the searing heat and the smell of truck fumes. 'Grass rustling, like when you're out camping and you can hear the wind running across the field. It feels kind of like the wilderness goes on forever as long as you don't look outside of your tent. And probably hot tea.' The thought of afternoon tea and biscuits made his stomach grumble.

Liam shifted in his seat and laughed, "Hot tea, eh?"

Oblivious to Liam laughing at him, Levi continued his gentle musings. 'I'm fond of Assam, but Earl Gray is also good as long as it's strong. Fennel too is one of my favourites, the bitterness of it is nice on early mornings'

Liam just shook his head and then said, "One of my favourite things is brown bread, with butter and cheese on top and hot, bitter earl grey tea in a tin cup. I miss it a lot. Don't know why I haven't made that for myself in a while."

Levi's expression softened and he relaxed a little more into his seat.

Adeline snapped her fingers, "My favourite sound is probably the ocean waves. As for my favourite smell, well, I like the smell of the beach. Ladyslippers and sassafrass. Reminds me of home. I used to walk Lake Michigan all the time."

Liam shifted in his seat because his back was getting that feeling of sitting in the wrong spot for too long of a time.


499 words
Hi, the name is Jasmine, but you can call me Jaz! Nice to meet you :D !





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Tenyo says...



Levi. Backseat.



'Where do you guys all live? I'm assuming we all come from different places?' Liam asked.

Adeline gazed at Liam with a raised eyebrow. 'Lake Michigan didn't give you any clues?'

Liam looked her straight in the eyes. 'I'm terrible at geography in school. Thankfully that was optional and only came up in history. I am assuming Michigan.'

Adeline rolled her eyes. 'Well, yes, part of it,' she turned to Levi, 'what about you? Do you know the places where Lake Michigan is?'

In Michigan... he thought, though by her questioning he assumed that lake Michigan was somewhat larger than could be assumed. Either way, the question seemed foolish, and he answered as politely as he could.

'It's a bit out of my region, I'd say,' he answered, with a twinge of bite to it.

Adeline frowned. 'Where do you live? I live in Illinois, one of the states Lake Michigan is in.'

Liam seemed surprised that a lake could be in more than one state. Levi raised an eyebrow and replied, quite bluntly, in an extenuated English accent. 'Oxford.'

Liam sprung back into life and sat up straight. 'No way! Like the college town? I actually tried applying to Oxford but got rejected. Guess I'll have to study closer to home. Home is Oregon, for me.'

'Yes, there.' Of course Oxford was famous for its university, he was used to its prestige lording over him. 'I live in the boarding school a few miles out, but we go to the university on occasion for some of our extra curricular classes. It's a nice place but you have to be something spectacular to get in there.'

Liam's eyes seemed to light up and his face beam. Levi could see the cogs turning as his imagination tugged at his mind with so many what if's, but it soon faded. That's what Oxford was, for most people. A beautiful thing. Like Hogwarts. Or the Olympics. 'So I've heard,' Liam continued. 'I've been having trouble getting into colleges, actually. But, you mentioned boarding school? What's it a school for?'

'It's a military school,' Levi answered, though he knew that people were fond of making assumptions of the kinds of kids that went to military school. Like, army cadets doing drills and learning to use guns and go on stealth missions. That's not what military school is. 'It's like any other boarding school,' he explained, trying to be jovial about it, 'except you have to wake up at 5am every day and unless you're dying you don't get to skip PE. I'll be graduating in a few months and travelling for a year whilst I figure out what to do next. I don't think I want to join the army...'

He was glad for the sudden jolt as the truck hurtled over a bump in the road. It was a distraction startling enough that he didn't feel the need to excuse his train of thoguht.

Liam slid straight into him, and Adeline into Liam, cramming them all together. Levi didn't entirely mind it- he was fully accustomed to cramped mini-buses.

'So what about you? What do you want to do in college?'

Liam seemed far more awkward about the cramming, and readjusted himself into the middle after Adeline shuffled back to the other side. 'Uhh, something like quantum mechanics, or mathematics, and after I'll join the Army National Guard, hopefully.' A bitter expression settled across his face, something that made Levi suddenly question his earlier assumptions. Maybe they had more in common than they thought. Only, Levi had left that bitterness behind. His plans to travel were undoubtedly, though he'd never admit it, a stalling point in life while he figured out how to make choices of his own. 'My friends say I should write and go to culinary school though. And I'm already 23.' He shook his head with an anger that Levi didn't quite understand. All he knew was that the air in the truck had suddenly gotten a lot more solemn.

He stole the opportunity. 'Twenty three?' He gasped jovially. 'My friend you don't look a day over twenty two I swear.'

Liam smiled ruefully. 'It's not about my looks, but thank you. We just have very little time in our lives. And I've wasted too much of it. One hundred years is not that much when you look at all our history.'

All our history... Levi frowned and glanced out of the window. Twenty three and talking about a wasted life. The idea seemed bizarre to him. He may have only just turned eighteen, but even then he knew that twenty three was barely an adult.

I guess history looks different when you don't have as much of it.

Adeline jabbed Liam with her elbow. 'Look, the jokester has become the philosopher.'

