Chapter 1

What the future holds for humanity

I’m breathless. My chest burns but I have to keep going. Even if I die now, someone must know what is about to happen. Fire splits the horizon behind me, the western base is down. Alien like ships begin to fill the sky. That means they're here. If I don’t make it to the east base, my life is over. Humanity would have lost the war before it’s even begun. Along the eastern horizon, I spot the top of a building, it must be the top of the east wall. Even if it's not, at least I have shelter from the attack. A wall soars up, twenty meters high above me.

I spot guards on the top of the towers at the main entrance. “LET ME IN!!!!” I yell at the top of my lungs. I get there, they take blood, with a knife, if it’s red then I’m good to go. “Alright move along, head to the basement with the rest of the east base.” I reach inside of the wall and enter the main building. Thousands of people are in the stairwell, heading down. I take one big deep breath and join the thousands. The stairwell reaks the smell of sweat, it is packed like sardines in a can. Around nine flights of stairs, to reach the bottom.

This reminds of a book I read called Hunger Games. In the last book the main characters had to go in the basement to seek safety from bombers. This is a similar situation but in the book the bombers were human, this time they're not. Earth is still in quarantine, it will be destroyed if we don’t do anything about. The past generations of humans were lazy and destroyed it all. But I can’t worry about that now, I must find the leader of this area.

The bottom is less worse than the stairwells. Families reunite, I hope to find mine soon. “Ms. Conwell! Over here!” I see a hand wave, the person who called my name. I head towards them, pushing through small crowds of people. This was never how I imagined the future to be. “Ah Ms. Conwell, what a pleasure to finally meet you, the first person to travel through time.” “Mr. Byrd, yes it is a pleasure, but no need to bring up my younger self. Memories of back then have started to surface again and haunt my dreams.”

“Oh I forgot, excuse my forgetfulness.” “Its ok sir. We all have that in us. Anyways, about those signals sent to us by an unknown creature, they’re here.” “Pardon me, but could you please say that again?” “They are here, someone reactivated the Nasa base signals while we weren’t there trying to get the satellites down.” “Thank you for the information, you should get Owen and head back to your own time until this war is over.” “I am not leaving until it's over, humanity depends on it, plus I've started to code a translation from our language to theirs.” “Alright do what you must, you head out tomorrow to check on the northern isles. We'll send men to the South land.” “Yes sir.” “You're dismissed.”

I search the crowd for my husband, Owen, with no luck in finding him. I let out a small sigh and sit on an empty bunk bed. This room is filled with bunk beds. There are tunnels leading to the north, south, west and more buildings in the east. I’m taking the north tunnel. I noticed a guard standing in front of me, wearing a gas mask. The air must be toxic, underground is the only option for travel now.

“I was told to keep an eye on you, and make sure you make it to the north,” he says, his voice muffled by the mask, but it seems familiar. I just can’t put my finger on it. “Who are you? Your voice sounds familiar but with the mask I can’t tell.” He takes the mask off to reveal who he truly is. “Owen!!!!” I hug him tight, i feel like i haven’t seen him in a year. “I’m guessing it’s not going to well up top..” “yeah, the translator you made helped us get someone to them but we can’t talk to them.”

“I’ll start coding the translation to talk to them right away!” I get on my laptop and start coding. In less than an hour I successfully coded a way for us to declare peace to the creatures, invading earth. I get it to Astro, the 2nd in command next to Owen. “That was fast.” “I’m leaving tomorrow, I needed to get is done right away so I didn’t have to worry about it.” “Right, I heard. Well be safe and make sure to let us…. Wait we can’t do that until quarantine is over, I forgot.

I nod and head back to the bunk beds. “So we’re losing?” “I wouldn’t say that, but it isn’t going to well for our side. Hopefully we can talk to them and tell them what’s going on and why they should leave.” “yeah, we should get some rest,” I let out a large yawn at the end of my sentence. “Let’s head back to our real home and remember time doesn’t change here nor there.” “I know but i don’t want to leave until everything is under control.” “ok i understand,” he sighs. He pulls me on the bed with him and cuddles me. His warmth fills my body. I let out a small gentle smile and whisper in his ear, “I love you.” I snuggle his warm huge body, it feels like a huge teddy bear. I hear a whisper from him came back to me, “I love you too, JC.”

