The Time Paradox

The Time Paradox (short story)

Chapter 1: Prologue

               “We are special after all”. These are the words that I vaguely remembered. My journey began when the 4-months-old me was left on the porch of this orphanage where I grew up. At least that’s what my step mother said. The sand clock-shaped necklace hung up on my collar, twitched every time I began recalling that particular moment. Until now, I still couldn’t figure out who was that person that left me in this place. Could it be my real mother? My real father? But why would they leave me here? Whoever it was, I did remember him or her saying those five words to me. It’s distant, but it’s there. And right now, I know exactly what that person meant through that sentence.

               My name is Loise Tomlinson. I’m currently 16 years old and I belong in Coldwater, where the brightest blue sky exist and the grasses greener than ever, and I’m about to tell you my biggest secret.

Chapter 2: The Beginning

It all started last summer, when I had a vision in my dream. That dream showed a prophecy, of me having this dangerous power to travel through time, and to save somebody. That dream kept repeating every night I fell asleep, even though it was presented in a different way every time. In that dream I saw two people, a man and a woman, who seemed to be my real parents. They were torturing something. A baby. It was horrifying. They were doing some kind of experiment, making that baby a lab rat. That dream felt so real and it never failed to make me scared, so I woke up sweating every morning. I felt I knew the baby, like we have a strong connection with each other, like I’ve known him or her for a long time. So close that even by just seeing the two adults hurting the baby, hurts me too.

               Then there was another dream with another person. This time, an unknown man said something to me, I couldn’t figure out what he said exactly. Something about having a deadly ability that I should learn to master. Each time, the dream repeated itself and always ended up by this man teaching me how to control my unique talent. I didn’t know why I had dreams like that, but I could assure you after 5 months of having these dreams, you probably had your supply of nightmares for your lifetime’s worth. Still, I didn’t know how to time-travel until this moment.

Chapter 3: A Special Day

               That morning, I woke up as usual and then I headed to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and did other routines that normal people do in the morning. That day was a special day, because it was my 16^th birthday! But of course nobody wanted to celebrate it with me, except my step mother. I was considered a freak and weirdo by other girls and guys in this orphanage, and in my school too! I never knew why. I tried to fit in, but I just couldn’t. My only friends were the orphanage caretaker and my teddy bear doll. I decided to return to my room and played Flappy Bird. That game was so frustrating and so hard for me to even beat my own high score.

               Suddenly, the air became chilly. The lamps in my room flickered furiously. My room shook, I grew scared and worried. What’s happening? Then, out of the blue a figure showed up. It was an old man. He had a long beard, his skin was wrinkled and his hair was a mixture of gray and white, but he seemed ridiculously healthy.

               I gasped. “Who are you? How did you get in my room?!” I asked, half screaming towards the old man.

               “I don’t need to tell you who I am and how I got here. You’ll know later on. I’ve been watching over you all this time, in hidden. You may not feel my presence, but I’m always there.” The old man said to me.

               “Well then, what do you want from me?” I asked him again.

               “Nothing really. I’m here to tell you something crucial. You don’t belong here, Loise. You never did.”

               “What do you mean I don’t belong here? I grew up in this city, it’s my homeland! And how the hell did you know my name?” I grew more confused.

               “I meant, you don’t belong here in the orphanage. You belong somewhere else. You’re not supposed to be right here right now, but back then.” He explained to me.

               “Back WHERE? You’re not making any sense now, old man.”

               “You’ll know, and you better figure it out fast before it’s too late.” He flashed a mysterious smile at me, and vanished.

               The lamps in my room stopped flickering and went back to normal. The air grew warm once again and the coldness inside it was completely gone. I thought to myself. What did he mean by me not belonging here, but back then? What was I supposed to do? Does this have anything to do with those dreams? Was he the man that I saw in my visions?

Chapter 4: Time-travelling

               I was always curious about my hour glass necklace. How did I get it and who gave it to me in the first place? What is it for anyway? Does it have any connection to my power that I not yet knew? I thought to myself. So that day, I searched in Google about the hour glass necklace myths and its connection with time-travelling. I found out that an hour glass is a symbol of time-travelling. Some said that it’s a charm that activates the power of the chosen one. If he or she didn’t wear it, they’ll turn to dust and die instantly. Ugh what chosen one? I scrolled down the page more and something caught my eye. Something about Father Time. He was the first time traveler and the only time keeper. I tried searching for his picture but in vain. Turned out nobody has ever seen Father Time.

