Chapter 2 - The Timekeeper

A Chapter by lepetitprince

The continuation of The Timekeeper

was still very intrigued of the Timekeepers. What are their history, genesis, everything. What is the extent of their powers, the true meaning of being a Timekeeper? I felt that something is amiss when you are one. So I asked. “What do Timekeepers do?”

He looked at me deadpanned. “Well, when there is chaos caused by Minutemen, we step in to correct it.”

“Minutemen?” I asked confusedly.

“Don’t you know them? Everyone knows them, even the Man On the Moon. That’s partly the reason why Timekeepers even exist in the first place.

“Minutemen are Timekeepers gone rogue. Sometime in the 19^th Century, Timekeepers found a way to keep their powers and yet be not under any control from any person, that is, Man On the Moon. They thought he was obscuring their liberty. Personally, I think He is one of the most lenient people I’ve ever known.

“As I said,” he continued, “These Minutemen want to wreak havoc just for the sake of having disorder. They hate Him so much that they will go to such extents to do damage to the Man On the Moon. But from what I’ve heard, they are not alone. They are directed by a mysterious person called the Sandman, but that I don’t know anything about.”

I just nodded my head. I really don’t have any idea when it comes to this, so I was letting the information sink in. So I just asked another question. “What is the extent of our powers?”

Joshua just continued, oblivious to the suspicious stares thrown by people around us.

“Well, time is what we pretty much have and can control. Although there are lots of people around us that can be Timekeepers, Minutemen, Fliers, Builders, Mover, Slider, and Visionaires, we pretty much live in harmony, so there’s nothing too much to worry about.”

“Huh? I’m confused. What did you say about Fliers, Buil--?”

“Oh, they’re like us, but they have a different ‘specialty’, if you may. For example Fliers have the ability to fly, as such, they have power over the air and winds. They control how it goes and what have you. They cause clouds, tornadoes, storms, or gentle breezes. Builders cause natural Earth movement. Tectonic plates, volcanoes erupting, all those are controlled by them. There are lots of other types of Others, but don’t mind them. Until the situation dictates that you should meet them, you shouldn’t.”

“By the way, they’re all controlled by the Man On the Moon, except for the Minutemen.”

For a moment, we just stared at our cups of coffee in our hands, and pondered for a while of what we should talk about next. I started on the more personal level.

“Can Timekeepers have families?”

Joshua somberly replied. “Yes. But they will only age and die. That’s what happened to me.” He rubbed his left ring finger, showing he has a gold wedding ring in it.

“My wife died in the Great Famine of 1845 in Ireland. My children also died, but already emaciated. I was the only one who survived.” He said without raising his head to look at me, only staring at the coffee swirls.

“You see, that’s a reason why I don’t like being a Timekeeper. People you love will always age and die, but not you. I always wanted to die you know, but I just can’t find another suitable person to replace me. I want to follow my family to wherever they are, just as long as they are there. Not like me, here all alone.

“Being a Timekeeper is both a blessing and a curse. You’re immortal but powerless as to save those you really love.”

He looked at me seriously. “I hoped you thought about it thoroughly about being a Timekeeper, because it isn’t what it looks like. We all have a responsibility to share. One that we can’t easily return if we don’t want it anymore.”

“Well, what if I marry a Timekeeper?” I asked, interested. “What if I have a family with a Timekeeper? Won’t it be everlasting then?”

Joshua just laughed. He roared with laughter, like what I said was a joke, which is entirely not.

“That’s impossible.”

“Why?”

He turned from laughing to dead serious in a matter of milliseconds. “Simply because Timekeepers are meant to be far away from each other. One in each corner of the earth. It’s very impossible that you are to meet with someone else.”

“What about you? You’re a Timekeeper, aren’t you?”

“Because I’m passing by. Every month or so, I travel by pausing the time, then walking. For example two months ago, I was in the shores of Honolulu, Hawaii. I stopped time then walked on the water until I reached New York. I noticed that my ruby was blinking, signaling that a fellow Timekeeper is relatively near me, so,” he motioned towards me, “Here we are.”

“What do you mean ‘relatively near’?”

“When you are of practical distance apart, but considerably close.” He summarized.

“Oh. Well, how could I see a Timekeeper when I want to?”

“You can’t. Unless ordered by the Man On the Moon.” He leaned back on sipped on his cup of coffee, albeit now lukewarm after our conversation. He looked at his watch and rose.

“Where are you going?” I asked dumbfounded.

