When Time Runs Out

Chapter 8| So Close and WisdomPart 2

After watching every Hunger Game movie, saying her lines along with her, crying with her and holding three fingers up with her, the last credits roll in. Everyone but Caleb and I are sleep. He is still staring at the screen.

"Did you like it?" I asked turning to him.

"Yeah, I feel like there could be another movie with her children though." He says looking my way.

"I know right?" I agree.

"Goodnight Alia." I hear him say as I turn off the T.V.

"Night." I whisper back before my eyelids feel heavy and I drift to sleep.

{Dream}

I'm running, it seems like I'm on on a narrow strip of metal. It sways to the side after every minute. I look down and notice a big huge clock. It seems like I'm running on a minute hand. Something is moving fast in my direction. I duck down and another narrow strip of metal flys past. Must be the seconds hand. I begin to run down the minute hand it sways once again I bend down to keep my balance so I don't fall off. I make a run for the center. And I begin to defend down a ladder. A person is running across in a cloke. My adrenaline kicks in and I slide down the ladder to save Time. Ticking gears surround me and once I get of the ladder I turn around straight into a cloaked figure,

I jolt awake. I'm panting slightly and I'm sweating, all of a sudden the smell of coffee wafts into my nose. I get up quietly so I don't wake anyone up and follow my nose to the kitchen where Rosaline is making coffee. Thunder rumbles slightly and rain patters on the window panes.

"Good Morning." I whisper groggily rubbing my eyes. My bare feet jump at the cool tile before I sit at the counter.

"Morning Athalia, would you like some coffee?" She offered.

"Yes, please." I smile as she hands me a mug and pours me some.

"What are you doing up so early?" She asks and I look at the clock reading 6:30 am.

"Strange dream."I answered. Rosalina sits at the counter and sips some coffee.

"I have a question." I start. She nods her head for me to continue.

"Did you know my mother before she disappeared?" I asked. Drinking some coffee.

"Oh, yeah. She was my best friend. We were like sisters and we did everything together. She seems to frequently visit me in 1999 and she often tells me that she is stuck and her powers won't work. And 1999 is the only time she says she spends the most time before she is uncontrollably whisked away to another time period." She explained.

" Did my mom leave anything for you to give to me?" I asked.

"Actually she did. She told me to tell you that in order to defeat the count you must destroy the prototype." She said

"How?"

"She told me there is this knife, hidden inside of the counts hour glass and it has the power to destroy something so powerful. It's called the Knife of Time. " She informed me.

"Thank you so much." I said sincerely standing up.

"No problem, Good Luck." I nod my head and smile.

I stand up and get my bag from the living room and see that they are all still sleep. I decided I wouldn't drag them into this. I don't want my friends to get hurt because of me. I go up to karrie room and pull on some blue jeans and a blue long sleeve shirt that says I'd rather be sleeping in white letters. I slip on my converses and pull the prototype out of my shirt. The metal is cool against my skin. I think 1999 and I feel the familiar pull and I'm gone.

| 1999 |

I go down stairs and I hear voices from the living room. Rosalina seems to be talking to someone, I get closer and realize it's my mom. I run into the room.

"Mom." I say coming in front of her.

"Oh my god, sweetie, I have missed you so much." She says standing up and engulfing me in a hug.

"I know mom I'm here to take you back to 2017." I start.

"I know sweetie, but you can't, I'm the 1999 Claire not the 2017 one."

"But Mom.." I started

"No sweetie, you have to go." She cut me off. I ran back upstairs tears streaming down my face. I thought back to 2017 and I felt myself get pulled back.

| 2017 |

I would have been so close but she was the Claire who was supposed to stay in 1999. I sigh, I give up, like seriously I couldn't even save my mom how could I save my dad and protect the prototype. I trudge down stairs and see Kassies mom watching my sleeping friends in the living room.

"It didn't work." I whispered

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I found her, but it wasn't the right her, I give up." I sigh looking down. I felt her grab my shoulders.

"Look at me." She demanded. I look up.

"Dont give up your gonna find your mom okay. Your going to find your parents and destroy the prototype. Ok, youre I last hope." She tells me desperately. I nod my head.

"I'll try." I say as confidently as possible.

<><><>

Once everyone wakes up Rosaliana makes us pancakes. We all sit around the table playing monopoly and munching on delicious sticky pancakes drenched in sweet syrup. After playing half of monopoly, playing charades, raiding the kitchen for more food and watching t.v. ,The rain soon stops, and we decide to go home and meet up tomorrow.

-

I grab my bag and began walking back down the block to my house. I was about to turn the corner when all of a sudden someone grabbed me from behind. I struggled in their grasp and elbowed the person in the stomach resulting in them slightly loosening their grasp. But it was still to strong. I struggled some more before a cloth was placed in front of my face and Black Spots began to clutter my vision. Then I was out.