Unreal Happenings

Meeting Maggie

P: Hours pass as we constantly watch the blur of tree’s until we see light in the darkness up ahead. I stop Ray, Jacki and Beth as we pause, our heaving puffing calms as we stand their in the cold night, I hear laughter and think I am going mad. Who would be up at this time of night and laughing in this manner. I push them back and creep up to the bushline that abruptly stops at this clearing. I see tents that I have never seen before, they look unreal. The bright pastel colours are so vivid. I then move my gaze to a bunch of people. Many of them are kissing and laying down together, some of them are stripped to their undergarments and I shudder at seeing strangers likes this.

I see the guy laughing and cheering on the couple making out, I spit quietly. It is too gross.

I see another pair looking at the brick with light, noises come out of it and I scream, but it is too late to stop me.

They all turn and stop doing whatever they are doing.

I freeze but manage to crawl under the bush.

“We see you! Are you lost?” a girl asks.

How kind they are…

“I am lost,” I poke my head through the branches, “My friends and I are.”

“Well go get them then and join us for some dinner, lamb chops and a salad!”

I nod, “Okay… thank you!”

I tear myself out of the branches deathly grip and run back to my group.

“I found a bunch of people and they can help us! Ray and Jacki come with me,  Beth you stay in the bushes line. If someone comes crawl under the bushes!”

Beth sighs but nods with Ray and Jacki.

Ray, Jacki and I walk to the fire, we walk forward and are greeted by friendly smiles.

“Hello there. My name is Lily and this is my boyfriend Gerald. We are here camping with our friends.”

She shakes our hands and I grin, “We are quite lost, could you please help us.”

“Sure,” she hands me the brick and I raise my eyebrows in pure confusement, “here.”

“A brick? Is that surely going to help us out? It could help since the light resource and maybe defense but I was hoping you may of had something else, like shelter and food.”

She frowns, “No stupid, thats a cell phone. Not a brick and you're welcome to stay here for a while. We are waiting for our friend Beth to come back, she has been lost for a couple of hours. We are worried sick. Its her birthday.”

I hear a scream and Beth comes running out, “Maggie? Oh my gosh, this can’t be real.”

Beth runs to Maggie and cries into her shoulder, Maggie squeals and hugs her tightly.

“Maggie, I swore I was lost in another dimension. I was actually but now I have traveled back!

Everyone comes around her and hugs her for a while longer and we are confused. I realised we were in her time but how? I look around and jump at the sound of a bell, constantly screeching in my ear.

“Help, what is happening!?”

I shake with fear and Ray comes to me, I close my eyes and suddenly jump as it vibrates in my hand. This time I drop it and it breaks apart.

“Oy! You broke my phone, you are really on my nerves now.”

Maggie pushes aside the group and picks up her phone, she puts it together and sighs.

“You are lucky it is okay, or you would have had to pay for the newest phone which is a lot of money.”

“Money? You surely do not mean doubloons?” I say.

“What century are you from? 1790’s? Geez, losers. You really are dumb, aren’t you.” Says Maggie.

Beth goes to Maggie and sways against her, her face is pale and her breathing is wet and heavy.

“No, she is really smart but from a different time period.”

Then Beth falls to the dirt ground.

E:  We all run over to her and start to get her up. She doesn’t come back into consciousness even after we try everything. We pick her up and put her in a spare tent. I sit in there with her, trying to wake her up. I sleep for about 2 hours, it is night after all. After I wake up I put a cold flannel on her forehead and wait for her to wake up. Minutes pass and slowly her breathing becomes less deep and more often, she moves a little bit, and then her eyes open. I am so relieved. She tells me that she was just overwhelmed. I mean, of course she is. She’s traveled from world to world without knowing it, without knowing she would ever find her true home again, and now she has. She slowly sits up with my help. We zip open the tent and crawl out onto the early morning grass.