Andy sees my expression and looks confused. "Is everything alright?"

I ignore her and try to get a closer look at the woman in front of us. The seat is blocking most of her body, but I can see a bit. I draw in air sharply. The hair... the way she holds herself... it is unmistakable.

"Anne?" I mutter under my breath.

Malik, who has been looking out of the window, gives me a concerned look. "Something going on? What's up with you two?"

"Oh my god." I mumble in shock, then try to find the right words to tell Malik and Andy without breaking down. "You two, do you see that woman in front of us?"

They both nod.

I take a deep breath. "I- I think I know her. From back home."

Malik looks at the woman I am referring to, then at me. "Are you sure? Who was she?"

I nod. "I am sure. Her name was Anne Fletcher. She-she was the daughter of the Prime Minister and she was honestly one of the best people in my life." I take a shaky breath. "She helped out, she was there for my mom the entire time and everyone thought she was dead."

"How did she die?" Malik asks gently.

"There was an explosion in a factory where she worked part-time, because she was only around twenty years old. It injured fourty-eight people but she was the only person who died. She was like a big sister to me. After all that..." I trailed off.

Malik looks at me. "Right. Take a deep breath. Try to figure out what she would be doing here."

I do so and look at her again. The marble took us back in time randomly, so what is she doing here, a presumed dead person?

Andy turns to us. "Why don't you go and ask her? She's not evil, after all."

"That is a fair point." is all I say.

"Good luck." Malik says.

I clear my throat and try to get her attention. "Umm, excuse me?"

To my gratefulness, she turns arpund but does not seem to recognise me. "Yes?"

I look at her face, reminded of everything that happened back home. "Are you Mrs Anne Fletcher?"

She nods. "Yes. Why do you ask?" Suddenly, a look of recognition and shock passes her face. "Wait a moment... Luke? Is that you?"

Overcome by emotion, I nod silently.

Anne looks at me in confusion and alarm. "I- what are you doing here?"

"It is a long story. I thought you were dead!"

Anne looks sheepish and somewhat upset. "I- I never wanted you to find out..."

"Why? What happened?" I say.

She takes a deep breath. "The explosion... I faked my death, Luke. The marble... it took me here and I couldn't save the future. I had to try again, so I... I managed to make another copy. I spent years doing it in the factory, but when I did... oh god, Luke, I wish I could have gone back. The explosion was caused by me and now I am stuck here. But now you are here..."

I take a moment to take in all the information. This changes everything. If Anne found a way to get back to the past, then I can find a way to get back into the present. Well, the future. But you get what I mean.

Andy voices my thoughts. "Woah." she says.

I nod. "Yes. But, Anne, how did you do it? How did you find a way to get back?"

Anne pauses. "I... I cannot really remember. I was so young and naïve at the time. All I remember is asking someone... a man... for help, and he gave me some intructions. We were old friends, and he owed me anyway. I am sorry, Luke."

I close my eyes for a few seconds, then open them again. "No. No, it is fine. That was the past. Well, the future, technically speaking. But you get my point."

Malik chuckles, lightening the mood. "Yeah." his expression then turns serious and he faces Anne. "If that man knew how to get back to the past, wouldn't he do it himself? And technically, wouldn't he know how to get back as well?"

Andy grins happily. "Screw the marble- I like this idea!"

I nod, but still feel unsure. "That is a good idea, but how are we going to find him?"

Anne looks lioe she has just remembered something. "Wait... he gave a note, if ever I needed to contact him." she rummaged in her purse and held a small note out to me. "Here. It might have something to do with his location."

I take a the note and thank her. It is crumpled and made out of old parchment, and the writing is scrawly and rushed. I unfold it and read it to Malik and Andy quietly.

sEas of longing, blue and Vast

trail across our homEs, what is theiR meaning

is it happY, or is it full of sAdness

ore they a Never, or Do they lAst forever

caN we understand them, or will they remain beautifullY mysterious

REMEMBER THE MEANING

Malik frowns. "O..kay, then."

I pause, looking hard at the note. Why on Earth would the man write Anne a note about the sea? Then suddenly it comes to me. 

The letters.

I show them the note and point at it. "Look- some letters are in capitals! It might be some sort of clue or something like that."

Andy reads it out slowly. "Ev...every an...d an.. any. Every and any. What's that supposed to mean?"

I shrug. "I am not sure. Maybe it is a code for a location?" I look at Malik. "Do you have any idea?"

Malik thinks for a moment, his eyebrow furrowing in thought before he looks at us. "Well, actually, I think I might do. There's a place... central Birmingham... some sort of hiding place, I think. It's called Every and Any, so maybe he's somewhere around there?"

I nod. "Yes, that has to be it."

Malik grins. "So we're going to central. Never been there before. This ought to be good!"

Andy looks a bit uncertain for some reason. "Uh, guys? That means we're on the wrong bus."

Anne nods. "That is what I was going to say."

A look of realisation dawns on Malik's face as he takes this in. "Oh crud. Double crud. Triple crud. Let's just get off at the next stopping point and try to find another bus." He looks at the timetable above, which shows where we are. "Thankfully, we're only around half an hour away."

I think for a moment. "Wait. Are you sure you know where it is?"

Malik shrugs. "We'll find it eventually. Hopefully."

I nod. "Wonderful."

Anne looks at the timetable, then at us. "Well, bye- this is my slot. It was nice talking to you and you can keep the note." She then turns to me. "Luke, if you get back, tell your mother I love her."

I give a sad smile, remembering how worried my mom must feel. "I will. Thank you, Anne."

She gets up and smiles. "No problem. Good luck!"

Malik stands up as well. "We can leave the bus here- this is the closest we're going to be to central."

He stands up and Andy and I follow. We leave the bus with around five other people (including Anne) and I step onto the pavement, feeling slightly dizzy from being in a vehicle for the first time in a while.

Malik walks over to the timetable and curses in what seems to be Arabic. Switching back to English, he turns to us. "The next bus that goes there arrives in an hour. So it's either wait an hour for the bus and spend another half an hour getting there, or spend an hour walking."

"Walking." Andy and I chorus.

Malik hitches his backpack higher onto his shoulder. "Thought so. By the way, this will be an amazing opportunity to tell every country's capital city, their origins and a load of other stuff!" He grins evilly. "The geography lesson of a lifetime!"

We both groan in response. 

This is exactly what I meant when I said it could be a long trip.

***

We are only five minutes into the walk and already I have what feels like the World's Most Painful Headache. Malik has told us everything there is to know about Russia, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, New Zealand, England, Lebanon, India, Dubai, Madagascar and at least fifty others. I am surprised he has not lost his voice yet.

While he talks, Andy nudges me. "Mal teaches all the kids from age four to thirteen, including this. If he's this chatty now, imagine him back at the Den."

Wow. "I do not think I even want to think about that. It must be torture."

She nods solemnly. "It really is. And he digresses so much. At some point around now, he's probably going to end up talking about the function of cars."

And true to her words, Malik was now explaining the difference between an automatic and manual car, whatever that was. To be honest, I do not think he even cares that we are here or not; he is just talking. And talking. And talking.

After a while, Andy nudges me again. "So, how's life?"

I shrug. "Confusing. What about you?"

She pauses. "Wierd. Random."

I nod. "That makes sense." 

Andy laughs quietly. "Yeah, it does."

In front of us, Malik is still talking at the speed of sound. He is now going on about the differences between African elephants and Asian elephants.

I glance at Andy. "I still do not get how you survive him."

Andy laughs. "I don't."

Word count: 1560