Times are a Changin by Louder

submitted by admin - Jun 10, 2002

A boy tries out the time machine he invented.


'So what's it do?' Max asked his buddy Stan.

Stan was proudly displaying something that looked like a combination hi-tech vase and a model of a space station. It was tall and slender in the middle with a couple of rings circling it. There were LED's and an LCD screen attached to it.

Both boys were 12 years old and best buddies although Stan was much more interested in tinkering with things than Max. Max liked computers but he never really cared to know what makes one work. Stan loved mechanical things. He loved math. He loved electronics. He was the proverbial book-worm and he fancied himself an inventor. Not all of his projects turned out like he wanted. The backyard was only now beginning to turn green again after his 'Eye in the Sky' model rocket and video camera experiment failed miserably. Not everything was a failure. His overclocked computer and custom built joystick was a smashing success as far as Max was concerned.

'Isn't it cool?' Stan said.

'But what is it?' Max replied 'It looks like something my brother and his friends kept holding a lighter to out in the woods.... 'cept they had hoses on theirs'

'Hmmmmm I don't think it was one of these! This is a 'Stanley Time Portal Machine'. That name's not for sure yet but I'll name it somethin' like that.' Stan replied

Max shook his head. His friend had really outdone himself this time. After all, the machine surely did look good. It had shiny lights and looked well constructed. The wiring was all neat and tidy. Very professional looking but then again Max knew Stan's attention to detail.

'Does it work?' Max asked figuring there was no way it did and still not exactly knowing what it did anyway.

'Sure... I guess.... I was waiting on you so we could try it!' Stan told him. 'How far back do you wanna go?'

'Far back?' Max asked.

'In time... I have to set the proper cooridinates to open the time portal. Wanna go 10 years?' Stan said.

'Stan, You mean you think you built a time machine?'

'Yip.... Just need to know where we're gonna go to for our first trip!' he answered.

'Ummmmmm Well.... 10 years ago we'd be about in diapers. I don't think I wanna see any of that! How about 20..... errrrrrrrr how about 30 years ago? That'd be before computer games I bet! You could get rich!' Max told his friend.

'OK... But I'm not sure about changin' anything. We'll just go back and look around.... at least for our first trip!' Stan told him.

'This isn't dangerous is it? You don't really expect it to work?' Max asked as Stan pressed some button and the device lighted up.

'There... let's go' Stan said.

'Where?' Max asked.

'In the time portal I've opened up...right here' he said as an area around them begin to look like heat rising from a hot highway. 'Cmon!

Stan grabbed Max and pulled him into the strange area. The next thing that they knew they were falling onto the ground somewhere outdoors.

'Whoa.... Where are we?' Max wondered.

'Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Oh.... I bet we're still where we always were. It's just 30 years back so the house isn't there yet!' Stan stated.

'You bet?' Max asked.

'Yeah.... I mean of course that's where we're at! It worked!' Stan stated triumphantly.

The boys looked around. Instead of houses and streets they saw woods and fields. The area did look familiar as far as the lay of the land.... but none of the construction had taken place here yet.

'Hey..... is that how we go back?' Max said as he pointed to the strange distorted area still near them.

'Ummmmmmmm hmmmmmmmmmmm no.... it is the wrong phase.... that's funny....' Stan mumbled.

'What's funny?' Max asked.

'I woulda thought the portal would've already closed. Well, it must take a while. 30 years is WAY back you know. Ummmmm I knew it wouldn't be fast to close, anyway.' he answered as he checked his device. 'It's closing though. C'mon... let's go look around!'

'Where?' Max wondered.

'Ummmmm let's go to my Grammy's house. It should still be here.' Stan said.

'Are we gonna talk to her?' Max asked his friend.

'Hmmmmmmm Ummmmmmmmmm We'll wait. She wouldn't believe us because she hasn't met me yet and wouldn't believe me unless we take her to the future some time.' Stan decided 'We'll just look around at stuff'

'Can people see us?' Max said.

'Of course... I guess.... Why couldn't they?'

'I dunno... I just wondered....'

And with that the boys walked thru the empty field to a nearby road and followed it into town. Stan's grandparents house wasn't far and was located in one of the city's older housing additions. Of course now it was one of the newer ones!

'Wow! It looks like new!' Stan said as he spied the house up ahead.

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Meanwhile, back in Stan's house in the year 2000....

'Boys? Stan? I'm home.... I have dinner.... Boys?'

It was Stan's mother Margo. She was a 35 year old married woman with 2 kids. Stan and his 16 year old sister Liza. She was blond and still quite attractive despite having given birth to two children and the march of time. Margo had just gotten home from an interview and had brought take-out from a local drive-thru fast food place.

'Boys? Where are you? You said you'd stay here!' she said as she made her way to Stan's room. The door was open. She looked inside and saw the empty room. 'Dammit... that boy never listens!' She said as she now realized that he and his friend was no where to be found.

She almost turned around but she saw a strange sight in the room. She hadn't noticed it at first but there was a strange distorted look in the center of the room. Curiosity got the best of her and she slowly approached it.

'Hello?' She wasn't quite sure why she'd try and talk to the 'area' but she'd never seen anything like it. Was it supernatural? Her mind wandered. She reached out and her painted fingertips lightly touched it. She felt nothing but air. She walked closer. And closer. Finally, she bravely decided to walk thru it. Slowly she stepped into the area but instead of finding herself on the other side she immediately felt like she was drawn into a tunnel. Her next realization was stumbling to the ground on some field.

'What the hell? Where am I?' she yelled as she realized she had been transported somewhere very unfamiliar. 'Who did this? What's going on?'

Her first instinct was to go back thru the strange distorted vision in the air in front of her. Upon trying her hand couldn't enter. It was as if it was pushed back! Like a giant force field of some type was protecting the area. She suddenly wondered if the same thing had happened to Stan and Max! Glancing around she thought she could make out footprints.

