Chapter 3
Saturday, December 7, 1985
9:45 am
Hill Valley, California
The DeLorean appeared over the Hill Valley sky and as it did, Doc and Marty noticed that the sky was covered with omnimus dark clouds which weren't there when Doc left to pick up Marty. "Doc." said Marty, "I don't recall seeing a dark sky this morning before I left." "It wasn't this dark." said Doc, "In fact, it was clear a 'moment' ago before I left." Then, he went onto say "The forecast called for clear skies not only for today but for all of next week. I can't imagine that the weathermen could be this wrong." There was no time to worry about it. Doc stirred the car towards the Brown's home. "Once we get inside", said Doc, "I'll help Clara stall Jennifer a little longer while you go into the bathroom to change." "Okay Doc." said Marty. Noticing the clouds preparing to stir up a potential storm he also said "Just be careful, Doc. We don't want to be struck by lightning." Down below was Doc's house. The roof over the lab was closed. Doc pushed the button to open it. Nothing!. "Damn." said Doc, "Fine time for the opener to fail. I'll have to set it down in the street and go in to open it." Doc stirred it to the street where he and Marty noticed something else. Marty's truck was gone. So was Jennifer's car. Doc, Marty and Einstein all got out as Marty was trying to find his truck. "Doc." he said, "My truck, I parked it here. It's gone." "Great Scott." said Doc, "And so is Jennifer's car." They turned to go up to the house as Doc said "We'd better get on the phone to call the..." Doc interrupted himself as he noticed something strange. His house looked run-down and had paint peeling off. That was not all. The front lawn was overrun with weeds and tall grass. "What in the name of Sir Isaac H. Newton has happened here in the during the one minute I was in the past?" gasped Doc. He peeked inside through the window. The rooms were deserted and cluttered with cobwebs and had rats and mice crawling around the floor. "Doc." asked Marty, "What's happened here." "I don't know." said Doc. He went back to the DeLorean and looked at the time circuits. It was still set for December 7, 1985. The "Last Time Departed" indicator said December 7, 1941. 8:03 am. The "Present Time" indicator read December 7, 1985. 9:46 am. "It's says we came to the date I set the circuits for." said Doc, "I know I hit something when we before we escaped 1941. I hope whatever we hit didn't do something to the time circuits and caused it to land us in another era." "Doc." said Marty, "I've gotta change." "Of course." said Doc, "Get in. I'll take you home." Marty and Einstein did, and the car decloaked and drove off to Marty's place.
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The DeLorean arrived at Marty's house at 9303 Lyon's Estates Street. Pulling up to the driveway, Doc let him out. "My old place is still standing." he said "I'll drive there and check out the time circuits." "Check, Doc." said Marty. He petted the dog saying "Keep an eye on the Doc, Einstein." Marty turned to approach the house as the DeLorean pulled out of the driveway and drove off. Marty reached into the pockets of the pants he was holding and produced his house key. Then, he held the knob of the door as to steady it so he could put the key into it. But, he discovered it opened easily. Thinking that his family was home, he went in calling out. That's when he made another startling discovery. The house was ransacked. Furniture was tossed about, and the drapes were torn. Immediately, Marty went to the phone to call 911 about a possible break-in but when he put the receiver to his ear, there was no dial tone. Marty looked at the phone. The line was detached. "What the hell?" he exclaimed. Not wanting to worry, Marty went to his own bedroom to change. His bedroom was in no shape either. After he changed he went to the bathroom. (Due to the excitement back in 1941, he didn't have time to go.) The bathroom was smelly like it hadn't been cleaned in years. After coming out, Marty heard something moving about, going into the hallway he discovered where the noise was coming from. It was huge rat-big as his fist. Marty gave out a yell and ran out the door. He barely made the sidewalk when a vehicle resembling an Army jeep pulled up next to him. Marty turned to see the driver of the jeep. It was Needles. He was wearing what looked like and Army uniform, but the design was strange. It looked almost Nazi-like. And there was a red armband with a black falcon on a white circular field on his left armsleeve. He had three passengers and they too were wearing the same uniform as Needles. "Hey!" said Needles, "It's the big 'M'. How's it hangin', McFly?" "Needles?" asked Marty. "Where's your old man, McFly?" demanded Needles. "I don't know." said Marty. "You're lying." said Needles, "You're hiding him somewhere. Where is he?" Marty didn't know what to say. He was still trying to figure out what had happened during the 'fifty minutes' that he spending his six months in 1941. "I tell you, Needles." he said, "I don't know." "What's the matter McFly?" asked Needles, "You're too chicken to tell us?" This hit Marty real hard. For months he was trying to keep his emotions in whenever someone called him "chicken". But he found this latest "chicken" silkingly insulting. Marty turned to Needles and said "Nobody calls me..." Needles motioned his men to point guns at him and they did. "...chicken." said Marty, grinningly. "Last chance, McFly." said Needles, "Where's your old man." Then, Marty pointed to a spot in the street. "Right there." he said. The four turned to look. As they did, Marty picked up a scoop of dirt and flung it into their faces and fled. He ran down the street and came across an old skateboard. Despite the fact that it hasn't been used in a long time, it was still sturdy. Marty jumped onto it and fled away.
