DYSCHRONOMETRIA

CHAPTER 2 - Bizarre Encounter

6 months has past... Nothing important has changed. The only thing they should be joyous about is the fact that they fixed the machine-- only to actually break it this time. Nothing. No success. Nothing really has changed.

So far, their efforts were futile.

This time though, Lianna became tired, unmotivated.

She did have bought a new phone--but that's not the focus--She was lost.
She wanted a purpose in her life.

She doesn't want to give up, but her heart says she's tired.

"I... I can't do it anymore..."

"What will I do now?"

She felt empty. The enthusiastic Lianna, has now felt what emptiness was like, to feel having no purose.

Her thoughts are drowning her.

She wasn't sure what to do anymore.

Sharpness stung her eyes as she tried to hold back her sniffs. She was alone in the comfort room, but it held no comfort to her. She eventually stopped crying and stepped outside of the the building. The twilight greeted her coldly. Once again, hot tears dripped with no control. The sky was turning dark just like her sight on her path. She was lost.

A coat suddenly envelops her. With warm and strong arms clasping her.

"Hey, don't feel bad about it. It happens all the time." Collins' soft voice murmured. His soft blue orbs drifted to the soon ending twilight. It produced bands of dark colors, the most noticeable ones were purple and indigo. No muffled sounds are heard, just the wind's gentle blows. Lianna stopped crying. With that, Collins somehow felt satisfied that he is able to comfort his friend. For now.

"Collins," Lianna called, "Sometimes, have you ever wondered--" she paused, "--Have you ever lost-- ugh." she stammered. Why is she like this?

"Have ever lost motivation?" he corrected. "Yes. Have you?" she sheepishly asked. Collins thought to himself. There was. There was one time he did want to give up. . . It was when Lianna had a crush of her own back then in college. He felt, what was tha word? Wretched? It feels like there was an appropriate word, but he can't seem to describe it. That was the time he felt down.

"Well no, I haven't, why?" he answered after he thought for a long time. Hypocrite.

"Being unmotivated feels so. . . empty. I hate this feeling." she shared.

"Well, who doesn't?" he responded.

He was right. No one likes it. It certainly no one will.

Lianna seek out her phone, "6:51pm. Let's head back. They might need us."

"Sure, m'lady." Collins agreed.
______________________________________

It was 9:47 pm at night. Lianna was leaning back on an alley wall, thinking. Her orbs gazed at the dainty lights on the dark sky. She was om the verge of giving up. But first, she is currently on her what ifs. It was exhausting and she's overthinking.

". . ."

What if she did better on the machine?

".  .  ."

What if the machine didn't fail?

".  .  ."

What if she just stop at her work?

". . ."

"No. I can't.  .  . I can't do it.  .  . " she was in doubt. She was confused.

She was lost.

It's all spinning in her head.

Suddenly, something ticked.

She span her head to the source.

Nothing. It was all trees and buildings around her.

Tick!

She felt it. Something on her bag. It was so strong for some reason.

The pocket watch.

She looked at it warily with suspicion. She opened its cap cover and saw the unbelievable.

The clock's hands were moving! "Gasp!"

Tick! Tick! Tick!

"What's happening?"

The watch ticked uncontrollably. She quickly looked at her surroundings. It was all disorienting. Her head is literally spinning "Wah!" . She's seeing bands of color gathering in a vortex. It looked eerily familiar "Wh. . . What is this. . .?"

The portal.

Then it stopped.

She inspected the surroundings, "Normal-- It's all normal! What?" she whipped her head back and forth on directions then and there.

Bizarre. It was the word that first clicked on her. Confusion. The second word. Time. The third. She didn't know what's happening.

Must it be a harbinger of a shift in her life?