The Necklace of Time

Avery’s heart hammered in her chest as the machine buzzed to life. The hum grew louder, vibrating through the floor beneath her feet. For a moment, she thought she might be imagining it, but then the lights in the room flickered, casting strange shadows across the walls. The machine’s dials began to spin on their own, and a soft blue glow began to pulse from the center. Avery could feel the air around her growing thicker, heavier, like the space itself was bending.



Lila, who had stepped back just as quickly, was staring at the machine now, her expression a mix of awe and unease. “What the hell is happening?” she whispered, more to herself than to Avery.



Avery didn’t have an answer. Her pulse raced, but she couldn’t pull her eyes away from the machine. There was something about it—something familiar, almost like it was calling to her. But she didn’t know how, or why, or what it could mean.



Lila took a few cautious steps toward the machine, squinting at the glowing buttons and switches. “I’ve never seen it do this before,” she muttered, as if speaking to herself. She reached out, and Avery’s heart skipped a beat as she feared Lila might do something reckless. But Lila just hovered her hand over one of the dials, like she was trying to figure out how to control it.



Suddenly, without warning, the room seemed to tilt, the floor beneath their feet shifting like the whole house was moving. Avery stumbled and grabbed the nearest table for support. “Lila!” she shouted, her voice shaking, but Lila was already falling backward, her body jerking as though she were caught in a magnetic field.



“Stop!” Avery screamed, but it was too late. The machine had pulled them in.



A flash of light exploded around them. It wasn’t like anything Avery had ever experienced before—bright, blinding, and dizzying. The air smelled of ozone, like electricity was crackling in every direction. Then, everything went silent.



For a moment, there was nothing. Avery could no longer feel the floor beneath her, no longer hear the hum of the machine.

And then, just as suddenly as it had all started, the darkness faded, and Avery found herself standing in the middle of a dense forest.



“What the...?” Avery muttered, her breath coming in quick gasps. She looked around, her heart racing.

Lila was standing beside her, equally dazed, but she didn’t seem as shocked as Avery. Instead, she looked around, her brow furrowing in confusion. “What is this place?” she asked, her voice distant.



“I don’t know,” Avery whispered, her mind spinning. “Where are we?”



Lila took a few steps forward, then froze. Her eyes went wide. “Wait... Avery, look at that.”



Avery followed her gaze. In the distance, through the trees, she saw a small figure—a girl, no older than four years old, standing alone in the clearing. The child was crying, her small shoulders shaking with each sob.



Avery’s breath caught in her throat. The child looked... familiar. Too familiar. As the little girl wiped her eyes and sniffled, Avery felt a strange pull in her chest, like something inside her was recognizing this scene. She took a step forward, and Lila followed her without a word.



When they reached the clearing, Avery’s heart stopped. The little girl, standing alone and lost, had the same deep brown eyes as Avery.



It was her.



The realization hit like a ton of bricks. This was a memory. A moment she couldn’t remember fully but had always known was there, somewhere deep in her mind. She had been here before—alone, lost, with nothing but the trees and the dark sky around her.



And then it clicked.



Avery remembered it—the moment she had forgotten for so long. Her mother’s voice, soft and soothing, telling her the necklace would protect her. The memory was fuzzy, but it was hers. She had been that little girl. She had stood in this very clearing, crying, lost in the woods. And it wasn’t just her mother who had given her the necklace—it was her.



Avery’s fingers brushed the pendant around her neck, the silver cool against her skin. She felt a surge of energy, like the necklace had come alive with purpose.



She walked slowly toward the younger version of herself. The little girl looked up at her, eyes filled with confusion and fear. Avery knelt down in front of her and gently cupped her small face in her hands.



“Hey,” Avery said softly, her voice almost breaking. “It’s okay. You’re not alone. I’m here.”



The younger Avery sniffled, tears still wet on her cheeks. “Who are you?” she asked in a small, trembling voice.



“I’m you,” Avery whispered. The words felt impossible to say, but she knew they were true. She knew she had to do this. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the necklace—the silver tree. She held it out to the little girl, her hand trembling slightly.



“This necklace,” Avery said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her, “It will protect you. No matter what happens, it will keep you safe.”



The little girl stared at the necklace, her wide eyes filled with wonder. Slowly, she reached out and took it, her tiny hands wrapping around the pendant. Avery could see the recognition in her eyes, and for the first time in her life, she felt whole. She wasn’t just a memory. She was real.



And this, this moment, was real.



The younger Avery looked up at her with a soft, trusting smile. “Thank you,” she whispered.



Avery’s chest tightened as she stood up, her heart aching with the weight of what she had done. This was the moment she had forgotten, but it was also the moment she had needed to remember. It had always been her who gave herself the necklace. It had always been her mother’s protection, her strength, woven into the very fabric of who she was.