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My name is Josephine Riley, well that what I thought my name was till yesterday. Anyway the weirdest thing has happen to me. Here is what happen. Well the people I thought were my family own a boarding school for both girls and boys. My great, great grandmother and her first husband founded the school as a school for boys back in 1869. Unfortunately he died a few years later. Soon after she married an ex-merchant marine by the name of Nick Riley. Who is my great, great Grandfather. They had twins a year later. A girl and boy. Their son is my great grandfather. Well later on my great grandfather took over the school. Right now my father is head of the school..
Well any way to day we were having a party in honor of the 130th anniversary of the founding of the school. Well in honor of the day everyone was dress up in clothing from the time, including me, I start to get tried so I went down by the brook where it was cooler and I fell a sleep on the in the hammock we have hang up between two trees. The next thing I know I had fallen a sleep and was suddenly been woken up by someone. When I woke I realized I was on the ground and the person waken me up was a boy that look about my age. I had never seen the boy before, but yet he look very familiar to me, like I seen him some where before. He was dress in 19th century clothing though.
"Who are you?" he asked.
So of course I told him my name was Josephine Riley or Jo or Josie for short. Then I asked him what his name was and what happen to the hammock. "My name is Nathaniel Blake but, most people call me Nat for short," he said.
Then a voice start to call "Nat, Nat where are you."
Nat shouted back "I'm over here!"
By then I was back on my feet standing . Boy, that didn't last for long though. As soon as I saw who was calling for Nat I was back on the ground again. The person was none other then my great, great grandmother! When I finally regain consciousness I was laying on a sofa in the parlor. Both my great, great grandparent was there. Nat was there too. I was finally remembered where I saw him before. We have this picture of the students that ordinarily attended Plumbfield when it first open. The where also some other people there that I also recognized as some of the other student that had ordinary attended Plumfield (the name of the school.)
After I woke up my great, great grandmother asked me where I cam from and how I got to Plumfield. I guess Nat already told them my name shortly after they found my past out again. I told her that I did know where I came from or how I got there to began with. Then she asked "Where are you parents?
"Don't know," I said.
So then she figured that I must lost my memory somehow. So I decided to just go along. My great, great, grandmother or should I say Mrs. Jo brought me something to eat & drink. Having not eaten in a while I was quite hungry. After I was done eating she led me to a bed room where I could sleep for the night. As soon as I crawled into bed I fell to sleep right away. When I was a woken the next day by the smell of something delicious cooking. I quickly got up. When I looked over to the chair where I left my clothes the night before I saw that the where no longer there and in there place was a dress that I have never seen before. After I put the dress on I quickly brush my hair before I start towards the kitchen. In the kitchen I saw my great, great grandmother.
"Good morning, did you sleep well ?"she asked.
"Great!" I replied. " I really thankful for you allowing me to stay here Mrs. Riley."
"Just call me Mrs. Jo," she then said.
"Okay," I said.
I then start to help her set the dinner table for breakfast. While we worked she asked my about education. I told her that I knew how to read and write and knew math just as well.
"That good," she said. "I was planning on having you attend class with all the other students and I was wondering how much schooling you have had."
"So what time does school started? I asked.
"9 o'clock," she replied.
Just then some of the students walked in. I said hi to them. Bess who was one of the students that walked in and is also my great grandfather's cousin asked if I slept well. I told her I did.
After breakfast I followed the other out to the barn, which was where the school room was original located. Mrs. Jo had me sit in back by Nat. A soon as I sated down she gave me some school book. Then she began class. School was not that hard. I knew a lot about what Mrs. Jo was talk about already.
Chapter 2 -
Fishing
Once school was over I help out with the chores like everyone else. I helped Nat groom the horses which wasn't that hard. When we were done Nat asked, "Would you like to go fishing with me and some of the other guys?"
"Sure," I said. "But, I don't have a fishing pole."
"That's okay I'm sure you could borrow one from Nick," he said. Then we went and asked Nick about borrowing a fishing pole and he said yes. When we got down to the brook Bess, Dan, and Nan where already there fishing.
"Catch anything yet?" I asked.
"Not yet," replied Bess.
I threw in my line in and wait for a fish to bite. While wait for the fish to bite we sort struck up a conversation between the five of us. "So you don't remember at all were you came from or how you got here?" asked Dan.
"Uh huh," I said.
" How is it that can you forget all that but, still know what your name is?" Nan asked just then.
"I don't know," I said. " All I remember is waken up and discovering that I was here." I said.
"Come on Nan just leave her alone," Dan said just then.
"Yeah, Nan she can't help it if she can't remember anything about her past but, her name," add Nat.
"Fine!" Nan shouted as she stormed off in a hurry. When she turn around to look back she gave me this very cold look.
"I wonder what her problem is," Dan said out loud.
"Who knows?" said Bess.
Soon we were back to talk about another subject.
