ã€ŠDiaries of Kronosã€‹


 Prologugue

    Prologue

    Realm of Nature

    Lightning filled the skies that hung over the realm that was home to Natura herself. Rain poured down over the flooding grassy green hills. High winds carried the rain spreading it across the fields. The heavy breeze carried the tall grass, pulling on it. A light splash could be heard, as an old man planted his wood colored sandals firmly down into the puddle. Water ran between his wrinkled toes, making it harder for him to hold his footing. He leaned on his golden staff for support, planting it firmly into the flooding hills of Nature¡¯s Realm. His legs shook, brittle and unsteady, beneath his silken white robes. Water trickled down his cheek framing his cheek bones and dripping from the tips of his long beard.

    He took another step up the steep incline barely reaching the top of the hill. His knees trembled and his toes slipped in his sandals, causing him to stumble. Before his brittle body fell forward a hand reached out and grabbed him. He planted his staff one more time, leaning on this delicately figured palm. ¡°Are you okay Kronos?¡± came the soft nurturing voice of Natura. Warm smile decorated her beautiful light skinned face. Her crimson red smile and deep blue eyes pierced his God like soul. Silky platinum blonde hair covered her head and draped down over her shoulders. Her features are shown through the heavily down pouring rain as if not affected by it in the least. Lush green vines strewn with small leaves wrapped around each of her ears. She hoisted his brittle arm around her shoulder in her attempts to hold him up with her petite frame. Kronos grabbed lightly onto the lavender colored dress; whose hems hung down over her feet. ¡°Thank you, Natura,¡± he chuckled, finally planting his feet again and straightening up. He smiled at her and fixed his robes looking out of the landscape. ¡°Of all the times to water the grass, why must you choose this one?¡± Kronos jested, extending his legs to let the water drip out of his shoes. Natura giggled and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by another voice.

    ¡°He has a point, you know?¡± Came the all too familiar voice of Lachesis, ¡±Clotho almost slipped and caused Atropos and I to tumble down the hill. You knew this meeting was taking place today. Why of all times would you choose to do your garden care? Hmm? You have all of the of time to take care of nature.¡± Three old women poked their noses out from beneath the growing fog. All three of them were covered in black hooded cloaks. Lachesis, the shortest of the three women. All three with stringy silvery white hair. Rain trickling down between the crevices of their wrinkled skin. ¡°Time is irrelevant here sisters. Leave Natura Alone, it¡¯s her world after all.¡± Kronos said in a dried tone. ¡±She can do with her world what she pleases, just as you three can do with yours.¡± All three sisters flashed him an empty look.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°Thank you, father,¡± Natura replied with a warm smile. ¡°Nature itself is starting to thin out more and more each day. Is it really so wrong to take care of what I have left? Humanity has already chosen to tear down their patch of nature and soon their buildings and technology will become irrelevant due to their own lust for power. I can take care of my land how I see fit.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean to tell us you plan on letting my world exhaust its own resources?¡± A bright light shown through the thick fog. Natura¡¯s expression changed. Her eyes widened instantly recognizing the man¡¯s voice. The man chuckled, ¡°you can relax my child. I only Jest.¡± The light that followed him was angelic in nature. His voice was deep, yet calming. The Feeling the Kronos got in his divine presence was that of comfort and nourishment. At that moment feelings that plagued Kronos¡¯s ancient heart were set at ease. The sister¡¯s flashed Natura a serious look, before turning their attention to the man garbed in holy linens. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t joke about the fate of the world creator,¡± Lachesis spoke up. ¡°In Humanity''s current condition their fate is on a slippery slope. People only wanting, careers until they have them. The concept of love is lost to humanity. A human puts their faith into a few relationships and when they fail, they give up entirely. Committing themselves to some wild life of just sleeping around and having fun. Those few that do believe in it, get discouraged or doubtful. Then they divorce and let themselves become just as jaded as the rest of them. A lot more people are getting the idea in their head that reproduction is a terrible consequence, when in fact it¡¯s essential to the continuation of a species.¡± They¡¯re faces were blank as they finished their speech.

    The Creator¡¯s expression remained lightened. ¡°I should only expect you girls to take the fate of humanity seriously. Regardless though, I have faith in what I''ve created. They will prove you wrong, just watch.¡± He said with a hopeful tone.

    The Sisters all laughed for the first time since the meeting began. ¡°You are funny creator,¡± Atropos interjected.¡± The day you find us a mortal that can show the rest of the world such a rare thing as true love in this world. That¡¯s the day we¡¯ll have found another truly divine being. Humans these days only seem to believe in temporary satisfaction.¡± The other two sister¡¯s nodded in agreement.

    Kronos rolled his eyes. He should be used to this. It happened whenever the World Keepers got together. He fixed his posture and violently stomped his time staff on the Ground. A Shockwave emanated from the staff, causing some of the Keepers to struggle with their footing on the dampened grassy hills. The Keepers all took a step back then turned their attention to Kronos. And heavy silence fell over the Sisters and the creator himself. Kronos cleared his throat and finally spoke, ¡°Speaking of Divine beings. That is why I¡¯ve called you all here.¡± Everyone gave him a bewildered look. He gestured to Natura. ¡°My dear, if you would please provide us all a means to make ourselves comfortable? I¡¯d like to get down to business.¡± Natura nodded and waved her hands. Several small wooden tree stumps began to rise up out of the ground atop the hill. Kronos nodded toward Natura with a warm smile. ¡°Now Then. I¡¯d like to discuss finding a replacement as the Keeper of time. I can¡¯t keep this up forever. My spirit has grown weary. My mind has grown tired. I¡¯m afraid my time as a keeper is coming to its end.¡±

 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1

    Realm of Earth-Brent Moore 34 years old

    Brent set his drink down on the table and sank back into the couch. He wiped his mouth and looked up at his friend Jeff. ¡°So tell me again why Katie couldn¡¯t come out tonight with us?¡± Jeff asked, taking a sip of Champagne from his glass.

    Brent took a deep breath projecting his voice of the deafening roar of the DJ¡¯s speakers that filled the Loft. ¡°She had to work tonight.¡± he let out a sigh and continued. ¡°life of a nurse, I guess.¡±

    Jeff glanced over at him with a concerned look. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be thrilled about that.¡±

    Brent shrugged. ¡°I love spending time with her. What can I say? But I am the one that got her the job at the hospital. I don¡¯t like that she¡¯s working so much but, in a way. . . I feel sort of responsible for it.¡±

    Jeff smiled briefly. ¡°Yeah I know what you mean man. I kinda miss her too. She¡¯s always so good at helping me land hookups.¡±

    Brent laughed and nudged his shoulder. ¡°Dude I don¡¯t want to know what crazy things you and my fianc¨¦ act out just to get you laid.¡±

    ¡°Oh come on Bro!¡± He laughed and leaned back into the couch. ¡°The Jealous ex, the unassuming depressed girl, The Business man¡¯s assistant. . . ¡°

    ¡°Ok Ok! Stop right there! You¡¯re going to make me squirt alcohol through my nose.¡± Brent laughed hysterically and leaned over taking a sip of his drink and set it back down. His eyes glanced out over the crowd. Hundreds of bodies out on the dance floor. Brent¡¯s mind began to race and his expression shifted to something more serious. All these beautiful women. What if he was wrong? What if one of these girls was meant to be the next chapter in his life. Girls in mini dresses, short skirts with blonde hair and beautiful white blouses that brought out beautiful blue eyes. Some in metallic pink skirts and matching crop tops. Brent had his doubts; it wasn¡¯t something that he denied. At the same time though, the more he thought about it, the more it brought a smile to his face. Katie was beautiful herself. From her long Ginger like hair to her beautiful green eyes.

    ¡°So dude?¡± Jeff¡¯s voice interrupted Brent¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Tell me, How does it feel to be engaged? Just one week away from your wedding. Are you nervous at all?¡±

    ¡°Psh! No!¡± Brent shook his head, lying through his teeth. ¡°I mean we¡¯ve got everything sorted out. We¡¯ve got caterers, my old landlord as a photographer, We even convinced the Bishop to perform the ceremony. This morning I even sent out the invitations. Everything is going to be just fine. And it¡¯s not like I have any doubt that she loves me. She lets me know like every day. And we go out on dates once a week. And when we¡¯re together. . .¡± Brent paused a bit as the thoughts ran through his head. Something about it calmed his nerves and washed away his thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s like there¡¯s no one else I''d rather be with. It¡¯s like I can¡¯t even picture myself with anyone else.¡±

    Jeff nodded his head with a half-smile. ¡°You know, man?¡± He said hold his drink up as the waitress walked by to refill it. ¡°You¡¯re lucky! There aren¡¯t a lot of men that get to experience that feeling.¡± He said before gesturing to the waitress to stop. Brent was a little shocked to hear that. In the time Brent and jeff had been friends, Brent never knew Jeff to be even a little bit touchy feelie.

    Brent stifled a chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to get all emotional on me now, Bro. The night is only just beginning and you¡¯re starting to sound like you¡¯ve had too much to drink.¡±

    Jeff laughed a little and set his drink down, gesturing to his friend to stop. ¡°I promise. I¡¯m not already drunk. Just hear me out here.I realize that probably sounds ridiculous coming from someone who actively tries to coerce different drunken women into bed with him on a weekly basis, but listen. Women like Katie are a rare find. Most women would tell me I''m sick or twisted for treating women like that. Katie doesn¡¯t even argue with it. She just goes with it. Any other woman I¡¯ve asked to help out either gets uncomfortable or I end up getting drinks thrown in my face. You gotta hold onto a woman like that. And don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t seen you looking around. You gotta stop that shit bro. That¡¯s how bad things start.¡±

    Brent set his drink down. ¡°What are you now? My mother?¡± He asked, tilting his head slightly and flashing his friend a smirk.

    Jeff¡¯s expression changed. ¡°No. I¡¯m not, but I am your friend.And as your friend I just want to see you happy.¡±

    A frustrated sigh escaped Brent¡¯s lips.¡±That¡¯s just it. I¡¯m Happy with Katie, but what if something happened? What if there¡¯s someone out there that can make me happier? What if that person is in this building?¡± Brent pointed to a random woman in the middle of the dance floor. ¡°What if it¡¯s her? ¡° he moved his finger pointing out another woman sitting at the bar. ¡°Or her? Or what if I''ve already met her?¡±

    ¡°Dude! You have met her! You¡¯re with her right now! You¡¯re engaged to be married to her a week from now. None of those girls are even checking you out.¡± Jeff paused and took a sip of his drink.¡±Except that one.¡± Jeff flashed a disapproving look. ¡°She¡¯s not that attractive anyways.¡± Brent perked up and began looking around for the girl Jeff was referring to. ¡°She¡¯s over there.¡± Jeff said again pointing to a woman with short mousey looking chocolate brown colored hair. The woman fixed her glasses and smiled at Jeff for a second then turned her attention back to her friends that share the couch with her. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Brent finally caught sight of who his friend was pointing to. ¡°Her? She¡¯s Beautiful! And she¡¯s giving me the look.¡± Brent flashed a smile at the woman.¡±You mean the curvy redhead? The one with the red lipstick? How can that not be attractive to you?¡± Jeff was confused. Brent¡¯s description didn¡¯t sound anything like what he was seeing.

    He scratched his head. ¡°Ummmmm no. . . I¡¯m talking about the stubby brunette with the glasses,¡± Jeff said looking down at his glass then back up at his friend.

    ¡°What? You¡¯re clearly pointing at the Ginger haired girl.¡± Brent was confused as well. ¡°Maybe they switched your drink for something stronger. Look, just take me over there and help me out would you?¡± Jeff flashed his friend a cold, disapproving stare and rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Fine but if you get in trouble, don¡¯t cry to me.¡± Jeff rose from his seat and dragged his friend with him. The sound of the music that reververberated off the walls of the club rang through both of their ears. Brent grew nervous. A guilty feeling started to wash over him. A voice in his head telling him what he was about to do wasn¡¯t right. His grew more foggy the closer they got to the other couch. ¡°Mind if we join you?¡± came Jeff¡¯s voice, leaving Brent somewhat startled. There she was up close. Brent¡¯s confusion faded as his nerves grew more tense.

    ¡°Not at all!¡± the woman shouted over the loud roar of the speakers. She scooted over and let Brent sit down next to her. ¡°I was just about to go grab drinks. What do you boys like?¡± Both men were startled by the offer. Usually Jeff was the one to offer to buy the alcohol. Brent opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He couldn¡¯t do it, as much as he thought about it. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to strike up the conversation. The woman stared at Brent then turned her attention to his friend. ¡°Is something wrong with him?¡± she asked curiously.

    Jeff shook his head and chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s just getting cold feet. You¡¯ll have to forgive him.He¡¯s not usually like this. He¡¯s been drinking Sangria all night and I¡¯ve been springing for Champagne.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± she nodded and turned around heading toward the bar.

    Jeff shook his head and let out a sigh. ¡°You are never living this down, man. For as long as we both live. I will never let you forget this.¡±

    Brent gave his friend a blank stare. ¡°Shut up. I got cold feet okay.¡±

    Jeff laughed. ¡°Cold feet my ass,dude. Here you are begging me to take you over here and break the ice, and you tanked.¡±

    Brent nudged his friend next to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t tank. I just got nervous . . I mean. . . what if. . ¡°

    Jeff gave his friend a smirk before interrupting him. ¡°What if Katie walked in? What if she got pissed off at you and left? Face it dude. I was right. You don¡¯t want to give her up. You¡¯re afraid to lose her and therefore can¡¯t force yourself to get comfortable with a complete stranger. No matter how ¡°attractive.¡± You think she is. HA!¡± Jeff said poking his friend¡¯s shoulder and giving him a playful nudge.

    The two men looked up right as the lady set two drinks down beside them. ¡°One glass of Champagne and one glass of Sangria,¡± she said as she took a seat next to Brent and made herself comfortable. ¡°There you go.¡± She said, setting the drinks down on the round glass table. ¡°I¡¯m Nat, by the way.¡± she said, offering her hand for a handshake. Brent shook her hand and spoke up. ¡°Brent and this is my friend Jeff.¡± Brent said, trying to push back the nervous foreboding feeling that lingered over his mind. Nat shook his hand and smiled at him. A voice Startled the two men. ¡°Who are our guests?¡± came the voice of a man in a black formal suit with a red tie. He made himself comfortable next to Jeff. ¡°This is Brent and Jeff.¡± Nat replied. ¡°This is my friend Luci whom I finally got out of his little hell hole to come out tonight.¡± Pam said, sneering at him playfully.