Margo quickly realized that it was very possible that the boys had met the same supernatural fate! She had to find them and then figure out where they were. She hadn't yet realized that where they were was 30years in the past! Margo rubbed her head as she felt the tinge of a headache coming on. The happenings would appear to be a bit too much!

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The boys walked closer to the housing addition. As they got closer they saw two little girls skipping rope.

'Hey Margo... go faster' a little dark haired girl said to the other as she twirled the rope faster.

'Margo?' Max said 'Is that little girl your mom?!'

'Ummmmmmmmmm I guess so... ' Stan replied suddenly a little shocked himself to be seeing his mother as a living breathing child and not some photograph of her as a child 'And that other little girl looks a lot like YOUR mom... they always said they were best friends!'

Now it was Max's turn to be shocked. Could it be? It had to be! The girls continued to play and giggle until they noticed the two boys watching them. They then started whispering and giggling some more. Finally one sheepishly waved at them forcing them to wave back. This caused the girls to break up in a fit of giggling.

'Margo.... I need you to watch your baby sister for a few minutes while I run to the store. I'll be right back!' a woman said as she stepped out of the house.

'That's grammy!.... and aunt Lisa! Look how young grammy is... and Lisa is just a baby!' Stan said.

'Wow! This is freaky! Very freaky!' Max said as he watched the two girls sneer at having their rope skipping interupted for babysitting.

At about that moment two boys on bicycles rode by and passed the girls.

'Margo Smargo's got COOTIES!' one yelled as he rode by.

Margo stuck her tongue out at him and the two boys laughed and rode off chorusing 'DUMB OL GIRLS!'

'You know what, Stan?'

'What?'

'I think that was our dads!' Max told him still unsure himself.

'Hmmmmmmm .....well they weren't very nice.... hmmmmmmmmm' Stan replied seemingly a bit distracted.

'Now what is it?' Max said.

'Well... the portal finally closed.... but it says here that 3 things went thru the portal... Hmmmmmmm'

'Maybe it's wrong?' Max stated.

'Ummmmmmmmmmmm I dunno... I don't see how!'

'Well, we're the only two here' Max noted.

'Yeah... Anyway... it's dinner time... we better get back before we get in trouble.' Stan decided and they headed back to the spot in the field where their house would one day stand.

Little Margo decided to quit playing and make sure her little sister was OK. After all, her mother had put a lot of responsibility on her.

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Back in the field, 35 year old Margo tried to organize her thoughts. How did she get here and where was here? What about Stan and his friend 'what's his name?' she wondered. The area did look vaguely familiar and she kept feeling a strange sense of deja vu. She followed the footsteps for a while but stopped to collect her thoughts. Maybe she should wait for help? Wasn't that the thing to do rather than walk aimlessly when you are lost? And she knew she was lost! It was dinner time and she was far from home. The pressure of the situation about brought tears to her eyes. She wondered if Stan and one of his stupid inventions had anything to do with this! She began to get a little mad figuring this was all Stan's fault somehow. Now she was lost and decided he was too. There would be big trouble when they got out of here! And a sense that he might be getting her in trouble too washed over her. Her shoulders shivered at the thought.

She stopped and sit down in the path and frowned in frustration. Stan was gonna be in big trouble and she was gonna see to it! She was getting hungry and her thoughts turned to the sack of food that she had left behind. She began chewing on a blade of grass.

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'So anyway... Doncha say anything about this to anyone!' Stan ordered his friend as they walked along. 'It'll be our secret!'

'OK....' Max replied and then stopped. 'Shhhhhhhhh....somebody's up there'

Stan looked ahead in the field and could see blond hair in the tall grass. Margo was laying on her back watching the clouds and waiting for help and didn't hear the boys in the distance.

'Who is it?' Max asked.

'I can't tell.... c'mon... shhhhhhhhhh' he said as they crept closer.

Once they got close enough he saw that it was his mother! She had been the 3rd person to use the time portal. How he wondered?

'Mom?! How......? Stan said as he startled her and she jumped up!

'You're gonna be in BIG trouble.... this is all your fault and now we're lost!' She said as she stuck her tongue out at him.

'Hey..... we're not lost.... Stan invented a time machine so we're all just back in time' Max explained.

'A Time Portal Manipulator' Stan correceted his friend.

'That's a different name?!' Max said.

'Ummmmmmmmmmmm Well, I told you I haven't named it yet exactly!' Stan countered.

'I don't care what you two poopyheads call it.... you'll both be in BIG trouble cause I'm gonna tell! Margo said as her shoulders again shivered.

'Mom, are you OK?' Stan asked.

'Huh? You're just mad cause I found ya!' she replied as she spun around and wouldn't look at the two boys.

'Somethings going on' Max understated 'Whatsup? She's acting really funny.... and does she look different?'

'Maybe.... Kinda younger....' Stan answered.

'How could that be.......' Max asked.

'Ummmmmmmmmmmmm uhhhhhhhhhhhhh well...... ummmmmmmm Maybe it's cause she's a little girl in this time?' Stan said.

'Yeah... so???' Max replied.

'I'm thinkin'! Uhhhhhhhhh maybe we're ok cuz we don't exist here but she does and she exists as a little girl so time is just fixin' itself?' Stan deduced.

'Well... are you sure we're OK? And what can we do?'

'Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I bet if we just go back everything'll be fine. I'm sure that's what it is. ' Stan said after some thought.

'Well, we better hurry or else you're gonna have a little sister.' Max told Stan as he saw Margo wiping her nose with her sleeve. She also appeared to have entered her twenties physically.

'Mom, we better go back home because you're acting funny! It'll be OK once I use my machine though.... I think..... ' Stan told her.

