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The following passage was written for my English class in the late Fall. It takes place in the future, when Earth is trashed and pretty much useless. A bandit in search of the extinct resource of gold has a change of heart <3 Sorry for any strange spacing on this one, it was originally double- spaced for MLA format.
A Hopeful Past
Assembled in a line were the five of us, children who were eager to earn some cash in any way possible. Ever since my family had been killed by a common disease that spread through the polluted air, I had needed to support myself, which was extremely tough considering money was tight in these times. Eyes shifting upwards, I glared at a tall, thin man who had entered the room. He pushed his glasses up his nose bridge, surveying the lot of us.
“Very well then, let me explain our situation.” He paused, gesturing to the wall behind him. It was hardly a wall at all; it was more of a gigantic television screen that would make any present day gamer stare in awe.
A picture flashed on the screen, displaying the horrid fate that had befallen the Earth. The grass was brown and lifeless, as were the trees. Flowers were nonexistent, vegetation was limited, and many animals had gone extinct long ago.
“As you can see, the Earth is hardly able to support life. It has become overpopulated, polluted, and unbearably hot in temperature. It is time we gave up on this withering planet and moved on, and thanks to a few talented scientists we can. After long hours of hard work and frustration, a ship has been constructed that will fly us to a new way of life. We have chosen our target planet, named Irinth, and it is even more beautiful than Earth was in its glory days. There is a catch however.” He sighed. “The ship will only run on a long gone resource, gold. Why the ship can only be fueled by gold, I haven’t a clue.” He froze, shaking his head. On the screen behind him flashed an image of a high-tech device that closely resembled a wrist watch.
“This is a proto-type time travel device. If successful, it will take you back to the year 2010.” I felt the need to interrupt.
“And if it is unsuccessful?” There was a long, awkward period of silence.
“It is possible that you will be taken to a random time period, in the future or past, and perhaps become stuck there.” A worried mumbling erupted among our small group.
“The risk is great, I understand that, but the reward is far greater. The ship can only hold so many. You bring back a decent portion of gold and not only do you get compensated, you will also be guaranteed a place aboard the ship. And your families can come along, too.” When he mentioned family, my eyes were stricken with sorrow.
“Oh, and also, these time-traveling devices only have enough juice for a round trip. That means you get one chance. You break your device, and you are out of luck. Any questions?… No? Okay then, here, there is a device for each of you.”
We all collected our devices with expressions that were eager and nervous at the same time.
“That large button on the front, the blue one, press that when you are ready to go. The devices are preset to bring you to 2010 now, and to 3175 when you come back. You have twenty days to gather as much gold as you can. When twenty days are up, I expect you all to report back. Also, when you are in the processes of gathering gold, don’t go robbing a jewelry store or anything like that. Try to be discreet with your thefts.” His lips curled into a parting grin, and I pressed the button and crossed my fingers.
It was with a haze that I awoke. The frigid winter breeze embraced me and I began to shudder. I had never experienced weather like this before, and because I was so used to being in a scorching climate this was equivalent to being trapped in a freezer. I tried to contain my frantic shivers, but to no avail. My teeth began to chatter maniacally, and I decided it was best to find somewhere warm. It was then that a form of precipitation I hadn’t recognized began to fall from above. White flakes danced down from the heavens in a flawless ballet, several of them collapsing on my nose and melting away in defeat. Curious, I held out a hand and caught one of these flakes.
“Is this… Ice?” I stared at it, baffled.
“It’s snow, silly!” A tiny voice projected my way. I shifted my gaze and my eyes met up with a young girl, no older than six years old.
“Uh, sorry, I just moved here and I’ve never-” The young girl cut me off.
“Why aren’t you wearing a jacket? You’re going to get sick.” She sounded as though she was worried. “Come home with me, we can play together. I don‘t have many friends so I‘m always lonely, but you will come play with me, right?”
“Alright.” The only way I could have said no was if I lacked a heart.
“Yay!” She clasped my hand and led me along a trail that wound through the wooded area. I took in the sight of the trees, for there were so very few in my time period. It was approximately ten minutes before we arrived at a brown colored home, slightly large in size. From the chimney smoke rose up, giving the house a cozy appearance. I was hesitant to go through the front door, but the girl pulled me along.
“Who’s your friend, Rosa?” A bold voice echoed from across the room.
“Daddy! This is, um?”
“Amarazi.” I stated, smiling friendly.
