Seventeen-year-old Julie believes she's failed at everything in her 1967 world of miniskirts and popularity. Unnoticed at school, even her parents have little time for the shy girl. While taking shelter in the town library during a rainstorm, a friendly Native American spirit "pushes" her back in time. Finding herself in the Elks Opera House, an attractive teenage stagehand, Ren, reveals she’s landed in 1907. Taken in by a strangely familiar woman and her deputy sheriff husband, the frightened girl learns that if she wants to get home, she must step out of her comfort zone. Ren and a new friend at school help her take those first steps. But when the renegade Apache Kid hears about the Yavape′ Apache magic, Julie faces her biggest challenge. Survival. Without the magic of bravery, trust, and inner knowledge, she may never get home again.
That was a dumb idea. Julie thought wearing her 19th-century costume downtown after the dress rehearsal would be so cool. Instead of admiration for her beautiful dress, the last couple she passed stared at her. As they approached, the man pointed and whispered in the woman’s ear, laughing. The woman put her hand over her mouth as they passed, trying not to laugh out loud. Julie couldn’t help her face flushing even as she tried to ignore their unkind behavior. Most adults knew that typical teenage girls of 1967 wore miniskirts, but how could they be so cruel? After slaving at the sewing machine for the past two weeks, she wanted to show off. She should have known better.
Even her mother had nothing to say. When she stopped at her office earlier, her mother barely glanced at her and suggested she wait at the library. She was always busy, so busy that Julie worried she might forget to pick her up again. People disappointed her all the time. Even today at the rehearsal, only Peggy spoke to her. Just last week, when walking through the halls at school, she tried to follow her mother’s advice to be friendly, waving and saying ‘Hi’ to the kids she passed. Most of the time, they looked annoyed. Averting their eyes, they passed without a word. Now, walking down the sidewalk, she glanced up as a cowboy got out of his pickup truck in front of a bar. He looked her up and down, winked, and called out. “Hey, good-lookin’. You lost? I’ll take care of you, honey.” She lowered her head and kept walking.
Feeling an uptick in the usual breeze, Julie looked up. The sun disappeared behind the darkening clouds, which hung heavy in the sky as the wind gusted against her skirt. She crossed at Gurley and trudged up Elk’s Hill toward the end of the block and the public library. Julie stopped under the old Elks Theater's marquee, which extended over the sidewalk. Stepping past the empty ticket office into a covered alcove, she glanced at the posters of upcoming movies and peered through the windows of the large oak doors. Everything was dark, but she could make out the snack counter and the popcorn machine. Maybe she and Colleen could catch a movie this weekend; that would be better than sitting at home watching TV with her brother.
Large raindrops splattered on the sidewalk as she scurried next door to the library. The old building fascinated her with its large concrete lettering across the top: PUBLIC LIBRARY. Andrew Carnegie donated the money to build it back in 1902. It was one of her favorite places; wandering through the stacks of books gave her a happy feeling.
The rain worsened as she stepped inside the library. Mrs. Bradford, the librarian, was at her desk, slipping date cards into returned books to be shelved. “Hi Julie. I didn’t expect to see you today, especially with this rain.” Julie had known the librarian for years and was comfortable with her. Unlike many adults, she treated her kindly and without condescension. She scanned Julie from head to toe. “Why are you dressed up in that old-fashioned dress?”
“We had a dress rehearsal today for the musical we’re putting on next week. It’s supposed to take place in the late 1800s. I guess I should have changed.”
The woman smiled kindly. “I’m glad you didn’t. It’s lovely, Julie! Did you make it?” Julie nodded. “You did a great job. Very nice indeed.”
Julie’s face glowed at the compliment. “Thank you, Mrs. Bradford! I have to wait for my mother to get off work. It’s okay if I wait in here, isn’t it?”
“Of course! Would you like to put these away?” Julie nodded and picked up the stack. While shelving the books, she didn’t spot anyone else she knew among the handful of patrons. She was relieved. If she’d seen someone she knew, she’d have to talk to them. She didn’t do well with chit-chat. When she finished, she briefly checked the new books rack, then went downstairs to the basement.
Gliding through the small alleys between the stacks, she smiled at being alone. As the rain increased, the upper windows showed torrents of water splashing outside onto the sidewalk. She dropped her coat and purse on the floor as a feeling of warmth and comfort filled her with peace. Dry and cozy, memories of happy times in this library made her feel safe from the chore of trying to meet others’ expectations. Breathing in the scent of books and old leather, she brushed her hand across the spines as she scanned the titles. Turning a corner at the side wall, she stopped when her hand grazed a section that didn’t line up. Gripping the offending section, she examined the wooden shelves. Yes, there was a noticeable gap. Funny, she’d never seen it before, even after the endless Saturday mornings she’d spent here, curled up on the floor with a book.
