Midnight stroll

On a Thursday night, a young woman could be seen thundering down the streets. One could have said that she seemed distressed by the way she walked, but in reality, she was terrified. In the last hours, she had seen more than anyone could ever imagine. To understand we need to go back to this very morning, where it all begin.

Routine was Théa’s entire life. She woke up, study, worked then slept, only to start again the next day. On this Thursday morning, like every morning, she was about to start her day. Only to be interrupted by the door. Confused and surprised she went to answer it. On the other side she saw a package. Picking it up, thinking she had received one of the multiple things she ordered online. Only to be disappointed once she saw the content of it. Inside was a black notebook, a box way too big for such a small thing Théa thought to herself. Alongside the book was an envelope, not a normal everyday looking envelope, but a traditional sealed one. The letter was addressed to Miss Théa Summers.

Miss Summers,

It is with utter sadness that I contact you. As you may or may not know your grandfather has passed away, two nights ago in his sleep. I can only console you by saying that he did not suffer any pain when he left us. In this box lay your inheritance. Your grandfather would have loved to tell you himself about this family particularity; however, there are rules that has to be followed. One of them being that only one representing family member is allowed to know and be present in the facility. The rest of your inheritance is here waiting for you. Follow the instructions at the end of this letter and meet me at midnight tomorrow. I can’t wait to finally meet you Miss Summers.

With all my regards.

Elijah Ravenwood, Head of the 2nd facility of America.

To say that Théa was beyond confused wasn’t an exaggeration. There was no doubt this letter was address to her, it had her name and was shipped to her home. However, it still didn’t made sense, her grandfather died years ago. As for her second grandfather, he disappeared a little before her fifth birthday; surely this letter could not refer to him.

She tried going back to her day, convincing herself that the letter was either a prank or simply sends to the wrong Miss Summers. However not everyone can ignore a letter like this one. She had to go, she would regret it her entire life if she didn’t. That being said, it didn’t mean that Théa was ready to go by herself, at night, meet a strange man who sends her an even stranger letter.

Going tonight will have to do, I’ll be able look around this so called facility and if it looks safe I’ll just come back tomorrow, she thought to herself.

Now before going she needed to prepare herself. Going another night didn’t mean she was completely safe, just that they wouldn’t be expecting her. Starting with this notebook, who, from the letter was supposed to be the first part of her inheritance?

Opening it was quite satisfying; the young women had always liked books or journals of the like. The pages were used and fill to the brim with various handwriting, just as if this notebook had been pass down over the years. She could see dates at the beginning of each entry and yet none of them made sense. The first 3 pages were written in 1957, and then the following ones were in 1812. Maybe it was a secret way to write at this facility, for all entrees talked of it at one point.

The last one captured her attention, it wasn’t as proper as the others, it almost seemed desperate and hastes. It seemed to her that whoever wrote that entry wasn’t fond of the facility, it looked to be the words of a man who was running out of time.

July 26th, 2019

I have been relocated to the 1700s earlier today; my curiosity must have bothered higher up. For some reasons, asking questions isn’t well received here; I have made myself some enemies. Fortunately, I am no longer with the same team which mean that I shouldn’t be troubled by this anymore. Hopefully, no one has heard of me before, else I fear I would be ostracized again.

July 27th, 2019

I was wrong; my new team has been informed of me before I could meet them. They do not trust me. I could not have known what the appropriate conduct on the field was if I never went there in the first place. Years of research don’t mean that you are fully qualified for field jobs, nor that you know all there is to know.

I am tired; this place isn’t what it used to be. The mission we have isn’t clear to me anymore. I believe Summer is coming to an end.

Strange, this looked like this person wasn’t appreciated by the people of this facility that much.What was even stranger to Théa was the use of the noun Summer. Written as a proper name in the middle of a sentence. No context beyond that the summer was supposedly ending. Could it represent something else? If what she presumed was right, it would mean that this peculiar notebook had been passed down from generation to generation. Which would mean, the man who wrote this was her grandfather? Confused and a little scared by the cryptic message, Théa went on with her reading.

August 27th, 1720

This mission brings out something different out of me. We are told that the ship the Revenge needs to continue sailing. Yet I heard my team discussing bringing down both Adam and Mark. I am unsure if by that they implied bringing them to face justice or outing them to the others sailors as Anne and Mary. This is nowhere near our mission, it shouldn’t even be discussed.