    ¡°What can I say? I prefer to stay in the dark. Why do you think I¡¯ve been working as a Coal miner for the last several years?¡± Luci replied with a sly grin.

    ¡°Oh just shut up and enjoy the daylight for a change. Who knows? You might accidentally stumble on something fun.¡± she chuckled leaning back against the couch.

    Luci turned his gaze to Jeff, who seemed to be distracted with his eyes fixed on a Blonde who had wandered out into the middle of the crowd. ¡°Ahhhhh that one looks tempting doesn¡¯t it?¡± Luci said with a grin leaning back against the couch and keeping his attention focused on Jeff. Jeff replied with a nod leaning back against the couch, glancing over at Luci then over at the blonde. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to land that one. Might have to get a few drinks with her first.¡±

    Jeff looked down at his glass then reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet.¡±I think I¡¯m up to the challenge. Do you want to make it a bet?¡±

    ¡°Oh I like you, boy.¡± Luci replied, taking a sip from his glass. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fair to challenge me,though. You see? I invented this game.¡±

    Jeff burst out laughing and shook his head. ¡°You know? That¡¯s a pretty big claim for a guy named Luci.¡±

    Luci stifled a chuckle.¡±I think you¡¯d be surprised how charming I can be. You got me in a good mood, so I¡¯ll tell you what. I won¡¯t set the same stipulation I usually set. If you can catch her attention before I do, I¡¯ll buy the last drink, you¡¯ll need to get her into the cab. Do we have a deal?¡± Luci said with a sly grin painted across his cheeks.

    ¡°We have a deal.¡± Jeff replied raising a glass to tap against Luci¡¯s

    Brent¡¯s gaze shifted between the two men. His look, growing more and more amused by the minute.To Brent it seemed his best friend had found a match for his gifts. He watched carefully as both men rose to their feet casually making their way to different sides of the room. He turned his attention to Pam. ¡°Does Luci do this often? This is like a weekly thing for Jeff. He pays more attention to this, than he pays to his actual dreams and aspirations.¡±

    Nat giggled. ¡°Oh Luci can be quite the charming devil. I¡¯m afraid your friend has met his match.¡±

    Brent flashed her a smirk. A familiar voice from off in the distance startled Brent and almost made him spill his drink. ¡°Brent? Who is this?¡± It was Katie, pointing her thumb over at Pam. Brent grew nervous at first. He took a quiet breath and looked up at the woman who had just arrived at their spot on the couch. Brent opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Jeff. ¡°Katie? You finally showed. This is Pam and that over there.¡± Jeff said, pointing at Luci in the distance talking to the single lonely blonde in the middle of the dance floor. ¡°That is the biggest cock block i¡¯ve ever come in contact with. It¡¯s only been 2 minutes and she¡¯s already flirting with him, like a lost school girl.¡± Katie laughed and made herself comfortable on the couch next to Brent. ¡°Oh So you¡¯ve finally met someone who''s better at picking up one night stands than you are? Do you want me to go provide a distraction?¡± She said, giving him a smirk.

    ¡°Oh Sweetheart! I wouldn¡¯t recommend that. Especially if you¡¯re in a relationship with my new friend over here.¡± Pam interjected, gesturing to Brent who smiled briefly at the woman¡¯s attempt to keep his head above water.

    ¡°Oh? So he did tell you about me?¡± Katie said glaring playfully over at Brent.

    ¡°Oh but of course darling. I¡¯m rather gifted at seeing the true nature of others. It¡¯s a gift i¡¯ve acquired over the course of a Very long Career. And Luci over there has a gift for being incredibly charming.¡± She replied, taking a sip of her drink.

    ¡°If he¡¯s so Charming then why aren¡¯t you two together?¡± Katie asked, tilting her head a little.

    ¡°Like I said dear. I¡¯ve a gift for seeing the true nature of a person. And I¡¯ve known Luci for what feels like a Centuries.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2

    Katie Benson- 38 years old

    Katie kicked her feet up on the desk of the nurse¡¯s station. She only had a few hours left of her shift and she would be off for the night. She hated covering shifts, but her and Brent needed the extra money to pay off the electric bill before they could move into their new place. Opened the doors of the cupboard and  grabbed a small treat. Leaning back and opening it up. It was late, with the exception of a few patients most of the floor she was working on seemed to be pretty fast asleep. Not a lot of people were going to wake up and call her over the next few hours for a snack that would probably make it harder for them to sleep.She brushed the long ginger locks from her face. Peeling back the wrapper, she took a small bite of a rice crispy treat and scanned the hallways. A Quiet had started to settle over the hospital. Most of her fellow nurses were off. Or seeing their last patient of the night while introducing their replacement for the night shift.

    Katie drew a deep sigh and grabbed her phone from the pocket of her Green scrubs. Holding it up against her curvy chest, she tucked her head in to see the screen. She pulled up the text from Brent about going to the club in Downtown Salt Lake with Jeff. Her fingers quickly went to work on the keys. ¡°I¡¯m off at 12am. I¡¯ll meet you guys there at 12:30. After I change out of my scrubs lol.¡± were the words she typed out. She waited a few minutes for a response, but nothing came. Brent had been doing a lot lately. He seemed to be ignoring her texts a little more often the last little while. It concerned her, but both her experience and intuition convinced her to think nothing of it. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he was thinking at the moment. Part of her wished her shift was over already so she could be on her way to see him. Another part of her knew that even she needed a little time away from him. Katie let out a deep sigh¡°You can¡¯t miss someone if they¡¯re always there I guess,¡± muttered to herself quietly. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that philosophy was part of a bigger picture. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if maybe her brain was just trying to tell her heart that He just wasn¡¯t as important to her as he was when she originally agreed to marry him.

    Katie stuffed her phone in her pocket and fiddled around  in her pockets until she felt something. Her Engagement ring. She pulled it out and looked it over for a minute. It had a beautiful diamond studded band. The diamond wasn¡¯t huge, but it was okay. Katie wasn¡¯t the type of girl to get hung up over the size of a simple diamond. All she cared about was the person that did it. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late.¡± came a familiar voice.Katie almost fell backwards in her chair. She hadn¡¯t realized just how much time had passed. She pulled her phone out and looked down at the time. It was already 11:30pm.

    ¡°Oh Dani? You¡¯re working tonight?¡± Katie said with a smile. Relief washed over the redhead as the thought occurred to her that her shift was almost done with. ¡°Are you ready to go learn how to get a blood sample from Mr. Martinez?¡± Katie asked, tucking her phone back into her scrubs and  rising to her feet. Dani followed her to the supply closet to gather a few things before  the two set off down the hall.

    ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be. Katie?¡± Dani asked sheepishly. ¡°Thanks again for helping me get this job. Kolby took everything in the divorce.¡± She said, her gaze dropping to the floor beneath her.

    ¡°Of course sweetie. Anything I can do to help.¡± She said pushing the door open to the patient¡¯s room. ¡°Mr. Martinez! You know what time it is?

    He rolled his eyes sitting up in the hospital bed. ¡°Do you have to call me Mr.Martinez? How about just calling me Paul for a change will you?¡± He said blinking a few times and rubbed his eyes. He propped himself up in the bed offering his arm for the two nurses. ¡°It was just a car accident, you know? Plus all the pain has been centered mostly around my wounded leg. What do you ladies need my blood for anyways?¡± He asked with a hint of nervousness as Dani searched for the vein on his arm. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Katie laughed a bit as she scrambled around for a syringe. ¡°The wound seems to have gathered some infection, Paul. We just need to figure out how to get the swelling to go down.¡±

    ¡°By poking my arm?¡± He protested, watching as she rubbed a slightly dampened cotton ball over his arm.

    ¡°They just want to run another test.¡± she said gently piercing his skin with the needle. ¡°The sooner they figure out what to do the sooner we can get you out of here.¡±

    He withdrew his gaze for a few seconds. The television in the corner of the room seemed to only serve as background noise. He Quickly gathered his thoughts. Katie turned around and began cleaning the edge of the needle, then handed it over to Dani. He could hear the brief sounds of whispering. Dani took the needle and left the room in a rush. ¡°What if I don¡¯t wanna get out of here?¡± he said shyly. ¡°You know? I come from a family that¡¯s very well off. It¡¯s not like I couldn¡¯t afford to stay here for a few days.¡±

    ¡°Oh come on Mr. Martinez. Why would you want to stay here for any longer than you need to.¡±  Katie laughed, slipping off her latex gloves and putting on another pair.

    ¡°Well. . . ¡° He paused for a second looking for the words. ¡°What if I wanted to take the time and get to know you more? You seem like a nice lady. I barely even felt that prick, so You have to have some kind of a gentle soul.¡±

    Katie blushed a little. ¡°What if I¡¯m not though? What if I¡¯m really just a cold heartless, controlling bitch, that¡¯s just really good at taking blood samples?¡± Katie jested taking a step closer to the bed.

    ¡°It¡¯d still be worth it.¡± He smiled gazing up into her eyes. ¡°A date with the most beautiful redhead in the city.¡±

    Katie¡¯s cheeks flushed a rosy hue. It wasn¡¯t often that men flirted with her. The closer she got to her wedding, the more she started to question her decision. Here it was, the chance for something different. She pondered for a second the idea of giving him her number but quickly changed her mind as soon as the gloves came off her hands. She held up her ring finger. ¡°Sorry.¡± she dropped her gaze for a second. As intriguing as it was to think about, the reality was there. She was engaged to Brent and she loved him so, but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the man she had agreed to start the rest of her life with, was really the man that she was meant to be with.

    The man let out a sigh, dropping his gaze for a second. ¡°Does he treat you well?¡± He asked, forging a smile and returning his gaze to her.

    ¡°He¡¯s a perfect gentleman.¡± she replied, slipping off her latex gloves and picking up the nicely bagged blood sample. ¡°Goodnight Mr.Martinez.¡±

    ¡°I can take over from here.¡± Dani interrupted while slipping on her gloves. ¡°You need to clock out. You know how HR is about overtime.¡±

    ¡°Yeah you¡¯re right.¡± Katie nodded, turning on the faucet and washing her hands under the running. ¡°I¡¯m going to surprise Brent at the club.¡± she said with an excited grin. She dried off her hands and pushed the door open. The hospital was quiet at this time of night. Most of the patients were starting to drift off to sleep. The sound of Katie¡¯s footsteps echoed softly through the corridors. She stopped at the nurse¡¯s station and placed her hand on the chair, supporting herself as she bent over to grab her bag. She slid the strap over her shoulders and pushed herself up. Her fingers curled slowly, then stopped suddenly. A white card had appeared in the palm of her hand. She opened her hand and read the inscription on the card, making her way toward the elevator.

    A dinging sound told Katie that the Elevator had arrived. She stepped inside the open door and leaned back against the wall of the elevator, reading the card once more. ¡°Aeryn Love M.D. Specialist in human affairs.¡± she muttered quietly to herself. The door opened and Katie made her way down the hallway carefully. Along the walls of the main floor, were pictures of all the practicing attendings in the hospital. Katie slowed her pace just enough to read through each one. ¡°Dr. Love. . Dr. Love. . .¡± She muttered to herself, searching the walls and pictures carefully. Much to her surprise, she couldn¡¯t find the name anywhere. She glanced down at the card once more, making her way through the automatic doors. In all her time in healthcare, she¡¯d never heard of anyone that specialized in ¡°Human Affairs.¡± The whole concept made her think. She stuffed the card into the pocket of her scrubs and opened her car door. She turned on the radio and jabbed her keys into the ignition. Her mind raced, pondering the events in the final hours of her work shift. Did Human affairs mean he was some sort of relationship counselor? Who could possibly know about this though? She¡¯d never shared any of her fears or concerns with any of her coworkers. How could anyone possibly know something wasn¡¯t right in her mind? Questions filled her mind the entire drive down the road.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3

    Katie Benson and Brent Moore-34 and 38 years old

    Katie shot a glance at Brent and leaned over, whispering into his ear. ¡°We are so talking about this when we get home.¡±

    Brent¡¯s cheeks flustered. A feeling of dread washed over him. He knew what was going to happen. He made an attempt to hide his dread from the rest of the table. ¡°So Jeff, what did Luci say to her?¡± Brent said, taking a sip of his drink and setting it down. A baffled expression crossed his features.

    Jeff flashed him an unamused look. ¡°We didn¡¯t exactly exchange secrets. . ¡° He said with a low growl.

    Katie laughed and waved the waiter off. ¡°Awwww. Poor Jeff here needs something to do for the night.¡± She chuckled, taking a sip of her drink. ¡°Come on, darling. I¡¯ll help you find something.¡± Jeff grumbled in response and rose to his feet. Katie set her drink down and rose up. ¡°So who am I playing tonight?¡± she asked him. Katie detested the idea of what he did, but he was Brent¡¯s best friend, so she put up with it. Plus, she enjoyed the chaos ever so slightly.

    Brent flashed a brief smile, watching the two walk away. He glanced over at Nat for a second before letting his head drop. Nat scooted closer and gave him a nudge. ¡°Not looking forward to going home, I¡¯m guessing?¡± She said, a soft giggle escaping her lips.

    Brent looked up at her with a puzzled expression.¡± How did you. . . ?¡±

    ¡°I have a gift for determining the nature of things. Even short conversations.¡± she said, looking down at him. ¡°She didn¡¯t seem very happy for a moment there.¡±

    Brent avoided eye contact, turning his head away and scratching behind it. ¡°Yeah. . I mean. . not a lot of women like to see their fiance sitting next to a strange beautiful redhead.¡±

    Nat flashed him a smile and tilted her head. ¡°Thank you. Not a lot of people see me as beautiful. Some barely even notice me.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s not to notice.¡±  Brent replied, giving her a brief smile and looking away. Nat let out a sigh and smiled at him. Brent turned away awkwardly, letting the silence fall between them.

    Katie made herself comfortable at the bar. She threw her hand up, waving down the bartender. ¡°Can I get a Vodka Martini please?¡± Jeff walked over and took a seat next to her, scooting the chair a little closer to talk over the music that echoed throughout the building.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Vodka Martini? That¡¯s a little stronger than your usual drink. Is something wrong?¡± He said looking over at her, then at the Bartender.

