May 1992- 3:30 pm

Everything around her looked antique– vintage. The cars weren't all shiny and slick. People walked around wearing outdated outfits. Eyebrows did not represent Kylie Jenner's. Teenagers carried Walkmans around, bobbing their heads as they listened to their favorite tunes. Young men even wore their shorts and jeans loose, their boxers almost exposed. Maria even saw an old jukebox playing old songs.

Not old, no. This was pop music to them.

"I don't know how it happened. My car just stopped."

She heard the soft melodic familiar voice.

"Michael?"

She was too late. Michael has been talking to Jordan and Evan Chandler.

"I got some boys to fix it up for you," said Evan, with the widest grin Maria has ever seen.

"God bless you! You're too kind," said Michael.

Jordan fished out a paper and a pen from his jacket pocket.

"Can you sign me an autograph, Mr. Jackson?"

Michael beamed down at Jordan and took the pen from him.

"Sure. Just call me Michael. We're friends now, aren't we?"

"Of course!"

Evan left to call somebody on the payphone as Michael and Jordan conversed.

Payphones are extinct in 2019 now.

Maria stared at Michael lost in a trance once again. She took note every detail. His luscious lips, dreamy eyes, curls loosely framing his face, and his angelic smile. There's a twinkle in those eyes every time he encounters a child. Horrible to think the world would accuse him of such unforgiveable sordid acts.

"I can't believe I'm looking at the Michael Jackson!" Jordan gasped, still star struck. "Can you show me some of your moves? I really am a big fan!"

"Okay. Calm down. No need to beg, I'll even teach you!" Michael laughed.

Michael proceeded to do his Billie Jean move, grabbed his crotch for a bit, did a small spin and moonwalked before landing perfectly on his toes.

Jordan clapped. "Woaah! That was so cool."

"Thank you!" Michael slightly bowed.

Evan returned carrying a bag of chips and gave them to Michael.

"Oh, you shouldn't have," Michael giggled. He was shy, polite– vulnerable.

And the angel fell for the devil's scheme.

"I'll save you, Michael." Maria said to herself.

She held out her hand. Every fiber of her being went flooded with power– with divine energy. It all seems to be coming out of her outstretched hand. And just like that, Maria reversed time.

May 1992- 3:25 pm

Everything around her looked antique– vintage. She certainly was miles away from Michael's location. The cars moving about the highway weren't all shiny and slick. They weren't attractive cars but she didn't mind to steal one. Maria spotted an old woman driving a car which appeared to be the same age as her. She tapped loudly at the old woman's car window.

The old woman stared at her, both startled and confused.

"Go away! I don't have a spare penny."

"I'm not a beggar, Madam. I work for car repairs a few miles away from here. We spotted gas leakage from your car and we'd like to repair it for free since you are-" Maria hesitated before uttering the last word.

"Old," she muttered, almost inaudible.

"What?" The old woman was beginning to get outraged.

Maria glanced down at her watch. 3:27 pm.

"Just get out of the car or it will explode!" she yelled.

Surprisingly, the woman gave into Maria's deception. Terrified, she stepped out of the car.

Maria hopped in. "Thank you for your cooperation. We'll bring it back in no time."

She drove. She drove faster than a horse or a cheetah could run. Honking at cars and swaying recklessly on the road like a madman, Maria made it to the car repair shop one minute before Michael met the Chandler family. She attempted to park the car quickly. In doing so, she almost hit Michael.

"What the?" Michael leaped away from the car. "You almost hit me, girl!" There was a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Oops. Sorry!" Maria went out the car and beamed at Michael.

Despite the surgical mask, the sunglasses, and the hat, Maria knew it was him.

"I have to tell you something, Michael."

Michael stepped back a little, ready to flee. "Oh no. You recognize me."

"No, wait!" Maria clutched Michael's arm. "I'm not some crazy fan. I won't squeeze the life out of you or rip your beautiful curls. I'm perfectly harmless."

Michael relaxed. "You scared me for a minute there."

"Listen, I have to tell you a very important message."

"What?"

"This day, you might meet a man named Evan Chandler. No matter how nice or normal they are, do not associate with them. The man's probably the Devil himself."

"I don't think it's nice to call people the De-"

"I know. I know. But you haven't seen what the man is capable of."

Michael was suddenly suspicious, even afraid. "Who are you? Why do you know all about this?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Certainly."

"All right, then. Mr. Jackson, I'm from the future."

Michael laughed. "Girl, what drugs are you on?"

"No, I'm serious!" Maria groaned.

Michael started to laugh hysterically. "Why are you tripping on me, girl?"

"I'm not. I swear I'm telling the truth. You believe in God, right?"

Michael stopped laughing. He went unexpectedly serious. "Of course I do. But God is real and this ain't. I haven't even read time travel in the Bi--"

Maria scratched her head in frustration. "All right! All right! Fine, I'll prove it to you."

"Go ahead." Michael crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow, attempting to appear confident.

Maria let out a guffaw. 

"What?"

"You know, even if you always try to look confident and angry, you end up being cute instead." she said, still laughing.

"Girl, you better hurry up before I end up believing you're just messing around with me."

"Okay. Okay. Here goes nothing.

Maria observed her surroundings for ten seconds and rewound the time.

May 1992- 3:31 pm

"Go ahead."

"Okay. This is me from the future proving my power to you. I'm going to predict the events which will transpire in the next ten seconds."

Michael snorted. "Sure."

"A bird would land on the jukebox and it will play I Want to Break Free."

"This gunna be good."

Michael looked at the jukebox just in time to see a bird land on it. Freddie Mercury's incredible voice played.

"I want to break free. I want to break free. I want to break free from your lies. You're so self-satisfied I don't need­­–"

Michael's mouth opened wide.

"See that lady over there? The paper bags she's holding will break."

Michael saw the poor lady's groceries fell on the floor. The lady picked them up one by one while cursing.

"I should help her."

"Not now, Michael. You're going to fart."

"What? I'm not feeling any–" Michael did. "Oh."

Maria raised her eyebrows and playfully nudged Michael.

"You believe me now, don't you?"

"Yeah. Wow." Michael couldn't stop from smiling. "This is a miracle!"

Maria placed her hands on Michael's shoulders to make him look at her.

"Listen to me carefully. You can enjoy the company of these lovely children but do not ever invite them to Neverland."

Michael looked hurt and worried. The sparkle in his eyes faded.

"But Neverland was made for children. It's for them to enjoy and further enhance their childhood experience."

"I know, Michael. You have to trust me on this."

Michael nodded. The sadness he felt at this day will never vanish. A hole has been left in his heart. A hole that can only be mended by the company of children. Children he'll never get to meet because society was judgmental, never understanding.

"Listen, you might not remember me. I'll visit you again years from now. Put my name on a paper or anything."

"Sure. What's your name?"

"Maria Cruz."