I doze off to sleep. When I wake up I realize I’m back home with owen asleep beneath me. I let out a small sigh. He took us back while I was asleep. I let out a small sigh because here we aren’t married and we’re still in high school. I stay right where I am, I don’t want to wake him.

“Your so cute when your asleep~” He lets out, making my face heat up. I sit up, letting him get up. He leans in close to my face and plants a kiss on my cheek. “I love you~” he says. “I love you too~” I whisper back in his ear. Owen gets up and leaves the room, I stay where I am, still having burning pains from the future time. Sounds weird doesn’t it? To say I’m having pain from the time ahead. My head pounds like a thousand beating drums justs went in my head.

The sensation hurts my entire body. I get up and attempt to walk to the kitchen. I am stopped when Owen hands me a glass of water and some medicine. “You better hurry to your room before your parents wake up.” He lets out a small quiet sigh and heads up to his room. This place is so big that I get lost in it nearly everyday, similar to my very own brain. I tend to lose track of what I’m thinking from time to time.

I remember my way back to my room though. I glance at the fascinating portraits as I walk by them. Most are family pictures. Owen is cute at a younger age, he still is today. I feel a warm smile greet my face. Soon I reach my room, I take the medicine, set the glass on the bedside table and tug my blood filled shirt off. My backs stings as I remove my shirt.

Owen’s mom walks in. “hello Mrs. Maverick.” “hello Jordan.” “how are you on this calm night?” the question I asked her surprised her but how? “I should be asking you that question.” her reply shocked my bones, does she know about the music box? “I’m doing well.” I hope she doesn’t know. “Your bloody shirt says otherwise.” I completely forgot about that!! “Oh I just had little trouble going down the stairs.” one thing is for certain, I know she knows im lieing. “You are always a bad liar Jordan.” I give off a nervous grin.

I’m only here because I have nowhere to go and I can’t afford an apartment yet. “You care to explain how you got a large gash on your back?” when time traveling, anything that happened to you while you were in the future transfers over to the current time, along with anyone touching the music box or the holder of the music box. “It’s a long story, I’m in pain and I want to sleep.” Time travel drains your energy too. If your tired in the future, then your tired now.

You also currently can’t go backwards in time. I believe you will be able to once the future is restored but only a certain time period. “Ok I’ll get a first aid kit.” Mrs. Maverick leaves the room. Relief fills my body. One less thing to worry about. Explaining my injuries to someone who lives in current day is nearly impossible. I can’t just say hey look at my back!! I got hit by aliens from the future because I time traveled. No one would believe it and I would be outcasted once again.

I was outcasted elementary school into middle school. I always found myself alone during those times. I was considered the mistake and that I was never supposed to be born. Those were the dark times. I look back at them and laugh. I was supposed to be born, if I wasn’t everything we know now will never help us in the future. Now I am known as Humanities hope. That’s only in the future of course. Today I’m known as the basketball queen. I’m proud that I made something of my life, unlike my parents.

Ever since I was little my parents have been arguing. I remember the day my mom finally snapped. I was in the hospital with a sprained ankle from the basketball 1 on 1 match I had. It was between owen. It was a draw. That was the first time I met owen. He ended up caring me to the hospital.

When I woke up, my mom was there, alone. My father never cares. I remember what she said to me, “I’m divorcing your dad, i won’t be back and you aren’t allowed to come with me.” she was leaving me my abusive father. My father didn’t even have a job. I worked but only to have an excuse to get away from my family. That day was dreadful. I left the hospital after she left, I couldn’t afford to stay any longer that i had. “I’ll pay for the hospital bills.” Owen was willing to pay for my hospital bills because I couldn't take care of it. “I can take care of myself.” I was harsh towards him because I had just lost everything. It wouldn’t be long for me to loose the home I grew up in.

