A Million Lifetime

Chapter 4: Accident

After eating, they walk back to the donut shop. Cassandra was happy with the time they spent together at the food stall. However, she noticed that Chronos has been looking at his watch for several times now. Although he keeps a calm façade, his eyes have deep fear and anxiety in them. He tries hard to hide it from Cassandra.

Chronos has never been afraid of time until now. Within a minute, a tragedy which he tried hard to prevent for almost thousand times will occur again. It’s Cassandra’s death. He wanted to prevent it but he failed. This will be the 1 thousandth time he will attempt it. The first one was Cassandra got burn inside her house. The next was she got murdered by a burglar. An earthquake, stray bullet, explosion, as well as heart attack are just few of the causes of her death. There was even a meteorite which feel exactly to her room. He travelled back in time for so many times but he could not save her.

His hands are shivering as he looks around the surroundings. He look at the back, front, left side, right side, below and above. No sign of an accident going to happen but he knows it will come. The eerie silence of the night where only their footsteps could be heard says it all. Death will come for Cassandra and he’s sweating all over the body not knowing how to stop it. His anxiety and fear only rises every second. And then it arrives. Just when they are about to reach the donut shop, two people block their way. One is looking around while the other immediately points a gun towards them.

“Give us your wallet and cellephones if you want to live.”, the guy with the gun orders.

“Take it easy.”, he tries to calm down the person with the gun. Now he knows how Cassandra will die. He will try hard to prevent it. He stays in front of Cassandra who is now shaking in fear.

“I’ll take out my wallet. Just do not shoot okay?”, he slowly says trying not to agitate the criminal.

“Hurry up.”, the other guy says as he is also starting to get nervous.

“What about your girlfriend. Give me her wallet and phone as well.”, the criminal with the gun orders after he handed him his wallet and phone.

“Man hurry up. The patrol will come any minute now.”, the other guy exclaims.

“Cassandra look at me.”, he tries to get her attention upon seeing her shaking so hard.

“Everything will be okay. Just give me your wallet and phone.”, he tries to calm her down. 

“Really?”, she gets back to her senses upon hearing his voice.

“Really. Let’s just give them what they want. I’ll buy you a new bag and phone tomorrow.”, he assures her once again.

She slowly gives him her bag and phone.

When he was about to turn around and give Cassandra’s stuff to the robbers…

“Man there’s a patrol.”, the other guy shouts.

“It’s all your fault. You’re too slow.”, the criminal blames Cassandra and points his gun towards her.

“No!”, Chronos right away covers her ready to take the bullet. However, an accident happens. When Cassandra sees the criminal is planning to shoot her but Chronos covers her, her body unknowingly move and stays in between Chronos and the gunman instead.

Bang*

“Noooooo!!!”, when Chronos realized her actions, it was too late. He could only scream in anguish as reality sinks in that Cassandra was hit by a bullet.

He catches her falling body and ignored the two criminals who run for their lives when the siren of the patrol car activates.

“No! No! No!”, he cries in despair as he checks her body. The bullet went straight to her chest. If he has not guessed wrong, it should hit her heart. Blood is flowing out of her chest as well as her mouth. She’s still conscious.

“Thank God you’re alright!”, this is her words to him.

“You fool! Why did you do it?”, he asks while placing her head on his chest.

“I don’t know. Before I realized it, my body already moved.”, she smiles.

“No! Someone call an ambulance.”, he yells to his classmates who finally rushed a few moments after the gunfire.

Cough*

“Chronos, I don’t know why you approached me but I’m definitely sure it was you who went to my graduations.”, she says while coughing some blood.

“You're right! I was there during your graduation.", he admits.

"Why did you lie when I ask you before?"

"You will get scared if you know I'm following you right?", he says awkwardly.

"You're my stalker afterall.", she jokingly says.

"Why do you look the same when I saw you during my elementary graduation?", this confuses her.

"Do you believe in time travel?", he asks her instead of answering her question.

"What does this have to do with what I'm asking?", she gets confused even more.

"We already knew before you were born. More like we knew in your previous lifetime. We were very much in love. Until you passed away.", he explains with a low and desolate voice.

"Cassandra, I love you before you even know me. I love you from your previous lifetime until your next one. I’ll find you again!!!”, Cassandra could not make sense on some of his words but all she cares is his feelings toward her.

“Is that a confession? It's a pity I can't return your love because I'm running out of time. I would love to make more memories by spending a lifetime with you.”, she says while smiling as tears flowing from her eyes. She knows it is impossible. She will die soon.

"Chronos, can I have my first and last kiss with you?", Chronos right away gives her a passionate kiss. It feels like it lasted for a lifetime even though it was only a minute.

"Goodbye Chronos!", she tries to smile as wide as possible but the tears from her eyea betrayed her feelings. She does not want to die yet.

“I will make sure that happens.”, these are the last words she heard from Chronos before she lost consciousness permanently.

“No!!!”, he can only sobbed as the medics who just arrived took Cassandra from him. He did not even greet his friends as he walks further into the deep of the night. He disappeared since.

Cassandra was taken to the hospital. Upon hearing the news, her parents rushed as fast as they could. However, all they can see is her cold body as she was declared dead on the way to the hospital. She was buried a week later. All her classmates from her high school and university attended her funeral except for one; Chronos. Nobody knows where he went. Nobody heard from him again at the university. Even Cassandra’s parents tried to look for him. But he disappeared from their lives like he never even existed. His classmates feel pity for him. They know he truly loves Cassandra. Cassandra’s parents blamed him for the death of their daughter. They thought if he did not invite her to take a walk outside, the tragedy will never happen. Either way, nobody knows where Chronos is.

“Hello Cassandra Marie! It’s time to meet your parents.”