Ryan turned off the TV and threw the remote down in disgust.
“The stupid Sharks!” he yelled “I can’t believe we lost to the Sharks!”
“We lost to the Sharks.” Said Sawyer “But the refs were wearing Sharks jerseys.”
Ryan and Sawyer consoled each other over their team’s loss. The Red Wings were out of the playoffs, so there would be no more Detroit hockey until the fall.
“Want a pizza?” Ryan asked in despair
“Yeah.” Said Sawyer as he took off his Red Wings hat and sighed out loud. “Extra pepperoni.”
Ryan stood to leave and reached for his keys when he suddenly vanished before Sawyer’s eyes!
“Ryan!?” said Sawyer “Where are you!? What happened!?”
Then the phone rang. Sawyer picked it up and listened.
“I know you can hear me, dog.” Said the voice “Killing you will be so much easier now that your fool owner is gone.”
Sawyer snarled. He knew he couldn’t communicate back. He also knew who it was on the other end of the line. Doctor Apocalypse.
“Time travel is possible, beast.” Explained Doctor Apocalypse “The boy was much easier to silence when he was in grade school!” he laughed
‘He went back in time and killed Ryan when he was young?’ thought Sawyer ‘Now what am I going to do?’
“I must go, beast.” Said Doctor Apocalypse “But I will be paying you a final visit very soon.”
The phone went dead. Sawyer needed to do something. He needed to go back in time to prevent Apocalypse from killing Ryan. He sprinted down the hall towards Ryan and Annie’s room and started tearing apart Ryan’s drawers. He tossed his clothes all over the room looking for something. Then he found it: The radio that had sent them back in time last year. Then Annie walked in and saw the mess he had made.
“Sawyer!” yelled Annie “Bad dog!”
Sawyer ignored her, grabbed the radio in his mouth and ran past her.
“Come back here!” she yelled at him
Sawyer ran outside, turned on the radio, set the channel to 1989 and pressed the talk button.
“I hope he’s still alive in 1989…” said Sawyer as a flash of light temporarily blinded him.
Sawyer was right back where he was a second ago, but it was different this time. The house he had just ran out of was gone. Instead, there was a for sale sign by a dirt road. Sawyer started walking towards town. Or at least where he hoped to find a town. After a short walk, he found a gas station.
“$1.15 for a gallon of gas!?” yelled a man as he refueled his truck “What’s this world coming to?”
“Highway robbery!” said another as he did the same
‘$1.15 for gas?’ thought Sawyer ‘I must have made it. Now to find Ryan.’
* * * * *
Ryan approached the door to his school. He had been attending there for 3 years, but he felt like the new kid again. It was June, 1989 and he was in summer school. All of his friends were off for the summer and it was mostly kids from other schools that were here, so even though this was his school, he was the outsider.
‘Maybe I can impress these other guys somehow.’ Thought Ryan
* * * * *
Sawyer ran towards Ryan’s old school. He had shown it to Sawyer once before. Since it was the middle of the day, he should be there. He just needed to find him before Apocalypse did. Once he found the school, he walked up to the gym window and looked inside. There were dozens of kids standing in line to register. Then he found Ryan. He looked as if he wanted to say something to the kids talking in front of him.
‘I’ll just make up some lie!’ thought Ryan ‘These guys will think I’m the coolest kid here if they think I have cool toys… and they’ll never know! Now what toy collection is popular…’
“Hey.” Said Ryan to one of the boys
“What.” He asked impatiently
“I own the entire Willow collection.” Said Ryan
‘He actually said that?’ thought Sawyer ‘I thought he was kidding…’
“Willow sucks.” Said the boy as he turned back around and continued his conversation.
Ryan hung his head in shame.
‘Guessed wrong, loser!’ he thought to himself
“Is there a Ryan here?” asked a man who had just walked into the gym. He had strange goggles over his eyes and it looked as if he had been badly burned once before.
“Here.” Said Ryan
“Come with me, please.” Said the man
Ryan left the line he had been standing in to follow the man. Peering through the window, Sawyer growled at the man that Ryan was following. It was Doctor Apocalypse. Sawyer ran around the building to find a door. He had to get inside and stop Apocalypse!
“Am I in trouble?” asked Ryan
“Not at all.” Said Apocalypse “I just need your signature on some papers.” He lied
“Signature?” said Ryan “I don’t have a signature. I’m 8.”
“Just shut up and follow me you little brat!” Apocalypse snarled back. His patience had run out. He just wanted to eliminate Ryan and get back to 2010.
‘Who is this guy?’ thought Ryan ‘Maybe a teacher from a different school?’