The day I lost my home I rummaged through the stuff they had thrown out of the house and grabbed what I needed, plus the one thing that helped me sleep at night, the music box. Little would I know that getting the music box would change my life forever. I stayed in a hotel for two weeks. It was all I could afford. Around that time Owen said he had feelings for me that he couldn’t deny any longer. I became his queen. I am the queen of the court. Owen and I decided let's make it work.

Ms. maverick returns. She takes a hot damp cloth to the wounds on my back. A groan emerges from my throat. “Sorry, it’s gonna hurt a bit.” A small sigh comes from us both. “So what did you do today?” she loves to ask questions. “Practiced and worked out mainly.” the perfect lie, and she can’t tell because I have done just that. “Well that’s not very interesting.” she bought into it. “Yeah.” “it still does not explain this big gash on your back.” she got me there.

I don’t know of a good excuse for it. Just then Owen walks in the room, I flashed him a worried look. “Is your back feeling better JC?” Luckily Owen can think of an excuse for the giant gash on my back. “There was a massive dog that attacked JC.” Ok, that may work but its a 50/50 chance it will. His mom is unpredictable. It’s often scary but that’s the best way to live. That away no one can predict your movements and you can win easily in a fight. “That must if hurt, but what kind of dog would cause such a thing?” “It was a pitbull.” my reply spares me a lifetime of being researched. “Ah well that makes sense.”

She shoes owen away and bandages my torosso. It stings, like little needles poking everywhere on my torosso. “There, now rest on your stomach so the pain doesn’t worsen anymore.” She helps me lay back on my stomach. I have flashes of memories. When I was younger my first time meeting Owen comes to mind. I was on my way to my seat from lunch, I just got done being scolded by my coach. It was a rather rough day, my mom left my dad for the day. I wasn’t myself. Ended up lost in thought and i bumped into owen, knocking myself to the ground. My lunch ended up all over me.

I was in tears, my lunch was all over me and the kids were all laughing at me. “Are you ok?!” He was the only one who helped me up. “Yeah…..” I was just with one problem, I couldn’t place my right foot on the ground. “Did you sprain your ankle?” I must have sprained it when I fell. “Yeah, I’ll be able to make it to the nurses office.” I escaped his grasp, only to fall again. He picked me up even though I had food that basically covered me.

“You can barely walk, I’ll take you there.” He carried me all the way to the nurse’s office. I couldn’t escape, he wouldn’t let me. “Thank you.” I was in so much pain that is was unbearable. “You should take better care of yourself, you look pale.” I felt heat run through my body. “Nevermind you’re red.” “I am?!” He chuckled with a slight hint of blush on his face. Once we got there he laid me on the nurse's bed and explained to her what happened.

I hear running water a few minutes later. I think back on that moment and giggle.

Back then I wouldn’t have been able to handle this. But the day my mom left I felt all hope leave my body. I had been hurt from an intense basketball match. My leg fractured a little. Owen carried me to the hospital from our one on one match. I barely remember that day but one thing I do remember is the face my mother made when she told me she was leaving, and not ever coming back. She called me disgusting and told me I should die in hell. I couldn’t stop crying all day. Owen was there for me, he hugged me and let me cry on his shoulder. If I could go back and change anything I wouldn’t. I ended up having a good life, I live with owen now. I had to or I was going to be on the streets.

Owen wouldn't let that happen, neither would his parents. So I got stuck living in a very nice, expensive mansion. At first I refused the offer because I didn’t want anything weird to happen between me and Owen since we started dating not long after I got out of the hospital. We promised to keep our relationship private. I was glad, even though we had to love each other privately. I loved it. I let out a sigh and pull out my phone. I always played games on my phone when I was stressed, in pain or nervous.

