Eastwood Ravine
Written by Anakin McFly
8th November 1985
Hill Valley, California
The detention room.
To Marty McFly, it was almost his second home. He had been in there way too often, mostly for being late for school. It wasn't really his fault, though. He never intended to be late, but somehow he just never could arrive on time. Something would always happen to stop him from doing so... a slow watch, a traffic jam, a faulty alarm clock... the list went on. It just so happened that the principal could not tolerate tardiness of any sort, and Marty so happened to be the current record holder for the most number of late comings in the history of Hill Valley High.
This time, however, his reason for being once again sent to the detention room had nothing whatsoever to do with his punctuality.
He should have known. What he did was stupid. But that day, when the teacher handed out the history assignments, when he read that question... he had been unable to resist the temptation.
'Write a report on the history of Eastwood Ravine.'
And Marty had done just that, despite the countless warnings going off in his head about what the teacher would do to him.
They wanted the history of Eastwood Ravine, so he gave them the history of Eastwood Ravine. The true history, no details left out. Marty had enjoyed it. Grinning away throughout the whole report, he had completed it, and handed in an almost completely different story from everyone else.
And it had landed him, for the umpteenth time, in the principal's office. Marty could still remember too clearly Mr. Strickland's voice booming out at him, as the former waved Marty's paper violently in front of the teen's face, glaring at him with hatred in his eyes...
"Mr. McFly, is this a history report... or a SCIENCE FICTION STORY?"
Marty was rooted to the spot, unable to reply, suddenly regretting very much what he had written on that paper as Mr. Strickland continued speaking.
"Did you think it was funny to make up a complete lie about the history of the ravine? Or did you just trying to be CREATIVE?"
Marty swallowed nervously. "It wasn't a lie," he thought, taking a sudden interest in the principal's desk.
"THIS," Mr. Strickland spat, making as if to rip Marty's work in half, "is a mockery of the assignment! I would VERY MUCH like to know what time travel has to do with some poor guy who fell into the ravine after a train accident!"
"It's all right there on the paper," Marty mumbled to himself, not loud enough for the principal to hear.
"And shouldn't you know by now that such reports are not supposed to be written in the first person? Not only that, but I am VERY sure that the man's name was not Clint Eastwood! I suppose you thought that was funny too, huh? Well, it's NOT. I don't think so, and neither does your history teacher. I would like this report to be REDONE, PROPERLY, by the end of detention today. DO YOU HEAR ME, MCFLY?"
Marty jumped, startled. "Y... yes sir."
Mr. Strickland thrust Marty's report at him. Slowly, the 17-year-old turned towards the door to leave.
"And I better see you at detention later, or else!"
For a moment, Marty paused in his steps, his heart sinking at his principal's last words. He had been meaning to meet Jennifer that day... but he supposed that would have to wait...
So now, a few hours later, Marty was sitting in the detention room, made to write something he knew wasn't true. There was nothing he could do about it. Just a few minutes more and he'd be free to go...
Miserably, Marty looked back down at what he had written.
Eastwood Ravine – originally named Shonash Ravine, renamed in 1885 after a train's locomotive went off the tracks at the uncompleted bridge with someone inside, known only as Mr. Eastwood. His reason for being on a train heading for certain disaster – unknown. What he was thinking, driving the train off the bridge – unknown. His first name – unknown. When it all happened – 1885, exact date unknown.
That's what they wanted.
So that's what Marty would give them.
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