A World's Toll: Trapped Between Time Read online

  “Enjoy your trip,” said the man.

  And with those words, everything warped and they were magically transported to the train platform. Before their eyes, was history’s greatest question mark, the unknown train.

  “Where does this go?” asked Mia.

  Martin didn’t know the answer, but nevertheless they boarded the train, not knowing where it goes. The doors close, and Mia looks below…

  “Amaria, there it is,” she says.

  No one else was on board, but them. Silence fell into the room, looking out the window… and for a moment there, it was the sea. It was a phantom train, they were on.

  The dead outside, were dancing in a happy grace. Mia wondered what keeps them so happy… even after death. She really wanted to go home, as she saw the ghosts with their family.

  “At least they’re together,” whispered Mia.

  The trip was quite long. Under them, they saw the memories of millions beyond the clear glass floor. “The Sea of Memories” Mia named it. There was no land in sight just endless miles of water. Ghosts would appear, trying to get inside the train. Mia just ignored them, she had a feeling she would go home soon. They looked around the mysterious train and found no staff, none even in controlling the train. They were really the only ones there.

  The train suddenly stopped and the doors opened, waiting for them to get out. They looked at each other in silence because they knew; there won’t be any turning back anymore.

  “Outside these doors, it’ll be a whole new adventure. That piece of land could be anything, what do you say?” said Martin.

  “No turning back right?” replied Mia.

  Together, they stepped out of the train and with their steps everything disappeared. They fell upon time itself, passing throughout all history. The pages were flipped and they landed in a room where they simply couldn’t get out.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  FATE

  There was a plaque saying: “Welcome to the Library of Father Time”. Yet there were no books, just empty shelves that would go on forever. It felt like they were back to square one, but this time there was really no way out. Mia felt so disappointed; she really wanted to cry, so she just held unto Martin for comfort.

  “I’m sorry,” said Martin.

  He carefully explained Mia’s purpose in his world, why he didn’t stop her from exceeding the limit, and all others. He only wanted the watch because combined with his powers; he could go back to save his mother and rejoice with his family. Another word said… and their lips would meet. Flowers grew out of his chest, for he is cursed, to not know love. For every girl who had seen this, ran away. Mia hesitated for a moment, in tears she was, as he whom she trusted, betrayed her.

  “I’m sorry, but that’s different now, I-,” said Martin.

  “Don’t say it! Not anymore… you dragged me away from everything! How could I…?” replied Mia.

  Martin tried to calm her, but she was just so angry. With vengeance in her heart, she pulled the flowers from his chest. At the bottom were not roots at all, but gears still ticking. And with the sudden shock, everything collapsed. For a moment, it was all black and white. The room fell apart, the world was going crazy! They held unto each other, but not for long…

  “Listen to me, you have to eat the gears!” exclaimed Martin.

  His face cracked, and a chip fell off. Oh Mia refused, refused and refused but time was running out. He knew it was hopeless so he just placed the gears inside her mouth with all the little energy he had left. His face was in half, his legs were no more, but he still smiled for there was nothing he could do but grin and bear it.

  CHAPTER NINE

  RESOLVED

  When Mia woke up, she was in a room completely white. A woman was there, she felt scared.

  “Come,” said the woman in white.

  And with her fingers she pulled Mia towards her. The lady in white asked Mia how she was doing. Mia said she was fine, even though she was not. The lady in white turned out to be Martin’s long lost mother.

  She wasn’t really human. A long time ago, she was sent by Father Time to see how things were going on Earth. But somewhere between, she fell in love with a human man. Time passed by so much she didn’t come to notice it… soon they were married and had a child “Martin T. Seams”. She never told them her real surname for it was “Time”, “Martin Time Seams”. He still doesn’t know that.

  The lady said that Martin was a very intelligent baby. He was able to walk when he was born, even one of the doctors fainted. He could talk properly at 6 months. At the age of two he created the watch that who knew, could wreak havoc into the world. He ate some of the gears by accident, couldn’t expect much from a baby. The lady said she overused the watch and was completely erased from time. But she didn’t belong there anyway.

  After some time Martin’s father went looking for her, but died during the war. When Martin came at the age of three he was able to stop time. But the problem was he didn’t know how to go back, so he lived within himself.

  When he came back into the continued time, he was a baby with an old man’s soul. He saw the letter the lady wrote when she disappeared saying, “Don’t worry my dear, Mother is now in a safe place and so is father.” He went looking for his parents, not knowing they were already gone long ago. He studied the watch he created, and got to know everything about it. He had one piece and another was with someone or something he didn’t know. He believed that combined with his powers he could complete the watch’s power to be able to manipulate time itself. Mia asked if it really works that way. The lady nodded.

  “But why me? Out of all the people to come here? Who was that old lady who gave me the watch? The dragonflies… everything!” asked Mia.

  Martin’s mother now reveals that she was the old lady that gave her the watch. And she was also the dragonflies. She said it was because Mia’s forefathers were created by Father Time. He used her family as his eyes and ears.

  Mia was still confused. “Your surname,” said Martin’s mother, and with her hands she wrote in thin air Mia’s surname, “Emitmai,” reversed, “I am time”.

  Mia was really shocked, because even if it were her own name, she didn’t know such things. Martin’s mother opened the doors to the REAL LIBRARY OF FATHER TIME. If Mia were to go in she can find a way to go home but she would go home alone. But by the power of Martin’s mother she would return with Martin. In her heart, she found a way to forgive him. He was just misled, and Mia took the path not to go alone.

  Martin’s mother was happy, and transported Mia back to her world. After all the adventures she had, she promised to always be on time. “KRING! KRING!” The sound of a bike’s bell was heard. She looked down the slope and there stood Martin calling out her name. Mia was happy to see him. Martin began teasing her that she would be late again.

  Now the two had the same watch. Probably a gift from… Mia knows who… she smiles in silence and the bike vanished as the two ride off…

  END