The World Below [DNF]

Chapter 15: When time stops

Finally there was Karl, he seemed to have the most "normal" family. He lived alone with his mother and sister but appeared to have a close relationship with both of them.

George didn't tell then much about his own family-situation, He said that he lived with his dad who worked basically all the time, which wasn't a lie. A month had nearly pasted and the amount of hours he'd spent with his dad was easily counted on one hand. Their "quality-time" always consisted of his dad lecturing him about his job and how he ran it, giving George hypothetical scenarios to solve.

He had started to hang out at the park more and more. He'd go there and practice knife-throwing, do homework or his favorite activity; hang out with Clay.

They'd formed a habit to meet there and as time passed, these meetings began to happen more frequently. Clay filled a place in George's life that he'd secretly always longed for.

The boys were complete opposites in many aspects, but their personalities worked extremely well together. Of course, he enjoyed the company of the others as well, but it was a different type of relationship. Clay was very expressive with his emotions, he was easy to read, and his ways made it easier for George to express himself. The blonde was also very good at reading him, George had thought that his facade was uncrackable, but Clay somehow seemed to be able to catch onto the slightest details.

George had never been the biggest fan of physical contact, it made him feel vulnerable but Clay was an exception. He often found himself resting his head on the blonde's leg or shoulder while they would, for example, study together. He didn't know when it became so normal but he didn't complain and neither did Clay. Their park visits were one of the few times where George felt completely at peace.

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The sun was setting and George laid with head on Clay's leg while he was trying to help him study for their upcoming science-exam.

"I. Don't. Understand. This. Fucking. Shit." Clay exclaimed in frustration. George was trying his best to explain the concept of time, but the other boy wasn't catching on, no matter how many times he tried to explain it.

George laughed slightly at the reaction. Clay continued his rant. "How can time be anything different then just a way to tell what time of day it is?!" George shook his head and accepted defeat.

He'd for the passed hour tried to explain how light and time correlated. And how an hypothetically object that travelled nearly as fast as the speed of light would experience a slower time. But nothing worked in ways of getting the other to understand.

George therefore tried to changed his approach. "You know that time's is nothing more than a man-made concept. Our linear way of viewing time doesn't apply to everything and everywhere."

Clay frowned in response. "That didn't help. You just made it even more confusing." George looked up at the darkening sky and small sparks of light that had appeared. Space had always been a fascination of his, the insight that we knew so little about it, was what made it so appealing. That thought awoke another thought.

"Have you heard the theory that the moment we die, our bodies practically pumps us full with this psychedelic substance called DMT?" Clay just glared at him, which gave George the feeling the the blonde did, in fact, not know what he was referring to. So he continued.

"Well basically, just after we die, this last spark of energy kicks in and it seems as though the dying person experience an extreme peacefulness. Like pure euphoria. The theory then states that our brain lets us relive our fondest memories"

"What does it have to do with time?"

"As I mentioned, in our world times linear, but who's to say that it applies in any other part of the universe or the potential afterlife for that matter? In theory, that last spark of energy that the body produces could likely feel like infinity. Time stops mattering, it no longer follows our rules. "