Myshuno! Prompt #14: Matthew time travels to 2013
Prompt: Matthew time travels to 2013 (docnerd)
Characters: Matthew, Jan, Heidi’s Simself
Rating: G
Summary: Matthew gets quite a shock when he sees where the legacy ends up.
Notes: AU and canon at the same time. AU because no supernaturally stuff actually exists in my ‘verse, but the events that Matthew sees towards the end are how I’m planning on ending the legacy.
Word Count: 1,137
He awoke to a loud, blasting beeping sort of noise.
“What the deuce is that?” Matthew grumbled as he searched for the source of the offending sound. His eyes settled on the small rectangular device that was on the nightstand. It appeared to be a clock of some sort, but he’d never seen a clock like it before. He threw back the bedcovers and picked up the strange object.
“Yes, you have achieved your goal and I am now awake. But how the devil do I shut you off?”
Purely by accident, he managed to silence it. After doing so, he decided to get back into bed. It was then that he realized there was something strange about the room.
“What is going on?!” he bellowed as he took inventory of his surroundings. The room while it looked like the one he shared with Jan was decidedly not the one he and his wife shared. It was still outfitted in blue tones, but their four poster bed had vanished and was replaced by what appeared to be a mattress simply placed on a block of wood. The furniture was all different, as were the wall hangings. Upon studying one closer, he saw that it was a photograph, but instead of the usual sepia tones he was used to this one was in full color.
He took a step back from the wall. Something was going on, and he was determined to find out what. But first, he would need to dress and face the day. His wardrobe was mysteriously missing, but he located his suits (if one could call them such) behind a door that led to a closet. Satisfied, he left the room, noticing all the differences between what he was used to and what was. The house was not the farmhouse he knew; it was a smaller abode much more suitable to a bachelor than to a man with a wife and children. And speaking of that wife and children, where the deuce was his family? He hurried out the door to see if he could figure out where he was.
Once outside, Matthew’s eyes were met with the sight of houses everywhere, and what appeared to be those newfangled horseless carriages rolling down the streets that were now paved. Gone were the familiar rolling hills and farmland that he was used to. Confused, he decided to head towards what should have been the center of town. As he crossed the road, a loud honking noise startled him.
“Hey, watch where you’re going, idiot!” yelled the man who was driving the automobile.
“I beg your pardon, it is you who needs to watch it,” Matthew shouted back.
“Whatever, Gramps. Just stay out of the road,” the man hollered as he sped away.
“What on earth has happened to me?” Matthew asked as he hurried towards the center of town, staying as far away from the roads as he could.
* * * * *
The day was nearly over, and Matthew was tired and hungry. He’s found a place that served food, but he’d refused to pay the exorbitant prices for it. Neither condition improved his mood as he wandered around the town he thought he’d known so well. As the sun was lowering in the sky, he noticed what appeared to be the old Governor’s Mansion. It, unlike the rest of the buildings in the center of town, looked almost exactly the same. He hurried towards it, and seeing that it was now a museum which was marked as “open,” he went inside.
Someone had painstakingly restored the mansion to its original colonial glory, and while it was old-fashioned Matthew suddenly felt much more at ease than he had all day. He heard the click of high heeled shoes, and looked to see a brunette woman with short hair coming towards him. She was dressed just as oddly as every other woman he’d met that day was, with black trousers and a purple sweater. She had a knowing smirk on her face that Matthew didn’t like.
“Can I help you with something, sir?”
When she spoke, Matthew realized exactly who she was.
“YOU!”
She smiled wryly. “I was wondering how long it would take you to catch on, Matthew.”
“What have you done to me, woman?”
“Really? Most people would jump at the chance to see what the future looks like.”
“This is the future?”
“Yes. This is what Simsfield will look like in the year 2013.”
“Well, I don’t like it one bit! Women wearing trousers and working and…”
“Owning property?” she smirked.
“They can do that?!?”
“Yeah, and vote, and drive, and keep money in their own name, and a whole bunch of stuff that I’m forgetting because I take it for granted. Isn’t it great?”
Matthew’s shoulders slumped. “Why did you do this to me?”
“I thought you’d like to see what became of your family.”
His head snapped up. “The Bradfords are still in Simsfield?”
“Of course they are. Still in the farmhouse, actually. Want to see?”
She placed her hand on Matthew’s arm, and suddenly they were in front of the old brick building that Matthew remembered from his childhood.
“It looks nearly the same…”
“It is. Inside looks really different, of course, what with all the electronics and stuff, but the outside hasn’t really changed since the place was built.”
“And it is still owned by my descendents?”
“Look,” she said as she gestured towards the front door where a young couple was coming out.
Matthew watched as they got into a car and drove off in what should have been the direction of Portsimouth. “Well, what do you know. They didn’t screw it up after all.”
She made an odd noise. “Ready to go back?”
“Yes.”
She concentrated for a moment, and moved her hand towards his arm again. Just before it touched his sleeve, she grinned evilly. “By the way, I thought you’d like to know that it was the girl who is actually your descendent…she’s not yet decided if she’s keeping ‘Bradford’ when they get married or not.”
Matthew gasped. “You mean the house is going to a girl?”
The woman smiled sweetly. “Yes. Oh, did I mention they’re living together in the house?”
Matthew felt as though he couldn’t breathe. “They’re not married and they’re living together? In sin?”
“Yup. See you later, Matthew.”
She touched his hand and he felt a strange pull away from her.
* * * * *
Matthew awoke with a start. In the dim morning light, he could see that he was in his familiar bedroom, Jan stirring by his side.
“What’s wrong?” she asked sleepily.
“The most horrid dream,” he replied. “I just hope that it wasn’t a premonition.”