'Nuh huh! You're gonna get me in BIG trouble with that dumb ol toy! You can't make me go!' Margo yelled.

'You hafta!' Stan ordered.

'Nah Nah Nah Nah I can't hear you' she sang mockingly.

'I'll just start it and we'll push her in' Stan declared.

'Nuh uh!' she yelled as she quit singing. 'You can't make me!'

She kicked off her heels and ran barefoot as fast as she could away from the two boys.

'Cmon... we gotta catch her..... she's gettin worse!' Stan yelled to Max as he took off in pursuit.

'And younger too!' Max noted.

'Mommy! Mommy!' Margo yelled as she ran toward the road.

'Wait......!!!!' Stan yelled to her 'You're getting worse! We gotta go back now!'

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Times are a Changin part 2

by Louder

Margo continued running as fast as she could. She was rapidly forgetting exactly why she was running from the boys or that she had ever been lost in the first place. In fact, she began to know exactly where she was. She was in her hometown and was late for dinner! She remembered her mom bringing food from McDonalds home but then she left instead of eating it. Left? To go where? Here? McDonalds? There is no McDonald's in this town.... yet! Confusion raced thru her regressing mind. Her body shivered again as it physically tried to catch up with 1970! She was easily only 25 now and the shivers were coming more rapidly.

She could now see the two little girls ahead at her house. One looked like her and was holding her little sister. That girl looked confused as well. Her mother had just pulled in from her grocery store trip and grabbed a camera to take a picture of her very responsible older daughter caring for her little sister. The scene was too cute to let pass she thought.

Margo started to yell for her mother when her path was cut off by Stan and his device. He had ran across a couple of yards to get ahead of his youthening mom while Max continued the chase from behind. They all came crashing into the portal that Stan had opened up. In a few moments they found themselves on the same street but now 30 years in the future.

"Whoa.... that was close!" Max said.... "I don't think she'd wanted to get much younger! Sorry Mrs. Miles" he said as he turned to Stan's mom.

Margo was now barely 20. A very youthful 20! Trim, tanned and her long hair a light shade of blond.

"Are you OK?" Stan asked.

She shook her head to indicate yes and the put her thumb in her mouth!

Stan grabbed her arm to force her thumb from her mouth. "Mom! Quit that! You gotta get back to normal!"

"I'm a big girl? " she said as she surveyed her 20 year old body and loose fitting clothing.

"Yeah... a little younger than before though...." Max said.

"I want my mommy" she sobbed.

"Hows come she still is acting weird? And is she gonna be stuck looking like a college girl?" Max said to Stan.

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I dunno.... I gotta think about it. C'mon... let's get her home!" Stan replied.

Confused, Margo obliged them and they walked her to their home even though she wanted to go to her 'old' home just up the street.

"Dad's gone for business for a couple of days and Liza won't be in until late. Maybe it'll all straighten out before very long!" Stan told his companions. "Mom, what do you remember? Maybe you can get it all back!"

She began speaking in an innocent voice "Uhhh.... Mommy brought us food from McDonald's and I went looking for you and saw..... something...." she began speaking in an innocent voice.

Stan and Max shared a glance at her description of the events. They knew she was confusing her old self as another person. That was a hurdle they hoped they could cross!

"And then I ummmmmmmm fell.... and ......... then I got scared..... looking for you guys...... I was in a big field.... " Margo nervously twisted her big toe into the carpet as she relayed her tale. It didn't make sense to even her. "And then you guys chased me....... So hows come I forgot about bein' big?"

"Ummmmmmm Because you went back to a time when you were little I guess" Stan explained "And time was trying to 'right' itself. But now that you're back I guess it'll all be OK"

"Shouldn't you know more than just guessing?" Max asked.

"I'm sure!" Stan answered confidently.

Just then the door swung open. It was Margo from 30 years ago! She grabbed Stan's time machine from the table.

"HA! I got it now!" she said.

Both Margo's stared at each other for a moment.

"How'd you get here!?" Stan demanded to know.

"I saw what happened to you and followed. You took your time closing it up!" Little Margo said. "So.... she gets young and dumb while I get smarter?" she said as she motioned to the very confused 20 year old Margo.

"You shouldn't be here. I don't know what will happen. You two shouldn't be in the same place" Stan pleaded.

"Ummmmm You've been getting 'smarter'?" Max asked the child.

"Yeah.... and it is great.... But it stopped. It stopped about when you disappeared into thin air. 30 years? She must've gotten younger too.... but why didn't I get older?" The younger Margo asked

"Uuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh Welllll ummmmmmmmmmm...... because 30 years ago you were...ummmm are.... a little girl. So you...she... was 5 years old 30 years ago. See? And maybe 30 years ago you were the real Margo? I mean, sure you were the real Margo. 'Cause you were first. Hmmmmm and so you couldn't get older because the real Margo was ummmmmm is... 5 years old. Maybe certain rules of time can't be broken? So future Margo, mom.... ummmm you..... just started getting younger and stuff to ummmmm equalize things? Maybe?" Stan explained as he mainly babbled.

"For a genius you sure leave a lot of questions.... So why did the REAL Margo get smarter then?" Max questioned.

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmm because that kinda stuff hadda go somewhere and so the real Margo gets it? The one that exists in real time! That makes sense to me!" Stan said.

"Me too" said young Margo "And I like being smarter. I don't know what'll happen here.... especially if you are right.... but I know what happens if we both exist 30 years ago! See ya!" she said as she clicked the time machine on and grabbed the hand of the still very confused 20 year old Margo.

Soon they were gone.

"Hey what's going on?" Asked Stan's 16 year old sister Liza who had returned home early.

"Just help us! Stan said "Follow us!" and with that Stan and Max entered the still open portal. Bewildered, Liza followed.