    Katie folded her arms and leaned over, trying to raise her voice above the noise.¡±I¡¯m expecting a long night. I need motivation.¡±

    Jeff gave her a confused look and replied. ¡°Why are you expecting a long night?¡± Katie simply replied by pointing at the table where Brent and Nat were sitting. ¡°Ohhhhhh them huh? So I¡¯m guessing that means you figured out what happened.¡±Is that why you¡¯re here with me as opposed to sitting next to your fiance, between him and some girl.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just too upset. I needed to get away from the scene for a little while.¡± She replied, her gaze focused on Brent and Nat. ¡°What do you think they¡¯re talking about anyways?¡± she said, giving Jeff a light nudge on the shoulder. Jeff shrugged and waved at the Bartender. ¡°I mean I get that she¡¯s really pretty, but is that all? What even drove him to come over to her?¡±

    ¡°Vodka Martini.¡± came the voice of the Bartender, Sliding Katie¡¯s drink over and taking a few bills from her. ¡°And you?¡± He asked Jeff.

    ¡°Just a beer please.¡± Jeff replied, smiling at the man, before turning back to Katie. ¡°How long have you been dating guys? Really pretty is more than enough reason for a guy to see something.¡±  Katie chuckled a little. ¡°I may not be the best one to ask. I don¡¯t even see how she¡¯s that pretty.¡±

    ¡°Ok, you must be sick. First you lose a bet to a complete stranger. Now you don¡¯t even see How Gorgeous she is? How much have you had to drink tonight?¡±

    ¡°Not as much as you think.¡± Jeff replied with a laugh.

    ¡°Look.¡± Nat said, tapping Brent on the shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t look so disconsolate.It¡¯ll all work out if it¡¯s meant to work out.¡±

    ¡°Easy for you to say. You¡¯re not attached to someone and living with them.¡± He said with a huff.

    ¡°Darling I live with a lot more than you could ever possibly understand.¡± Nat replied with a smirk. ¡°Ok I know someone that can help you. He¡¯s a Doctor that specializes in human affairs.¡±

    ¡°Mortal affairs? What the hell are human affairs?¡± Brent said, bewildered. ¡°Like some sort of marriage or relationship counselor?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡± She said reaching into her bra and pulling out a card. ¡°Give him a try. You¡¯ll see results in a matter of days, I promise.¡±

    Brent took the card and set his drink down with a few bills next to it. ¡°Thanks, I guess. I gotta get going. I¡¯ll uhh. . I¡¯ll look into it.¡± Nat smiled and nodded, watching the man walk away. Brent gestured to Katie. ¡° Are you ready to go?¡± Katie set her drink down and  took off scurrying over to catch up with her fiance. ¡°Are you going to talk to me?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get plenty of talking in when we get home.¡± She replied, stepping through the door that Brent had opened for her.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4

    Brent Moore 34 years old

    Light beamed in through the windows of the two story house. Brent opened his eyes slowly, bringing his hand to his head and rubbing his temples. A large pain covered what felt like both sides of his head. The pain barely allowed him to keep his eyes open. He Squinted in pain and rolled over in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. ¡°Ugh! what time is it?¡± his voice reverberated off the walls, with no response to be heard. Ocean blue pupils shifted from one side to the other, slowly tilting onto his back.His head turned, eyes coming to rest on the empty space in the bed that was normally occupied by Katie.A long groan escaped between his dry lips. Fingers curled ever so slightly, dragging across his face. His hand stretched out over the nightstand, fingers wrapping around Cell phone, bringing it into view. It was only a quarter past ten, but it was a Saturday.Brent didn¡¯t have the greatest of memories, but he could recall Katie mentioning that she didn¡¯t work until the afternoon. He peered around the room, searching for any trace that might tell him where she was.First to her laundry basket where Katie kept her clothes neatly folded and stacked.  There was a pair of pink scrubs missing from the basket.

    Brent closed his eyes for a minute, trying to recall the night before. He couldn¡¯t recall her saying anything about going into work for an early shift. The rest of the night slowly crept back into his memory. He fidgeted a little in the bed as the sound of Katie¡¯s screaming voice echoed from one end of his brain to the other. He could hear the sound of the card slamming down on the wooden nightstand. Before that, He remembered the sound of her voice demanding that Brent let her see what she witnessed Nat handing him.  He could recall his thoughts at that moment. The worry that if she saw the card of this ¡°Dr.Love¡±  that she might get the idea that he was asking around about a relationship counselor. Brent shuttered at the idea of having to go in for counseling so close to his wedding to Katie.

    Brent opened his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. His fingers brushing across his phone screen. He came across Danielle¡¯s name and thought about it.  Dani might have heard from Katie, but Brent didn¡¯t want to go to the trouble of contacting her. Knowing full well that Dani wouldn¡¯t take too kindly to the idea of her friend¡¯s fiance getting what seemed like a number from a total stranger. Brent quickly scrolled past her and pulled up Jeff¡¯s number. His digits began tapping at the keyboard, writing out the words, ¡°Hey man, have you heard from Katie?¡± He read over it for a second and continued texting. ¡°I woke up this morning and she was gone. Did she mention anything to you last night about being early to work or something?¡± Brent hit the send button and drew a deep breath, letting his arms drop to his side. As he waited patiently for the response, his thoughts began to race. Brent peeled his covers away and sat up in the bed. He rubbed his eyes for a few seconds and glanced back down at his phone. Nothing was coming up. He could text Katie herself and ask, but the conversation from the night before left him thinking that he was the last person she wanted to hear from at the moment.

    Brent swung his feet over the edge of the bed and planted them on the floor. He brushed his finger across his phone screen once more, but no notifications came up. He took a deep breath and tried to push it out of his mind. Maybe he¡¯d distract himself by getting ready for the day. He took a deep breath,brushing his long blonde hair out of his eyes. His eyes shifted once more before finally bringing himself to get up from the bed. His phone fell off his lap and landed on the bed. Brent gathered his clothes and walked into the bathroom, pausing to stare at himself in the mirror. He couldn¡¯t hold the gaze of his own reflection for even a second. A sinking feeling in his heart left him with a heavy guilt. He caught sight of one beautiful woman and made a feeble attempt to flirt with her. The only thing that he even got out of it was a lousy calling card for what sounded like a crackpot of a doctor.  He attempted to flirt and got a number for another guy. Brent stifled a chuckle and turned on the water. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The sound of the doorbell could be heard over the roar of rushing water from the showerhead. Brent turned off the water and stepped out of the tub, scrambling for his towel. He ruffled his hair and wrapped the towel around his waist. He snatched his pants and undergarments from the  counter and draped them over his back. A few seconds later Brent pulled open the door to see his friend standing on his doorstep. ¡°Two things man; You and your fiance need to stop dragging me into your personal problems. And please tell me you don¡¯t make a habit of answering the door like that.¡± Jeff said, pushing past his barely clothed friend.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you Jealous?¡± Brent replied, shooting his friend a smirk.

    ¡°Me? Jealous? I¡¯m not the one over here looking like I''ve skipped leg day for the last 8 weeks.¡± Jeff replied, turning around and walking backwards down the corridor. Brent rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him. Brent shook his head and chuckled at his own comment. ¡°Katie didn¡¯t sound too happy at the club last night. I haven¡¯t seen her that upset since you went out of town to spend Thanksgiving with your friend from the northern part of the state.I told you it was a bad idea to talk to that . . Nat girl. What were you two talking about  anyways? And what was that  card she handed you all about? Katie made me watch the whole thing with her last night.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just it.¡± Brent said, watching his friend make himself comfortable on the couch in front of the television. Brent disappeared into his room for a few seconds and returned with the card in hand. ¡°All she gave me was some contact information for some kind of Counselor or something. His name is Dr. Aeryn Love.¡± Brent said, handing the card over to Jeff. Jeff paused and read it carefully.

    ¡°Dr.Love? Really?? Is this thing even real? A relationship counselor with the last name ¡°Love?¡± That sounds ridiculous.¡± Brent responded with a chuckle. ¡°Look man. From the sound of it, you need something to distract your mind from your current predicament. Come With me to the mall. I need to go pick something up. Maybe we can get some Pizza and talk about this a little more.¡± Jeff stated, taking a deep breath and tilting his head with a smirk.

    ¡°I can¡¯t man. I need to figure out where Katie is. And maybe just be alone with my thoughts.¡± Brent replied, breaking eye contact and looking away.

    ¡°No you don¡¯t man. Man was never meant to spend hard times alone with his thoughts. That¡¯s how paranoia sets in and makes things worse. Come on, go get your clothes on and let¡¯s go.¡± Jeff retorted. A chuckle escaped him as he watched the wide eyed expression of his friend once it dawned on him. ¡°You just remembered that you were still in a towel didn¡¯t you?¡± Jeff paused  then interrupted his friend before he could speak. ¡°No need to answer that, just go. I¡¯ll wait right here.¡±

    Brent closed his lips and darted into the bedroom. The subtle sound of wooden drawers opening could be heard from outside the bedroom. Brent pulled out a pair of socks and stumbled back into the bathroom, snatching his clothes from the lid of the pot. He had gotten so wrapped up in the conversation that he¡¯d forgotten where he was. Brent opened the bedroom door a few minutes later, this time fully dressed, jingling the keys in his pocket. ¡°So am I driving or are you?¡± He asked a seemingly startled Jeff. Jeff spun around, peering over the couch with a grin.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5

    Katie Benson 38 years old

    Katie opened her eyes slowly. Her thoughts had been racing all night. Brent was still fast asleep. Her rosy red cheeks felt dry. Her digits brushed across a spot on the sheets of the bed. It felt cold but no longer dampened from the tears that rolled off her cheeks the night before. She rolled over on the bed, glancing over at Brent to make sure she hadn¡¯t disturbed him. She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. Her eyes closed once more. The memories of the argument played back in her head like a movie. She could see it all again as if it was happening in real time. Brent¡¯s voice echoed through her head. ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me see it?!¡± she heard herself yelling.

    ¡°Because you won¡¯t like what it says!! I don¡¯t even like what it says!¡± came the sound of Brent¡¯s voice yelling back at her.

    ¡°Why the Hell Not?!¡± She yelled back, her voice starting to get choked up. Her eyes had closed. A single, small tear starting to form at the edge of her eyelids.

    ¡°Because it was a moment of weakness.¡± he replied, a stern expression forming across his face. ¡°And not one that i¡¯m particularly. . ¡°

    ¡°Oh No! It¡¯s not a weakness! Nuh uh!¡± she screamed reaching for the card, but Brent pulled it away. ¡°Obviously something is wrong if you¡¯re out taking phone numbers from other girls!¡±

    ¡°Fine! You wanna see it so badly?!¡± came the sound of her fiance¡¯s screaming voice as he slammed the card down on his nightstand.¡±Come get it!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to act like this, forget it!!¡± she screamed, brushing the tears away from her cheeks. She pushed past him and slammed the door of the bedroom.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Katie opened her eyes again, brushing her long red hair from her eyes. A tear hand formed and trickled down her cheek. She took a deep breath, but her breathing had started to get shallow. She tried to choke back her tears. A feeling washed over her. Feelings of inadequacy. She hated this feeling. It brought up a familiar thought. The same thought that crossed her mind the night before. Was this really him? Was Brent really the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with? The fight played over again in her head. She poked her head up the second she thought about it. The card was still on his nightstand.  She hadn¡¯t looked at it, even after she pushed him out of the room. She was afraid to. Another girl¡¯s number? And what made it worse was the fact that he kept it.  Brent didn¡¯t really seem to think about things like that. He didn¡¯t seem to care how it looked or reflected on him. Was he having doubts about their wedding as it drew so close? Katie¡¯s mind was flooded with questions.

    She finally sat up in bed peering over her shoulder at her sleeping fiance first, then glancing over at the nightstand. She took a deep breath, letting her gaze drop to the carpeted floor beneath her. The subtle sound of a meow alerted her to the cat¡¯s presence. Tabbyona, her and Brent got her from a stray that one of Katie¡¯s patients had adopted. Katie flashed her a brief smile that quickly fell away from her face. Katie rose up from the bed, slowly pulling her emerald green up over her torso and fastening it to her midriff. Katie rose up on her tiptoes and stepped carefully around the corner of the bed, trying to avoid stepping on any of the clothes that Brent had left laying around the room.

    Brent wasn¡¯t exactly the cleanest of fiances to live with, but at least he wasn¡¯t like any of her exes. He wasn¡¯t demanding of her and he even still went to the trouble of holding doors open for her. He always told her that his mom would kill him if he didn¡¯t. It sounded a little corny to her, but she didn¡¯t mind it. Katie took out her phone and pulled up a flashlight, hovering the lit up screen over Brent¡¯s night stand and picked up the card. Katie lifted the card up to the faint morning sunlight that cascaded between the closed blinds. She could barely make out the contents of it. Her sadness started to fade once she realized what it said. Katie scurried over to the clothing basket and dug around for her outfit from the night before. Stuffing her hands in the pockets of her dirty scrubs, she searched for it. The same card that she had picked up on her way out of work. A brief feeling of relief washed over her. Why had he refused to show this to her? What was her fiance so afraid of?  Without paying attention to it, she set her own card down on Brent¡¯s night stand on his side of the bed.  She tiptoed back over the mess in their room and leaned down, grabbing a random pair of scrubs from her laundry basket at the edge of the bed. Katie opened the bathroom door and slipped inside, quickly shutting the door behind her and turning on the lights. She slid the robe off slowly, reading over the card again. Why had her fiance even received this? Was he still hiding Nat¡¯s number? She folded her robe and finished undressing before slipping into the shower. The entire time the water drenched her strawberry blond hair, she thought about it. Who was this ¡°Dr. Aeryn love?¡± The more she thought about it, the more her curiosity began to get the best of her.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6

    Brent Moore 34 Years old

    Brent opened the door carefully, smiling at a small family that brushed past him. Before he could take a step in, Jeff scurried out in front of him. The sound of the cool breeze quickly changed to the roar of bustling that echoed through the large building that was the mall. Small crowds moved across the marble floors. Jeff gestured toward Brent to follow him. Brent stuffed his hands into his pockets, his gaze shifting from one side to the other, taking in the scenery. ¡°You dragged me all the way out here, because you want to find a video game?¡± Brent asked, coming to a stop at the top of the escalator.

    Jeff turned to his friend softly leaning back against the sides of the escalator. ¡°That¡¯s not the whole reason. I also get bored when my roommates aren¡¯t home. I don¡¯t like to be a lone Brent, You should know this.¡± Jeff paused for a second, stopping to step off the escalator that had reached the bottom floor of the mall. ¡°Plus it helps to get out of the house and get your mind off things.That¡¯s the important part.¡±

    Brent quirked a brow, glancing over at his friend. ¡°What makes you think I need to get my mind off things?  I would have been perfectly happy just sitting at home and streaming movies off my console.¡±

    Jeff shook his head and rolled his eyes. ¡°No you wouldn¡¯t have, man. Nobody should be alone when they¡¯re having relationship problems.¡±

    Brent nodded, instantly, ¡°Yes they should, some people need time to think things through.¡± He glanced up at the sign that Brent recognized as Jeff¡¯s favorite game store.

