I looked down at the stack of books, and the one on top got my attention. It was titled "Somewhere In Time" by R.J. Stevens.
I was curious about it, so I picked it up and went back to my table to read it. It was a time travel book. I sat down and started to read it; before I knew it the library was closing. I had to leave, but I also had to read the rest of the book, so I checked it out and went home.
When I got home, Sandy tried to talk to me, but I completely brushed her off. I was compelled to finish the book. I read and read until 2 in the morning, and by then the book was finished.
This book held my answer. The author R.J. Stevens claimed to know how to time travel, but it wasn't like you see in the movies. He said you didn't have to be a scientist, or even build a time machine. Everything you needed was contained inside you, with the exception of a few extra items to help you along.
According to him it worked like this: First you had to pick a time, like July 4th 1776. Then you had to go to the place that you would like to end up. For instance if you wanted to try and stop the murder of JFK, you would travel to Dallas.
Once you get to the place you want to time travel to, you need to find a hotel room. If the place you want to travel back in time is in your hometown then you can stay at home. Basically you need a place where you can have privacy. But it has to be someplace that existed in the time you are planning on going to.
Another thing that is important is clothing. You needed to do your research and find clothing that people would wear in the time you are going to. You don't want to go back to puritan times wearing a mini skirt.
Next you need to get anything you think you need for the time you are going to. It cant be big, only stuff that will fit in your pocket. The only things that you can take with you are what are on your body. If you need money you can try and get the currency they used in those days. However, this can be costly, so the author suggests that you buy jewelry (Mainly diamonds and gold) and then sell it when you get to the place you are going.
Then wherever you go for your privacy (the hotel room, or your home) you need to arrange the room you are in. You need to take out whatever was not yet invented in the time you are going to. It just has to be the immediate area, you can stuff everything you don't need the closet if you want. Modern things will distract you, like a T.V. if you are going back to the Middle Ages.
Then finally the actual time travel. You lie down on the bed, or on the floor and begin. You have to close your eyes and repeat over and over the time you want to go to. July, 4th 1776, July, 4th 1776, July, 4th 1776, July, 4th 1776, July, 4th 1776. And if it all goes to plan you should eventually end up in the time you want to be in.
However there were a couple of drawbacks to this theory that made me worry. One was that the author himself had never been able to stay in the place he tried to go to. In fact he only stayed a couple seconds in the places he went. Once he wanted to see Napoleon in the battle of Waterloo. He was able to see Napoleon for a second before he was thrown back to his own time. However the author never said why he thinks that that always happened to him.
Another thing that made me worry was if I went back to the sixties and I completely hated it, how could I get back? But I knew deep down that I would like being in Liverpool with Paul.
I decided that I would try this out. The first thing I did was to buy $500,000 worth of jewelry. It went against my nature to spend that much, but I knew I would need it. Besides, if this whole thing did not work out I could always sell it back.
The next thing I did was get my college record. All it took was a little scan, and some typing and I was a student in 1961 instead of 2001.
Next was my birth certificate and I did the same thing. I was now born on May 12, 1943 instead of May 12, 1983.
The last one was the hardest, my passport. However I happened upon an old passport in an antiques shop. It was strange because the person had the same birth date as me and the passport was activated in May of 1961. So all I had to do was change the picture and I was done. If I stayed for a long time I planned on "losing" this passport and getting a new, valid, one.
Finally, I bought a plane ticket to London that left in three days. From London I would catch a train to Liverpool.
Next I called the Britannia Adelpi Hotel and reserved a room. I asked for one that the Beatles had stayed in, and the lady I spoke to said she had just the one for me.
The last part was the hardest. Saying goodbye to Sandy and her parents. They didn't understand why I was going back to England. I had to lie to them and say that I just needed to get away for a while.
They reluctantly accepted this and brought me to the airport. I hugged them goodbye like I was never going to see them again. For all I knew that was true.
At last, I boarded the plane that would bring me to the past and my future.
