Word Count: 1750
~Rosie
Nothing Time has said has ever made me so frightened.
He's gliding around the room, making something so hasty so elegant. I can't stand him. Here he is, thinking he can drag me back in time with his magical powers I was hoping to avoid. There has to be a way to get out of this. I'm not sure what would be worse, being taken back in time, or being a slave to another powerful immortal.
"I'm glad you're not questioning my abilities," Time says, as he motions for me to follow him out the bedroom.
"Well, I'm not doubting your abilities, although, I'm not as happy about this as you may assume," I tell him, trying to keep up with the quickness of his step. "Hey, whereabouts in time are we going? Like, how far back?"
Time doesn't even pause.
"Very far back. I mean over a million years," he tells me.
My heels dig into the ground as I come to a stop right at the top of the stairway. Time pauses, looking over his shoulder at me. I've known Time and all those other Immortals have lived as long as a million years, but I've never once been curious about what life was like back them.
"I'm not going back that far. People there will know I'm not from the era," I tell him, rubbing my arm uncomfortably. Who knows what laws existed back then even. I might offend someone, and wind up in jail a million years ago.
"Sinful has a bit of time manipulation but not nearly as much as myself. When he does have the ability, he won't be able to go back that far," he explains.
I have to stop myself from shaking him.
"Why are you looking at me like that? We need to go now, before he catches wind of what is happening. And don't worry, believe it or not, not much has changed. The population was less and everything was much simpler, but in the immortal world, you'll hardly notice a difference," he tells me. I have a feeling he is being generous in that statement.
There is no other choice. I'm going whether I want to or not. Maybe I could protest, or establish an elaborate reason why he can trust to leave me here. Why can't he just put up a magical barrier to keep this guy out?
"I'm not ready for this...I don't want to go back in time," I tell him, as if it's going to make any difference. He doesn't pause until we make it just outside the house.
I wish I could dig my heels and go nowhere.
"How Sinful scared you back there was only the smallest sliver of what he could do to you. Immortal play these games for fun and for revenge, so imagine the worst possible punishment when he gets his hands on you," Time says sternly, making me shiver. I know he is right, but I'm faced with two evils. I trust neither Time nor Sinful.
"I really don't want this. I can't go back in time," I tell him, crossing my arms over my chest. For a moment I swear I see a moment of sympathy, but it's only fleeting.
"I'm sorry I have to do this, then."
There was little I could do. He grabbed my arm, and before I could pull away, everything underneath me collapsed into a black hole. Falling, I clutch Time tightly, eyes squeezed shut. This is different to when he was transporting me to his manor. My head aches, as if it's going to explode, the pressure against my temples almost too much to bare.
Just when I thought I was about to scream at the unbearable pain, all at once, all the pressure and sound ceased, my feet touched the ground, and the air around me drifted back to a soft breeze, rather than a vortex of wind.
"You can open your eyes, it's okay," Time murmurs. I feel him let go of my arm, making me sway uneasily. I'm nervous to open my eyes. I'm nervous to be faced with the fact that I am no longer in my original time frame.
Reluctantly though, I open my eyes.
Oddly enough, it's not as frightening as I first assumed. Part of me thought maybe Time was taking me back into a moment in time that is surrounded in fire where I would suffer and burn while he stood there and laughed at me.
Maybe I need to stop reading so many books.
"Where are we?" I ask, as the softest breeze kisses my face. I twist, looking around for any sense of familiarity.
Wherever we are, it not longer exists in this state a million years from now. We stand in a field, or perhaps in a large expanse of many fields. Everywhere I look is long grass up to our waists, the colour of pure emerald green. Within the blades, tall wildflowers grow, peeking up above the line of grass showing of vivid colours.
"We shouldn't stand out in the open like this for very long. If I am seen, it could be very bad," Time says, clasping my hand before dragging me rather unceremoniously down a beaten dirt path I hadn't noticed that I was standing on.
"Why? I want to look around."
If Time thinks he can drag me here and not let me stop to look around, he is insane. I have been good enough not to sit down and scream and cry like a child thus far, but if it's necessary, I'll do it. All to make him stop and listen to me for one moment, since he struggles to do that all that often.
When he doesn't answer, I balk, digging the tips of my toes into the dirt, bringing both him and I to a stop. "Listen, for one moment. I want to pick a flower or something. Allow me this?"
"No, you listen. If anyone sees me, bad things can happen. You forget we don't come from this era at this point of time," he tells me.
Oh.
I know what that means. I've read enough books in my mortal life to know what that means. So, I grit my teeth, letting him tug me along through the meadow. Does this mean that if someone sees Time here we will suddenly all cease to exist? Or maybe the world will grumble out from under me or I'll be stuck in this era for my entire life.
And I'm an Immortal, which means a very long time.
We move quickly, not wasting any time. Soon enough, I seen what look like houses in the distance. It doesn't look like a city, or a town, but a village. Despite the fear within me, there is a moment of curiosity. Who gets to witness time like this from my era?
"I have a place just outside the village that I usually stay in when I visit. We head there before I try find you clothes," Time says.
I have so many questions.
The place he is talking about isn't Time's usual type of accomodation. In fact, it's humble, simple. Time seems to notice my thoughtful expression as I step onto the porch as he forces the door open. "Believe it or not, but I own the most expensive house in this village."
Hearing that makes me smile, despite the mix of emotions swirling within me. "And no one has broken in?"
"People here are good."
He holds the door open for me to step inside. It really isn't overwhelming, but I don't hate it. Everything is in one room, which I'm wondering if it might be the fashion in this place right now. Or maybe people simply can't afford it. Regardless, it doesn't bother me, as I notice a small cot tucked into the corner under the window, piled with blankets. I can't imagine Time sleeping there.
"I built this place myself, and most of the furnishings," Time tells me, closing the door behind him.
I raise my eyebrows at him? "Really? And you didn't build it bigger to suit your immortal taste?"
"I couldn't rob there people of valuable resources they don't have much of. I made it simple, sweet and how I like it. I don't spend much time here, but when I do, I like to fit in," he explains, opening a hand carved dresser, pulling out some clothing. It's all dark greens and fawn colours.
Turning, he tosses me something. It's a long, brown coloured tunic that's thick and scratchy. If it means blending in, I suppose it will do.
"How are you feeling?" he asks, pulling his own choice of clothes out.
"Well, what do you think?" I question. This might be somewhat exciting to explore this place, but at the end of the day, I've been dragged away to hide from an immortal who wants to kill me with another immortal who I can't stand, and don't trust because who knows what secrets he is holding to his chest.
Time sheds of his shirt, so I whirl around to face the hand carved and polished dining table before I can see anything. "I'm sorry, but this was all I could do. I hope you forgive me. I'm sure there are ways I can make it up to you."
"I know you're pretending to be someone else because I'm your mate," I mutter. "I know deep within you, you're someone else, who you know if I saw, I would be scared of. You know I would never even try love you."
He doesn't answer right away. When I glance back over my shoulder, he is finally dressed. He wears black pants and a forest green tunic. Perhaps I would have found it comical a moment ago.
"We are here, a million years from where you came from. Almost two million. Right now, at this time, I'm a little boy, just created by the Moon, but not yet aware of his powers," Time tells me.
My eyes widen.
Time holds his hand out. "Would you like to see him?"
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~Midika 💜🐼