“Well that’s a unique name.” Rosa’s father commented.
“You can call me Amara.” I heard a timer sounding in the distance.
“Chicken’s done!” Rosa’s father scuttled away in a hurried fashion.
“Oh, I have to introduce you to Zane and Terri!” Rosa exclaimed with excitement.
I was led down a narrow hallway and into a small bedroom. There sat a girl who looked to be several years older than myself.
“So you brought a friend home, huh? I’m Terri.” My eyes scanned over this new acquaintance. Her chin-length dirty blond hair complemented her green eyes and the freckles on her cheeks. Before I could properly introduce myself, I was yanked away and led further down the hall. Together, Rosa and I stopped at a closed door. Without as much as a knock, the over enthusiastic child forced the door open, dragging me into the room.
“Zane!” She bellowed at a volume that was far louder than necessary.
“Rosa, jeez, inside voice please. No rhyme intended.” He paused, his sapphire eyes shifting to glance in my direction. “And who is this?”
“This is my new friend, Amara.” Rosa replied.
“Hello there, I’m Zane. Sorry if my sister is being a nuisance, she can be annoying at times.” He probably read my ex
pression and realized I was a little nervous and uncomfortable.
“Hey!” Rosa pouted. “I’m not annoying.”
“Really, she’s been fine.” My soft gaze grew solid as I froze in realization. There, around his neck, was a necklace of gold. It looked to be genuine, but I didn’t know for sure.
“Is something the matter?” Zane cast a glare with a subtle hint of suspicion.
“Oh, it’s nothing.” My innocent smile hid mischief.
A brief pause overcame our small group.
“Rosa, why don’t you go help dad with dinner?” Zane suggested. Without a word, Rosa skittered away.
Now, it was just the pair of us, and Zane peered over at me.
“So, where do you live?” He asked.
“I’m not sure exactly. Just moved here.”
“Oh, so you don’t know your way around, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.” I knew I’d have to lie my way through all this. “Is your mother at work?” I made an attempt at changing the subject.
The somber glint in Zane’s eyes told me everything.
“I’m sorry. I know what it feels like to lose a family member.” For once it seemed as though I had something in common with someone. I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for this family.
“Dinner’s ready!” My ears flooded with the sound of Rosa’s cheerful voice.
“C’mon, I’m sure my father wont mind if you join us for dinner.” Zane showed a kind smile.
Together we walked out to the dining room, and I took a seat at the table between Rosa and Terri. Zane settled adjacent to Rosa. Their father was tardy, and he came in carrying plates and silverware for everyone. He passed each of us dining materials, and then claimed his seat. Our meals were dealt out, and for several minutes we all dug in silently.
“Snow’s awful deep. I don’t think it’s safe to even try to get home, Amara.” The father glared out the window with worry. “Maybe you should call your parents and see if you can stay the night here.”
“Alright.”
“Phone’s over there.” He gestured to a small desk, the phone perched on top. I wandered over to it, taking it off the hook and pretending to press a few buttons. I then placed it to my ear and had a brief conversation with nobody.
“Yeah, I can stay.” I announced after hanging the phone up.
“I’ll set her up in the guest bedroom.” Zane said, rising from his seat and leading me down the hall. I stepped into the bedroom, decorated with sky blue walls and pure white carpeting.
“How old are you, by the way?” I was asked by Zane.
“Fourteen. And you?”
“Fourteen. Almost fifteen.” He replied. “I knew you looked about my age.” He smoothed his hair with his hand. His hair was almost identical to Terri’s, chin length and dirty blond.
“I’ll let you get some rest, it’s getting late.” With those words he departed the room, leaving me all alone.
I slept like a rock that night. The bed felt just as I imagined clouds did, soft and cushiony. I was hesitant to leave the comfort and warmth of the blankets, but eventually I stumbled up to the mirror, my honey colored eyes peering back at me. I grabbed a nearby hairbrush and began to work the tangles out of my shoulder length hair. My locks were of a deep green shade, nearly black.
I examined my figure. I was about average weight for my height of five feet and four inches. After I finished looking in the mirror, I made my way to the living room. Zane and Rosa were nestled on the couch.
“May I make a phone call? I need to talk to my parents.” I was planning something.
“Sure.”
I went to the dining room and grabbed the phone off the hook, pretending to press buttons once more and then chatting whenever someone was nearby. This time, I was on the phone for about seven minutes. I hung up, making a false ex
pression full of anguish. I did everything I could to make my eyes water, walking out to the living room.
