The Time Traveler

I have always said that that if you go where a book takes you, your mind will be there also. I like the stories written in books better than seeing it in a movie. The movie is never the same. The movie is usually disappointing because the producers change the story line. If you haven't read the book then you won't know the difference. People take advantage of this all the time in history. History is changed to what they want it to be. It is better to know your history, so someone can't change it to their liking. We need to know our history, all of it, the good and the bad, to learn from it. Better than a book or movie would be the ability to go back into time.

I wish I could go back in time. What an awesome experience that would be. Time travel has been in science fiction books and movies since the beginning of books and movies, I think. The reality of time travel is fiction.

But, what if time travel is real. You know, when you can go back in time and see first-hand what happened. A time traveler could go and witness first hand the events and people of long ago. You wouldn't have to rely on books or inaccurate movies to know what really happened. Besides all that, it would be cool to go back in time. If time travel was real, would you do it? Or would you be a chicken liver and stay home?

Since I got interested in going back into time, I went to the Redding Library to find a book on the subject. They had The Time Traveler's Wife, but it was checked out. I know another book turned into a movie. The library also had a book called The Brotherhood of the Traveling Underpants, but not exactly what I was looking for. Then I went to the science fiction section and the book The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, and selected short stories by H.G. Wells was on the shelf. Well, I had to get the book. This book was old and dusty and it looked like it hadn't been opened since it was published in 1963 and was placed in the library in the downtown location. It was moved to the new location and put on the shelf never to be touched again. At least that is what I think until I opened it.

As I was previewing the book, looking at the Table of Contents, the front and back cover, when I discovered something very odd and strange. As I was flipping through the pages I discovered the book had a secret compartment. In the back part of the book, the pages were carved out. When the book was closed you could not see the hollow cavity. It looked like a normal book from the outside not knowing that there was a special treasure hidden on the inside.

Now, please don't tell anyone about what I found and discovered. Keep this a secret between you and me. I know there is nobody reading this anyway, so I can tell my story and know that it won't get out to the world. If this gets out then I know YOU spilled the beans.

Back to what I found in the book. There was what looked like a thumb drive and an odd looking thing that looked like some kind of hand held device. My heart was pounding as I was trying to figure out what I had just discovered. Would it lead me to a hidden treasure in the Iron Mountain Mine or to the gold coins believed hidden at the old Waugh Hotel site which is on the Sacramento River Trail? All I knew that these items had to be important, so I checked the book out of the library and went home.

This is the History Mystery Man signing off for now until I write again.

Copyright © 2009 by Ted Weyand. All rights reserved.