Chapter 9
Walter's Diner was all alone on Route 39 located in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania.
It was October 5th, 1964, and the diner was empty except for Walter and his cook.
The rear of the diner was dark and quiet.
Then all of a sudden, a huge spot of psychedelic colors appeared in the grass of the rear of the diner. There were blue, red, orange, yellow, lime green, and blue that appeared in abstract shapes.
The colors slowly started twirling around.
Then they started twirling around at supersonic speed.
The colors slowly started spinning.
Then they started spinning at supersonic speed.
Then the colors were gone in a flash, and Danny magically appeared standing in the grass looking dazed and confused.
Danny buckled over into the grass in pain. The pain subsided a few seconds later. He stood up and looked around the area. He saw woods then the rear of the diner about fifteen feet away. He shoved the iTravel 2 device in his right pants pocket.
He ran down the left side of the diner. He peeked around the corner of the building and sees the parking lot is empty.
Then he saw the "Walter's Diner" sign down by the road. "I made it," he said and could not believe he actually traveled back into time. "I hope it's nineteen sixty-four," he said while he looked at the gravel lot and only saw a 1955 rusty Ford sedan and a 1962 Ford Galaxy convertible parked at the far end of the lot.
Danny gingerly walked around the front of the diner and to the front doors. He saw the "Closed" sign then the "Private Party" signs in the window of the front doors.
He peeked into the front windows.
He saw Walter Sampson, the diner owner that was an Italian with slicked-back black hair. He sat next to Harvey Harrison, the overweight, balding cook sitting on stools at the food counter. They each had a cup of coffee in front of them to help pass the time.
He gingerly walked back to the left side of the diner then to the rear of the building.
Once he got to the rear of the diner, he leaned against the wall where he waited.
His legs got tired, so Danny sat down and leaned his back against the wall of the building. His eyes started to drift closed. He was exhausted from his trip, so it did not take long for his eyes to stay closed. His head slowly drooped to where his chin almost touched his chest. He fell asleep in the dark.
A few minutes passed, then the sound of air brakes was heard with the sound of a Corvette engine. Danny's eyes opened up to those two sounds. He stood up on his feet then rushed down the left side of the building.
He snuck a peek around the corner of the building. He saw the 1953 silver with red strip GMC Coach bus drive over the right side of the diner. The bus backed up to the right side of the diner where its rear was not visible from the diner front windows.
Then he saw a red 1964 Corvette Stingray Coupe back up on the other side of the bus, and it was soon hidden from Danny's view.
The engine of the bus turned off. The Corvette engine turned off.
The front door of the bus opened.
Gus walked down the small steps and stepped out of the bus. He stretched the second his feet hit the ground.
Roger walked over to the front of the bus while The Rocking Tones started getting out of the bus.
"I'm starving," Carter, with his suit coat and tie removed, said the second he stepped on the gravel parking lot.
"Me too," added Jackie, with his suit coat and tie removed, after he stepped off the bus.
Sig, Burt then Delmar, with their suit coats and ties removed, all stepped off the bus looking hungry.
"They're waiting for us inside," Roger told them while he kept a watchful eye on the other entrance into the lot at the far end of the property.
While Roger and The Rocking Tones all walked to the front doors of the diner, they did not notice the peering eyes of Danny from around the left corner of the building.
When they got to the door, Walter was already there at the front door unlocking it for his special guests.
Danny discreetly watched while Roger, The Rocking Tones, and Gus all went inside the diner. He moved away from the corner and leaned against the wall. "What do I do now?"
Danny stayed against the side of the diner and pondered his next move.
Then Danny heard the sound of car tires driving on the gravel. He peeked around the left corner. He saw a black 1952 four-door Bel-Air car drive onto the gravel lot at the far end out of view of the diner windows.
He watched while the Bel-Air slowly drove through the lot with its headlights off. Then his eyes widened when he recognized Victor Burrows behind the wheel of the Bel-Air. He remembered Victor's mug shot from that TV show the other night. But he did not know the two monstrous thugs that sat in the car. One was named Bruno that sat in the passenger seat, and the other was named Arnold that sat in the rear seat.
Danny watched while Victor backed the car and parked on the other side of Roger's Corvette.
Danny needed a better view. But where? He did not want Victor to see him and shoot him on the spot. So Danny looked around, and he saw the woods behind the diner. Perfect! He thought to himself, then gingerly walked away and headed to the woods.
As soon as Danny got safely in the woods, he headed to the other end and hid behind a tree. He had a perfect view of the back of the bus, Roger's Corvette, and Victor's car. He noticed that the Bel-Air had Alabama plates. He peeked around the tree with the darkness of the woods providing his secrecy.
Then Danny saw Victor while he got out of his car with the engine still running. Victor lit a cigarette while he waited for the two thugs to get out of the car.
The second Bruno and Arnold stepped out of the car Victor walked over and unlocked the trunk.
Bruno reached inside the trunk and removed a device. A bomb. Arnold reached in the trunk and removed some straps, clamps, flashlight, and some wrenches.
