Free THE TIME STAR by Georgina Lee Page B

and as she twisted it in a slit on her conveyance, I felt the ground
beneath me shiver. Never before have I felt such fear. The earth vibrated. I
looked at her and to my horror, she faded away before my very eyes, she and
that 'skidoo' of hers! I rushed forward to grab her, but all that remained were
her footprints.
    It was long after dark when I finally
returned to the cabin. I had spent the day searching for her. Having no
appetite, I merely went about my chores and prepared for bed. I'm unable to
explain her disappearance and regret that I didn't drag her away from that ugly
locomotive. I should have told her how I feel, that I love her, and want her in
my life and would do anything for her. Although I'll wait for her to come back
in May, I can't shake the feeling I will be disappointed. Very disappointed.
     
    Waneeta flipped the page. It was empty.
The rest of the journal, in fact, was empty. Stunned, she sank into the
pillows. Out of all the crazy events recorded here, one sprang from the page at
her. He loved her! Thomas was willing to leave the cabin and his father's dream
just for her.
    Waneeta heard a noise on the floor above
her. Doris, preparing for bed. She bolted upright, remembering Doris’ words.
    Tell me in the morning if there's
anything interesting in there.
    What could she say? That she'd just
traveled back in time and spent the weekend with the man who founded her
village? In his time, Stafford Village didn't exist. Yes, Thomas didn't even
live here, yet. He'd wanted to marry her and was willing to return to Kingston
for a better life. Could she tell Doris that Stafford Village came close to not
being at all? Doris would recognize her name in the journal, and though she would
never believe Waneeta traveled back in time, there was simply too much to
explain, to consider, even.
    Waneeta pressed the journal to her chest.
Doris knew Waneeta had it. It would be read. With words like 'Teevee' and 'Skidoo'
in it, even Waneeta's name, its authenticity would be questioned. Poor Doris
would be crushed. It was to be the highlight of her museum. All the artifacts
she’d collected would now be considered fakes. Her lifelong dream would be over
before it started.
    And Waneeta would face accusations she
could never deny.
    She looked down at the journal. It must
never be read.
    Her knuckles whitened around the bend
and mouldy book. Thomas, what have you done? How could it be undone?
    It couldn't. Abruptly, a shaky
inhalation put her on the verge of tears again. Thomas was dead. Wasn't he? But
a few hours ago, he was alive, falling in love. So was she. Indeed, she'd never
felt so alive as when she was with him. That's love.
    Love could transcend death, Thomas had
believed.
    And if it could transcend death, it
could transcend time .
    Without thinking, Waneeta threw off the
bedclothes and pulled on her leggings. There wasn't any question of what to do,
just a sense of conviction so strong it rivaled her love for Thomas.
    She grabbed the journal, but when she
reached for the bedroom door, she stopped. She could change the past. She could
stop Thomas from writing those words that would put Doris’ dream in jeopardy.
    With shoulders straight and jaw tight,
she set the journal back on the bed. If she was quiet, she could slip out the
back door without Doris even hearing her.
    The outside air was crisp, her breath
streaming out in front of her. As she quietly closed the front door behind her,
she looked up. The moon had risen enough to light her way. It would be a long
walk, but Waneeta knew what would pull her along the crusty snow toward the
site where the meteorite had hit. Love. Her dream to be with Thomas. Getting
rained on by meteorite dust had somehow sent her into the past. Swiping the
dust off had returned her to the future. Yes, she knew what to do. She couldn't
explain why time had chose to bend to touch her with Thomas. Perhaps love did
it.
    She glanced down at the snowy trail half
an hour later. Only her