Back To The Future || Part Zero

Chapter Six

Early the next morning, Professor Brown walked down the hall to the room he had given Marty McFly late the night before. He stopped and listened carefully, hearing no sound from the other side. After a minute he reached for the doorknob and turned it. The Professor pushed the door open a couple of inches, sticking his head around the side of the door to peer inside.

The shades were wide open, the first rays of sunlight slanting across the room over to the bed. Marty was lying on top of the queen bed on his back, one arm hanging over the side of the bed, still fully dressed in his 1982 clothes. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be asleep. The Professor studied him for a moment, then slowly stepped inside the room and crept across to the table next to the bed, where the Cathedral Radio rested and the small cassette recorder. He had come in to get a closer look at the future object.

Professor Brown carefully picked the recorder up and examined it. His finger accidentally hit the play button and a loud burst of conversation came out. The Professor swore under his breath as he fumbled for the stop button. His eyes flew to Marty as he quickly set the recorder on the table again. Marty let out a deep sigh, eyes still closed, and rolled over.

Professor Brown waited a moment, to make sure Marty wasn't going to awaken. He listened to his slow, deep breathing for a second, then quickly crossed the room to the door. The Professor eased it shut and continued down the hall. He had to get to the University and look up the information about nuclear physics. Hopefully, there would be a answer to send Marty back to the future.

* * *

Marty felt warm sunlight on his face. He threw an arm across his still-closed eyes to block it out, along with the memories. Pieces of the night before came back to him, being in 1952. Maybe, Marty thought, it was just a dream. All I have to do is open my eyes and I will see that it was all part of some bizarre dream....

He sighed as his eyes focused on his surroundings. It wasn't a dream. He was lying on the bed in the room that Professor Brown had given him the night before. He was still in 1952.

Marty reached over and clicked on the old radio by the bed, mostly out of habit. He waited a few seconds, expecting to hear some old song, but nothing came on. He hit it a few times, wondering if it was broken. Only a minute later did sound slowly come on, and it was horrible! Marty made a face as he rolled over and twisted the tuning dial, skimming the different stations for something better. Nothing that even remotely resembled any type of rock 'n roll came on. Marty flipped the radio off, shaking his head in disgust.

He got off the bed and left his room, wandering downstairs to the kitchen. He opened a cabinet and found a coffee pot. As he was taking it out of the cabinet, it slipped from his hands and crashed onto the hardwood floor, separating into different pieces. Marty swore and knelt down, trying to get it back together. After a minute, he gave up and set it aside.

Marty turned to the refrigerator and pulled it open. He fished out a bottle of milk and took off the little piece of foil at the top. Taking a glass off the counter, he set it on the kitchen table and lifted up the bottle to pour some milk in the glass.

Nothing came out. Marty held it up and looked down the neck, noticing a cardboard plug keeping the milk in. He stuck a couple fingers down there, trying to pull it out - but he couldn't get ahold of it! With a sigh of annoyance, Marty finally just pushed his fingers through the cardboard and poured the milk in the glass. After pulling the bottle back in the refrigerator, Marty sat down at the kitchen table to drink his milk. He noticed some magazines and newspapers spread out and lifted a couple of them up for a closer look. The issue of Time had a cover story titled, "The Republicans: Who Will Win in '52?" Photos of the men involved were splashed on the cover. Marty stared at it for a moment.