My nine lives

Wake up.

I woke up on the morning of the 20th August 2051, with a twisting and sick feeling in my stomach. Today was the day I was going to travel. I breathed in slowly, allowing the thought to sink in. And exhaled even slower, hoping it would calm the nerves. As I walked into the cafeteria that morning, receiving twice as much attention as usual. Some people were crying, others wishing me luck and a few saying they always knew I could do it. I hadn't even ever spoken to half of them, what a bunch of liars, I thought to myself in disgust.

I was due to depart in 1943 at 11:11 am, the angel hour. However, out of pure nerves I turned up to the headquarters an hour early which only increased my heart rate. The constant tapping of my shoe, my uneasy breathes and my eye flashing between the floor and the door. My mind was beginning to storm with thoughts. Am I going to make it ? Maybe 6 months wasn’t enough time? What if I panic and do something stupid ? What if I become too attached to the past ? Maybe I could save my mum and dad !? The thought of having the chance to feel my mothers warm hands on my cheek, made my eyes light up.

Suddenly, a dark trait and realisation hit me, causing my eyes to turn cold. The drugs. How was I going to successfully complete my mission, if I knew they were my only comfort when I was feeling alone. I had been sober for 7 months now, but knowing me that wouldn’t change a thing. I always kept a pill in the tight hidden zip pocket, in my left ankle part of my gear. I had no intent on removing it. I felt a ping of guilt, but I knew that nothing and nobody could change that. 

Before my thoughts could dig any deeper, rosamund stepped through the door. Alongside, Dr.williamson gave me a reassuring smile, a couple of scientists taking notes and suspicious men with guns but I was sure it was just for security. I felt as though everything was occurring in slow motion, as if I was walking into death's arms. The men led me to the white room.

There was nothing welcoming about this room. 

The walls appeared as though they were created to strangle your mind. Like a box you’d lose your witt in. Everything was so white,  I began to feel a shiver crawl down my spine. However, everybody around me seemed so calm. It perplexed me. Not a single word was exchanged, apart from one of the men pointing and leading me to a thin slit in the wall. I squinted my eyes lightly as I approached the crack, to try and make out what it was. 

The man with the gun stopped me right in front of the random slit in the wall. At this point, I was beyond confused and had to ask someone where the tempus 42 was. The time machine. 

“Rosamund, Where is the tempus 42 ?”, I asked in utter bewilderment.

She calmly replied with, “Right in front of you”.

Rosamund's deep grey eyes were on the slit. However, I was still in pure puzzlement. Rosamund quickly chuckled, as if she had just read my mind like a red sign.

“Adira, most fictional novels haven’t got a clue what a real time machine looks like.”

My face quickly went pink with embarrassment, that I had never seen a time machine and I had already assumed it was a literal door or something. 

Yet Rosamund continued explaining politely, as she walked down the steps towards me.

“You see, time is just a thin fragment that creates our universe. It is so tiny, yet so necessary. Everything revolves around it, that even the tiniest slit can faze the past, present and future. A box or a door that appears in fantasies is purely impossible. If a slit can change so much, a door or a path way could lead to the utter ruin of our universe.”

My brain was slowly beginning to put the pieces together, and I decided to accept that she was right.

The scientist explained to me that when the clock reaches 11:11, I will place my hand in the split and anything in a 10 metre radius of it will be sucked into the past. I think it was the fact that he was so chilled about this happening that increased my fear. The scientist, Rosamund, dr. Williamson and the man with the gun all made their way to the faraway office and operating room. The office was protected by a bullet proof glass and was strong enough to not be sucked through the tempus 42.

The clock hit 11:10 and my heart was racing, my blood boiling and a trickle of sweat falling upon my face. I tried to shake my body out, in an attempt to prepare myself.  But little did I know, that nothing could prepare me for how I would feel amongst the travel. The change, the experience and the journey.  There in that moment, my mind did not even think twice about how much time travel can affect time and space as we know it.

However, amongst all the stress and panic of the last, tiny, single minute, I tried to remember all the previous travelers. But not a single soul came to mind. I know for a fact that there had been others before me, but where were they ? Why can’t I remember a single name ?  This only heightened my sensation of trepidation, and I felt my breaths beginning to uneven.

Suddenly, as the clock hit 11:11 the thought hit me. 

No traveler has ever returned.

The split pulled me in with an unmeasurable force, lifting me off my feet in matter seconds. Leaving my fate in the hands of the past.

      --------------------------------------------------

Time travel is an anomalous feeling. Imagine being strapped onto a cold, metal, spinning disk and moments from your life are being played before your eyes. The good and the bad, blurred simultaneously. I felt as if I was living death on times-lapse, with a hint of pure sickness coming from my stomach. My head began to feel an excruciating pain, as a video of my father teaching me to walk started to play. In the midst of my body spinning and memories pacing, I felt myself slowly blacking out.  

Until I did.

I woke up on a cold and wet road, with my head soaked in dirty puddle water and blood. I had no clue what time it was, but the street was completely dark appart from a single lamppost.    The weak light revealed the street name 'Chelsea road'.

I stood up too quickly causing my head to fuzz and my body to lose balance. As I expected to fall straight to the ground again, I felt a body clumsily catch me.

“Woah, woah easy there ma'am” the male voice said in concern.

In pure fear, I attempted to punch the man but what came out was a weak shuffle of my body. My muscles felt as though they had completely dissolved and my body was now in the clutches of this male stranger. As I let the situation sink in, a tear ran down my cheek and my mind and body gave in simultaneously.

Everything went black...
 

Authors note : Damn. I'll try and update as soon as possible, I'm so sorry it is such a short chapter. I'm going to try and release 3 chapters together, so the next release might take a while. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter! btw the song that plays when she is time travelling is the intro of 'hey kids' by Molina. So I would love it if you checked the song out, it really feels like what I imagine Adira feels whilst time traveling !