Blast to the past

BY JONAH PAIKER

Life has never felt good. Never. It feels like a piece of my heart is missing. Every day
I wake up. I feel useless. I feel like I have no purpose. The overwhelming chills from
the old musty air don’t help. Every time I look at my old, frail grandmother my throat
tightens like a spanner. Not because I don’t love her. Not because I hate her. I just
have to walk away. Our house is a wreck. It creaks and cracks of contraction as the
cold damp air of the morning sets in. The stairs that led up to the attic were dark and
sinister in colour. I never went up there. The mysterious noises coming from above
crept me out too much. The next morning, I woke up. Waiting for the creaking of the
old dark floorboards to furiously creek as I took a step out of bed. Clomp. The
floorboards somehow held themselves together. I couldn’t believe it. I took another
step. Clomp. The same thing happened. They held themselves together. Some sort of
miracle? This can’t be happening. Something was wrong. Something is wrong! As I
walked through the hall it seemed so different. So alive. I couldn’t hear my
grandmother calling my name Ruth. That was not like her. Today was my 50th
birthday. The 16th of June 1970. She should be here. Be here calling my name.
immediately I bolted into my living room. She was nowhere to be seen. My body went
stiff. I could feel my pulse all over my body beating like drums. I had to find her. She
was like my Mum. She was with me since the day I was born. She made me think of
my parents every time I looked at her. She was what made my throat tighten like a
spanner. Without her, my heart would be broken. I raced out onto our rocky gravel
driveway. Today’s newspaper stood there, waiting to be opened. I picked it up
shoving it out my way. Something caught my eye. I picked it up again. Almost
fainting. This isn’t happening. It read 13th of July 1972. The day my parents died.
Thoughts rushed through my head like a bullet. Where would my grandmother live
and be in the past? How the hell did I get here? But there was one thing that I
couldn’t resist. Despite my heart was palpitating wildly, I had to do it. No matter what
happens to me. No matter how scared I am. I have to try. I have to find my parents. I
have to save them.

A shiny red car lay on the gravel driveway. My key to Triumph. The large
circular lights stared at me like eyes. I quickly opened the door and got in the
car. I could feel my body rub against the smooth leather car seat. My parents
died in a car accident on this tragic day. This day stole a piece of my heart from
me. If I popped their car wheels they would be saved. There would be no car
for them to die in. I then firmly pressed my foot on the accelerator whilst the
map book was beside me. I always remembered my grandmother telling me that
my parents worked at the Gardens community church. That’s where I was going
to find them. I was one corner away. A single 90-degree turn, and I will be able
to reunite with my beloved parents. I was ready. I turned the corner. There they
were. I was blinded by the shining glow of their blue eyes. I parked the car and
bolted towards them, calling their names. Silence. They didn’t respond. I tried
again. Silence. They couldn’t hear me. I was devastated.

There was nothing to do. I just had to keep on going. I spotted my parent's fancy
blue Ferrari that my grandmother always talked about. There it was. This is my
time. I scampered towards the vibrant blue car. The shining reflection was
beneath me. I there and then got the long thick nail out from my pocket. Pop
Pop Pop Pop. The dark thick tiers slowly deflated. Soon enough there were no
tiers. It was done. My parents could not possibly drive anywhere. Their tiers
were popped. They were saved. My body has never felt so good. I strolled back
towards the other red car around the corner. My head felt so clear. Nothing to
think about. I then was wondering what to do next. I started to tremble. My
body felt like it was falling apart. There was a problem. A big one. One that is
going to be almost impossible to solve. How am I meant to get back to the
world from where I came from? How do I see my parents again?