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1970

"RUN! You idiot!" Little Margo yelled to her older self as they hit the ground. In a matter of moments they were running toward an old abandoned farmhouse that Margo had spotted earlier. They had a slight head start on the others. The effects of time travel again began to work. Little Margo felt more knowledge filling her head. Her older self forgot more and more. She lost confidence and grew more frightened with every moment. She again began to youthen. With every step of her bare feet she grew smaller and younger as she ran. Running grew harder as her balance continued to change and her clothing grew ever looser.

---------------------------------

"Where the hell are we?" Liza asked her brother as she saw the now strange surroundings.

"No time to explain.... we gotta catch 'em!" he replied but was thwarted by her grabbing his arm! "Let go! Cmon!"

"Not until you tell me what is going on!!!!" She screamed in fright and frustration.

Little Margo heard the diversion and knew that it was affording her time to get away so she could gain all the knowledge possible! Her older self was shrinking through her teen years and becoming a mass of confusion. Her skirt slid off her thinning hips and her blouse hung like a dress. 13-12-11..... She was now younger than her children and stil growing younger.

Little Margo quickly directed the scared 10 year old inside the old empty farmhouse. The 10 year old Margo sat down and hugged her knees. She wanted to go home! Her younger self relished in even more knowledge pouring into her head. She felt like an adult! She smiled as she watched her older self youthen even more while she gained even more adult knowledge. 9-8-7-6..... Suddenly the knowledge didn't seem as important. She saw the frightened child swallowed by her large blouse crying. 5... and the transfer was complete. Little Margo had what she though that she had wanted all along. But with all of the future Margo's knowledge and expereince she now fully realized what she had done!

The door opened and Stan, Max, and Liza entered the room. They saw two identical looking little girls crying.

"What have I done?" one of them asked. It was 1970 Margo. "I've turned her into a child! She's me! I'm her! It was only when I had all her knowledge and experience that I could use it properly! I don't want to be a child! Not anymore.... and so I'm sure she doesn't either except she doesn't know any better! How could I have done this!?"

The other Margo could only sob for wanting her 'mommy'.

"Maybe Stan can make you older and she can stay here where she's a child?" Max offered.

"What is this all about.... who are these kids?!" Liza demanded.

"I'm your mother" 1970 Margo said "But not really.... SHE'S really your mother! I'm her 30 years ago but I've taken her essence! Max, it wouldn't be right.... I'm still 'me'.... a kid... I don't wanna be an adult stuck in a kid's body nor do I want to suddenly grow 30 years older even if Stan's invention could do that! I know what she knew.... but I'm not her... not yet... not for 30 years! Stan.... Liza...she's still your mother as far as the threads of time are concerened. ~I~ belong here in 1970. She belongs in 2000.... just not like that! I was just a kid or I'd never done this! Please forgive me!"

Liza didn't know what to believe or what to say. It all made no sense yet all the sense in the world considering what had just happened to them.

It was all very confusing. 2000 Margo was just a scared child in unfamiliar surroundings. 1970 Margo was also a child but had gained the knowledge that the future Margo had once retained. And they both were existing in 1970.

"So, I'm supposed to believe all this?" Liza asked incredulously.

"Yeah...." Stan said "It's my fault so we gotta figure something out!"

Max thought some more "You know, on Star Trek every time they have a problem like this they just use the memory in the transporter."

"Well, this isn't a transporter!" Stan sharply replied. "But hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ummmmmmmmmm maybe....."

"What?" 1970 Margo asked "An idea?"

"Uhhhhhh maybe. I guess. The Time Portal Mechanism can tell us exactly when someone used the machine. So if we pinpoint that moment in time when mom didn't exist in either time.... when she was between times..... then maybe......." Stan said as he thought aloud.

"Maybe what?" Max wondered.

"I'm not sure but it has to mean something. That's a point where she doesn't exist in the future anymore so maybe we send her back so they meet on the trip? Right in the middle!" Stan explained.

"Which one?" Liza asked.

"Ummmmmmm I'm thinkin' about that part!" Stan said.

"~Great~" Max said. "Plus won't we have 3 of 'em then in the same place?"

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ummmmmmmmmm no.... uhhhhhhh ~no~ because in the middle isn't really anywhere in time so maybe it can all come together!" Stan explained

"You and your -maybe's-!" Max said.

"We gotta try... It'll work.... We need both of 'em to go thru at the same time. We we all meet in the portal we won't allow mom to pass thru. We'll make her meet these two and let the real 1970's Margo come thru in her place and then mom should merge with her present self! It'll work! That's it!" Stan said. "Evrything'll correct itself in the portal since all the out of place elements will be grouped together. It'll do it to right the flow of time! When it happens I change the portal to send her back to a time after we've left. The portal will be running both ways."

It was then that Liza noticed that 2000 Margo was acting strange. She appeared to have a fever and didn't look well. "What's wrong with her?" Liza asked.

"Gee.... Maybe although she's grown younger she still can't exist here because there's already a Margo here? All her knowledge and experience have been retained by one of them so there is no reason for the other to continue on." Stan theorized "We gotta move quick!"

Stan extended his hand and helped his 5 year old mother to her feet. "Cmon, we're gonna go for a trip." He set the controls and opened the portal. It was set to return them to the time their mother first used entered the portal. She would be on her way thru to this side."

All of them entered the void and began their trip through the long tunnel of time. 2000 Margo held onto Stan's waist to stand as they seemingly floated forward. Ahead a fuzzy image come into view.

"Mom? Mom?" Stan said "It's her stop her..her...her...."

Their voices seemed to echo. Movements seemed in slow motion.

"You...You....You....." Stan echoed as he tried to get 1970 Margo to stand in his mother's path.

"Stan? Stan? Stan?" His mother questioned as she realized they were all someone very strange indeed.

