Danger in Time Read online

  DANGER IN TIME

  By R. Barri Flowers

  Copyright 2012 by R. Barri Flowers at Smashwords. All rights reserved.

  Cover Image Copyright 2012 by Nejron Photo

  Used under license from http://www.shutterstock.com

  Danger in Time is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  ALSO BY R. BARRI FLOWERS

  YOUNG ADULT FICTION

  Ghost Girl in Shadow Bay

  Christmas Wishes: Laura's Story

  Her Teen Dream (under name Devon Vaughn Archer)

  Her Teen Dream: Summer Heartbreak (under name Devon Vaughn Archer)

  His Teen Dream (under name Devon Vaughn Archer)

  TEEN-RELATED NONFICTION

  Street Kids

  College Crime

  Runaway Kids and Teenage Prostitution

  Kids Who Commit Adult Crimes

  The Victimization and Exploitation of Women and Children

  Children and Criminality

  To my wife, Loraine, and my sister, Jackie.

  And to those who are fascinated with the concept of time travel and the adventures that such could bring.

  * * *

  CHAPTER ONE

  Rachel Crane sat in her room ruminating, as she often seemed to do these days. She was only six years old when her sixteen-year-old sister, Brooke, died in a car accident ten years ago to the day, devastating Rachel. Not only had Brooke been the coolest sister in the world, but the one person Rachel could count on to cheer her up whenever she felt down.

  Since then life had been anything but satisfying...

  Rachel lost her mom to lung cancer two years after Brooke’s death. Catherine Crane had been a heavy smoker since her teen years and it caught up with her. Rachel believed her mother ultimately lost her will to live after losing Brooke, having never been the same afterward.

  Three years later, Rachel’s dad got remarried to a woman named Virginia. Rachel was convinced Virginia resented her because she got too much attention from her father. Whereas Rachel believed she didn’t get enough attention from him with Virginia occupying much of his free time.

  Rachel could never imagine anyone ever taking her mom’s place, no matter how hard she tried. Not that Virginia had tried all that hard, seemingly content just being her dad’s second wife, with Rachel simply left to tag along.

  She often thought about Brooke, who had been her best friend. She wished they had been able to have a normal life as sisters for years to come, instead of having it cut short due to tragedy. By most accounts, she looked a lot like Brooke had at sixteen as biracial siblings. Both had long, curly, dark brown hair, a caramel complexion, were slender, and about five-six. The only real difference was Rachel had her mother’s jade eyes, while Brooke had their dad’s sable eyes.

  Rachel was sure her boyfriend Duncan would think Brooke was hot had she been alive today. If only. She longed for the chance to have a real sisterly conversation with Brooke to talk about guys, school, and other teen issues. Even now she imagined how much fun it would be if she could somehow magically go back in time and reunite with Brooke now when they were the same age. Yes, it would be weird, but somehow she knew they would find a way to make it work.

  So much for wishful thinking. No such thing as time travel, except in Hollywood, novels, and people’s vivid imaginations like hers.

  Rachel glanced around the small room in the Lake Melrose, Oregon house she’d grown up in. It had once been Brooke’s room and Rachel remembered the posters of celebrities she’d hung everywhere and the big pink teddy bear Brooke had kept since she was a little girl. Since then many of Brooke’s things had been packed away in the attic, as though waiting for her return, long forgotten by everyone.

  Everyone except Rachel, who considered the attic her private hideaway for chill time and keeping her sister’s memory alive.

  Rachel grabbed some tees and shorts, stuffing them into the bag atop her bed. She was being forced to spend the summer at her grandmother’s house in Brenport, Washington, some two hundred miles way.

  It was not that she didn’t like her Nana—who was always telling her wild and colorful stories about growing up in the Pacific Northwest—but Rachel had no desire to spend her last full summer before graduating from high school away from home. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much choice in the matter. Virginia had convinced her dad it would be good for Rachel to bond more with her grandmother before time ran out.

  Rachel thought it was more likely that Virginia wanted to get rid of her for the summer so she could have her father all to herself. Being susceptible to Virginia’s sneaky influence, he had fallen for it.

  I’ll just have to make the best of the situation. At least I’ll be able to text Duncan and my friends whenever I get bored.

  Beyond that, Rachel hoped Duncan would be able to get away from his summer job with the family landscaping business to visit her. She doubted the same could be said for Elaine, one of her best friends, since she too had been banished and would spend the summer in Utah with her father, his live-in girlfriend and her three bratty kids.

  After filling the bag with probably more clothes than she needed, Rachel pressed down hard and managed to zip it shut, just as she heard a knock on the door.

  “Come in.”

  It opened and Virginia stood there, hand on hip. There was a smug look on her fudge-toned face.

  “You about ready, or what?” she asked. “The bus leaves at three o’clock sharp. Wouldn’t want you to miss it.”

  Of course, you wouldn’t. That would mess up your plans.

  Rachel sneered, but resisted a curt response, figuring she’d only upset her dad. Virginia had won this round. Someday it would be different. She would just have to wait her turn.

