Changers

18. Toronto Pearson Airport

I held the pocket watch in my hand. It shone with new meaning.

I searched for clues as to its hidden capabilities; its ticking hands moved intently, with purpose. I could tell that Luis was doing the same thing beside me, his eyes darting from the chain to its round surface and back to the chain.

Nothing was noticeably different about it, and on its own, without the knowledge of its capabilities, it looked like a regular pocket watch.

It was anything but.

I gave the pocket watch to Mrs. Director. "We're ready to go," I said, trying to sound convincing.

Luis grabbed the bag full of our clothes and walked into the hallway, grabbing my hand as he neared me. Mrs. Director took his duffel bag and put something inside of it quickly.

I realized I didn't know what she wanted us to do. I was also unwilling to admit that I didn't want to find out. The danger in the air was felt and experienced by all of us, shared through our eyes and expressions, and it was unmistakable. A tense, eerie silence lingered in the air as we all mentally prepared for the tasks ahead. We stayed within our own minds, ironically anticipating the future.

"You're going to listen very carefully to what I'm about to tell you. It's imperative that you memorize my instructions," Mrs. Director began slowly, answering my unspoken question. "All three of you need to travel to the point in time when Caroline will be at the gate waiting to board her plane. The time you called her, Prentice, was precisely before she boarded the plane. That's going to be important to remember. You're going to arrive after the call. And now," she looked at the watch on her wrist, "Caroline is on the plane already and flying. Does that make sense? Now would be too late. That's why you have to go back."

"Got it," I nodded.

"Understood," Luis echoed.

"But you're going to try to go back in time to the exact moment before she boarded the plane. Do you understand?"

I held the watch tightly, feeling its weight pressing on the entirety of my palm. I could barely believe what Mrs. Director was telling us to do, let alone actually following through with her plan.

"But she can't see us, right?" Luis asked.

"No, Caroline has to see you. How else will you save her?" For the first time, I felt exasperation tainting Mrs. Director's answer. I bit my tongue from defending Luis against her tone. It wasn't the time to argue about frivolous interpretations. But was it ever the time, really?

"You want us to talk to her?" I interrupted. "Doesn't that go against every time travelling rule ever known to humankind?"

"No, you need to get on that plane with her, unseen, and then talk to her."

"Why are we getting on that plane if we can go back in time, as you say, and actually talk to her about not going?"

"I can't explain it to you now. It will change everything if I tell you," she answered instantly, looking away. I could tell there was something she wasn't telling us. Another part of me intuitively felt that whatever Mrs. Director was keeping hidden from us was something very important.

"But what do we need to tell Caroline?"

"You just need to get on the plane with her and the rest will come. It'll become apparent with time."

"You said that Caroline getting on that plane will lead to her death, correct?" Luis asked.

"Yes, it will...if you're not on it."

"Why don't we just make sure she doesn't get on the plane?" he asked.

"It's more complicated than that. She has to get on the plane," Mrs. Director said.