               What if I was a time traveler? What if I was the chosen one? I got the necklace, I’ve met Father Time, and maybe I’m the only person who has ever seen the time keeper. I knew it! I knew I was somehow associated with this time-travel business. How could I be so blind? Probably this is what the old man was trying to tell me earlier! Wait, I shouldn’t be too excited. I somehow have to go back in time to do something. But what? After I realized what I’m capable of�"if I was right, I started numerous ways to summon Father Time, but of course I failed miserably. Day by day passed with no result. I started losing faith and hope, thinking this was nothing but a false rumor. Perhaps I wasn’t the chosen one and I was wrong all this time. I was so desperate that I wished the old man would return and give me more hints, even though I didn’t know who he is but he’s my only hope. What am I going to do next? I couldn’t use my power, I couldn’t summon Father Time, and I didn’t know where to ask for help. No one would understand, anyway. I felt like I’m the last person on earth. It’s just as good as being dead.

               On a particular day, I decided to do something a little bit crazy and out of my comfort zone. My curiosity of my hour glass necklace was getting bigger every day, and it was very tempting just to turn it upside-down. And so I finally did. I turned it over three times just to see what will happen. After I did that, there was a “click” sound from inside the hour glass. Suddenly, I felt the world spinning around. WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST DO? But strangely, I didn’t feel dizzy. I didn’t move an inch from where I was standing, too. It was the world that moved away from me. At first I panicked. What if I’m lost? What if I’ve been transferred to another dimension and never returned? But then I calmed myself down and thought, maybe this is what it feels like to be a time traveler. This is what it feels like to finally use my power and become a time traveler.

               All of a sudden, everything stopped. The world stopped spinning and moving away from me. I was just standing there, being silent�"and tired, very tired. In front of me, was a huge, crowded city of New York (I was just guessing that, because it did look like New York). All these people didn’t seem to notice me. Am I invisible? So I walked around and stopped in front of a newspaper stand. I read the front page of the newspaper, and directly searched for the date of this day. It was quite hard to find it because the newspaper’s format was a lot different.

               “July 20, 1969. Whoa today is the day when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon! Cool!” I said to the newspaper seller, who looked at me like I was crazy. “But why am I in the middle of New York City? I was supposed to be in the orphanage, only in a different time.”

               Shortly, the time slowed down around me. The people were walking in slow motion. I was shocked. Oh great, now what? Did I accidentally turned my hour glass and slowed time down? And if did, how do I return it to normal? Then from behind me, a man spoke.

               “So you finally figured out what the hour glass necklace does. Took you awhile, huh?” It was the same old man that appeared inside my room back in the orphanage.

               “YOU!” I gasped. “You’re Father Time.”

               “Oh no I’m not. I’m just an old man, remember?” Suddenly I felt guilty for calling him that.

“Well in case you’re wondering what I’m doing here again, I’m here to tell you that you did the right thing. You’re making excellent progress.” He explained to me with a smile on his face.

               “Progress for what?” I asked Father Time, still confused.

               “You were born for something greater than anything. Your ability to control time was meant to save somebody.”

               “Save who? Enough with the riddles! I’m sick of this. Why don’t you just tell me? Is this all connected with my visions?” This is getting suspicious, because I did dreamed about an old man and it turned out to be this guy who happened to be Father Time. Who knew that the person I was supposed to save was in my dreams too all along?

               “You have to find out yourself. Learn how to master your power first�"then, and only then, you can be a full-trained time traveler.” Then he vanished once again, and the time returned to normal.

               What? Did he just turned his back on me AGAIN?!

“Fine! Sure leave me again! I can figure this out myself.” I screamed to no one particularly.

“Well then, if I turned the hour glass clockwise three times and I go back to the past, then turning it counter-clockwise six times will take me to the future! Genius!” I said to myself, already getting the hang of it.

               So I turned my hour glass necklace six times in counter-clockwise and “activated” my power once again. The world is spinning and moving away from me just like it did before. The difference was that this time the world is moving faster ahead. I felt more and more tired. I was beginning to lose consciousness, like the energy inside me is drained fast. I grew weak suddenly. But I tried my hardest to stay awake.