  “I won’t.” Rachel pulled the bag off the bed, realizing it was heavier than she thought when it hit the floor.

  “Give that to me.” Virginia practically pried her hand loose and grabbed the bag. “Go get the lunch I prepared. You can eat it along the way.”

  I don’t think so.

  Their tastes in food were about as different as night and day. Whenever she could avoid Virginia’s high calorie, fatty meals, Rachel usually did. This was definitely one of those times.

  She skirted past Virginia, thrilled to see her stepmother laboring with the bag.

  Downstairs, Rachel nearly ran into her father in the hall between the living room and kitchen. He was tall, with a walnut complexion and a bald head that he shaved every day.

  Edwin Crane gazed at her amusingly. “I thought we’d have to drag you to Nana’s house kicking and screaming. Now it looks like you can’t get out of here fast enough.”

  “So not funny.” She made a face and wondered if there was a glimmer of hope he might reconsider. “Can’t I stay here this summer? Please, Dad?”

  “We’ve been over this numerous times, Rachel. Your grandmother is counting on your visit. She’s not getting any younger and, with Brooke gone, you’re all she has left.”

  Rachel frowned. His comment made it seem like she was strictly second string or simply better t
han nothing at all without Brooke around to take the lead.

  As though he sensed she might have taken his words the wrong way, Edwin amended them somewhat. “You know you’re Nana’s pride and joy, Rachel. Brooke will always have a special place in her heart as the first born, but you’re her baby!”

  “What about you?” Rachel batted her curly lashes. “Or has Nana forgotten you’re her only child?”

  Edwin chuckled. “I try to never let her forget, but she has a magical connection with you that I couldn’t even come close to matching.”

  “Enough already, I’ll go.” She knew he was laying it on a bit thick to guilt trip her into going to visit Nana happily. Rachel swallowed her resistance.

  “You’ll thank me someday when your grandmother, bless her heart, is dead and buried.”

  “But till then, I’d rather not.” Rachel sneered, resigned to her fate.

  He grinned. “Fair enough.”

  They both looked up and saw Virginia struggling with the bag.

  Rachel snickered. “I think she needs your help, Dad.”

  Edwin’s brow furrowed. “Let me get that, Virginia, darling—”

  Rachel went into the kitchen. Ignoring the lunch Virginia had packed, she strode across the hardwood floor to the refrigerator. She grabbed a bottle of water, opened it, and took a giant gulp.

  Before Rachel hit the road, there was something important she needed to do. Water bottle in hand, she ran past her dad and stepmom toward the stairs.

  “Why are you going back up there?” Virginia asked.

  “I forgot something,” Rachel lied. “I’ll be right back.”

  She ignored her protests and continued up the stairs. On the second floor, Rachel raced down the hall and opened the door to a utility room. Inside, she yanked at the rope hanging from the ceiling till stairs came down that led to the attic.

  She climbed up them.

  The attic, which had only been partially finished, was dusty and cluttered. Rachel had created several little paths to the eyelid windows overlooking the lawn and street below. She stood at one window, remembering when she used to do the same with Brooke. They would tell ghost stories or pretend they were in another time and place.

  Rachel looked in one corner of the attic at the boxes piled atop one another marked as Brooke’s clothes, shoes, toys, and other miscellaneous items. She had gone through them numerous times, touching things that had once belonged to her big sister. Rachel even wore some of Brooke’s clothes that were fashionable again today and fit her perfectly.

  Oh, Brooke, I wish we were going to Nana’s house together like we used to. Better yet, I wish I didn’t have to go at all this year. If you were here, we could just hang out together at home, the mall, or wherever.

  Rachel wanted to cry at the thought, but checked herself. Some people might think she had gone a little loco being too sentimental over her long dead sister.

  Maybe I do need to let go after ten years of grieving. Brooke would want that. Wouldn’t she?

  Rachel was positive Brooke was watching over her from heaven, wanting to see at least one of them make it past sixteen years of age and experience all the things that came with growing old.

  “Well, guess I’d better get going,” Rachel spoke aloud to Brooke, as though she were in the room. “Dad and Virginia are probably having a fit right about now, not wanting me to miss that bus to Nana’s house. Guess I’ll see you when I get back!”

  Just then, Rachel heard what sounded like something falling on the floor. At first she thought it might only be the creaking sounds that sometimes invaded the house like an angry spirit. Then she wondered if it might be a mouse. Yuck. The thought of being nibbled on by one of those creatures freaked her out. She looked behind her, expecting to see the little critter scurrying by.

  Instead, Rachel saw what looked like an antique gold pocket watch attached to a chain lying by her shoes. Glancing up, as if expecting to see a ghost who had dropped the watch, she saw only the support beams. They gave no clue of where the watch had come from.

  This is so weird.

  Rachel put her bottled water on the windowsill and reached down to pick up the watch. Opening the case, she noted it had an unusual sixty second clock that was prominent and ticking, with an inset of the time in roman numerals near the top and a date at the bottom. Her eyes widened when she realized the current month and day were correct, but not the year. It read: June 26, 2001.

