Chapter 2

I knew that 1941 was the year of the war, and from what I could tell, that picture of us in London, Big Ben was prevalent on the side of the picture. I wondered why he could keep his photos, but my photo vanished. I decided not to be hung up on the details of the supernatural, and I had to find out what happened in this photo. I wondered what the point of this time traveling was, if I was supposed to be figuring something out, or if this was random. I jumped out of bed and booted my laptop up. I looked at the clock on my bedside table; it was 4:30 in the morning. I hadn’t had the sense to look at a watch when I was in a dream or not a dream. I didn’t know how much time had passed there relative to here. This next time around, if there were one, I would pay more attention.

I finally could google May 9th, 1941, in London, which was astonishing. I knew a little about the Blitz of the United Kingdom during the second world war. However, this particular date is one day before one of the worst raids in the city. We looked happy in the photo and must not have known what was to happen. However, around those times, it seems night raids were common anyways.

We had to have known what was going on. I inspected the photo more closely and found that we were near an opening to the subway, or according to this internet search, “the tube” as it was called in London. I had not traveled almost anywhere; my world knowledge was limited to history class and Google.

I read more about the history of the Blitz, and specifically how people were about to survive the Blitz; I believed that might help me if I traveled to that time. While at it, I googled the prohibition and the club I had ended up at. “Kitty Got Wet” was a big club in New York; from what I could tell, it was notorious for the Buffalo crime family dealing out of there. It seems the Buffalo crime family had become a new power around this time, Stefano Magaddino. They were about to come into new power; the old boss, Joseph Peter DiCarlo, would die a few months before I arrived. As I went down this rabbit hole, I was astonished to find the picture of Thiago and me on the site. The caption, “Thiago and Sylvia Maddox-patrons of Kitty Got Wet”. My hand instinctively went over my mouth in awe; we were married? I had so many unanswered questions. However, I had an idea of how to run into Thiago again.

The sun was rising outside, and I looked at the clock once more, 8:30. Wow, time sure flies when you’re reading about your past lives. Is that this is past lives, or am I a time traveler? The bracelet had been cold since I woke up and still relaxing on my wrist. I decided to leave it in place and see how the day went.

I could hear grandmother downstairs in the kitchen, so I followed my grumbling stomach to get breakfast. As I entered the kitchen, I saw Grandmother looking out the window absentmindedly. “Good morning,” I said softly, not to spook her. My tone didn’t work, she was still startled, and she looked at me thoughtfully. “Oh, honey, good morning. You must be hungry?” She asked as she spooned some eggs and bacon onto a plate.

I went to the fridge and pulled out the orange juice, “Yes, grandmother, I am so hungry, and I have so much to tell you.” I said. She nods and takes the plates to the table. We sit to eat, and she grabs my hand and prays.

“Amen,” I say as I get ready to eat, “Grandmother, did you ever wear this bracelet?” I asked. I was hopeful today, and she would allow me to ask more questions. She took a moment to ponder my question as if deciding how much she could say.

“No,” she said at last, she took a sip of orange juice, “no, it was never mine; I simply inherited it when my sister died. She was the one the bracelet had chosen. My sister would tell me of her and the bracelet's adventures. However, one day she didn’t return. Only the bracelet did. I know it holds such an extraordinary power. You must try and be careful, and black cat bone is the hoodoo power of our ancestors; it is powerful. Though the jade should balance it out with its protective powers. Do you have a picture of where you are going?” I hung on to every word she said; someone in my family had gone missing because of this bracelet. Maybe I was meant to find her. I pulled out the two photos I had and passed them to her. She took them gently and looked over them. She pointed to Thiago.

“Have you met him yet?” she asked calmly.

“Yes, he was with me at the speakeasy last night. I’m not sure how long I was gone, but I was in the club, and I sang. It was amazing. The bracelet led me to what I was supposed to do. I found this picture on Wikipedia as well. Apparently, at that time, we were married. My name is Syliva Maddox. He said we had met at a different time before.” I quickly recounted more of my night to her in as much detail as I could. A shadow passed quickly over my grandmother's face.

“Before you go further with this man, you need to find out as much as you can about him. My sister, Ruth, also had a man she would find in time, Dave. I know she was in love with him, but we didn’t know him well, and I think he’s why she disappeared. I can’t prove it; however, you must be careful who you talk to and what you say to them.” I nodded in agreement.

“Grandmother, am I time traveling, or is this lucid dreaming? I don’t understand what is happening.” I asked.

“You are time traveling; your body does not stay here when you go. You leave this time and go to the before. My sister and I believed that you had tasks you must complete. However, it seems that your traveling partner, in your case, is the only way for you to get back. When he kissed your bracelet, he gave you your opportunity to go home, just as he was given his opportunity to go home by finding you. So every time you go to, you have to find him. Though it seems he knows to find you.” She explained.

“Well, maybe since I have the picture from the speakeasy, I can put it in the box again and go back so he and I can talk again,” I asked her hopefully.

“Yes, that is how it works. You will collect photos and be sent to different times, this one here you must have to help the people of London prepare for the Blitz happening the next night is my guess. I know many people hid in the tube tunnels during that time, which saved their lives. Though I wonder if maybe there is a certain person you need to keep safe?” Grandmother shrugged and cleaned up the dishes, handing me back the photos. I took this as her sign she was done talking about all this time travel business, and I finished eating, contemplating what she had told me. The bracelet was still cold on my wrist, and I wondered if it made feelings. A shiver went down my spine as I thought about Ruth not returning with the bracelet. I felt sadness, almost as if it came from outside myself, rush over me, and I knew the bracelet could have feelings. How many women had this bracelet before me? When did this bracelet come to exist? It was hard to understand, as I only had puzzle pieces, but I wouldn’t stop looking for the answers.