    ¡°Not for a whole day. I¡¯m telling you, Man was not meant to be left to his own thoughts for long periods of time. After a few hours, the crazy starts to set in.¡± Jeff replied, coming to a halt in front of the shelf. ¡°This is what friends do. They help you find distractions from the crazy. And I hate to tell you this, but You¡¯ve been getting that a lot lately.¡± Brent opened his mouth to reply, but before he could push out a sound, a familiar voice interrupted them.

    ¡°Hey you two! Fancy running into you again.¡± came the sound of Nat¡¯s voice, peering at the two men from the other top of the game shelf.

    Both boys looked up, Jeff¡¯s expression flashing a smile and Brent dropping his head instantly. Nat? What brings you in here? And with. . ¡° Brent paused for a second looking up only to catch a glance of the man that Nat was standing next to. The Man¡¯s long dark brown hair hung merely centimeters from his shoulders. His matching beard hid what Brent could only describe as an angelic complexion. ¡°Who might this be?¡± Brent asked, offering his hand for a greeting.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Nat flashed Brent a grin and looked up at the rather tall man. ¡°Oh I call him Chris, but He gets called other names too.¡± she said, observing Brent¡¯s gaze falling away from hers.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure.¡± Chris said, shaking Brent¡¯s hand and flashing him a smile. A feeling of warmth and content washed over Brent¡¯s face. A feeling that seemed to compel Brent to smile back.

    Brent shot a glare at Chris¡¯s hands. A scar sat in the middle of his palms. A scar from Brent could only conclude as a wound. ¡°Whoa! What happened there?¡± Brent asked, reaching for the man¡¯s hand.Brent¡¯s finger¡¯s lightly brushed over the scar, looking at it in astonishment.

    ¡°Oh Brent here is a Carpenter. He had a bad misunderstanding with some nails.¡± Nat interrupted as Chris pulled his hands away and picked up one of the games off the shelf.

    Jeff lightly swatted at Brent¡¯s hand, casting a friendly glance over to Nat at first and then again to Brent. ¡°Come on, man. I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t come in here to have you examine his hand.¡± Jeff said, picking up one of the games and staring at it, before flipping it over. ¡°What brings you and Chris here?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to see what sort of things people come up with.¡± Chris replied, putting one game down and picking another back up. ¡°I Enjoy creativity of others. There¡¯s beauty in all creation.¡± Chris continued, smiling down at one of the games.¡±I¡¯m a creator myself. I can¡¯t help it.¡± He said, looking back up at Brent and Jeff.

    A silence fell between the four as they nodded in agreement. Jeff swiped the game from the shelf and set it down on the counter. The Cashier picked it and waved it across the scanner. ¡°32.04 please.¡± came the voice of the cashier.

    Jeff reached into his pocket and unbuttoned his wallet. He stretched it out and began to rummage through it. He pushed a few cards aside and pulled open the main pocket.  Fingers brushed across the edges of the bills. Jeff counted it out carefully, mouthing the numbers as he went along. ¡°Crap!¡± He glanced over at his friend. ¡°Hey man? I¡¯m short 7 bucks, can you help me out? I¡¯ll pay you right back as soon as we get back to my place.¡± He said flashing a smile over at Nat and Chris, who¡¯d stepped into line behind them. Jeff grew nervous cycling through the bills in his hand, mouthing off the numbers as he counted. A sorrowful sigh escaped his lips as he rested his hand with the cash on the counter and dropped his head. The sound of the drawer opening alerted the two men. Jeff watched as the cashier scooped the money into the drawer. ¡°But I don¡¯t. . ¡° Both men shot the cashier with a confused expression.

    ¡°Have a good day. Thank you for coming in.¡± the girl said, ripping the receipt from the printer and handing it over to Jeff.

    Both men looked over the receipt with curiosity. ¡°Exact change? It¡¯s a. . ¡° Before Brent could finish, Chris and Nat approached them.

    ¡°Hey are you boys hungry?¡± she asked, looking between the two. ¡°Chris and I are thinking about getting something from the food court and thought you might like to join us.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d love to but that was the last of our money.¡± Jeff replied, giving her a shrug. ¡°We couldn¡¯t possibly ask you to.¡±

    Nat waved off his response with her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We have you covered.¡± she replied, pulling the straps of her leaf green purse up over her shoulder.

    ¡°Well thanks! We¡¯ll pay you back.¡±  Jeff responded, gripping the shopping bag tightly. ¡°What¡¯s your number? I¡¯ll call you when I have the money.

    ¡°We¡¯re not debt collectors, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Chris interjected, turning his back toward the men and walking out of the store. ¡°Did you see what I did there?¡± He whispered to Nat.

    Nat rolled her eyes and continued walking. ¡°Do you have to show off like that?¡± she asked, nudging him on the shoulder.

    ¡°Chris looks like he¡¯s in dire need of a shave.¡± Brent whispered to Jeff as they followed closely behind the pair. ¡°Do you remember Principal Boon in High School? He looks just like him.¡±

    Jeff tilted his head and scratched the top of it. ¡°Are we looking at the same person? I don¡¯t remember Principal Boon ever having a beard.¡± He said, stepping onto the escalator behind them.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7

    Katie Benson and Brent Moore- 34 and 38 years old

    The car took a sharp turn at the intersection and pulled into the driveway slowly. ¡°Thanks for Dinner,¡± Brent said, turning to face Nat and Chris in the backseat. ¡°Are you sure you two can get home from here? I have the gas, I don¡¯t mind taking you home. It¡¯s the least I can do for buying dinner.¡± He said turning the ignition and removing the keys from it. Jeff wasted no time in opening the passenger side door and letting himself out. Brent shot a glance at Jeff who¡¯d casually drifted out to the front of the car. Brent¡¯s gaze focused on the sight in front of him. Katie¡¯s car was parked in the open garage. A sense of dread washed over Brent. He could feel his heart beating in his chest as his mind shot off like a rocket.

    ¡°We have our ways of getting home, Don¡¯t we Chris?¡± Nat replied, glancing over at Chris to see a nod. ¡°Plus. I wouldn¡¯t want to keep you from your fiance.¡± Nat continued, watching Brent¡¯s gaze escape her own. Brent rolled his eyes as if he¡¯d just had a thought that he chose not to vocalize. Nat¡¯s expression changed just a little. ¡°I know you aren¡¯t looking forward to what¡¯s coming, but I can assure you, it will help in the long run.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± Brent continued with a sigh, opening his door and planting one foot down onto the concrete driveway. ¡°I just wish I could have stopped myself from doing it to begin with. There¡¯s no turning back now though, I guess.¡± He said, planting both feet and pulling himself up out of the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°If I  hadn¡¯t though, I guess we wouldn¡¯t have met.¡±

    Nat flashed her friend a smile. ¡°Come with us tomorrow. We¡¯re going on a hike after work.. Maybe a little time in nature will take your mind off things.¡± The ginger haired beauty said, pushing the door of the back seat open and offering a hand to Chris. ¡°Let nature run its course, darling.¡±

    ¡°Sounds fun to me.¡± Brent said, looking up at Jeff. ¡°Are you coming with us?¡±

    ¡°No Thank you!¡±Jeff shook his head without even giving it a second of thought. ¡°Nature and I don¡¯t get along very well. And I need to keep up appearances. I¡¯m going to the club tomorrow night.¡± Jeff patted his pockets, to make sure he had everything, then reached into the car to grab his game.¡±I¡¯m taking this thing home to give it a try. Let me know what happens with you and Katie, would ya?¡± He said, taking his keys out and opening the driver¡¯s side door of his car.¡±Text me when you get back from your hike.¡±  Jeff said, shaking his friend¡¯s hand and turning the ignition. ¡°Have a good night man.¡± Before Brent could say it back, Jeff had already taken off down the road. Brent peeked up at the house from the driveway. His head dropped again, dragging his feet up along the cement pathway. Brent couldn¡¯t help but feel a little scared.

    The door knob turned and the door slid open. Brent took a step through the doorway, Quietly closing the door behind him. A silence filled the air as he made his way through the living room. The light in the kitchen above the stove was on, but that seemed to be the only sign of life in the house. Brent¡¯s eyes scanned the floor of the darkened house until they settled on the crack in the doorway bedroom.  The light was on, which left Brent thinking that Katie was in there.

    Katie had pulled the covers over her torso and rested her head on the pillow. Her eyes gravitated from the television to the card that was on the table. Her mind wandered, contemplating if this was what she wanted. This card was different from the one she found this morning. This had an appointment time.  An appointment to see Dr.Love. She thought about it. Did she really need this? And why did the Doctor only want to see her and made no mention of bringing Brent with her. What kind of relationship counselor didn¡¯t want to see couples together in one room? She thought for a second about canceling her appointment. A voice in the back of her mind argued with it though. She started thinking about everything. She thought about the patient she¡¯d taken care of the previous night. That wasn¡¯t the first time though. She needed answers. Her and Brent never fought like this before. They¡¯d always been close. She felt more comfortable around him than Dani, even. Her doubts had only surfaced in the few months since Brent proposed.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Katie glanced up at the door, watching her fiance step through it. Katie didn¡¯t feel like arguing. But she could sense something was coming. She pulled her phone up to her eyes, refusing to keep eye contact with him.¡±Hey,¡± she said, cycling through her phone and entering a time for her alarm to wake her up. Brent plopped down on the bed in front of her. Katie peered up over her phone screen.

    ¡°So? What happened this morning?¡± Brent asked in a low tone. He barely caught her gaze, but refused to keep it. ¡°I didn¡¯t wake up to your phone going off, so I know you couldn¡¯t have been called in early.¡±

    Katie shifted her gaze to the door. ¡°I left early.¡± she asked, pretending to watch her screen, while her ears tuned into the voice of her fiance. ¡°Should you answer the same question?¡±

    Brent discarded part of her reply. ¡°But where did you run off to that early in the morning?¡± Brent said, rubbing his temples, feeling the early signs of a headache setting in.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question. Where did you go all day?¡± She asked the tone of her voice rising.

    ¡°I asked my question first. Why did you take off so early?¡± He asked, raising his voice even higher.

    ¡°I left early to go in and make a Doctor¡¯s appointment! Now Where did you go all day?¡± she shouted, setting her phone down on the nightstand.

    ¡°Oh. . .¡± Brent said, dropping his gaze. He took a deep breath before answering her question. ¡°I went out with Jeff to the mall to pick up a game.¡±

    ¡°Jeff told me the other night he didn¡¯t have any money. And I know it doesn¡¯t take him all day to pick out a game. Now where else did you go and tell the truth.¡± Katie replied sitting up in the bed.

    Brent closed his eyes, Quietly dreading the answer that came out of his mouth. ¡°We ran into Nat and her friend and. . ¡°

    ¡°So you went out with her? You went out with that girl from the club? Even after our little talk last night?¡±  Katie let her head crash down onto the pillow. ¡°I can¡¯t deal with this right now! Good night!¡± she said, reaching out and turning the lamp light out.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that! Jeff and I just had dinner with her and walked around the mall.¡± Brent replied, gazing at the darkened silhouette of his fiance. He shook his head in disbelief and slipped into the covers, closing his eyes and letting the tense silence settle in.

    Katie rolled her eyes and refused to reply with anything other than a huff from her nostrils. Her thoughts ran at what felt like a hundred miles an hour. She attempted to close her eyes and drift off to sleep, but her mind was at war. Imagining everything she wanted to say, but didn¡¯t have the energy to push from between her lips. She tried as hard as she could to let the anger slide through her veins. She hated her fiance at this moment. Never before had she felt such a sense of detachment from her fiance. She drew in a deep breath and opened her eyes. The silence had lingered into the air and held still in the cold night air. The moon cast it¡¯s beams, sending them cascading in through the window seal. Her gaze settled on the outstretched shadow of the card that had the Doctor''s contact information on it. The card sat on her night stand just a few feet from the bed.

    Brent was fast asleep next to her. His ability to suppress even the most heated of arguments was nothing short of astounding to her. She extended her arm out and grabbed the card carefully rereading the print. What could someone who deals in ¡°human affairs,¡± possibly do for her and her troubled relationship? She flipped the card over to one side and scanned it, before stopping at setting it back down. Katie rolled over on her back and gazed  up at the ceiling. What could even be considered as ¡°Mortal affairs?¡± She tossed the card down again and rolled back over on her side, letting out a tired yawn and finally managing to close her eyes.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8

    Katie Benson 38 years old

    A soothing melody filled the room. Brent opened his eyes slightly, then closed them again, choosing not to pay any attention to the alarm from his fiance¡¯s phone. Katie opened her eyes slowly, the darkly lit room coming into focus. The sun¡¯s rays poured in through the clear windows and gave the room it¡¯s only light. The ginger haired lady remained still. Her thoughts began to gather in her head. Her mind told her to go back to sleep, but her memory told her to look down at the time. She reached out to her night stand and blindly tapped her phone screen til the music stopped playing.

    She propped herself up on her elbows and glanced over at her window. Her gaze shifted over to her fiance, who lay there asleep and motionless. She grabbed her phone and stared down at it til the screen flashed the time and the words of the notification flashed in a bubble across the screen. ¡°Doctor¡¯s Appointment,¡± were the words she read. Why did let her curiosity get to her? She buried her face in her palms at the very thought of it. It all sounded so ridiculous to her. The whole concept of it made her utter a very quiet giggle. She took a deep breath and sat herself up all the way, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She battled with it in her head as she rubbed her eyes carefully trying to wake herself up. This whole thing just sounded like one big joke to her, but her curiosity grew rapidly. After wrestling with it for a minute, the red head hoisted herself up to her feet. She gathered her clothes that were neatly folded inside the laundry basket and scampered off to the bathroom shutting the door behind her.

    Katie spun the steering wheel of the car, forcing it to make a sharp turn and pressed on the gas. The oncoming car let out a loud honk, just barely missing the girl¡¯s car. She drew a deep breath finally pulling into the familiar parking lot of the hospital. Katie glanced back at the passing car and rolled her eyes. Her mind was racing. Maybe she¡¯d just go into his office and see if she could find another patient to ask about this doctor. None of the nurses ever talked about anyone named Aeryn.Katie pulled into a parking space and slowly drifted to a halt. She set the parking brake and sat there, staring at the hospital building for a few seconds. Maybe she didn¡¯t really need this. Maybe Brent would come through for her and help her feel better. She didn¡¯t need a doctor to talk to about it. For a second, she considered how much of a waste of time this might be. She glanced up at the building, her eyes gravitating to the window where that patient that flirted with her could be seen. He really hadn¡¯t been the first one to hit on her, but his memory stuck out in her mind. She opened the door and snatched the keys from the ignition.

