In New York City, everyone owned a special bracelet that held all your information, including the time for the buses. We were the first city in New York to receive them, and if you weren't where you were supposed to be during school and work hours the cyborg police would track you down and scan your bracelet. That's where I was now, in middle of Super Year, the local retail store.

“I promise I'm home schooled!”, I argued for what seems like the fiftieth time.

“Ella Robins, age 16, daughter of Tina and John Robins,” the cyborg stated in its robotic monotone voice. It was the year 2098, and here I was wasting my time. Every single state in the US lived in a perfect utopia, where the sky was bluer than the ocean and the grass was greener than my eyes.

         My father John Robins, was a famous inventor, and head of Good Time, a company that sold the latest high tech products. I realized I was standing in front of a cyborg and quickly tuned back in.

“I apologize Ella Robins, you may return to your duties,” he said. I smirked and thanked the cyborg and quickly walked away and took the hover bus home.

       The neighborhoods in the US were modern and huge, every single house white as the clouds. I walked to the sleek black door and turned the cool, shiny metal door knob. My father stood before me with an ecstatic expression.

“I have important news! After years of work I have created the first ever time machine,” he explained.

“You did? Does it actually work?” I asked, my father has told me multiple times that he has created something, but it either broke in the span of two hours or it exploded.

“Yes, I tested it twice and it works! he said. I stared at him, thinking about the possibilities of time travel. Maybe, I thought  I could change the future for the better.

“What would happen if someone went back in time and fixed something, how would affect the present?” I asked.

“Well you could change the world entirely for the better or worse. That’s why you aren't allowed at the lab holding the machine at the office, is that clear?” I nodded. My father walked up the midnight blue staircase and locked himself in his study. I quickly ran out the door taking the hover bus to the city. I arrived at Good Time and smiled at everyone, I found the lab on the 107th floor. I walked in and stared at the round silver machine before me. There was a black tangle of wires protruding out of the top part. I walked to the computer controlling the machine and I put the year i wanted to visit, 2027. I headed to the cylinder and opened the small door and sat down gripping the handles until my knuckles turned white. I squeezed my eyes shut.

          I heard an explosion when I opened my eyes and took in the place I was in. There was old creeping on the walls to the ceiling and a thick, grey layer of dust covering the concrete floors. There was a crème filing cabinet in the corner with guns on top of it. I opened the door from the time machine where I was still in and a heavy scent of smoke clouded my nose. I looked towards the door and it said I was on level B7. I hurriedly made my way to the elevator and rode it to the first floor. The building was empty except for two ladies typing their life away on the computer, I walked out and felt a wave of heat against my pale skin. I heard gunshots and explosions, I looked up at the sky seeing the jets spiraling out of control.

“What are you doing out here, young lady! Go to the shelter homes this instant!”, I heard a mans  voice yell. I looked at the man and ran the opposite direction and bumped into someone else.

“Hey watch out!" they exclaimed.

“I’m so sorry, what’s going on? I’m so confused” I yelled over all the commotion.

“What do you mean you don’t know what’s going on? There is war going on and you’re not in shelter!” he yelled back while grabbing my arm making me run two blocks .

“Stay here until it’s safe” this man said. I nodded and sat down next to families and adults that were covered in ashes and held a saddening look in their eyes. The radio was playing new reports with static in between, when I heard a loud explosion just outside the shelter and the whole building shook. I ran outside seeing the man who helped me lying on the ground, completely lifeless. I gasped and ran to the company as could and jumped into the time machine. What have I done?

   I arrived back at the lab and walked back out the main office, everything looking normal, I breathed out in relief. As I was about to leave a lady stopped me.

“Ella, don’t forget your gas mask.” she simply stated.

“Gas mask?” I questioned. Why do I need a gas mask?

“Yes, you don't want to breath in the toxic air do you?” she paused to grab the gas mask." I'll call the cyborgs to take you home, so no one threatens you for water like last time, okay?”

          I grabbed the mask and nodded. Once the cyborgs came in, they took me outside and the sky was no longer blue and the grass was dried up. The hazy sky against the lifeless environment was depressing.

“What year is it?” I asked through the gas mask.  

“2098, why do you ask?” the cyborg responded.

“What to the world exactly? My father never told me”, I was utterly confused.

“The man who led the rebellion in 2027, during World War 3 died when saving a young girl, when taking her to shelter.” he replied monotonously. It was starting to make sense, I was the young girl and I changed the past for trying to have a world with flaws and adventures and now I have a rural dystopia. I stopped walking, looked at my world, I saw children with gas masks playing with dirt, parents holding signs begging for water, and I realized the foul stench came from house that were made out garbage. I turned back and ran to the lab, once again I had to travel back in time.

        This time I arrived a couple minutes before last time so I could stop that guy from helping the other me. I ran out and I saw him two blocks away, I ran towards him telling him to hurry because there was an emergency at the company and he quickly ran. I ran back with him and he uttered a quick thank you. I watched the old me come out of the elevator staring in awe at the office. I told a man that was by the door to scare the girl that was about to come out. He shrugged, but agreed. I watched myself come out the door, then I watched her scream as the guy yelled at her and then the old me ran back inside.

“Thank you” I said the man. He gave me a polite nod. I ran to the elevator going the level B7 and set up the time machine to go to 2098.
      
         I quickly walked outside the main office to see the city, with the silver skyscrapers shining in the beautiful blue skies. I smiled and took the hover bus home, in hopes that father doesn’t reprimand me. I saw his sleek hover car in the driveway and walked over to him, I told him everything and apologized.

“That’s why I didn’t want you near the machine Ella.” he said after I finished my story.

“I know, but I was so bored with this lifestyle,” I argued.

“You need to realize that everything happens for a reason, good or bad. That’s why you mustn't  change the past” he stated. I simply nodded and that’s when I understood everything, just because I wanted to be adventurous I changed the world.