Repeating History

An Imaginative Twist on Time Travel

Repeating History is the story of a young man who travels to Yellowstone on his motorcycle and is there when the 1959 earthquake hits. The “Jolt” sends him back into time to 1877 to become his own great-grandfather. Nicknamed Chuck in modern times, Charles McManis discovered the name unheard of by the people he meets in 1877, so he becomes Charley. He meets his future wife, his great-grandma whom he vaguely remembers as a child, who is traveling with a husband and a young sister as tourists to the park. Charley is without food, shelter, or any means of travel except on foot (the bike didn’t come with him) and so is invited to travel with them. The Nez Perce, who in 1877 did capture some tourists after fleeing soldiers who’d nearly wiped them out in a place called Big Hole, Montana, capture the woman and young girl, shooting the husband and leaving him for dead. Charley follows on foot and catches up to the Indians holding the woman and girl. The Nez Perce don’t hold them for long, but the struggle to get to civilization and great-grandmother Eliza’s home looms large and of course the husband was left back there along the trail and in her mind he needs a proper burial. But he’s not dead yet. Although I’m probably mostly right brained and have written a time travel story myself where the impossible becomes possible, my left brain couldn’t help but ponder the consequences of becoming your own great-grandfather and it (my left brain) keep looking to the future and the questions piled upon questions which weren’t resolved in the end, but may be in a sequel on down the road. Meg Justus loves Yellowstone and its history, I look for her one day to write non-fiction stories and articles about the park, one of her favorite, if not her very favorite place in the world.

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