January 8th, 2081 technology has evolved beyond your wildest imagination. My name is Anya-17 (we now have numbers for our last names instead of real last names.) I am eighteen years old, and I am writing in my journal to keep up with unforgettable past events in my life.

The life I had to relive.

January 8th, 2081 was the day that changed my life forever-and for the worst- this is my story. This is the day I found the time machine.



I was walking to my home on Echo Street, passing multiple buildings-that work without humans having to do things-and about four cars flying above my head. I passed a building that looked freshly burnt down from a fire.
A silver shine blinded me as I walked across the street, I turned my head to the right and saw a metal box-like the kind a computer would come in-sitting in the middle of what used to be a building.
My curiosity got the better of me; I walked over to where the building used to be. Examining it closely, pieces of what used to be the walls, and scraps of big books along with burnt furniture. A big brown book caught my eye; I picked it up and turned it over to the front cover. My jaw dropped, the title read “Time Traveling: the Next Big Thing. Solomon-59.”
I scanned my surroundings and put the book in my bag, then walked over to the silver box, and touched it-which was a very bad idea.
Removing my hand my left palm was red at once “ow, ow, ow” I whispered in pain.
I held my hand to my chest, lifted my right arm standing very still pressing the teleportation button on my bracelet and said “my bedroom.” An iridescent light grew over my body and instantaneously I was in my room.
“Welcome Anya-17, need anything” my greeting wall asked? I looked at the robot on the screen of my wall, and replied “Yes can you please send me a doctor?”
I caught my reflection in one of my mirrors, my white clothes dirty from rummaging through debris. My tan face surprised by my appearance and my jet black hair in one long braid going down my back.
My ice colored eyes were the only things that looked normal. (Now your parents got to choose what their child would look like, I guess mine wanted the blue eyes to stay in the family.)












“Yes, please wait ten seconds.” I did as the robot ordered, a woman appearing through teleportation in front of me. I held out my red left hand, palm up while the doctor put “healing solution” on my palm.
“It will take about twenty seconds to heal completely, that’ll be thirty futcoins.”
I dug through my pants pocket pulling out three golden coins and placed them in the doctor’s hand.
“Thank you” I said, my hand already healed.
The doctor disappeared, and I sat on my bed pulling the book out of my bag. “Time Traveling” I said in shock again.
I began reading it learning many things about time travel, how to be safe while time traveling, not time traveling more than four times and the effects of time traveling. I closed the book my mind blown. “I know we have advance technology, but I didn’t know time traveling was real. It shouldn’t be such a surprise after scientist found a cure for cancer” I said to myself.
I placed the book on my bed staring at the cover, anything having to do with time traveling in my mind.









~
January 9, 2081 I waited for the bus to come to tell my best friend Dana about my new discovery. The bus came down from the sky and I boarded it. Sitting down next to Dana I buckled my seatbelt and exhaled. “Dana.”



“What?"




“I have to tell you something” I said looking out the window the clouds surrounding us.






“Go ahead” she said putting her chocolate brown hair behind her ear.






“Do you promise not to tell anyone?” She nodded; her face becoming confused.
I exhaled once more a smile appearing on my face, my body shaking with excitement. I motioned for Dana to come close to my head, both of us staring at the seat in front of us, my heart pounding. “I think I found a time machine” I whispered.




“What a time machine, are you serious” she asked a little too loudly.





“Well I don’t know if it’s real but I saw a huge silver box near this book I found” I said pulling out the big brown book “near Echo Street.”
She took it from my hands and started flipping through the pages stopping at the very back; she elbowed me in my side getting my attention.




“Anthony-59, maybe he invented the time machine” Dana said.
“Maybe. Should we contact him after school” I asked putting the book back in my bag?





“Sure.”The bus landed in front of our high school I got off the bus, about to explode from impatience and excitement.








~
Dana and I teleported to my room, after school to start our search for Anthony-59.





“Welcome, Anya-17 and guest. Can I get you anything” my greeting wall asked again?





“Um yes, can you please list all the contact numbers for Anthony-59” I asked politely.




