THE EPOCH CHRONICLES | ✔

prologue

Grayling, Michigan
2019
(six months later
but also twenty years before)

━━━━

POLICE LIEUTENANT Russel Darby had been in charge of the law enforcement of Grayling and the Crawford County for twelve years, and not once in those twelve years had he heard a smidgen about time travel.

Runaway teens, yes, and drunk driving, and once even a parrot smuggler, but time travel? That happened in places like Area 51, which was far away from his corner of the USA, thank you very much, and he felt inclined to throw the young woman in front of him in the slammer for coming up with such a tale.

If you're gonna lie to me, the graying-brown whiskered man thought, screwing up his eyebrows, at least come up with something believable.

"So you're telling me you come from the future," Russel said finally. Premature wrinkles be damned, he didn't have time for adolescent nonsense, and he was already readying his no-nonsense tone for a lecture, like he used on his kids back home.

(Like they even listened to him anyway, but that was besides the point.)

"Yes." The young woman's brown eyes met his steadily, though it looked like she was chewing on her lip. "I do."

God Almighty ... kids these days. Russel gave a tired sigh and leant back in his chair, propping his hands on his stomach. "So tell me, then, Missy-from-the-future, what news do you bring from 2049?"

"2039," she corrected, though they both knew full well that he'd messed up intentionally. "And my name is Amelia. Amelia Doveare."

Amelia Doveare looked like she'd been in a war zone, Russel had to admit. Maybe she had abusive parents. With that thought in mind, he straightened and clicked onto his computer. She was quiet, though he could hear her foot tapping in impatience, along with a fly droning against a window, looking for a way out.

Doveare ... Doveare. He ran the records, eyes flitting over the 'D' section in the county's database. There was a Dickson, and the mugshot of a scrawny, tattooed man, and a Depri, a baby-faced Indian with 'Love Sucks' scrawled across his forehead. No Doveares, though, so maybe Amelia wasn't being abused. And maybe he wasn't sitting with a criminal across from him, either.

He raised his eyebrows, and if he hadn't quit smoking the year before, he would've been chewing on his cig. "You're practically nonexistent here." Doveare. The census raced across the scene, locking onto a guy with curly black hair and dark brown eyes.

Russel squinted, looking from Amelia to the one other Doveare in the county that had voted within the past few years. Okay ... maybe he could see some resemblance, with the same tilted Asian-like eyes and curled hair. But while Cody Doveare on his screen was clean shaven and decidedly Caucasian, this Amelia girl's hair was tied up wildly and her face was thin and pursed, and sunburnt a dark brown.

"I don't exist yet," Amelia reminded him. Russel had to bite down on his snort, frustration rising at her insistence.

"Fine. Then tell me how you got here." He splayed his hands across his desk, letting go of the mouse. This better be good, Russel thought, almost smugly. At least he would be 'busy' enough for his annoying secretary, Teresa, to leave him in peace for once.

Amelia's eyes narrowed; maybe she saw his challenge. "Do you want to listen?" She questioned brusquely. She put her elbows on his desk, and she suddenly looked a lot closer. Russel had to fight not to look away from her dark eyes. She seemed tired, he realized. And her eyes implied she was older than she looked — which was about twenty-three. No older than twenty-five, though.

"Or are you just gonna throw me in jail now?"

Russel shook his head, wind from the fan's lazy turning above their heads bringing cold air to his cheek. "You're here now, aren't you? Depending on how good your story is, we'll see."

She seemed satisfied with that, and sat back, which gave him a moment to breathe as well.

"You play chess?" Was her question, after a few moments. Russel scratched his cheek, trying to hide his surprise.

"Uh ... used to. When I was a kid."

Amelia smiled, and she looked lighter than before. "Good. 'Cause my story all started with exactly that. Chess."

━━━━