(Leila and Remi are at a local Thrift shop when Remi comes across a peculiar photograph on the wall of the shop)
The following day,
Leila and I decided to hit up the nearby shopping center, which features a
Staters Bros market along with a few cute boutiques to check out. I was
thrilled to check out a new thrift store that had opened recently, so I decided
to drop in. As Leila and I explored the aisles, I noticed some pictures
displayed on the wall. They were for sale, and several had a delightful vintage
charm that immediately drew my attention.
“Leila, check this
out! These photos have such a vintage vibe to them,” I said. As she sifted
through the clothes, I found myself staring at a Woodstock picture, recalling
the time Mr. Smith and I went there. “It felt like just yesterday—oh wait,
it actually was,” I mused and chuckled softly.
As I examined the image more closely, something struck me as familiar.
"Oh no," I
muttered under my breath. "Who took this picture?"
"Honestly, I don’t know, but I think it was just a random photographer at Woodstock in 1969," the shop owner said, catching me off guard as she appeared from behind. "I apologize for surprising you," she added.
I waved it off, "It's fine, I was just
drawn to this photo,” I paused and asked, “What's the price?"
"Well, most
of the vintage pictures here are priced at $80, but I can offer it to you for $50."
With a sigh, I reluctantly agreed, saying, “Okay.” Desperate to conceal my
time-traveling escapades at any cost, I was willing to part with fifty dollars,
knowing full well that no one would ever suspect the truth behind an innocuous
old photograph. Taking down the 11 by 14 photo from the wall, she examined it
closely.
"Funny, the
girl in this picture resembles you a bit," she remarked casually. "I
suppose everyone has a lookalike," she continued, dismissing it with a
grin. "Yeah, probably," I replied with a smile, momentarily lost for
words as I stared at the image that froze a tender moment between Mr. Smith and
me, capturing the passionate kiss he had planted on my lips. After a quick
transaction, she carefully slid the photo into a bag, which I promptly tucked
into my backpack the best I could.
"Have you found anything
interesting?" Leila asked.
"Not really,
what about you?" I asked her, noticing a cute hippie-style tunic blouse in
her hand that seemed familiar. A sudden realization struck me. "Oh no,
it can’t be. That belongs to Tracy," I thought to myself. "That's
a lovely boho tunic blouse," I commented with a nervous tone.
"Yes, it is.
It belonged to my grandmother," the shop owner revealed, leaving me in
awe.
"Was your grandmother at Woodstock?" I asked, intrigued. She nodded as she proceeded to ring up Leila's item. "Yes, she was. She always told me stories about her time at Woodstock and a story about a peculiar journey she had with an actual time traveler and his young bride," she shared, causing my eyes to widen in disbelief.
“In fact, she wrote a book about it, but it didn’t quite make best seller, however she did sell a few copies. I have a copy of it on the bookshelf, let me go get it.” Beads of sweat formed on my forehead, a testament to my nervousness as I anticipated the contents of the book. When she returned, she handed it to me - an old book with yellow pages and a picture of the author, Tracy Richards, on the back. I recognized her by her distinctive, beautiful eyes. “Her last name is Richards, it's probably her married name,” I thought.
"Do you want
it?" she asked, to which I simply nodded. After we paid for our things,
Leila and I found ourselves seated on a bench at the outdoor quad area.
"Can I take a
look at that book?" Leila asked, eagerly. Passing her the book, she
responded with a scoff, "The Time Traveler and His Bride,"
reading the title aloud. "Well, with a title like that, it's no wonder it
didn't make it to the best seller list, but I do like the romantic cover
image," she remarked.
"So, how's your job?" I asked, shifting the conversation. She returned the book to me, and I promptly stashed it in my backpack. “It’s fine but well, my boyfriend he’s been a bit distant lately. I wanted to talk to you about it. I tried texting you, but you never responded. I was thinking of calling your house to see where you were, but I figured no one was home. Where were you anyways?” she asked.
My heart raced as
the thought of her calling my house crossed my mind, knowing my parents could
catch me in a lie. It's a challenge to keep Mr. Smith a secret, especially from
Leila, who has a knack for uncovering the truth.
Contemplating whether to confide in her, I weighed the risk of adding another person to the list of those who could potentially expose my secret. With a heavy heart, I let out a sigh. We decided to go get lunch at the burrito stand in the quad.
Once we finished our meal, we were deep in conversation when I noticed the mysterious woman with sandy blonde curls passing by; she turned and offered me a friendly smile.