Before long it was time for use to leave for dinner. I was still dumbfound about why Nan had look at me so coldly. By the we got back to the house dinner was ready, so we sat down at the table. I sated down between Bess and Nat. Across form me was sated Nan. She there looking at me with a envy which I couldn't understand at all because I hadn't done anything to make her jealous of me. How could I? I had only been there for a day so far. I decide after dinner to try and make her see that I didn't want her enemy. So after dinner I offered to help her clear the table but, she said, " That all I right I can do it myself. I don't need any help from anyone especial you." And with that she stomped off once again and once again I was left dumbfound.
Chapter 3 -
Night time lullaby
So there I was standing there dumbfound. I try to shake the feeling out of my mind but, I couldn't let it go. I kept thinking about as I tried to fall a sleep that night . Finally I couldn't sleep at all so I got up and decide to go down to the parlor and get a book . I used to walking around the house late at night so I knew my way around quite well in the dark. As I past by the nursery I suddenly stop and decide to walk in. Asleep in the two cribs where my great grandfather and my great aunt. I walk over to my great grandfather's crib and peeped down into it. There he laid asleep. All of a sudden he woke up and start to cry. Then in came his mother. "Teddy didn't wake you up did he? She asked.
"No, I was already a wake, I told her. "I was having trouble sleeping." Teddy start crying loudly.
"I better go down and get him a bottle. You don't mind watch him while I go get him one do you?" She asked.
" No, not at all," I said.
While Mrs.. Jo was downstairs get the bottle I was up stairs try to clam down Teddy. I pick him out of his crib and start to sing him a lullaby. I was sitting in a rocking Chair sing to him when his mother came back and saw me.
" I see you got him to calm down a little," she said quietly.
"Yea, I did," I said. "Well I better be going to bed. Goodnight." I went back to bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow I feel a sleep. I guess I was more tried then I thought I was. The next thing I know its morning again. I struggled out off bed and got dress. When I went down stairs for breakfast. Then after that I went to school. School start out fine. Later right before class ended we had English and guess what happen in English. We had to choose a book to read and then do a oral reported on in front of the class. Which is all fine with me. That not all we have to do. We also have to-
Chapter 4 -
Spilled Water
As I was saying before we also had to have partners. Mrs. Jo was the one who pick are partners. I was partnered with none other then Nan! Lets get this straight I don't have anything against her or anything. Its just that she had been kind of given me a hard time since I arrived. After we were partner up we start to work on are project for the rest of class. I kept coming up with books but, Nan did want to read any of them. We finally decided between Ivanhoe and Les Misèrables. In the end we decide on Les Misèrables. Nan was still given me the evil eye. Which I was still try to figure out why.
Later wasn't much better. I had to help Nan feed the animals. When I was carrying a bucket of water to the barn with Nan I accidentally spilled some on her. Then suddenly she dump her bucket on top of me and totally soaked me. Next she ran away leaving me bewildered. Well then I went into the house to dry off and put on dry clothes. As I walked into the house Mrs.. Jo said "What happen to you?"
"Nan dump a bucket water over my head," was my replied.
" Why did Nan dump a bucket of water over your head?" she then asked.
"All I did was accidentally spill some water on her and she dumped her bucket on me and left," I said. Afterward I went stairs and changed. When I came back down stairs I went back to the barn and fished feeding the animals. Nick came in asked, "Where's Nan?"
" I don't know," I said. "All I did was accidentally spill some water on her and she dumped her bucket on me and left," ……
By the time dinner came around Nan had return. Later that night Mrs.. Jo talk to Nan about dumping the bucket of water on my head. While that was going on I was up stairs talking to Bess. "I'm not surprised that Nan did that," she said. " When I first came here to Plumfield she put a snake in my bed one night."
"She did!" I said surprised.
Just then Nan walked in. Later the night I laid in bed and thought about how Nan was all way given me cold stares. Finally I realized why Nan was looking at me that way.
Chapter 5 -
The mystery is solved
The reason why was because was because Nan was sweet on Nat! She must thought that I was going to steal Nat from her. I couldn't't believe that I did thought of that before. Especially seen how my friend Mathew Blake is there great grandson. I still could not fall a sleep after that. I was to busy try to come up with a way to get Nan to no longer hate me.
Chapter 6 -
No longer enemies but friends
I was still trying to think of way by the time school ended the next day. After school Nat asked me to help brush some of the horse. I told I couldn't but why don't asked Nan. So Nat when and asked her. While I watch from a distance. Nan looked over at me with a confused look.
Then at dinner I made sure that Nat would sit right next to Nan. I sat across the table from them. Later when dinner was over I went up to Nan's room to talk to her. She seem less mad at me. "I saw that Nat sat by you at dinner," I said.
"So, it not the first time that he has," she told me.,p> "So, he definitely is sweet on you,"
"Nat sweet on me. That's a good one." She said.
"I telling you he is. When ever I talk to him he always start to talk about you," I told her.
"Really!" she said as her face brighten up.
"Uh hu," I replied. "Well I better be going. See you in the morning." I said as walked out the door. "That should keep her from being jealous of me," I thought to myself. After that night Nan and I became good friends.
Chapter 7 -
3 years later
3 years pasted and I still was in the 19th century. I was 18 years old now. So I decide to try my luck in the world. There was need for librarian at the Boston Public Library so I decide to apply for the job. In the ended I got the job and moved to Boston.
