It is just an average Monday in Brooklyn, New York, the year of 2176 as I get in my car and fly to school. I pass all the usual people on the way: the Jeffersons out running, Mark delivering the newspapers, and Mrs. Marshall out walking her dogs.
I park my car and go to the front of the school to meet up with my best friend Ashley. “Hey!” We both say to each other as we do every morning. As we open the front door to the school… there is a loud crash and the ground suddenly shakes. Right before my eyes, a big chunk of our brick school falls and crashes onto the ground. Slowly the school starts to crumble to the ground. Our adrenaline kicks in and we rush away from school; just to end up seeing the Brooklyn Bridge -- which has just collapsed too.
Running as fast as I can, all I can hear are the screams and shrieks filling the air one after another like a bunch of falling dominos. No one has any idea what is happening, what caused this catastrophe. All I can think about right now is my survival, and the Brooklyn Bridge.
I love the Brooklyn Bridge. It completes New York City’s skyline like no other. But that’s not it. My great-great-great-great-great grandparents who were then living in Manhattan decided to move to Brooklyn. This bridge made that possible. My great-great-great-great-great grandfather was a scientist -- Marty Jankins. You’ve probably heard of him before; he’s the one who invented the time machine -- the Jankins 3000. Because of him, my Mom and I live in the second most expensive Penthouse in all of Brooklyn. If that bridge wasn’t built, my great-great-great-great-great grandparents would have never been able to move to Brooklyn. He wouldn’t have been able to invent the time machine, and I would not be having a privileged life.
Four huge firetrucks have already shown up at the bridge and two at our school. There is a line too big to count of ambulances at the sight of the bridge and the same thing at our school. Once all the kids stop running, I look around for Ashley. All I see are 200 kids covered in ash -- no faces, just black bodies all huddled together. Pushing through the mob of kids, I am trying to spot my blonde haired best friend.
With no sight of her, I look over at the bridge, and all I see is a big cloud of black dust. My heart starts to melt. What happened to the bridge? What had caused this? Are people hurt? Did people die? But what about the bridge? All of these questions are racing through my mind and wouldn’t stop coming out.
A police officer comes over to a somewhat more spread out group of kids. “Everyone quiet, we have an update,” is what he shouts. The area suddenly becomes quiet as he ordered. “Sadly, we have 9 deaths, 16 injured, and 17 people missing,” gasps started to fill the air, “Missing in our school are two 7th grade girls, Alexa Cohen and Ash…”
I was speechless. Was he… was he going to say Ashley Levy…?
“... ley Levy.” Tears start to roll down my face; they wouldn’t stop. My best friend -- my sister I have always wanted -- is gone. Something needs to happen about this.
Parents start pulling up waiting nervously to see their kids. “Jayden Jankins,” I hear. Reacting fast, I run over to my mom and give her the biggest hug.
“Jayden, my baby Jayden, you're okay!” Tears start rolling down my mom’s face. “I was so worried about you. Right when I heard that loud crash I was so scared. When it's just the two of us we need to take care of each other,” she sounds so serious, and I still continue to cry, “I’m just so happy you're okay.”
When I finally get home, the first I do is run straight up to my room -- as I like to call it “Jayden’s Dungeon”. I lift up one of the creaky floorboards and start rambling through looking for the remote. The remote is silver with big red and blue buttons on it. And in gold lettering it said, “The Jankins 3000”. Dusting it off, I thought how I hadn’t used it in a while. Holding my breath, I carefully push the red button and typed in on the number pad, “2016”, and closed my eyes.

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Hesitantly opening my eyes, all I see is a big glare. But there in front of my eyes is the Brooklyn Bridge… still standing tall. Trying to get my balance I walk over to the edge of the East River to then see a unicorn talking to a girl (she looks about my age). Making sure I am not just seeing things that there is a talking unicorn swimming in the East River, I tightly close my eyes, count to ten, then open them. Hesitantly looking over I realize I’m not seeing things, there is really a unicorn! Suddenly, the girl bends over and picks up a remote. Looking at it carefully I realize… THAT IS THE JANKINS 3000!
I walk over very confused and ask her, “Where did you get that remote from?”
“Umm it just fell out of your pocket and flew over to me,” she nervously responds.
“FLEW OVER TO YOU?!?!” I scream… she looks confused. “The remote only flies over to people who are related to me. My great-great-great-great grandpa invented it!”
“My dad, Marty Jankins, is working on inventing a time machine right now. Is he...”
I interrupt her, “Your dad… Your dad is Marty Jankins?! He is my great-great-great-great grandpa! I used the time machine he invented to get here!” She a slight grin spread across her face while she is looking at me uncertainly. An awkward silence flew over the air. “My name is Jayden,” I decide to say, “I am from the year 2176, and I have come to this era to warn you.”
“Hi, I’m Summer. But wait… warn me about what?” She looks confused.
“A rebellion group called Torp. They placed a bomb somewhere under the Brooklyn Bridge. On this day in my time, the Brooklyn Bridge and most of the city exploded and many people died. I came back in time to find the bomb and dismantle it, so nothing will be destroyed. If you saw the damage this has caused, you would understand.”
“Please stop joking around. Seriously, why are you here?”
Tearing up by the fact she would ever consider this I say, “If you saw my school right now, and the whole city, you would understand. I bet your best friend isn’t missing right now, and I bet your whole life hasn’t just fallen apart. I am the one here trying to help you -- to save you and your city.” Wiping my tears she comes over and gives me a hug.
