"And while history may progress on, events are destined to repeat themselves by those who don't learn from the past. One can't expect a new result without changing their approach," said Professor Yates in his lesson. "I'd like to end today's lecture on that note. So have a good day everyone."

Suddenly I was back in class just as the lecture was ending. My jaw dropped. The clock said 3:17 too. I looked down at my leg, and the cut and bandage were nowhere to be seen. I was really back in the past, exactly where I was at this time. I was hopeful that it would work, but I was still amazed at actually experiencing it.

Then Tyus leaned over.

"Will," he whispered.

He caught me off guard from my admiration like the first time. But he continued, "Look, to be honest I've been contemplating if I should even tell you this, but I felt like I should."

"You're building a time machine," I said.

"What? Wait, do you actually know or was that just a lucky guess?" Tyus was stunned, but still trying to whisper.

"I know, because it worked," I said. "I just used it to get back here."

Tyus looked shocked, proud, and happy at the same time, with his eyes wide open.

"You're serious? Why did you use it?," he asked me.

"I, well, I volunteered to be the first person to test it." I didn't want to tell him what really happened, assuming it would only make him sadder. I wanted it to be like Lucia had never died, no one needed to know. I technically wasn't lying to him either, and he listened to me.

For a moment he just sat there in awe, much more confident than I was.

"Thank you," he said. The bell rang and we started to leave class, but Tyus got enthusiastic. "You should come with, this is monumental! They'll wanna hear everything about this!"

"Uh, sorry, I'm going to see Lucia," I said.

"Well, right, have fun then. We can meet about it tomorrow." Tyus was never pushy about asking me to do things, whether it was a small thing or a never-done-in-the-history-of-humanity thing. "But your act means a lot!" he finished.

I said my goodbye and continued to the stairs, going to meet Lucia. But I was focused on saving her this time. I couldn't let that truck get near her. I thought it might be safest to just not go to Denzel's at all. But then someone else could hit by that truck. I couldn't let them die for Lucia's sake. I decided to still go on the date, but not let anyone cross the street at 6 p.m.

I got to the door, speed walking instead of running, careful not to get a cut again.

In the courtyard I saw Lucia. We met up and said similar things to before, but I didn't want to mention her death.

"Is something wrong, Will?" she asked.

"No, I'm...great!" I exclaimed.

Then I heard a woman chasing a cat. Mary and Effa. Effa was about to run straight into the pond. I ran over at full speed as she started her run. She sailed right toward me, not even noticing at first, and I picked her up. As some people stared, I walked over to Mary, petting Effa in my arms along the way, and handed the cat to her.

"Oh, thank you!" Mary said. "You got Effa and you reacted so fast! It was like you've witnessed it before. I'm Mary, by the way, what's your name?"

"Will," I said it normally, but my mind was focused on how I had changed the event. Time travel could really save people! It almost felt like a superpower, though my knowing of what was going to happen made me feel distanced in a way.

"Thank you Will, sorry for the trouble."

"I didn't mind."

Mary left and Lucia came over.

"That was a nice move, Will! Brave, too!"

"Uh, thanks. Anyway, we can meet up here at 5:45 then." I was trying to be charismatic.

"Yeah," Lucia replied.

I left and walked down Mard Avenue to pick up my suit again. I noticed some passerby walking the same exact way as last time. It was surreal, living through the same point in time again, like a script being reread where I was the editor. I was there to change things, going to the suit shop at an earlier time than before, but more importantly I had to go back to Winning Wonder Fortune Telling. I had to find out the truth about that prophecy.

I walked in there and she looked joyful to have a customer again. She walked over like before and gave me the same greeting.

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"HELLO, welcome to Winning Wonder Fortune Telling! Would you like a palm reading, crystal ball reading, or some other-"

"Can I ask you about how you predict things?" I interrupted.

"Well, it depends on the method. Palms are about lines, crystal balls are about the auras and images they project-"

"What about prophecies that,-that you just say?" I asked with concern, cutting her off again.

"Well, I'm not experienced in that field," she said.

"But has it ever felt like you just blacked out for a moment?"

"No, I'm a psychic but I've always kept my consciousness in my career."

4:14 p.m.

She seemed to be telling the truth, but I still couldn't guarantee anything about her. And if I was to save Lucia, I knew that I couldn't back down from this woman.

"Well, have you ever thought that prophets, get possessed or go into their own trances somehow?" I asked.

"I believe anything could be possible, even an event of that sort. Though I must admit I've never seen it myself," she replied calmly.

But then her eyes suddenly turned into that straight stare. She walked toward me in the same way as before and had that deep and aggressive tone.

Will Korda, your lover is destined to meet her end 6 hours past the turn of this afternoon. Our fate has that fact so. For as long as this prophecy comes alive, she will die.

