AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Because here in this time period someone who made such a mad claim would be considered a real danger. Here, where the cultural superstitions still reverberated the psyche of its population, I would be a threat to their normal existence and would be dealt with in deadly, despicable ways.
...Because you are unique in a way that others will find dangerous, no telling what they might do to stamp out that threat...
“I’m not a danger to you or anyone,” I said. “I promise that if you let me be on my way, you’ll never have to worry about me ever again.”
“You’re not going anywhere, Miss McEwan,” Bryant said.
“I’ll fight you,” I warned, anxiously considering how on earth I could hobble away from him fast enough. “I won’t go easily to the town square to be burnt at the stake for witchcraft.”
“I know you’re not a witch, Miss McEwan, nor do we burn such at the stake these days,” he added, eyeing me with annoyance. “I’m an educated man. As such, I have learned that there are things in this universe that are a mystery to us all. And not all of these are necessarily evil.”
“Including a person traveling from one time period to another?”
He frowned at the penlight my fingers were absently clicking on and off. “That...will take some thought. For now, I will choose to believe your tale. Up to a point.”
“Guess I can’t expect more,” I said, roughly scrubbing off the renegade tear that fell at my relief. “Thank you.”
“Don’t be thanking me too much just yet, Miss McEwan,” he grumbled, grimacing at the half-open barn door. “I have secrets of my own that puts your own good self at risk. You might be regretting our unlucky association, in short order.”
Another pause.
“What do you wish to do about your situation?” he asked.
Great question.
“I want to go back to my own time, if that’s even possible,” I said. “And please call me Callista. Miss McEwan is too formal and stilted. At least where I come from. Or when I come from.”
“Is it, then?”
I shrugged. “Most people refer—will refer—to each other by first names, unless you’re an official or someone in authority.”
“So do you know how to return to your own time...Callista?”
“If I did, I wouldn’t still be sitting here with you in the old west,” I snapped, then quickly eased, adding, “Sorry. I’m still a little freaked out by all of this.”
“Freaked?”
“Disturbed, frightened, anxious,” I explained.
“Hmm. You’re going to have to check your tongue while you’re here,” he warned. “The things you say. They’re not...And put that magic light away before someone sees you with it and burns you at the stake in spite of our laws.”
Quickly I shoved the penlight back into my pocket.
“We’ll have to get you something decent to wear as well,” he added, giving me a critical up-down. “Alice will lend you something, if I ask her.”
Self-consciously I slung an arm across my grungy Bermuda shorts and sliced-up shirt. No, not wise to go traipsing about the nineteenth century in what would be considered very conspicuous and indecent clothing.
“As far as getting you back to your...world,” Bryant added. “If I take you back to this cave of secrets, would it send you back to your future?”
“I don’t know,” I said, slumping, a massive headache splitting my head in two just to consider it. “I don’t know that this time travel thing will work a second time. Or in reverse. Or even how it happened this last time. It was all one big accident.”
“You said there were some ancient writings that glowed. Tell me about them.”
I shared as much detail with him that I could piece together—the unknown cave room I stumbled into with the ancient etchings, cutting my palm and the smear of blood that may have somehow activated its mystical properties, the massive earthquake right after that.
“Yesterday was the summer solstice,” I added. “It could be that it only happens during that time.”
God, I hoped not. If so, I would have to wait until the next one.
