Time out for redheads

"Time Out for Redheads" by Miriam Allen De Ford is a science fiction tale set in a future where time travel tourism is commonplace, until a timid ticket seller named Mikel Skot gets caught up in a staged murder unlike any other. Mikel is thrown into disarray when he witnesses the feigned stabbing of a redheaded girl at his time travel ticket counter. Overwhelmed, he impulsively grabs the murder weapon and accidentally flees into the past. Stranded in an old version of Los Angeles, Mikel is forced to confront his fears and adapt to a world without the futuristic conveniences he's always known. There, he encounters Betty French, someone with unique perspectives who shakes up his understanding of society, crime, and love. In the end, facing the prospect of returning to his own time, Mikel uncovers that it was all a show. This revelation leads him to embrace the change within himself and the profound impact of human connection.