"NO!" I said in a desperate tone. I ran over and put my hands on her shoulders. She returned to her normal tone and was surprised.

"Well, that was quick of you! Did I miss something?" She didn't seem concerned about the fact that I was right up in her face, but she was confused nonetheless.

"You need to remember, please," I said. I thought that if she knew what happened it would help. But then I realized, I already knew that that truck was what was going to kill Lucia. This prophecy was just a sign of that. That and the time machine were giving me all I needed. I just needed to do things differently this time.

That made me a lot more motivated.

"You know what, I was just pranking you!" I said to the fortune teller. "Forget what I said!"

"Oh, well that's the first time a customer has managed to surprise me like that!"

"Yeah, have a good day!"

I ran back to Trayley, but from happy energy this time. When I got to my dorm room I tried to think logically about what I could do. It would be safest for me and Lucia to just not go to Denzel's at all. But then someone else might get hit by that truck. I couldn't let someone else die for Lucia's sake. They needed to live too.

I decided to still go to Denzel's with her, but warn her and others so that nobody was in the street at 6:00 p.m. Perhaps I would call the police ahead of time too. Lucia could be saved, everyone else would be safe, and we could still have a happy date if everything went according to plan.

As I got dressed into my suit, I decided that it was worth calling the police. Maybe they could stop that driver from barreling through the street. He had seemed to be in his senses, but what he did could still be prevented.

I picked up my phone (with a few text notifications that I ignored) and dialed 911.

"Hi, look, there's going to be a truck speeding by Denzel's steakhouse tonight, it might be on the street now. I don't know where but is there any way you could stop it?" I asked.

"And how do you know that, sir?" the dispatcher said confusedly.

Suddenly I realized how suspicious I must have sounded. I was so sure of what was going to happen but that dispatcher didn't know that I had seen this unfold before. Maybe they thought it was a prank or even that I was in on it. They'd probably heard a lot of things, but never something from a time traveler.

"Well, uh, I just heard a lot of people who saw it. Apparently it's a blue semi-truck with a white trailer and it's been driving in a pattern and is gonna be at Denzel's around 6:00." I made some of that up on the spot but I thought it was believable. Maybe it was true for all I knew. "Could some of you please just scout out that area? I'm going there and I want everyone to be safe."

"We haven't heard anything of that sort today." The dispatcher said it seeming even more suspicious of me. "Are you sure this is true?"

"YES, well, yeah, the people seemed serious about it."

Even over the phone I could hear the dispatcher give a small sigh.

"Alright, we do have some officers here with no calls. We could send a couple out to that area." Then a small pause was made before asking, "you're not lying about this, right?"

"Of course not! Thank you in advance though!"

"It's our duty."

I hung up and set my phone down, hoping I wasn't a police suspect now. But it was for Lucia, any caution I could take was worth it. That prophecy didn't think I had time travel on my side, I thought to myself.

I met up with Lucia in the courtyard and we had a similar discussion as the first time, but I was much more confident. She talked a bit about going to work on the medical project, but people didn't bombard her with praise since I was the one who saved Effa. We were both excited for the date though. As we drove there, I looked at the clock a few times, and when we arrived it was 5:56. We each stepped out of the car and Lucia started for the street from the parking lot but I stopped her.

"WAIT, I heard that there's a speeding truck around here," I said suddenly, trying to keep my story consistent. "Sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, it just didn't cross my mind until now." I looked both ways across the street. Some other people were on either side and I wanted to warn them too.

"There's a speeding semi-truck around here! Don't go in the street!" I yelled. Everyone looked at me and many seemed to panic. Lucia just stared at me but with faithful trust.

"Really!?" one woman asked.

Then a man replied, to her and to me.

"Don't worry, they stopped it. I saw the cops pulling over a semi driver on the way here." He said it calmly but loudly for all to hear.

I was so relieved. Lucia looked like she was too.

"Thanks, I really needed to hear that," I said to the man.

"I'm glad it helped," he said.

Lucia and I started for the street again, with her doing her same skip as before, but before she got to the street she tripped forward, face first.

I ran but was too behind to catch her in time. As she hit the ground the clock chimed 6:00.

"Lucia!" No response.

I turned her over, and I couldn't describe how I felt when I saw the glass shard in her neck. A small pile of it was under her. I don't need to go into detail into how she looked, but I knew what it meant. Her wrist had no pulse.

I started sobbing over her, not even noticing all the bystanders. They were the last thing that would be on my mind. What was on my mind as I sobbed was Lucia and that prophecy. Even when I did things differently it was still spot-on. But I could try again, and again, as much as it would take to prove it wrong.

I ran back to my car, stumbling along the way, with it taking all the willpower in the world to try again instead of mourning. That's a mentality I would have to keep. As I drove back to Trayley I realized that I would have to be more logical when saving Lucia, putting life over all else. The only emotion I wasn't suppressing was my feelings for her.