Lost and found: A journey of time

I

"Stupid twin, this is why your father left us! You're the reason he's left!" She screamed at the 4-year-old twins, William and Elizabeth. Their older brother, Andrew, looked on sadly as his mother lashed out at his younger siblings.

"Leave them alone, Mom! It's not their fault they exist!" exclaimed Andrews as he defended his siblings. Elizabeth and William glanced at each other, tears streaming down their faces. They didn't understand why their mother was so angry at them. They were just playing like any normal child would. Andrew stepped forward, a protective look on his face.

"Mom, they didn't do anything wrong," he said firmly. "Please don't yell at them." Their mother glared at Andrew.

"You're just like him," she spat at Andrew. "Always defend them. Their existence is the reason he's gone." She pointed an accusing finger toward Elizabeth and William, her eyes wild and bloodshot. Then she did something unbelievable. She grabbed a cup and hit it on Andrew's face. Andrew stumbled backward, clutching his bleeding nose. He looked up at his mother in shock, tears streaming down his face. Elizabeth and William cried out in terror, sensing the danger and running to their older brother's side. Their mother stood over them, panting heavily, her eyes wild with anger.

"You think you can talk back to me, Andrew? You think you can defend those little brats?" She snarled, her voice low and dangerous. "You're nothing but a useless piece of garbage, just like your father."

Elizabeth started screaming at her mother and said, "You hurt Drew!"

"Stay away, Elizabeth," Andrew managed to say through his pain. "Take William and hide." Elizabeth shaking her hand, the three-year-old Elizabeth stepped in her brother's defense.

"No!" Elizabeth screamed, standing firm. "Don't you touch, Drew! You're bad, mommy! Your big bad mommy!" she yelled.

Their mother glared at Elizabeth, her eyes cold and malicious. "Oh, Elizabeth, you're going to get it now," she said devilishly. Her hands came around Elizabeth's throat and squeezed tight. At that moment, time seemed to slow. Andrew's vision blurred from the blood and the tears, but he could see his mother's hands around Elizabeth's tiny neck.

"Beth!" he cried.

William, witnessing the horror unfold before him, began crying hysterically. The boy couldn't handle the terror and started shaking uncontrollably.

Elizabeth tried to scream for help, but no sound could escape from her mouth. She struggled against her mother's grip, trying desperately to breathe. But her mother was too strong, and Elizabeth was fading fast. Andrew screamed, trying to pull his mother's hands off his sister, but his mother easily threw him to the side, sending him flying to the floor. Just as Elizabeth thought she was going to black out, her mother's grip loosened. Elizabeth wheezed, gasping for the precious air that she had lost. She looked at her mother in confusion. Why was she letting her go?

"Why... are you...letting me...go?" She choked out.

Her mother's eyes were void of any emotion as her twisted lips curled into a wicked smile. She didn't respond to her daughter. Elizabeth wondered why her mother was acting so strange. As she opened her mouth to ask her mother what was wrong, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head. The room started spinning as she fell to the ground. She fell deep into the darkness.

Elizabeth sat bolt upright, sweat pouring from her face. She woke in a cold sweat, her head pounding. She was back in the present, in her room, far away from the horrors of that dreadful day. Everything felt surreal, as if she had been dreaming. But Elizabeth knew better. It was not a dream, but a vivid flashback that kept coming back to haunt her repeatedly. Despite shaking her head to clear it, the memories remained. Her heart raced like a drum in her chest, each beat faster and harder than the last. Her vision blurred, her breaths coming out in short, quick fast gasps as if her lungs had forgotten how to expand fully. The room felt like it was spinning, closing in on her. She clawed at her sheets, trying to ground herself, but nothing felt real. Everything was slipping away. Breathe, she told herself, but her body wasn't listening.

"Elizabeth," a voice said softly, "it's me. Calm down." Elizabeth turned around in her bed to find her new mom sitting by her side. "You're having a panic attack. Breathe." She instructed. Elizabeth followed her instructions, and soon she had calmed down.

"Thank...you." Elizabeth managed to gasp. She lay back down on the bed, tears streaming down her eyes.

"It's alright," Her new mom patted her head gently and said, "It's just a bad dream. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Elizabeth choked out. Don't trust it, her mind warned. Mothers aren't supposed to be kind. But this woman wasn't her real mother. This woman was... different.

"It's okay," her new mom whispered. "You don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable with." There was a pause as she gently stroked Elizabeth's hair. "Just get ready for school. Is it the first day, right?

Elizabeth nodded weakly, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. She stared at the ceiling, her heart still beating rapidly. It was indeed the first day of school in this new town, and she could not afford to let the past interfere with the present.

But as William said last week, they can just stay in this world since they arrived in 1981. This was their chance at a new life, a chance for freedom, but she would feel selfish using someone else's body and life.

She got into the bathroom to get ready for school. Elizabeth quickly dressed in her new school uniform, and she went to the living room to see William.

Elizabeth walked into the living room and saw William. "What's wrong with you? It looks like you saw a ghost or something," William asked.

Elizabeth gave William a weak smile. "Just bad dreams," she murmured, trying to dismiss her brother's concern. William studied her for a moment, his blue eyes filled with worry.

"Are you sure?" He asked cautiously, not wanting to pry but unable to show his curiosity. Elizabeth nodded, attempting to put on a brave face.

"I'm okay, Will. Just... don't mention it." She managed to say it, her voice small and shaky. She attempted to change the topic.

William continued to watch her for a moment longer before relenting. "Okay, if you say so," he agreed slowly, "but promise me if you need help or want to talk about it, you'll tell me or Andrew."

Elizabeth nodded, looking down at her feet as she mumbled a quiet, "Yeah, right."

"Are you ready for today?" he asked, shifting his gaze to the clock.

"I'm not walking with you," Elizabeth answered. She stood up, ready to go outside.

"Hey, what happened to bitch before hoe?" William said.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "It's bros before hoes, you nerd," she said. "That's not how it goes," Elizabeth says.

"Hey, don't roll your eyes at me. Last time I checked, I'm older than you."

"By two minutes!" She retorted with a smirk on her face.

"Yeah," William said, "and those two minutes make all the difference." Elizabeth punched William in the arm.

"Ow!" William winced, rubbing the spot where she hit him. "That wasn't necessary."

"Yes, it was," Elizabeth said. They watched your five-year-old sister, Alicia, walk into the room with her backpack, and their mother

"Okay, are you two ready now? Alicia can't wait to leave the house, and remember, you're responsible for Alicia at school today. She's your sister."

Elizabeth and William nodded in unison.

Alicia bounded over to them, her pigtails bouncing with each step, almost tripping over her untied shoelaces. Elizabeth called out gently, bending down to tie the offending laces for her. "We don't want you tripping over at school now, do we?" Alicia shook her head vigorously.

"Come on, let me walk with you guys to school," the mom said.

"Okay" As they stepped out into the brisk morning air, the trio followed their mother down the garden path. Elizabeth, William, and Alicia were all shivering slightly as they adjusted to the temperature drop. Elizabeth saw something in the sky. There were a lot of dragons.