Owen came in, he just gave me a look. “What, I’m in pain let me play my games.” “yeah but your not wearing a shirt.” “I don’t care.” He’s right I wasn’t wearing a shirt. I had bandages covering my entire torosso. Owen lies next to me and kisses my nose. I giggle slightly. “So how do I explain this to coach?” To be honest I probably won’t be able to practice for a while. “I don’t know, use the same excuse you did”. “Do you really think he will believe that?” “I don’t know.” I sigh, he’s gonna make me work extra hard then.

“What game are you playing today?” “Micocraft.” “wow, that’s cool.” I have been working on a city. It’s in quite good process. “Yeah,” I sigh. Owen looks at me, “does it hurt that bad?” I nod, he leans against me warming my cold body. “Thank you….” He gently wraps his arms around me, cuddling me very gently. “I love you,” we both know we shouldn’t dare be saying those things with mom home. We shouldn’t even be cuddling right now but I don’t care. I just want to stay like this forever. I lay my phone on the bedside table. I cuddle him back, putting myself on my side.

“Man I wish we could stay like this forever,” Owen gently pets the top of my head. He pulls away, getting out of bed. I turn back on my stomach. “Are you hungry?” He asked me giving me a look I’ve never seen before. “Umm I’m not really hungry.” He opens his mouth to reveal razor sharp teeth. His eyes no longer the deep blue but a black. Black like a never ending hole. I can’t see the bottom to his eyes. “Well I’m hungry~” I slowly back away from him, scared of what has happened to him. As I back away he moves closer to me. I feel his hands wrap around my throat. His grip tightens. I try and scream for help but no one can hear me. I decide to let it happen. He leans his head in and bites my ear. It’s painful. I’m still screaming.

I wake, screaming as I just was. Owen burst through the room. Everything is fine. Nothing happened but I still cry. Owen wraps his arms around me and embraces me. “It’s ok, I’m here.” I let him hold me as I cry. “You... turned into something I was so scared.” I hug him. My back stings once again, but this time it feels like a wasp sting. I couldn’t stop the tears from coming. It was like I lost control of my own body. Owen tries to stop my tears from making the ground. “I love you.”

Chapter 2

Not all beginnings start good

Someone's past isn’t always the best to talk about. My life started off in hell. My father is an alcoholic and a drug addict. I learned how to care for myself at a very early age. I also learned how to deal with my father and a constant ongoing depression. I was only five when I learned to deal with these types of things. This caused me to be constantly ignored and treated like trash by other kids. It was my own living hell. I loved it there until I grew up.

I was always doing something. I kept myself constantly busy to keep my mind off things. No matter what I had to do something. I was never wanted by anyone. That was until I met Owen. I think I finally found myself after I met owen. He helped me find who I really am, and believe in myself. He knows what true happiness is. He has seen me at my worst. If it weren’t for my hell I wouldn’t have met him. I’d be somewhere wasting my time on people who’d only want me for the drama.

Not all beginnings start like we want it to and not all endings are happy ever after. My beginning was probably the worst. To be honest I don’t care.

It’s my story, no one can tell it right but me. I may have had a bad beginning but I sure ain’t having a bad ending. I promised myself that I wasn’t gonna die having the saddest life ever. I cuddle Owen gently. Owen lets small sigh of relief. “I’m glad your Okay,” we both say to each other.

I giggle slightly. These are the moments I want to stay in constantly but I can’t. I can only hold on to these moments. “ I love you, JC.” I smiled lightly. “I love you too.” We stay like this for a few minutes. We stop when we hear the front door open. “Dad must be home, we better stop so we don’t get caught.” He pulls himself up, combing his hair back. I nod in agreement. We agreed, meaning me and Owen’s family that if there was some type of love relationship that I had to move out and go back to being on the streets. Me and Owen agreed to hide our relationship for the time being.

I sit up despite the pain in my back. “You should rest, don’t bother. I’ll bring you dinner.” “I am able to walk, it’s not like they shot my legs.” I give him a serious look as I was right, they didn’t shoot my legs, just my back. “You’re right, I’m sorry for making sure you got better.” Darn he got me there. I sigh, “You win but I can still get my own food.”