I have to warn them.

August 30th, 1720

I have warned both Mary Reed and Anne Bonny of the coming betrayal.We escaped a day ago bringing along a certain sum of money. If my strategy works, the ship, the Revenge and his crew should deviate from their previous destination to come after us. Meaning that when the time comes; they won’t be captured.

Mission succeeds.

September 1st, 1720

We hid among the Angels.

Abraham will help us in the future.

It feels as if Summer is truly coming to an end.

Hopefully, it will find us again.

Richard Joseph Summers.

No more doubts. This was her grandfather notebook, Richard Summers. Grandpa Rick, a man who had disappeared of her life years, ago. Now he came back only to warn her in his own way that something wasn’t right. This facility wasn’t right. In the multiple words of her grandfather, Théa could discern hidden messages.

The first red flag was the fact in this place asking questions was a big no. That was never good. The second would be that the sentence: ‘‘Summer is coming to an end.’’As if when her grandfather used the word Summer he was referring to himself Richard Summers. This meant he was afraid for his life. He already believed something or someone was after him. It doesn’t matter if time travel is in fact a thing or not, the reference Rick was referring to are in fact true history facts.

Adam and Mark, both known as Anne Bonny and Mary Reed, famous Pirates of the 1700s. Also, the ship called the Revenge did exist. The entire story about Mary and Anne running away together was famous for being one of the first stories with two women being in a relationship in those years. However, if this was true, if this time travel thing did exist, then the story was meant to end in a different way.

The last entry is what concerns her; the two first sentences had her thinking. It would seem Rick had intentionally been vague about where they went. The end of it, was most likely, meant for her,

It feels as if Summer is truly coming to an end.

As if he was now certain he was going to die.

Hopefully, it will find us again.

Proving he had been vague on purpose. It’s because he wanted her to find him before the facility did.

The words Angels and Abraham ring in her head. She believes that Mary and Anne wouldn’t merely go anywhere with her grandfather. Meaning that it was somewhere they would feel safe as well.

Digging up on Mary and Anne past, she came up with possible locations quite fast. But adding Abraham and Angels to the research gave up where her grandfather had been referring to instantly.

The Angels Oak in South California, the home of Anne Bonny, Charleston. This old tree was the only possible answer.

Before she realizes, Théa was already on the road heading toward Charleston. She arrived in the middle of the night, where everything was pitch black.

Now that she was there, Théa had absolutely no idea what to do. Surely she couldn’t start digging hoping to find something before the morning.

She walked toward the Oak lost in hers thoughts. The notebook certainly didn’t mention anything about that. Or maybe it did, she just didn’t realized it.

Abraham will help us in the future.

Abraham Waight. The owner of the land, where the tree was in 1720. Maybe it meant that she needed to find him, and finding him she did. Turns out, the church does keep archives of their dead.

All this snooping around and breaking in, wasn’t really as fun and exciting now that Théa was doing it. She honestly was terrified. Looking toward the mausoleum, she finally broke down. What was she doing, because of one little package she drove two hours, only to break in a church and now probably exhume a body?

The thought made her sick. But she had come all this way, she couldn’t lie, the thought of the facility coming for her made her even more sick. This is why Théa went in the mausoleum to seek the help of the now very dead Abraham Waight.

This is also where she found another journal; this journal did not belong to Abraham, but to a certain Jo Marlow, her mother’s name.

September 10th, 1720

I have to hope that whoever found this is indeed in Summer. My home was taken from me a long time ago. I didn’t want to go; unfortunately, the raven doesn’t offer you a choice. For years now I have lived in this odd unwelcoming place. A dangerous place, no one should ever make the mistake I did. Do not allow the raven sees you. This is the only way. Under the seventh tile of my dear friend bed, there lay the aid I can provide to you. I hope beyond anything that Summer will come again.

With all my love,

Jo Marlow.

Counting the tiles underneath Abraham eternal bed, Théa was horrified. Her grandfather had tried to warn them, and he had died trying to save them from suffering the same fate as him. Behind the tile was an old looking box. Inside golden coins, rings and necklaces could be found. A treasure filled with stories.

On this Thursday night, a young woman could be seen thundering down the streets. One could have said that she seemed distressed by the way she walked, but in reality, she was terrified. Théa needed to leave and fast. Her only baggage’s being an old box and a notebook, but she didn’t care because she was certain of one thing.

The facility wasn’t far behind.