               I finally came to a stop again, and I was in a whole different place. It was nighttime. This city was filled with bright lights, holograms, robots, and flying cars moving back and forth. The people there were different, too. They dressed, walked, and communicated differently. This must be the future. As usual, I searched for newspapers stand, but couldn’t find one. So I asked a random man.

               “Excuse me, sir. Do you know any newspapers stand nearby?” I asked the man. He was wearing a metallic suit and white shoes, very futuristic indeed. His face was strange and expressionless.

               “There are no newspaper stands here anymore, young lady. They’ve stopped producing it since 2030.” The man told me.

               “2030? Well, um… Sorry, but what year is it now and what is this place? I’m not from around here and I have a short term memory loss.” I told to the man. I felt bad lying to a stranger.

               “You are in Los Angeles, lady. And of course it’s 2044. You need to work on that brain of yours.”

               “Wow, it really works…” I whispered to myself.

               “What works?”

               “Um… nothing, sir. Anyway thank you for the information!” I walked away from the man, who still looked puzzled.

               I was actually starting to understand all of this. I could finally use my power appropriately! But every time I time-travelled, I also moved to a different place than before. So that means I didn’t just travel through time, I also travel through space! So this means that I’m a time traveler and a teleporter at the same time. But what about me being exhausted all of a sudden right after I time-travelled? Was I sick?

               Then, the people around me slowed down once again, and I was the only one who’s not. Father Time has returned.

               “So you figured out that you’re a teleporter too, Loise?” Father Time asked me.

               “After all this time, you knew everything about me. You were watching over me, yet you never told me until now? Why?” I asked, demanding to know the answer.

               “Sorry, Loise. I’m not allowed to tell you anything that will change your fate. Now that you know your true powers, you’re ready to save yourself.”

               “Save myself?” I said, shocked, “Save myself from what? I need to know it right now, because I’m not feeling so well. I’m getting dizzy, can’t focus. I’m sorry what did you say again?”

               “You have to go back to the past once again to save yourself. Remember that baby you always see in your dreams? Your visions? That baby, is you. The man and woman are your parents and they are trying to kill you. They’re using you as an experiment for their magic to take over the world. First they wanted to control people. Then, by controlling humans, they’re able to control the world and become the greatest magicians ever. You must prevent that from happening. If you don’t, the world will come to an end and you will cease living in a blink of an eye. In other words, you never existed.”

               “What? How is that even possible? I’m right here!”

               “How can you live now, if you died 16 years ago?” Father Time said to me. I stood there, listening in silence.

               “And about you getting weaker. Each time you travel time, you shortened your own lifetime. You jumped from one year to another, you also lose one year of your life. The law of karma existed, Loise. So I suggest you go now for your time is short, and if you don’t act now, I’m afraid it might be too late. I know your age Loise, it’s 91 years. And you’ve used 75.”

               “Oh my goodness. And how am I going to save myself from my own parents?” I asked Father Time, worried.

               “You may not be seen by yourself. She can’t see your face. That is the most absolute law. She can’t be allowed to see herself, even her future self. Take this black cloak.” He handed me a long hoodie jacket, as black as the night. The hood’s totally going to cover up my face because it was huge. “I’m sending you back to 1997. Survive, Loise. From this moment, you’ll continue your journey without me. GO NOW.”

Chapter 5: Self Rescue

               I panicked. All this time, the dreams were true. They were visions after all. The baby that I always saw, was actually me. The two adults that tried to kill the baby were my own parents. How could they do this to me? To their own daughter? I felt incredibly devastated and disappointed. My own parents never wanted me. I grew angry, and scared at the same time.

               I was standing outside a house. It was cloudy and windy, and looked like it was about to rain. I heard conversations from inside that house. Even though I didn’t know where I was, my guts told me that it was my own house. The place where my mom and dad were experimenting on me. I walked toward that house, but I couldn’t walk straight. My head was getting dizzier, and my bones didn’t feel right. I was seeing “butterflies” in my eyes, plus the world is spinning around me, like I got a vertigo. But I knew I had to be strong. So I wore the black cloak Father Time gave to me, and walked slowly.