1970 Margo and the Margo travelling through the portal touched. Both grabbed for their heads. The tunnel filled with light and sound. It was loud and bright.

"I want my mommy....mommy...mommy.....!" 1970 Margo screamed.

"It's working...working.... working....." Stan yelled as their voices bounced around and repeated. He felt himself starting to blackout. He quickly reset the portal to a different time destination so that 1970 Margo wouldn't arrive until AFTER she had left her own time. The machine wasn't really designed for two way usage and things were happening quickly now. They were being pushed and pulled in the flow of time. Now he had even redirected it. As he pressed the last button to complete his theory he collasped to the ground.

Max saw 1970 Margo reverse direction. "It worked....It worked...It worked...." Max's words went on and on and he also fainted

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1970 Margo found herself back in the farmhouse and back in 1970. She didn't know how she had gotten there. She only wanted to get home.

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Max, Stan, Liza, and Margo landed in a lot where the farmhouse had once stood. Once they all gathered their senses they began to take inventory. The biggest problem was that Margo was still 5 years old!

"You didn't get older!" Stan said upon seeing his mother was still a little girl.

"What?' she said as she grabbed her throat upon hearing her young voice. She looked down at her bare legs and at the blouse she now wore like a dress which was part of the outfit she remembered wearing earlier. "What happened to me?"

"You know who you are?" Max asked.

"I think.... I think I'm Stan and Liza's mother but I sure don't look like it right now! What happened?" Margo asked "And why is it so hot here?".

"Hot? Hmmmmmmm What happend..... Well, it's hard to explain..... ummmmmmmmmmmmmm hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm " Stan said "You went back in time and it made you younger.... but now you have your memories back thanks to me! And anyway....hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..."

"What now?" Liza asked him

Stan sniffed an odor he recognized well. It was the odor of burnt or hot electronics. He looked down at his machine and saw that it had dumped them out in 1980! Apparently the two way trip thru time had been too much for it and it had overheated.

"Uhhhhhhhh welll.... It looks like we're in 1980!" He said.

"1980? What have you done?" Margo asked Stan. "Make me older!"

"If your mom had problems existing in 1970 won't she have problems here too?" Max asked.

"Ummmmmmmmm hmmmmmmmmmm It's hard to say....." Stan answered.

"Problems... What kind of problems?" she asked as she felt a twinge of a headache.

"Mom, this is too freaky! I can't have a 5 year old for a mother!" Liza said.

Margo shook her head. She was feeling lightheaded. "Ya.... well..... geekboy better be figuring something out!" she said.

Stan noticed his mother begin to fan herself. Did she look like she was growing a bit? "Ummmmmmmmmmm I think I better try and get this thing working pretty quick!" he said.

"What is it?" Max asked.

"I got a feeling there is a 15 year old around here somewhere who just felt something come over her!" Stan said.

"Not again!?" Max replied.

"I'm afraid so....Nothin' changes except we're just 10 years down the road is all." Stan replied.

"Hey Geekboy! Make me older like right now!" Margo ordered.

"There's no way just yet" he told her.

"Yes, WAY!" she said as she fanned herself again.

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Times are a Changin part 3

by Louder

Stan surveyed his machine. It didn't look damaged but had just overheated and the CPU had shut down. He figured Margo was on a fast track to age 15 complete with a teenage mind to match. His original plan had worked and allowed her mental self to become in sync with her proper time frame but now that was all coming undone by being stuck in 1980.

"Am I, like, gonna be a teenager again? Is that what's happening?" Margo asked.

"Well...Uh huh. I'd say so.... That's how it seems to work I guess" Stan replied.

"Cool!" Said Liza.

"It's not 'cool'" Stan told her "Cause we're messing up the timeline because the real....well real for 1980 Margo will get a whole bunch of knowledge and it might affect how she acts and stuff! I gotta get this thing cooled down and try to get it to reboot!"

"So what?" Margo said.

"Ummmmm well.... I'm not sure but what if you errrrrrr she decides to be more responsible and put off dating for school 'cuz she gets so much smarter now? Maybe you and dad don't meet and so we don't get born! All kinds of weird stuff like that might happen!"

"That's stupid! We're already HERE! We're already born!" Liza declared "Besides, why wouldn't mom want to marry dad?"

"Ummmmm Liza... Have you ever paid attention to your birthday and compared it to mom and dad's anniversary?" Stan asked seriously.

"No???" she answered.

"Oh... so what if me and your dad didn't get married until after Liza was born? So what? Like, I didn't want to look all fat and stuff in my wedding dress!" Margo added.

"See..... maybe mom decides to... ummmm ya know.... ummmmm like wait? Ya know? No 'do it' until after she's married!" Stan explained.

"Oh???? Wow.... but we ARE already here??" Liza questioned.

"Yeah... I dunno what that means exactly but if we get out of here now it probably won't matter. If we wait I'm not exactly sure!"

Margo was crossing the thresshold from childhood into blooming into a young woman. She was taller and lankier and her features less child-like. The baby fat was gone.

"I think this is ready.... we better hurry. I think mom's about to go thru her growth spurt!" Stan told everyone. "Here goes!"

He set the machine for the year 2000 and to arrive at a period after they all had been gone so as to insure no one occupying the same place in time. The portal opened and they jumped in. The tunnel carried them toward their destination.

"Whoa! We're home!" Max said seeing familiar territory. He looked over to see what had happened to Margo. She looked all of 15. And only 15!

"Wow....mom... You're, like, a teenager!" Liza exclaimed.

"~Totally~ cool!" Margot replied as she examined her young body.

"But you still know you're mom and stuff...right?" Stan asked.

"Yeah, Unfortunately Geekboy! This is like soooooooo RAD!" she sang.

"Rad?" Stanley asked.