    Katie crept quietly through the doorway. The office was closed. A subtle melody filled the room as she slowly made her way over to the reception desk. The receptionist looked familiar to her. His hair was a chocolatey brown color and his complexion showed a light tan. She tilted her head to the side and curled a brow. ¡°Have we met before? I get the feeling I¡¯ve seen you somewhere.¡± His eyes were focused on the computer screen in front of him, not even looking up at her to take her ID. If anything, The man seemed rather attractive to her. His shoulders were broad and his scrubs were black with the picture of a small devil on it.

    ¡°Oh hey! It¡¯s me Luci.¡± he said, his head poking out from behind the screen. ¡°We met at the bar the other night. Nat is always dragging me to bars late at night.¡±

    ¡°Oh Luci? Hi¡± she said, her face lighting up at the sight of the handsome stranger. ¡°You know? Jeff won¡¯t stop reminding me of the bet from the other night.¡±

    ¡°Is he still sore about that? I told him not to take any offense if I beat him.¡± He said stifling a chuckle. ¡°I know how to really . . tempt girls.¡± He smirked.

    ¡°Jeff thinks he¡¯s tempting to any girl.¡± she glanced at the clock on the wall across the room. ¡°So I¡¯m here to see Dr. Love. . I have an appointment.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± he said, looking down at the keyboard and starting to fiddle with it. ¡°Go have a seat, I¡¯ll call you when he¡¯s available.¡±

    The office looked nothing short of empty to her. The melody to ¡°Time After Time¡± started playing over the radio. She closed her eyes and let the melody take her away. This had to be one of her favorite songs. She sang to herself Quietly muttering the lyrics beneath her breath. The office was empty, but the Doctor sure seemed to be taking a while to come get her. She drew a deep breath before she finally heard another voice. Her eyes gravitate back to what looked like a tall slightly curved woman in pink scrubs, with blond hair. The closer Katie drew to the woman the better a look she got. Her cheeks were a light rose color and her skin had a Porcelain quality. Katie found her to be very beautiful with angelic qualities. ¡°You¡¯re very beautiful.¡± Katie started offering a hand for her to shake. ¡°My name is Katie, You absolutely must tell me what cream you use.¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    The lady giggled in response and shook her hand gently. ¡°Fortune must be on your side. Call me Atro Darling, the office is this way if you¡¯ll follow me. And You¡¯re too kind.¡± the lady said, holding open the doors for Katie. The two proceeded down the hall passing two other nurses  with what Katie could only see possessed similar features. ¡°These are my Sisters Cloey and Lacey.¡± Atro gestured to the two ladies that waved back at her. One had jet black hair and the other was Dark brown with Silver streak down the side.

    ¡°It must run in the family¡± Katie said with a warm smile to Atro. ¡°All three of you are very gorgeous.¡± Shesaid, waving at the other two ladies before disappearing behind the door.

    ¡°The Doctor will be in soon. Just make yourself comfortable on the couch.¡± Atro said gathering a stack of papers in her hand and proceeding to organize them.¡±If you need anything, My sister¡¯s and I will be just outside here.¡±

    Katie replied with a nod and smiled as the woman left the room, shutting the door behind her. Something seemed off about those girls. Katie had worked in this hospital for years and could swear up and down that she hadn¡¯t seen any of them. Maybe she¡¯d ask Dani if she heard anything about a new string of nurses that got hired. Her thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the door. The man that walked through the door had long blond hair and a lab coat. His face was Scruffy and his eyes were a pretty blue color. Katie couldn¡¯t help but admire their beauty. ¡°You must be Dr. Love. I¡¯m . . ¡°

    ¡°Kathrine Benson. . Soon to be Kathrine Moore.¡± The Doctor said, offering her a hand shake. ¡°I understand you have a Wedding coming up this coming Sunday.¡±

    Katie¡¯s jaw dropped. The look she gave the doctor was bewildered. ¡°Umm Yeah. . .¡± she paused, tilting her head. ¡°That didn¡¯t come up when I made the appointment. How did you. . ?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m no stranger to the rumors.¡± Dr. Love said, making himself comfortable in the chair. ¡°So tell me, what brings a soon to be happily married woman into my office?¡±

    ¡°Curiosity for Starters Doctor. I¡¯ve worked in Healthcare for years and never heard of any specialty. . .¡± The Doctor uttered a Sigh and smiled at her.

    ¡°So you want to know what human affairs is.¡± Aeryn cupped his hands together making himself comfortable. ¡°I guess you could say I specialize in . . Personal Problems.¡±  Katie gave him a confused look as if He was speaking an entirely different language. ¡°You seem confused so allow me to explain.¡± He said, taking a deep breath and setting his notebook down on his lap. ¡°Say You have a friend that goes through a nasty break up. You refer them to us and we can help your friend feel more at ease and relaxed about their situation.¡±

    Katie looked at the Doctor as if he was completely insane. This was by far the strangest thing she¡¯d ever heard. ¡°So. . You¡¯re like a Counselor of some sort?¡± she asked, leaning back into the chair.

    ¡°Sort of,¡± The doctor said, leaning forward a little more. His expression seemed fixed on Katie as if utterly fascinated by her. ¡°There¡¯s a lot more we can do here than you can get at a Counselor''s office.¡± Aeryn rested arms on his legs. ¡°We don¡¯t just deal with matters of love, we deal with other stuff too. Like if a Family Member Dies or. . . Someone loses their job. We can help them fix or deal with the emotional sadness that comes with Loss. Our prescriptions are made with non addicting chemicals.¡±

    ¡°Uhh huh. . So like Loss Prevention?¡± Katie was utterly confused. This seemed new to her. This sounded too much like some major psychobabble. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a Hospital having Loss prevention of that caliber.¡±

    The doctor began rubbing his temples. He paused and struggled trying to think of ways to get across to the woman. ¡°Let¡¯s try finding an example to help you understand. Please, tell me about something that¡¯s going on in your life. Something that¡¯s causing your stress or weighing on your mind.In this Office, we understand that everyone goes through trials. Some bumps in the road are harder to get over than others. That¡¯s where we come in.¡±

    ¡°Okay. . .¡± Katie said, scratching her head as she tried to gather her thoughts. ¡°Well I mean. . . My Fiance has been spending time with some girl he met at a club the other night. I¡¯m starting to worry that he¡¯s getting cold feet before Sunday.¡± Dr. Love stared at her with fascination, his eyes perked up while he listened seemingly intently. He nodded and gestured to her to continue. Katie fell silent for a few seconds.¡±Umm there¡¯s this patient in the department I work in that keeps asking me out.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± The Doctor said, intrigued by the conversation. ¡°Tell me then, Are you considering it? Have you told him that you¡¯re not interested?¡±

    Katie was utterly dumbfounded. Her mind filled with questions, wondering just where exactly the Doctor was taking this conversation. ¡°Well not in so many words. I guess. . I¡¯ve been getting cold feet too.¡± she said, dropping her shoulders along with her head. She didn¡¯t like admitting it. She¡¯d always had a hard time talking about her problems. Even when Brent tried to ask her about them, she didn¡¯t say much. A sinking feeling washed over her.

    Aeryn¡¯s disposition didn¡¯t seem to change. ¡°What if I told you that I could help you over that bump?¡± He said with a half smile reaching into his white lab coat and pulling out a small bottle of what looked like clear color pills.

    ¡°How?¡± she asked, reaching over and taking the pills from his hand. ¡°With Pills? How are Pills going to help me not question my relationship?¡±

    ¡°These aren¡¯t just pills,¡± he said, taking them back from her. ¡°What if I told you that this is Time? Tell me Miss Moore, Have you ever looked back on a past relationship and wondered if something could have been done to fix it. If you could go in time and fix a mistake, knowing what you know now? Would you take that opportunity? All you¡¯d have to do is take one of these pills before bed and let yourself think about that past mistake. Think about what went wrong and the pills will give you the chance.¡± Dr.Love handed the bottle back to a very dumbfounded Katie. ¡°Just give it a try, if you will. You know where to find my office if you have any questions.

    ¡° . . Okay. . ¡° she replied, stuffing the bottle into her purse and rising to her feet. ¡°Thank you for your. . . time Doctor.¡± The whole thing sounded insane to her. How could a bottle of pills take you back in time? This Dr.Love sounded like a total quack. Katie took the bottle from her purse as soon as she left out the office door and examined it intently on her way up the stairs to her floor. She contemplated just throwing them in the trash.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9

    Brent Moore 34 Years old

    Brent didn¡¯t want to say anything. He chose to close his eyes and pretend to be asleep. The argument had plagued his mind all night long. Why was she acting this way? It was a question that Brent had asked himself, even though he knew the answer already. This whole thing was all his fault. He wondered if he had just resisted the urge to talk to Nat, He wouldn¡¯t be having problems. He couldn¡¯t help his curiosity though.The closer he¡¯d gotten to his wedding, the more he thought about it. He couldn¡¯t help but wish for a sign that she was the one he was meant to be with.  If she wasn¡¯t, He could picture himself older and struggling more to keep up. The world and all the people in it are ever growing and changing. He knew that the older he got, the more he would struggle to keep up with this ever changing society. Thought of it scared him like nothing else.

    Brent had thought about it all morning.It was as if a ward was raging in his mind. A War that would see no peace.Guilt nipped at him, while he was getting himself groomed and ready for the day. He felt like he needed to do something to make up for all of it, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything creative, no matter how hard he tried to put his imagination to work. The only thing that came to mind was a teddy bear and green balloons. Katie¡¯s favorite color was green, so Brent knew it would make her happy. Once he was fully dressed, he¡¯d finally worked up the courage to run to the store.

    Brent pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and got out of his car. He grabbed the bear and Balloons and tied the string to his wrist so he wouldn¡¯t lose them. Brent had figured after he¡¯d purchased them, that she might like a surprise visit from him at work, and decided to deliver his apology in person. Brent hated trying to find his way around the hospital. He could never remember where anything was. He followed the marble floor walkway until he couldn¡¯t remember seeing that part of the hospital before. He facepalmed and turned around heading the opposite direction. The whole thing had left him feeling a little dumb. He shook his head, finally pressing the button to call the Elevator.

    The Elevator door sounded and slid open when it reached her floor. Brent held the bear tightly and made a beeline straight for the nurse¡¯s desk, eagerly looking for his Fiance. When he reached the desk, he found no one there. He had only waited around a little, before heard a familiar voice. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for her, she¡¯s in with Mr. Martinez getting him ready for a shower.¡± Brent¡¯s gaze shifted in the direction of the woman¡¯s voice, only to meet the eyes of a short blonde woman in grey scrubs.¡±Katie hasn¡¯t been much of herself at all today. Those better be for her if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡± She said with a smirk, gesturing toward the stuffed bear and balloons.

    ¡°Oh yeah I know.¡± he paused for a second.¡±Thank you Dani. I¡¯ll go find her.¡± Brent said wasting no time in taking off down the hallway. He wasn¡¯t all that eager to chat with Dani, especially given the situation at hand. Dani had always been very protective of Katie and Brent knew what the rest of that conversation would have been about. Brent stepped lightly through the corridors, listening carefully for the familiar  sound of his fiance¡¯s voice. He wanted to keep the element of surprise so he tried to keep silent, sidling along the walls.

    ¡°Well if it isn¡¯t my favorite nurse.¡± came a voice that Brent couldn¡¯t recognize. He decided to wait to hear the Nurse¡¯s response, pressing up against the wall to stay out of sight. ¡°Trouble in paradise? You seem a little different today.¡±  the voice continued as Brent stood there listening with intent.

    ¡°A little,¡± Came the sound of Katie¡¯s voice. Brent could hear her just outside the room. She was fiddling with something in her hand. ¡°I went to surprise my fiance at the club after work the other day and found him sharing a booth with some strange, Gorgeous redhead named Nat and her friend Luci.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°So you found him with two girls at a club?¡± the man¡¯s voice replied. ¡°Were they even doing anything? Were they Dancing or grinding on each other?¡±

    ¡°Well no.¡± Katie replied, grabbing what sounded like a bottle of some sort. ¡°They were just talking, but they seemed a little close. I really wouldn¡¯t have minded, but they ran into each other at the mall the other day while his friend was out getting some game. Then they had dinner together.¡± she continued, reaching over to turn on what sounded like a faucet.¡±Brent and I have been together for a few years, but he¡¯s never shown any interest in any other girl but me.¡±

    Brent was too wrapped up in the conversation to even think about taking another step. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s up to something suspicious?¡± the voice replied with what Brent could detect as an air of confusion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mr. Martinez,¡± She replied with a sigh. Brent could hear a very faint sound as if a needle had been jabbed into skin. He heard the sound of shuffling in the hospital bed. ¡°I brought up the idea of seeking counseling and he got really defensive about it. If there¡¯s a chance to fix things especially so close to the wedding. I went in to see the hospital¡¯s new counselor and all he gave me were these pills and told me to call him in the morning.¡± Brent could hear the jingling sound of what could only be a bottle of pills.

    A slight feeling of dread began to wash over him. His mind didn¡¯t seem to like where the conversion seemed to be going. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s getting cold feet?¡± Mr. Martinez asked.

    Katie had let out a sigh. ¡°I think he might be,¡± she replied with an air of disappointment in her voice.

    ¡°Do you think the two of you need to talk about it?¡± The man asked, shuffling under the hospital blankets in his bed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been racking my brain all day with how to approach it with him. Even when I talk about it in my head, I don¡¯t see it going over well.¡± she replied,peeling off what sounded like a pair of latex gloves. ¡°The problem is, I''ve been thinking about it too. I mean what if something goes wrong? My parents divorced before I even turned seven. What if there¡¯s someone else out there that¡¯s better for me? There¡¯s no way to know if we¡¯re truly meant to be. There¡¯s no Road signs. . there¡¯s nothing. All there is is a feeling.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ve been talking to yourself?¡± Katie giggled and her patient chuckled. Katie¡¯s words simmered in Brent¡¯s head. The more they repeated the more they started to cut. ¡°So you¡¯ve been thinking about it too? Interesting. . Does that mean you¡¯d consider. . ¡°

    Katie responded with what sounded like a giggle. ¡°You Sir, haven¡¯t even been discharged yet. Talk to me when the Doctors figure out what¡¯s going on with your wound first.¡± Katie laughed, turning to walk out of the room.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t exactly a no. I will personally request you right after I talk to the doctor tomorrow.¡± Mr. Martinez shouted after her.