“Yes, please wait” it replied in its robotic monotone voice.





“Get comfortable, this could take awhile” I said to Dana. She grabbed a pen and paper sitting on my floor ready. A list of one hundred thirty names of Anthony-59 appeared on the screen.

I exhaled along with Dana, dialing the first Anthony-59’s contact number.





We called each Anthony-59 asking if they knew anything about a building that burned down near Echo Street. All of them saying no, until the one hundred twenty-seventh.





“Yes I do” he replied his old face on my wall nodding. Dana and I screamed from excitement.




“Do you realize there is a huge silver box where the building used to be?”





“There was” he said smiling wrinkles appearing on his face.





“What happened to it, if you mind my asking?”





“I have it” he said matter-of-factly, his green eyes staring into my blue ones. Dana ran over to my left not wanting to miss anything.




“You have it” asking out of disbelief?




“Correct.”




“Sorry for all the questions, but could you possibly tell me what it is” I asked trying my hardest not to beg
“I will.” There was a long pause then he spoke again. “It’s a time machine” he said his face serious.




“Really a time machine” Dana asked.





“Yes a real time machine. I made it along with help from my co-workers. The building that burned down, it was a place where inventions were made, planned and put together. But now all of the products are safely with their owners.”




“I have some questions” I said holding the book up to my wall, Anthony-59 smiled once again.
“Ah, so you’ve read my partner’s book” he said shaking his index finger.





“Yes, but just a few pages. Um… it talks about time traveling and the safety, the effects, only time traveling four times. Is all of the stuff in this book true” I asked putting the book down on my end table
“Yes it is. I went with my co-worker back in time, to test it out. All of the things in the book are true. Only time traveling four times is my limit, for an hour each time” he paused “and if you don’t leave within an hour, you will have to relive your life again until the day you entered the time machine approaches.” Dana and I looked at each other complete and utterly shocked.




“So say I time traveled into the past, and stayed for an hour and one second. Would I have to live my whole life over again?”





“Yes, my partner and I went into the past, we also kept track of time and after an hour the time machine wouldn’t allow us to get back to the present. So we had to live our lives again until February 11th 2067, that’s why the time machine hasn’t been out yet. We had to wait for the time we were about to travel and leave before an hour was up before it was too late” he said his head bent.





“So basically you traveled to the past, didn’t leave before a hour, had to wait for February 11th 2067 to come so you could go back to the time machine, leave before an hour and go back to the present” Dana said in one breath, ticking the facts off with her fingers.




“Correct” Anthony replied.




“Wow” was all I could manage to say.





“Can we time travel” Dana asked.





“Yes the first time is free, but the last three times you have to pay one hundred futcoins.”




“Why is the price so low” I asked skeptical.




“Time traveling is a dangerous thing; I’m not going to lie to you. Most people don’t make it out before an hour, and some don’t believe time traveling is real” his face stern.





“Do you want to try it” Dana asked.





I paused to think about the dangers, and then replied with a “yes.”




“Alright teleport to Fox street building two, and remember there are risks” Anthony-59 informed shaking his index finger in our faces. Dana looked at me and I nodded, we held hands standing still Dana pressing the teleportation button on her bracelet repeating “Fox street building two.”







We arrived in Anthony-59’s house the big silver box right beside him. He picked up two watches, the timers already set.
“Here put these on, when they start beeping you will know when you have one minute left to return to the time machine, and get back or you will have to relive your life until this day. Once you get there no one will see you but you two can see each other. There is a special product in the time machine to make you so, so you don’t need to worry about getting caught. Dana and I nodded. “What year do you want to return to?”





“What about seventh year” I suggested with a shrug of my shoulders.




“Seventh year is perfect” Dana replied grinning.




“Sorry to ask, but why seventh year?” I looked at Dana readjusting her watch and frowned.





“Well in seventh year these girls would always pick on us for getting the answers correct in class, and we always took it never standing up for ourselves. So going back in time will give us a chance to do that” I said depressingly.




