Sara Hazel Potts

With the poor light in her tiny room, Sara worked to sew her wedding dress by touch.  The layers of silk were sewn with straight seams, which were reviewed in the daylight by the other maids who were all so, so excited for her.  With clean hands, she had begun to crochet lace, also in the poor light of her room.  It would be stitched to her dress, which would be ready by May for her wedding.

Sara still didn't want to get married.  Alonzo had sent money to her, and one of the maids who could read, told her what it was for.  Preparing for the wedding.  All the other maids found out, and suddenly they all wanted to see the dress as it was in progress.  They told her she would be beautiful, and Sara knew it was a lie.  She thought they all wanted money from her.

One good thing came out of the future wedding.  She got free time now, that was usually spent in the garden.  She was told to work on her dress and get fresh air so she wouldn't spread sickness to her new husband.

The staff in the scullery always seemed to be ill with one thing or another.  Sara told them it was from all of the dirty things they handled, but they rarely believed her.  Those that did make an effort to stay cleaner, and drank her teas all seems to be ill a lot less than the others.

"Mama Sara?"  asked a voice, almost in tears.  Sara wasn't a Mama, but she turned, and saw a young woman that was almost the spitting image of Ella. "I don't know what to do..."

"Child, no need for tears."  The woman was clearly in the wrong place, and all Ella knew was to calm her down and try to get her to the right place.

"I messed up.  You have to help me."  The woman took Ella by the arm, and suddenly they were teleported to a cabin near a forest of cedar trees.  A cradle was set up there, with a sleeping baby inside.

"What's this?"  Clearly, this was a relative.  Here she was again, forced to take care of someone.

"Franklin Alexander.  I tried to fix everything, but now he doesn't have a place.  Can you and Papa Lonzo... take care of him?  Just until I get my head on straight.  Everyone is gone, Mama.  My husband, and Ori's... not coming back, and Mama Ella's gone.  I don't have anyone else"

Sara knew this was Ella's child, who she would be forced to raise in the future.  Something happened to Ori and Ella, briefly she hoped it was something terrible.  This child had gone too far in the past, though.

"You just pick up, and raise him best you can.  Plenty of people had children on their own  Ori raised me and your Mama by herself ."

"It's more complicated than that."  said the young woman, shaking her head "I don't want to leave him, because he reminds me of his Father.  He's mine, and I always wanted a little boy, but I can't right now.  There's some horrible things going on and I have to protect him."

"Is he like you?"  asked Sara, even though the baby was no more than a month old.  The young woman shook her head no.

"Nothing like me.  I'm going to come back for him, I've just got to make it safe again.  Did you know I prayed for him?  And now I have to walk away and it's my own fault. "

"You do what you have to, and come right back to get your baby.  Just travel back to this moment and he never is gonna know that you left."

The young woman wiped tears from her eyes, and nodded before teleporting away.  Sara waited almost an hour for her to return, and when she didn't, she realized that she was stuck.  The baby was stuck and before long she would run into herself and Alonzo Potts, at some point in the future.

When she met Alonzo, she knew he was the type to have a woman or two on the side, so she wold try something and pray to every god around that it would work.  Alonzo's calling card went into the cradle with the baby.  He'd assume it was his child.

Then, Sara reached for her phone, which had been lifeless since Ella and Ori abandoned her.  The bit of time travel she'd just done gave it just enough of a charge.  After pressing a few buttons, it teleported her, then faded to blackness once more.

"You're here to help us"  said Ori, watching as her daughter Sara prepared dinner. "Your sister and I need you."

"Ella never has to do a thing."  complained the younger woman

"Stop it.  If I leave you on your own, you will die.  Keeping you alive is a burden on both me and your sister."

"Yes ma'am."  Ella looked down at the table, and focused on chopping vegetables.  Her mother and Sister were both talented and smart.  They had special abilities which meant they had a duty.  The two of them had a group that self policed time travel.  Sara wanted more than anything to help her family but was repeatedly told no.  Instead, she had to stay in a tiny cabin far from Ori's compound, and keep house there.

"You're human and not bright enough to make it out there on your own."

"You let Ella go to college, can-"

"No.  Ella had a job to do, and she's smart."

"Yes. ma'am."  While her sister had gone to different schools to report on 'normal' people, Sara spent her days at home, cooking, cleaning and doing whatever Ori told her to do.  Occasionally, she would bandage injuries.

"You don't need to be out there in the world."  Ori said, as she placed a hand on her eldest daughter's shoulder.  "You don't need to read, or write.   Ella and me are going to take care of you because you take care of us."

Sara looked like her mother.  Both were near the same height and build, and both had dark skin.  Ella, on the other hand, was short and curvy.  Her skin was lighter, and Ori often said she reminded them of their father.  The two girls didn't remember meeting him, and Ori only mentioned him when singing the praises of Ella.

"Dinner will be ready soon."  Sara said, giving up.

Entry 1

This is the journal of Sara Hazel Morton.


My name is Sara. Mother and sister have time machines. I stole my sisters. She thinks she lost it. Mother and sister are special. We used to travel together. We went to 1905. I had to get a job. I was a maid.

My sister is Ella. Ella is beautiful. Alonzo Potts wants to marry her. We told him she was sick. Mother said he could marry me.

Ella cut my phone cord. She ran the battery down. They left me alone because I am plain. I started the machine. I came here. It broke.

I just learned to read and write.

Thank you,
Sara