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Post by Scooterly on Jul 3, 2007 0:31:51 GMT -5
Ohhh . . . love the emotion!
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Post by Arabella on Jul 3, 2007 17:44:30 GMT -5
Excellent! I adore it! Patiently waiting for more!
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Post by Jennifer on Jul 4, 2007 20:16:01 GMT -5
Another good one! I can't wait to find out what happens next!
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Post by megatude on Jul 5, 2007 19:43:03 GMT -5
Continued....
Ahhh! Meg hated it when she did that. All that Zebra seemed concerned about anymore was the past. Hadn't she ever hear of the present or perhaps, the future? Meg thought her friend could have used a lethal dose of reality. That little book was tainting her brain. She was growing rather tired of this game. But, for Zebra's sake, she'd play along for a bit longer. After all that had happened, she couldn't take all the blame. -October 15, 1982- I just received word that I have just become a grandfather! I received the phone call this morning from my son-in-law. I can't tell you of the joy that encompasses my heart at this glorious occasion. A precious 7lb 3oz baby girl has entered mortality. Zebra, is what they decided to call her. How I long to behold this child, that is my granddaughter, with my very own eyes. But I know my daughter would never allow it. I pray that Ada's heart might soon soften enough to permit me to have a part in her life, because she is still very much a part of mine. -December 2, 1983- Today, Ada surprised me with a visit. It was so good to see her face. I wish I could say that we had a pleasant chat, but that, unfortunately, was not the case. You see, she caught me at my work and wasted no time in telling me how she felt about that. Not long after, she left me once again, in a flood of tears. I also took part in those tears. I have truly lost everything I hold dear.-
Taking the bus, Zebra made frequent visits to Homer City. She began her work repairing her grandfather's masterpiece. The last entries in the journal were formulas, charts, and massive guesses. 'I've done it!' He had written. 'I have built a machine I believe is capable of harnessing the energy needed to enter the time stream. I have scavenged for different materials at near-by dump sights. Unpleasant, to say the least, but necessary for the assembly of my masterpiece. All preparations are complete, I just need to wait for the right kind of weather. A massive thunderclap is needed to generate the electrical spires. I have watched the weather station earnestly in hopes of an upcoming storm. To my good fortune, one will be underway withing the week. For the time being, I must simply be patient. Soon, I shall be with my beloved. I will be able to forewarn Layla of her sickness and ultimately save her from death. Then, I will regain those who were taken from me. I must confess, it will also be a pleasure to show those who doubted my efforts. No longer will I be ridiculed for my ideas.' The journal ended like that. 'This makes no sense', Zebra pondered to herself, re-reading that same passage for the second time. 'If his goal were to save my grandmother......shouldn't they exist now? Something must have gone wrong, something....' She followed all instructions, re-attaching this, tightening that, everything indicated in the layout. All that she needed now, was electricity, not just for the lightening rod she'd hoisted on the roof outside, but power to fuel the computer monitor. The light coming in through the window was fading fast. With no power in the house, Zebra produced a battery powered lantern. Though it was no comparison to to a good old 60watt bulb, it would have to do....for now.
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Post by Scooterly on Jul 5, 2007 21:37:59 GMT -5
WOW! This is just AWESOME! I love reading this; can't wait for more!
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Post by Peggy on Jul 6, 2007 1:20:16 GMT -5
AWESOME! I just love this story! Can't wait for more!
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Post by Jennifer on Jul 7, 2007 22:19:52 GMT -5
Coolio! It keeps getting better and better!
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Post by megatude on Jul 9, 2007 19:44:43 GMT -5
Continued..... Meg hadn't much time to keep track of Zebra's whereabouts. She had a major final coming up in her computer technologies class. She needed all her concentration focused on her studies.
About 2 a.m. Zebra wiped her brow, hitting a dead end. She simply didn't have the energy needed to power that blasted machine, and a big storm was brewing in the evening breeze.
A faint glow, illuminated from the computer screen, reflected off Meg's pale skin. Her nimble fingers no longer danced across the keys. Her breathing came in slow, even breaths. Her head rested atop her folded arms on the desk. Meg had once again given in to her fault; she had succumbed to sleep before her computer.
Cautiously, Zebra made her way to a pay phone, located at the end of the block. She inserted the correct amount of change and gave the operator directions for her call. "C'mon Meg, pick-up. I know you're there", Zebra grumbled impatiently to herself.
Chapter 10 The phone rang out next to the computer, shattering the darkened silence as well as Meg's nerves. She jolted awake. "But officer, I swear, his face looked like that way before!" She announced, reflecting from the dream she'd just encountered. Her eyes squinted as she took in her surroundings. As reality sank in, she realized that she wasn't being pressed by police for assault against Darren. She heard the cause of her disturbed sleep as the phone continued it's obnoxious song. She moaned as her hands searched and padded in the faint light for the receiver, knocking things about. She hit the bullseye as her hand finally grasped the phone. Her eyes still closed, she lifted the receiver from it's cradle and raised it to her ear. "Yeah?" She mumbled sleepily, still not fully awake. "Meg, it's me!" Came the voice from the other line. "Zebra?" Meg yawned, making her way clumsily towards Zebra's bedroom. "Where are you and why aren't you in your bed?" Her words slurred. Zebra rolled her eyes. "Take a guess. And I'll bet you fell asleep at your computer again, right?" Meg pressed a hand to her forehead, her eyes still trying to gain focus. "No. What're you kidding me?" Zebra shook her head, knowing the truth in the matter. But that wasn't important. "Whatever. Listen Meg, I need your help. Do you think you could come down to Homer City?" Meg glanced at the red, digital numbers, glowing 2:05 A.M. on the clock radio near the phone. "Zebraaaaa....." She whined. "It's after 2 in the morning. Can't it wait for a more reasonable time?" "No", Zebra insisted. "It has to be done tonight." She quickly thought of an convincing motive. "Look Meg. If you help me tonight and nothing comes of it....I promise I'll drop the whole time travel notion and we'll sell that thing for scrap metal, just like you said. I'll even let you keep the profits", she threw in as a clincher. Meg considered her offer. She wanted nothing more than to have Julius Sanders and his over grown toaster oven out of their lives. It would give her great pleasure indeed, to bust that contraption into a million pieces. "Alright", she sighed, giving in. "Alright, I'm coming." Zebra smiled to herself. "Oh, and bring...." "Ya, ya I know", Meg said, knowing Zebra's next request. "Bring my laptop." Zebra laughed. "Yeah, thanks. I'll see you soon and be careful." The phone clicked.