               Half way to my house, I suddenly felt something cold and hard inside the black cloak. I touched it, grabbed it, and pulled it out. It was a dagger. My mind immediately knew that this dagger was meant to be used by me, to kill my parents. Even Father Time wanted me to kill them. So it must be the right thing to do. But how could I kill a person? I’m not a murderer.

               I entered the house through a small door located at the back. The voices of my parents grew louder and closer. My heart was beating so fast and so loud that I was afraid my parents would hear it. I was sweating like crazy and it bothered me so much. Calm down, Loise. It’s going to be fine. Nothing bad is going to happen. I went inside a room full of beaker glasses and test tubes filled with weird substances, just like a chemistry laboratory. I sneaked into the room as quiet as I can, afraid that they will noticed me. Then, I accidentally stepped on a broken glass. The two adults turned around and saw me.

               “Who are you?! How did you get in here?” The man, who seemed to be my father, said to me.

               “You are not supposed to be here! Get out of here!” The woman, who was my mother, said to me.

               “You don’t need to know who I am.” I replied them. “I am here to save her!” I pointed towards the baby that the woman was holding. “I know you’re trying to experiment and kill her for your magic! You selfish, cold-hearted people! And I will prevent you from doing that.”

               “Really? You’re no match for us, little girl. You have no idea who we are, and it’s none of your business if we want to kill the baby or not! If you want to stop us, give us your best shot.” The woman said to me. “Kill her.” She said to the man, and ran outside.

               The man casted a spell straight towards me, but I dodged it. He then tried to cast another spell but he was too slow. I stepped forward towards the man who happened to be my father, and stabbed him in the chest.

               “What have you done?” My father said to me, breathing heavily. His chest was covered in blood.

               “I’m sorry, father. I have to do this. It’s my fate.” I said to him.

               “What? Loise? That’s impossible.” He replied with his dying breath.

               “I came from the future to stop you. I’m really sorry.” Then I stabbed him once again with the dagger. Finally he stopped moving, and he was dead.

               I went to the front door to search my mother. Suddenly, she casted a spell directly towards my face. I didn’t dodge it fast enough, and the spell�"it felt like a knife, hit the left side of my head. Seconds later, it was my turn to throw the dagger to her face. I missed and the dagger hit her right shoulder instead. My mother dropped the baby and I was in time to catch her midair before she hit the ground. My mother fell to the ground and stared towards me.

               “Who are you? I think I know you.” She said slowly, in pain.

               I opened the hood, showed her my face and said, “I am your daughter, Loise Tomlinson. I can’t let you kill me, so I can live right now. I can’t let you be alive because you might catch me and try to kill me again. I am sorry, mom.”

               “Loise? You wouldn’t kill your own mother, would you?” She said, begging me not to kill her.

               “Sorry, mom. It’s my destiny. I have to fulfill it, and I can’t escape it.” Then I pulled out the dagger from her shoulder and stabbed her again in the chest. She finally died. There was blood all over. I wore my black cloak and left my house, taking the baby with me.

               I tried hard to remember where the orphanage was, and used my instincts to navigate myself. It was getting harder for me to focus. I was getting sicker and more ill. I remembered what Father Time said to me, about my lifespan getting shorter every time I time-travel and teleport. Miraculously after walking for probably fifteen minutes, I arrived at the front of the orphanage. I looked at the baby Loise, myself, in the eye without taking off the hood. She can’t be allowed to see me.

               “We are special after all.”

               Strangely, I could take off my sand-clock necklace now. As if I knew what to do, I gave it to her. So that she could be myself and grow until sixteen years old, like I did. The cycle must continue. I put her down on the front porch of the orphanage, and rang the doorbell. I walked away, but I turned for the last time and saw my step mother opening the door, then left.

               I was getting weaker. I knew that my time’s almost up. I breathed heavily, like I just ran a marathon. I tried to walk away as far as I could so that nobody could see me. Then, I saw a wide, green meadow. I dropped to the ground and thought to myself. I finally saved myself from my own parents. I am a murderer, but I don’t care. I did the right thing, killing the man and woman that tried to murder me for their own satisfaction. My job is finished, and so is my curiosity. Now I know why I’m an orphan, why I became a time traveler. Thank you Father Time for leading me and protecting me all this years. I am special after all. I saw a shadow of a figure coming towards me, and all I saw is darkness.

THE END

 

Author's Note

is the plot too predictable?