One day a man by the of James Cartright came in. James was tall with dark brown and hazel eyes. He wore a gray vest and jacket. He was also a bit clumsy. He almost knocked over a book self coming in. I managed with help from James to stop the book self from falling over.
"I quite sorry about that," was the first thing he said to me. "My name is James Cartright. I have come about the job helping out here."
" Of yes," I said. I had place and ad in the paper for help here at the library. "First I needed to interview you."
"Of course," he said.
I leaded him back to my offices and inter view him. I decide to hire after all because he was so qualify for the job.
As the weeks flew by we became good friends. Often when we were the only once around we would talk about different subjects. Soon I began to fall in love with James. Then one day James asked me if I would like to attended a play with him. I humbly accept his offer. I had such a great time that night. Within a week James and I decide to start courting. My only problem now was if I ever went back home I would never see James again. Oh, life can be so cruel at times.
After we had been courting for a year James asked me to marry him. I accepted his proposal but, I couldn't help regretting the fact that one day I may have to leave him.
Chapter 8 -
Mr. and Mrs. Riley
One night James's parents were having a party. When I got to the party James was in the front hall way waiting for me.
"Your finally here!" he said. " I have been waiting for you to come. There is some people I want you to meet."
"Who?" I asked.
"You see," He said as he grab my hand and leaded me into the parlor. "Jo I want you to meet some good friends of mine. Mr. and Mrs. Riley."
In front of me stood a older couple that looked to be in there early fifties. The both had a look in there in their eye of great grief. There was something about them that seemed so familiar but, I had never met them before.
"It nice to meet you," I said.
"It nice to meet you to," said Mrs. Riley. "James has told us so much about you. You and James should come over dinner sometime. Perhaps next week if you not busy."
"Dinner next week sounds great to me. How about you James?" asked I.
"Sounds good to me," James replied.
"Well we see you next week then," Mrs. Riley said as she left the room.
I spent the rest of the evening talk and dancing with James.
Chapter 9 -
The picture
One week later James came and pick me up. We then left for the Riley's. When we got there Mrs. Riley leaded us to the parlor. It was beautiful decorated with lovely paintings all over the room. One picture real caught my eye.
It was a painting of a young couple with a tiny child in the women arms. "Ah, I see that you notice that picture," Mr. Riley said behind me almost making jump.
"That is a picture of Mrs. Riley and I when we were younger," he continued.
"Who is the baby in the painting?" I asked.
"That is our daughter," he said.
"She disappear nineteen years a few week after this painting was made." he said sadly.
"I sorry," I said.
"Well dinner ready," Mrs. Riley said.
We went into the dining room and had dinner. The time I kept thinking about the painting. The baby looked so familiar to me.
After dinner I couldn't help but, want to see the it. I suddenly realized why the baby seemed so familiar. It was me! I was positive. I could see the day it was painted flash before my eyes.
"Jo are you all right? What's the matter?" James asked as he leaded my to the couch to sit down.
"Uh, hu" I replied." The baby in the painting it's me!"
"What do you mean it's you?" he then asked.
"I can remember the day the painting was painted. I crying so you start to sing me a lullaby" I said as I pointed to Mrs. Riley. " as soon as you start to sing I stopped crying." The lullaby it sound like this and I start to hum the melody.
Mrs. Riley burst into tears.
"It's really is you!" she said between sobs.
I start to cry too. Then I hug both of them. We talk along time about everything that had happen. Apparently I end up in the future by crawling into the time machine my father had built right before he sent it to the future. Once I got to the future I must of crawled out and was found by the Riley's. I told my parents about how they had raised me I also founded out that my really name is Fiona Riley. After that night I moved in with my parents to help make up for lost time. I also found out my parent still had the time machine down in the cellar where my father lab is. I decide to go back into time and stop myself form crawling into the time machine but, first I written all of this done. I plan to leave this behind when I travel to the past and hide it in my room. I hope that my older self will find it and read it.
Chapter 10 -
The time machine
Fiona sneaked down to the cellar and turned on the time machine and got in. She set the date for March 2, 1861. The it start to shake and she was hurdled threw time. Suddenly everything was calm. She looked out the door of the time machine and saw was in the lab and no one was around. "Good," She thought.
Quietly she made her way up stairs to her younger self's room and hid the book containing her story. Then she stuck back down to the cellar and waited. The next morning down came Mr. Riley with baby Fiona. he set her down on the floor and start to work. As soon as he wasn't looking adult Fiona picked up baby Fiona and moved her but, in doing so the to combed to form baby Fiona in the present. Just then Mr. Riley saw Fiona by the time machine and took her up stairs. So then Fiona was never sent to the future.
Chapter 11 -
The End?
Taken from the Journal of Fiona Riley
Aug 9,1874
Dear Journal , I found a weird book to day. the author of the book was me! Which weird because I remember writing the book. That not all my parents have decide to send a school for both girls and boys rather then being tutored again. The best part is that James is attended it too. School start Sept. 1. Also the school located in Concord. Oh, before I forget the name of the school is called Plumfield. It that a funny name for a school. . .
* * *
The End!