To Reverse Time: A Time-Travel Story

Chapter 8: Taste of Crow(Part 3 of 3)

(Okay in this chapter I'm going to use (---shire) to represent the town of noblemen in the Victorian UK.)

I blinked a few times, surely I was seeing things.

The room looked modern, my kind of modern, like someone had taken a room out of Haverty's or Rooms-To-Go. Zebra print rug on the floor, white subway tile on the fireplace mantle, and it even had lamps with electrical cords, though I doubt there was anything to plug them into.

But what seemed really out of place was the two figures I observed on the creme colored sofa. Aaron Hendry and Bertram Crow. How did Aaron know Crow?

"What-" I began, only be interrupted by Alexander ushering me toward the chair across from Aaron and Crow.

"Go sit down, this is going to take a while." He told me, with a look of utter solemness.

I felt every one of their eyes staring into me, making me acutely uncomfortable.

Finally, Bertram spoke. "Miss Benjamin, you have no idea how please I am you are here." He shook my hand enthusiastically.

My eyebrow raise up. "We met earlier."

"So, are you the reason I'm here?" I asked bluntly.

Bertram nodded. "More or less." 

"What does that mean?" 

Bertram began to fiddle with the black button on his vest. "Well, I didn't originally intend to send an individual person back in time. I somehow miscalculated the placement of the portal, and you fell through it. Similar to  'Alice Through The Looking Glass'."

Alice in Wonderland, really? I scoffed. "How can you compare the two? Alice went to Wonderland in a dream, she woke up and went back to reality. This isn't a dream, I can't wake up from this. " 

"And why," I continued, "exactly were you trying to go to the future anyways?"

"It's part of our job." Alexander chimed in.  "We take turns going into the future to learn about your culture and ways, to help stop any threat to our land, be they political or nature-related."

How so? I wondered.

As if reading my mind, Alexander added. "Did you know there was a plot to kill the Marquis of -----shire, through Bertrams connections here, we were able to tell the proper people and eliminate the threat. "

"And don't forget about the bridge that almost collapsed, we got to it just in the nick of time before it broke." Bertram added.

I could help but think to myself they were like a cross between the Secret Service and Captain Planet.

"And what about all this?" I gestured to the 21st century furnishings.

"Uncle Bertram is a bit obsessed with your era." Aaron answered.

I looked in Aaron's direction for a moment, so they were related. Looking at them closer, they did have the same eyes. 

Something seemed off about Aaron, he hadn't said to much. "You don't sound too happy about this time travel business." 

"Don't mind him," Alexander said. "He's just upset he can't keep you for himself, like a stray puppy."

"That isn't true!" Aaron's face turned red. "Really, Miss Benjamin, i don't think of you as a puppy or anything to be owned. It's just..." He contemplated. "Arabella seems so pleased with your company, she doesn't have that many people that can tolerate her high-spirited energy."

I could believe that. She often wanted me to be her barbie doll, whether I wanted to be or not. And she never seemed to get tired, she was always bubbly. But she was a nice girl, and she did mean well.

Aaron frowned. "I worry she will be devastated by your departure."