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Post by sereneflower on Jul 10, 2007 10:49:39 GMT -5
Great! Can't wait for the next chapter!
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Post by Jennifer on Jul 10, 2007 19:49:14 GMT -5
Yep, it's definitely getting suspensful!
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Post by Peggy on Jul 11, 2007 0:31:06 GMT -5
Awesome! It's great! I can't wait for more!
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Post by Scooterly on Jul 11, 2007 7:33:49 GMT -5
I feel like your putting us all on the brink of something . . . I really really can't wait for more! *whimpers*
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Post by megatude on Jul 14, 2007 18:48:05 GMT -5
Continued....
Meg reluctantly got up from her chair. She was still in her sleeping attire, which consisted of; a pair of flannel pants, striped with blue and lavender, and a plain white tank-top. She quickly ran a hand through her hair. Not really caring how she looked, (who would see her?) she packed her laptop into her backpack. As an afterthought, considering the crisp, Fall air, she grabbed her blue and white Penn State Lions, sweatshirt and pulled it over her head. She then slung her back over her shoulders. Before stepping out, she locked the door behind her. So not to disturb the neighbors, Meg made her way quietly to the underground parking garage to retrieve her scooter. She boarded the machine and directed it toward the brightly lit street. Just before take-off, she stopped suddenly to glance at her, so called, home. For some odd reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that this might be the last she'd ever see of it. As if some life altering event was about to take place if she chose to take this path. She shook her head, trying to physically remove the idea from her thoughts. She was freaking herself out, for no reason at all. Her and Zebra would surely be back in three hours, tops. A loud thunder bolt cracked overhead. Meg looked toward the heavens and beheld the darkest, most threatening storm cloud, she'd ever layed her eyes on. The storm it threatened was not yet upon her. But, judging by the wind and it's furious movements, it would move in range within the hour. "Looks like we're in for some rain", she commented to herself as she inserted her head into the helmet. Meg kicked the starter and headed on her way. The roads were refreshingly calm and almost empty, except for some graveyard shifters, returning home after hours of labor. Meg felt the first rain droplet slap her cheek as she picked up speed. She casually brushed it away with the back of her hand. The sky lit up briefly as an electric bolt blazoned across the city. A bit jolted herself, Meg shifted to a higher gear, more anxious than ever to reach her destination. Meg arrived in Julius Sander's driveway and took notice of the lightning rod erected upon the roof. 'What has that gal been up to?' She shifted the weight of the backpack strapped over her shoulders and approached the front door. Before Meg could grasp the knob, to let herself in, the door opened from the other side. Without even a 'hello!', Zebra swiftly pulled Meg inside. "What took you so long?" Meg pulled in her chin defiantly. "Excuse me?! Nothing was said about being prompt. Besides, I rather think I made good time." She brushed a wet strand of hair from her face. Zebra took Meg's hand and led her downstairs. Upon reaching the lower floor, Meg beheld a more 'put together', machine. For a moment, she let her imagination run amok. Perhaps there was something to this theory of traveling through time. But her common sense won over. She sighed and set her load on the cold, cemented floor. "So, where do we start?" Zebra was pleased that Meg wanted to get right to the point. "Well, for starters, we need power to wake the computer controls. This is one of the reasons I called you here. What do you suggest?" Meg plopped herself into a chair that Zebra must have carried down, herself, from the upper floor, and contemplated some solutions. "The way I see it, we have but two options", she said as she displayed the correct number of fingers. Zebra listened eagerly, ready to get things underway. "Number one; we could go and rent a small generator....." Zebra immediately shook her head, dismissing the idea. "There's no time for that." "I figured as much. I just thought you'd benefit from a variety of choices." Inside, Meg relished the pleasure of driving her best friend crazy with suspense. "Number two; we could.......'borrow' the power from the good neighbors, by transmitting it from their outdoor outlet....." She jerked her thumb in that direction. Uh oh. Zebra didn't like the way Meg had emphasized the word, 'borrow'. "But", Meg steepled her fingers. "This act, of course, is stealing, and we could face a hefty fine, or even jail time, if we're caught....." Meg let the last sentence hang in the air, giving it time to properly sink in. She was certain this 'snag' would put an end to such nonsense. Zebra considered her options. She, of course, never wanted to go against the law, it wasn't in her nature. She knew it was, especially, punishable since she was not a citizen of that city. But she'd made up her mind long ago to see this project to the end. She had to know what had happened to her missing grandfather. The possibilities seemed to out-weigh the consequences. "Do what you gotta do", Zebra gave in, though reluctant. Meg pursed her lips and nodded. "OK", she said, standing up. "Let's get to it."
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Post by Scooterly on Jul 14, 2007 22:14:57 GMT -5
WOW! *scrolls down anxiously for more* I gotta know what happens next! Awesome awesome awesome job! You really know how to snag suspension.
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Post by Jennifer on Jul 18, 2007 1:31:25 GMT -5
Coolio, coolio!
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