The Secret Society of Time Travelers That No One Knows About: The Watch
[INT. SCHOOL CLASSROOM - DAY]
The scene is a typical high school classroom with desks, chairs, a blackboard, and a teacher. The students are bored and restless; some chat, doodle, and sleep. The teacher is droning on about the French Revolution.
TEACHER: …and so, in 1789, the people of Paris stormed the Bastille, a symbol of royal tyranny and oppression. This event marked the beginning of the French Revolution, a radical social and political upheaval that lasted until 1799.
The camera focuses on one student, a young girl with brown hair and glasses. She is LILA, the protagonist of the story. She is listening to the teacher with interest but also with frustration. She loves history but hates how dull and dry it is in school. She wishes to see it for herself, to witness the events that shaped the world.
LILA: (voice-over) History is my passion. I’ve been fascinated by the past since I was a kid. They all seem so real and alive to me. But not here. Not in this boring classroom; history becomes dates, facts, and names. I want more than that. I want to experience history.
She looks at her wristwatch, which has a strange design. It has a digital display but also a dial with symbols and numbers. It seems like a regular watch, but it is a device that can manipulate time.
LILA: (voice-over) And I can. Because I have a secret that no one else knows that could change everything in the world.
She presses a button on her watch, and the display changes to show a countdown.
LILA: (voice-over) I have the power to travel through time.
She smiles mischievously and looks around. No one is paying attention to her. She gets up from her seat and walks to the door.
LILA: (voice-over) And I’m going to use it.
She opens the door and steps out of the classroom.
[EXT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY]
Lila walks down the hallway, looking for a secluded spot. She passes by other students and teachers who don’t notice or care about her.
LILA: (voice-over) I don’t know how or why I have this power. It just happened one day when I was playing with my watch. I pressed a button, and suddenly, I was in another place, another time. It was amazing. And terrifying.
She reaches the end of the hallway and finds an empty locker room. She enters it and locks the door behind her.
[INT. SCHOOL LOCKER ROOM - DAY]
Lila walks to a corner of the locker room and sits on a bench. She looks at her watch again and adjusts the dial.
LILA: (voice-over) I’ve been experimenting with my power since then. Trying to figure out how it works, what the rules are, and what the limits are. I’ve learned a few things along the way.
She presses another button on her watch, and a holographic map appears above it. It shows a globe with different regions highlighted in different colors.
LILA: (voice-over) I can only travel to places and times I know about or have seen before. That’s why I study history so much. The more I know, the more options I have.
She zooms in on the map and selects Europe as her destination.
LILA: (voice-over) I can also control how long I stay in each period. My watch has a timer that counts from 60 minutes to zero. When it reaches zero, I return to my original time and place.
She sets the timer to 30 minutes.
LILA: (voice-over) But there’s one thing I still need to learn. And that’s what happens if I change something in the past. Suppose I interfere with history in any way.
She zooms in further on the map and selects France as her destination.
LILA: (voice-over) Does it affect my present? Does it create an alternate timeline? Does it cause paradoxes or anomalies? Or does it simply correct itself?
She zooms in even further on the map and selects Paris as her destination.
LILA: (voice-over) I don’t know. And I don’t want to find out.
She zooms in one last time on the map and selects July 14th, 1789, as her destination.
LILA: (voice-over) But today, I’m feeling adventurous. Today, I’m going to see history for myself.
She presses another button on her watch and activates her power.
[EXT. PARIS - DAY]
A bright flash of light appears in an alleyway. Lila materializes out of thin air, wearing a hooded cloak and carrying a backpack. She looks around and sees that she is in Paris during the French Revolution. She hears the sounds of shouting, gunfire, and explosions.
LILA: (voice-over) Wow. I did it. I’m in Paris, 1789—the day of the storming of the Bastille.
She pulls out a small camera from her backpack and starts taking pictures.
LILA: (voice-over) This is incredible. I can’t believe I’m here. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
She leaves the alleyway and joins the revolutionaries marching toward the Bastille. She blends in with them, chanting and waving a flag.
LILA: (voice-over) I know I should be careful. I know I shouldn’t interfere. But this is too good to pass up. It’s history in the making.
She smiles and follows the crowd to the Bastille.
[INT. BASTILLE - DAY]
The scene is chaotic and violent. The revolutionaries stormed the Bastille, a fortress prison that symbolizes royal authority. They are fighting against the guards, who are outnumbered and overwhelmed. Gunshots, swords, and axes are flying everywhere. Blood, smoke, and fire fill the air.
Lila is inside the Bastille, dodging bullets and debris. She still takes pictures with her camera, capturing every moment of the battle.
LILA: (voice-over) This is unbelievable, brutal, and awesome!
She sees a group of revolutionaries breaking into a cell block, where they free the prisoners inside. She follows them and enters one of the cells.
LILA: (voice-over) These are the prisoners of the Bastille. The victims of tyranny and injustice. The heroes of the revolution.
She sees a man sitting on a cot, wearing ragged clothes and chains. He has long hair and a beard, and his eyes are wide with fear and confusion. He is MARQUIS DE SADE, a notorious writer and philosopher imprisoned for his scandalous works and lifestyle.
LILA: (voice-over) And this is Marquis de Sade, one of the most controversial figures in history—a genius or a madman, depending on who you ask.
She recognizes him from her history books and feels a surge of excitement. She approaches him and snaps a picture.
