PART I
“We are going to be in so much trouble”, said Alice.

“Only if we get caught,” I said.

“I don’t know about this, Gabby,” Marie said.

“Guys,” I said, “We are not going to get caught.” I climbed over the wall of the sweet shop, went to the back door, and opened it. No alarm was tripped yet.

Me and my friends became suspicious. I stepped inside. Being very cautious, I walked to the counter and I grabbed some licorice

“Ew! Nobody likes licorice,” said Marie.

“Shhhhh!” I said. I put the licorice back. I grabbed some small cakes and candies, and then I went for the rich beautiful chocolate box. I grabbed it and replaced it with a fake. Me and my friends carefully walked toward the exit.

But then I saw the chocolate bunny with the gold wrapper. I had to get it.

“Gabby,” Alice said, “we have to leave. Mrs. White’s dog (Mrs. White is the owner of the sweet shop.) Pickles is going to wake up soon, and then we’ll get caught. “

I said, “I just need to get this, and then we can leave.” I took out a small butter knife out of my bag. I cut a hole in the glass of the case that held inside the chocolate
Bunny with the golden wrapper. Slowly, I grabbed it and put it into my bag along with the other sweets.

But then, that tripped the alarm. “Time to go!” I said.

Pickles woke up, and we ran out the back door. Then we climbed over the fence and ran to our separate houses. I checked my watch. It was already 7:15! I thought we left at 4:00. I needed to get back.

I was so late for dinner. I got to my house and went to my window. Before I left, I had taken my clothes and made a rope that I let down my window. Thankfully, it was still there. I climbed up and landed on my bed. I could hear my family seating for dinner downstairs. I was thinking of an excuse. I went downstairs and sat in my usual spot at the table. So my father said, “Where have you been? You’re late. “

I replied, “Oh, er, I was at a field trip for science.”

“And you stayed until 7:00?”

“I er, lost track of the time.”

“Honey, this cannot keep happening. You run off places and stay out late. And the worst part, you don’t tell me and your mother. Your mother and I have been talking. I hate to say this, but you’re grounded.”

“What! For how long!”

“A week.”

That was the longest week of my life. About halfway through the week, I wrote a letter to my friends. It said:

“Dear Alice and Marie
My parents have become suspicious and they have grounded me for a week. I am not allowed to leave the house and I miss you both dearly. At the end of the week I will give you both your shares of the candy. I regret leaving and stealing from the candy shop. It’s sad to say but, I will not go on any more risky adventures. See you both soon.
Sincerely,

Gabby.”

Now, I just had to put it into the mailbox. I went downstairs, clutching the letter, and turned the doorknob.

“Where do you think you’re going?” asked my Mom.

“To put my letter in the mailbox,” I replied.

“You’re grounded, remember. You’re not allowed to leave the house.”

“Right, but could you make this one exception?

“No.”

“Please, it’s just a letter.”

“Yes, but when you put that in the mailbox then what are you going to do. You could run off. Or, go to a friend.

“I’m sorry, but no. And that’s final.”

I went into my room and sat on my bed. And suddenly, a lightbulb hit me out of thin air. I went downstairs and into the living room. My big sister, Rose, was on her phone. She’s fifteen and always on her phone. I asked her if she would take my letter out. I asked the nicest way possible and she still said no.

Then I had another idea. I went upstairs to my younger brothers Parker’s room. I opened the door and, obviously, he was reading. It’s not a bad thing, but it’s annoying when he quotes Moby Dick twenty-four seven. He’s eleven and that makes me the middle child, as I’m twelve.

“Hey, Parker. I was wondering if you could do me a favor. Could you take this letter and put it in the mailbox. Please,”

“Fine, I do it. But only if you give me something.”

“What do you want?”

“Your diamond.”

“Really? But it’s so rare and one of a kind.”

“Do you want me to mail that letter or not?”

“Fine.” I went into my room, and then into my closet and pulled open a drawer that had the diamond in it. I grabbed a blue cloth and put the diamond inside it. I went back to Parker’s room. “Here it is,” I said.

“OK,” he said, “thanks.”

“Will you go do it now?”

“Yeah, sure.” He walked out the door, down the driveway, and to the mailbox.

I waited for him to come back. He did forty-five seconds later.

“Here,” he said. He handed me back my letter.

“What! We had a deal. What happened?”