"Do you know
her?" Leila asked, to which I simply shook my head in response. Leila and
I sat on a wooden bench at the center of the quad, we chatted and then Leila
excused herself to go to the restroom. I waited for her to come back, absorbing
the peaceful scenery.
The soft wind danced through the leaves of the trees, creating a tranquil ambiance around me. Suddenly, the mysterious woman approached me, taking a seat beside me. My heart skipped a beat as I tried to compose myself.
"Hello, I'm Melanie. We've never met, but we have a mutual acquaintance in Mr. Smith," she said calmly. She didn’t sound like Mr. Smith at all; instead, her voice had an American tone with a hint of a country twang. I was caught off guard by her surprising introduction, my eyes going wide in disbelief.
As I studied her appearance, I couldn't help but notice the details of her outfit. She wore a stylish brown leather vest that zips up at the front, paired with an off-white cotton blouse with rolled-up sleeves that reached her elbows. Her faded button-front jeans and black flat-heeled boots completed the casual yet chic ensemble. The mysterious woman exuded an air of confidence and intrigue, leaving me curious about her connection to Mr. Smith.
"Yes, I understand
that this may be overwhelming, but I assure you, I have no ill intentions
towards you," she stated calmly as I distanced myself from her, creating a
physical barrier by placing my backpack between us. I finally asked, "Who
are you and how do you know him?"
"I used to be his companion long ago," she revealed, leaving me speechless and unable to articulate the myriads of emotions swirling within me.
"My name is Melanie, at least in this current body I am," she added, meeting my gaze with intensity. She shook my hand, and my throat felt dry as I struggled to comprehend her words.
"This body?" I managed to utter. Melanie nodded
in response, prompting me to take a deep breath before asking, "What
exactly do you mean by that?"
"Mr. Smith must have shared some details with you," she continued, and I nodded in confirmation. I know he told me that he took a man’s body, but this was something different.
"We were partners in a distant past, inhabiting human bodies as we traversed through time and space," Melanie explained, causing my heart to ache with the realization that he had kept this significant part of his life hidden from me but to be fair, he just didn’t reveal it to me, he was afraid that I would reject him, and I probably would’ve. You can’t imagine how much it hurt me knowing that Melanie was his first companion.
Overwhelmed with a mix of emotions, I hesitantly asked, "What happened between you two?" Although a part of me dreaded the answer, I needed to know the truth behind their shared history. “Did he ever change his body?” It was a stupid question, but I had to ask.
"To the best of my knowledge, he is currently in his first body, as I am," she said, glancing nervously around, clearly hoping to avoid being seen with me by anyone, especially a particular individual I suspect. I couldn't help but wonder about the potential consequences if Mr. Smith were to find out - would he resort to violence or simply sever all ties with me. The uncertainty weighed heavily on my mind as I let out a sigh.
"I made the decision to part ways with him due to irreconcilable differences," she finally confessed, her fingers absentmindedly toying with a thick leather bracelet that seemed to hold more significance than just a piece of jewelry. In the middle of her wristband, there was a watch; it reminded me of Mr. Smith’s watch.
“Mr. Smith found this body for me, and here I am. I have no plans to transfer into another body if this one should die," she explained. I gazed at her skeptically. She then stared sincerely into my eyes and said, "I would like you to be my companion. Let's travel together, it will be fun," she proposed enthusiastically, catching me off guard. I was shocked that she offered to take me with her, but I don’t trust her. However, the knowledge she has about Mr. Smith might prove useful and I want to know more about him, more than what he would ever tell me. I gulped and said, “I don’t know if I should come with you, but I’ll think about it,” I told her. She nodded, “Okay, you do that, in the meantime if I were you, I would get on birth control.” Rising to her feet, she prepared to depart.
"Hold on a sec, what are you saying? I can't come out pregnant. He's from another planet, he’s an alien, we are of a different species." She chuckled and set her arms akimbo.
"Oh Birdie, you're so naive." Leaning down, she planted a kiss on my forehead. "Just be careful," she advised me, her gaze filled with sincerity. She genuinely looked worried for me. I should’ve taken offense for what she said, “Naïve, as if,” I pondered, however she’s right. I should’ve seen it, but I didn’t see the red flags that were blatantly in my face. Leila's expression turned serious as she made her way towards me, her eyes fixed on Melanie's retreating figure.
"Who is that? Do you know her?" she asked, her curiosity
piqued. Sensing the gravity of the situation, I suggested we continue the
conversation in a more private setting. "There's something I want to talk
to you about. We should go to my house because this is going to take a
while," I said.
