Changer Of Time

Bending the Light | Chapter 4

Crimson beams flutter through my eyelids, rainbows of orange balancing themselves against my silk curtain that hangs upon my window. My palms bends the light as I wave them in the air to awake myself from the nightmares I fell into. The nightmares that fear my soul. About them.

About me.

I know, I know. I'm acting like I have no idea what these 'Time Changers' are, and quite frankly, I only have a very small idea. We were taught briefly about them in school, about what they are. About how we know nothing about that apart from they can change time once every year, and you find out in your sixteenth year of life. I didn't realise it would mean being drugged, put in room with a mental (but attractive) teacher and having liquid being inserted into my body, forcing itself into me, confusing my brain and giving me nightmares... Wait, what am I saying? It does sound like a day of school.

Nightmares. Fear. Time.

What I'm trying to describe is, I don't know what I am. I don't know who I am, and what my purpose is. My hand reaches out to grab an idea about my life, but I fall short. Sinking into my mind, I feel worthless. I'm scared.

Is scared good?

Rubbing my glossy eyes, I fix my back into a sitting position on my sheets. Ginger curls twirl from my head, my freckles dampen my skin and my blue eyes reflect the light in the room. My name is Spero, I am 16 years old and yesterday, yesterday I was told I wasn't human. I live in Pi, a small city in Great Britain and it is Saturday 29th of November. Subtle snow falls from the ashes in the sky, my eyes creak in tiredness as I put on a small white t-shirt that crumples along the floor.

Worthless. Scared. Tiredness.

Hearing creaks from the rooms below me, I decide to wonder out of my room, releasing the thoughts that crush my brain into tears. My feet crack through the stairs of my oak tipped house, a house : it never felt like a home. Wiping the spots of sleep that lay in the soles of my eyes, I greet my family as they lay themselves upon the table.

"Good Morning Mum..", I almost whisper, promoting my natural urge of annoyance that arrives from lack of sleep.

"Well Good Morning Spero! How are you today? Good day at school? Didn't hear you get in, don't worry about it."

She seemed too nice. Too wanting. This was a first for Mum. Maybe she was in a good mood, for once.

"Fine thanks, yeah it was cool. I.. Ur.. Just went out with some friends."

I instinctively lie, like the back of my brain tells me I shouldn't want them to know the truth.

"That's fine, love. I'll make you some breakfast.

Again, too nice.

Before I have a chance to ponder about the fact my Mum was being nice to me for a change, it caught me eye. Once again, the Pocket Watch swung through my brain as I remembered the words of my teacher. Her sharp cries bouncing the edges of my mind.

"Ask about The Pocket Watch. Make sure you ask about the Pocket Watch."

Ask who? I let my thoughts tick.

Annoyance. Nice. Lies.

Breakfast started an ended quickly. I didn't leave the table though. I wanted to ask my Mum a question. I wanted to ask about The Pocket Watch.

"Mum, what's that painting?" The words stumbling over my mouth almost like a cascade of water falling from a waterfall with no return. I waited patiently for an answer. Tick. Tock.

"It's of a Time Changer Pocket Watch. Why don't you go speak to The Governor of Pi? He's quite interested in a good discussion about Great Britain's history."

Of course he is, I thought to myself. It was almost like my mother knew, she knew what was wrong. Maybe, just maybe... We had a bigger connection than once thought.

Watch. Time. Connection.

After doing the usual boring things including the famous "Do your teeth" and "Put on deodorant", Mum finally let me go to the Pi building. Normally, she would be resentful and ask a river of questions. But her mouth remained silent with worry.

She knew what I was, I thought. Does she know what I am? The words hid themselves in the abyss of my brain. The curves of my mouth lifted into a smile that wrote 'loneliness' and I left my small house, to venture into the world I anticipated.

The grass lay with sheets of white snow toppled upon it. Silent gusts of wind push my hair into my eyes, causing me to grunt with annoyance. Journeying to the Pi Building would take around fifteen minutes, if I wasn't caught by one of Mums friends, I prayed I wouldn't. Enough time for me to think, I thought.

Abbie was stabbed through my brain. She was the same age as me, I wonder how she got on in finding out whether she was human. That was a weird thing to say about your crush, the thought tickled through my brain. That's not what I wanted to ponder about though, I just couldn't keep my mind off of her. Abbie Polyer was a beautifully sophisticated girl, she had swaying blonde hair that was tinted a subtle red, naturally. Her eyes, green. Her personality was bubbly, intelligent but quiet. Curvy in her complexion, she was perfect in my eyes. Abbie was bullied for her red freckles and pointed spots, but I didn't care about those things. I loved her for who she was.

Abbie. Beautiful. Love.

What is love? As a teenage boy who was told he wasn't human, you would think that wasn't the thing nagging my brain as I was walked to see the Governor of my city, but it was something that everyone wanted to know. Everyone wanting to find the paradise that was perfection and harmony with another person, but love, in my opinion, is complexity and loneliness. Finding someone that lifts your spirit into happiness. Love, I think, is an end being cut from a string, and being glued back together. Some glue is stronger than others, but they all break at times.

Love breaks. But it can always be glued back together.

Can it?

Noticing I've been rattled by my thoughts for so long, I see I am nearly at my destination. Wondering what the Governor of Pi will be like, I understand that I have never known much about the place I was birthed, the place I have lived my whole life. Where I am? Who I am? Life is a whole bunch of questions, I conquer and ignore the the thought completely. As I delve through the doors to the elegant Pi Building, my hands violently shake in nervousness.

What will they do to me?

Suddenly unnerved that I never thought that they may discriminate my now 'non-humanness', I get scared. The worst fear? Scared of the unknown.

"Spero Thomas?"

Why does everyone know my name?

I nod.

"We'll see you now."

__________________________

Hello! I'm going to be doing these little things at the end of chapters just regarding some questions and ideas and the what this chapter is about and the deeper meaning and all that JAZZ at the end of each chapter!

Firstly thank you for the support for Changer of Time so far! I'm so overwhelmed that this story I created a year ago has has nearly 1,000 reads which is incredible!

This novel is a complete novel, it's not based off of Doctor Who or anything, it's a completely new idea that I made myself.

This chapter, I feel, links a lot with Chapter 1 and the way Spero is again thrown into the unknown at the end of the Chapter. I'm really sorry for how long it's taken to write Chapter 4, I've been so busy.

This chapter isn't edited all that well so let me know if there's anything that needs changing.

I also want to say that if you're enjoying COT (Changer of Time) you should check out Escape Route by @ohmytobias - it's an amazing story that will keep you on the edge of your seat! It's beautifully written!

See you all when the next chapter is released! Make sure to Add to your Reading List and favourite the story!