Grabbing the edge of the shelf, she gave it a shove. Of course, loaded with books, she couldn’t budge it. Not one to give up, she shoved again and heard a tiny click somewhere behind the line of shelves above her shoulder. She examined the shelf, hoping to discover what had caused the sound. Where and what was it?
A row of Robert Louis Stevenson books lined the space. She pulled them out one at a time and examined what might be behind or under the book. Noting that the books weren’t in proper order, she sighed. Treasure Island and The Black Arrow revealed nothing. Pulling out the New Arabian Nights, something on the wall startled her. But it was only a squashed, dead spider. When she pulled out Kidnapped, the click sounded again, but nothing happened. There was nothing unusual. Julie placed her hand inside the space and ran her fingers up and down the wall. It seemed like the rest until she reached between the upper shelf and the wall. It was lucky that her hands were small. There it was! She couldn’t see it but felt it: a small metal ring. What could it be? Should she pull it?
The rain pounding on the sidewalk distracted her, and she thought about her drive home soon. With the heavy rain, her mom would use the weather as an excuse to keep Julie in the passenger seat. “I’ll never get my driver’s license. If I lived with Colleen and her parents, I’d have my license in a week.”
Sighing, she turned her attention to the bookshelf and tried inserting her index finger into the ring. It didn’t fit. She pulled out her hand and reinserted her ring finger. This time, it fit. Lightning flashed as she pulled, just a tad. The section shivered for a moment. Jolted by the booming thunder, she refocused on the pull ring until a flash of lightning blinded her. Intent on her mission, she pulled the ring so hard she thought her finger would break as thunder roared with an ear-splitting crash. With her finger caught in the ring, the bookshelf swung through the wall, dragging her with it. Julie gasped in horror. How did that happen?
Shaken, she stood at an opening, frantically pulling her bruised finger free as brilliant lightning shot light into the dark space before her, fading into darkness when the thunder crashed again. Like the rumbling thunder, excitement and fear rolled through her senses as she gripped the edge of the doorway. Peering into the space, a tiny glow drifted through the dusky light, like a firefly. No, it couldn’t be. It must be from the lightning, like the afterglow of a camera flashbulb. A ray of light shone dimly from under a door at the other end. Was that music?
Curious about the door, she inspected it, her fingers tracing a narrow piano hinge that ran along the outer side of the bookshelf. Expecting to see a hydraulic door opener attached, there was nothing. How did it swing open the way it did? The entryway was low and framed in unpainted wood, just like a regular doorway. Her hands clammy, Julie stepped into the tunnel and sneezed as a puff of dust drifted up. The hair on her arms stood up with the cooler air, or was it fear? With the fast-moving storm retreating, music drifted from the other side of the door at the tunnel's end.
“This must connect to the Elks, but why?” Now she heard what sounded like applause. It had to be a live performance. The movies didn’t open until six-thirty tonight, but she hadn’t heard of any stage performances. Her heart pounding in her ears, intense curiosity overrode her natural caution.
All was quiet as rain drizzled down the windows above. Holding her breath, she stepped further into the tunnel, guided by the dim light ahead. “I wish Colleen were here. She would love this spooky stuff.” The wood-framed tunnel had a proper wood floor, walls, and ceiling, with an old-fashioned lantern hanging on the wall. Cobwebs raked over her face and hands as she slowly felt her way toward the dim light.
With her fourth step, a gust of cold air blew at her skirt, the bookcase closing with a thump behind her. Yelping in fright, a distinct but subtle pressure on her back pushed her forward. Julie swiveled around, her hands flailing in the darkness. Was it her imagination, or was it a ghost? Clenching her teeth, she shuddered. “This place is giving me the heebie-jeebies.” Hearing her quivering voice echo eerily through the tunnel, she turned back and, running her hands over the secret doorway behind, found there was no way to open it. “Oh, crud! I left my coat and purse in there. How can I get back in?” She pounded on the door briefly as a thought occurred to her.
Turning back toward the light a few feet away, she smiled. “Silly girl! I’m almost inside the Elks and...” She stopped. The door might be locked. “Well, people must be in there somewhere. I’m sure someone will hear my knock.” Julie walked to the door, reached for the doorknob, turned, and pulled. It was stuck. Grabbing with both hands, she pulled with all her might. The door flew open, throwing her backward onto the tunnel floor.
“Heavens to Betsy! Who are you, and where did you come from?”
From her unladylike position, sprawled on the floor, Julie looked up at the laughing face of a girl standing above her, her hands on her hips. She appeared to be about her age, but there was something very odd. Julie knew most of the girls her age in town, but this girl was unfamiliar.
But that wasn’t the strange part. This girl wore an old-fashioned maxi dress with her hair pulled up into a bun. Every girl she knew wouldn’t be caught dead wearing her hair in an old-lady bun, even with a maxi dress. Finding that secret door was spooky enough, but this was just downright weird.