“I walked out there to the mailbox and I thought about doing it, and then decided not to.

“Ughhhh. Just give me my diamond back, at least.”

“No.”

“Why not? Do you want me to tell mom?”

“No.”

“That’s what I thought.” Having been defeated I went back to my room.

Then, one last idea popped into my head. I went into my baby sister’s room. “Hey, Lily!

“Gabby!! Have you come to play with me?”

“No. I want you to do something for me? Can you do that?”

“What is it?”

“Could you put this piece of paper in a box?”

“Yeh!”

“Thank you, Lily ! I’ll watch you, Lily! I’ll watch you, don’t worry.”

She stepped out of the house holding the letter and went to the mailbox but she was too short. She went back got a footstool and then put it in. Whew! That was so hard. And for just a letter. Finally ,my letter went out and my friends would get it soon.

The week was long, but it passed like every other week. Me and my friends decided to meet at Marie’s house. I gave Marie and Alice their candy. And later, we went outside for a walk. We came across a junkyard. We walked past but then I stopped. I saw a strong blue light coming from somewhere in the junkyard. My curiosity got the better of me.

“Gabby, what are you doing? You said no more adventures,” said Alice.

“I know what I said,” I said. ”But, there’s something in this junkyard.”

“Ughhh!” said Marie. As she rolled her eyes.

I climbed up the tower of junk and found the glowing blue light. Me and my friends started digging. And then we found it. It was an old copper colored, rusty, big, heavy machine.

“What is it?” said Alice.

“I don’t know, I replied.

“Guys. I think I have the answer,” Marie said. “Me and my younger sister used to read stories all the time.”

“Meaning?” me and Alice said.

“Meaning that I know what this is. It’s a time machine!”

“What are we supposed to do with a time machine?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we should find the owner.” We looked around and saw a small wood house. We knocked on the door and a middle aged woman with long hair opened the door.

“Can I help you?” she said.

We replied, “We were wondering if you knew anything about the old time machine.”

“Oh that,” she replied. “Well, why don’t you come and sit down. I’ll get some milk and cookies.” She heated the milk and gave us warm cookies.

“Thank you, I said. My friends probably would have said thank you, too, but they had already started eating and drinking.

The lady sat down and started to talk. “I don’t know why that old thing is still here. I tried to break it, but it is unbreakable. I bought it from this old sailor who said he bought it from this old witch. But of course, I didn’t believe him cause witches aren’t supposed to be real. I bought it for a decent price. And one day. I decided to
try it, made sure it would work. I regret that choice deeply. You don’t want to know what I saw. I saw terrible things, things you can’t even imagine. And the worst bit, you don’t get to choose if you want to go back in the past or forward in the future. It sent me in the future. And I would rather belong in the past, because you know what’s gonna happen. I barely made it out with my life.”

Me and my friends were speechless. Our cookies were falling out of our mouths. A few moments later me and my friends headed out the door and thanked her for the hospitality and cookies.

But when we opened the door, I panicked. I looked at a clock 4:17.hiren. I would not be late for dinner. As we walked out I said. Thanck you, Ms. ?”

“Blackwell, she replied. “Margaret Blackwell.”

That night, I could not stop thinking about what Ms. Blackwell had said. It kept me up all night until I finally decided on something the next day with Marie and Alice.

“Guys,” I said, “I have to go to the junkyard. You can either come with me or stay here.”

My friends looked at me. ”Gabby, you said no more adventures!” they said.

“I know what I said. But I just have to go. But I want you guys to come.”

“I don’t, Gab,” they replied.

“Fine. We’ll come. But, whatever we get into, we’re not getting the blame.” “OK.” We walked back to the junkyard. We stealthily walked past Ms. Blackwell’s house so that she wouldn’t notice us and ask questions. We went to find the time machine. And IT WAS GONE!!!

“Whoever could she have sold it to?” said Alice.

“Not sold.” I said. “She said it was junk and she didn’t know why she still had it. Right. So, maybe it’s in the trash.”

We went to the dump where all the trash goes. We finally saw it. We walked over to a park. And then went in a wide, open grassy field. We put it upright and we all squeezed inside. We didn’t know how to start it. But, we pressed all the buttons which we instantly regretted after we saw one button that said Activate. It started. But then it started making weird noises. We all screamed. Then, everything went black.

TO BE CONTINUED …