"Yeah, like ~tubular~, uhhhhh ~happening~, COOL! Ya know? Geez you need to, like, get a life!" Margot told him.

"Well, let's get back to the house and see if we can get everything back to normal!" Stan decided.

"Normal? Maybe mom doesn't want to be 'back to normal?' It's not like it's not WAY cooler bein' a teenager than an ancient geezer!" Liza said.

"Liza, We'll see.... I dunno....besides YOU'RE older than her!" Stan explained.

Margot seemed to think about that and Liza laughed. "Not by much!" she said.

"WAIT!" Max suddenly shouted.

"What?" Stan asked.

"Look at your house! It's different! And who's car is that? And who's that in the yard?" Max said.

This wasn't what they expected. Someone else was living in the house! It wasn't their house at all anymore.

"This is what I was worried about! Mom must've gotten too smart and decided to be more responsible or something! I bet we don't even exist anymore in this world!" Stan theorized "This isn't good!"

"~Great~ Max said sarcastically before pondering the situation "Hmmmmmmm but I woulda been born so at least I still exist!"

"I wouldn't be so sure! Or else you may exist and be here NOW. Coexisting in the same time!" Stan said worriedly.

"Huh? Whatdya mean?" Max asked.

"Well, IF Mom didn't marry Dad and have me and Liza then this machine never was invented. " Stan explained.

"And?" Quizzed Max.

"And.... so you never would've left here with me in the first place! You wouldn't have time travelled because you couldn't so you'd be here right now! Both of you!" Stan said.

That made sense to Max after he had time to think about it "Soooooo then what happens to me since I'm really the same person and the same age!"

"Ummmmmmmm I dunno...." Stan told him.

"But you guys should be OK because you don't exist in this world, shouldn't you?" Max asked.

"Hmmmmmmmm ..... Ya know... We don't exist at all maybe... We were never born! I dunno what happens! And Mom does exist here although with a different life! We gotta go back to 1980 and fix things somehow!" Stan said worriedly.

"But won't your mom totally lose it? I mean forget and just be a 15 year old again with no memories of this stuff?" Max said. "And can they both exist back there for long together?"

"Hey! Like.... what're you guys planning?" Margo asked the two boys.

"It's a risk we'll have to take. It's not like she isn't almost there anyway!" Stan said as he set the machine for 1980 and pushed the unwilling Margo into the void.

Again... they found themselves smack dab in the middle of 1980 where Stan and Liza's mother was a 15 year old girl.

"OK... I got a plan but it's getting too late tonight to do anything! Grammy's got a treehouse at her place and we can sneak up there for the night!" Stan ordered.

"But what about, mom? Won't that be too late?... I mean won't she slip too far back? Her memories?" Liza wondered.

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Well ummmmmmmmm we'll have to make do!" Stan declared.

Times are a Changin Conclusion

by Louder

The group made their way to Stan and Liza's grandmother's home. They quietly entered the backyard and climbed up the ladder to the treehouse. This would have to be their bed for the night.

"I'm gonna get in big trouble for not calling my mom!" Max said.

"You told her you were staying all night so you shoudn't have to check in all the time anyway!" Stan told him.

"So...like... what about something for me to wear?" Margo asked. She was still wearing the blouse that had been part of her outfit from earlier in the day. But that was all that was left and it didn't cover her 15 year old body as well as it had covered her 5 year old body. Her skirt, jacket, and shoes had all been casualties of her earlier youthening.

"I've got a plan and maybe we'll get you something tomorrow! You just need to hang on and don't let yourself slip too far back!" Stan replied.

"So, I'm gonna just keep, like, getting younger in my head or something? Is that how this works?" Margo asked.

"Yeah.... I guess so.... You just keep forgettin' stuff and the real Margo in this world or time or whatever gets it somehow!" Stan explained.

"Hmmmph! It's all your fault Nerd Boy!" Margo huffed.

"But won't it be cool being a teenager again?" Liza asked her.

"~Totally~" Margo replied as her mood quickly changed.

"Let's not rush things! It'll be a long time until morning!" Stan said.

Liza and Margo talked about clothes and hairstyles. Max and Stan talked over his plan for morning. They finally gave in to their worn out bodies and fell asleep for the night.

------

Stan awoke early to voices in the house below. It was Grammy and Margo talking. He looked over to make sure 2000 Margo was still in the treehouse and he was releived to see that she was still there.

"Mom, I've been thinking and, like, ya know, I think I wanna go to college. I need to study harder and hit the books at school but I just don't wanna hang out in this town all my life, ya know?" 1980 Margo said.

"Honey, I'm glad to hear you talking that way! I want you to have everything in life that you can!" Her mother replied.

"Yeah... me too... I just feel like I've really done a lot of growing up lately." 1980 Margo added.

Stan knew his mother hadn't went to college and he doubted the thought much crossed her mind back then.... until her head filled with the knowledge and experience of a 35 year old! He watched as Grammy left the house. She still looked young but not as young as she had looked the day before when they were in 1970!

"Mom....mom.... wake up!" Stan whispered as he shook his youthened mother from her slumber. "Do you still remember us" he asked as her eyes opened.

"Sure, I do.... you gnarly rat! Why don't you go bother somebody else? Let me sleep!" Margo grumbled.

"Ummmmmmm just checking... go ahead and sleep... I'll be back" he said and then climbed down the ladder to the ground below.

1980 Margo was sunning herself in a backyard chair and reading a book.

"Ummmmmmmmmm Momerrrrrrr ummmmmmm.... errrrrrrrrrrrrr Margo?" Stan nervously said as he got her attention.

"Who are you?" she asked as she studied the somehow familiar yet unknown 12 year old.

