The House of Hope is the second installation of 'The Train of Life', describing a woman who has given up on life, but is urged to explore the deepest and darkest parts of her in order to find a way to heal.
"You can be your own lover or your own ene...
"Look at you," Time snipped back, stopping and stooping down. "When was the last time you asked someone for help?"
I stopped. It was true – I was a sassy child. Always demanding things, knowing that I deserved the best and had the ability to ask for it.
"You lost your fire along the way," Time said, "glad you got it back. Up."
I draped myself onto his back, holding onto his neck. "So...."
"Don't ask."
"Why do you hate Closure so much? She said it's because you haven't gotten closure of your own."
Time remained silent. I poked his cheek, the man giving out a sharp exhale.
"We all have a story to tell. Mine just turns out to not have an ending."
"Oh."
We were walking through a grassy field. Buildings stood high and tall around us. This did not look like the place where I lived. There were only small houses and empty streets there. Everything around us was bustling with busy people and traffic. I made a face when a bus sped past us, gray smoke swirling with the wind.
"Where are we going?"
"I don't understand why you humans like to ask questions when it just takes a little bit of patience."
We ended up in front of a house with a backyard. The flowers were filled with lavenders, the same ones I saw when I met Closure. Time let go of me and I slid off his back, the man crossing his arms across his chest.
"Are we waiting for someone?"
He looked annoyed. "Yes. I need to show you the future."
I struggled to understand what that meant – he was Time. Why couldn't he just show me the future?
"Because if I had a choice, I wouldn't show you this future. I'd show you the future of what would happen if you decided to..." he paused. "take your own life. I'd show you your brother kneeling in front of God's statue at your funeral. I'd show you the people who would come to mourn your death. That is the future I would choose to show you."
I tilted my head at him, Time pursing his lips when a yell sounded. A woman had popped up from behind the house. She had cotton baby blue hair, and her lips were painted a bright purple, her hair was clipped up in pigtails with hamburger clips. Right on her head, was a beansprout clip that extended up like an antenna, swinging back and forth every time she moved.
