Hazel Hightower

Story

I was born on April 1st, 1881, in Egypt. My father was Harrison Hightower III. Now, I know better than anyone what a controversial figure he was, and I personally don’t agree with all his actions and decisions. But I love him, and he taught me to chase my curiosities, and that an adventurous life is a valuable one.

My father mysteriously disappeared right before I started university in London, and I have never found out what happened to him. After he disappeared, I was distraught and directionless. I buried myself in my studies as a distraction, but after I graduated, I still felt lost. So, I sought to become a member of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers like my father. I hoped S.E.A. would give me the direction and inspiration I was seeking. I even showed them the plans I had been working on in school for a time-traveling device, because what greater adventure could there be than to travel across time? I thought they would be impressed.

They rejected my application. Their reason? I am a Hightower. My father caused enough problems within the organization before he disappeared, and they assumed I would be just as problematic.

This rejection, and their assumptions about my character… infuriated me (my father always told me my temper would get me in trouble). As I left the Society headquarters that day I set my mind to two things:

Proving to S.E.A. that I was the greatest adventurer of all time, and that they were fools for rejecting me.
Proving to the world that the name Hightower doesn’t define me.

I traveled to my father’s home in New York to ponder my plan. As I sat there trying to think clearly, I kept thinking about my father and all the treasures he would bring home from his adventures. He would return from some far-away place and show off a new artifact to me. I always marveled at their beauty. One time, when I was just a child, my father brought me on one of his adventures – to a small American mining town in the western frontier called Rainbow Ridge. He was meeting other members of your… sometimes-esteemed society and let me tag along.

The town was celebrating a recent discovery in the mines, a large egg-shaped geode filled with rainbow crystals and had dubbed it – the Ridge Jewel. They put it on display for the entire town to enjoy. On the day I got rejected by S.E.A., I remembered something that I had forgotten long ago. That beautiful egg had gone missing. I remember its disappearance being discussed at S.E.A. gatherings as, “quite the scandal.” It all started to connect for me. It must have been my father who took it. He never could help himself. Always had to have a souvenir.

That’s when I knew, to prove I wasn’t like my father; I needed to return the Ridge Jewel.

But I wasn’t satisfied. It wasn’t enough. In those moments I so desperately wanted to humiliate S.E.A. – make them feel as small and unimportant as they had made me feel. How could I damage the egos of so many members at once?

They had laughed at me when I told them what I had been working on the past few years – a time traveling device that I nicknamed, the “Timeskipper.” These adventurers and explorers had seen it all, traveled to every corner of the world, explored the darkest caves and the highest mountain peaks. I had to have one adventure that none of them could achieve – time travel.

So, I spent the next few years finishing my great work – the Timeskipper. When I was ready to test it, I knew I wanted to try and discover where my father had taken the Ridge Jewel. I had to be very careful about where I chose to go, because I knew I wanted to return the Jewel on the same day he took it, when I was with him at Rainbow Ridge. I set the Timeskipper to the day after our trip, and successfully “skipped” into my own past.

For the first time since the night he disappeared, I saw my father and indeed, he had the Jewel with him. I discovered that after he stole the Jewel, to avoid scandal, he hid his newly found treasure inside an official “S.E.A.” crate within his vast collection. I think his plan was that if the egg was ever discovered, he could try and blame S.E.A. for its disappearance. Before the crate was sealed and moved, I took the egg and replaced it with the note that I assume you found. You see, since I had my Timeskipper, it didn’t matter where or when my note was discovered. I had all the time in the world to execute my plan.

And so, with the Ridge Jewel in tow, I continued skipping across time and leaving behind my riddles so that one day, members of S.E.A. would piece together my story and remember my name. I even traveled to times and places where famous members of S.E.A. had been, just to taunt them and prove I could. However, I discovered something very strange on my adventure. The more I traveled across the world and across time, the less angry I became. My adventure slowly healed my wounds. And I suppose that’s the point my new friends, seeking adventure and discovery, opens our minds to new possibilities. It can change us dramatically. In my case, I think it changed me for the good.

I settled in Rainbow Ridge for a while after that night, enjoying the town and its people. But, as perhaps you’ve clued together – I’m a restless soul and easily bored. I decided to test the limits of my Timeskipper, and aim for a faraway place.

Now you know my story (most of it). Maybe you see me as a villain, maybe a hero, and the truth is I’m a little bit of both. No matter what you believe – I wish you nothing but luck on your next adventure.

Until next time,
Hazel Louise Hightower