“Back to the Future Featuring Harriet Tubman,” Fiction by Eve’Lynn Jackson Photograph by Elana Radigan……………………………………27 “Annabeth,” Fiction by Chloe-Rose Ramsey……………………28

Back to the Future Featuring Harriet Tubman

Fiction by Eve’Lynn Jackson

Harriet Tubman is sitting near candle light, thinking of what route she should take the slaves through. Her train of thought was destroyed as she is blinded by a flash of light. She dropped from her chair to the floor. She peeked her head up to look through the window to make sure it wasn’t someone’s master shining a light through the underground railroad looking for their slave. What she saw was a blue blob of light floating off the ground a little. After realizing it wasn’t someone’s master, she got off the floor and walked over to the door and opened it. As the cold night air hit her, she felt herself being drawn to the floating blob. Which caused her to walk closer to the floating blob. When she got close to the floating blob it sucked her in. Harriet flew through pretty colors as she started to spin out of control. Next thing she knew she was laying on the ground with a sick headache. Harriet stood up and dusted herself off and when she finished, she ended up back on the ground. Harriet, dazed and confused, looked up to see a light skinned girl standing over her.

“I’m SO Sorry Ma’am,” The girl said apologetically, reaching out her hand to help up the woman she knocked down. Harriet looked around quickly and almost jumped to her feet as she gripped the girl by her wrist and whispered in her ear.

“What are you doing out here?” Harriet continued. “What if your master catches you?”

The girl honestly didn’t know if she should be distraught or confused but she felt more confused than anything. So, the only thing that could come out of her mouth was…

“WHAT!?” The girl shouted. That’s when Harriet grabbed her and took her to an alley nearby. Before Harriet could say anything, the girl beat her to it.

“Ma’am, I don’t know what kind of shit you’re on, but you might want to get off it.” The girl said as she tried to walk away but got grabbed again.

“Lady what is your problem? This is not slavery times anymore it’s 2019 so, I would really appreciate it if you leave me alone.” The girl said as she looked at the woman’s facial expression change to a lost expression. Harriet thought not slavery times anymore, what does that mean? She questioned herself. Which cause her to say…

“What is a 2-0-1-9?” Harriet questioned knowing she didn’t pronounce that word she said with numbers. The girl’s faced looked even more confused than she already was. This lady must really be lost the girl thought.

“It’s pronounced 20-19, It’s a year the year we are in now,” The girl explained. Harriet was still confused it was just 1849 how could it be 2019 she thought.

“I thought it was 1849?” Harriet questioned looking at the girl.

“1849!?” The girl shouted. What happened in 1849? She questioned herself thinking. A light bulb went off above her head.

“The underground railroad happened then and that makes you- “The girl stuttered but couldn’t find the words so Harriet finished for her.

“Harriet Tubman, but how did you know?” Harriet questioned. They stared at each other until the girl found her voice again.

“Well in school I learned about you,” The girl stated. “The famous Harriet Tubman who helped freed the slaves through the underground railroad.” The girl finished.

“So, did I make a difference?” Harriet questioned looking around watching a white and black couple walking down the street holding hands and a white and black boy playing and running around. The girl smiled.

“Yes, you were one of the reasons why and how change happened and we thank you.” The girl said as she smiled at her. She watches Harriet cry happily. Harriet was crying because all her hard work paid off.

Photograph by Elana Radigan

Annabeth

Fiction by Chloe-Rose Ramsey

It was the hottest day they’d had all summer, the kind of day where the air shivers so tremendously with heat that everything seems to have turned into one giant mirage, where the pale blue sky and parched earth seem to melt into each other like running paint, and nearly all the citizens of the small sleepy Californian town were resting in their cool air conditioned homes.

Out of the stifling heat came a tiny little girl with red pigtails so dark they were almost crimson.

She was wearing a funny black lace dress with feathery red flowers hanging off it and carried a red bunny doll in one hand and a leather pouch in the other. She was skipping down the sidewalk, unbothered by the heat everyone else had shunned, babbling nonsensically to he rbunny and swinging the pouch up and down, when the nearest shop’s door opened with a jangling of bells and a man asked “What are you doing out here?! Where are your parents?”

The little girl stopped mildly surprised. When she didn’t reply he reluctantly left the comfort of his shop to stand beside her. She was very young, he realized as he crouched down so they were face to face. She couldn’t be more than two years old.

“What’s your name?” He asked her.

“Annabeth.”

She had a clear, tinny, piercing voice that strangely reminded him of glass.

“Are you lost, Annabeth? Do you know where you live?”

She pointed back the way she came. They were at the edge of town, the only thing out the way she’d pointed, other than desert, was that new mansion resembling a castle perched on the edge of Death Valley. A weirdly gothic family had just moved into it, he’d seen them around town a few times. They were always polite and neighborly but there was something about them that gave him the creeps. Despite being drenched in

sweat he shivered at the thought of having to knock at their door, then wondered how the little girl who must have walked here from her castle/mansion which was at least five miles away wasn’t perspiring.

“Come on, I’ll drive you home.” He finally said.

Annabeth gave a little cry of protest and began rummaging through the contents of her little black pouch.

“What? You want to show me something?”

She handed him things from her bag; some marbles, several valuable looking gemstones, small bones (one of which looked for all the world like a human finger bone), then a battered old wallet which she waved triumphantly in her chubby little fist.

“Whose wallet is this?”

Annabeth blinked up at him and started sucking on her bunny doll’s

ear.

He flipped it open. Inside were pictures of a woman with her daughters. The woman looked just like Annabeth. An expired driver’s license sat opposite the photos with the name Annabeth on it.

Strangely the middle and last name were smudged.

“Is this you?” He asked in a trembling voice.

“Is it?” She mumbled.

She spit out the bunny ear and gave him such an intense look that he backed away. Her big light brown eyes became shiny, her look earnest.

“Is it?” She whispered.