'Aye,' Liam nodded.

Adeline eyed him oddly. 'Aye?'

Wordcount: 810.
Collab Credit to Jasminefelicia and Soundofmind
Last edited by Tenyo on Fri Oct 30, 2020 1:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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JasmineFelicia says...



Back Seat

Liam



Liam sighed and wriggled in his seat.

American history. Levi knew some things, but he found himself suddenly embarrassed by the flaws in his knowledge. 'Seventeen seventy six? Was it? We don't get taught much outside of european history, but I took a few extra classes.'

Adeline nodded, "Yup, 1776. July 4th was when the declaration of independence was
written."

Liam also nodded.

Levi looked out the window, remembering their predicament once again. 'And now we're in 1943.'

Liam bolted up, hit his head against the truck ceiling, then landed back down on his seat, "We. Do no. Know. For sure. Whether. This. Is. Nineteen. Fourty. Three! I refuse to acknowledge time travel. It's just paradoxical!"

Adeline frowned at him, "I found that paper, and you saw the clothes."
Liam huffed angrily.

'Are you alright friend?' Levi asked. 'That looked like it hurt.'

"Hurt? Nah. Maybe a little. Anyway what do you think of this whole messed up- arrrrrghhh."

'To be perfectly honest I think the most logical solution is that this is some kind of hallucination, but in the event that it's not then perhaps we aught to be figuring out how we're going to survive. Food, shelter, heaven knows we're going to need water soon.'

Adeline groaned. "I knew we forgot to do something back at the house! We could've grabbed some food and water there too."

'Stolen,' Levi corrected her. 'Could have stolen, food and water.'

Adeline rolled her eyes again. "Yeah. Stolen. It's our only option at the moment. We don't know who brought us here, but I blame them on us having to resort to stealing. It's not like this is what I do every day, but I didn't plan on waking up in a barn in Oklahoma."

Liam was reminded of his siblings back at home and sighed sadly, "Have any of you got siblings? You certainly argue like siblings."

Adeline pouted angrily at that but relented. "I have two little brothers," she mumbled.

Liam smiled and relaxed, "Then we can undertand each other. What about you, Levi?"

'No siblings. I grew up in a dorm with eight other boys until I was twelve, then we only have to share with four others. We don't argue, we just stay out of each others way.' The words felt dry as he spoke them. He wished sometimes he had stories of mischief to tell, and it wasn't for his lack of siblings. Levi had always simply kept too close to the straight line to end up bickering.

"Sounds boring," Adeline said.

Liam smiles even wider, "I don't know about boring. Sounds just enough to be a little exciting and enough calm. I personally don't rememeber exactly how many siblings I have, It's like 2 or 3 or something like that. But they're all fun. I miss them. Just like that good old cheese and bread."

'Not calm, just complicated,' Levi said. 'There are only so many bruised eyes one can acquire before he learns to save his punches for when they matter... But on that matter- how can you forget how many siblings you have??'

Adeline reached over and knocked lightly on Liam's head. "How many brain cells do you have in there?"

He shrugged nervously , "Look, it's not like I make a census of my siblings, okay? Their personalities are so close sometimes and whatever." He waved his hands around for effect.

Levi froze like a photograph in sheer perplexion for a few seconds before suddenly bursting
into a fit of laughter. Whatever words he tried to say were drowned out by it as the ridiculousness of the situation finally took hold of him.

Liam looked at him, startled, "What? I don't understand why your-"

Adeline started laughing too, but talked through it. "You seriously can't remember?"

Liam frowned, "Look, it's like- Ugh okay." He sighed and held his hands to his head in a well practiced way, "There is Lily Jennifer Coleman, and then the twins. So," He looked up in great relief, "There's three."

Levi continued to laugh hysterically, barely catching his breath to wipe his eyes with his sleeve and speak. 'I think I must be off my blinking rocker.' After a few deep breaths the laughter softened and he drew a deep breath and tilted his head back to the ceiling to try and calm himself down.

Liam stared at him intently. Then he sighed and looked at Adeline, who was also recovering from laughter. He tilted his head, "What's all y'all's favourite food or nostalgic thing?"

From the front of the truck they heard howling laughter. First it was more high, which was probably Magnolia, and then another laughter joined hers. Bo. They were laughing.
Liam stared. This was an interesting situation. Everyone was laughing but him. Usually it was the other way around. He glanced at Adeline and Levi, the question didn't matter anymore.
Liam enjoyed the atmosphere of happiness in the truck

827 words

Credit to Soundofmind and Tenyo for the collab
Last edited by JasmineFelicia on Tue Nov 03, 2020 3:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Hi, the name is Jasmine, but you can call me Jaz! Nice to meet you :D !





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looseleaf says...



Adeline Violet Hagen


Soon enough the truck came to a stop at a gas pump. It was a small gas station with only two pumps and a small mechanic. The pumps themselves were red and white with giant circles that read "Mobil Gas" on the top of them. There was another car at the pump next to them, containing a sophisticated woman in the passenger seat and a small, white dog.

