Borrowed Time

Chapter 21

"W-we're sorry"

"Why?" Marcella questions, "If you had gone inside you might have been killed too then everything you had planned would have been in vain"

Hazel looks up from her buried hands with sugar glazed eyes as her lip trembles, holding back her sobs in hiccups. Marcella holds no particular expression sending a cold chill down the three boys who are surprised by her placid reaction. Turning to Fred she places a warm hand on his as he exhales out shakily almost drawing back from her kind action. 

"I am sorry for making you two recall those memories," Marcy says gently as she stares off in the distance, "judging by Fred's reaction earlier Esther's disappearance was not part of this plan"

"I'm sorry Hazel!" Fred screams at the top of his lungs.

"What about?"

"Esther was my teacher but also a royal servant, yet she is not recorded anywhere despite all your plans to remain 'normal' which I suspect included returning to your old positions if there was a shift in the timeline"

"H-how did you know?" Fred asks amazed.

"As you said, I am not affected by alterations in time, I vaguely remember Esther being reappointed during my early years even with memories of her already being a servant in the palace. It never made sense why my parents and brother did not know her until now"

"Hazel-"

"My sister isn't dead, she isn't dead Fred," Hazel snaps back instantly, "just because she isn't in any stupid book doesn't mean she is dead; Esther's smart she wouldn't just get herself killed"

"Hazel..." Chris softly says as a single tear falls through the dents of her skin into her forceful smile.

"I agree," Marcella announces taking everyone by surprise, "the man I saw in Elysianair who froze time was meticulous and patient, he didn't want to kill me immediately. However, I am certain that Esther is in their possessions"

"Why do you say that?"

"Esther was about to distract Elias, the man who attacked me, whilst everyone was frozen, but I lured him out the palace beforehand. I am sure she followed and got caught"

"Plus, they want the Clover, they aren't stupid enough to kill her if they know she hasn't got it, they'll just use her as bait once they realise" Hazel adds hysterically.

"A man froze time?" Dylan mutters to Tommy as he shrugs his shoulders heavily.

"The sample," Fred simply answers with his head low, "remember at the start of the study, they took a small sample as a backup, it was only a matter of time before they realised how to use it"

Dylan hesitantly raises his arm in the air gaining everyone's attention before nudging Tommy and Chris in both of their ribs for their quiet snickers brightening the mood slightly, speaking at the rise of Marcella's eyebrow, "Can we take a break?"

"He needs a piss" Tommy clarifies as Chris and him chuckle at Dylan's frantically crossed legs.

"I think we need a break too" Hazel agrees as she watches Tommy trail behind Marcy into the garden.

"I'm sorry about your parents"

"Why? You didn't do anything," Marcy replies honestly as she feels his gaze on her face, "I didn't know them but by the sounds of it they were brave and had good intentions regardless of the outcome. I am grateful to have been adopted by similar people in Elysianiar"