Some Time After
"Tell me Jade."
"Tell you what?"
"Tell me why you're torturing yourself over what could be a 30 second conversation with Althea?"
"Sal she's getting married next month and you're asking me to tell her about what I feel about her? I'll just make a fool out of myself."
"At least she'll know, do you really think she's happy with Kathleen?"
"Happy or not Sal, she needs to figure it out on own. The decision must come from her and not from a petty attempt of me to be a part of her choices."
"It's just heartbreaking to see two of my closest friends not get what they really want when in reality it has always been in front of them right from the start."
"It's not a prefect world Sal. When K cheated on her it would've been really easy to take her place in Althea's life, but I chose not to, because that's not what she needed. She needed a friend and I was expected to be."
"If only you could turn back time I'm sure you would've told her about everything on that prom night. I sure if it wasn't for Kathleen and David getting in the way you could've told her that you love her."
"But we cannot do that, we can't turn back time."
"Yeah. And it sucks." Sally said and if only I could tell her that being able to turn back time sucks more I would, but it'll just complicate things.
Some Time Before
"So how's work today?" Althea asked as we sank on the couch cuddled with each other because of the cool weather outside.
"It was a slow day. You want to go to an adventure?"
"What adventure?"
"Adventure 1565."
"Jade, seriously?"
"There hasn't been a change since we got back from 1515 where we saved another Althea from being killed. So maybe you're right we're in a free timeline here, where chaos theory doesn't apply. I am the time master here remember?"
"But your nosebleed when we got back was alarming."
"Maybe because it was the first time I did it."
"And what are we going to do in 1565?"
"Save another Jade and Althea? If we have all these letters with us right now I'm sure everyone of them has a grim story."
"How can that help us with our situation? And we can't always save them on the right time."
"Of course we can save them. That we have to know in the long run. I just think all sets of Jade and Althea in different lifetimes deserve to be together."
"I'm just worried about your well being."
"I'm fine, I'm gonna be fine. A small blood won't hurt me. And besides the other timeline is so boring." I rolled my eyes making her laugh.
"Right okay, let's go 1565." She beamed as she jump off the couch and walked over her table taking another paper the one from 1565.
We did the same thing like on 1515, I held and focused on the letter and Althea clutched both my hands as the spinning and buzzing around us ensued. I was actually getting used to it, it wasn't too much to handle now and I didn't have to close my eyes, so I was able to see how our condo changed into cobbled stone paths and wooden houses, with candle lighted street posts. Not much was change with our clothing it's the same maiden dress.
"Jade there you are." Althea called out pointing to another me, wearing a black trench coat with long brown hair in a braid.
"Just how more beautiful can you be love, that you can bend genders at the time where being gay meant being possessed or sick?"
"Althea - -" I started but I was interrupted when the Jade we're following suddenly stopped and hid behind a house wall.
"Oh my."
"What is it?" I asked Althea who's holding my hand.
"I am being assaulted." Althea said wide eyes in terror.
"What?! We need to do something!" I panicked seeing three guys hovering over someone beside the dumpsters. And then we heard a gunshot.
"Shit that was the same guy from 1515!" Althea beamed when the guy in a soldier's uniform from 1515 came out fixing his belt, followed by two bodyguard looking goons.
"He's reincarnated too?" I asked
"I think so? Let's follow Jade." Althea said as she pulled me again, following Jade who ran to where the other Althea was left for dead.
"Shit." Althea cursed when we reached the place, Jade was kneeling over Althea who's completely naked. Jade removed her coat and wrapped it around Althea, she was murmuring something to Althea and was crying but Althea just weakly smiled and shook her head.
"She's dying. She's going to die love." Althea turned to me with teary eyes.
"But how are we going to fight three guys love?"
"I don't know, but we'll think of something, just please don't let me die love." Althea pleaded
"Okay, I got it." I nodded
I closed my eyes and balled my hands tight as I try and rewind everything that's happened in the last few minutes. And when I open my eyes again, we saw Althea running away from the guy and his goons.
"Althea do something! They're close!" I exclaimed seeing the other Althea struggling to keep herself from stumbling, she looked so tired.