Levi, Adeline, and Liam climbed out of the bed of the truck while Bo assisted Magnolia. Liam walked over to the gas pump (which was at least a foot taller than him) and looked at the dials. It seemed much simpler than the gas pump he was used to, but he couldn't find how to start it. He sighed, frustrated, then grabbed the pump and began putting it in the car.

"Wait! Sir!" A high pitched voice yelled from the pump next to them. A middle-aged man in a navy blue uniform appeared from behind it and took the pump from Liam, "You can't do that yourself."

"Um, yeah, of course. Sorry about that."

The man put the gas pump in the truck and eyed the group, especially Bo, suspiciously, "Are you all from around here?"

"No, sir," Levi replied.

"Oh." the man mumbled, "Are you draft-dodgers or something?"

"Excus-" Adeline began to ask, but she was briefly cut off by the other car pulling out of the gas station, "Excuse me?"

"Not you, young lady," the man motioned to the men.

"No, sir," Levi repeated, "Of course not."

"Then why are you here? No one your ages and in your conditions would have escaped the draft." the man pushed. Adeline suddenly began to feel very uncomfortable and she backed up against the truck. She wanted to be the first one in the car if they had to get out of there.

"Well.." Bo looked at Levi and Liam, who nodded, before continuing, "We're on break."

"On break?" the man chuckled, "What are you guys? Sailors?"

No one responded. They didn't know what to say. The man repeated himself, "Are you?"

"Yes, they are," Magnolia said. Adeline had completely forgotten she was there, "Their ship docked and they came back in town to visit Addy and I while they can."

Adeline silently nodded her head along to what Magnolia said, although she was screaming internally. No one called her Addy. Addy was a childish nickname and she was definitely not childish.

"Oh," the sound of the pump exiting the car signified the conversation ending. The man put the pump back and turned to face Bo, who he must have assumed was the oldest of the bunch, "That'll be $2.94."

"$2.94?! How many gallons was that?" Bo exclaimed. The man looked at him, confused, and simply mumbled "Eleven and a half." Bo still seemed shocked, but quickly handed the man three dollars and said, "Keep the change."

"Thank you, all," the man said. He looked at the group one more time before quickly scurrying off to the building.

The group paused before speaking again, but Adeline eventually broke the silence, "Addy, Magnolia? Is that the only name you could come up with?"

Magnolia chuckled, "I had to say something. The guy would have alerted the police and we don't know what they would do to draft-dodgers."

"That's true," Levi said, "I guess we're sailors now."

"I guess so," Liam shrugged, "I don't mind that, though. Being a sailor doesn't sound that bad."

"Mmhmm," Adeline said. She was staring down the street, "Anyways, what now?"

"We have to find the address on my paper," Bo replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out, "It's got to be around here somewhere."

"Maybe we could ask for directions?"

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Corvid says...



Magnolia

Magnolia listened and waited for the mechanic’s footsteps to recede. When the man was fully out of earshot, she let out a small sigh of relief. The draft dodging comments, though entirely unexpected, hadn’t been particularly pleasant. Because while Magnolia didn’t necessarily trust or even like all the people she’d been time-travelled/potentially kidnapped with, it wouldn’t be great if half of their group wound up in jail or at war -- they were, after all, each-other’s best bets at finding their ways back home.

Magnolia adjusted her grip on her cane and turned towards the others, taking in her immediate surroundings with a few pointed movements. The ground felt dusty, gritty. Which made some sense, if they had been time-travelled -- given the Dust Bowl (which Magnolia had conveniently forgotten the exact time-span of) and the fact that they were in a glorified parking lot.

“Who do we ask, then?” she leaned back against the car, dropping her voice when she spoke. “We don’t exactly blend in, so...”

Liam looked towards where the mechanic had walked off to. “We could ask the mechanic.”

“He’s already suspicious.” Bo said.

“I mean, you did steal a car.” Levi sounded more than a little bitter, but he kept his voice to a whisper nonetheless. Discrepancy is a wonderful thing.

“You got in it,” Adeline said. “I’m pretty sure that makes you an accomplice. But, yeah. We should probably ask someone who won’t call the cops.”

Magnolia heard the sound of an engine, the crunch of dirt and dust under tires. She tilted her head towards the sound, just in time to hear another car driving down the road, towards the gas station. “Um,” She nodded in the car’s general direction. “Maybe we should just use the map from the glove box?”

Word count: 297
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looseleaf says...



Adeline Violet Hagen


"Sounds like a good idea," Adeline nodded. Her eyes were glued on the car that had just turned onto the road. It was painted black and looked slightly different compared to some of the other cars on the street. The sound of Bo opening the passenger door knocked Adeline out of her trance and her attention returned to the group.

Bo grabbed the map from where Magnolia had left it and returned to the group. He laid it out at the end of the bed of the truck and they all circled around it. It was a simple map of Milthes and a some of the land around it. It was a small town, and according to the map, had a population of no more than a thousand.

"We're looking for East Cherry Street, right?" Liam asked.

"Yeah," Adeline replied, "or where we are currently."

Liam nodded. Levi looked at the map quickly then ran to the sidewalk. He looked down the street for a moment, in the opposite direction of the ominous car, and returned to the group.

"We're on Mulberry Road," Levi said while pointing down the road, "Cleveland Street crosses it over there."

