Free Tear In Time by Christopher David Petersen

the
location where he appeared. He hadn't figured out how he arrived, but one thing
was for certain: if he wanted to get back home, this exact location held the
key to his return.
     
      David
had traveled back in time to a primitive and violent world where every day was
a life struggle. Existing in the future, he had taken for granted those things
that would not be invented decades from his present. He was completely
unprepared and ill-equipped, mentally and physically, for the rigors of life in
the 19th century. Even before he considered his return, he'd have to consider
his present. He would need guidance just to survive, and there would be no
better mentor than Dr. Morgan. His fate was set. The two would march as one,
for better or worse.
     
      David
glanced back up and momentarily studied the face of the man who unwittingly
held his life in his palm. David sensed a sincerity and wisdom that he rarely
saw in men from his own time period. Feeling grateful for his encounter, he
smiled slightly.
     
     
"Something on your mind, lad?" Dr. Morgan asked, his eyes still glued
to the work at David's hands.
     
     
Startled by the old doctor's keen sense of perception, David struggled to cover
his curiosity. "No, sir. I'm doing alright," he answered, nervously
clearing his throat.
     
     
"Uh huh," Dr. Morgan replied unconvincingly, then added, "Pardon
my inquisitive nature, son, but I sense you are distracted by mental turmoil.
Is there something you would like to discuss?" he pressed.
     
      David
thought for a moment. He felt desperate for answers to his dilemma. He paused
for a second, took a deep breath of air, then began to speak. "Sir, I am
in a bit of trouble…" David stopped before finishing his sentence. He
looked around the grassy clearing. Suddenly, he realized something was missing
- noise.
     
     
"Sir, the shelling has stopped," David said in surprise, his eyes
widening.
     
     
"I suppose it has," Dr. Morgan replied, barely taking notice. He
stopped what he was doing and stared into David's eyes and said, "Son, I
don't see truth in your eyes."
     
      David
froze for a moment. His feeling of safety became displaced by his fear of
exposure. He stared back at the piercing blue eyes of Dr. Morgan. Strong and
resolute, David sensed that this man's inquiry was based on genuine concern and
honesty, and not derived by some petty quest to unmask an insignificant
infraction. He reasoned the old doctor sincerely wanted to help. While
bandaging the leg of his patient, David slowly began to disclose the details of
his time travel.
     
     
"Dr. Morgan, I'm not trying to deceive you. I have a complex problem that
is hard to imagine and even more difficult to communicate with words,"
David started.
     
     
"I see. This complex problem: is it illegal?" Dr. Morgan inquired.
     
     
"Certainly not, sir," David immediately replied, trying to put the
doctor's mind at ease. "This is a problem of a personal nature, one that
is as difficult to believe as it is true."
     
     
"I'm listening," Dr. Morgan replied.
     
     
"Do you recall the moment you first saw me, a couple of hours ago?"
David paused, then continued, "Do you remember anything unusual about that
moment?"
     
      Dr.
Morgan thought for a moment, then replied, "Nothing out of the
ordinary."
     
     
"Interesting," David responded. "You didn't see where I came
from?" he pressed further.
     
     
"No, I did not. One moment the grass was empty, the next you were there.
Did you run into camp?" the old doctor asked, now a bit curious.
     
     
"No, and that's where it becomes difficult to explain," David
answered.
     
     
"So where did you come from? It's not like you appeared out of thin
air," Dr. Morgan asked.
     
     
"Maybe not out of thin air, but I did appear,” David said cryptically,
instantly receiving a strange and curious reaction from the doctor. “What I’m
about to tell you will sound as if I am completely insane. To tell you the
truth, at first I even doubted my