“What’s the matter?” Rosa asked when she saw my fake tears.
“My home burnt down last night. None of my family survived.” I said, my voice full of sadness.
“That’s awful.” Zane gave a sympathetic glance.
“I have nowhere to go. Where will I live?” I couldn’t believe they were falling for this.
“Maybe you could stay with us!” Rosa exclaimed with her usual excitement.
“You really think I could?”
“I bet if dad heard what happened he’d be happy to give you a place to stay, for now at least.” Zane wore a hopeful grin. “Dad!” He called, summoning his father to the living room. We explained the situation to him and discussed a few things before we came to a solution. I was allowed to stay there for the time being. Smiles spread across the faces of everyone in the room.
I could hardly believe that seventeen days had passed from the time I arrived in the year 2010. Since I had been allowed to stay with this gullible family I had accomplished very much. I managed to learn a little bit of necessary info about this time period, all the while being very sure to keep my true identity hidden. I was now positive that my target, Zane’s necklace, was real gold. Now that his guard was down, I planned to take it from him while he was asleep the coming night. But I couldn’t help but feel as though it wasn’t the right thing to do. After staying with this family for a while, I had come to actually admire them. But it was too late to turn back, I’d come too far for that.
The moment of truth had arrived, and everyone in the house was sound asleep. I snuck down the hall to Zane’s room. He looked calm and peaceful in his deep and relaxed slumber. Around his neck was the very necklace I’d had my eyes set on since day one. Ever-so-gently, I removed the necklace. I had to pause a few times to ensure he didn’t wake up. How awkward that would be, for him to awake to his necklace being stolen right off him. With the necklace now in my possession, I hung it around my neck in a triumphant fashion, and I scanned the home for some paper and a pen. When I found what I needed, I hastily scrawled a note that read ‘Sorry I deceived you, but you made it far too easy. It’s only fair that I tell you who I really am. Believe it or not, I have been sent from the future to steal gold. I promise you that I will not bother your family anymore, so you don’t have to worry. In fact, I will be surprised if we even meet again. Yours truly, Amarazi.’ I placed the note on Zane’s dresser.
Quiet as a mouse, I ventured out the front door. The snow under my feet crunched. The weather had been snowy ever since I arrived in this time period. Moonlight shimmered down and guided me through the woods. I hadn’t a clue where I was going; I just knew I had to get far away from this family before I changed my mind.
“What’re you doing out this late?” A mysterious yet familiar voice sounded beside me. I felt a shudder run down my spine. I turned to look, but I could only see an outline. “Follow me.” My hand was grasped and I was led through the vast woods that went on in all directions. After a few minutes, we were finally out of the woods and in the bustling streets of a densely populated city. I could see my mystery guest now. It was Sawyer, one of my fellow time travelers.
“You know, I was beginning to think I was the only one who made it to the right time period. The other three, they didn’t make it.” Sawyer informed sadly.
“What? I didn’t realize the risk was so great.” I shook my head, glad I made it here okay.
“Isn’t the city wonderful?” Sawyer was mesmerized by the neon lights and enormous buildings that occupied the area. My glare shifted in the same direction as his. It was quite a sight to behold, far greater than anything we were used to.
“It’s great. Too bad we have to go back in less than a week.”
“Yeah, but I have to go home. My family is counting on me.” He paused for a second. I noticed that his eyes were surveying me, but I didn’t think anything of it. “You want to spend the night with me? I’ve been staying in an apartment not far from here.”
“Really? That’d be great.” I gave a thankful grin and he mirrored it, except his grin was a little lopsided. I began to follow him down the sidewalk, and we chattered about a bunch of little topics.
When we arrived at the apartment building, he showed me around. He offered me the bed, settling to sleep on the couch. Tired, I immediately fell into a sound slumber.
I awoke late the next morning. I was quick to notice Sawyer was gone. I figured he had run out for something, and I simply got up and did my routine look in the mirror. After just moments, my eyes grew wide in shock. The necklace was gone. I was ready to shout as loud as I could.
It was easy to piece it all together. He had used the same trick I did, got me off my guard and then swiped it from under my nose. But I was determined to get that necklace back.
I began to search the apartment for clues to his whereabouts. He couldn’t have gotten too far. I went through tons of useless junk before I found some cash, which I thought might come in handy. More importantly, I found a train schedule. One departing time had been circled.