    ¡°Good Night Mr. Martinez. . ¡° Katie shouted, closing the door behind her. She was taken back at the sight of her fiance who had sunk down against the wall just outside the door. ¡°Brent? When did you get here? How much of that did you hear?¡±

    ¡°All of it.¡± Brent hadn¡¯t even made eye contact with her. His glare was cold and quiet.The light reflected a single tear stream that ran down his cheek. His arms hung over his folded knees. ¡°So you don¡¯t think i¡¯m the one?¡±

    ¡°Brent it¡¯s not like that. . . ¡° Katie was at a lost for words. The situation had caught her completely off guard. She surveyed the silent hallway and tried to buy herself sometime. ¡°Brent this isn¡¯t the place for this. Can we please just. . ¡°

    ¡°I came here to apologize.¡± he interrupted shifting his gaze from the teddy bear to the balloons.¡±I thought I¡¯d surprise you. . . Didn¡¯t expect a surprise like that. . ¡° He finally brought himself to his feet and grabbed the bear.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. . can we talk about this at. . ¡° before she could finish her question, her fiance stormed off. Dani made an attempt to stop him, but to no avail. His legs carried him faster than she could move. The sound of the Elevator rang and Brent wasted no time just hitting whatever floor keys his depressed  fingers could get. He glanced around the Elevator floor and found a small name tag on the floor next to him. The Elevator began to move and the doors had closed, leaving Brent in there by himself. His fingers held up the tip of the needle, staring at it. His eyes closed once more, just trying to get his mind around the whole thing. Her words cut deep. Without thinking about it, he jabbed the needle point into the teddy bear and carved a hole in the fabric of the stuffed animal. Tears rolled down his face as he stared silently at the Elevator walls.

 Chapter 10

    A few minutes had passed on the Elevator. Doctors, Nurses, and patients alike, came and left, paying no attention to Brent. Who stood quietly in the corner of the elevator not offering even the slightest of greetings to anyone. Brent¡¯s thoughts were too busy racing a hundred miles an hour to even look up at anyone. His heart was filled with nothing but questions. It was a dangerous mindset to be in, but Brent didn¡¯t have the energy to stop it.

    A familiar voice yanked him away from his thoughts.¡±You¡¯ve seen better days haven¡¯t you, darling?¡± She said, Her tone sounded nurturing to Brent. Though it only worked to calm him just long enough for her to pull him into her arms and hug him. Brent recognized the green coloring of her scrubs, through a few tears that had taken shape in his eyes. He lifted his head up to catch the source of comfort that held him in her embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t worry darling, it will all work itself out.¡± Came the voice of the ginger haired beauty. He recognized Nat¡¯s face as soon as his vision cleared.

    ¡°Nat?¡± Brent said, a half smile forming on his face. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He asked, his eyes dodging hers. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to make direct eye contact with her.

    ¡°I¡¯m everywhere nowadays.¡± she said, smiling at him. ¡°I¡¯m helping out a friend today. You should come meet him. If I remember right, he should have the free time in his schedule. I¡¯m sure he could help put you at ease about things.¡± she said, pushing one of the buttons on the elevator.

    ¡°How could he possibly do that for me?¡± Brent replied, his eyes gravitating to the floor. ¡°It¡¯d take an act of God to put my mind at ease.¡±

    ¡°Give him a chance, darling.¡± she said with a slight giggle. ¡°Let him work his magic. You¡¯d be surprised at the kind of miracles he can perform.¡± The ding of the elevator told Brent that they had stopped at Nat¡¯s floor. ¡°Come on, hon. Follow me,¡± Nat said, tugging on Brent¡¯s arm.

    Brent let out a soft sigh and shrugged. His feet dragged him out of the elevator. His half smile had faded away and turned into a look of confusion. A gold plate with the name ¡°Aeryn Love, Human affairs¡± engraved on it, sat on the upper part of the wooden door. The name struck a familiar cord in Brent¡¯s mind. He plunged his fingers into his pockets and began to scrounge around in search of something. He managed to find one of the business cards and brought it up to his eyes, reading the name over again.

    Before Brent could even form the question on his lips, Nat tugged on his arm and gestured him through the doorway. The song ¡°Time in a Bottle¡± played at a low volume through the speakers. The melody seemed to match the clocks that sat on each wall of the office. ¡°I¡¯ll go tell the Doctor you¡¯re here.¡± Nat said, fiddling with the keyboard behind the check-in desk. Brent nodded and plunged his hands into his pockets. Brent thought about it as he waited. Wondering exactly what it was that he had let Nat drag him into.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Brent Moore!¡± His voice sounded almost loud and ominous. Brent recognized the face of the man behind the voice as soon as he looked at him. ¡°Hey! I remember you from the mall. How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Chris? I¡¯m doing alright, thanks for asking.¡± Brent replied brushing past the  man in scarlet red scrubs. ¡°I thought you worked as a Carpenter. What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a man of many talents.¡± he replied, his voice both calm and warming. ¡°I go wherever I¡¯m needed most. I¡¯m sorry to hear about your fiance. Don''t sweat it though, it will work itself out.¡±

    ¡°Has everyone heard about that already?¡± Brent replied, watching the floor as they walked.¡±The gossip chain must be very alive in this hospital.¡±

    ¡°I hear about everything that goes on around me. The Doctor will be here in a minute.¡± Chris said, opening the door to a small room. ¡°Make yourself comfortable on the couch and try to relax.¡±

    Brent nodded and made himself comfortable on the couch. He cupped his hands together and let his mind wander. Katie¡¯s image had crept into his mind again and along with it, came the memory of their argument. Each second the scene replayed in his mind, seemed to push the knife in further. A tear formed at the corner of each of his eyes. He drew a deep breath and opened his eyes. He choked down the pain and attempted to compose himself.His hands cupped over his face and shot a glance at the door, the second he heard it click.

    ¡°Mr. Moore? I¡¯m Dr. Love, My associate tells me that you¡¯ve been having relationship problems.¡± Aeryn said, closing the door slowly behind him. ¡°Please, let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do to help.¡±

    Brent tried to choke back his feelings long enough to respond. ¡°Not unless you can fix my relationship before Saturday,¡± He said with a huff. Brent refused to make eye contact with the doctor focusing his sights solely on the wall of the office. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can think of that could fix this.¡±

    ¡°What if I told you there is something I could do?¡± The Doctor replied, brushing his long blonde hair from his eyes. ¡°All you have to do is follow the prescription.¡±

    ¡°What kind of prescription is that? Are you going to put me on some sort of addictive anti-depressant or something?¡± Brent asked, casting a sarcastic glance at Dr.Love.¡±What are you? Some sort of love Doctor?¡±

    ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but there¡¯s nothing addicting about it.¡± Aeryn replied, reaching into a pocket of his coat and taking out a bottle of capsuled pills. ¡°It¡¯s not an anit-depressant. Just take  one capsule anytime you think about a past bad memory and go to sleep. When you wake up the next morning, you¡¯ll have a second chance. There¡¯s no side effects or long term effects. All it takes is time. You won¡¯t lose any memories or previous knowledge. Just give it a try and call me in the morning. I believe you already have my card. If you need any additional information, just give me a call.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, okay. . ¡° Brent replied with a sarcastic smirk, snatching the pill bottle from Dr. Love¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you soon, I¡¯m sure.¡± Brent rose to his feet and stuffed the pill bottle in his pocket. He pushed the office door open and stormed off down the hallway, ¡°Thanks,¡± He shouted to Nat, not even pausing to wave to her as he made his way toward the Elevator.

 Chapter 11

    The night that followed that meeting seemed long and full of gloom.  The moment Brent stepped out of Dr. Love¡¯s office, reality set back in. When he walked through the door of his house, he didn¡¯t even bother to flip the light switch.  In Brent¡¯s mind, anything that he could step or slip on in the darkness would cause him nearly as much pain as the grief that plagued his mind. Brent couldn¡¯t help but wonder if meeting Nat was worth all the stress. Jeff had offered to buy him a drink at the club, but Brent refused. He just wanted to be left alone with his thoughts.

    Brent collapsed into the recliner and felt around the arms for the remote. When he found it, he just rested his hand on the power button. His mind filled with all manners of questions and fears. Was he really ready to be married to Katie? Were they really meant to be together? Memories played through his brain like a slideshow. He remembered the first day he met her. She was a new face at his work. He¡¯d just left his morning meeting at the thrift store after hearing whispers about a new girl that was starting work in his department that day. He caught a glimpse of her as she was opening up her locker. He didn¡¯t linger for more than a few seconds. She was having a hard time remembering her combination for her locker. He¡¯d shrugged it off. His mind kept telling him to talk to her, but it gave him nothing to say. Jeff spent that entire day trying to convince Brent to talk to her, but to no avail. The memory forged a smile across his face that lasted all of 2 seconds. His hand had slipped and knocked the remote off the arm of the chair. He leaned over, feeling around on the carpet for it. He curled his brow after hearing the rattling of the pill bottle that he forgot was in his pocket. He patted the cushion of his seat with his right hand as his left came to rest on the remote. He tapped each button lightly until he was sure that he¡¯d found the power button. He grasped the bottle in his hand, holding it up right as the light from the tv flickered on.

    The bottle gave off a brilliant sparkle in the light of the television. Brent found himself mesmerized by it. He rotated and spun the bottle between his fingers. He could hear the doctor¡¯s voice playing over and over in his mind. ¡°One capsule before he went to sleep and he¡¯d wake up with a second chance.¡±  All Brent had to do was think about the past before he went to sleep. The whole thing sounded crazy to him. What could a complete stranger do to help him fix his relationship? And how would they even be able to help?  Brent pressed his palm to the top of the lid and twisted it off.

    The faint sound of a tick emanated from the pill bottle, disrupting the sound of the tv. A confused expression washed over his face and he lifted the bottle closer to his ears. The sound grew louder and louder until it was all he could hear. The ticking  continued in his brain, leaving him frozen by curiosity. He quickly pushed the top back down on the lid the moment he heard the sound of keys jingling outside the door. The hour that he had before Katie got home had come and gone without him even realizing it.

    He shot a glance up at the door as the dread began to creep back into his mind.  He needed more time to think. He wasn¡¯t ready for the inevitable conversation that would come once Katie realized he was home. He stuffed the pills in his pocket and scrambled to his feet, darting off into the kitchen and opening the back door in a mad dash to get out. He stood there on the back porch contemplating what he should do. Brent didn¡¯t feel nearly ready to have this conversation, but he knew that he¡¯d have to face it eventually. He could see the light from the front room flicker on through a small corner in the back window.  He could make out the figure of his fianc¨¦ walking into the living room and his nerves set in. Brent could hear her call his name out. He panicked in a moment of indecision dashed across the dying grass of the terrace, planting his food in a small crack in the masonry and pulling himself up over the fence. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    He stumbled onto the green grass of his neighbor¡¯s yard, alerting what sounded like two dogs. ¡°From one problem to the next,¡± he muttered to himself as he dashed toward the chain link fence and lifted himself over it. The pain of a hard landing started to irritate his heels, but he pressed on anyway. He darted through their front yard and back into his, slamming into Katie¡¯s truck the thud left a pain in his nose, but he didn¡¯t have time to nurse it. He grabbed his keys from his pocket and hastily unlocked his car door, climbing in and starting the vehicle.

    Soon he¡¯d pulled into Jeff¡¯s apartment complex and turned off the ignition. To Brent¡¯s relief his friend wasn¡¯t even home yet, and Jeff had given him an extra key to use in case of emergencies. The house was empty, which meant Jeff wasn¡¯t home from the club yet. Brent took advantage of the opportunity and climbed onto the couch of the darkened room. He sat up taking the pills from his pocket and  opening the bottle again. He reached over and flicked the lamp light on, holding them up again and watching as the sparkle emanated from the bottle. All He had to do was think about the past after taking one and he would get a second chance. What did it all mean? His thoughts began to race once more, lost in reflection. He thought about Katie, then about the club that night. He could recall the thought that had popped into his mind. ¡°What if the right one is still out there?¡± He stared at the pills, almost mesmerized by their glimmer. The white walls and red shag carpet seemed just a blur to him.

    The lid popped open, without Brent even realizing where his fingers had landed. A capsule fell out and landed in his palm. The ticking sound filled the silence of the empty apartment. He thought about the feeling he¡¯d gotten the night before he messaged Katie after he¡¯d moved away and broke up with her. ¡°What if I''ve already met the one that I''m meant to be with for the rest of my life?¡± The words echoed through his mind as he swallowed a gulp. He felt something slide down his throat, but he was too lost to give it any heed. The ticking grew louder and louder in his brain. It was as if it was coming from inside his own brain. He sifted through memories of his exes until his thoughts fell to one. Brent toppled over on the couch, the only sound he could hear was the ticking. A glimmer started from the edges of his closing eyelids and shift to one side of his eyes, then the other. His torso, heavy and motionless, began to fade, slowly disappearing from the dimly lit apartment. The light from the lamp seemed to turn itself off. It was as if He was never even there. It was as if he had vanished from the timeline completely.

 Chapter 12

    Katie was having a hard day all around. She kicked her feet up on the desk of the nurse¡¯s station and fiddled with her phone in an attempt to distract her mind. Yet The second she settled on a game app on her phone, her focus shifted back to Brent. She¡¯d never seen him like that before. The look of dismay that he gave her, still painted fresh in her mind. She tried to hold the tears back, but no matter how hard she tried they still managed to sneak out. The conversation replayed over and over again in her head. ¡°I am so . . unbelievably sorry Nurse Katie¡± Mr. Martinez''s voice broke her train of thought. Katie drew a deep breath and forged a brief half smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Mr. Martinez.¡± Katie replied, holding her finger on the com button that went to his room. ¡°I just. . .I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°There has to be something I can do to help.¡± Katie rolled her eyes and glanced back down at her phone, swiping her finger. ¡°I can order you dinner!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think food will make my problems go away.¡± Katie replied, leaning over and talking back into the com. Plus it¡¯s getting late. Most of my favorite fast food joints are closing in like 5 minutes.¡±

    ¡°I digress.¡± He replied with an air of confidence in his voice. ¡°The right food can be very therapeutic. . ¡°

    ¡°Good night Mr. Mart¨ªnez!¡± she replied once more, shaking her head lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You need to get some rest So your wounds can heal.¡± Her own words echoed  through her brain as leaned back in her chair. She stared off into space wondering if maybe she should follow her own advice. The guilt Katie felt for even saying those things to Brent was immeasurable. Part of her didn¡¯t regret it though. The part of her that wondered if there really was someone else out there. It wasn¡¯t Mr. Mart¨ªnez for certain.  The more attempts he made, the more annoyed she got. Still she found herself wondering. She slipped the engagement ring from her finger and held it up in front of her eyes. Brent never told her how much it cost, but that didn¡¯t stop her from wondering. A light glimmered from the Diamond¡¯s surface. Katie couldn¡¯t help but admire the ring¡¯s beauty, but the more she thought about it , the more it ate at her.