“It was just a dream,” Jan scoffed. “You can’t put any stock in them.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Characters: Matthew, Jan, Heidi’s Simself
Rating: G
Summary: Matthew gets quite a shock when he sees where the legacy ends up.
Notes: AU and canon at the same time. AU because no supernaturally stuff actually exists in my ‘verse, but the events that Matthew sees towards the end are how I’m planning on ending the legacy.
Word Count: 1,137
He awoke to a loud, blasting beeping sort of noise.
“What the deuce is that?” Matthew grumbled as he searched for the source of the offending sound. His eyes settled on the small rectangular device that was on the nightstand. It appeared to be a clock of some sort, but he’d never seen a clock like it before. He threw back the bedcovers and picked up the strange object.
“Yes, you have achieved your goal and I am now awake. But how the devil do I shut you off?”
Purely by accident, he managed to silence it. After doing so, he decided to get back into bed. It was then that he realized there was something strange about the room.
“What is going on?!” he bellowed as he took inventory of his surroundings. The room while it looked like the one he shared with Jan was decidedly not the one he and his wife shared. It was still outfitted in blue tones, but their four poster bed had vanished and was replaced by what appeared to be a mattress simply placed on a block of wood. The furniture was all different, as were the wall hangings. Upon studying one closer, he saw that it was a photograph, but instead of the usual sepia tones he was used to this one was in full color.
He took a step back from the wall. Something was going on, and he was determined to find out what. But first, he would need to dress and face the day. His wardrobe was mysteriously missing, but he located his suits (if one could call them such) behind a door that led to a closet. Satisfied, he left the room, noticing all the differences between what he was used to and what was. The house was not the farmhouse he knew; it was a smaller abode much more suitable to a bachelor than to a man with a wife and children. And speaking of that wife and children, where the deuce was his family? He hurried out the door to see if he could figure out where he was.
Once outside, Matthew’s eyes were met with the sight of houses everywhere, and what appeared to be those newfangled horseless carriages rolling down the streets that were now paved. Gone were the familiar rolling hills and farmland that he was used to. Confused, he decided to head towards what should have been the center of town. As he crossed the road, a loud honking noise startled him.
“Hey, watch where you’re going, idiot!” yelled the man who was driving the automobile.
“I beg your pardon, it is you who needs to watch it,” Matthew shouted back.
“Whatever, Gramps. Just stay out of the road,” the man hollered as he sped away.
“What on earth has happened to me?” Matthew asked as he hurried towards the center of town, staying as far away from the roads as he could.
* * * * *
The day was nearly over, and Matthew was tired and hungry. He’s found a place that served food, but he’d refused to pay the exorbitant prices for it. Neither condition improved his mood as he wandered around the town he thought he’d known so well. As the sun was lowering in the sky, he noticed what appeared to be the old Governor’s Mansion. It, unlike the rest of the buildings in the center of town, looked almost exactly the same. He hurried towards it, and seeing that it was now a museum which was marked as “open,” he went inside.
Someone had painstakingly restored the mansion to its original colonial glory, and while it was old-fashioned Matthew suddenly felt much more at ease than he had all day. He heard the click of high heeled shoes, and looked to see a brunette woman with short hair coming towards him. She was dressed just as oddly as every other woman he’d met that day was, with black trousers and a purple sweater. She had a knowing smirk on her face that Matthew didn’t like.
“Can I help you with something, sir?”
When she spoke, Matthew realized exactly who she was.
“YOU!”
She smiled wryly. “I was wondering how long it would take you to catch on, Matthew.”
“What have you done to me, woman?”
“Really? Most people would jump at the chance to see what the future looks like.”
“This is the future?”
“Yes. This is what Simsfield will look like in the year 2013.”
“Well, I don’t like it one bit! Women wearing trousers and working and…”
“Owning property?” she smirked.
“They can do that?!?”
“Yeah, and vote, and drive, and keep money in their own name, and a whole bunch of stuff that I’m forgetting because I take it for granted. Isn’t it great?”
Matthew’s shoulders slumped. “Why did you do this to me?”
“I thought you’d like to see what became of your family.”
His head snapped up. “The Bradfords are still in Simsfield?”
“Of course they are. Still in the farmhouse, actually. Want to see?”
She placed her hand on Matthew’s arm, and suddenly they were in front of the old brick building that Matthew remembered from his childhood.
“It looks nearly the same…”
“It is. Inside looks really different, of course, what with all the electronics and stuff, but the outside hasn’t really changed since the place was built.”
“And it is still owned by my descendents?”
“Look,” she said as she gestured towards the front door where a young couple was coming out.
Matthew watched as they got into a car and drove off in what should have been the direction of Portsimouth. “Well, what do you know. They didn’t screw it up after all.”
She made an odd noise. “Ready to go back?”
“Yes.”
She concentrated for a moment, and moved her hand towards his arm again. Just before it touched his sleeve, she grinned evilly. “By the way, I thought you’d like to know that it was the girl who is actually your descendent…she’s not yet decided if she’s keeping ‘Bradford’ when they get married or not.”
Matthew gasped. “You mean the house is going to a girl?”
The woman smiled sweetly. “Yes. Oh, did I mention they’re living together in the house?”
Matthew felt as though he couldn’t breathe. “They’re not married and they’re living together? In sin?”
“Yup. See you later, Matthew.”
She touched his hand and he felt a strange pull away from her.
* * * * *
Matthew awoke with a start. In the dim morning light, he could see that he was in his familiar bedroom, Jan stirring by his side.
“What’s wrong?” she asked sleepily.
“The most horrid dream,” he replied. “I just hope that it wasn’t a premonition.”
“It was just a dream,” Jan scoffed. “You can’t put any stock in them.”
“I hope you’re right.”