Bo scanned the map then pointed somewhere left to the middle, "We're right here.. does anyone have a pencil?"

The group dug through their pockets, but came out empty handed.

"No, sorry," Magnolia replied, "but I think there was one in the glove box."

"I'll grab it," Adeline said before walking over to the passenger seat and opening the glove box. She tried to ignore the gun as much as she could, even though guns scared her more than anything else, and grabbed the pencil she could find.

She returned over to the others and handed Bo the pencil. He looked at it, then circled the gas station on the map.

"Why is there a gun in the car?" Adeline whispered.

"What?!" Levi exclaimed, "Are you serious?"

Levi got a round of "Sshhhhs" from the others and no answer besides a nod from Magnolia and a simple "Yup" from Bo.

"I found it!" Bo said, circling another place on the map. He measured the distance between the two places with his fingers, then compared the gap between his fingers to the key, "It's about.. a mile or so to the Northwest."

"Well, we can just take.. what were the streets you said, Levi?" Liam asked.

Levi didn't respond. He was staring with a blank face through the back window of the truck, in the direction of the glovebox.

"It was Mulberry and Cleveland." Magnolia answered.

"Yeah, then we can take Cleveland over to the place." Adeline said. She paused for a moment before continuing, "You think the place we're going to will have food?"

"What?" Levi mumbled, turning his head slightly so that he could see her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm hungry. I haven't eaten since... well, the last thing I ate was some pancakes Madison made me, which was breakfast and.. I don't really know when that was," Adeline said.

"I'm hungry, too," Magnolia added.

They all looked at each other, then Bo shrugged, "It couldn't hurt to grab some food."

Adeline smiled. Everyone began climbing into the car and Liam mumbled, "I wonder if there's any good burgers around here."

Adeline was the last to enter the back of the car, but when she did, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the same black car from earlier.

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soundofmind says...



Andrei Petrov


There was a lot going on in Bo's head at the moment.

Someone was following them. He kept losing them in his peripheral, but he knew there was a car following them.

That, and the guy at the gas station definitely didn't seem too convinced by their hasty cover-story. It probably didn't help that Bo looked like... how he looked.

And gas was super cheap. That made sense. It was 1940. He just, well, he hadn't been prepared for that, mentally. It was starting to actually hit him that they were in a different time. Maybe it didn't feel like it yet because he was still wearing a mix of modern clothing and old clothes that didn't quite fit right.

The jacket was really stiff. Part of that was it was tight, and part of that was the material. He didn't think there were shoulder pads in it - that was a different era - but man. Being a big guy made finding clothes that fit hard. And when you were stealing clothes and had limited options, you took what you could find.

That said, he did like the hat. He didn't normally wear hats, but at least it fit and if someone didn't look at him too closely while he was like, sitting in the car, they probably wouldn't be able to tell that he looked out of place.

Oh, who was he kidding.

He needed to focus on driving.

There weren't a lot of speed limit signs, so Bo played it safe and drove slow down Cleveland, taking cues from the cars around him. The street wasn't super busy, but it had small town vibes. Bo kept an eye out for restaurants and food places as they rolled by.

He glanced at Mags.

"So... sailors, huh?"

Magnolia shrugged. "It was the first thing I could think of."

"Well I'm glad you thought of it," he said.

"You think he bought it?"

Bo hummed. "I don't know."

He looked out the back window, where the other three sat in the trunk. He caught a glimpse of Adeline throwing her head back in what looked like a big, dramatic sigh.

Same.

"So, just trying to get our story straight -" he said. "So I'm a sailor on leave, visiting my wife for the few short... days? Weeks? That I'm in town?"

"Something like that," Magnolia said, turning her face away. If she weren't blind, he would think she was just looking out the window. But it looked like she was... hiding.

"You okay?"

Magnolia straightened up a little. "Just hungry."

"Ah." He nodded. "Same."

And then, in perfect movie timing, a tap came from the back window. Bo rolled down the passenger side so he could hear.

"Johnson's Burgers!" Liam cheered excitedly.

"Burgers? Actually?" Adeline echoed in surprise and excitement. "Yes!"

Bo looked ahead, seeing the white sign painted in red and blue letters. The turn was just up ahead, and he pulled into the parkinglot beside a little buggy. The place was open, and he could see people sitting outside chatting, and it looked even busier inside. Maybe the bustle would help them blend in.

He heard Liam, Levi, and Adeline hop out the back, and turned to Magnolia.

"Hey Mags, I think I'm gonna stay in the car," he said. "Maybe you can grab me something." He started to pull out cash from his pocket. The guy at the gas station hadn't looked at it too closely, but he was afraid if anyone did, they might think it was fraudulent, since the year on it was definitely later than 1943.

He paused, and frowned.

"Wait a second."

He looked down at his jacket and awkwardly tried to lift his arms in the stiff sleeves so he could reach into the pockets, looking something like a t-rex. He was glad Magnolia couldn't see, but also, it would've been funny if she could. Too bad.

Then he hit gold. Well, not literally. He felt coins, and cash.

"Ha hah!" He laughed victoriously, but as he pulled it out, he heard a loud tear.

Oh, there went his sleeve. "...Ha..."

