Just Your Average Time Traveller

Necessary to live.

I paced frantically up and down the alley, wondering what to do. Cassia was my only guide, the only person I had really come to trust. No offence to Adonis, but though his 'charms' work well on women, I was still unsure about his loyalties. But, I didn't blame him for acting coldly towards me. If I was living a quiet, happy life in Rome in 49AD and some bedraggled boy comes up to me, telling me he's from the future, I wouldn't believe him either.

All my hunger and bitterness forgotten, I went through all the possibilities of why Cassia had disappeared, as her supposed friend sat thinking with a uselessly grave expression on his face. She wasn't dead. At least, not yet.

Option one: Cassia simply ran in the opposite direction to us and nobody followed her. Option two: she had grabbed Schnuckums and run to the mansion, and was safe. At least, safer than us. Option three: she had gone for Schnuckums and...what? Who knows what those visored soldiers had done to her? What were they doing now? As much as I hated to admit it, Cassia was my only way out of here, and the reason I was still alive. If it weren't for her, I'd be on the street somewhere, without food or water, amongst the other beggars that dot the market square. For all I knew, I could be dead. I definitely would be better off.

And those people...they were from the future, I knew it more surely than anything else. But, if they were from the future, then I knew I had to admit it. The mental battle that had been raging inside of me all this time would have to end. So I gave in. There IS no other explanation, I told myself. This really is Ancient Rome, and I am really here. I somehow managed to get myself here, and I can barely remember how. And now, look what I've done. Somebody from my age has come here, probably to take me back to-

Wait.

Are they here to take me back? To return me to my family and apologise? Maybe this was the government's fault. Perhaps that little pocket watch, whatever it was, that was nestled in my backpack, perhaps somebody dropped that. Maybe it was a prototype for new technology, meaning I was in the clear. I could go back to my family, explain what happened and carry on with my life, like I so desperately needed to. That would mean I shouldn't be running away from those men. After all, didn't the man in the suit smile at me? Or, he tried to smile. He looked more like he was in serious pain.

And another thing. The decision to follow these people would mean I had to make Cassia and Adonis forget I ever happened. I couldn't tell them about this though. I just had to get back and eventually, as time passed, the two would carry on with their lives as well as I would with mine.

It startled me to think that it was true: I had actually gone back in time. Not only did it make me realise exactly how big the mess was that I had got myself into, but it made me think how rubbish time travel really was. I mean, looking at the old movies and shows that my dad used to watch, they all show a time-traveller that has these amazing adventures in space and time, with a friend or two by their side. The world is their oyster; they can do whatever they want, go wherever they want. There are no consequences. Not really.

"Stop pacing, please." Adonis' voice rang out loud and clear, and yet he still sat desolately wih his head cradled in his hands, elbows resting on knees. I saw a flash of red.

"If you're so worried about Cassia, then go look for her," I insisted sharply. To my bewilderment, I heard a soft chuckling noise, which grew into fully fledged laughter as Adonis raised his head, his mane of hair ruffled and messy.

"You think I'm worried about Cassia? She'll be fine. Probably. I would look for her immediately, if only my head weren't churning so badly. I don't know what to think anymore."

I raised my eyebrows. "You don't know what to think? Be glad you don't know what they're capable of! If you knew my theories about what's happening, then you would try to focus on something else too. Cassia's the safe subject, for me." I hoped he couldn't tell that I was lying through my teeth.