A Journey to Reality

He would be drag racing when his car veered off the road and struck a tree, and as she stared at the shiny car she wanted nothing more than to somehow destroy that horrid machine, to scream at him to sell it, and to demand that he stay far away from Ellis Boulevard until he did. But she did none of these things. She was certain that that was just the sort of interference Graham had cautioned her about, and she somehow knew that any warning she gave would not only frighten them, but would fail to stop the event.

As Crystal hurried down the sidewalk she allowed the first of her tears to fall. Why had she never realized how much pain her family had suffered? Or how much her mom had gone through in such a short time and at such a young age? It was so much different to face the people that the tragic events were about to happen to, rather than hear about it decades afterwards in passing conversations, and she hated the fact that she couldn't stop any of it.

Crystal didn't even remember walking back through town, but when she reached the center of the corn field she dropped to the ground and sobbed out her despair and frustration. It was all so unfair. These were good people, people who didn't deserve what life would bring them, and she loved them with all her heart.

She cried for the tragedies that they would endure, for her helplessness to stop it, and for the years she had lost with her mom. She should have stayed on the gas station's bench, as Graham had told her to do, should have listened to him and avoided all of this pain.

She cried until she felt the familiar floating sensation wrap around her, and dried her eyes quickly as the misty cloud of the time transfer took her back to her own era.

As the shroud lifted, she saw Graham standing in front of her, his expression immediately shifting to a look of concern.

"What happened? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, just allergic to corn," she lied.

"Oh. Well, you should have told me." He eyed her for a few moments, and knew that he suspected she wasn't telling the truth. "So how was it?"

She paused thoughtfully. "It wasn't what I expected."

"Oh? Hey! Where you going?"

Crystal had already crossed the lab and scooped up her car keys and purse. She then remembered that she still had the time travel device, and quickly fished it out of her pocket and held it out to Graham as she spoke. "My mom called last night and wanted to have with me lunch today. I think I'll take her up on it after all."

She smiled at Graham's astonished expression as she hurried out to her car. She was definitely going to accept the lunch date, but first she was going to stop by the store and pick up a bag of chocolate-covered peanuts.