Magnolia couldn't help but laugh. Loudly.

"Sorry," she said, finally. After realizing the predicament. "Seriously, my bad. Please tell me that was just your sleeve."

Bo sighed. "The shoulder... the sleeve is almost completely disconnected - I - wow." He laughed too. "Okay, now I'm really not going inside. Not like this." He held out the money, lightly tapping Magnolia's shoulder with his hand so she knew where it was. "Take this. I found some old money in my pocket."

"You sure?" Magnolia said, as she took the money.

"Just don't tell Levi where I got it from."

"No, like--" Magnolia went to tuck the money in her pocket, only to remember that 1940's women's clothing was wildly impractical. "Like, it'd look suspicious if you stay in the car while everyone else goes in."

Bo grinned. "Are you saying I look suspicious?"

Magnolia snorted. "I'm guessing you're tall?"

"Very tall."

"Buff?" She dramatically flexed her arms.

Bo snorted this time. "Yes. Sorry to say, but buffer than you."

"Damn," Magnolia shook her head, "You must be absolutely ripped, then. Positively shredded."

Bo was holding back laughter. He could feel the pressure building in his face, and it leaked out in a wheeze. "Yes, yes, absolutely shredded. Um--"

A knock came on the window. Adeline.

"You guys coming?"

Bo turned around and tilted his shoulder to show the torn sleeve.

"I think it'd be better for me to stay back, but Mags thinks I'll look suspicious."

Adeline looked between the two of them.

"Maybe we could get food for both of you?"

Bo looked to Mags. "I guess that means you should hand over the money."

"What?" Adeline sounded confused. Rightfully so.

Magnolia was holding back a grin, as she went to hand the money to Adeline. "Don't tell Levi,"

Levi, who apparently was not as far away as they thought, approached the window.

"Don't tell me what?"

"Just that you're shoe's untied," Adeline quipped.

"Looks like a real tripping hazard," Magnolia added.

"My what-" he looked down. It wasn't untied. But as he looked down, Adeline flicked his nose.

Levi backed away and rubbed his nose, glaring at Adeline.

Adeline and Liam were giggling, but Liam stopped and patted Levi on the shoulder.

"Okay, okay, are we getting food now?"

Adeline's eyes lit up and she gripped the money in her fist. "Yes!"

She started to run off with Liam and Levi, but turned around and waved to Bo and Mags. "We'll grab you guys something!"

"It can be anything!" Bo called out, before adding, as an aside that Adeline couldn't hear: "I will eat anything. At this point."

"Same." Magnolia said. "But if they have fries, get me some fries."

Adeline gave them a thumbs up that Bo knew Magnloia couldn't see.

"She gave a thumbs' up," he told her quietly.

"Gucci."

1,160 words
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JasmineFelicia says...



Liam


Liam grinned. Maybe their time in the 1940's wasn't going to be all that bad. There was something going on between Magnolia and Bo, and if it isn't the same thing that guy and his sister went through two years ago, he didn't know what it was. Needless to say, That guy was now his brother-in-law and his sister was someone's daughter-in-law. If Bo and Magnolia ended up actually dating, he was definitely call upon the powers of Cupid to help him join hearts. You see, Liam liked people happy, and people seemed to be the happiest when in love. At least most of the time.

They entered Johnson Burgers, and from the glances Levi and Liam were given, it might have been best if they had stayed with Bo and Magnolia. The only men there were dressed in uniform (there were only like three of them not including Liam and Levi), and all the women gazed at them in horror. There were some children sitting at tables.

"Maybe we should just order the first thing we see on the menu," Liam whispered.

Levi and Adeline nodded. They both seemed just as uncomfortable as him at the stares directed their way.

Adeline walked up to the counter where you ordered your food, Liam and Levi close behind her.

A young woman stood in the spot behind the counter, "What can I get for you folks?" She drawled slowly. She seemed innocent enough, but her eyes perused them intently - as if trying to find something wrong with them.

Adeline frowned, and decided their order quickly, "Hamburgers with fries - 5 please. And to go with us please."

The woman smiled in a sickly sweet way, and Liam was sure it didn't take 20 minutes to hamburgers and fries but who knew. Adeline almost ran out of money, with only two coins left, and Levi was questioning the appearance of the money. When they left Johnson Burgers, Liam had lost his appetite, and there was a weird looking black car driving into the parking lot. Bo hurried them in the truck, and they drove out. Liam didn't notice the Black car left not even ten minutes after them.

360 words
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Corvid says...



Magnolia

By the time the others returned with the food, Bo and Magnolia had gotten back in the car. They were talking in quiet, serious voices. Despite this, both were smiling.

"I hate to break it to you, Mags, but there’s no way Stewart Little would win in a fight,"

"That's what I'm saying!" Magnolia said, stifling a snicker. "Look, even if he did manage to get the upper-hand, Remy's a parisian street rat! It might take a while, but he'd win in the end."

"Elaborate."

"Rabies."

"Are you implying that the beloved Remy Ratatouille has rabies?"

"I am."

"WOW. Well, in that case--"

Adeline walked up to the car and tapped on the glass.

