Lizzie Mac - 2016 AD, Chapter 2

There was loud ‘pop!’ from behind her, Lizzie turned around. The tenement and its surroundings seems to be slowly receding from her. She ran forward, only find a solid transparent surface blocking her way.

The scene faded from her, then fifty years of her life was gone. Putting her hand out she found that the solid surface was also gone.

For a moment she was confused - she did not know to either cry or smile.

She took in her scenery once again.

The Great Harbor, her great harbor, had changed. There were warehouses, some so old as to been part of the original settlement, were gone, to be replaced by tall glass buildings.

On her side of the harbor, where her tenement stood, was a busy street.

And cars....

Lizzie, perplexed walked in the direction of the street, then stood staring.

Lizzie felt perplexed not because of the apparent year this was....

....She remembers working a darkened alley behind a theatre when the man approached her. “For 100 pence, I’d like the company and your time,” said the dressed in black, a hooded black cloak hiding his face. It was more money she could make in a year, and she had not eaten in two days.

“Come with me please,” and led the way to darkened doorway in the shadows. Feeling for her dirk, she stepped forward.

The dark man laughed, “honey, I ain’t gonna hurt ya, and like I said I’ll compensate you, here’s half a pence.” And he flip the coin through the air, and the moment she caught it she a moment of euphoria, and suddenly it like a good idea to follow the dark man.

As he held the door for her, she walked into blinding white light....

The time she spent with this numbered in years, and seemingly many worlds away....

So, it was no surprise that Lizzie was looking at what had be hundreds of years from 1587, it was what she saw couldn’t be.

She looked for a street crossing for pedestrians, and waited for other people cross with her. She walked by a shop selling music, and ‘moving pictures’, a shop for ladies and a sporting goods store.

She looked at her clothing and she wasn’t even presentable from her previous era.

First things first.

She went into a cafe.

Inside it was dark and cool, wooden panels darkened with age, small but heavy wooden tables and chairs. On a wall on her left were some old pictures and she went to these. She looked and found a picture of the cafe,’ Bartal‘s, 1892.’

A man in a black apron and white button less shirt was brewing coffee with his back turned.

“Clem, you remember me?”, said Lizzie at the counter, leaning so that he see her.

Clem turned, “Lizzie, is that you?”, walking towards her, “but what are you doing here? What happened to you, look a mess!”

“Clem, what year is it?”

Clem lifted an eyebrow, “why its May 13th, 2016.”

“I left a package here sometime ago, a year or two?”

“Sure, let me check, Sherise, can you hold the counter while I do something?”

From a side door came a woman with a dark complexion, also in a black apron with clean coffee cups.

“Lizzie! God I missed you! You coming back to work for us, or are you just passing through? How you been?”

“I’m fine Sherl, but I’m passing through, got this project I’m working on. You guys don’t look too busy,” said Lizzie.

“Yeah, I know”, said Sherise, things slowed down since they built that new space port down the block, but we do get in new customers every other hour after a ship docks,” putting the cups away on hooks, “Clem says that our traffic flows has changed and we’re actually making more money. We still have the regular crowd after lunch, like those the sewing group over there at the middle stall, nodding her head at the four women drinking coffee and what looks to Lizzie to be white wine.

Funny, Lizzie didn’t notice them there when she came in.

“Hmm, I didn’t see them there,” said Lizzie.

“Been there since 8 this morning, everyday like clock work”, said Sherl, “can I get you something honey? You look like you could use some, we still have your mug here behind the counter”

“Yes, a dark roast, French please, and a slice of your cream cheese.”

Getting her food and coffee, picked a table near a corner door.

And head was spinning with what she knew about this period. To her it shouldn’t exist at all, and that something changed to produce this timeline. Lizzie also knew that her being here was probably an accident.

Yet she, a version of herself anyway, frequented here.

Clem came to her table, carrying a tin box and a brown leather backpack.

“Mine if I sit with you a spell Lizzie?”

“Not at all Clem,” taking a sip of her coffee, “you look worried about me.”

“Well you don’t look well.”

“It’s been a long day,” then realized that it was still mid-morning.

Clem’s response was to lift an eyebrow.

Lizzie sighed.

“I just wanted you to know that we care about you, and that you are more than welcomed here, you can come back and work with us.”

“Thanks Clem.”

Looking her in eyes with a knowing express, “And I’m not just talking about here at the cafe either.”

Now Lizzie was the one to lift an eyebrow.

“We know what happened, but not how. We also know you were not fault, and also know you’re not ready to come back until you’re done with whatever you need to do,” still holding her gaze, “1587 could not be prevented by you, and you are welcomed to come back.”

“How....,”

At that time two men came through the door and headed for the counter in business suits.

“Oh, sorry Lizzie, got customers, take care of yourself hon!,” said Clem. He got up, placing a fatherly kiss on her cheek, and went to the counter.

Lizzie sat in shock for a moment, and decided to look in the metal box.