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Next, Marty arrived at the high school only to see it boarded up and shut down. "This is nuts." said Marty. Then, he saw an opening in a window and climbed in. The school was in as bad as shape as his house. Then, he could smell food and approached the source. As he appoached, he heard the sound of a rifle being ready to fire. "Freeze." said a familiar voice. Marty turned to see who said that. He saw Strickland aiming a rifle at him. "Mr. Strickland." said Marty. "Friend or foe?" asked Strickland. "Mr. Strickland." repeated Marty, "It's me. Marty, Marty McFly." Strickland looked at Marty and said "I never seen you before in my life but you looked to me like a slacker!" "That's right, Mr. Strickland." said Marty, "Don't you remember, you gave me detention two months ago." "Two months ago?" exclaimed Strickland, "The school was closed down seventeen years ago. Now you've got to the count of three to get out of here with your nuts intact. One..." "Mr. Strickland." said Marty, "I just wanna know what the hell's going on here." "Two.." said Strickland. Then a board came crashing down. A group of men wearing the same uniforms as Needles and his gang were wearing were there with their guns trained at the two. "Freeze, Strickland." said one of them. Mr. Strickland ducked behind a huge gaping hole in the wall and had his rifle pointed at the men saying "You can't take me alive, slackers." And the exchange of gunshots started. Marty left the building and fled.
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The storm clouds were still brewing as Marty kept running. Meanwhile, the Hill Valley neighborhood began to look more stranger and stranger. Marty couldn't recall so many deserted houses in Hill Valley before. That wasn't all. He looked around and saw more Army jeeps and people in those strange Army uniform than he ever did. Finally, he saw his church and looked at the sign for that Sunday's sermon. The date should be on it. "This is got to be the wrong year." said Marty to himself, and approached the sign. He read it. The date.
Sunday, December 8, 1985
"1985?" said Marty, "It can't be." He noticed the door being opened so he went inside. There was Father Greenlaw. "Marty!" he said, "What are you doing here?" "Father Greenlaw." said Marty, "Something's terrible happened. There soldiers everywhere. The school's been boarded up..." "Relax Marty." said the priest, "Just hide in the confessional." "Hide in the confessional?" exclaimed Marty, "What for?" "Marty!" said Father Greenlaw, "You can't let those soldiers see you." "Father." said Marty, "I want to ask you. What year is it?" "Year?" exclaimed Father Greenlaw, "Why, it's 1985. What year did you think it is?" "1985?" repeated Marty, "It can't be." Then, the church door was flung wide opened and a voice was heard. "McFly!" it said. Marty turned to see a group of soldiers with the same uniforms he was seeing everyone in all day. Marty recognized one of them as Biff. "Biff!" exclaimed Marty. Biff and his men came charging after Marty as Biff asked "Where's your old man?" "What?" asked Marty. Biff took Marty by the sleeve of his shirt and started rapping on his head. "Hello!"
he said, "Hello! Anyone home?Anyone? Think McFly, think. George McFly, your old man. Where is he?" "Damned if I know, Biff." said Marty. Then he turned to Father Greenlaw and said "Sorry about using that 'd' word, Father." "That's alright, my son." said the priest. Meanwhile, Biff turned to his men and said "Alright guys. Search the place." "Biff!" said Marty, "You can't do that! This is a church." "Alright then." said Biff, "Tell me where George McFly is." "I don't know." said Marty, "I don't even know what the hell's going on here and why no one is giving me a straight answer." Marty turned to the priest again and said "Sorry again, Father." But, this time, Father Greenlaw was too busy talking to Biff. "My bishop will hear about what you're doing, Mr. Tannen." "Not if I could help it." said Biff. He motioned to his men to point their rifles at the priest. At the sight of it, Marty sprung into action. "You son of a bitch." he said, "That's a priest."
Then, he felt an arm restrained him. Marty looked behind him. It was 3-D, Skinhead and Match. Biff's gang. Then he turned his head back to Biff who said "Are you gonna tell me where your that butthead of an excuse for a father is?" Marty stared in horror unable to answer him. "I don't know." he said, "And that's the truth." "Alright then." said Biff, "Guys get your guns off the priest. Just take this son of a bitch back to the penitentiary." "Penitentiary?" exclaimed Marty. "Come with us now." said Skinhead. "No, no." said Marty. "Let me go!" "Sonny." said Match, "We could do this the easy way or the hard way." Then Marty was knocked unconscience. The easy way!
End of Chapter 3