The Past returns

"Nice shot" I yelled, "but you missed."
I turned the glass ring around in my finger so the the ball of the ring looked like it was being held in my palm. The pulsating grew stronger. As I flicked my wrist, a white bubble started to form. I could feel my hand tingling as the bubble grew.
The memory of me standing in front of the man with the blue robe flashed. I had the feeling that this was my favorite training game. Only this was not a game.
"Here it goes," I thought.
"My turn" I yelled as I pitched the white bubble underhand, now burning cold in my hands. The bubble quickly picked up speed and blasted into tiny pieces before targeting Earl. After being hit by the blast, Earl lost grip of his staff and sailed backwards into my garage door.
I moved to where his staff had fallen and hit Earl again with another white bubble of energy. This time I used a flicking motion so it would hit Earl and return to my hand. When the bubble returned to me I felt a surge of confidence. I grabbed Earl's staff and ran as fast as I could. I didn't think. I just ran. My heart was pumping so fast and I was having trouble breathing, but I didn't care; I knew I had to get as far away as possible. My thoughts flashed, for just a moment, to Mugsy who was still locked in the car. I was sorry that I had forgotten to let her out but there was nothing I could do about it now. Suddenly, Earl's face came to my mind. I stopped running, as I thought, "I know him, but how do I know him?" I turned around and saw nothing but the eery quiet street. My face started to sweat in the afternoon sun as I headed towards a friend's house that lived across the street, past the park. Maybe I had lost Earl, "no, not Earl, his name is...is.." It was so frustrating that I couldn't find the information that I was desperately searching for. I continued to look around me and spotted the same green-looking squirrel cross my path. My body flinched as I made a break for it and headed towards the path through the park.
Was exactly is that green squirrel creature, and was it a friend or an enemy. I tried to access any twinge of memory; but couldn't so I bit my lip and moved into a sprint.
+++
I banged on my friend's door, my chest burning inside from the lack of oxygen. I waited in the corner of her shaded porch, trying to will her to be home and answer quickly. I paused for a moment to listen through her door, I could hear footsteps coming down the staircase. I remembered that I was holding the cracked staff and thought there was no way to explain it so I threw it into her block shaped bushes a millisecond before the door opened.
"Hey friend, what's going on?"
'Um...hi Kris. I was wondering if I could come in for just a minute." I stammered
"Sure friend, come in." Kris welcomed me into her beautiful three story redbrick home. Every time I stood in her house, I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. I glanced at the black chandelier hanging above the Baby Grand piano in her sitting room as I followed her to the kitchen.
"you look like you need a some water. Jack!" Kris yelled upstairs to her twelve year old son. "Miss Tiffany is here, make sure to get some pants on before you come down." We looked at each other as Kris commented, "Maken sure we avoid any embarrassment, for you I mean." I took the plastic water bottle Kris offered and leaned on the counter. Kris started talking about the new Cordell Wide Oak hard wood floors they were going to have put in next month. I tried to sound excited but I all I could manage was a couple of ohs and uh-huhs, here and there.
As I sipped the water, I glanced down at my glass ring now and again. I knew that it would flicker to let me know if Earl had followed me here. I doubted that he had, since he looked quite unconscious before I took off toward the park.