Back to the Future - AR

III

Chapter 3

I'm starting to lose control of the car and run straight into a pile of dirt, I hit my head on the steering wheel as some people come out of the house not too far from where I am. The hazmat suits mask falls back onto my head, making the people not recognize that I'm just a person, they're looking at me like I'm an alien or something, they scream as I get out of the car.
"Hey, I'm sorry about your uhh, dirt?" I say before getting shot at.
"Hurry its getting away!" I hear a little boy shout before I'm shot at again. I quickly run back to the car and speed away from those people, driving down an empty highway until I come across the Cherry Hill mall, where is everything?

I step out of the car and look at the empty parking lot, why isn't anybody here? It's a Saturday?
I shake my head a bit and get back in the car only to find out it's stalling, I didn't even think cars that weren't stick shift stalled, but apparently they do.
I slam my hands against the wheel in frustration after messing around with it for about 5 minutes or so, and still nothing. So I muster up the strength to hide that shits behind an abandoned building and walk towards the center of town. I look around and there's so much stuff that's unfamiliar, like its the same old Newark just... different.

I get so distracted that I'm almost hit by a few cars while crossing the street, getting cursed at as I move out of the way and overall just getting looks as to why I'm so confused. This place, wherever i am, or whenever I should say, is completely different. I walk over to the hang out spot that I usually would meet my friends at, but they're not here. I look at the little newspaper stand and notice the date, October 11, 2020.
"No fucking way." I say as I stare at it. "Oh god this cannot be happening."

I turn towards the spot and stare at the sign, it's not named the same.
"Hey, you coming in or not?" The person holding the door says, I nod and quickly walk into the nearly empty area, since when is this place not crowded?
"Hi, what can I get you started with today?" The lady behind the counter asks as I sit at the bar.
"Umm a Coke would be great, thank you." I say before pulling my phone out, I have no service here.

"Hey Luciano." A girl says as the door swings open, I turn back to look at her for a second. Luciano? That's my mothers maiden name.
"Nina, I'm talking to you."
I turn to the other side of me to see my mom, she looks like she's my age, hiding or ignoring those girls and having her face buried in a book.
"Nina, don't be scared, we're not gonna jump you." Another girl says as they get close to my mom, I'm getting aggravated.
"Rebecca, Marie, Leona, Please leave me alone, I'll have all your work done and handed in on time, I promise."
Since when is ma scared like this?
"You better Nina, don't make us kick your
ass again."

The first girl raises her hand and I watch as my mom flinches just before they all look at me.
"Do you mind? We're having a private conversation here." One girl says in a snarky tone, I don't look at her and continue to look at my mom.
"Hello? Are you deaf?"
A hand is waved in front of my face making me finally pay attention to the girl.
"Don't do this in a public setting and you wont get stared at." I say just as snarky which shut those girls up.
"Bring it by my house in the morning Nina, got it?" One girl says, my mom nods and they leave the area.

I look back over at her again and just stare, I cannot believe I'm sitting here with my mom.
"What?" She says finally looking over at me, startling me a bit.
"You- you're Nina Luciano." I stutter.
"Yeah? And who are you?" She responds in the same tone as someone comes up to us.
"Nini! You are not gonna let Rebecca, Marie and Leona Caldwell come in here and disrespect
you like that!"
Its the girl from behind the counter, I cant believe I didn't recognize her before! That's my moms best friend, Melanie!
"Now you're lucky this one right here stopped them from pushing you around, girl you needa stand up for yourself."
They both look over at me as I smile awkwardly.
"Who are you?" Melanie asks as she and my mom lean closer to me.
"I'm, uhh, Cienna, but my friend call me Ci."
I shake their hands although I know who they are, this is the weirdest thing.

-

"So, you're new I'm assuming." My mom says while we walk down the road to her house, I nod.
"I guess you could say that."
"Well you're very pretty." She says quietly making me smile.
"Thanks, you are too."
She smiles and stops me in the middle of the road.
"I feel like I can trust you." She says as she hands me her book. "Barely anybody reads anymore, but I thought you should read this while you're here."
I smile and hold the book in my hands as a car come hauling ass around the corner, I quickly push my mom out of the way and am hit my the car, only hearing her shout for help before everything goes black.

The next thing I know I'm waking up in a bed that isn't mine, I squint my eyes until they get used to the lighting and hear muffled voices of what sound like boys. I sit myself up and rub my eyes, opening them to see blurred figures in front of me.
"Hey, she's waking up." I hear a familiar voice say, I blink a couple times until the figures are clear.
I freak out at the sight of my dad, Mattia and Kairi.
"Ahh!" I scream making them flinch.
"You're- You're my- You're my-"
I can't get the words out.
"Hey, are you ok? My mom hit you with her car by accident." My dad asks making my eyes widen, isn't that what was supposed to happen to ma?
"I think she's mute." Mattia says as he waves his hand in front of my face.
"No, no, no, no this cant be real." I say to myself as they introduce themselves.
"Well, I'm Alejandro, this is Kairi and that's Mattia." My dad says with a cheerful smile, I return a frightened looking one.
"What's your name?"

For a moment my brain wanted me to say, well you named me, you should know, but then I remember that I'm in 2020 not 2048 so he wouldn't know.
"I'm- I'm umm, I'm Cienna."
I manage to get those words out as the trio sits on the bed in front of me.
"That's an unusual name." Kairi says while looking at his phone, I nod quickly.
"So I'm guessing you have a nickname?" Mattia says as his eyes trail my face.
"Yeah, uhh, my- my friends call me Ci." I say as I look at my dad, he seems to be studying me as I sit there, scared shitless.