Time Travel With a Stranger

Chapter Two

I enter the glass building wondering why there is no name on the front, 'maybe it's a secret, I mean I didn't know Time Inc. even existed until they gave me the job offer,' my conscience tells me, and I guess that makes sense. But still, why so secretive? I have no idea why they chose me for this job, 'maybe they had a reaping like in The Hunger Games and they chose one girl and one boy, but this time there's less chance that we'll die, right?' The thought starts out cool, but once I actually think about it, it worries me. When I was outside I just thought the glass was glinting from the sun, but now I wonder if the whole building is made out of one way glass, that would be expensive, but usefull. I walk toward the receptionist behind the huge stainless steel desk that curves around to form a semicircle, connecting to the wall. There is a door on the wall in the middle of the semicircle which I assume is where the desk lady enters.

"Hey, this is my first day. I'm Phoebe Ingram," I tell her hoping she'll know where I'm supposed to go. She types on her computer without looking up. She stops typing after a few seconds and finally looks at me with a warm smile on her aged face.

"Hello dear, your ready for your three month trip?" She asks kindly.

"Yes," I hold up my black duffle bag full of supplies, they specifically told me that clothes would be provided, "I'm looking forward to getting away from my broken life," I tell her honestly. She gives me a sympathetic smile.

"Floor three, room 1776," she tells me, my mind immediately goes to the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted and signed in 1776, 'weird,' I think. I start walking toward the elevator, "And hurry up honny, your partner is waiting for you," I stop dead in my tracks.

"Partner?" I ask confusedly. She nods, "No one said anything about a partner," I'm getting angry now, I took this job because I thought I'd be able to get away from the people in the 21st century.

"Everyone has a partner here, especially those who are inexperienced, honny," she explains, "Your partner is Mathew Harold," I turn abruptly and push the up button for the elevator. The door opens immediately and I walk in. I know I shouldn't get mad at her, she didn't do anything wrong, and I don't even know her name, but I just can't help it, I'm mad at the universe right now.

I push the three button and wait for the doors to open again. I notice that there are twelve floors before I step out into the empty hallway and find my way to room 1776 wondering when and where my first assignment is. I open the door to find a handsome stranger whose about 5'10" and slightly muscular, he has dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and an annoyed look on his face.

"Your late," he says, "We are supposed to leave at 7:04am and it is already 6:57am. I only have five minutes to prepare you," he spits out.

"Actually you have seven," my smart-allic mouth blurts out before I have a chance to chew my words. He scowls at me before grabbing my arm and pulling me to the other side of the room. He gives me a dress that looks like it came straight out of the pilgrim times and shoves me into a small changing room with a curtain for a door, which he flips shut. I change quickly and step out seeing for the first time that his clothes match the same time period.

"Four minutes left," he says after checking his watch, "Okay, this is the time machine," he says pointing to a glass box that could easily hold five people. It had a velvet bench in it and a small screen on the opposite wall of the bench and I wonder what it's for, "My name is Mathew Harold, and I'm your partner."

"Phoebe Ingram," I say distractedly, "Where and when exactly are we going?"

"Just think about the numbers you've been given of where and when to go today and I'm sure you'll figure it out," he says wearily. 3, 1776, 7, and 4 are the numbers I've been given. I know I'll be gone for three months, so that takes care of the three. Maybe 1776 is the year, seven is the month, and four is the date. That would mean that I'm going to July 4th, 1776.

"The Declaration of Independence," I whisper to myself. I see him nod out of the corner of my eye.

"7:04," he speaks up, "Time to go," I step into the glass box as he messes around on the screen, then the box disappears around me, "Don't worry, I just turned the Traveler invisible, I'll be able to find it later," he explains, then my world disappears.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: I know my Redneck friend wrote in third person, but as she said the P.O.V. might change, and it feel more comfortable in first person. Thank you for bearing through our differences in writing, I know it must be tough to transition from her writing to mine. Since I wrote this chapter that means the Redneck will write the next. Please let us know what you think. Thank you for your consideration.

Vote, comment, share!

Love y'all.

Dearly, a proud Hufflepuff.