Stepping Sideways

By Sandra Maggs

After giving up her time travel gift to save her best friend, Bess Hooper settles back into her life as it was before receiving the inheritance but feels as though there's something missing. For Olivia it's a different story. Now she has the ability to travel through time and reveals the secret to her friends. Things start to change and the four girls begin to have fleeting memories of another life. To find out why, Olivia travels back to meet the inventor of the two faced watch with no hands and uncovers a tragedy that nobody wants to face.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandra Maggs
• Release date: Oct 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005129934

Sandra Maggs

I was born in a library and raised on literature. From a young age I wrote my own stories and read them to anyone who would listen. After years of hard work and determination, I'm finally dabbling in the world of Indie Publishing and I love it! My favourite genre is fantasy, but I'll give anything a shot.

Book preview

Stepping Sideways

Copywrite 2021 Sandra Maggs

Published by Sandra Maggs at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favourite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Index

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

About The Author

Other Books In This Series

Chapter One

What had Bess meant?

Olivia Pilkington emptied the contents of her bag onto her bed and sorted it into neat piles as she thought about the walk home from school. Always studious, homework was a priority but she couldn’t stop thinking about the strange occurrence that afternoon. For some reason she felt different. Something odd had happened but it was hard to pinpoint exactly what. Picking up her maths book, Olivia sat by the window at a desk, which had been repurposed from on old dressing table, and stared out into the warm light of the day. Below her window was the back garden. Her parents were thorough when it came to the types of plants and where they were positioned. Each and every flower or herb had purpose in the scheme. Opening the window just a crack, she breathed in the scent the dedicated gardeners had created along with the freshness of the changing season. Summer was dawning and it was almost the end of another school year.

Opening the laptop, she stared at the questions before her but Olivia couldn’t get Bess Hooper out of her mind. What had she meant? Everything’s going to be alright now. Badgered by the words, she left the maths to fester and went to her wardrobe to find something to change into. Basic black, all of her clothes were basic black. Rarely did Olivia wear clothing that was bright or girly. It just wasn’t her thing.

Fitting in had never been important. Olivia didn’t care what anybody thought and she didn’t care what anybody said about her. Trends and fads passed without notice. Her wardrobe consisted of dark clothing and her school uniform. Short, almost black hair and long, lanky limbs set her apart from a lot of her friends, but she felt more unique than different. It was more important to Olivia to be who she wanted to be and not like everybody else. A trait she had inherited from her colourful hippy parents.

A no frills bedroom with black and white soft furnishings had been Olivia’s comfort choice. Sitting amongst the cushions on the double bed was an old brown teddy bear given to her by her gran when she was born. That was the only variation from the two basics, apart from an overflowing bookshelf and the usual bedroom furniture. There were no pop posters or photos of boys in silly heart shaped frames. A dull cork notice board with a few coloured pins held only one item, a list of things to do. This was an Olivia ritual. Each morning she wrote a list and pinned it to the board. At the end of the day the list was removed and ticked off, after which she tore it into pieces and placed them in the wastepaper basket. This was just one of the practical customs developed over the years.

Pulling a pair of black skinny jeans from a hanger, she opened a drawer and grabbed a black top. Changing from the uniform, which was left crumpled on the carpeted floor, Olivia went back to her seat at the window and tried to concentrate on the maths problems but the strange feeling kept interrupting her. There was no point in going on with the homework. Laying on her bed with her hands behind her head, she interlaced her fingers and massaged the back of her neck with her thumbs. Closing her eyes, Olivia took a deep breath and let the worries of the world vanish in her exhale. It was a practice her mother had taught her at a young age and she always turned to her mother’s advice when there was a problem to solve. Although, she would never admit that to anybody. Olivia had tried being a rebellious teen, but that phase lasted for about a week. Now her only soapbox rant was the clothing she wore. So, she dressed in black because that was what she preferred. That and avoiding numerous activities that made her sick to her stomach, such as shopping, made Olivia the girl she was.

Slowly, she recalled a promise she had made to her grandparents. They owned an antique shop in a nearby village and Olivia had offered to help out after school a few nights a week. It would have to wait until tomorrow now. There was no way she felt like rushing over there now, it was almost closing time. Curling into a foetal position, she grabbed her bear and hugged it to her chest. This was where Olivia felt the most comfortable and a tiny smile crept across her face. Once again, her focus turned to the homework that was begging for attention and leaving the cosiness of her bed, she took a seat by the window and began to work through the problems. Deep in concentration, Olivia didn’t notice the door to her room open and wasn’t aware of a presence beside her until a hand touched her shoulder. Jumping up she turned.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.

With one hand on her chest she glared at her brother and then smiled. He had always looked out for her and she admired him. It was just the two of them and their parents, so they had always been close.

What are you doing? Sitting on her bed he eyed the laptop.

Homework, she answered returning to her chair and taking a few deep breaths. You scared me Matt. Unsure why she was so jumpy, Olivia took another deep breath and began to relax once more.

I’m sorry. I should have knocked. I just came to tell you, well, old Aunt Olive died, he said hesitantly and waited for a moment as his sister processed the information.

Oh. Olivia didn’t know much about Aunt Olive. She was their grandmother’s sister and they had visited the elderly woman a few times, but not enough for either of them to form any emotional attachment. That’s sad I guess. How’s Gran taking it?

She seems okay. The old lady was batty they reckon. She was always going on about travelling through time and stuff like that, Matt explained. There’s a funeral on Monday and we’re expected to go.

Well, at least I’ll have plenty of clothes to wear, Olivia said gesturing towards her wardrobe. And if you don’t, well you can always borrow something of mine.

They both laughed. Although there was six years difference, they were good friends. Being the older of the two, Matt looked after his younger sister and Olivia looked up to him as if he was some sort of demigod. Similar in looks, perhaps his eyes were a little bluer and his hair just a fraction lighter, that was where it ended. Matt was definitely more flamboyant and preferred the latest fashion and trends. That’s the way he always had been and occasionally Olivia would tease him about it, but he just took it on the chin every time.

And at least I’ll have someone I know to sit with apart from Gran and Grandad, and the olds, Matt said. He always referred to their parents as the olds. It was something he had done from his early teens and they had never objected, always encouraging their children to embrace the way they were.

I never thought of that. We never did spend much time with that side of the family. I guess they’re all going to be there though. All of those horrible spotty boys. I just realised, I’m the only female in the family under the age of forty, Oliva boasted with self-importance.

It’s all up to you then. You have to reproduce and provide us with some future.

Sod off.

Alright, you don’t have to tell me twice. If you need help with the homework or advice about curling up on your bed, just let me know.

She smiled as Matt left the room. Great Aunt Olive. Olivia knew she was named after the recently deceased and she had spent a lot of time with