The Past And The Present

Act: 1 | Chapter 1: Where are you?

A cold breeze blows in through an open window. Blowing open a comic book to another page and also sending shivers down my spine, as my body decides to wake up. Tear stains cover my fur, leaving it slightly crusty to the touch. I think to myself "Why are there tears?" then it hits me, the events that happened all those nights ago.

Time skip (Back to the Night before)
I flipped a page in the comic, feeling the cool night breeze flow over my fur, and curving the pages in my book. I've always loved comics, ever since I was young. The tales of brave men risking their lives, all for the heck of it. Then they get the girl and all is perfect. Such a perfect life to lust over. I then still daydreaming hear a knock at the door, so I walk over and open it. Seeing a disgruntled police officer, with a stain on his uniform and a badge that said J.K McMackster. I recognize the name. 

Since this officer once had a daughter in the mid to late'80s. Her name was Skye, she was a light blue husky. From what I heard she was incredibly beautiful. Or at least that's what my uncle said when they recounted this tale to me when I went out camping. All those years ago. Though Skye and her father didn't have the strongest bond. He was very uptight and never really wanted her to talk to very many people. But one day they have a massive argument and she runs out. And that was the last time anyone ever saw her. She just vanished, and for over 15 years, they searched. But all the potential leads ended up dry. From this J.K McMackester nearly drank himself to death, since he blamed himself for her loss. And because of that and multiple things, he ended up leaving the force in the early 2000s. But over time and with help from his new girlfriend. He became sober and eventually returned to his job at the police force in 2007. Which leads all back to now, with him standing at my doorstep. 

J.K McMackster asks me in a deep and somewhat grumbly tone "Are you Tom Hickensin?"

I look him in the eyes and reply in a somewhat curious tone "Ya, I am"

He then takes off his police cap, which was covered with fur and debris. Probably due to how much the husky sheds. He then replied, "I have to regret to inform you, that your uncle Willem has gone missing."

I feel a sudden hole in my heart. As a black hole had just opened in my stomach "I'm sure that there is a misunderstanding officer! I just talked to him yesterday!" 

He looks at me and says calmly though still in a grumbly tone "He wasn't at work the past week and a half, and there was evidence that he hadn't been at home for many weeks"

I begin to tear up and he says to me "Thank you for your time sir" Then he turned around and began walking to his police car. 

I then slowly close the door and sit down on my chair again. With now have a feeling of despair since my uncle had been one of my closest family members for a long time. He had been the one who taught me how to ride a bike. He had also been the one to first get me into the world of comics and math. Since he had done some massive scientific achievements in his youth! And he was a very positive role model for me. Though now he's gone. I then start to silently weep again as I hear my mother come towards me. 

She asks "what's wrong?" 

I reply, stuttering slightly with tears pouring down my furry checks "o-officer M-McMackster came by a-a-and he said that-that Uncle Willem is missing" I then begin to cry harder and feel my mother's hand caressing my back, trying to calm me down.

She says back "everything is going to be alright" over and over again.

That is until I begin to stop crying and I mutter out "I'm going to go to bed now"

Mom then replies "Ok then sweetie" and she then walked me to my room. Where I laid down in my bed and slowly sobbed myself to sleep 

Present day:
It has been 6 1/2 months since he disappeared. I then hear my mom walk into my room and she says "Honey are you ready for the garage sale?" Then I remember. A couple of weeks after Uncle Willem had disappeared we got a call from the bank saying that Uncle Willem was 50K in debt. So we decided that we would sell off some old possessions of his to recoup the losses. Though there were some legal complications we had to deal with, now we finally have legal rights over the house. Then it hits me, the sale is today! I quickly lean over to check the time, "07:15" I have enough time to get ready. 

After I slide on my clothes I look over at an old photo it's of me and Uncle Willem. We had just gone camping, it was the same trip that I learned of the story between J.K McMackester and his daughter. He had also told me about another story, one of a weird ancient crystal. Which I thought was so intriguing! Since he always was more of a hands-on guy. The story was of an ancient crystal known as "Amastyra." Apparently from the story had vast powers. So much so that the civilization that had it, destroyed almost all information about it! Since if it fell in the wrong hands it could cause war and destruction on an unknown scale. Though Uncle Willem was always going on about these tails. So I naturally assumed that they were always fake. Oh, how I wish it was real now. I then heard my mom call out "Tom! Are you ready?"

I reply breaking my thoughts from that old trip, "yes mom!" as I grab my jacket and run out of my bedroom door. 

Location Jump:
Willems House

The car slowly drove onto the cracked and miscoloured driveway, the headlights reflecting off of the old flakey paint. Then the car suddenly screeched to a halt and I hear my mom say "Tom, we're here" as she opened her door. I slowly reach down towards the door handle and yank it open. Seeing grass peaking out of the driveway's cracks. After I notice that I look back up at the house, reflecting on the many memories that I made while I was here. 

Like the time that Uncle Willem and I went looking for gold near the river behind his house! So many good memories, sucks they had to end so soon. I think this as I walk into his garage, seeing clutter everywhere. Including welding tools, spanners and nuts. I chuckle to myself knowing that this was so very him. I walk around feeling some of the tools, their rough nature grazed my fur. Since they had seeming been well utilized in the months prior. I then see a photo on the wall and a notebook beneath it. So I walk over to the photo admiring it.

It was me and Uncle Willem. We had just done the gold panning thing, and the look on his face. It was so proud, so full of joy. After a moment I looked down at the journal, and there was a note on it. So I read it

"Dear Tom
If you are reading this I have not returned, 
I am greatly sorry that you will even have to get involved in what I have done. And I am greatly sorry. But If you are reading this. I Need Your Help. Somewhere in time or space, I am stuck. And you are the only one who can or will help me. Oh and also! Bring this book with you! It contains all the schematics I will need to repair the vehicle in case of any damage"

I look over it again. What does he mean by "Somewhere in time or space?" So I flip it over and there is more information

"Tom, I made a device, It can... travel through time. Though with time travel there is always the inherent risk of me being captured or killed. So that's why I programmed a universal return controller. It will automatically return the vehicle to the 4 space-time coordination that is placed nearby my estate! Oh! And also there will be more instructions about how to use the time vehicle in the vehicle itself! And finally, the controller is located behind my giant bookshelf, the switch for it is somewhere near my desk. So please Tom, check the dates on the Time Controlling Circuits and try and help me.
Your Uncle Willem"

I mutter to myself "he must have lost it..." But I remember that he was always one to invent or discover things. So would it hurt to at least try and find the controller? I let out a sigh and say "I hope you aren't lying Uncle" as I turn towards his desk. I then remember what he said about the book so I quickly grab and slide it into my jacket pocket. Then I walk over to his big wooden desk, he's had it for over 30 years so it's quite warm and old! I look over it to also see sticky notes reminding him to get more vacuum tubes and also to... tell me about what he's made. I smirk, then begin to look over his desk. Looking in all the drawers and under all the folders and papers. When I hear my mom come in, she says "what are ya doing?"

I reply hastily "Just cleaning up his garage, to make it look presentable" Then I smile

She looks and says "That's a great idea! And great job so far." Then after a moment she turned around and went back inside. 

so I continue looking and looking till I feel something, and I push it hearing a rolling noise behind me. I look behind me and low and behold, the shelf had moved. So I walk inside the room that was revealed by the now moved bookshelf. It had papers and drawings on the walls, but in the center was a moderately sized controller with one big button on it with text beneath it that said "Time Vehicle Recall Device." I grab the controller and flick a switch on side of it, causing a red led to illuminate. After a moment I walked out of the room and said "I hope this works" Then I hit the button...