Joey Lopez 9/13/2012

Moved Entirely

He had been doing it now for days on end, making sure he had perfected it. There had been mistakes and they were noticeable. But he didn't worry too much since they were very minute in importance. For instance, he had gone back two hours the monday prior at exactly 6:45 P.M. When his eyes opened, it was 4:45 P.M. His goal was simple : To move a toy hot wheels car that he had on his dresser two inches from where it was at 6:45 P.M. Still an amateur at the time, he excitedly jumped up from his bed and in doing so tripped on his own shoes-causing him to fall into the dresser, knocking the toy car onto the floor. As he reached for t he car, he could hear his mother in the distance. At 4:45 P.M. he was usually not home yet from High School. The noise from his fall had startled his mother. "Robert ? Are you there ?!" He heard her yell. Not knowing what to do, he hid in the closet of his room. He closed his eyes and concentrated. When his eyes opened it was dark. He reached for the handle of the closet door and opened it. It said 6:45 P.M. He rushed immediately to the dresser expecting to find the car. It was not there. He looked onto the floor where it fell. Nothing there.

What had happened to the car? What had he done wrong? He remembered his mother approaching the room when he heard her calling his name. Perhaps she had moved it? He left his room searching for his mother to ask her if she had seen it. "Mom ?!" He yelled slightly, walking briskly down the hallway. "Yes, Robert ? In my room," She answered, laying on her bed, cigarette in one hand and a photo in the other. "What is the matter, dear ?" "You know that old hot wheels car I had on my dresser ?" "Yes..." She answered inhaling. "Have you seen it ?" "Yeah, I put it in your first drawer. It was on the floor when I walked in your room. Thought I had heard something in there." So the experiment he had done that following monday had proved something very educational. He had to be careful with what he interacted with when he went to the past. He had expected the car to be there since he went back at 6:45 but, since his Mother had moved it in the past, it would not be there for him to move in the present. "What you got there, Mom ?" he asked pointing. "It's a picture of your Uncle back in 1949." "Uncle Dean from Austin ?" "No, no. You've never met this Uncle," She gave the photo to him to look at. A tear ran

down her eye. "he died that same year." "How ?" "Someone needed money more than your Uncle did and stabbed him at a Billy Graham Crusade revival that took place across town from here. It was an eight week event in the Fall of 1949. The first of its kind. Everyone was captivated by the size of the canvas tent which they put up. It could hold up to 6,000 people. It was amazing." She wiped tears from her eyes. "Was he a nice guy ?" "Oh, your Uncle Edward-You would have loved him ! He was great with kids. Its a shame you never met him. Ya'll would have gotten along great." She took back the photo from his hand and placed it on her lamp stand. "So why did you never tell me about him ?" "No need. I hate to say it but, I had actually forgot about him until I ran into some old photos the other day. Your Uncle was very protective..." "Well, thanks for putting up my car. Maybe you can make me a copy of that photo. Would like to have it." "Really ?!" his mother was surprised. "Yeah ! Why not. I thought I had met everyone. Obviously not." His mother handed him the photo.

"Here, Robert. You can keep it....." "Thanks, Mom." He looked at the photo as he walked outside her room. He could hear her crying once again, trying hard to hold it in. He could tell his Uncle Edward had meant a lot to his Mother. If only they could be reunited one more time. Would that heal her sorrow ? Or better yet-what if he had never died ?" His earlier experiments had proved successful, as long as he made no mistakes. But he would have to actually interfere with an actual event that happened. A part of History. He would in fact be changing the very fabric of time. Was it possible to prevents someones death ? Material objects had been no problem and he could even take certain ones back into the past with him. If he brought or attempted to bring an actual Human back-that alone could prove catastrophic-not to mention explaining it into layman's terms to his Uncle, whom he had never met. He had not even been born as of yet at that time. He would simply have to somehow prevent his death. Could he do it ? He certainly didn't know what he would be up against if he were put in a physical confrontation with the killer himself. Maybe he could somehow persuade his Uncle to go one way rather than the other. Which ultimately would lead to his death. That seemed very logical and he decided to go with that approach.

