Read The First Chapter Of 'Time X 2' by Dianna Hammond

Time X 2

 by Dianna Hammond  

Chapter 1

“Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.”

Emily hit the pavement hard. Getting up slowly, she cursed under her breath as she dusted herself off. She had to talk to Sam about these rough landings. She expected to break a leg soon. For as long as she had been time traveling, the landings were always a jolt.

It was quiet on the street as she had anticipated at this hour. She was making this jump hoping to save Paul McCartney’s life. The time of his death was recorded at 5:00 am. Glancing at her watch, she had 45 minutes to convince him she was telling the truth. She had to be careful how she appeared to him, she didn’t want him thinking she was a crazed fan looking for his attention. Coming around the corner eyeing the door of the studio, her heart skipped a beat, realizing she was about to meet one of the most famous men in the world.

This jump was the first she had insisted on doing. She thought that being closer to Paul’s age would be an advantage. Sam, her supervisor, had been against the jump to begin with, not seeing the end game. Her analysis and a nod from the director convinced him to let her try.

She knew Paul's replacement would help the band achieve landmarks in music as never before. But she felt that Paul deserved to live even if it meant a different path for The Beatles. Their influence had led a generation. She believed that it was still possible but with a slightly altered journey.

She looked up at the door, he would be coming out soon. He would be upset having just had a fight with Brian, their manager. It may be hard to get his attention, but she believed she would be able to convince him she was telling him the truth.

Emily saw the door open. Paul stood with his back to her as he continued to argue with Brian. He was wearing jeans and a blue sweater with a black jacket swung over his shoulder. He kept running his fingers through his hair in frustration. She heard their raised voices but not the words. She knew why they were arguing. Brian had just told him he needed to write six more songs for the next album. Paul was too tired to think, let alone write. John was in Spain filming a movie he had a small part in, and without him there, Paul didn’t have the energy or will to write without him.

John and Paul met when they were young, 16 and 15, roughly around the time they had each gotten their first guitars. They have been close ever since. People often said that they were soulmates and once they met, they were complete. John was a lost child at times, but Paul knew what John needed when he got out of hand. Paul became his brother, friend, confidant and savior. They were the Nerk Twins, a name Paul’s cousin gave them when they would strike out hitchhiking on holiday.

Paul and John had both lost their mothers at a young age, giving them a bond that could not be broken. Emily knew that without Paul, John would be lost forever, searching for that closeness in everyone and anyone. Paul’s father, Jim, often told him to stay away from John, that he would only lead Paul into trouble. There are times when the child knows best.

Emily prepared for the assignment by spending hours watching interviews of the band. One thing she noticed was how protective they were of each other. Especially when John would make broad, outrageous statements in those endless interviews. Paul would always be the one to explain it away. In one interview, it was obvious that Paul was not feeling well. The concern from John was palpable as he whispered to Paul, "Are you alright?”

In another, Paul plainly protecting John when the interviewer began questioning them about their mothers. Then there was the photo she saw of a quite distressed John walking in front of Paul, while Paul hid under his coat after they had to cancel a show due to him being ill. They are one half of each other. They are brothers. As the band grew and musical differences developed, they would have disagreements and fights. At the end of the day, John would pull his glasses down, look Paul in the eye and say, “It’s just me.”

Reading about the time the band spent in Hamburg, Germany, well before they hit it big, she saw that they were no angels. Paul and another band member got into a fistfight on stage, as the others kept playing. Performing seven or eight hours at a time, barely sleeping or eating, they popped Preludin daily to keep going. The image of them that was later created with their matching suits and long hair was a far cry from the black leather pants and the Elvis style hair they flaunted in Hamburg. Things in Germany were raw and gritty. There, they became a cohesive unit in order to survive their grueling existence.

Jarred out of her thoughts, she watched him as he stood for a moment at the top of the stairs. As he slowly began taking the steps down to the street she calmly moved closer to him. He must have seen her out of the corner of his eye, as he reached the bottom step he turned to face her.

He looked at her uneasily, as if maybe she had been part of his dreams. He quietly asked, “Is it you?”

She looked up at him, haltingly she said, “Paul, I’m Emily and I’ve come here to help you.” He smiled slightly as she noticed he was taking her in, her clothes, her hair, her composure. “Is that right, Emily?” He asked coolly, “And how are you going to help me?”

