I was in line for the roller coaster at California Adventure when I saw something twinkling in the sun. I bent over and picked it up. It was scratched from top to bottom. At first glance it appeared valueless, but when I looked closer I thought it might be an antique. It reminded me of an old fashioned watch, the kind men used to keep in their breast pockets. It was round with an ivory face, a gold back and gold numbers. It had a chain made of gold beads and two buttons, one on each side. It seemed like nobody was missing it so I slipped it in my pocket and took it home.
When we got home I went straight to my room. I reached down and snatched the watch. Examining it extensively, I saw two small rectangles between the numbers and the hands of the clock. I jostled one of the buttons and the numbers 1832 appeared in the rectangle. When I rotated the other button the names of several countries spun slowly through the second rectangle. I pushed the button again and it stopped on England. All of a sudden a holographic door projected and opened by itself. The light was absolutely blinding. I was startled, but being an adventurous girl of 10, I dared myself to ease on through the passageway. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and crossed over.
I heard horses clopping and carriages rolling by. When I opened my eyes I wondered if I was dreaming. Standing on the sidewalk I could smell that somebody was baking apple pie. It was a misty morning and the dirt roads were muddy. The women out walking on the wooden sidewalks were wearing puffy dresses that came down to the ground. Everyone talked with an accent. The men were all wearing suits and funny looking hats. I knew that I wasn’t in Seattle and the year was not 2004.
I looked down at my modern clothes and decided I needed to change. I saw a sign that said "General Store." As I headed across the street I slipped in the mud and the watch went flying. It landed in a carriage as it lumbered by. I tried chasing it, but the fog was so heavy it soon disappeared. I tried to remember some clues to help me find the carriage but all I could picture was a black horse that looked like it was just groomed.
I sat down to rest. A boy about 13 years old had been watching. He walked over and sat down next to me. He had yellow hair, gray eyes, and wore a loose blue shirt, long jeans and shoes that looked about 4 sizes too small.
"Hi. My name is Brad." He said. "As far as I can tell you're from the 21st century. Am I right?"
"How did you know?" I asked.
"I am too." He replied.
I was so shocked I couldn't believe him. But after examining him closely I finally said, "Okay. You can call me Sam. How did you get here?"
"Same way as you," he said, "with the watch. We'd better go find it." So we started walking, and walking, and walking.
Soon we began to talk. "Why are your shoes so small?" I asked.
"I've been here for almost a year. I got trapped here without any money." He said.
"But then why is your shirt so big? Wouldn't you have grown too tall by now?" I asked him.
"The orphanage just got a shipment of clothes." He replied.
All of a sudden he stopped walking. We had run into a cave. There was the same exact same brown carriage smashed to bits next to the cave. He walked inside. "I wouldn't go in there." I said, hesitating, "Besides, it's not like the carriage has rolled in there."
"You never know." He said.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt." I said, and we walked into the darkness.
The farther we went the darker it got. Brad lit 2 pieces of wood by rubbing them together. He kept one and gave the other to me. We heard a loud roar. It got louder and louder every second. We heard a crunch under my feet. I yelped, quivering in fear. Brad took a torch he had come up with and looked to see what it was.
There were 7 skeletons. They were all ashy. "Eeewww." I mumbled.
But Brad just busted out with a great big, "COOL! COOL! COOL!!"
"That's disgusting." I denied. All of the skeletons had helmets, swords and armor. Then out of the depths of the cave came another roar, only louder this time.
"I think we are going to need these," I said, tossing him a sword, "just in case."
I badly wanted to go back, but Brad wouldn't let me. He grabbed my shirt and wouldn't let go, so I had no choice but to stay. We heard another roar but louder still. We tried guessing what the creature could be. A dog? A cat? A lion or cheetah? We guessed every animal known to man. What if it wasn't known to man, but some sort of mystical beast? Although I didn't believe in mystical creatures, the roaring sounded very real, so I thought perhaps I should make an exception.
We kept walking in the dark cave and my fear increased. "Why can't I just wait for you outside this pit?" I asked. I was angry and became quiet and pouty, with my eyebrows lowered.
"We made it to the end of the cave." Brad said.
"Great." I exaggerated.
Brad bumped into something gigantic. He looked at it..."lets see the thing we heard roaring. It's green with scaly skin and it has 10 ugly claws." He said. Then he looked up. "It's a. It's a. It's a dragon!"
Behind the dragon I saw the watch. We hid behind a ledge. "So whose going to get the time machine?" I asked whispering.
"You that's who!" he answered.
I didn't like that suggestion at all, and still don't today. "ME!" "Why me?"
"I'll distract him and you go get it okay?" I glared at him.
"Hey at least you get the simple job," He said. I huffed and puffed. But he didn't give in. I had no choice. If I wanted to get out of here I needed a positive attitude.
"On three" I said.
"One, two, three!" Brad jumped out and started calling the dragon names, insulting it and making sure it followed him. And might I add, he was doing it very well. I ran as fast as I could to get the watch. Apparently, too fast because I tripped. Which was not too good. For the dragon had heard me and headed my way. I got up and threw the watch to Brad saying "Catch!"
He leaped up and caught it! By that time, the dragon had come closer and was right next to me. I had to think quick.
Just when he was about to attack I slid under his legs toward the exit while Brad stood watching the entire thing. I checked one last time to see if he had the watch.
He was holding it. Since I knew that he had it, I said, "C'mon! Let's GO!" And we both ran out of the cave.
When we finally made it out we were both breathing very hard. "I don't remember reading any stories about a dragon in the 18th century" I said.
Brad looked at the watch. "No wonder!" he said "It's the 11th century!"
"Excuse me?" I exclaimed.
"Look, It must have switched when the carriage was attacked."
"Your probably right," I answered.
We wanted to put some distance between the cave and ourselves, so we walked a while.
"Now how does this work again?" I asked.
"You turn this one first and then that one," he said. "Remember?"
I nodded. "Good now do it," he mumbled.
I pushed a button. It landed on, "THE JURASSIC PERIOD" "Oh great this trip is gonna leave a mark," complained Brad.
"Oh shush! I'll Fix it. Like I'd let myself get my ear chopped off by T-rex!" I said.
Brad said, "We are wasting time. Change the button and let's get out of here."
"Fine. Where do you live?" I asked.
"California." He answered.
I switched the button on the left to the year 2001, and switched the other button on the right to California. A door projected once again. Brad smiled at me excitedly and said, "I guess this is good-bye. Have a fun trip." And he stepped back through time.
I couldn't wait to get home. It was finally time. I rotated the buttons to Seattle in the year 2004. My passage home opened up before me. I crept closer, and closer to the portal, my memories passed me by, I walked to the passage that would bring me to end of this adventure but how do you know that's the last one?