Someday We'll Be Together

Chapter 22- Indians

"Where on earth are we?" asked Max. There was fear in his voice.
Lena wanted to correct him and say, "You probably meant to ask when on earth are we?" but she was too horrified to do so.
"It feels like... we're inside a Wild West movie," Tyler said.
Lena went over to Max and took the camera from his hand. When she read the current time displayed, her eyes widened in fear.
"We are. We're in the Wild West."
Tyler also came over to the camera and looked at the part showing the current time.
"Friday, November 2, 1883."
"1883?!"
Max and Tyler looked at each other in horror.
"Okay, there must have been a mistake," said Lena, unable to accept it. Then she looked at Max. "Are you sure you entered the destination date correctly in the time circuits?"
"Yes, I didn't even need to enter it. You had already done it. Then you gave the camera to me. It was set to November 2, 2008."
"So how do you explain us ending up in 1883 instead of 2008?" "I don't know. Just before I took the photo, the numbers on the time circuits started fluctuating."
"What do you mean? Why?"
"You know, they just started changing like that. How the hell should I know why?"
Lena raised her hand to her head as if she remembered something and closed her eyes. "God, the red light blinking in the corner of the screen! There must have been a malfunction with the machine."
"I'd be surprised if there wasn't," said Tyler.
"Give me the camera," Lena said. Max did as she asked. Lena turned the camera on. It was giving a fuel warning. Suddenly, she felt a wetness on the hand holding the camera's fuel tank.
Lena raised her hand. It was ketchup.
"The fuel tank is leaking. Maybe that's why..." She turned angrily to Tyler and Max, who were staring at her in shock. "The camera's fuel tank is damaged. Did you drop it or something?"
Tyler raised his hands to indicate his innocence. "Max forgot me in 1983. I didn't even touch it."
Lena then turned to Max. Max shrugged. "Ah, well yes. I did drop it on the way home, but it wasn't hard enough to cause any damage."
"You dropped it!?,"
"Hey, all we need to do is tape the fuel tank with duct tape." said Max trying to make everything sound normal.
"Once duct tape is invented," said Tyler.
"Then... let's stick it with something else. I mean, people still glued things in 1883, right?"
"Listen," said Lena seriously. "Let's go to the town square and see if we can find something useful."
Tyler and Max nodded, indicating they found this logical.
"Where's the town square?" asked Max.
"Since we're currently in the future school's backyard, the town square should be about half a mile ahead," said Lena. She followed the direction of the sun in the sky. "We need to head northwest for half a mile."

Tyler started walking ahead of Lena and Max, kicking small pebbles on the ground. When he reached a small hill, he turned to Lena and Max and started running towards them quickly. Lena and Max looked at Tyler running towards them in shock.
"They're coming! Run!" Tyler shouted as he passed them. "Who?" Max asked, shouting.
"Indians!"
Lena and Max looked at each other in horror and heard the sound of galloping horses getting closer. Without wasting any time, they started running after Tyler.
Soon, Indians with bows in their hands began descending from the hill on their horses.
Max looked back and shouted, "Damn it! They're getting closer!" Tyler hid behind a large rock and signaled for Max and Lena to join him. Lena and Max used their last bit of energy and hid behind the rock before the Indians could reach them.
As they watched the Indians jump over them on their horses, they didn't want to believe what they had just experienced. After the last of the Indians had passed, they stood up to brush off the dust covering them due to the cloud of dust left behind.
At that moment, they heard a trumpet sound. The sound of galloping horses was approaching again.
"This trumpet sound... it sounds very familiar from Wild West movies," Tyler said.
"It's a bugle call*," said Lena. "To mobilize the American cavalry—"
Before Lena could finish her sentence, Max peeked out from behind the rock and immediately lay back down.
"Watch it!"
Tyler and Lena quickly lay down next to Max. Horses started jumping over them again. This time, the American flag was waving on the frontmost horse, and the bugle call was sounding. After the cavalry had also passed, they took a breather behind the rock.
"Will there be any more coming?" Max asked.
"I don't think so. As far as I've seen in Wild West movies, the American cavalry chases the Indians to drive them off our land," said Tyler.
"Wild West movies are pure American propaganda," said Lena. Tyler and Max sighed, realizing Lena was about to start talking like a history book again.
"At least they're fun to watch," Tyler said nonchalantly. "The land you call ours actually belongs to the natives here. Your ancestors just gave them funny names like Indians and took their land," Lena explained.
"My ancestors are your ancestors too," Tyler said.
"Not quite. My father is Italian. Your ancestors are Irish."
"As if your ancestors didn't take land that didn't belong to them from innocent natives."
Max gave Tyler a friendly punch on the shoulder.
"But this is different. We are Romans. One of the most powerful empires in history. You are just plain Americans; you don't have as much history as we do."
"White Americans are also descendants of Europeans," Lena corrected.
Max continued speaking. "Your country... considering that we are in 1883, it's not even 100 years old, whereas our country—"
"Then why didn't you stay in Italy?" Tyler interrupted. "It's not like I had a choice. My grandfather decided to settle here. Why didn't you stay in Ireland?"
"Because there was a famine. Learn some history. If you were born and raised here, then you are American too."
"No, I'm of Italian descent. Besides, there's no such thing as an 'American race,' right, Lena?"
Lena rolled her eyes, indicating she was tired of the argument. "Can you stop arguing like ignorant politicians and focus on the problem? For God's sake, we're in 1883, and this is neither the time nor the place for this discussion!"
After saying this, Lena started walking in the direction where the town square should be. Max and Tyler followed her. Max turned to Tyler.
"We'll discuss this when we get back to 2008. This conversation isn't over."