"Ummmmmmmmmmmm wellllllll I'm uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh your ummmmmmmmmmm well... ummmmm Stan..... and I need a favor....... I want you to meet someone in the treehouse." Stan said hesitantly.

"In the treehouse? So, like, who's up there?" she asked "Is this like some kinda joke?"

After some convincing Margo agreed to follow Stan into the treehouse. He was careful not to tell her what was up just yet. He preferred to show her. The others were all still asleep. 1980 Margo couldn't believe these people were in her sister's treehouse! "What're you all doing in here?" she asked Stan.

"This is kinda hard to explain..... uhhhhhhhhhhhh .......... maybe I can show you....." Stan said as he approached 2000 Margo.

"Mom... mom.... wakeup...." he said to the sleeping girl.

"Ugh! Already?" She replied as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes "Can't you bother somebody else!?".

1980 Margo could tell the girl was about her age but couldn't get a good look at her face.... how could she be this boy's mother she wondered?

"Look at her... she's you!" Stan said as he cut directly to the chase.

"What? ........Ohmigod! You look just like me!" 1980 Margo said as she saw the other girl's face.

"Uhhhhhhhhhh She IS you!" Stan continued "I made a ummmmmmmm time machine and there's been a problem"

"Huh?" 1980 Margo said.

"Tell her, mom..... or she'll think I'm crazy!" Stan implored of his mother.

"What? What am I..... like......doing here? Who are you?!" 2000 Margo said "Why do you look like me?"

"Shoot! Well.... that makes my point too.... you guys look alike because you're both the same person! Kinda anyway!" Stan told 1980 Margo "And I need your help to fix things!"

A confused 2000 Margo listened intently but 1980 Margo had questions. "You're crazy... You're all crazy... This is a joke or something! Oh.... Hey...is this like, uhh..... Candid Camera?" 1980 Margo said as she searched for the camera. "Bloopers and Practical Jokes?"

This exchange woke everyone else up.

"No, no, no.....it's real" Stan replied.

"Ok... so, like, if it's so real why is your mom a teenager?" 1980 Margo asked.

"Because she's 15 in 1980....ummmmmmm you're 15 in 1980..... she has to be whatever age you are because that is how she exists in 1980." Stan explained.

"Ok.... sooooooo? I'm listening...." 1980 Margo told him.

"Well..... see...... she gets younger when she stays in a certain time and all her memories start disappearing. Her knowledge disappears. Ummmmmm Not quite though cause the real Margo.... you.... you in 1980 gets 'em. Or somethin' like that! Haven't you felt different lately?" Stan asked. "Since last night?"

1980 Margo realized that she had felt different lately. "Ok.... go on...."

"But we don't know if she can even exist forever in a time period where you...errrrrrr she.... errrr whatever... where you both are. Anyway we fixed one problem but it caused the machine to overheat and stranded us here for a while. She grew into a teenager and her knowledge started flowing to you. I haven't figured that out exactly but I guess all that knowledge can't just go away so the ~real~ errrrrrrrr current.... Margo gets it. So while we were here in 1980 you changed and that changed our history cuz it made you act different in the future. When we got home it was GONE!" Stan said.

"She grew?" 1980 Margo asked.

Stan continued "Ummmmmmmmmm I skipped that part cuz it wasn't important right now.... Ummmmm she accidentally used the time machine in the first place and we didn't know it. She got real young in 1970 and so herself in 1970 changed and messed everything up. But then when she...uhhhhh you.... got all the knowledge she..... 1970 you realized what you had done and helped me fix it. Mom was just a scared little girl then. So 1970 you and her..... well.... I thought of a way to fix things so you went back to before you mixed stuff up and so probably don't remember any of that. That transfer thing where you get her knowledge or whatever is why you got so responsible! I bet you weren't responsible or thinking about school yesterday morning!"

"For some reason I believe you!" 1980 Margo said "But it's crazy! How? You're just a kid?"

"Stan...... mom doesn't look good..... I think she's getting sick!" Liza exclaimed.

"Ummmmmmmmmmm I'm not sure what that means but I bet it's not good.... Maybe it's cause she can't get any younger and you have everything. You gotta help us!" Stan pleaded.

"I dunno.... if you messed things up already... even if this is all true.... like, what makes you think you can fix it now!?" 1980 Margo asked.

"'Cause! I know what I'm doin'!" Stan shot back. "I'm an inventor! Besides....If this wasn't true 'bout what happened to you would ya even CONSIDER helping us?"

"Some inventor!" Max added sarcastically.

"Yeah...." Liza concurred.

"What's happening to me" 2000 Margo asked "What's wrong with me? Who are you people?"

"Ok.... you have a point. But what makes you think I want to be like THAT again?" 1980 Margo asked "It seems like I might be better off this way. I used to think college would be hard but now it seems like it would be, like, a breeze!"

"Ummmmmmmmmmm YOU might be..... ~NOW~ ......but this isn't about ~now~. This is about the future and what is ~right~ THEN. For us and you. Uhhhhhhh See, you exist at two points in time right now I guess. And so it is like a fork in the road or somethin'. Once you change back here it changes everything down the road. We want our life back!" Stan replied trying to convince the girl to help them.

"Well... hmmmm..... BUT if you are from 2000 and you two are my children... then I must be going to have a baby in, like, 4 years! Is that right?" a very perceptive 1980 Margo realized. "Why would I, like, wanna be pregnant and miss out on college after I've made up my mind to go? I even decided I ummmm, like, ummmmm wanna... ummmm you know.... ummmmm stay a .... ummmmm ....be a good girl until I'm married!"

"Well.... that's 'cause you got a bunch of new info in your head! But, Yeah.... I guess so..... 4 years from now you'll be having a baby girl.... Well.... you woulda before we messed up and changed the timeline anyway. " Stan answered.

