Chapter 2

I woke with a cough as I sat up slowly. It took a moment, but eventually, all the memories of what happened came flooding back to me. Even having the bruises to prove it, it still didn't seem real. Now for the real question: what exactly happened? I sighed as I looked around. I had no idea where I was. A park, maybe? But it didn't look like a park I knew. I stood hesitantly on shaky legs before falling back to the ground immediately. I felt weak. I clutched my chest as my breathing worsened. Whatever happened, it sure was taking a toll on my body. Did I teleport across the world or something?

"Oh! Honey! Honey, there's a girl here," someone yelled. I felt a pair of hands on me gently. I looked up to see a woman who looked to be in her late thirties.

"Are you okay? Did something happen? Where are your parents?" The woman asked me. The man joined her to kneel beside me as he placed a hand on my forehead. I painted as I tried to catch my breath.

"She's burning up," the man said. He picked me up gently and they started walking with me.

"Sweetie, what's your name? Where are your parents?" The woman asked.

"Phoenix Di, and I'm not sure," I answered shortly between pants. We ended up at a police station, but it didn't look anything like the police stations where I lived. Even the people who brought me here were a bit off. People weren't this nice where I was from.

"Where am I?" I asked as my breathing started to calm down.

"We're at a police station in San Diego, California. My name is Elizabeth and this is my husband George," the woman answered. The woman turned to explain and give the police officer my name as the man sat me on the bench and handed me a paper cup with water in it. I drank it gratefully. The police officer looked up my information before looking at me curiously.

"It says here that your parents Derek and Felicity Di are currently in Australia, and you're eight years old," the officer said hesitantly. My eyes widened. I was at a loss for words.

"What year is it?" I asked hesitantly.

"2017," the officer answered. "And I'm going to need to see your ID," the officer continued. Luckily, I still had my phone and wallet in my pockets thanks to the zippers on my jacket. I pulled out my ID and social security card to show them. It only confused them further. After making a few phone calls, the officer scratched his head even more confused. The entire time, the nice couple stayed with me.

"I don't really know what to do in this situation. You are Phoenix Di, you're just the wrong age. You can stay here and we can try calling your parents in the morning when it's an appropriate time over there," the officer concluded. A conversation I had with my father fora while ago popped into my head suddenly.

"... something like time travel?" I asked. We were talking about the impossible.

"Yes, something like that has been impossible even until now, although it's been researched since earlier than the 1990s," He answered.

"I would tell myself all the mistakes to avoid," I said before taking a bite my dinner. My father sighed before he shook his head.

"There's a time theory that meeting your past self our relatives can fundamentally alter the future. Something like telling someone their future, or using your knowledge to your advantage can create a butterfly effect that could potentially end the world or create blackholes," He answered.

Now I knew that conversation was more than just table talk. My father really created a time machine. Which meant I had to avoid myself and my relatives. Luckily, they were in a different country. The couple beside me began whispering to each other before the wife looked back to the cop.

"Does she have to stay here? My husband and I have a spare room she can stay in until her parents can come get her. It's not like she's an orphan. It wouldn't be right to put her in the system just because her parents are out of country. Is that allowed?" The woman asked. The cop scratched his head in confusion again.

"I've honestly never encountered a situation like this before, but the age on her ID is 17, so legally, it would be up to her," the cop answered.

"Would that be okay with you?" The woman asked. There was so much sincerity in her eyes, and they had done the nice thing up until now. It didn't feel unsafe. I nodded.