A/n: This is scientist Shakespeare.

I hate finding messages in blood on the walls. Especially if I just time traveled.

Let me explain.

It was a normal day in the lab. We had only caused two explosions that day and only sustained a few injuries. The only not normal thing was Hezikiah was singing.

"Brain damage, brain damage," he sung to the tune of jingle damage as he hooked some wires together. "Brain damage everywhere! Shakespeare got in the machine that malfunctioned and what's left of her brain is gone!"

I listened, perched sitting on top of our large white machine, finding the off-key song fascinating and inspiring. I always volunteered to test our experiments in the lab and Hez always said that it was roasting what little brains I had. I mean, he had a point. I'm not sure it's good for you to glow pink for an entire day and in the meanwhile everything you touch melts.

Glenis threw Hez an acid-y look.

"It won't malfunction, Hez," she said in annoyance. "I worked out everything and it's going to work."

"Or it will explode," Saxton's muffled voice came from inside the large refrigerator we were working on. He was painting the inside blue, a color he thought necessary for the function of this experiment.

Dallas snorted and Glenis glared at him. He pretended not to notice as he measured some syrup colored liquid into a cup that would be attached to the machine.

Hm. Syrup. I forgot to eat breakfast and pancakes sounded good. But maybe not syrup. Maybe honey. Or whipped cream with strawberries.

"Shakespeare."

I looked down at Gelnis and she looked even more stressed and annoyed.

"You weren't listening, were you?"

I shook my head.

She sighed and tugged on the hem of her black t-shirt. "Here is how the machine works. You are going to sit in the machine and get sent forward in time twenty-four hours. Walk out and observe the lab for about thirty seconds then get back in and you'll be transported back. Okay?"

I nodded.

"You got all of that?"

I nodded.

"It's a miracle!" Hez crowd. "She actually listened and got it all."

He seemed in high spirits. I hoped he would start singing more Shakespeare themed Christmas songs.

I realized I was being too quiet and started shaking myself side to side so that the time traveling machine would start to shake too. I heard Saxton accidentally kick his bucket of paint over and he cursed. The others ignored the movement and continued to work. Hez started to sway with it as he twisted a few more wires together.

I smirked and stopped so that Saxton could open the door and look out indignantly.

"Your shoes are blue," I observed.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Sorry."

He shrugged. "Whatever. I like them better this way. Although," he turned to Glenis. "It's not very neat in here anymore."

Glenis cursed as he disappeared back inside. "This first time machine will look like it's put together by a bunch of kids!"

"Glenis," Dallas helped Hezikiah duck tape some wires down. "We are kids."

"But our work doesn't have to look like it!"

"Like it doesn't already," Dallas muttered as he stepped back and took in the duck taped, painted blue, fridge looking machine.

Glenis collapsed into a chair, covered her face, and screamed in frustration.

I jumped on Hezikiah and climbed down him, using him as ladder.

"There, there," I said, walking over to Glenis. "Here," I pulled a cookie from my pocket. "Have a biscuit."

"Shakespeare," she said as she took it and started nibbling on it. "This is a cookie, not a biscuit."

I shrugged. "That's what British people call it."

"Shakespeare, you're not British."

"I am a few generations back."

"Ooh-hoo, someone's been doing some family history work."

"Family Search, baby!" I yelled and accidentally kicked a table with acids on it. It started to go through the floor so I ignored it.

"Done," Dallas said suddenly.

Hezikiah squinted at the wire work, pushed one into place, and nodded his agreement.

Saxton stepped out of the machine. He was covered in blue but he didn't seem to mind. "I also have red paint," he said. "If we have time to do some designs in there."

"We don't," Glenis stood, all business. I probably mentioned this in my last story but it's a big deal to have your experiment chosen for the entire lab to work on.

"The paint isn't dry," Saxton pointed out.

I happily scuttled into the time machine and stuck my hands on the wet paint and then applied war paint on my face.

Hez gave me a smile that said he hoped someone would kill him or me.

"Obviously that doesn't seem to worry Shakespeare." Some of the tension went out of Glenis's face and it looked like she wanted to laugh.

I plopped down in the swirly chair chair we had ducked taped on the inside. I tried to put on a serious face as I said "Beam me up, Scotty!"

Hez closed the door still wearing the pained smile on his face.

I heard some weird noises and then my ears popped.

"Guys?" I called.

No answer.

I opened the door and stepped out. The lab seemed about the same except for the large letters written in blood "SORRY". I blinked in surprise and then noticed a corpse caked in blood with its back to me. It was obviously in its final throws of death.

I screeched and retreated into the time machine, slamming the door shut behind me.

My heart dropped when I heard someone run into the room and start banging on the outside of the machine.

But thankfully I heard a noise and my ears popped. I threw open the door and stepped out.

"Did it work?" Glenis was sitting at the controls.

"We're all going to die!" I screamed.

"That's nice," Dallas said. "Now, what did you see?"

"Everyone was gone, blood on the wall, body on the floor!"

Everyone stared at me. Then there was mass hysteria. Once we all calmed down the room was entirely boarded up and we had decided to hide out in the lab.

We waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And Hez kept singing and I stole some food out of Saxton's bag.

And we waited.

And I got bored.

And we waited.

And I may or may not have painted Saxton's face red while he was sleeping.

And we waited.

And I felt bad so I painted the word "SORRY" above him just in case he woke up before I did.

He did and got freaked out.

And then after much waiting and sleeping it was five minutes before I was supposed to show up.

"Shakespeare, what did the message in blood look like and where was it?" Glenis asked.

I looked around and pointed at the "SORRY" I had painted on the wall.

"Just like that."

"Shakespeare... what if that that's what you saw?"

"But the body..." My eyes widened. "Guys, I have an idea."

I explained and everyone hid while I dipped myself in Saxton's red paint and laid out like I was dead.

The time machine rattled and I heard my past self call "Guys?" We didn't answer, just waited quietly.

Past me opened the door and stepped out. I tried hard not to laugh but failed epically so I started silently shaking.

Past me shrieked and ran back into the machine, slamming the door shut. This was Hez's cue so he got up and ran to the machine and started banging on it. I could almost hear my past self hyperventilating. Then the time machine rattled and we all burst out laughing.