My Althea then looked around for something to use but there was none only a bell used to alarm the police around that there's a crime being committed. So she climbed the ladder since the bell was overhead and just in time the other Althea stumbled along the pavement, Althea was able to reach the bell and rang it hard. The three men panicked but they didn't leave right away since Althea's still struggling from their hold. Jade then arrived at the same time the patrolling policemen came and she was able to tell them who the bad guys were. The couple was reunited right after the policemen took the three men.
"Maybe this is why I've written a thousand letters for you Jade, because I die just before I was able to see you every damn time." Althea said as we watch another Althea and Jade walk away hand in hand and thankful that they're together at last.
"It's kind of liberating seeing them holding hands in an era where same-sex relationship is forbidden."
"It is." Althea smiled, she took my hand and kissed it.
"You saved me again." Althea winked
"I will always will." I smiled and we were back in our condo.
"That was quicker." Althea frowned.
"Yeah, there's no force tugging us back here, no nosebleed."
"Are you sure, it's not you?"
"No I swear. What's our next year of adventure?" I beamed
"Aren't you tired? You're not feeling weird or something?"
"No seriously love, I feel fine. Now come on let's save another set of JaThea." I eagerly said
"Just so you know we can save them tomorrow." Althea doubted
"No I want to save them now, please?"
"You're still hard-headed."
"I will always will. Now go get 1615."
"Fine! Okay you want this huh." Althea laughed
"Yes. I'm totally liking this." I said forgetting about how much time I was already staying with Althea here.
"Here's 1615." Althea said, offering me the letter.
"Right, let's get it on!" I exclaimed crunching my knuckles making her laugh and shake her head.
We held hands through the letter, now instead of looking on the letter or around us, I was looking at her eyes and got lost in them as the same spinning and buzzing enveloped us. And the next thing we saw was us wearing ball gowns complete with petticoats and white gloves. We're about to attend a ball in the mansion like house that looks somewhat familiar to me in some way. The mansion was situated beside a cliff facing the ocean.
"Wow. You look beautiful in your dress love. I'm just wondering why we change clothes same with the year we visit, when nobody see us."
"You stating that fact spoils the fun! You look gorgeous on that by the way."
"I know, now come on we need to find ourselves among these people." Althea offered her hand to me as we start the staircase up to the house.
We were welcomed with a live band of piano, violin, cello and saxophone playing while people are talking with each other. We are in a sea of random strangers all looking rich. When the music suddenly died and Jade with her father and mother descend the stairs looking stage.
"There you are." Althea smiled, that's only when I noticed that I was wearing the same gown as the Jade at the top step of the grand staircase.
"Where are you?" I asked
"I don't know actually. I haven't seen myself."
"Ladies and Gentlemen! It is honor and great pleasure to present to you my darling daughter and only child who's 18th nameday we celebrate tonight. Along with her engagement - -"
"Althea I'm getting engaged at 18?!" I exasperated
"This is an era of arrange marriage for family wealth and power hon, and you look pretty affluent."
"But where are you?" I asked Althea who crane her neck and looked all over the place before stopping by the girl standing at the far back of the ballroom. Wearing the same clothes as she was.
"There, there she is." Althea turned to me
"Oh wait! Hey!" Althea suddenly beamed as she pulled me to where the other Althea was.
But when we reached the spot she was already running for the grand staircase, she climbed the stairs and the people around gasped and buzz shocked of what she's doing. When she reached the top step she took Jade's hand from the guy holding her and they ran down the people were parted in the middle as the two teenagers ran. Jade's father asked the guards to follow them, to bring her daughter back and deal with the other.
"Shit here comes another killing me off! Damn it!" Althea freaked out as she pulled me out of the house.
"We need to find them, before the guards do." I said
"But where did they go?" Althea asked as we look around.
"There! By the cliff!" I pointed out seeing their backs.
"Come on love!" Althea said as we ran after them, but when we reach them, Jade was already held by a guy and Althea was pleading him not to let go of her.
"You gotta promise me you're leaving her for me."
"Don't let her go!"
"Promise me Althea."
