He took the timepiece from his pocket – a family heirloom that had brought him much adventure. Had he cheated by using those adventures to become a renowned author? Or was it a gift to the world, through him, from the timepiece itself? He chuckled – was it wrong to use the gift of this time traveler, he mused? Surely not, as long as he shared it in some form with the world!

He sighed. The time was drawing near. He will soon have to share its secrets with his daughter. He knew the timepiece and its magic would be safe with her. He had seen it in her eyes from the day she was born…it was to be hers. But, he hadn’t thought the time would come so soon. She was only eighteen. Perhaps it was the right time; she was not so young as to misuse its gift. 

When he placed it in her hands, her eyes lit up. “Papa,” she said, “I’ve seen this before, I’m sure.” 

“Perhaps in your dreams, my love,” he said. “I’ve never shown it to anyone.” 

“I know what it does,” she whispered. How could she? he wondered. But he said nothing, allowing her to speak. 

“I know that this timepiece can carry me across time,” she said, looking up at him. She said it with certainty, no question in her mind. 

He fell into his chair, a burden lifted from him. If she already knew this, then she would know how to use it with care. “My love,” he said, “our family has used this for generations, mostly for good and unfortunately in some cases, for not the good of the world. It has always passed through the male line. You are the first female to hold it. I wished for a son, but I could not love you more than any son I could have.”

He held her as her eyes filled with tears. “Perhaps it is meant to be this way,” he said. “A woman will surely know how to use this in a way no man ever could.”

She felt the weight of the timepiece in her hand. She felt the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. She was ready. That, she knew. 

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She wanted to run…to run as far as she could. The dirt being dropped on her father’s coffin, the thud thud, the black clothes around the grave, the dark sky – her legs were ready to take her away from the scene. But she dug her fingers into her palms. She had known this was coming. 

Back at the house, she opened the drawer where the timepiece sat. Her father had stressed the great responsibility that came with having it. She was the first woman to possess it. “Where have you come from?” she wondered aloud. But she instinctively knew that the past was not what needed her attention. For a brief moment she wondered if the timepiece could take her back to a time when she could prevent her father from becoming so ill. But she let the thought leave her mind as quickly as it had come. She knew the past was done and she was not to change it. 

As she played with the timepiece in her hand, her thoughts moved to a future that she would like to see. A future where mankind was less cruel. A future where Earth was valued and protected. It was time to get to work, she thought. 

Even as the thought floated into her consciousness, she felt herself drifting. Objects were whizzing past her and she was hurtling towards a horizon – a horizon of opportunity. 

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She found herself standing in front of a willow tree. She looked around her. She did not recognize this place. Where was she? She was a little alarmed, but not overly concerned. She felt the weight of the timepiece in her hand and it made her feel safe. 

Suddenly, the tree spoke to her. She almost fell back but managed to regain her composure. She could see the essence of the tree…dryad…the word came to her. Was it from the books she had read, or was it from the tree itself? 

“I will show you what needs to be done,” she heard the Willow Tree say in her mind. “You can change the trajectory of time and help us to save you.” 

It sounded like a riddle. But she was game.