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The very next evening, after already having researched the exact date of which the murder occurred and already dressed accordingly, he laid his head onto his pillow. As he closed his eyes, he concentrated on the exact street and location and time. He recited it over in his head. 7:30 P.M. Billy Graham-Greater Los Angeles Revival-entrance on the street side. Suddenly, he was very sleepy. The blackness from his eyelids was changing. And now there was no turning back. This power which he had stumbled upon accidentaly one night, while trying not to fall asleep so he could sneak out on a school weekday to his girlfriends house, had seized him. There was no turning back. When he had discovered the power that night weeks before, he tried everything to stay awake till he felt that his mother was sound asleep. He had been grounded and was on restriction from going anywhere that week. While trying to stay awake he thought about what he had done to get himself grounded. His mother had found a cigarette in his back pocket while preparing his clothes for wash. She was furious and was so angry she had grabbed him by his shirt and punched him, giving him a bloody lip. He was more surprised than his mother was that she had hit him. Almost eight-teen, he still teared up and went to his room upset. He had understood though. She had been drinking. That day though she had drank more than usual, it being the one year anniversary of his fathers death. She had acquired this new habit ever since. If she was not almost drunk by the time he got home from school, she was passed out. But, her husband's demise had in a sense took her six feet under with him as well. Gradually

getting more depressed, her appearance worsening with every passing day. His eyes closed, he had imagined that day earlier when he went into his mother's cigarettes and took one. Suddenly, he was very sleepy. The blackness from his eyelids was changing. There was no turning back. All of the sudden he was there. But, it was before he had gotten to the pack of cigarettes. He was not dreaming. He was there except earlier that morning before he stole the cigarette. Taking advantage of the situation, after realizing what was happening was real, he grabbed the pack of cigarettes and threw them in the trash can. He heard his mother's alarm from her digital clock going off. It was 6:30 A.M. He heard his mother approaching the kitchen. He could not move. "Hey?!" She said as she walked past him towards the backyard. "Have you seen my smoke?" "No, actually I just came to get some water." "Well, I find it strange that you up so early. Did you just come back from somewhere?" "Mom, I can't get up early if I want to or what?" "No, go ahead Robert, its just weird." He walked to his room, slowly walking in and he saw himself still asleep in his bed. He smiled and could not believe what was happening. From then on he practised every night with his new found ability. And now, he was going beyond his abilities, perhaps. But, he was willing to do whatever he could possible to make his mother happy again. And if this

large experiment worked then maybe he would be able to bring back his father as well!! That being the ultimate experiment! His journey back to 1949, almost complete, he smiled, then his eyes opened. A force pushed him onto the ground and just in time, his hands braced onto the patch of grass, his face nearly slamming onto the green of it. Someone grabbed him from behind. "Watch it, kid!!" A tall man shouted, placing him onto his feet. The tall man then gestured for him to follow. And right there behind the tall man Robert saw what all the people around him were rushing to. It was the entrance to the Billy Graham Revival! Robert had made it! He looked at his watch: 7:25 P.M. It was five minutes till his Uncle's murder. He motioned for the tall man to go on. He stepped aside, pulling out the photo of his Uncle and looked intently. The police report he had pulled up revealed the exact time of the murder and location, which was twenty feet from the tent entrance. Patiently, he waited. In the distance, his uncle emerged, stepping onto the sidewalk. The resemblance to his mothers side was undeniable. But, no one suspicious fit into the category as 'murderer'. Already 7:29 P.M. he approached his uncle. He was fumbling with his car keys trying to seperate them from his bill fold and was growing frustrated. "Edward?" Robert called out approaching cautiously. "Yeah? Can I hel-" Suddenly, his bill fold fell to the ground, the force causing a hundred dollar bill to come loose and float away with the light breeze. "Oh! Sorry Unc-"

