Chapter 6: End of the Line
I came to several hours later, my head resting in my folded arms. I blinked blearily in the bright lights as I raised my head. I was sitting in a simple square room with pale yellow walls and a low white ceiling. The floor was covered in a maroon rug with yellow patters running across it. I was sitting in a well padded leather chair pulled up to a metal table. Across from me sat a second chair and beyond it was a heavy metal door.
I started to stand only to find my feet had been chained to the chair legs and my hands to ridges in the table. For a moment I stared blankly at them, then the memories of the past few hours came rushing back.
My vision cleared as I looked around frantically. My eyes fell on a camera hooked into the corner of the room to my right. I glared at it for a long moment until I heard a loud click.
The metal door slide to the side an a man walked in. My guess was he was in his sixties with a mess of gray hair and a long beard. A pair of wire spectacles balanced on the bridge of his long, narrow nose. He was a bit heavyset, dressed in a long white lab-coat and brown slacks. His blue eyes quickly scanned the clipboard in one hand and nervously tapped the pen to his leg.
"Joan Arc Kelsall. Age, fourteen. Date of birth, December thirty-first 2005." he looked up at me for clarification.
"Wonderful, you did some research. Are you trying to scare me?" I asked, hoping I sounded braver then I felt.
"I take that as a yes." He pulled out the empty chair and sat down. "I was hoping we wouldn't meet, but you are here and that can't be helped." he sighed. "Your probably feeling tired from that tranquilizer. Don't worry, the affects will wear away quickly. More importantly, how did you survive?" he suddenly growled, leaning over the table to glare at me.
I stared blankly at him. Survive? What was he talking about. Did he mean the different disasters? "Who are you?" I asked distrustfully.
"I'm professor Riess, leader of this facility. Now, I repeat, how did you survive? Was it him? Was it Timekeeper?"
A look of shock passed my face before I covered it.
He noticed it and leaned back. "That fool, messing around in our business. He just couldn't let things rest and let us kill you." he growled angerly
I jerked back. "Kill me? What? Why? How-" I felt fear tingle down my entire body and I tugged the chains futilely.
"You hold a second identity, Joan... or should I call you the Time Child?" when he was my expression his anger vanished to be replaced by surprise.
"You didn't know? Odd, I was sure you would be aware of your role, it appears I was too quick to assume. Oh well, can't be helped." He stood up and walked over to the door. He rapped on it twice. "Guard!" he called.
The door slid open and one of the security guards from earlier stepped in.
"Oh, and your family it already dead, they won't miss you. Shoot her. Now." ordered Riess coldly.
My entire body tensed and I froze. My limbs felt like they where coated in hard and heavy cement. The only thing I could do was squeeze my eyes close. Before I closed them, I saw the guard pull out a gun and pointed it at me.
"Sorry Joan, but this is the end of the line." was the last thing Riess said before a gunshot sounded through the air.
I waited in the tense silence for a searing for a pain and for my life to flash before my eyes. My sister, my parents, my cat. Nothing happened. I slowly opened my eyes.
The guard stood in front on me holding the gun and looking just over my shoulder. "Oops, looks like I missed." he said in a voice that sounded vaguely familiar. I craned my neck and saw a small indent in the wall behind me. "Don't worry, I won't this time." the guard pivoted to his right and shot Riess point blank in the chest.
Riess stumbled back. "You fool why-" he collapsed.
I could help it, I screamed.
A hand clamped over my mouth. "Hush now, we wouldn't want to draw attention. Don't worry, the professor isn't dead, it is a tranquilizer" The guard spoke in a low voice. He released my mouth and ducked down to Riess's pocket and fished out a keyring.
"Who are you and why are you helping me?" I asked as he unlocked the chains/
"What?" he asked incredulously, "you don't recognize me? Well I suppose this annoying suit would throw you off." He flipped off the hood and unzipped the suit, tossing it behind him. Underneath he wore black jeans and a gray shirt. His face was rather ordinary with straw colored hair and brown eyes. His face had a rhythm to it that was neither ugly nor handsome, just ordinary.
"You're the man from Aleppo." I said softly, trying to stand but finding my legs where too weak.
"And," he flicked the side of his face hard. I watched in a horrified fascination as his skin rippled and lightened. Changing from a pale skin to a glossy white and growing out. His eyes sunk into his head and red streaks danced down his cheeks. His hair darkened from blond to a dark brown.
"Timekeeper?" I asked, staring at white porcelain mask that now covered his face.
"The one and only... I think." he joked, offering me a gloved hand. I took it and he pulled me to my feet. "Hold on tight and don't let go." he ordered, grabbing something from his pocket with his free hand. It was a watch almost like mine except it was silver and on the cover was etched a picture of a mask, like the one he was wearing, and a cat laying curled up to the side of it. There where words written carefully beneath it. 'To the one who walks to paths of time, my son.'
He flipped it over. On the back were three dials. Resting a finger on each of them, he opened the watch. Jun- 17th, 1645, read the time. Twisting the dials, he began to change the time and date. When they hit zero, they changed to letters. "GLA- SS SHIP" read the new "time." he closed the cover and gripped my hand.
The door burst open and a group of guards swarmed in. They began to fade along with the whole room. A moment later, the ground vanished beneath us and we were shooting downwards. I screamed, but it was lost in the darkness. It was very unlike the time I had traveled through time previously. I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched onto Timekeeper's hand.
A moment later, I felt ground underneath me. I opened my eyes and released his hand as I grazed around me amazement. We where in a circular room with a domed grass roof. Beyond it was a vast starry sky. The entire room was alive with plants. There were many kinds ranging from small trees to vines and bushes. Most had fruit, nuts, or flowers growing on them. Weaving paths made of brick and moss lead in a confusing maze around it. Several lights hung around the ceiling giving the plants light.
"Where are we?" I asked, awed at the beauty of it.
"This is the Glass Ship. Come on, we need to talk." he grabbed my shoulder and led me into a brick structure in the middle of the garden.
He opened the door and led me in. The room was painted a simple blue. On one side was a large screen with a computer set up below it and two chairs. On the other side were two cots covered by patterned mattresses.
Timekeeper pulled on his trench coat from where it was lying on one of the cot and turned to speak to me. "I'm sure you have many questions. Ask any you want." he told me, pulling over one of the chairs for me to sit in.
A/N
I finally decited to release this chapter. I was a bit hesitant because I didn't like it a first, but I rewrote it and it is better. Also, it is unedited.. I hope you enjoyed it.
Thanks to @ellieosefor supporting this book. If you haven't already, go check her out!