While He was Awake

Escaping the Present

James and Janine were asleep, I was sure of that as I passed by their room and made my way to the time travel vehicle. James and Janine had been wonderful parent figures to me, and I had never lied to them … before today, that is. But I couldn’t tell James that I had already made all arrangements to fly back to 1980. I had gotten my human documents like passport, driving license, birth certificate, school and college certificates, exchanged a few SherMichaels for dollars and set up the vehicle with everything I would need – water, food and jackets, jeans and jumpsuits all brought from the 1990’s fashion store – a popular Halloween shopping destination.

I quietly slipped a letter under the door of J&J’s bedroom and tiptoed downstairs to the vehicle.

I opened the door of the vehicle that looked like Cinderella’s pumpkin turned into carriage cart. It was transparent and the glass on all sides were screens where the details had to be entered. I pressed the red start button and the led panels that wrapped the carriage like a gift-wrapping bow lit up

“Enter the date you wish to go back to” a voice from the front panel roared … thank god, the vehicle was soundproof
‘29TH AUGUST, 1978’ – I typed and pressed enter … hoping the vehicle wouldn’t reject it

“Enter Location”, the second voice came, okay, the vehicle had accepted my date, I was going back!

‘NEVERLAND RANCH, CALIFORNIA’ I typed and was about to press enter when I remembered that Michael hadn’t brought Neverland until 1987. Jeez, if I had pressed enter, I would have ended up in the middle of nowhere.

I erased it and typed ‘HAYVENHURST HOUSE, ENCINO, CALIFORNIA’ I looked at the date and location once more and pressed the red and enter keys together.

The Vehicle started with a jerk, this was it, I sat on the seat, clipped on the seat belt and anxiously waited. The machine started spinning first slowly and then picking up speed, faster and faster like a child rotating the globe. It unhooked from the axis point and spun up in the sky…this was it, now either I go back or I die, there was no other alternative, and in both cases I knew I would be reunited with Michael and that was all I wanted – my only fear was being alive in the present, in a world devoid of Michael.

I was awoken by a jerk. The vehicle had touched ground, released the axis and the spinning gradually slowed down. When it stopped, the glass doors opened. I stepped out, not sure of where I really was since it was pretty dark, but judging by the furniture silhouette’s and the soft carpet beneath my feet, I guess I’m in somebody’s bedroom. I guessed that if somebody barged in suddenly and saw the Time Travel Vehicle they would probably freak out and so it was best to send it away to its parking spot.

With the press of a button, the TTV disappeared and the room was empty again. I put the remote in my pocket and decided to explore the room a bit and find out papers or photos that could tell me where I was and in what time. … ouch! Stupid bed edge, hit my feet as I walked around in the darkness.

I grazed my hand on the soft sheets and the pillow case and walked up to the window. I lifted the curtain end a little and peaked outside into the lawn. It seemed like there was some kind of a party going on, there was food, lots of people, wait, I’m sure I’d seen that woman in Michael’s file, umm…yes! That was Katherine, his mother! That means I had travelled back to the 1980’s…oh god! Oh god! That meant Michael was somewhere around here too.

I strained my neck and tried to look as far as I could, there were a lot of people, but where’s he?

Suddenly I heard the ‘Click’ of the door knob and I turned around to face the door, oh no somebody was coming, I stood frozen listening the door knob being twisted … it seemed to be jammed, the person outside pushed it a little and the door opened. Since it was dark, I couldn’t see the face of the person who had just entered the room, but he had a lean silhouette, long slender arms and legs…I knew who he was, I didn’t need to see his face, I knew him by his shadow

He moved into the room, shut the door behind him and switched on the lights. He turned around and gasped in shock, but I stood still, frozen like a block of ice. There he was right in front of me, the embodiment of the love for which I had challenged time and space, there stood before me, breathing, blinking and alive … Michael Jackson.