    The sound of clipboards slamming against the wooden counter of the nurse¡¯s station startled Katie and caused her to drop the ring. "Shit!¡± she exclaimed, leaning over and feeling around her seat for the lost ring. She found the ring and sat back up, sliding it safely over her finger. ¡°You scared me.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Dani replied, shuffling through the pile of clipboards. ¡°I took care of Mr. Martinez for you. After what happened this afternoon, I¡¯m a little surprised you¡¯re still hanging onto it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied, reaching over and grabbing one of the clipboards. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to give this up yet. I¡¯m sure things will blow over.¡±

    ¡°You caught him flirting with another girl and saw him take her number.¡± Dani said, scooting the small stack of clipboards off to the side and leaning up against the desk. ¡°I know you love him, but most girls would consider that a red flag.¡±

    ¡°Danielle?¡± she retorted while looking from the computer screen. "I''m not like most girls. If anyone should know that it¡¯s you. You were there with me on the first date.¡±

    Dani responded with a long sigh, shaking her head and letting her gaze drop to the charts. ¡°You¡¯re right I was there and I remember how hard he tried to get there. He was pushy. He wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer and he tried for weeks to get you to go out with him.¡±

    ¡°And I adored that.¡± Katie replied, taking a deep breath, still fiddling with the keyboard. Katie didn¡¯t make eye contact with her best friend. Her eyes were on her patient reports. "Brent can be a little bit of a show off, but he¡¯s a really sweet guy.¡±

    ¡°Sweet doesn¡¯t pay the bills darling.¡± Danielle replied, pulling up the seat next to her best friend. "Brent barely makes enough to pay bills. What are you going to do when You¡¯re like a few hundred miles away from home and your car breaks down? Hmm?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it if it ever happens, when it happens.¡± Katie replied, clicking away at the mouse and turning to face her friend. "You know how much Brent would hate hearing you say that, don¡¯t you? Brent absolutely despises gold diggers.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just watching out for myself.¡± Danielle said, clicking the mouth and casting a gaze at Katie. ¡°It costs to look as good as I do.¡±

    Katie closed her eyes and buried her face in the palm of her hand. ¡°I know exactly what Brent would say to this conversation. He¡¯d say ¡°When did prospectors go from wearing over and beards to wearing makeup and short skirts.¡±¡± Katie replied, grabbing her purse from beneath her seat and scooting it over her shoulder. ¡°I need to get going now. I¡¯ll talk to you later. Rose should be here shortly to help out. I have a long conversation with my fianc¨¦ to go have now,¡± Katie said. She turned and walked off toward the elevator before Dani could even say anything in response.

    The Elevator door dinged and Katie walked into it. She pushed the button for the bottom floor and stepped back against the wall, waiting patiently for it to move. The hospital seemed especially quiet at this time of night. Katie¡¯s eyes scanned the empty elevator, coming to a stop on the balloon string and torn teddy bear on the floor in the corner. It was a wonder Maintenance hadn¡¯t thrown it away yet.  She bent down and picked up the bear, pinching her fingers around the balloon string. She could recall just briefly seeing the stuffed animal in her fianc¨¦''s hands. A rush of sorrow washed over her. She traced the thread where it had torn with her index finger. The stuffing was starting to poke out from beneath the torn seams.

    ¡°Cute Bear!¡± came a voice that pulled Katie away from her thoughts. ¡°Who gave it to you? Sorry I¡¯m  a little late. I got lost and accidentally wandered into pediatrics.¡± Rose said with a nervous smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay sweetheart. You¡¯re still new. I had the hardest time finding things when I first started.¡± Katie replied, grabbing the balloon and stuffing the bear into her purse just enough to keep it from falling out. ¡° You¡¯ll get used to it eventually. I need to get home and talk to the person that gave me this.¡± she said, gesturing toward the stuffed animal.

    Katie pulled into the driveway carefully and turned off the car. The closer she got the more she dreaded the talk that she knew was coming. She lingered in the front seat for a minute just letting her thoughts pile into her mind. She reached into the pocket of her scrubs and pulled out the bottle she had gotten from Dr. Love. The clear colored capsules gave off a faint rainbow colored light as soon as the moonlight hit them. The colors were mesmerizing. She shook her head and pushed the door of her car open. Stuffing the bottle back into her scrubs and walking back into the house.

    The house was dark and all she could see was the light of the tv. Brent¡¯s wrestling was on, but no one was in the chair. ¡°Brent?!¡± she shouted into the darkened room. Katie flicked on the light switch and scanned the room. Her eyes settled on the window of the back door where the moonlight hit what looked like a shadowy figure that quickly darted out of sight. ¡®Brent?!!¡± she shouted rushing over to the back door. She opened the back door and peered out of it only to catch nothing. Her pupils scanned the backyard but found nothing but the moonlit grass blowing in the wind. She closed the door and turned around as soon as she heard the sound of something hitting what could only be her car.  She dashed back to the front door with haste and opened it slowly. All she found was the sight of Brent''s car pulling out of the driveway. ¡°Brent!!! Where are you going?!¡± she shouted after him, but her breath was wasted.

    Katie slinked down at the edge of the bed, closing her eyes and trying to choke back the tears. Why was he in such a hurry to get out? Was he hiding something from her? Tears broke out and rolled down her cheeks. She felt like a mess. The wedding was only a few days away. She collapsed sideways on the bed, letting her tears stain the cotton bed sheets. The rattling of the pill bottle made her open her eyes. She grabbed the pill bottle and opened it slowly. A faint ticking sound emanated from the bottle. She unscrewed the top and let her thoughts drift. What if Dani was right? She hated herself for thinking that even for a second. No matter how hard she tried to chase the thought from her brain, she couldn¡¯t help but think about it. The ticking began to grow louder slowly rising over the silence of the house.

    Katie found herself sitting up at the edge of the bed. Thinking about it more and more, her memories playing through her mind. She could feel the capsule between her thumb and index finger. The ticking like the hands of a clock grew louder and louder. Her mind was lost in memories when she took a huge gulp feeling the capsule slide down her throat. She fell back over closing her eyes slowly as her head hit the pillow. A shimmer emanated from beneath her eyelids and shifted across her eyes. Moments later she was gone. Vanishing from sight.

 Chapter 13 -Brent Moore age 23

    Brent opened his eyes slowly, the faint sound of a voice touched his eyes drums but he couldn¡¯t make out the source of it. His vision was blurred and his head felt light. He brought his fingers to his forehead and began massaging his temples. He brushed his hair back with his fingers but found something different. His hair felt shorter. He shook his head and tried it once more to find the same result. He forced himself to sit up in his bed. He let out a deep breath, the blur of his vision started to reform. The scene in front of him slowly taking shape. The room he was in looked familiar, but it wasn¡¯t the room he remembered falling asleep in. His sight set on the bottle of capsules, grabbing them instantly and scanning them. The rainbow colored glow that the capsules gave off had dimmed a little, but it was still there. He pressed his hands against the mattress and curled his fingers into a fist. The texture felt different.  His memory returned to him a moment later. He didn¡¯t recall falling asleep in a bedroom of any sort last night. He could still remember the dimly lit living room of Jeff¡¯s apartment. He looked around the room once more. his favorite show was on, but something was different. The athletes on his wrestling show were younger.

    Suddenly it dawned on him where he was. This was the room he lived in when he was living with his brother. His thoughts began racing. He brought the bottle up in front of his eyes and shot up to his feet. His room was always a mess back then, piles of clothes scattered all over the floor.  Video game cases littering the floor. It made the scramble to find his light switch all the more perilous. He stepped on a pile of candy wrappers and papers and stumbled over, barely catching himself on the wall. He managed to turn on the light to see if he could get a better look at the bottle. The bottle gave off an even brighter glow as Brent spun it between his fingers. There had to be some kind of instruction or someway to get back to where he came from. ¡°Come on. . . there¡¯s gotta be something on here about going back. . .¡±

    The frustration washed over him like a tidal wave. Fingers curled around the bottle and his hands. He began jerking the bottle up and down. The room began to blur again almost as if it was starting to shift. The rainbow colored glow grew at a rapid pace as if it was spreading like fire. Burning away at his surroundings. The room had been replaced by another surrounding. He glanced down at the bottle and shook it more and more. Moments later his surroundings had changed again. He looked around in awe. Something strange was happening and he couldn¡¯t put his fingers on it. He recognized the series of clocks and grandfather clocks around the wall. It

    <b><i>Realm of Time</i></b>

    looked just like the ones he¡¯d seen in Dr. Love¡¯s office. He couldn¡¯t see the front desk though. Nat was nowhere to be found, neither were any of the others that he remembered meeting. He whipped around  to see if he could find the Elevator, but all he saw was a doorway. Brent began making careful steps toward the door. It seemed like the only place left to go. The closer he got the more he could see beyond the bright glowing light that emanated from the doorway. He tucked the bottle back into his pocket and continued. ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed Brent Moore. Come I¡¯ll explain everything to you.¡± Brent recognized the familiar voice and picked up the pace. The corridor seemed long and winding. The seemed to twist, though it straightened out the closer he got.

    ¡°Dr. Love? Is that you?¡± He asked with a hint of trepidation. ¡°Where am I? What is this place?¡± He asked as he finally reached the doorway.

    ¡°You¡¯re in the realm of time. Brent.¡± The Doctor said, casting a half smile at the mortal man that stepped through the doorway. ¡°Relax yourself. Nothing will happen to you as long as you keep that prescription with you. It acts as a sort of protective anchor.¡±

    ¡°An anchor?¡±  He asked as he drew closer to the doctor. His outfit seemed different than Brent could remember. The sleeves of what looked like a robe draped low hovering only a few inches off the ground. ¡°Like in water?¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Something like that.¡± He replied, his hands gently gesturing to the background. ¡°You see? Time is a lot like a river. It¡¯s flow is rapid and it moves with no end.¡± The doctor said, removing a small blade of grass from his sleeve. ¡°If you see Natura, don¡¯t tell her I did this.¡±

    ¡°Natura?¡± Brent asked with a confused look. ¡°Whose Natura?¡± Brent asked, still scanning the realm with his eyes. The floor he was standing on looked narrow and seemed to go on endlessly. He glanced back behind him at the doorway only to see what had to be the largest clock he¡¯d ever seen. The floor he stood on was gold colored.

    ¡°You know her? The Redhead that you met at the bar.¡± Dr. Love said to a very puzzled looking Brent. ¡°The one that showed you where to find me.¡±

    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s her. . ¡°Brent was dumbfounded and utterly baffled. ¡°I remember hearing in History class when I was in high school, that Natura was a name that was used to describe Mother Nature. Does that mean. . ¡°

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Aeryn replied, fiddling with the blades of grass between his fingers.¡±Nat is the name that she likes to go by with mortals such as yourself.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s sooo. . ¡° Brent scratched his head, glancing back at the doorway and shifting his gaze to Dr. Love. ¡°She¡¯s sooo. . young and beautiful.¡±

    Aeryn let out a chuckle. ¡°Nature is beautiful isn¡¯t it?¡± He said brushing the hair from his eyes. ¡°At least to you it is.¡±

    ¡°Well yeah.¡± Brent paused for a moment to recall Jeff¡¯s voice telling him about how he¡¯d only seen what sounded like a very plain looking girl. ¡°Ohhhhhhh so that means Jeff doesn¡¯t . .¡± Brent was taken back, shooting Dr. Love a Bewildered look.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Dr. Love said, nodding and holding up the blade of grass. The long blonde haired doctor bent over and set the grass on the ground. ¡°Watch.¡± As soon as the grass touched the ground the green hue began to fade. The tip turned to a beige color in a matter of seconds, breaking off and dissolving in the current. ¡°You see? Anything that isn¡¯t anchored in this realm is forced into the current of time. It accelerates in age and withers away, eventually becoming part of the current.

    Brent was awestruck. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn¡¯t push any words out. Brent stood in silence for a few minutes just trying to take it all in. ¡±So what does all this have to do with why I¡¯m back in the same place I was when I was 23?¡± He asked, finally finding the words to speak up. His gaze settled on Dr. Love.

    ¡°Look at yourself Mr. Moore.¡± Aeryn replied, holding up a large clock and angling it just enough for show Brent''s reflection. ¡°You aren¡¯t just back in the place you were at the age of 23. You are 23 again.¡±

    Brent stared at his reflection in the glass shell of the clock. His eyes widened, holding up his hands and wiggling his fingers. He ran his hand through his short hair, lost in the reflection, dumbstruck by the sight of himself in such a young form. ¡°But why? . . How?¡±

    ¡°An idea I had.¡± Dr. Love replied, holding up a bottle identical to the one that Brent had tucked away in his pocket. ¡°Each capsule in this bottle serves as a rewind of sorts. It takes you back in time to fix your mistakes. A second chance if you would. Tell me? What were you thinking about when you took that first capsule?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking about an ex-flame of mine.¡± He said, taking the bottle from his pocket and looking it over. ¡°I was thinking about Jodi Weaver.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡± Aeryn said with a nod. ¡°You were thinking about an ex you had when you were 23 years old and you swallowed the capsule. You see? This is what I meant when I told you I could give you a second chance. You have the chance to go back and fix your mistake. Jodi was someone you cared about. And now you have the chance to make it so that you never had to let her go.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡± Brent replied, looking up at Aeryn. ¡°But Jodi lived somewhere in California. Are you saying there could have been a chance that she and I could have been together?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that if two people really want to make something work, Nothing can stand in their way.¡± Dr. Love replied, taking out a small hourglass and emptying some of the sand onto the palm of his hand. ¡°Now think long and hard about this Mr. Moore. What could you have done to prevent her from leaving with that piece of her heart?¡±

    Brent curled a brow and paused at the sound of his words. He stood there baffled at the answer to give the doc. This was a question Brent had visited in his brain quite often. He never thought he¡¯d have to answer it. He revisited the whole story over and over again in his mind. ¡°Maybe if I had taken her back instead of Ash. . ¡° Before he could finish his thought, Aeryn pressed a finger to his lips to silence him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it out loud.¡± He said calmly, bringing the sand up to his lips. ¡°A good artist never reveals his masterpiece before presenting it to the world.¡± With the gentle air from between his lips, Aeryn sent the sand puff to Brent''s face. The sand glimmered and caused the man to vanish. Washing him away with the current of time.