"Be - -"
"Just promise me! or I'll let her die!"
"Yes! Yes! I promise!"
"That's just the same guy from 1515 and 1565." I noticed when he turned and pushed Jade back to safety. The guy was about to grab Althea when she tried pushing him off the cliff but the guy was quick to act and caught her off guard and she fell over.
"Fuck! No!" My Althea suddenly beamed and run towards the guy and held me by the collar who's now horrified because he couldn't see her.
"Rewind Jade!" Althea shouted over her shoulder and I did what I have to do. The younger Althea was slowly lifted up from the pit of death, and was brought back to safety. Jade then ran towards her as they look at the guy being held up by some invisible power, which was my Althea.
"Althea no!" I shouted when Althea moved the guy closer by the edge.
"He's the one trying to kill me in every lifetime Jade, and when he's reincarnated again he'll just do the same. I can finish this now."
"No, you're not going to do that, we're here to save lives and not to end another. Please honey no. I can't let you do that." I pleaded and she threatened to push him off and the guy cried helplessly but she sighed and slowly back down, she loosen her grip on the guy's collar who instantly scooted and skedaddled.
I ran to Althea and held both her hands. She was crying and shaking.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to do that."
"I know. But we wouldn't know what could've happened if you pushed him off the cliff."
"He's the same guy over and over again, that's the pattern. I'll search for him when we get back."
"Let's go then." I said and in almost just a snap we're in our condo again, on lighter and less hot clothes.
"I'll just get us water." I said, Althea was still pretty affected of what happened just now.
"Here hon, you said you're going to search for him, how will you do that? We don't know his name."
"I don't know yet but I will find him. And I will find a way for him not to be reincarnated again."
"Honey you need to rest, and I need to get back on the other timeline. I'll be back tomorrow okay?"
"Okay."
"Are you going to be fine?"
"Yeah. I'll just sleep this off."
"Okay. I love you."
"I love you too." She whispered, I kissed her goodbye.
Some Time After
It was my day off the next day and before visiting Althea on the other side, I decided to drop by the abandoned establishment we drove by the other day, hoping maybe I'll something significant from it, a vision or anything familiar.
I declined Althea's offer of hangout out with her, Kathleen and the others she was pretty unconvinced of my alibi of emergency from the farm but she let me go when I promised that I'll try and catch up to them later.
The place is not trashed, it's just abandoned, it's like people who used to be there just suddenly left. Because the place almost untouched, the tables are covered with table cloths, the chairs are positioned like people are still sitting on them. It was locked and when I tried ticking the lock I was flooded by all the sudden pictures of people who used to be in that please.
And then I saw me and Althea the younger versions of us far younger maybe around fifteen. Just like in my dream they're inside talking and smiling at each other. Jade was fixing Althea's box of cake when Althea's phone rang, she answered and she excused herself right away leaving her purchase and there was nothing.
I realized I was then looking back to myself on my reflection on the glass window. And I remember when that happened, it was our first meeting of some time I couldn't remember. But that certain first meeting is my favorite because it is where our connection was the strongest.
Some Time During
"Love! I saw it, the - - what's all these? Why are you crying?" I asked Althea as soon as I saw her sitting on the floor in front of her laptop and a pool of newspapers and history books and print outs were around her.
"Jade - -"
"What happened love?"
"I found him - -"
"Who?"
"The guy who first tried to kill me back in 1515. I found him."
"And? Where is he right now? Could we stop him before he tries to kill you again?" I said advancing to her but she scooted away from me.
"Althea what's wrong?"
"Jade, we can't kill him, we can't kill him even in different lifetimes, and I couldn't put a stop on his reincarnation cause if I do - -"
"Cause if you do what's going to happened?"
"You'll die."
"What?"
"You'll die Jade, You'll die because you are a Howell."
"What's that suppose to do with me being a Howell Althea? You're not making any sense."
"That guy, that guy was your ancestor."
"What?" I asked, and she slowly handed me a printed paper of the picture of exact guy we saw in different lifetimes who tried killing her. He's wearing a soldier's uniform and his nameplate says,
Lt. Col. Howell, Benjamin