Magnolia turned her head towards the sound, raised an eyebrow. She felt for the lever to roll down the window. "Uber eats?"

Adeline rolled her eyes. "Funny," she said, as she passed the food through the window. "Here's your food. Fries and all."

"Thanks, Adeline." Magnolia said, taking the food.

Bo started the car, Magnolia rolled up the window, and Adeline went to get back in the truck. Liam and Levi were already in the back, neither of them that keen on sitting in the middle seat, or being seen.

They drove off.

It was a quiet ride. Between the sounds of everyone eating and the wind outside the car, Magnolia didn't hear much out of the ordinary -- save for the sound of another car's engine rattling to life, not long after they'd driven away from Johnson's Burgers.

But Magnolia couldn't hear anything behind them, so she didn't think much of it. Old cars had loud engines, usually -- right?

Word Count: 273
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looseleaf says...



Adeline Violet Hagen


This time, Adeline's eyes didn't leave the black car. It was following them, though it always stayed at least two stop lights away. Adeline couldn't see into the car, or identify any place it could be from, except that something was definitely off about it. It seemed almost older than most of the other cars in Milthes, but Adeline couldn't be sure. Every car looked old to her. Perhaps it could have just been made by a unique company.

"Do you guys see that car?" Adeline said to Levi and Liam. Liam was still eating the last of his burger.

"What car? There's dozens of cars." Liam replied.

"I see it." Levi said quietly. Liam raised his eyebrows and Levi pointed in the distance.

"That blue one?"

The blue car pulled out of the intersection, revealing the black car.

"Oh. That one." No one spoke for a moment as they watched the car, "What should we do?"

"Does it look like I know?" Adeline said.

"No, not really. I was just asking."

"We could send them off our track," Levi said.

"How would we do that?" Adeline asked, "This truck is so huge and slow. No one could lose track of it."

"What if they were distracted, though?" Levi suggested, "Say you randomly jumped out of the truck and ran in that," he motioned behind Adeline, "direction. The car might see you and change directions."

"No way! I don't want to be kidnapped!" Adeline exclaimed.

"Liam?" Adeline and Levi faced Liam, who looked back and forth between them.

"That's a no from me too. If it's some guy like Bo in that car, I'm dead meat," he replied. He ate the last bite of his burger and shrugged, "Plus, how would we meet back up with Adeline?"

"True." Levi mumbled, "Nevermind, then."

Suddenly, the truck took a sharp right turn and Liam's head banged against the back of the cab and Levi was thrown forward onto Adeline.

"Hey!" she yelled. Levi climbed off of her and mumbled a quick "Sorry."

"No, not you," Adeline crawled to the front corner of the bed and knocked on the driver's side window. A few seconds later, Bo's head popped out.

Adeline didn't even give Bo a moment to speak, "What was that for?!"

"I nearly missed the turn." Adeline looked through the window to see Magnolia just as discombobulated as the rest of them, "Did you see that black car following us?"

"Yeah, I did. Is the address down this street?"

"Yup!" Bo said. His head disappeared within the car and the window rolled up. Adeline crawled back to her spot, to find Liam rubbing his head and whimpering.

"You alright?"

"Yeah.." he grumbled.

Slowly, the truck moved down the street until it reached the ninth house on the street. It was a small, two story Victorian style. The exterior was a sandy yellow color that reminded Adeline of the beach on Lake Michigan. Surprisingly, that memory didn't make Adeline sad. In fact, it made her realize how much she wasn't missing Chicago, or the future for that matter, and was actually enjoying being in the past.

The house had a large spire on the front left corner, with a pointed roof. To the right of it was the front door. There was a dirt driveway leading back to what looked like a large, sheltered yard and shed.

Bo exited the truck, "We're here." He circled the car and helped Magnolia out.

"What does it look like?" she asked.

As Levi, Liam, and Adeline exited the car, Bo described the house, and Magnolia smiled.

"It sounds nice," she said.

"So... who wants to go first?" Liam asked with a nervous chuckle.

"We'll walk up together," Bo said. They all agreed and began walking up the stone steps up to the front door. The closer they got to it, the larger the door and the house seemed.

Finally, they came to the door. Adeline knocked on the door, as she saw nothing that resembled a doorbell (but there was one). It took a few moments, but soon enough an elderly looking man appeared through the windows. He came to the door, opened it, and immediately gasped.

"Uh, hi, a-"

"I'll answer all your questions once you come inside," the man said. He looked to the left of them, where the black car just appeared at the intersection, "Quickly! The police are after you!"

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soundofmind says...



Andrei Petrov


The police? Bo decided not to glance back, at risk of looking more suspicious and wasting time, and trusted the word of the old man. He put his hand on Magnolia's back for a second to let her know she could go first, and they stepped inside.

"Please forgive the mess," the old man said, backing away from the door as the five of them flooded in. As soon as they were all past the door though, he promptly shut it.

The room they entered into was tidy. Bo wasn't sure what mess the man was talking about, but he didn't know what standards they were going by.

Yellow, sun-stained curtains covered a bay window that looked out on the front yard. Tall, wooden bookshelves lined the entire wall, except for the brown couch under the window. Another long couch lined the adjacent wall, and there was a long coffee table with books, newspapers, and coasters arranged in no particular order. A large ornate rug stretched out underneath it all.

