The Time Portal 2: Escape in Time by Joe Corso [time travel] Page A

tranquility and the safety of the ranch and she seemed to be quite comfortable with the workers, Lucky, and friends. Eventually, by hanging out with Sam, she was able to communicate that her father was indeed Nicholas II of Russia and her mother, Alexandra Fyodorovna. Her depression over the loss of her family was strong, but began to ease a little throughout the weeks as she adjusted to her new surroundings. She was a fun-loving girl, a prankster, who given her nature, could not remain depressed for long. Soon, she began to blend in and feel safe at the ranch, but the fact remained that she was still royalty from another time.
    “I don’t really know what to do with her,” Lucky said to Mickey one evening. “I can’t just take her back to her own world, where she will be killed, yet I’m in a state of altering, or have already, altered history.”
    Mickey just listened. Then it hit him, Lucky’s words.
    “Damn, Lucky.” he said. “Geez, man, this is a pretty big deal. I never thought of it that way. Well, let’s check right now on Wikipedia and see what it says about her. Since you already changed history, it should be there, right?”
    Lucky’s eyes lit up. Mickey was right. History had already been changed and it was certain to be duly noted on the internet, in history books, and in classrooms around the world. This was a big dilemma and one that he just could not handle in one evening. There was a lot to think about, another day, after a good night’s rest.
    The following day, Lucky had Mickey drive Sam and Anastasia into Alice Springs to get the young girl outfitted for clothing appropriate for ranch living. They were gone the better part of the morning and when they returned, Mickey laughingly told the story of how upset Anastasia had become after eyeing the women’s bikini bathing suits and short dresses. She found them disgusting, as in her time apparently, women’s bathing suits covered the entire body from head to toes. Modesty was key, as Anastasia had explained to Sam, and was considered the epitome of class.
    The boxes were placed on the table and Anastasia began to open them. Lucky got a kick out of watching her. Sam and Mickey collected the clothing and carried the items into her room. A short while later Anastasia emerged, looking and acting every bit the typical teenage girl, glowing as she paraded around the room, modeling. The group applauded as she emerged with each new ensemble, none of them being exactly what Lucky had intended for ranch life. As she walked around, proudly displaying her new handbag, she heard Charlie call from outside. She turned around to see his head peering through the door. Charlie motioned for her to step outside for a moment. Anastasia put down the purse and walked out onto the porch. Standing before her was a majestic white mare, her tail wagging and her head raised high, in an almost regal way. Next to the mare stood a towering, stallion, as black as night.
    Anastasia smiled at the horses.
    “Beautiful,” she said in her broken English.
     
    Charlie was a compassionate type of man, unafraid to show his genteel side. His compassion showed as he tended his animals, the way he dealt with his hired hands and the welcoming arms that he extended to those in the community. This empathy now extended to Anastasia. He felt sorry for her having lost her family, being whisked away to a new world and he had grown fond of her – her sparkle, her spirit, her child-like wonder.
    Charlie pointed to the mare and said, “Moonbeam. Moonbeam is her name.“
    He held out his arm and helped Anastasia onto the horse. She squealed with delight. It was not clear as to whether or not she had ridden before, but there was a good likelihood that her family had owned horses and stables. She was not afraid, that much was certain. Nevertheless, Charlie guided her step by step, showing her how to mount the horse, how to dismount, and how to gingerly get Moonbeam to move along, slow down or come