“Eleven o’clock. Shoot, that’s only twenty minutes away!”
I tucked the train schedule away and dashed out of the apartment as fast as I could, hailing a cab.
“Can you take me to the train station?” I showed him the train schedule, which had the address to the station. I informed him I was in a rush and he understood and took off, trying hard not to break the speed limit.
We arrived at the train station about fifteen minutes later, and I rapidly paid the cab driver.
“Keep the change!” I hustled away, coming up to the solitary train. It was not a very busy station, and the single train there was small, holding mostly cargo.
Before I could find a way to board the train, it began to pull away, steadily picking up speed. I lined up close to it, noticing a section of the train that was open. When I was parallel to the opening, I took a leap of faith.
Meanwhile, at his home, Zane was just waking up. He looked at the time, embarrassed at how much he slept in. Immediately, he felt something was wrong.
“My necklace!” He cried out.
Several minutes passed before he read the note left on his dresser. His ex
pression showed a mixture of anger and sadness. He felt betrayed. He decided to show the rest of his family the note I had left.
I was relieved when I successfully landed in the train cart. It had no seating, completely empty.
“Glad you could make it.” A sinister voice called to me.
“Sawyer!” I shot him a harsh glare.
“I assume you came for this.” He held out the necklace and dangled it in front of me, then stashing it away.
“Give it back!” I demanded.
“What makes you think I’d just give it to you?” He asked, lips curling into a smirk.
“Looks like I have to take it by force.” I threatened.
“I’m so scared.” He mocked with sarcasm, letting out a chuckle.
Bubbling with anger, I thrust myself at him, bowling him over. He tossed me aside, getting off the ground and dusting himself off. I came at him again, punching and flailing my arms in every direction, and he forced me backwards. I mustered up all my strength and came charging in his direction, striking him head on. The side of the train car being open, the both of us came tumbling rapidly towards the solid Earth.
It was a harsh landing, and I ended up with bruises and minor wounds. Sawyer, on the other hand, was conveniently unconscious. I hobbled shakily to my feet, reclaiming the necklace from him. I smiled with victory, but then decided this necklace should be with its rightful owner.
Standing outside the familiar brown house, I contemplated on how to do this. Surely they wouldn’t forgive me just like that, so I decided to be sneaky about it. I simply placed the necklace on the doorstep, sprinting away before I was spotted. I didn’t realize that I was being watched, however. From inside the house, a young girl grinned with a joyful smile, her eyes set on me. She resembled Goldilocks, with her curly blonde hair. I’m sure she thought what I did was just right.
The previous night I had decided to sleep in the dark depths of a spooky little cave I located. Today was the day I had to go back to my own time, empty handed. I heaved a sigh, stepping outside the cave. I stood there, glaring down at my time travel device. I moved a finger to press the large blue button on the front, stopping just short of it. It felt as though I had something to accomplish still. Footsteps sounded nearby, and I turned my head to see who it was. It was the last person I expected to see.
“Sawyer?! I don’t have the necklace anymore.”
“That’s not what I want.” He sounded desperate. “I’m so glad I found you in time.”
I was very confused at this point. Why would he be glad to see me after our conflict?
“Look.” He lifted his arm, showing me his severely damaged time travel device. “It’s broken. It happened when I fell out of the train.”
“I can’t fix it.” I was beginning to catch on to what he wanted.
“But your’s is fine. You have to let me use it. I have to see my family again.” He looked at me as though I was his only hope, and I guess I was.
I was hesitant to respond. “Okay.” And with that I removed the device from my wrist, handing it to him.
“You don’t know how much I appreciate this.” He gave me the widest, happiest grin I’d ever seen.
“Goodbye, I hope we cross paths again someday.” As he spoke those parting words, he pressed the button, disappearing from view in an instant. I stood there for a moment, assuring myself that this was the right decision. After all, I had nothing to go back to.
A confident smirk arose on my face as I stood outside the door of that same familiar home. The one with the stream of smoke dancing up from the chimney. I knocked on the door eagerly, hoping I’d be forgiven and welcomed in. When the door did open, I was yanked in by a very happy young girl who had been waiting for her friend to return.
I knew I’d have to explain many things, and I knew they’d be reluctant to believe most of what I had to say, but it felt so wonderful to have a family again. In the end, I was glad to have returned the necklace, and I was glad that I had let Sawyer go to the future in place of myself.
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Normal User
Normal User