At that moment me and Owen were standing, luckily when his dad barged in. “Ho! Ho! You two ready for the best meal you’ve ever had?!” He is a chef and he is also very energetic for an old man. He is probably the most energetic man I’ve ever met. He is also a very good cook. I let out a small giggle and nod. “You’re food is always the best sir.” “Ah of course! I always make the best food for you!” I grin with slight blush. “I know, I know.” we all laugh at my comment.

We head down the stairs into the dinning room. The table was set like we were going to have guest over tonight. I sigh, I sometimes forget they tend to treat me like a princess, which I hate. I am not a princess, I am not special at all. The only good thing about me is that I can travel to the future and I know how to play basketball. That’s all, nothing else. Yet, they treat me like a princess. They even got me a crown one time. A threw it away later that night. They didn’t seem to notice at all.

I decide to walk outside. It is all so overwhelming. Just being in there stresses me out. Owen follows me outside. “What's wrong?” He grabs my hand and holds it. “I’m sorry, I’m just tired.” I close my eyes and take in a deep breath. Letting the air fill my lungs. Then letting the air come back out.

“I’m not so sure you’re telling the truth.” “Why is that now?” I sigh. “You seem sad, I know when you are sad or disappointed.” I wrap my arms around him.

He wraps his arms around my body, taking me in. I hear the front door open but I don’t bother letting go. “Hey everything ok outhere?” It was Mrs. Maverick. “Yeah, just wanted some fresh air,” Owen replies. It doesn’t take her long to notice someone standing at the gate, staring at us. She walks towards the gate, not noticing my arms around owen. “May I help you miss?”

“Oh yes I was hoping to speak with miss conwell.” Owen stepped in front of me blocking my view of who it was. “She will not be speaking to anyone, right now.” I don’t know who it is but, their voice is rather famular. “Don’t you know who I am?” “I know exactly who you are, you left her to be with her wicked father!” My mom returned…… I am scared for my life…. She left me with him.

Chapter 3

The Capture of a Jewel

“If you don’t leave now, I will force you off my property.” Owen was mad, I’ve never seen him like this. “Oh but she has something of mine that she took.” What is she talking about? I didn’t take anything. “Return what you took Jordan, then get in the house.” Mrs. Maverick was also on edge. I walk up to the gate, and it opens before me. I shouldn’t have walked up to her, I should of stayed where I was. Owen was right, she is wicked and cruel.

She grabbed my arm. I am no longer inside the fence. A gun is at my head. At this point I am in tears. “Get me the music box or she dies.” I just shook my head no at Owen. She knew what me and owen knew, it was valuable. I would prefer to die than let her have that music box. Owen rushes inside but by the time he comes back it’s already too late… I feel a sharp pain in my head. I fall to the floor clutching my head. Where in the world did my mother learn how to hurt people like this. Oh, that's right, my father. She could have picked up a few things from him. I don ́t know whats going on. When I look up I hear a loud bang. Owen is the one to fall after me. I see the gun come towards my forehead. I embrace the impact.

I hide in a black abyss my ears ring loudly. My body pushes itself upwards hitting something metal in seconds. My hands are tied to my legs. I can barely move, and when I do I end up hitting something. Later on I feel strong hands grip my arms and legs. I felt the sunshine wrap my skin in a warm blanket, I am lucky it was summer. If not I would miss tons of school. Scream runs and sirens sound. The person carrying me begins to run, I feel the wind blow my face.

The blindfold that covered my face is blown off. I see a dark house with tinted windows. It is surrounded by a wooden fence that you

can ́t even peek through. We reach the inside, welcomed with a slap across the face is always nice when you go into someone else's home. “You better tell me how this thing works.”She held the music box in her hand. “I don’t know.” Keeping everything secret was what I swore to do. I could only tell those I really trust. “Tell me now!” I felt her skin and bones make contact to my face. Gushing blood drips from my nose.

