Time

Ch. 6 Surprise

Not being able to stay in this place any longer, Tempus attempts to go back to the present time. She tries to conjure the same feelings she had before showing up in the stone age and for her, it’s not hard to do that because she is in the same condition; everything in her world felt like it was crashing down on top of her. Her hope for mankind has dwindled to near extinction.

For several more hours, falling into the night and then early morning, she sits there in the same position: On her knees, surrendered to the world and feeling miserable, just as she was the day before. Her mind wonders, just waiting for something to happen.

Why isn’t anything happening? I need to get back and fast! she exclaims silently. I’m doing everything just as I did before. It doesn’t make any sense, she continues.

Just as she’s ready to give up once more, something really strange happens.

She starts feeling really odd at first, as if the anger and hatred of the world washed over her and feels as if Tempus is going to lose it. Pure fury entangled her emotions, throwing her into a silent rage, trying to control it with all her might. This strong antagonism creates a sad hole in her chest and filling it with this anger, trying to take control of her feelings.

It was so overwhelming and it happened so quickly. She feels like tearing out her hair and screaming until her lungs turned to dust. She felt so furious it was as if an army of rampaging bulls were running inside her, stomping her every happy emotion within Tempus’ body. It hurt so much.

Then, just as it’s becoming unbearable, she hears a sound. It almost sounds like Time, but it was presently different. Instead of a clean ringing, it seemed distorted and scratched like sharp nail scaling down a chalk board.

This presence was anything but good and that’s why she’s feeling so awful. Tempus had a pretty direct idea to what it was.

Standing up, she turns around on her still bare feet to see what she saw in that cruel man’s eyes: Evil itself. It looked exactly as it did in the image with tendrils snaking in and out of it’s dark disfigurement, only as big as a dresser mirror, floating in the air and looking like a pool of moving poison.

Considering the circumstances and results of that simile, it practically was.

I knew it would show up eventually, thought Tempus. I just never thought it had the guts to show it‘s face to me,she continues angrily.

Finally, the thing spoke, “Oh, no need to be rude. That’s my job.” It’s snaky tendrils twirled slightly as it’s imperative voice rang out.

Tempus responds shakily, knowing that it can read her mind scared her, “Must be some crappy job. Maybe you should quit. Doesn’t seem like it’s worth your time, does it?” 

Tempus plays it out casually, crossing her arms and looking around as if trying to find something interesting. Evil’s presence is making her uncomfortable and she doesn’t want to keep looking at it.

Evil responds, unaffected by her words of course, “My job is so much fun! Why would I quit? Even so, I’m just making your job much harder. Maybe you’re the one who should throw in the towel. I hear the world is more evil these days anyway. It would just make more sense to fall into the twisted ways. It’s so much easier than your little rule-following, boring methods. My way is better.”

As its talking, Tempus paces around a bit, walking in circles around trees and bushes while staying in the area. She understands what he wants from her, trying to convince to join the dark side. As if there were any cookies there.

She replies, “Yes, well, it seems that I’m not interested. I’d rather keep my job, but thanks for the offer.”

Evil talks again, but this time he puts great power in his voice and practically shouts, “I didn’t give you a choice! Humanity is now in my control and there is nothing you can do this time to stop it. Can’t you see that everything you’ve done hasn’t even made a dent in mankind’s conscience? You are completely useless in your good little world.

“Just look at your chances: you can either become a powerful, formidable being on my side, the winning side, bathing in glorious darkness or you can fall on your side and lose to your precious goodness. Like I said, it just makes sense to come to my side and you will do as I say. Wouldn’t you rather live than die?”

Tempus was frightened at the way he was speaking to her and just thinking about what he was saying did make sense. It nearly made her consider going over to his side.

Though, she knows that going over there will not solve her problem. Yes, it may seem like she is only focusing on the end of the world right now, but how can she not? The world is falling in the hands of Evil and she can’t let this happen no matter what. It doesn’t matter what he says. 

There is only disease, darkness and death in that place. Insanity is the only result coming from this outcome. Why can’t it see that? Does it not get tired of doing things that are not satisfactual? With endless searching for something fulfilling? Evil will never find that on its current path.

Her world was in every way better than Evil’s crooked ways, rewarding and beautiful in all customs. She has everything she could ever want and the good of the world isn’t gone. There is no way in hell that she would just give up now. Her duty is to Time and to humanity and giving up means that all of her work would be for nothing and that good means nothing anymore.

Yet there is a light in her heart. It may be small, but it’s always been there. This means that her light will never go out because she knows she’ll find a way to stop the world from ending.

This glimmer of hope that crossed her mind gave her every reason to not even consider Evil’s offer. She’s mentally thrown it off the table and stood her ground in front of Evil.

She looks at it and puts every ounce of power into her words to say she is not letting go, “Look, you can try to take me away and try to convince me in every means possible to steal all there is left of me, but you will never get me. You will never contain what I have because I’ve got everything and the sad part is, you possess nothing. You are so desperate that you need to ask for my help on your side. 

“Ha! I couldn’t think of anything more humiliating for you. If ‘Evil’ is so powerful, I would suggest retaining that title. The power you seek will never be found. Do you know why? It’s right here,” she points to herself, “and you’re not going to get an ounce of it. The world is still good and I will prove it, one way or another. You may have power, but it is useless without me.”

Still playing it casually, Tempus dusts the dirt off her leather outfit and concludes the conversation saying, “Now if you will excuse me, I have my own time to return to. Sorry for things not going as planned for you. So, for now, farewell.”

Just as she spat her last word to this creature of darkness, she turns away and walks down the path to her past home. She knows how to get back now, just by using the power she was given.

Evil is taken aback by this human time capsule and feels as if it should go after her and rip the power from her body. Even though, it wants to do this so badly, it remains at bay. Evil has a tantalizing thought.

If only she had enough of that power to stop me. I may have little power, just as she said, but it has more effect than anything, mankind is an example of that, so easily swayed. I don’t need her.

In the end, she will need me.