Quickly changing her tone she says, “There’s no time for waiting… let’s get a move on. First step to our plan: get a map of the city and the bridge to figure out exactly where the bomb ist!” Just saying this makes a smile spread across my face.
Without having time to think, I quickly shout, “Look! A newsstand on that corner!” We hustle over to the newsstand to then find a boy dressed like he was from the 1900s, suspiciously looking at a map of the Brooklyn Bridge. Awkwardly I walk over to him and say, “Excuse me, can I have that map?”
Giving me a disgusted look he turns away. “Please, I really need…” Suddenly Summer comes bolting over to us screaming my name.
“Look, Jayden look he has the remote!” Turning over to him she says, “How did you get this?”
“Um, who are you? I am Aidan, and I am from the year 1877. I have no idea how I got here or what that remote you are talking about is. Where even are we?” Looking closer I realize he has the Jankins 3000! Oh my, oh my, oh my, is all I am thinking to myself. Without being able to catch my breath, I blurt out that whole story why only people who are related to me can get the remote. I bet he thinks I’m a bit crazy right now; I honestly wouldn’t blame him.
Come with us!” Summer yells once I finish my story. She suddenly pulls this odd young boy over to the bridge, so I have nothing to do but follow.
On our way over to the bridge, Summer starts peppering the boy with questions “Who are your parents? How did you get here? Do you know anyone with the last name Jankins?”
“I told you, I have no idea how I got here! But wait my last name is Jankins, my parents are Ryan and Julie Jankins!” Wow, I thought to myself, this really is a small world.
I stop listening and focus on the map. Looking at the bridge, the map, then the bridge again, out of the corner of my eye I see Summer’s unicorn friend. That’s it! I think to myself. The unicorn will swim under the bridge, get the bomb, and bring it back to land. We will then bring it to a research center so they can dismantle it, and everyone will be safe. “Guys, I figured it out!” I shout excitedly. Realizing the effects of the bomb, and where most of the damage was done I realize, “It’s under the bridge!” I pull out my map and point to the bridge, “The bomb is here! Here’s the plan: Summer, your unicorn friend,” she interrupts me,
“You mean Chartreuse?”
“Yes, Chartreuse. She will swim under the bridge and dislodge the bomb from where Torp hid it. Then she will swim it back to us and we will bring it to a research center. There they will dismantle it so everyone will happily ever after,” I end with a sigh.
As we ran over to the river's edge, the young boy asks, “By the way, what are your names?”
“Oh, I am Jayden and this is Summer,” I reply.
Just then, the magical unicorn, Chartreuse, emerged out of the water. “Sorry I was eavesdropping, but I’m in!” Exclaims Chartreuse. Aidan is startled by this. From a unicorn bursting out of the water, to talking to us, I am a bit spooked too. I walk over to the water’s edge and show Chartreuse the map.
“You will swim 45 feet underwater. The bomb is 1000 feet in from the water’s edge. At those points, the bomb should be right there.” A grin spreads across her little unicorn face.
Summer leans into the water and whispers into Chartreuse’s ear, “Stay safe, I’ll see you soon!”
As she dives back into the water I holler, “Thanks again!” We saw a bench right near the edge of the water, so we decide to wait there anxiously.
One hour passes, there was no sign of her. “Are either of you concerned about Chartreuse? It's been an hour.” I nervously state.
“NO! Of course I don’t care about my best friend!” Summer says sarcastically. Aidan slightly giggles under his breath.
Another hour passes… still no sign of Chartreuse or the bomb. Becoming impatient (but mostly to take my mind off of things) I decided to pace in a small circle around the bench. Feeling the same way as me, Summer decides to skip rocks in the river. The small ripples start to get bigger, and even bigger. Before I know it, bubbles were rising out of the water. But they aren’t just any bubbles, when they pop thick, black smoke comes out of them. A gray cloud starts to form right above the river. And before we know it, we see Chartreuse who has floated to the water’s surface, with the bomb stuck on her horn. All three of us gasping simultaneously, we run to the edge of the river to save the magical unicorn.
With no time to think, I run into the water and pull the bomb off her horn… she doesn’t flinch. It is just then when we realize, we realize we have lost Chartreuse. With this thought in her mind, Summer suddenly collapses to the ground and tears start pouring down her face. Chartreuse slowly began to sink to the river’s floor, and it is just then when a huge cloud forms around me -- I feel like I am flying.

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Pulling my eyes open, I realize I am standing right by the East River’s edge, but there is no Brooklyn Bridge. Back to reality is all I am thinking to myself. At least I know that in the real world, this is going to be no problem. I saved Brooklyn. Me, Jayden Hannah Jankins, the weird nerd at West Brooklyn Middle School. Wow, is all I am thinking to myself.
Slowly walking home, I see a girl walking down the street with blonde, curls bouncing with her footsteps. Is it, could it be Ashley? “Jayden, is that you?” I hear a familiar voice yell.
“Ashley!” I yell. Running down the sidewalk we jump and give each other the biggest hug.
“You're okay!” We both say simultaneously. “Everyone was so worried about you, no one knew where you were.”
“Well,” I explain, “It is a long story.”
“Tell me, tell me,” she exclaims.
As we walk home I tell her the whole story, from Summer to Aidan, and all about Chartreuse. Everything seems to be back to normal: the Jeffersons out running, Mark delivering the newspapers, and Mrs. Marshall out walking her dogs. I guess nothing really has changed.