The Only

The Harbinger

"Well, here we go, love. Let's save our daughter." They held each other firmly, and the forward-jumper closed her eyes. "No matter what happens, Max," the taller of the two whispered, "that little girl is all that matters. We save her and forget about everything else."

"Wait, Chlo. What exactly are you saying?" The words she had just heard puzzled the smaller girl. There was no answer from her partner since she had begun focusing on the scene and the forward shift. Noticing the concentrated effort on her fiancé's face, the brunette braced herself in preparation for what was to come.

This future was one she had never seen before, as things had changed slightly since she last viewed the timeline branches. Quickly, Rachel scanned to see what this attempt had in store for her friends. "Oh no!" She screamed deep into the deafness of the never-ending abyss after she witnessed the bleak futures that could come. "Fuck! This can't happen. No goddam way!" There were two possibilities that could play out if she didn't intervene somehow, and both were far from ideal. Death and darkness followed both branching realities. In some ways, these new futures were worse than any she had seen previously.

Rachel conjured up several familiar scenes and picked the one with the best chance for success. As she formed the dreamspace landscapes, she could see the potential futures adjusting to her work in a way she hadn't noticed before. The immediate problem would be pulling them in to warn them prior to the forward jump. They were not asleep and were fully conscious. She tried with everything she had to force them into a slumber, but, try as she might, her attempts were unsuccessful. "I've got to keep pushing. Fuck, I have to." She considered blowing wind or making rustling noises, but it would be too late if she did. It also wouldn't change the outcome from the two possible futures they were headed towards.

After exhausting as much of her dreamspace power as possible, the most she achieved was making her friends tired. "That's not enough! If I can't do this, everything we've worked for will be meaningless. Shit!" She didn't have much time, as the duo was nearly to the point of jumping. When no amount of effort was successful, she fell to her knees in disappointment and despair.

Max's curious eyes remained open as she felt her fiancé's torso and arms begin to tremble. Unlike the previous attempt, she could hear the sounds of the future and knew they were merely moments from jumping. Their child's voice was clearly audible through the rushing sounds of wind, and it made her heart race and the corners of her lips curl upward. She felt the prickle of electric waves with a flowing liquid quality running up and through her body. The walls of the room and all physical objects started winking in and out of her view. Looking up at her partner's face, she noticed a yawn forming, which caused her to yawn as well. She felt overly tired, but her determination outweighed all other impulses and urges. If they were to save their daughter, they would need to focus deeply. She shook off the sleepiness and knew Chloe had too.

Both of their bodies glowed with a bright yellow outline, and she felt a gravitational release followed by absolute stillness. She opened her eyes and was surrounded by white nothingness. Far in the distance she heard Chloe's laughter and a little girl's voice. "Mama, I wuuuuv chocat." She gasped out of delight at the sounds of her precious little family.

As reality began to trickle in, starting in the middle of her view, she recalled Rachel telling them they had anywhere from one to three seconds prior to the gunshot. Like a machine, Max was hyper-focused. Her mind scanned the area gathering as much data as she could. She knew she had grabbed the photo to jump back, so if they were not successful this time, they could try again. She hoped more than anything there wouldn't have to be a next time.

She didn't recognize the area but would never forget what she was seeing. They were in a small-town city square, where a local festival was taking place. Tents and makeshift craft stands lined the road where items were sold to people passing by. The traffic appeared to be cut off with orange cones and road barrels allowing for safe pedestrian trips to and from vendors on the asphalt and sidewalks. Food trucks also lined the streets selling meals, beverages, and sweet treats. About ten steps from the three girls, a dessert truck idled where they no doubt just visited. The young girl held a waffle cone wrapped with napkins at the base and topped with a scoop of creamy, smooth chocolate ice cream that had been licked several times.