"Look what you made me do, kid!!" The hundred dollar bill landed in the middle of the street close by. "Sorry...." "Just wait a minute, kid." Rushing to save the hundred dollar bill, Uncle Edward dove to the middle of the street. And as quickly as he had left the sidewalk, out of nowhere, a large truck roared right into Uncle Edward killing him instantly. Screams filled the air and everyone rushed to the accident. The time was 7:31 P.M. Again, Robert found himself being pushed around like a ragdoll in all directions. His own screams drowned out by the crowds yelling and sudden congestion of traffic. He crawled away on the ground, eyes full of tears, huddling against the shrubs. He wiped his face, closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, he was very sleepy. The blackness from his eyelids was changing. And now there was no turning back.

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His journey back to 1949 almost complete, he smiled. It had taken him a week to recuperate. The shock from watching someone die so violently had taken its toll on Robert. But, he was determined to not make the same mistake the second time around. This time he would pull his Uncle as soon as he got out of the car and away from the street.

His eyes opening, he smiled as he woke to a vacant section of sidewalk away from the crowd. But, not too far from the revival. Suddenly, a force tugged at his pant leg. "Hello!" Robert looked down to behold a five year old toddler. "How did you do that, Mister?!" He smiled back at the infant and headed towards the revival. The time was 7:25 P.M. It was five minutes till his uncle's murder. Patiently, he waited alongside a line of shrubbery alongside the sidewalk when suddenly he was pulled by his arm towards the sidewalk. It was a police officer. "Son, what did you do to that boy down over there?" The time was 7:28 P.M. "Uhhh...I don't even know that kid, officer!" "Well, he says you were playing some tricks on him and his mother is mighty upset. Come over here with me..." Robert panicked. What about his Uncle? "Sir, someone's about to get stabbed at the revival over there-you need to go back!!" "What?! Are you saying-" The crowd grew in numbers around the entrance of the revival. Screams and yelling filled the air. It was now 7:31 P.M. The officer ran towards the panic. Robert's eyes immediately swelling up, the tears ran down his cheeks. Again he had failed. He wiped his tears, closed his eyes and concentrated...

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Robert's plan was so perfect. He knew for sure nothing this time could go wrong. He had remembered his mother mentioning something about his uncle being very protective. So, he had decided to use his mother as bait! He would simply walk up to his uncle, mention himself being from the neighborhood where they were from and say his sister was in need. The house was being robbed. The house being on fire. Anything to get him back in the car and leave from his ultimate doom. "Mom?" Robert asked quietly, poking his head into his mother's bedroom. "Are you awake?" "Yes, dear, what's the matter?" She rose up from her bed, turning on her lamp. "Nothing. I just wanted to give you back this." He handed her the picture of Uncle Edward. "I thought you wanted it?" "I don't need it anymore. Pretty soon, I have a feeling I'll be seeing a lot more of him!" He walked out of the room with a warm smile across the hallway into his room, closing the door behind him. His mother looked at the picture of her brother Edward. A smile grew on her lips accompanied with a quiver. Tears fell from her eyes as she remembered back to the days when Edward was alive. His macho attitude. His kind demeanor. Yet towards her, he was very protective. If their parents approved of her going out on a date it was usually failed by her brother. Just before his death, he had grown so overly protective it had gone beyond over

protectiveness itself. Roberts own father had been turned down many times himself and had not even started dating his mother until a year after Edwards death. Robert's mother thought to herself how in a good way, it was fine that Uncle Edward had died. For if he had not died, she would have never ever gone out with Robert's father. Robert might have not even been born if Uncle Edward were still alive. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she laid on her side facing the doorway, blew a kiss towards her son's door and turned off the lamp...

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Preparing for his journey back to 1949, Robert smiled. He was going to make his mother happy again, have the privelage of growing up with his Uncle Edward and then his last feat : to bring his father back from the dead! His eyes full of tears of happiness, he wiped them, closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, he was very sleepy. The blackness from his eyelids was changing. And now...there was no turning back...