In the corner of the room, there was a big, chunky radio like the ones Bo would always see in WW2 movies. Seeing it in person, though, felt very strange.

On the opposite wall, there was a small, chunky TV - because all technology was chunky back then, or back now - with long antennae sticking out of it.

Behind the TV there was a staircase that went up to the second floor, complete with a wooden railing and carpeted steps, and somewhere beyond the living room, it looked like there was an opening into what was probably a kitchen. That was Bo's best guess.

Somewhere from another room, Bo could hear the muffled sound of something... ticking. Almost like a clock. He didn't want to believe it was a bomb. It was probably a grandfather clock or something. Those were big and ticked pretty loud.

Then he caught a whiff of something. It was sweet. Something was baking. He knew that smell.

...Pie?

"I'm so sorry for all of the confusion I'm sure you all have been through," the man apologized again, looking all of them over. "It looks like you somehow found some clothes. That's good. Do you still have your old ones? Do you need more?" He looked at Bo -- "Oh, well, I will have to get you something. You can't be wearing that--" He pointed specifically at the silver chain peeking out from under his hoodie, and Bo frowned.

It wasn't like he didn't know he would have to take it off, but still. He didn't want to. Not that that was important at the moment.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," the man continued on. "Where are my manners? You can call me Doctor Sommers. I apologize for the haste, we're just in a very unique situation at the moment."

His eyes drifted to the front window. The one right by the door. Bo looked too.

The black car had pulled up right behind the truck.

"I'll take you to the backroom," Sommers said, already moving. "Follow me."

And they did.

No one said anything as they hurried behind him down a hall. Even Adeline, who Bo thought might have a lot of questions, kept her mouth shut. Everyone seemed to feel the urgency without question.

They passed a kitchen - where the pie smell was growing stronger [Bo was convinced it was apple pie] - and eventually to a small dining room that looked out to a back porch. They all crowded between the back door and the table.

"Stay here," Sommers said, holding up both hands for extra measure. "I'll take care of this."

And then, there was a knock on the door. Sommers spun around, leaving them with one last set of instructions: "Don't say a word." And then he was gone.

"A word," Magnolia said, quietly.

Bo bit down on his lip to hold back a laugh and huffed through his nose. It was hilarious but now was not the time.

664 words
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Corvid says...



Magnolia


Without discussing it, everyone seemed to have the same idea: they all pressed up against the dining room door to try and hear what was happening out front. It was an almost comical scene, as they scrambled for space.

"Hey, that was my foot!" Adeline hissed.
"Shh!" Magnolia shushed her. "I'm trying to hear what they're saying!"
"I mean, same, but--" Liam started to whisper, only to cut himself off as the conversation picked up in the other room.

"Good afternoon, officer," Doctor Sommers said at the door. Everyone stopped talking.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Sommers. How are you doing today?"
"Oh, you know, just the usual. Bit of a slow day. I've got a pie in the oven."
"I can smell it from here."
"Yes, it's very fragrant." A pause. "Is something wrong, officer?"

There was a tense silence on the other side of the door.

"I got a report recently that there were draft dodgers in the area. You haven't happened to see anyone who might fit the bill, would you?"

"Draft dodgers? Hm. I can't say I have."

"You wouldn't mind if I took a look around, then?"

"Oh! Right now?" The doctor was doing well hiding his nerves. "Well, I suppose not. As long as you'll excuse the mess."

Magnolia swore quietly under her breath. "We need to hide," she said. "Or leave, or--"

"The backyard," Bo whispered. "Come on."

Magnolia listened as the others made their way towards the backdoor, and followed the sound of their footsteps. But the room was cluttered and unfamiliar, and she wasn't moving fast enough.

Bo grabbed her hand.

"There's a lot of stuff out back too," he said in a hused whisper. "Do you want me to lead you?"

"Won't be fast enough," Magnolia said, frowning. She clasped Bo's hand, and decidedly did not comment on the way Bo's hand seemed to engulf hers.

There was a split second delay before she felt a shift in the angle of Bo's hand, as he dropped into a squat..

"Hop on my back," he said.

"Piggyback rides, really?"

"Mags, it's this ,or I carry you. We gotta hurry."

Magnolia reluctantly hopped on Bo's back. "Don't you dare drop me."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Suddenly, they were moving very fast. Bo held her legs steady while she held onto his shoulders.

Barely audible, she could've swore she heard Bo say: "Speed. I. Am. Speed."

And then, there was the sound of trees or bushes being bristled, and Bo lowered back to the ground.

Magnolia got down. "We in the backyard?"

"Hiding in the trees," Bo whispered.

Levi hushed them.

word count: 436
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JasmineFelicia says...



Liam


As Liam and the rest stood amidst the trees, the sun went behind the clouds. The conversation in the house was too quite to hear, but after an excruciating amount of time, the car drove away. Liam was about to move out of the trees, but Levi held him back.

"We should us of wait till Sommers calls us," he whispered, "The car may be returning."

