The Time Hopper

Mother Marie

For some reason the adrenaline rush I got as we fell down the scree slope was enough to make my mind focus, and I finally felt the tug in my gut that signalled my power was working. A moment later, and we were no longer in England, instead we were in the Tir Na Gog in the present day. We had landed on a steep grassy slope, which was less scratchy and more soft, but still had enough of an angle to it so we couldn't get our feet under us. 

Riley fell into me first, bowling me over and sending both of us rolling down the hill in a tangle of limbs with a lot of swearing. I could practically feel the bruises forming as we rolled to a stop at the bottom of the hill, groaning, half lying on top of each other. 

"Hello, children. Having a nice day?" A quite, friendly voice asked, making me slowly open my eyes. Marie was stood over us, holding a book closed in her hand. This was one of the few times she was taller than me, given I had outgrown her at age eleven, and her loose blonde locks hung down in a halo around her pretty face. She didn't look surprised at the slightest by mine and Riley's sudden and clumsy entrance, used to the antics that me and the other children of the elements got into to. 

"Hiya Marie." I groaned, rolling away from Riley and untangling myself from him, prompting a few more groans from him as I pressed on already forming bruises. 

"No, we aren't having a good day." The Irish boy grumbled, slowly standing up and going to tip his hat before remembering that he wasn't wearing one. I decided to remain sprawled on the grass. 

"Oh, that's a shame. Why don't you come inside and have a seat and I'll make you both of a cup of hot cocoa and get you some biscuits and you can tell me all about it?" Marie offered with a soft smile to me, offering me her hand to help me get up. I took it and made a piss poor attempt of pushing myself up before sagging back. 

"Too bruised. Can't move. But I want cocoa and biscuits and a hug." I whined. Riley groaned and grabbed my wrists, yanking me up until I was sitting and kneeling down to put his shoulder to my stomach and hoist me up over his shoulder in one smooth move. He groaned a little as he stood, readjusting me so I was dangling over his back and walking off after Marie, who I think was clearing up after a break in the sun. 

"You seem very good at that, Riley." She complimented him as every step made my nose bang against the bottom of his ribs. Sure, I could have moved, or propped myself up onto my arms, or God forbid walk by myself, but life was just too short. 

"She's started doing this a lot recently, so I've been getting in practise. Really lazy, aren't you, Sadie?" I groaned in response as he carried me up the stairs to the manor and into the kitchen as naturally as though it was his own home. Which, at this point, it more or less was, given he stayed here whenever I did and had his own room here. 

"Whatever happened to the two of you before you got here? You both need showers, and clean clothes, and some antiseptic for those scrapes." Marie decided as Riley dropped me down onto one of the old, battered kitchen chairs with no ceremony. 

"I managed to get us to time travel just in the nick of time, saving the day yet again." I bragged as she put a pot of milk on the stove and sprinkled in some cocoa before pulling out a first aid kit from... somewhere. I swear she just carried it around with her, which wouldn't be unreasonable, given the frequency of these occurrences. 

"I mean, she's not wrong but she's also leaving out most of the story. We went to Pendle hill, back when it was a bad idea to go to Pendle hill, and they decided that Sadie was a witch, chased us halfway up said hill, and then when we fell and were about to fall to our deaths, then she finally got us out of that situation." Riley recounted in a monotone, sitting down and giving me a scathing look. Marie pulled out a clean cloth and some antiseptic, pouring some on and looking between us.