3TS: The Chances of Starting Again

Smoke

Getting to know her...

Suddenly, the tricycle began to smoke just as the tricycle began to slow down.

"What?" Ria said to herself, but I could hear the worry in her voice.

"What's wrong?"

She brings the tricycle to a complete stop before she starts to check every knob and meter. "This is just going to take a minute." She popped open the driver's seat and dug out some tools.

"What should I do?" I said, hoping to help. But she raised up her hand.

"No, I don't need help. Just...talk to me. Ask me anything." She said simply, as she pulled out a screwdriver.

I thought hard, hoping to take advantage of the situation. "Okay, let me start out by asking...How did you get to travel through time?"

She doesn't even look up at me, "Well, I was recruited into this service."

"How?" I raise an eyebrow.

"It's classified." She started to unscrew a knob.

The way she said classified reminded me of the first time I met her. The way she introduced herself. Everything about her..her shades...her cool-looking silver tricycle...her clothes...they all seemed to be a mystery.

"You told me Ria wasn't your real name?"

She wipes her forehead, "Yes."

"Then, what's your real name?" I ask, fingering my backpack's loose edging.

She looks up at me, and puts on a sly smile, "Secret."

I nod slowly, "Okay...What about those times when I saw you in the distance? Before I even met you?"

She pulled out a long string of silver that was stuck on the inner side of the knob, "What about it?"

"Were you stalking me?" I said, feeling suddenly curious.

She stood up straight, waving the silver string. "I already met you. I just went back in time to see who your friends were. What your troubles were. What your life was about...all that stuff."

When she said it that way, it made sense. Going back in time. But how many times did she go back? And why am I limited to going back in time?

"Why do I get only four times to go back in time? And why can't I go in the future?" I ask again. I stop playing with the edge of my backpack and hold my breath.

"You had five times. But yeah, the first one was more of a trial." She said, clicking the knob's cover back in place. "The thing is, this is a tricycle. It's meant for one person to limitlessly go back in time. That's the driver's benefit. But having two people in a small vehicle like this...the vehicle can't take that much weight in going through specific paths of time. It can't go that far back. I can't even go into the future because this little vehicle can't take the pressure." She dusted her hands off, throwing the screwdriver back into its case.

Before I could ask anything more, she ignites the engine.

"Alright, time to ride. Let's hope this thing doesn't blow."

"Wait, what?"

She said it like it was nothing. But I didn't want to get blown up.

It was too late to turn back now. We were speeding down the road again as fast as lightning.