Doctor Apocalypse opened the door to the teacher’s lounge and motioned for Ryan to follow. Ryan walked in as Apocalypse closed the door behind him.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am right now, Ryan.” Said Doctor Apocalypse as he pulled out a silenced pistol.
Ryan stood frozen in fear as Apocalypse aimed the gun at his face.
“Who let that dog in here!” cried a voice outside the room
Doctor Apocalypse suddenly looked past Ryan in shock just as the door flew open. Sawyer charge Doctor Apocalypse and grabbed the gun before he could fire it!
“Ryan! Run!” yelled Sawyer
“You can talk!?” said Ryan “What the heck is going on here!”
“Run I said!” Sawyer snapped as he wrestled with Doctor Apocalypse
Ryan turned and ran out the door. Sawyer got the gun away from Apocalypse and fired three rounds into his chest.
“Blasted beast!” yelled Apocalypse as he fell back and lay motionless
Sawyer threw the gun into the trash and ran outside to find Ryan. He found him running across the playground towards his house.
“Wait!” yelled Sawyer as he ran after Ryan
Ryan turned and saw the talking dog running towards him.
“Help!” he cried “A talking dog is chasing me!”
“No, it’s alright!” said Sawyer as he caught him “I’m… from the future.”
Ryan listened as Sawyer explained what happened. He explained who he was and why he had to stop Doctor Apocalypse. They continued to talk until they reached the empty lot where Ryan would someday own a house.
“This is where I’m going to live?” asked Ryan
“This is it.” Said Sawyer
“And only I can understand you when you talk?” said Ryan
“Yeah, so far.” Said Sawyer
“Huh… And now that Apocalypse guy is dead so… you gotta go?” he asked
“I should.” Said Sawyer “Besides, I have to make fun of your future self.” Sawyer said with a laugh
“Why?” asked Ryan
“Let’s just say you become much cooler in 20 years.” Said Sawyer
“That’s good…” said Ryan “… Hey!”
* * * * *
Sawyer adjusted the radio to read 2010 and prepared to press the button.
“Well, good luck, Ryan” said Sawyer “Remember, watch more hockey and less basketball.”
“Thanks, Sawyer. I will” said Ryan
Just then, Doctor Apocalypse tackled Sawyer from behind! Sawyer dropped the radio and tried to defend himself from Doctor Apocalypse’s punches! Ryan picked up the radio and tried to hit Apocalypse with it!
“No!” cried Sawyer “I need that!”
Ryan put it back down and searched for something else. He found a big stick, ran towards Doctor Apocalypse and was about to break it over his head when Apocalypse grabbed the stick out of his hands, knocked Ryan out with it and threw it away all in one motion. Ryan fell in a heap onto the ground and lay their motionless.
“You’re next, beast!” said Doctor Apocalypse
‘Not so fast…’ thought Sawyer
Sawyer bit Apocalypse in the arm as he tried to punch him. Apocalypse cried out in pain as he pulled back. Sawyer freed himself and grabbed the radio. Doctor Apocalypse tackled him as he tried to press the button, but it was too late. A bright flash of light blinded them both as they were transported back to 2010. Ryan woke up and looked around. Sawyer was gone. Doctor Apocalypse was gone. But at least he was safe now.
* * * * *
As soon as Sawyer and Doctor Apocalypse came to, they found themselves in Ryan and Annie’s house. Apocalypse grabbed Sawyer by the neck and tried to choke him! Sawyer couldn’t get free and was starting to black out when a shotgun blast echoed throughout the house. Apocalypse slumped over and grabbed at his back. Sawyer looked up to find Ryan standing there with his shotgun. Smoke rose from the barrel as he loaded another shell into the chamber.
“You alright, Sawyer?” asked Ryan
“Yeah, thanks.” Said Sawyer “Man, am I glad to see you.”
Suddenly, Doctor Apocalypse groaned and shifted.
“He must be wearing a bullet proof vest!” said Sawyer
“Let’s see if this works…” said Ryan as he put the barrel of his shotgun in Apocalypse’s mouth
BOOM!
* * * * *
Officer Culver took Ryan’s statement.
“Thank you for your cooperation” said Officer Culver
“Is he dead?” asked Ryan, pretending to be upset
Officer Culver looked up from his notes. “You blew his jaw off. I’d say he’s gone.”
* * * * *
“Hey!” said Annie as she walked in the house
“What’s up?” asked Ryan
“They opened up a Starbucks just down the street!” Annie beamed with joy
After Annie had left the room, Sawyer leaned over to Ryan and asked, “He is dead, right?”
“I sure hope so. Because if he isn’t, he’s gonna be so pissed at us.” Said Ryan “But I guess that will have to be a story for another time.”
