“What?!”
“I said close your eyes!”
“Yes. Ma’am.” And I shut my eyes faster than the speed of light out of fear.
“Okay, Open them.”
But when I opened them. It was dark I couldn’t see anything. I panicked. “What happened? Why am I suddenly blind?!”
I was greeted to Alaska’s face lit up by her phone screen. “Idiot, how could you suddenly be blind? Look up, the moon’s still there.”
“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“So what happened? Where are we? Why’s it so dark?”
“We time travelled. This is the city 400 years ago. Before any settlers were here. So there’s no city and only natives who live on the nearby beaches…I hope. But we can always just go back so don’t worry too much.”
“What?! Why would you do this?”
“To prove we can time travel? Why else?”
“Yah, I know but why four hundred years?”
“Well, 'your people' haven’t been treated well by 'my people' in history so I had to choose a time before they came here duh?”
“True, but later we’re gonna have a talk later about this 'your people' thing…”
“Ugh. Here we go again.” she complained. She facepalmed herself. “Why did I start this again?” she agonised
“So are we just gonna talk here then?”
“I don’t see why not?”
“Uhm well where do I start?”
“I don’t know Oliver. I just work here.”
“Uhm well how does time travel work and how does our version work, cause I don’t think it’s the same as the delorean.”
“Smart kid. Good questions. No wonder I like you. Hmm. How to explain this...Firstly let's explain how time really works. Most people think of time as linear. In reality time is more like layers of tracing paper added on top of each other. Because the pages below the latest one still exist in their own time and space. They can also still be seen or 'remembered' by others. We're not really humans. We're a race of ancient beings created in the essence of time itself. We're called The Lost because we don’t have a set time-period. All other forms of organic material are anchored to their time. But we can fall between these pages because our connection to the essence of time. It allows us to willingly or unwillingly in your case manipulate time around us.”
“Overly complicated, cryptic explanation...makes this seem even more legit. So Alaska how long have you had your powers and how long did it take you to be able to control them? And not uncontrollably drift through time like me.”
“Hmm, I guess I’ve always had my powers. Since my mom had them too, it was never really a secret. I started learning to use them when I was six. Then my mom started to believe that I had her powers too and it wasn’t just my imagination. However, it took a year or so to fully have any kind of control. I was also still a kid so it was more difficult to use my powers.”
“How long do you think it would take me?”
“A month tops. Unless you’re an idiot.”
“Well, how would I go about travelling through time?”
“Just think of a time to travel to and try to escape your body through your mind. I don’t know it’s difficult to explain, but when the time comes and you need to use it. It will happen. That’s why when you experience certain emotions you might accidentally enter a time slip. Like how you felt alone your whole life, that’s what caused your random time-slips.”
“Woah. I’ve known about this for like a week and I still can’t take this seriously. I mean I have the power to defy the laws of physics. Wait.... What’s the catch?”
“None. None whatsoever.”
“Alaska, please teach me to use my powers.”
“Soon.”
“Fine.” I said as I pouted.
She pat me on the head, “Don’t be like that. Let’s enjoy the view. We’ll never see this again and the ocean has never looked so blue. Let’s just enjoy this together? Okay?”
“Okay.” And I put my arm around her and pulled her ever so closer and rested my head on hers. ”This has been the best date of my life Alaska.”
“It’s your only date, my loser.”
“It’s always gonna be my favourite though because it was my first and because it was with you…”
Alaska looked up at me in shock that she didn’t see me going into cardiac arrest after speaking from the heart. She felt as if a star had formed in her chest. Our experiences culminated together to form this paroxysm of sweetness, anxiety and love. It seemed fate placed the stars not in our hands that night but rather our hearts.
And so we sat there enjoying the view and each other’s warmth as the cold night went on and time moved along without us. Eventually I grew tired and my eyes became heavy. When I opened them stars had become city lights, trees to skyscrapers, and valleys to suburbs.
But no time had passed since we left.
It was still 7:45. The same time as when we left and everything seemed the same. There wasn’t an alternative 1985 situation. So I don’t agree with Alaska when she said time travel will ruin things but she’s hiding something, I know it. ( Yah. I know I said this earlier but it’s still bugging me because I’ve experienced time-travel first hand now. So I can understand how it feels and its repercussions better now. But it seems to not really feel any different and there don’t seem to be any repercussions.)
“Alaska. I’m tired. Can we go home now? Or do u wanna stay a little longer?” I said with a few yawns between.
“...”
I received no reply and on checking on her. I saw an angel sleeping on my shoulder. Well, I guess we could stay for a little while longer.
“Alas( said Alice), let’s be cute together like this forever?”
An hour later I got a call from my mom saying we needed to come to the car now or we’d be stranded on the mountain till morning. I was gonna tell Alaska but luckily my ringtone woke her up.
“Oliver. How did we get back?” She asked rubbing her eyes.
“Didn’t you...? I thought you were awake?”
“Nope. I fell asleep while you were still awake watching me ‘sleep’. You’re quite the creep Oliver…”
“I wasn’t watching you sleep… Wait does that mean when I fell asleep, I took us back here?”
“Possibly. Wow, Oliver your connection to the essence of time must be really strong. You might even be able to control your power in less than a month.”
We were interrupted by the honk of my mom’s car horn. We quickly got in. I held the door for Alaska and snuck into the backseat. For once my mom let me sit next to Alaska in the back. My mom thought letting us sit in the back seat made her feel like my chauffeur. I mean essentially she was an unpaid chauffeur in everything but name. It was a quiet drive. But quiet because we just sat and held hands out of my mom’s view. We just enjoyed being around each other before we would part for the night.
We came to an abrupt halt. We arrived at the entrance to the nature reserve.
“Are you sure this is the only way to your house Alaska?” asked my mom.
“Yes. Unless you’re up for an hour’s drive into the hills…”
“Here’s good I guess.” she replied in a kind and gentle tone. Then she pointed and shouted at me, “Just make sure this good for nothing boyfriend of yours walks you to your door and doesn’t leave till your inside.”
“Yes ma’am.” She said in fear. (This was the first time I‘ve seen Alaska shaken, like this was worse than her social anxiety.)
“Ya’ know. You could swear she’s your mom and not mine...” I jested.
So we walked, linked arm in arm on the path till we got to her house on the other side.
“I guess this is your stop, Milady?”
“I guess so…”
I held her as tight and as close as possible. And a final bittersweet kiss goodnight. And I was lost for words for how perfect our parting moments were. All I could muster was a sad half smile, an awkward wave as she closed the door. Severing us.
Well, all good comes to end. It’s gonna be a long cold walk back to the car. About halfway I realised how long I’d been walking for. I better not take too long or my mom might drive off without me…
As I thought those bitter thoughts about my mom. I suddenly thought about Alaska and what she was doing and how she was….
Alaska closed the door. She switched on the light and fell to the ground in tears of lies, retentive nostalgia, longing and forlorn depression as her cosmos and terra crumbled with the door closing. As she cried her echoes bellowed in a barren home.
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