Present (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 3 - Encounter

"Helen..." the ghost lured her in. Helen seemed transfixed, unable to think or move clearly. All she knew - or thought she knew was that she had to follow the ghost or something bad would happen.

Helen just stared into the eyes of the ghost; the scene looking like prey lost to the eyes of the cobra.

She stepped on what seemed to be an invisible wire and fell through a hole. Her instincts told her to scream and call for help, but something even deeper than inner consciousness told her to go along with it.

Falling through the hole seemed like the same old Alice in Wonderland story but the place looked more modern than wacky.

Helen saw pipes around and hard ground beneath her.

Whew! Maybe if I fall on that ground, I can ask for help. Surely there will be people there. But, what am I thinking? This must be a dream... if it isn't, I don't know what to think, the poor girl thought.

Finally, knowing that she could at least think her own thoughts, she screamed. The solid, silver kind of ground was, in fact, extremely hard -- nothing like Helen was used to.

Her body fell, down and down and down. Helen braced herself for the hard fall but she had encountered yet another surprise.

Helen felt something -- someone -- groaning and trying to move under her weight. The girl, around the age of 11, looked very disheveled and her hair was sticking out in all directions. Her outfit wasn't anything like what a proper 11-year-old girl should wear in the '70s.

What is that girl wearing? This is not proper! If anyone shall see her like that, they will have a fit. Her top is so, so short with some sort of shiny jacket over it. The jacket looks like... leather! That is so expensive -- how did she get the money to wear it for fashion? And her pants! Her legs are so exposed! At this, Helen started to look away, disgusted at how open the girl is.

Aware that Helen was looking at her, the girl stopped to look at her and then looked away. She started to rummage around for something, finally stopping at a weird sort of gadget. Helen was confused at what that thing was, for she had never seen it before.

But apparently, this was what the girl was looking for because her eyes widened with recognition. She tried pressing a few buttons but the gadget remained black, not doing what the girl wanted it to do. After figuring out how the screen of the item broke, her eyes hardened and looked at the cause of the mess.

"Hey, you! Lady!" the girl yelled.

Helen gasped as she figured out that the girl was talking to her.

"Yes you, with the blue dress! Watch where you're going! You just broke my new, latest iPhone6s! I'm not paying for it with my own money! You better give me $600 NOW!" the girl yelled.

Helen became nervous not knowing how that girl can afford that much money on that object, where even the royal family can't spend that much money on entertainment.

"I... I... I'm sorry but I don't know what an iPhone6s is! How can you spend $600 on that when all my family has is $25?" she replied, thinking that the girl is out of her mind.

The girl looked shocked and then came up with her own conclusion. "Haha very funny you poor person. I don't know if you're trying to get out of giving me the money you owe me but you don't fool me. It's 2015 - everyone has like millions and millions of money. If you can't afford a simple phone, then, well, you're outa luck, miss."

Helen's mind drifted when the little (but bossy, she thought) girl told her the year.

"2015.... but it's only the 1900's?" She seriously was dumbfounded by this fact.

"Don't act dumb, get a calendar -- or a phone, for that matter." the girl said, not wanting to talk to this unusual girl.

As she said that, the girl walked away.

Helen suddenly heard someone laughing... it sounded oddly familiar, that cold, harsh laugh that sent shivers down her spine.

On a nearby bench, the ghost (the thing that looked like Hell) was sent into fits of laughter, looking as though it knew something that Helen did not.

Helen spotted the ghost but ignored it.

There was a man who looked very kind and very satisfying. She thought that he wouldn't act like that rude, obnoxious girl.

Helen walked up to the man, who looked as if he was in his 30s.

"Umm...excuse me sir...may I know the time?" she asked, trying to be polite as she had been taught so many times, but at the same time, couldn't help but feel that something was wrong.

As he grinned, Helen thought that her imagination was working overtime.

Yes, that's probably it. Especially considering the recent events... This man seems very nice - he wouldn't do anything bad.

"Well yes, of course! Give me one second..." the man said, again flashing that amazing smile.

He put his hand in his pocket, trying to get something out.

"Well let's see... it is Friday, March 16, 2015. The time is 6:00 in the evening. Hope that helps!"

But it just added to Helen's stress. It really is 2015 - but how? Oh why is it me? I haven't done anything wrong, so why does it have to be me?

Since she was still the kind girl she always was, she let out a small "Thank you" to the generous man and started to walk away. However, this man had other plans.

He pulled out a knife and held her by the neck.

"Oh, but I haven't finished, dear. It's also time for me to kill you," the man said, smirking.

"Help! Help!" she screamed, trying to kick and hit her kidnapper.

The man started to run with her, holding onto her tightly and making sure she doesn't squirm out of his grasp.

When Helen started to give up, knowing that there would be no point in fighting, a girl came and cartwheeled trying to make it seem that she didn't fall.

What is it with all these weird people? This girl looked like she came from another planet. Her outfit looked dark green -- a great color to blend in with her surroundings and her shoes look like they allow her to follow people soundlessly. But her eyes were so familiar...

Now, they were dark and she looked mean.

She tripped the guy, who dropped the knife and Helen went toppling over him. Helen and the guy both got up at the same time and they were both looking at the strong and fast female pointing a gun at him.

"Hey! Next time you have to remember that you need to use this amazing thing called a brain before you mess around with someone!" she said.

"And who may you be?" he asked, transforming into the kind man he looks to be.

"Destiny ~ Agent 10 from NanoCity, the best agent in the world." she said, not looking like she was joking.

He laughed, but this time, it was a hollow sound...

"I'M NOT TAKING ANY NONSENSE, MISTER!" and Destiny flipped him over taking the knife with her.

He ran back and Destiny was staring at him, watching him go. She suddenly turned to Helen.

"Are you all right?" she asked, concerned, and not at all the girl that she just was. "And... what's your na--?"

"I'm just saying that I can transform into anything I please... even a kind man..." the ghost interrupted, suddenly reappearing. "Anyways, it's lovely to meet you two, Destiny and Helen."

"YOU!" they both yelled.