Time Phantoms
Much like every weekend for the past 3 months, Kyle Christensen ignored the beautiful warm weather and found himself once again huddled over a stack of musty scrolls, tomes and piles of notes.
Tucked away in Professor Elrick's office at the back of the University's library, he continued putting the finishing touches on his thesis which would link the Mayans and Aztecs back to the Egyptian Dynasty. Unaware that he, himself would play a major role in the facts and myths that he had been collecting and attempting to tie together for the past 18 months.
Midday brought a much needed break in the form of Jonathan Kouward carrying a rather battered and sun-bleached parcel. Kyle and Jon had met and become fast friends in Professor Elrick's classes, each trying to show-up the other in an almost sibling-like rivalry.
With the Professor on sabbatical for the past 4 weeks, Jon knew exactly where to find his roommate and that the package he now carried would pose enough of a mystery to tear Kyle away from his work, if only for a few minutes.
After examining and opening the package, the scholars found a pair of plain wooden boxes and a note which read:
My Dear Professor Elrick:
My time grows short and I can only hope that the contents of this package will find its way safely into to your hands at the University where it can be hidden away from prying eyes.
Enclosed in this parcel you will find a pair of rather unusual pocket watches. Guard them with your life for they hold a power greater than any man has ever laid eyes upon. DO NOT, under any circumstances, attempt to unlock and use them for personal gain, for to do so would bring down the wrath of the Gods!
Sincerely your trusted colleague
Professor Alek Von Heisizer
Amazing and perplexed, the men stared at one another, mentally attempting to comprehend the hastily scrawled warning that the note contained. Then after several moments, care gave way to curiosity as they took out the boxes and opened them. Resting on a plain piece of soft white linen, a pair rather nondescript tarnished pocket watches were found. In fact, other than opposite face colors (one in white, its twin in black), the watches appeared indistinguishable from one another. Kyle immediately noticed that rather than the typical '1' through '12' to mark the hours, each watch featured several tiny values scattered unevenly around the watch fact, ranging from '000' through '2000', with a slender golden hand resting 2 tiny, but distinct notches from the '2000' mark.
Pulling up the pin to wind the watch, he accidentally pulled the pin to its 2nd position and with a quick winding motion, rotated the golden arm backwards. Then, in a blinding flash of light, disappeared leaving Jonathon staring in shock and horror! No more than a single gasp had escaped Jonathan's mouth when a 2nd flash quickly engulfed the room and then receded leaving Kyle standing at its epicenter.
“What the heck just happened?!” exclaimed Jonathan to his bewildered looking roommate.
“One instant, you were standing there. Then this flash of light blinded me and you were gone but before I could even react, you re-appear just as quickly as you disappeared!!”
Kyle looked at him unsure.
“What do you mean I was only gone for a mere instant? You'll never going to believe this, but somehow... somehow after the light subsided, I found myself in the year 1900.”
“I've just spent few hours as the local townspeople celebrated the opening of this University's library!!”