“Why, to a certain time period I don’t know.” Then he flashed me his ruby. It was blinking rapidly. “It means that I am needed in a certain place.”

“Like a mission to be fulfilled.”

He nodded in agreement. “A mission to be fulfilled indeed.” And before I knew it, he was gone.

I was left alone in the café, with no direction of what to do. I made a mental list of what the possible things I might do now that I’m a Timekeeper with nothing to do: I may try my powers and find their extent, find another Timekeeper, or simply walk to another place and immerse myself in their culture. The first one attracted me the most.

As I was preparing myself on what to do, the waitress approached me, with the bill. I looked at my wallet to see how much money I have. Instead, I was greeted by three moths flying out of it. Quite comical. Then, an idea popped in my head. Before she could close me in, I pressed on the ruby. Hard.

Everything stopped still. I rose from my seat then carefully dodged all people that I might bump into. I walked further down the street until I was considerably away from the girl. I pressed the ruby again. Everything went back to normal. The girl was visibly surprised at how there was one moment a man in front of him sipping a frappuccino, the next thing, he was gone. She was scaredly pointing to the seat and frantically talked to his manager, I presumed.

I just shook my head and chuckled. Maybe this wasn’t gonna as lonely and boring after all. With what I just witnessed, I want to try the full extent of my powers. While walking, I passed this huge tower. Just then, I had a brilliant inkling. I stopped the time, then walked past right the guards. Playing it back, I walked right across the lobby until I reached the elevator. I pressed for the highest floor number I could see. The elevator took it’s time getting up until the door dinged. As I stepped out, I see this magnificent view of the outside of the building. Then there were these faces. They were all looking at me with scrunched eyebrows, obviously knowing that I was not supposed to be here. I smiled, then pressed the ruby. I walked across the hall until I reached a door I think was to lead to the rooftop. I pressed it again, and then ran past the door, hearing a growing commotion inside.

As I reached the roof deck, I felt the humid blowing air from the east. I cautiously stepped on the side and peered. It was surely a long way down. I immediately had second thoughts about what I was going to do. Just then, I heard some rumbling almost behind me. Presumably some guards going to check the roof top for any person that might have gained illegal access and caused commotion in the building.

Well, here goes nothing. I jumped.

Joshua did say that I was immortal, right? Well, let’s put that to the test.

The air was rushing past me and adrenaline pumped into my veins faster than you can say ‘lightning’. My heart throbbed with an intensity never before, as if something’s gonna happen. I was originally planning to stop my descent about three inches of the way with the ruby before I crash into the sideway. Unexpectedly though, a dark velvet red chasm opened up, swallowing me. The last thing I knew was me screaming.

When I opened my eyes, I’m in a café. Why is it always in a café? Was this some kind of checkpoint for Timekeepers?

Looking around, I saw that this was not Manhattan, this was someplace else. There were double decker buses, blond women talking intelligently, and people talking in a certain accent. English accent.

I’m in London. How the hell did that happen?

I scanned my person. I still have my wallet, white handkerchief, a watch on my wrist, and the TM. So, that’s is one way to travel. If you gain speed fast enough, you can travel anywhere you want to. But why was I brought to London? While asking myself that question, I walked around to orient myself in my new area. Turns out I’m in the Speaker’s Corner of Hyde Park. There were seriously a lot of people who were in it, speaking their hearts out, ranging from LGBT rights, to how potatoes should be consumed. I just laughed at them until I felt a beating.

I looked the pendant and saw that it was blinking, indicating a Timekeeper is near me.

I looked around for people who might wear rubies. As I walked farther from Speaker’s Corner, the longer the beeps of the ruby went. I assumed it means I am far from where the Timekeeper is standing. I walked back into the SC and found that it was blinking fast again.

I walked right into and around the crowd until the ruby beeped so fast I swear I could hear it beeping. I swiveled my heard around to see who might be a Timekeeper. Then I noticed her.

She was wearing a red camison, with her hair tied up in a clean ponytail and black, slightly worn jeans. I felt that she was a Timekeeper, since on her left hand, a ruby ring was blinking. I approached her carefully, not wanting the crowd of people to be alarmed at what I was doing. I don’t want them to think that I was a stalker or anything like that. I simply wanted to know if this woman was a Timekeeper. As I was about to ask her, she turned to me and asked with her deep brown eyes staring at me.

“Time Keeper?”

I nodded.

“Fine, let’s go.” She dragged me until we were out of sight from the various crowds.

“We’re being followed by Minutemen. Let’s go.”

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