“Ah I see” Anthony-59 said nodding. “Just stand right there, I have to get it started.”
He walked up to the big silver box, pressing a button only the creator would know about. The silver box instantaneously transformed from a box to the shape of a phone booth, with what resembled a printer form attached to its right side. Both Dana and I dropped our jaws, while Anthony-59 smiled.





“What year, and day if you can remember” he asked?





“Um, year 2074, May 13th” Dana replied.
Anthony-59 typed 2074, and then May 13th on the keyboard connected to the printer like machine. “You’re going to fall when it stops, so be prepared and don’t lock your legs” he informed us. “Ready” he asked. I looked at Dana she nodded, and so did I.






“Ready” I said.





“Now get inside here” He pointed to the phone booth like machine.
We did as instructed shutting the door, losing the sound of his voice. “Press the green button on your watches to come back to the present” he said his finger pointing to his watch. Dana and I held each other, grinning not even paying attention to the rest of what Anthony-59 said.





He pressed a button and the machine started shaking. Numbers, voices, and colors were flying past us, making me feel nauseous. Then it was over, Dana and I stood still legs unlocked ready to fall.
We fell soft onto the floor of our seventh year classroom, Mrs. Brelling teaching about equations. Dana and I both eleven sitting in our chairs taking notes, Dana being called on answering the question correctly. Then being called names by a boy Stephen, and two girls Melanie and her best friend Skye.





“I hope he didn’t say anything important once we closed the door” Dana said sounding a little worried.





“Ready to get even” I asked?





“Let’s do it.” Dana and I walked to Stephen, Dana taking his notebook and throwing it at Mrs. Brelling’s feet. “Sorry Mrs. Brelling” Dana said quietly. The class looked at Stephen in shock at what he supposedly just done.






“STEPHEN OUTSIDE NOW” Mrs. Brelling yelled pointing to the door.





“But I didn’t throw it I swear” he said standing up voice rising.





“Then why are you getting so defensive, outside now” Mrs. Brelling continued to point to the door.
Stephen left the room, while Dana and I moved to Melanie.


“Your turn” Dana said. I stood behind Melanie lifting her arms making her slap her face.





“Ow, ow what’s going on” Melanie screamed. With everyone laughing Skye jumped out of her seat trying to hold Melanie’s arms down, while Dana pushed her onto the floor, her body falling hitting the floor with a loud thud.





“Ow, who just pushed me” Skye asked angrily, while Melanie was still slapping her face. Just then my watch started beeping. I let go of Melanie’s arms and looked at Dana.





“Well those fifty-nine minutes went by quick” I told Dana surprised.




“Alright I think were done here” she said smirking.




“I kind of feel bad about that Anya” Dana said her head bent as if in shame.





“I sort of do too” I said quietly. “This wasn’t really the best idea.”
Mrs. Brelling came back in with Stephen are watches still beeping. I looked down and we only had thirty seconds to get back.





“We have to hurry Dana; we have twenty-seven seconds.” She nodded. Just then it hit me like getting slapped and not feeling the sting immediately.




“DANA OH MY GOSH” I screamed in panic.





“What, what, what are you screaming about?”





“DANA WHERE’S THE TIME MACHINE” I yelled once more. I looked at my watch having only seventeen seconds before it was too late. Dana scanned the room looking for something out of the ordinary.




“Let’s check the hall” she said. Dana and I ran into the hallway seeing nothing but an endless row of classrooms. Dana screamed running up and down the hall, I looked down at my watch only eleven seconds left. I started replaying everything Anthony-59 had said to Dana and I, but none of it seemed to be about how to get back to the present. I looked at my watch again now only seven seconds left. Dana came back to me crying.





“Dana do you remember anything about how to get back” I asked glancing at my watch after I was done, now only six seconds left.
The most important seconds of our lives, with no time to waste. We stood thinking and “Dana I wish I never found that stupid book” I said crying hard with only three seconds left.




“This was such a bad idea” Anya said with only two seconds left.





“I know, I’m sorry” I said grabbing her hand. I looked at my watch with only one second left.
“One second.” was the last thing I said before Dana and I had no more seconds.