Victor softly closed the trunk while Bruno and Arnold walked over to the rear of the bus. Bruno had that bomb in hand.
Victor walked over and went in front of the bus. Danny lost sight of him.
Danny watched while Bruno and Arnold got on their backs on the gravel.
They went underneath the rear of the bus.
Then Danny saw Victor while he walked back to the Bel-Air. He got back behind inside and sat behind the steering wheel of his car.
Danny returned his eyes back on the rear of the bus. All he could see was the four soles of the two thugs shoes while they installed the bomb near the engine and fuel tank of the bus. A flashlight illuminated the underside of the bus while they worked.
Five minutes had passed, and then Bruno and Arnold crawled out from underneath the bus without that device in hand. They just had their wrenches and flashlight in their hands.
They rushed back over to the Bel-Air, where Victor waited behind the wheel.
Bruno got in the passenger seat while Arnold got in the passenger's seat.
The Bel-Air slowly drove off and headed to that other end of the parking lot.
Danny looked worried. He did not know what to do. Then he realized that he only had one option.
He ran around to the front of the diner and headed to the front doors.
Inside Walter's Diner, The Rocking Tones just started eating a nice steak dinner with mashed potatoes, green beans, and iced tea at the left corner of the diner in some booths.
Roger and Gus ate their steak dinner at the booth next to them.
Walter and Harvey watched from their stools at the counter. They were on their fourth cups of coffee.
"I hate that fucking rock and roll music," Walter said while he eyed The Rocking Tones.
Harney nodded in agreement. "Just like those hairy fagot English guys that are running amok in our country."
"Yeah. I can't stand The Beatles or those Rolling Stones. They're nothing but a bunch of pussies," Walter said then he took a drink of his coffee.
"They say I want to hold your hand. They're probably thinking, I want to hold your prick," Harvey jokingly said.
Walter chuckled then grew a smile. "But what the hell, their manager is paying me good money for this private party. Thanks to my cousin in New York."
The bell above the door rang.
Walter and Harvey watched while Danny rushed into the diner in a panic. "We're closed for a private party," he called out to Danny.
Danny ignored Walter and rushed over to The Rocking Tones booth.
"I said we're closed, asshole!" Walter yelled, then got off his stool.
Roger, Gus, and The Rocking Tones watched Danny while he rushed over.
Danny stared in awe with the sight of Jackie. "Ah," he said, then froze.
Roger got out of his booth and confronted Danny. "Excuse me, but this is a private party. So please leave immediately."
Danny looked in awe at the rest of The Rocking Tones while they all glanced at him, wondering why he stormed into the diner.
Gus got out of the booth and stood next to Roger with his arms crossed and serious eyes.
"There's a bomb under your bus," Danny blurted out.
The Rocking Tones look at Danny, not sure they understood.
"What?" asked Jackie.
"I saw two thugs put a device at the rear of your bus. A bomb," replied Danny and started to get out of breath from being nervous.
The Rocking Tones looked at each other, then they glanced out their diner window. All they saw was the front end bus.
Roger looked a little concerned. "Are you some kind of fucking nut? We're out in the middle of the boonies."
"No, I saw two guys install a bomb under their bus," Danny blurted out.
Roger got pissed. "I think it's time for you to leave," he said, then looked at Gus.
Gus nodded that he understood and he grabbed Danny's left arm while Roger grabbed Danny's right arm.
"I saw some mobster drive the two thugs into the parking lot. They planted a bomb under the bus!" Danny yelled out while Roger and Gus rushed him to the front doors of the diner.
All of The Rocking Tones watched from the diner windows near the front glass door while Roger and Gus tossed Danny outside.
Danny landed face-first into the gravel parking lot.
"If you get near this band again, I'll have the state police arrest your for harassment," Roger said in a threatening tone.
Danny sat up in the gravel.
"But I swear. There's a bomb planted on the bus by some mobster. Some religious fanatic from Alabama is behind this! Everybody will die!"
From the diner, all the members of The Rocking Tones still watched from the windows near the front doors.
Gus and Roger stepped back inside the diner. Walter locked the glass doors.
Then Danny felt the iTravel 2 device vibrate in his right front pocket. He removed it, and psychedelic colors shot out from the iTravel. There were blue, red, orange, yellow, lime green, and blue that appeared in abstract shapes.
The colors slowly circled around Danny's body.
From inside the diner, Roger, Gus, Walter, Harvey, and The Rocking Tones still watched from the diner windows.
"Do you think he's telling the truth?" asked Carter.
"Naw! He's just a nut!" Roger replied.
"But, what's with those wild colors?" asked Sig.
Then they all watched while the psychedelic colors in abstract shapes engulfed Danny's body.
"What a crazy show," said Burt.
"What the hell's going on?' asked Gus
"That's amazing," added Jackie.
Then everybody watched in awe while those psychedelic colors started spinning at supersonic speeds around Danny's body.
Then they watched Danny suddenly disappeared, and the psychedelic colors were gone in a trail of light that dissipates into the sky in a flash.