Leaning closer to him, her lips brushed his cheek as she whispered in his ear, “I am going to free you from your dreams.” He drew back sharply, his eyes filled simultaneously with terror, confusion, and hope. Emily touched his arm lightly and whispered, “I know about your dreams, I know you are scared, and I know how to help you if you’ll listen to me.”

Stunned, his eyes widened as he asked cautiously, “How is it, Emily, that you know about me dreams?” He looked at her more closely noticing she was different from other women, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. She was beautiful and had the air of someone wiser than her years. He was wary. So many women had tried to be with him because he sang a good song. The constant parade of fans and gold diggers, although amusing at first, quickly became tiresome to him. The other three had already married, but he hadn’t been lucky enough to find ‘the one’ yet. He had recently come to realize that his latest relationship was not as he had hoped. He had told a friend, ‘I don’t have easy relationships with women, I never have. I talk too much truth.’

“If I told you, it would be hard for you to believe, so I’d like to show you instead,” she said firmly. He stood there bemused, his frustration and anger began fading away. He smiled at her seriousness waiting to see the treasures she had. Although he was tired and had a massive headache, he waited. A shock went through him as she touched his arm to guide him to the bench across the street.

She sensed the tension and weariness in him. “Well now, Emily, you have me undivided attention. What have you got there?” He asked as he sat down on the bench with a sigh. He was carrying a large notebook, he placed it on his lap, laying his hand over it protectively. She smiled, hoping to ease his mind. Paul noticed her bright green eyes, the way her skin glowed under the flickering light of the lamppost, and her dimples when she smiled. She began by pulling out two pictures side by side, one of him and one of his replacement looking quite a bit like him. Drawing in her breath, she laid it gently in his hands. He watched her face for a brief second longer before looking at what she had handed him.

His hands trembled as he lifted it closer, using the street light to see it better. She was worried that he would be disturbed enough to get up and walk away, he didn’t. Instead he stared at it closely, looking back at her with questioning eyes. He flinched slightly as the picture took him by surprise. He had seen that face before, in his dreams. Then, when he came face to face with him at a party a few weeks ago, it had unnerved him so badly he had to leave.

Next, she pulled out a coin she had in her pocket. It was newly minted and still had its shine. She handed it to him calmly saying, “Look at the date.” He looked at her inquisitively before squinting to see the coin in the dim light, “What in the bloody hell, it says 2019. What is this?” he demanded as he drew farther away from her. Emily said, “Paul, I am here to help you.”

“How is this helping me?” he asked with his voice slightly raised when she didn’t answer immediately, he asked, “And again, how?” He moved to rise, but she touched his arm and said, “Paul, please try to understand, I’ve traveled through time to save your life.”

He slumped down on the bench, shaken and confused. He reminded her of a helpless little boy with his messy hair and huge brown eyes. He began laughing, almost uncontrollably. He wanted to run. He wanted to get into his car and drive away from her, from himself. Looking at her closely, he implored, "Why are you doing this to me?” He was the lost one now, not John. Taken aback by the vulnerability she saw in his eyes. “I'm not trying to hurt you, Paul. I’m trying to save you,” she said.

She knew this last item might put him over the edge. It was official documentation proving he had been replaced by another. She waited as he scanned it. She said, “I know you are finding all of this inconceivable but...” He stopped her with a sharp wave of his hand, he clutched the article to his chest he bent over and began to softly weep.

For a moment she didn’t know how to continue. Then he looked at her with a tear-streaked face, “God, I don’t want to die, Emily. Please help me.” With urgency in her voice she began, “Do you see the date on the article? That is today, minutes from now, you will die in a horrible accident. We need to keep you away from your car. Is there somewhere we can walk?”

He stood and held out his hand to her. He started leading her down the street. He explained, “We can take the trolley to my place. Come this way.” They walked swiftly to the stop and waited. Wiping his tear-stained face with the back of his hand, trying to hide his embarrassment, he asked, “So Emily, do they know who The Beatles are in 2019?” She began laughing, he looked at her a bit confused, “Well?” he asked.

At that moment, she heard a car screeching around the corner, he heard it too. They looked up at the same time in near panic. It was coming straight at them. As she reached out to Paul, she got her hand in her pocket and pushed the transponder urgently over and over again. The car was inches from where they had been standing when they jumped.

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