LILA: (voice-over) I can’t believe it. I’m face to face with Marquis de Sade.
She smiles and says to him:
LILA: Hi there. I’m Lila. And you’re Marquis de Sade.
MARQUIS DE SADE: (in French) Who are you? What are you doing here?
LILA: (in French) I’m here to help you. You’re free now. The revolutionaries have taken over the Bastille.
MARQUIS DE SADE: (in French) Free? Really? After all these years?
LILA: (in French) Yes. Come on, let’s go.
She grabs his hand and pulls him out of the cell, but he resists.
MARQUIS DE SADE: (in French) Wait a minute. How do I know you’re not one of them? One of those who tortured me and locked me up?
LILA: (in French) Trust me, I’m not one of them. I’m one of you—a friend.
MARQUIS DE SADE: (in French) A friend? How can you be my friend? You don’t even know me.
LILA: (in French) Oh, but I do know you. I know everything about you: your writings, philosophy, and life.
MARQUIS DE SADE: (in French) You do? How?
LILA: (in French) Well…it’s hard to explain…
She realizes she has made a mistake by revealing too much about herself and her knowledge of him.
LILA: (voice-over) Oops. I shouldn’t have said that.
She looks at her watch and sees that she only has 10 minutes left before she returns to her own time.
LILA: (voice-over) I should get out of here before things worsen.
She decides to abort her mission and leave Marquis de Sade behind.
LILA: (in French) You know what? Never mind. Forget everything I said. Just stay here and wait for someone else to help you.
She turns around and exits the cell, leaving him confused and angry.
MARQUIS DE SADE: (in French) Hey! Wait! Come back! Please don’t leave me here!
He tries to follow her, but a guard points a gun at him and stops him.
GUARD: (in French) Stay where you are, prisoner!
[EXT. BASTILLE - DAY]
Lila runs out of the Bastille, leaving Marquis de Sade behind. She feels guilty for abandoning him but knows she has to return to her own time before it’s too late.
LILA: (voice-over) I messed up. I shouldn’t have talked to him. I shouldn’t have interfered. What if I changed something? What if I caused a paradox?
She looks at her watch and sees she only has five minutes left. She needs to find a safe and secluded spot to activate her power.
LILA: (voice-over) I need to get out of here. Now.
She pushes her way through the crowd of revolutionaries celebrating their victory over the Bastille. She hears them cheering, singing, and shouting slogans.
REVOLUTIONARIES: (in French) Liberty! Equality! Fraternity! Down with the king! Long live the revolution!
She sees them waving flags, weapons, and severed heads of the guards. She feels a mix of horror and awe at the sight.
LILA: (voice-over) This is history. It is what I wanted to see. But it’s also terrifying. And dangerous.
She reaches the crowd’s edge and looks for an alleyway or a building where she can hide. She spots one nearby and runs toward it.
LILA: (voice-over) There. That should do it.
She enters the alleyway and finds a dumpster. She hides behind it and checks her watch again. She only has two minutes left.
LILA: (voice-over) Okay. Time to go home.
She presses a button on her watch and sets the dial to her original time and place. She waits for the countdown to reach zero.
LILA: (voice-over) Goodbye, Paris. Goodbye, 1789. Goodbye, Marquis de Sade.
She closes her eyes and prepares to return to her own time.
[INT. SCHOOL LOCKER ROOM - DAY]
A bright flash of light appears behind the dumpster. Lila materializes out of thin air, wearing the same hooded cloak and carrying the same backpack. She opens her eyes and sees she is back in the school locker room.
LILA: (voice-over) I did it. I’m back.
She feels a wave of relief washes over her. She made it back safely without any complications or consequences.
LILA: (voice-over) Or did I?
She looks at her watch and sees that it is still working usually. She checks the date and time and sees that they are correct.
LILA: (voice-over) Everything seems fine. Nothing has changed.
She smiles and gets up from behind the dumpster. She walks to the door and unlocks it.
LILA: (voice-over) Maybe I was worried for nothing. Nothing happened at all.
She opens the door and steps out of the locker room.
[EXT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY]
Lila walks down the hallway, feeling happy and proud of herself. She just had a fantastic adventure in the past, and she has proof of it in her camera.
LILA: (voice-over) This is awesome. I can’t wait to see my pictures. And share them with someone who will appreciate them.
She thinks of someone who might be interested in her story: her history teacher, Mr. Jones. He is one of the few people who share her passion for history and always encourages her to pursue it.
LILA: (voice-over) I should show him my pictures. Maybe he’ll believe me. Perhaps he’ll understand me.
She decides to go to his classroom and see if he is there. She walks toward his room at the end of the hallway.
LILA: (voice-over) This may be the start of something new.
She reaches his room and knocks on the door.
LILA: Mr. Jones? Are you there?
She hears a voice from inside.
Voice: Yes, come in.
She opens the door and enters his classroom.
[INT. SCHOOL CLASSROOM - DAY]
Lila walks into Mr. Jones' classroom, expecting to see him sitting at his desk or standing by his blackboard. But instead, she sees someone else: Marquis de Sade!
He is wearing a suit and tie, holding a book, and smiling wickedly at her.
MARQUIS DE SADE: Hello, Lila. He speaks in perfect English, with a slight French accent.
Lila gasps in shock and horror as she realizes what has happened:
She has brought Marquis de Sade back with her!
To be continued…