“If you don’t tell me then you won’t remember anything past the last 5 minutes.” I let out a small sigh. Gathering my thoughts in my head. If I tell her to give me the music box and go to the future, I could just hide there tell I get better. “Give me the music box.” If I go I will come back exactly like this but in better condition. “No, you may not, just tell me how it works.” that is something I don’t know how it works. I never wondered about that, but it works. That’s all that means. I let a sigh. “I don’t know how it works.” “Of course you know how it works you must have used it!” “I found out on accident!” I felt another hand hit my face. I feel more blood drip from my nose. The blood hits my pants staining it. “Don’t make me bring out the belt woman!”

The belt was what scared us both especially when our father said it. He would say it often, so often I was just now getting used to not hearing it when I got in trouble. “Mom…. You’re worse than him.” She walked out of the room with her head hung. She apologized before she knocked me out for a second time. This time wasn’t blackness, this time I remembered what happened when I first found the secret of the music box.

I was in a hotel at the time, this was a few days after I was kicked out of the house. I was cleaning up, I had turned the music box on and started to sing the song of The Lost One. All of a sudden I was teleported to the future. That’s where I met the angel who guards the future, she was there when I first took owen there with me. She spoke softly and calmly. “Welcome to the future Jordan Conwell, this is now your mission.” She spoke to me that day. I was so confused on what she meant by mission. I Looked around me only to find nothing but dead plants and abbondon buildings. No one was around us. “Your mission is to repair this world and help it flourish again. This world was destroyed by your kind. Now you need to help fix this world.”

I was so worried at the site I was seeing and the mission I was given.

“How do I fix this?” “work and clean things.” I looked down at that time, no idea what I just got myself into. My mission was to fix the world we broke and destroyed. It was as if the scientist had predicted this by saying global warming was real. This memory reminds me of the real reason why I have to keep the future a secret. If I don’t then everything I’ve done so far will go to waist. This is why I can only tell the people I trust. This is why I can’t tell my mom how to work the music box.

I hear footsteps. They get louder, something picks me up and takes me somewhere, I feel myself lean downwards. Their taking me downstairs. They set me down. My hands and legs are being untied. Soon the door bangs shut. I place my hands where they have put a blindfold on my eyes. They don’t want me figuring out an escape plan, smart. I don’t plan on getting out this early but I will do it at some point, just not now. “Eat up” They place a steel tray full of what looks like throw up in front of me. I refuse trying not to let my stomach add to it.

“I can’t I will only add to it.”I look up at a tall man whose face was covered in scars. “You’re not from around here are you?” I say giving him a curious glance. “I'm from up north, I used to live here as a boy but moved north after the war.” He mustn’t be really old as the war happened when my parents got married. That was about 15 years ago. They had me a few years before they got married. The war was political based and caused north america to become six different countries. I live in Guma. It's probably the most interesting one since most people here are pacifist. They never hurt a soul except for my family. My family its mostly genocide people. They love to hurt people mainly their own family. “You’re not that old huh?” a small sigh escapes my mouth. “Yeah you could say that, I’m only twenty.” He’s only about three years older than me. “I’m seventeen.” He looks at me with light in his eyes. “You’re not that old!” It seems like he's never met someone his age.

“I bet you never anyone your age huh?” He nodded in agreement. “Yeah I don’t really talk to people.” I was rather surprised by this. It's rare to find someone who doesn’t know someone that is their age. “Wow.” He let out a small sigh. “Where I'm from there's either really old people or really young people.” That explains a lot, like a lot. “ so do you work for my mom?” I felt curiosity take the better of me. “Yeah, she’s not the nicest boss I’ve had. Probably the meanest one." That’s can be understandable she is rather rude and mean to nearly everyone.

“She can be. We had a rough life.” I let out a small sigh. “What do you mean We?” “She is my mother. I do not wish to say it but it is true.” “Oh I’m sorry you have to deal with her, I must go.” He leaves without giving me his name. “She give you any information?” My mother talked to him. “No ma’am , she won’t mention on that topic.” “Damn.”

I struggle to escape her grasps. She attacked in my sleep. Her strong hands grip my neck lifting me up off the ground. Every breath of air feels as though its going to be my last. I hear the door swing open and a familiar voice.