Chapter Text
If there was one thing all the kids in Hill Valley knew, it was to stay away from old Doc Brown’s place. Rumors about him had circulated for years, from the elementary school playground to the halls of high school.
“One night, I heard weird noises from his house. Like he was shooting lasers, or something!”
“I heard he’s making a doomsday device so he can blow up the town!”
“Some people say he experiments on dogs. I even heard barking around there before!”
“He’s making a Frankenstein in there, I swear it!”
But one 14-year-old Martin McFly never put much stock in rumors, anyway.
The problem was this: RadioShack had run out of tubes for his amp. Apparently, Dr. Brown had bought every last one. They’d get a resupply in a week, but patience had never been one of Marty’s strong suits. He needed those tubes, and he needed them now. He doubted the old man would want to give them up to a kid he’d never met. So, Marty decided, he wouldn’t ask.
It wasn’t really stealing if he would’ve bought it anyway, right? Besides, Brown had the entire town’s worth. He wouldn’t miss a few. That was what Marty kept repeating to himself, over and over, as he snuck out of his room in the dead of night and made his way to Brown’s house. When he finally arrived, he noticed something peculiar.
“The lights are still on…” Marty whispered.
He checked his watch again. 1:15 AM. No way a guy Brown’s age would still be up. He must’ve forgotten to turn the lights out.
Marty looked around for a way inside. He didn’t want to break any windows or knock down the door. The noise would attract attention. Besides, stealing was one thing. Property damage was another.
Not stealing, he corrected himself. I’m just borrowing them…Without asking first.
After a thorough examination, Marty decided that the best way in would be the simplest: the door. Picking the lock wouldn’t be a problem. He’d learned how for his dad’s sake; poor guy always lost his keys. As Marty stepped on the doormat, though, he felt a bump under his sneaker.
“No way. He doesn’t really…”
He lifted the mat. Sure enough, there it was. The key to the front door.
“People actually do that? I thought that was made up for TV,” Marty said. “Well. That makes things easier.”
He put the key in the lock and turned. With a click, the door opened.