Oh but if we could change our past,
Oh but if we could but move time,
Then maybe the pain would not last,
and not hurt when the bell would chime.


The boy was at the other end of the table. He scarfed food down his face as though he had not eaten in a while. He looked around my age, though I did not know if he was younger or older. But definitely shorter than me, I thought to myself, slightly proud. His straight short hair was shining silver. I couldn’t help but think that it looked beautiful. I had to speak to him.

“Why are you awake?” I blurted out at the boy.

He turned to face me and blinked, gazing at me with a confused startled expression on his face. His eyes were a particularly interesting shade of silver and blue. They reminded me of the water in the river, clear blue and bathed in moonlight.

“Um…sorry, I didn’t mean to…um startle you. It’s just… everyone’s asleep, and um… why are you not?” I asked again louder and slower. 

The boy’s face then fell into a panicked expression, his eyes widening. He swallowed the food that was in his mouth, and then stood very still. As if he could disappear if he didn’t move. Or as if I would disappear.

He didn’t disappear though.

Neither did I.

“Hello?” I said after an awkwardly long pause. I took a step towards him. His eyes widened further and he took a careful step backwards. He would be rather handsome if he wasn’t so frightened looking.  I blushed at the thought and stopped moving forward.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, it’s just that around this time… everyone is always asleep and you are not. I mean. I’m not too, and I don’t really know why. Maybe you know? Do you? Why are you awake?” I asked. “Please... Look. I’m not going to hurt you.”

He stayed frozen, looking at the slice of pie that was in his hand. Then he dropped the pie and ran away.

I sprinted after him, kicking up piles of snow in my wake.

“No! Wait, wait, stop! Just, stop!” I yelled at him. “I’m not going to hurt you! I just want to know! Please! Just answer me! Why are you awake? Come back!”

I was so immensely curious. Who was he? I did not recognize him. But I did not know everybody in the town. Was he new? Did he just move here? But why was he awake? Only I ever was. I was not allowed to play with the other children. Not since we moved. But if it was somebody else awake when everyone else was asleep? Mother didn’t have to know. She would be sleeping too. I had to find out who he was.

We ran and ran until we were in a part of town that I did not recognize.  

“Hey,” I called out, “hey, come back, please, stop, I don’t… I’m not going to hurt you! Please come…back…”

I stopped in my tracks, out of breath. I watched as he ran further and further away. I could not catch up.

I stood shivering in the snow, wondering where I was, staring at the grey walls around me. Then suddenly I felt as though something was wrong. A sense of dread washed over me. I glanced around and noticed, that the grey walls around me were turning black.

No.

The world around me was growing darker. I looked down at my feet. Darkness crawled beneath it, spreading outward. Making its way slowly along the cobblestone floor.

I twirled myself around to face the clock. It was nearly one.

“Oh no. Oh no no no,” I gasped and rushed home.