Liam sighed. This standing was getting annoying. Magnolia whispered something to Bo, who simply shushed her. Another five minutes past, and Liam was about to go see whether something had happened, when Sommers came out of the door. He looked around nervously. Then he motioned for them to come back into the house.

Bo went forward first, Magnolia holding his hand. Adeline followed. Then Levi, glancing around, and finally Liam. But Liam somehow ended up running headfirst into a low tree branch. He grunted in annoyance. This was what. . . The third time today?

Levi looked back and laughed when he saw Liam rubbing his head, "You okay? It seems like you have a knack for hitting your head."

Liam shrugged, "Hopefully no headache will follow this."

Levi just shook his head, smiling and they all entered the house.

Sommers was inside. He looked at them with a sad smile, "I know you have many questions - but first - some pie!"

Liam licked his lips, "Give me pie over paradoxical events anytime!"

Sommers laughed a good, hearty laugh, "I'm glad you agree Mr. . . What are your names? As you all know I am Julius Augustus Sommers. Young man who seems to have good taste in desserts, please go next!"

Liam grinned, "The name's Liam Coleman!"

Sommers smiled, "What about you, tall man?"

"The name is Bo. Or rather it's Andrei Petrov, but I assume Bo would be better here."

The old man nodded. Then he motioned to Levi.

"Levi Ronan James Bridgefort."

Sommers smiled, "Quite a noble name. What is your name?" He looked at Adeline

"Adeline Violet Hagen."

"And you, young woman?"

"I'm assuming you're looking at me?" Magnolia asked.

Sommers nodded, then "Er, yes."

"Magnolia Fortin."

"Now that we are all introduced, time for some pie."

Everyone smiled at each other. They sat down at at a table Sommers had led them to, and had a rare time of peace.

360 words
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looseleaf says...



Adeline Violet Hagen


"So what's the deal, old man?" Adeline asked. She was leaning forward, staring at Mr. Sommers. The man didn't seem intimidated in the slightest, which surprised Adeline, because usually people were frightened of her, "Why are we here, what brought us here, and who are you?"

"I already told you who I am, my dear," Mr. Sommers said, "I'm Dr. Julius Augustus Som-"

"Oh, you're a doctor! Mr. Sommers, I hit my head o-" Liam started, but Dr. Sommers laughed and cut him off.

"Not that type of doctor, son, a scientist!" he exclaimed. Liam blushed and took a bite of pie, "Anyways, I am a scientist- no, wait, I'm an inventor. Yes, that's a better word. I tried to invent a time machine to-"

"A time machine?!" Adeline said. Magnolia sighed. She was already tired of people interrupting each other.

"Yes, dear, a time machine. I wanted to go see the future, see what was improved, what changed... what sports teams to bet on... Anyways, when I turned it on, and synchronized the time periods, a stream of smoke came out of it and you all came flying out."

"Like, did we just appear or..?" Bo asked.

"No, you actually came flying out of it. It shot up straight in the air," Dr. Sommers imitated the sound of something zooming up into the air and shot his hand straight up, "and you fell out of it." Dr. Sommers wiggled his fingers and lowered his hands.

"That's cool," Liam said. He scraped the last of the pie off of his plate with his fork and ate it.

"Why didn't you send us back? We have lives, and families, and school to return to!" Levi said. He was the only one who hadn't touched his pie.

"Learning and life aren't the same thing?" Dr. Sommers asked. Levi's mouth opened, and stayed open, but words didn't come out of it. He couldn't think of an answer.

"Now, old man-," Adeline said.

"Dr. Sommers."

Adeline gritted her teeth and gripped her fork, "Now, Dr. Sommers, let's stop with the questions and get on to the answers. Why didn't you send us back?"

"Is it not obvious? It shot up a hundred feet in the air and fell. It's broken and I can't afford to fix it!"

"By the description Bo gave me of this place, it seems like you could have afforded it," Magnolia spoke up. Again, Adeline nearly forgot she was present in the room.

"Well, Bo must have made this place sound better than it actually is," Dr. Sommers replied, "I put my heart and soul, along with my money, into my inventions. Sometimes the inventions are really expensive, though, and I can't afford to do anything more."

"We're stuck here, then?" Liam asked.

"For the time being, yes. But, as you already noticed, as you're here right now, is that I gave you slips of paper with supplies that I need to build the time machine again."

"...The thing on my paper was apple pie, though," Liam said.

"Mine was 'frisbee.' In what way, shape, or form could a frisbee be part of a time machine?" Levi asked.

"Well, as you can probably tell, I like pie!" Dr. Sommers chuckled, "And, Mr. Bridgefort, a frisbee can be attached to something that spins it and spinning it creates energy. It's a cheap way to power the time machine."

"But the thing on Addy-," somehow Magnolia could sense the glare Adeline gave her and quickly corrected herself, "The thing on Adeline's piece of paper was an engine. Would the frisbee power the engine?'

"Simply, yes. I assume we can just take the engine out of the car you brought," Dr. Sommers said.

"That's someones car! We can't take the engine out. Stealing it was bad enough, but dismantling it?" Levi paused to take a breath, "Believe it or not Dr. Sommers, but I don't have a police record."

"It's never too late to start one." Adeline smiled for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. This was going to be fun.

684 Words








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