CHAPTER 4: PAST TRAVELER

She got in the car tapping the steering wheel with her fingers because of too much excitement. It's like giving herself a chance to go back to the kind of adventure that she had with her babies when she was at the peak of her success. She was one of the recognized female car racers in the world because of the distinction awards she got during her younger years.

Driving an incredible car makes her heartbeat rise to its peak. She can't almost hide her emotions as she looks and appreciates the overall look of the Corvette.

"Come with me." She told Graciella. She nodded and agreed with her right away. She opened the car and she sat on the front seat next to Sally.

"Alright. Show me what you got." She winked as she started the engine. Despite being antique, its engine is still crisp and impressive because it was improved and well-developed over the past years.

"I love it so much! This is the easiest car to drive so far." She's grinning from ear to ear while turning at the unfamiliar road. It's a pavement that gives her the feeling of total de' ja vu. She felt like being here before but she couldn't remember.

"Well, looks like you're the queen of the road now. Could you still drive and show me that 100 km/ph speed? There's no traffic here because it's night time already.

She nodded as she followed what Graciella said. Sally is the kind of person who loves to show off, most especially to someone who doesn't know her that much. She would often do something to take their breath away.

"Whoa! Is this for real? I feel like flying!" Graciella is almost gripping to whatever she would see around her that will prevent her from rolling over inside the car. She almost forgot that she's wearing a seatbelt because everything keeps bouncing as Sally added up the speed of the car.

"Well, if you're not into adrenaline rush adventures, then don't trust me as your driver."

"Gosh, I want to end up regretting why I even invited you to drive this car. You can't even slow down even for a second." Graciella whined as she gripped whatever she could grab inside the car for her to not roll all around it.

"Yeah! This is way better than I ever imagined!" Sally is caught up in a moment that Graciella just looked at her and gave her that mysterious smile. She's too focused on the road that she never saw Graciella fading away. She noticed the cute automatic calendar that is displayed in front of her. It showed the month, date and year, real time.

"Thank you so much for giving me the chance...I am so happy now..." She glanced at her side but Graciella was not there anymore.

"Graciella...w-where are you?"

She almost exclaimed but her eyes were still focused on the road.

"Graciella? This is not funny anymore, okay?" She adjusted her speed until she reached the normal speed that drivers used in driving.

Her heart started to race very fast. Where is that woman? Did she just vanish into thin air? Well, Sally is sure that she never went out the window after she sped off. It's too impossible because all was closed. What a mystery! She attempted to step on the brakes but the car even went faster this time.

She tried going out from the car but to no avail. She then sighed as she continued to drive while her body became exhausted all of a sudden. She felt weak even if she's doing everything to feel active. There were times that her body is not permitting her to do so because of her old age.

She glanced at the automatic calendar that's displayed in front of her that's a part of the antique collection from the 1950s. She was terrified because the automatic calendar moved backwards. From year 2020, it showed her 2019, 2018, its date and week in every year in a swift motion.

Her eyes widened about the sudden changes that she witnessed before her very eyes. She couldn't believe what is happening right now. She tried her best to focus on the road despite the changes happening to her at the moment.

She also noticed her hands on the steering wheel, from her sagging old skin, it turned pinkish and fair. Also, even if she never touches the steering wheel, it is still moving faster as if it has a life of its own.

She stepped on the brakes again but it seemed pointless. She's like stepping on the brakes in vain. She also looked around her as she rubbed her eyes. When she blinked again, and looked beside her, there's no trace of Graciella and she started to really feel scared.

Is Graciella a ghost? Why is she not beside her all of a sudden? Is her sight fooling her all along? As the car ran swiftly, she was brought to a road where their old houses showed up to her.

"W-Wait..." She gasped as her eyes opened wide. She could even identify those houses and name the household one by one. She is too familiar to all of them for so many reasons.

The car started to run slow until it stopped in front of a small house. It is only made up of light materials, especially bamboo wood and some palm leaves carefully knitted to be their roof. It is then covered with a net so that the leaves wouldn't fall off that easy.

Before she could even get a grip of the handle, it opened automatically even if nobody did that for her. She started to have goosebumps all over his body as she went out of the car.

A woman went outside the house as she put both of her hands on her waist. She looked around and when she saw Sally, she frowned as she took giant steps towards her.

"Where have you been? I've been calling you many times already! I told you not to play in the neighborhood so excessively that you're forgetting all the housework!" She pinched her ear using her pointed fingers. It hurted Sally a little.

As she looked at her closer, Sally realized that it is really the younger version of her...mother?

She stretched both of her hands to see what was really happening. It is indeed weird because instead of her familiar well-cared skin, she had a soft, pale skin.

"What is happening?"

"Get inside before I will really give what you're looking for." It was more of a warning that's why Sally obliged and sprinted into the house. It was generally tidy but not for her as she roamed her gaze inside their small house. Sally thought that she's more meticulous than her mother, but she's grateful because she got her exact, same personality, way even better.

Before she stepped into the kitchen, she passed by their big mirror but she walked backwards. She knew she glanced at her reflection in a quick pace. Well, it doesn't work.

When Sally faced the mirror, her loud shriek was heard even to the neighborhood.