  That was the day Brooke died. Rachel’s heart skipped a beat. She wondered if the watch belonged to her sister, though she had never seen it before. But why would the date have stopped working and not the other functions?

  She saw a button on the watch and pushed it to see what would happen. Old-fashioned music began to play. Rachel put the chain around her neck as though compelled to.

  The music somehow had a surreal effect on her. Lost in the tune, she started to sway with the music all but forgetting that her dad and Virginia were waiting to drive her to the bus station. And that Nana was expecting her.

  She felt herself grow slightly dizzy. Unsure what was happening or why, Rachel staggered, sure she would fall over at any moment and hit her head.

  But, just as quickly, the feeling disappeared and she was herself again. Rachel looked at the clockwatch and saw it had stopped ticking and the poker hand now stood still. The eerily pleasing music had also come to a screeching halt.

  She found that odd, just as she did everything about the antique watch.

  What just happened?

  Glancing around, Rachel saw something even more puzzling. The attic was not nearly as cluttered as it had been only moments before. How was that possible? It was almost as if she was in a different place and time. But, of course, that was ridiculous.

  She looked out the window. Even the sunny day had been replaced with a cloudy one. As she tried to make sense of it all, Rachel heard someone climbing the attic steps. For some reason she held her breath, still clutching the strange watch in her hand.

  Instead of seeing her father or Virginia standing there with annoyance, Rachel gulped as she watched an attractive, slender girl around her age with thick, long brown hair step into the attic. She was dressed in a tee and jeans and looked strangely familiar.

  Without fully comprehending the implausibility of it all, Rachel realized the resemblance was to that of her long dead sister, Brooke...

  CHAPTER TWO

  Brooke Crane was bored. With her little sister Rachel staying with their Nana for the summer, dad busy as usual as the vice president of an advertising firm, and mom out spending his money on who knows what, Brooke was left home alone after being grounded for a week. It wasn’t like she’d done anything wrong going out with nineteen-year-old Dennis Farrell. After all, he was hot and he liked her. So what if she’d lied and told him she was seventeen instead of sixteen. And so what if she’d stayed out past midnight last night with him instead of returning home by eleven, as promised.

  Was that any reason for her parents to track her down like a wanted fugitive and confine her to the house?

  She’d nearly died of embarrassment on the spot when they showed up at the worst possible time. Brooke figured it had all but ended any chance she had with Dennis. And probably any other guy in Lake Melrose once word got out.

  I can’t wait till I go away to college. Then I can make my own rules without parental interference in my life.

  Brooke had called her best friends, Natalie Marsh and Gabrielle Kerr, to come over and keep her company in defiance of her grounding rules that included no visitors. But both were unavailable. So she was left to sit and sulk in her room.

  This is going to be one long, crappy summer.

  Brooke suddenly heard a noise that sounded like it came from the attic. She wondered if a box had fallen over, even if she couldn’t figure out how or why since they were pretty neatly stacked. Hardly anyone ever went up there besides her and Rachel. She did remember a time when some birds managed to get in through a cra
cked window and made a real mess. She’d seriously thought they were going to invade the entire house like in a horror movie. Her dad had replaced the window and they hadn’t had a problem with birds since.

  Maybe till now.

  She decided to take a look, if only to escape the boredom of being stuck in her room.

  When Brooke stepped inside the laundry room, she paused to listen for any sounds. All was quiet now, eerily so. Could the whole thing have been her imagination?

  I know I heard something.

  She decided to go up just to be sure the birds hadn’t come calling again and had somehow gotten a box to fall.

  If nothing else, I’ll hang out in the attic for a while. She wished Rachel was home so they could have some fun together.

  Just as she began mounting the stairs, Brooke thought she heard music playing. Were her ears playing tricks on her? Maybe it was that creep Malcolm Osborn next door making strange sounds like he was prone to do when he didn’t have his music up loud enough to wake the dead.

  But the music sounded like it was coming from the attic. Now it had suddenly stopped. Brooke conjured up images of the bogeyman. Had someone broken into the house and taken up shelter in the attic of all places?

  Though the thought unnerved her, Brooke refused to give in to paranoia. She dismissed the idea and would prove it by going up there.

  When she stepped inside the attic, she nearly had a heart attack. She stood face to face with someone who definitely didn’t belong there.

  * * *

  “How did you get in here?” were the first words Rachel heard the girl say. First there was apprehension, then anger in her tone.

  “I walked in,” Rachel uttered matter-of-factly, as if she needed to explain.

  “Well, that’s obvious!” Brooke snapped. She glared at the intruder, while maintaining a safe distance. The girl was about her age and size. Even her hair was the same color and length, though styled a little differently and with straight-across bangs. While there was something familiar about the girl, Brooke did not recognize her from school or the neighborhood. She willed her racing pulse to slow down. After all, this was her house. “It’s called breaking and entering when you go where you don’t have permission to.”