2000 Margo had been listening intently. What a bunch of geeks she thought! "You guys are, like, totally spaced out or somethin' if you think that stuff is true! That 's totally crazy! I don't know who you are BUT you are NOT me! Quit acting like you are me you BITCH!"

Stan saw that his mother was getting ready to leave the treehouse. "See? You gotta help us before it's too late! If she gets away......."

Liza grabbed 2000 Margo and held her as best she could. Margo resorted to hair pulling trying to break free of her daughter's grasp.

"I'm sorry but I can't wait for you to decide!" Stanley said as he opened up a portal "Get 'em in here... quick.... help me Max!"

1980 Margo easily fell victim to the void not even realizing what she was trying to avoid. Liza and Max pushed 2000 Margo in and Stan quickly followed.

Once in the void both Margo's fought to escape. The chorus of voices and seemingly slow motion of their actions made everything a painful incoherent blur. Stan tried to set the controls of his machine to accomplish its multiple tasks. As expected he saw the image of 1970 Margo traveling back in time again. He had set the machine to a slightly different time in order to not erase that part of his first repair of the fabric of time. Next he saw the adult version of his mother as she moved thru time on her way back to 1970 for the first time. The wall of echoing sound grew even louder. He could hardly think as he fought to follow his theory and plan. He needed 1970 Margo to complete her journey just as before and then in the window of opportunity he hoped to change the destination to 1980 and hopefully send 1980 Margo to her proper space in time. His theory was that with the 3 Margo's in the void at the same time that time would be 'righted' there. He couldn't send 1980 Margo back to when they first arrived in 1980 because she would then be existing with herself. She had to arrive back just at the point that they had left 1980 with her! But she had to time travel also in order for the different Margo's to be in the void at once.

"Nooooooooooooo!" Stan yelled only adding to the crescendo as the adult Margo slipped past him. "Too fast!!!!! Help......"

He reached out for her. Her image seemed to shimmer as he reached for her. 1980 Margo had to be ahead of her and travel back to 1980 for his plan to have any chance of working! 1970 Margo should be about returned to the proper point in time but adult Margo was fast heading there too! Stanley adjusted his overtaxed machine for a new date hoping to slow the process so that he could get everyone to their proper place in time and hopefully with their restored knowledge of their own time. The void seemed to buckle and twist. Stan grabbed the adult Margo. Max pushed 1980 Margo into her. Stan set the machine for the proper date of 1980. He was sure 1970 Margo was back at this point. The machine was growing hotter! 1980 Margo suddenly fell into the current of time heading to 1980.

"Almost there!" Stan shouted as his plan seemed back on track.

Liza collapsed to the ground no longer able to stand the forces of the void as time twisted in violent waves. Teenage Margo collapsed as well. Max fought valiantly as well as did Stan to stay awake. The machine grew hotter but it was still too soon to enter the final destination. Time shifted violently in the void as they were jerked forwards and back. Stan was asking much of his machine!

The machine began screaming with a high pitched tone. Still, it wasn't time. Stan moved it from hand to hand trying not to burn himself. It was growing warmer! It was like a 'hot potato'. He dropped it! "Noooooooooooo........." he screamed as he reached out for it. The time for the next phase of his plan was ticking down! He grabbed it just before it was too late and hit the button to engage the new destination. The screaming stopped but the heat buildup continued. Both Margo's appeared to merge and change as their images shimmered but he couldn't tell what was happening. The sound was nearly unbearable. The LCD image on the machine began to show random characters. "C'mon! Just a little more! Just a little further......" he implored of his machine. Exhausted he also collapsed.

----------------

"Stanley...... C'mon.... you said we'd do something fun today!" a girl's voice said to him as he awoke to find himself lying in the grass of a sunshine filled backyard "Now you're napping! C'mon!"

It was a young Margo, 12 or 13, tugging on his arm!

"Wait.... what happened...? Hey....?" he said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Don't be silly! We're going to the pool today and then to the arcade! We got permission and everything!" Margo told him.

Stan quickly realized that his theory must've been wrong or else the machine had malfunctioned. Now Margo was his age and obviously time had changed again! Did she think she was his sister....or his girlfriend????!!!!! He jumped up and realized that Max was nowhere around. Nor was Liza! Margo somehow now had on different clothing. The oversized blouse was gone and she had on cut-offs, a T-shirt, and flip flops. He was in a large yard and the house looked like a combination of his grammy's and his own. .......At least the home that he had lived in before his time machine experiment had changed everything! But why did he remember things and Margo seem to not remember anything? Would he forget things too? He couldn't stay here!

"Get your stuff silly and let's go. I got somethin' I wanna tell ya but not here!" Margo said.

Stan's eyes popped wide open! He looked to see his machine nearby. He was going to take it somewhere... anywhere... but not here. He had to figure out what went wrong! It was still warm. Stan hoped it still worked. He looked at the screen to see if it could give him any clues as to what had went wrong and what time it was. Suddenly it started screaming again. A piercing tone! He frantically tried to press the reboot button when he felt an arm grab him.

----------------

"Dammit boy! You musta hit that snooze button 10 times this morning! Damn thing's driving us crazy at the breakfast table! You trying to get out of mowing the yard? You know it's your turn!"

Stan looked around. He was in his bed. His own bed! His dad was looking over him. "I don't know why you even bothered to set that damn alarm clock of yours if you are just gonna keep hitting the snooze button!" his dad told him.

Stan's eyes darted around the room. His TV flickered images of the SciFi channel still on from the night before. His computer was still logged onto the internet and was logged onto the AR Archive. He still had his clothes on from the day before. He had fallen asleep in them.

"You know, boy..... I know you like to invent stuff but the alarm clock has already been invented! You did a good job on it and all but you should try to be a little more creative..... Don't you have anything better in that imagination of yours?" his dad said as he left the room.

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The end