"What the hell just happened?" Roger said in disbelief while Walter unlocked the front doors.
Everybody ran out of the diner and over to the spot where Danny vanished.
They saw that the gravel in the lot where he vanished was now a four-foot circle of glowing psychedelic colors.
Sig bent down to grab one of the rocks.
"I wouldn't do that, you might burn the tips of your fingers clean off," said Jackie while he was leery of that circle and stepped away.
Sig snapped his hand away.
"How can he just vanish into thin air?" Delmar asked while he looked up in the night sky.
"Do you think he was some type of Alien? And a spaceship beamed him back?" asked Burt while he looked up at the sky for an Alien spaceship.
Roger, Gus, Walter, Harvey, and the rest of The Rocking Tones all looked up at the sky for an Alien spaceship.
"I don't see a spaceship up there," said Gus.
They all continued to look up at the night sky.
Everybody looked back at that circle and noticed that the gravel turned back to a standard gray color. Those psychedelic colored circle had vanished.
They were baffled.
"Should we report this?" asked Carter.
"No way, they'll think we're nuts and lock us up in a loony bin," Jackie replied.
Everybody else nodded in agreement.
But Roger was happy. Danny was gone forever, as he thought. Then he glanced at the bus. "Let's finish our meals," he told The Rocking Tones.
Everybody went back inside the diner to finish their steak dinners.
A little while later, Victor's Bel-Air pulled back into the parking lot with its headlights off.
Inside the Bel-Air, Victor looked pissed while he drove through the lot and headed back to Roger's Corvette.
"I can't believe you lost your wallet," he said while he looked pissed at Bruno.
"Sorry. It must have slid out of my pants when I was under the bus," Bruno replied and felt stupid.
"You don't bring your wallet on a job like this, you dummy," Victor said.
Bruno hung his head down in shame. "Sorry boss."
Victor parked his Bel-Air next to Roger's Corvette. Bruno got out and rushed over to the rear of the bus.
It was later that night.
The front doors of Walter's Diner opened.
Gus stepped outside and headed off to the bus.
The Rocking Tones walked out of the front doors and headed off to the bus.
Roger stepped outside with Walter. He shook hands with Walter. "Thanks."
"Thank you," Walter replied.
Roger headed over to his Corvette on the other side of the bus.
Harvey stepped outside the front doors. "I need a drink," Harvey told Walter while he looked down at the spot were Danny once sat.
"I have a bottle of Jim Beam in my office. Let's go forget about this evening," Walter replied then went back in the diner.
Harvey followed Walter inside, then locked the door.
Gus started up the bus and drove away in the parking lot.
Roger started up his Corvette then drove after the bus.
The countryside was quiet again after the bus, and Roger's Corvette pulled out of the parking lot and drove away down the country road.
It was back to 2014, and Dr. Youngblood's basement was quiet except for the low hum of the bank of computers.
Then the whirling sound from the booth filled the air of the basement.
A bright light filled the booth like fireworks.
The booth vibrated.
Psychedelic color illuminated the glass booth. There were blue, red, orange, yellow, lime green, and blue that appeared in abstract shapes.
The colors slowly started twirling around.
Then they started twirling around at supersonic speed.
The booth spun around at supersonic speeds.
The booth stopped spinning.
The psychedelic colors dissipated in a flash.
The booth stopped vibrating.
The bright lights fireworks dissipated.
The whirling sound whined down.
Danny stood in the booth in a daze. He buckled over in pain for a few seconds. He felt better and straightened up.
Danny opened up the door to the booth.
He stepped out of the booth and stared at the basement and the computer console.
He rushed over to the computer console and saw that the monitor had the '21 Days - 3 Hours - 15 Minutes Left on iTravel 1 Mission' message.
Then Danny looked curious and ran to the wooden stairs.
Back in 1928 Fort Myers, Florida, Thomas Edison gave Dr. Youngblood a tour of his laboratory across the street.
Dr. Youngblood looked at the wooden framed building. He saw numerous tables that were filled with beakers, bottles of chemicals, and hundreds of odds and ends. This seemed the same as he remembered when he visited the Edison and Ford Winter Estates Museum twelve years ago.
Thomas Edison walked Dr. Youngblood around his laboratory. "I know that the cost of rubber will drastically rise. So my research here will find rubber from a plant on a large enough scale to deem it economically feasible or commercially successful," he told Dr. Youngblood. So here's where I do that research. I believe that the weed Goldenrod is the best producer of latex."
Dr. Youngblood glanced at all the tables filled with his research the laboratory. He discreetly snapped a picture of the laboratory with his iTravel 1 device when Thomas Edison was not looking.
"But you probably already knew that. So tell me, will I succeed?"
Dr. Youngblood looked at Thomas Edison as he felt caught. "Ah, rubber is used in tons of stuff in the future. It's not that expensive," he said, not wanting to tell his idol that his research will be deemed a failure.
They continued their walk around the laboratory, talking about his rubber research.
Dr. Youngblood was in heaven, chatting with his idol.