 Chapter 14- Brent Moore Age 23 years old- Realm of Earth

    The sand reformed with Brent landing on his backside falling back against the closed door of his room. The impact made a loud thud and Brent stirred  back to consciousness as soon as his head hit the door. ¡°I hope this doesn¡¯t make a habit out of knocking me on my ass,¡± He said to himself rubbing the back of his head. He sat there staring off into space trying to gather his thoughts again. The moon cast it¡¯s light into the dimly lit room. The only other light coming in from the bathroom. The door opened behind Brent almost causing him to fall backward, before he caught himself.

    ¡°Brent?¡± came a familiar voice that Brent immediately recognized as his brother Dan. ¡°What are you doing on the floor? And what was that crashing sound?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been awhile since I sat on the floor.¡± Brent replied in a sarcastic tone. ¡°You know there¡¯s a small bump in the floor? It feels nice. It¡¯s the most action My ass has gotten in months.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sad.¡± Dan replied, watching his brother scurry to his feet. ¡±If that¡¯s what the loud thud was just keep it down to a dull bounce, would you? The Landlords should be coming home tonight. A pipe burst in their apartment downstairs and flooded it. I have to go to work, but I¡¯ve been down there the last few hours with the carpet cleaner trying to clean up all the water. The entire apartment is flooded.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll see what I can get done before they get here.¡±  Brent said before letting out a loud sigh. ¡°Have a good night at work.¡± He continued in a dull voice. Without a response Dan was off. Brent poked his head out the door watching him walk away. Brent could remember what happened at this age. It haunted him for several years. And it made him despite  his brother that much more. Brent hated the man that walked down that hall. Brent turned around and walked over to the desktop computer that sat in the corner of his room, next to his bed. He turned on the computer and made himself comfortable at the desk.

    He logged into the game as soon as he could, going straight to his messages to study them carefully. There had to be some indication of what he was looking for. And How long into the story he was. The screen slowed for a few seconds and the sound of a doorbell rang out from his speakers. It was an invitation to talk. Brent recognized the name right away. It was the same username that was used by a girl named Ashley. The story rushed to his brain in less than a second. He could hear Jodi¡¯s voice again asking him the question. ¡°Who is Snowangel?¡±  Brent didn¡¯t lie to her. He could remember the look on her face when he told her. Ashley was a friend that seemed like a good idea at the time. This was shortly after he¡¯d blown up at Jodi. Brent never expected to see her again after that, but fate brought them back together for one more night.

    Brent knew exactly what to do from here. He remained still for a half minute waiting for the invite to disappear. If he could avoid hooking up with Ashley, he wouldn¡¯t have to lie to Jodi. So he let the moment pass. A few minutes later another invitation came and he let it pass too. He didn¡¯t see Jodi that night at all, and quickly lost interest in the computer program. He got up and went downstairs attempting to teach himself how to use the carpet cleaner to soak up the water. It was a task that took him all night to complete and he could still feel the excess of moisture on the carpet as he walked around. He looked back at his work and shrugged before venturing up the stairs. In his mind he¡¯d done as much as he could.

    Brent pulled into the driveway of the home and turned off the ignition. He got out of the car, stuffing his keys into his pocket and making haste to the doorway. It was nighttime and Brent was scheduled for an overnight shift. With the residents of the home he watched over He knew he would have the time to get online. This was the night that Brent knew it would happen. He waited all day for it, checking his phone periodically with a hint of nervousness.

    ¡°Can you get on tonight?¡± read the message from his phone. Sure enough as Dr. Love Insinuated, it was from Jodi. He smiled and set the remote down, reaching into his laptop bag. His laptop was a jet black color and the screen folded over on top of the keyboard. Brent replied to the message with a ¡°Sure.¡± and lifted the screen on the computer up.  He wasted no time in booting up the computer. He waited patiently for the computer to start, ripping his eyes away every few moments to look down at his phone. The anticipation was leaving him nervous. He pulled the bottle out of his pocket and  looked it over once more.  This whole thing seemed so strange to him. Try as he might, He couldn¡¯t dig up any memories of Katie. Whatever this whole thing was, It had left him with the same feelings he had when he met Jodi. That included the heartbreak he¡¯d felt from Her telling him that she couldn¡¯t be with him.  Jodi replied to him with the words ¡°I¡¯m on here. Let¡¯s video chat.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    The House was quiet where he worked. Most of the time they didn¡¯t mind anyone getting on a computer as long as he tended to the needs of the Special needs patients in the home when he was called. Brent plugged a pair of headphones into the laptop while he worked to get his camera up. ¡°Hey,¡± He said as the picture started to clear up. Her lips moved on the other side of the screen but the low volume prevented him from hearing. He guided the bar on the computer up to raise the volume. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± He asked once more. His eyes seemingly glued to the computer in front of him. Jodi was beautiful. Her dark brown hair hung just barely above her shoulders. Her lips were a cherry red color and her complexion showed an ivory hue. Her black eyeshadow was just a tad darker than her hair. The hoodie she wore was a light gray color with a navy blue sleeve on each arm.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± There was a short awkward pause before she continued. ¡°How have you been?¡± She said, forging a smile on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been good.¡± Brent replied nervously. ¡±What about yourself?¡± His eyes moved away from the screen, but not for long. Brent was by all means captivated by her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the way everything played out.¡± she said with a deep breath. Her eyes hung in shame. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. I just needed to get, you know who to leave me alone.¡±

    The feelings of  anger and heartache rushed back to him. Brent¡¯s memory played everything that had happened from the beginning. ¡°What did you mean to do?¡± He asked begrudgingly.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re mad.¡± she said with her head hanging low. ¡°He was starting to get creepy. Almost like a stalker. I didn¡¯t mean to get you caught in the crossfire.¡±

    Brent closed his eyes and looked away from her. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to punish me for mistakes that someone else had made.¡± Brent¡¯s heart was heavy. He was torn between the anger he felt toward her and the feelings that he got from being around her.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of any other way.¡± She said. He could see her blue eyes staring into his through the screen. Jodi went quiet for a moment and Brent took advantage of the opportunity to choke back his frustration and try to calm himself. He took a deep breath closing his eyes if not for a second just to calm himself. Brent wanted to yell at her at the top of his lungs, but he refused to, knowing that it would only make things worse. ¡°I broke up with my boyfriend finally. ¡±She continued, breaking the momentary silence between them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± He said, forcing himself to take a deep breath and let the tension ease. Truth be told, He wasn¡¯t all that sorry. He knew right in that moment that he just wanted her. A thought pushed through his head that made him hopeful for the first time since the conversation started. ¡°I hope you find what you¡¯re looking for.¡± Brent continued, He knew in the back of his mind what was coming and where he could change things.

    ¡°What about you?¡± She asked, looking up at him after a long pause. Her eyes scanned the screen in a quick fashion, forcing a smile as she laid eyes on him. ¡°How¡¯s your love life going?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really have one.¡± He said, meeting her gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone.¡± His throat had gotten heavy almost as if his breathing was strained.

    ¡°Do you still want to be with me?¡± she muttered under the smile that formed across her face. ¡±Not like right away, but I never lied about having feelings for you.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t lied about having feelings for you either.¡± Brent replied, with a slight grin on his face. ¡±It doesn¡¯t have to be now. I¡¯d be more than happy to wait for you to be ready.¡± A sense of relief washed over Brent¡¯s mind. His heart felt at ease finally. He had done it. He¡¯d finally done it. His thoughts raced with every possibility. Where things would go from here. The rest of the night went over well. Jodi invited a few more friends into the chat room, but Brent didn¡¯t pay all that much attention to them. All he could focus on was her. He was on cloud nine as far as anyone could tell.

 Chapter 15 -Brent Moore age 23

    It had been a good ten months since Brent and Jodi had gotten together. The time seemed to fly for Brent. Everyday he spent with Jodi only seemed to make him like her more. ¡°Where¡¯s your ticket?¡± The bus driver said, turning his attention to Brent. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. The driver snatched it from his hand and looked it over. ¡°El Centro, eh?¡± He asked, handing the ticket back to Brent. ¡°What brings you all the way to El Centro?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to surprise my girlfriend.¡± Brent replied nervously, taking the ticket and stuffing it into his pocket. ¡°We¡¯ve been together for 10 months.¡±

    ¡°Ivins  to El Centro is a long way to go.¡± the driver replied with a smile and a gesture toward the undercarriage of the bus. ¡°It¡¯ll be 17 hours. I hope you brought something to keep yourself occupied. If you¡¯ll just go ahead and find a place for your suitcase we can get a move on.¡±

    Brent Nodded and picked up his suitcase. He found a place for it between two bags on the upper shelf of the undercarriage and quickly stepped onto the bus. There were plenty of seats, but very little room between them. He found a seat next to an older gentleman that seemed at the time to be half asleep.

    Brent sat quietly waiting for the bus to take off. His mind began to wander, imagining every possible scenario that could take place once he got there. He was nervous by all definitions of the word. In his mind he wanted everything to work out. As soon as the bus took off the man sitting next to him stirred. Brent attempted to make conversation with him, but quickly found the subject of politics and economics to sound like technobabble to him.  Brent wasn¡¯t the kind of person to just tell someone to stop talking about something, so he listened and nodded for most of the trip.

    Several hours passed and Brent watched as the bus slowly emptied. Passengers coming onboard and getting off. Brent took it all in fascination. Finding himself staring at all the different people that came and went. It was something he had never seen before. In that seventeen hours Brent saw people of all kinds of tastes and sexualities. Even with different opinions and perspectives. ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving in El Centro in just a few minutes. Please make sure to grab your luggage and Thank you for riding with us.¡± The voice of the Bus driver came over the loudspeaker.

    Brent rose from his seat and grabbed his carry on. Once he got off the bus he went straight for the undercarriage. He searched carefully, but to his dismay, he couldn¡¯t find his luggage. He went into the bus station and asked the lady at the front desk, but didn¡¯t get anywhere. Brent was baffled. How could they misplace his luggage? The trip was already off to a bad start and he had the worst feeling that this was only just an omen. He had no choice but to give up the search once he¡¯d left his contact information at the front desk. It was the afternoon in the middle of Summer and Brent stood outside waiting for Jodi¡¯s Dad to swing by. That¡¯s how he got this whole thing going in the first place.  He¡¯d found Jodi¡¯s dad on an online game that He and Jodi liked to play together.

    The sight of her dad¡¯s car brought a smile to his face. To Brent, at least something had gone right. ¡°So you¡¯re Brent, huh? Where are your bags?¡± He asked, offering his hand for a handshake. ¡°Call me Dane. I¡¯m just going to pick up Jodi¡¯s brother and then I¡¯ll drop you off and go grab Jodi.¡±

    ¡°I wish I knew. They think my luggage got misplaced at one of the stations.¡± Brent replied, shaking Dane¡¯s hand and rolling his eyes. ¡±Why do you have to drop me off first?¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Jodi told you about her mom, right?¡± Dane asked, climbing into the driver¡¯s seat of the car. ¡°Her mom doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re dating because of your religion.¡±

    ¡°Yeah she told me that her mom didn¡¯t have any good experiences with Mormons.¡± Brent said relaxing into the back seat of the car. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been waiting till late at night to talk to her.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± He said as they took off down the street. ¡°Jodi¡¯s mom really doesn¡¯t trust Mormons so we have to break it to her slowly before we introduce you. I¡¯ll drop you off at the store and pick Jodi up and take her to the store.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± Brent nodded, relaxing into the backseat and staring out the window. He and Dane talked on and off for most of the car ride. Despite losing his luggage, the trip seemed to be getting just a little bit better. Brent watched as the scenery changed from a small town to small town to what looked to be a red desert and back into a town that seemed like it had come out of nowhere. They pulled up in front of the building after an hour of being on the road. Brent was in awe at the sight of it. ¡°This is the store?¡± He asked with a confused expression. It looked to Brent like a small wooden shack. It was a dirt brown color, no bigger than a gas station.

    ¡°Yep!¡± Dane said, unlocking the door. ¡°Just wait right here while I go pick up Jodi and talk to her mom.¡± Brent nodded and opened the door. The evening sun beamed down on his face, causing him to squint and wrinkle his forehead. His curiosity got the best of him and he peered through the doorway of the small shop. Brent gazed off into the distance. He could see the gates that stood tall at the border to the far end of the state in the small town outside of El Centro. He could see the men in uniforms that perched themselves inside the towers that rose above the fences. Brent  glanced off in the direction that Dane had driven. He could see the car in the driveway of the house. Brent''s mind shifted into overdrive. What Dane told him would only be ten minutes was starting to feel like it was taking hours. He took a deep breath and crouched down over the sidewalk, his gaze focused on the car.  He made himself comfortable on the sidewalk trying to divert his mind. His head dropped into the palms of his hands, his eyes closing slowly.

    The sun seemed to have fallen into the evening and dusk was settling in. Brent glanced up at the empty parking space in front of the store right as the car pulled into a stop. He could only see a darkened silhouette in the evening sun. He recognized her long brown hair even through the dim light. He could see the lights of her eyes grow bigger after staring back at him for a few minutes. A smile formed across his face, slowly bringing himself to stand up. He walked over to the door of the back seat and opened it. Jodi scrambled from her seat and got up out of the car greeting Brent with an excited hug. Her arms squeezing his torso tightly. Her head falling into his chest. Brent closed his eyes tightly letting himself get lost in the moment. Finally after several months of talking over a computer, he could finally hold her in person.

    The rest of the trip didn¡¯t go nearly as well as Brent had hoped it would. ¡°That was awful! I hope you don¡¯t treat people in your own religion nearly as bad as you treated us.¡±  Came the words of Jodi¡¯s mother as He and Jodi sat in the back of the car on the way back to the bus station. Brent was disgusted by her tone. His mind raced with so many things that he wanted to say, but couldn¡¯t. Brent couldn¡¯t get any money out to pay his hosts back since the atm wouldn¡¯t take his debit card. His luggage didn¡¯t arrive for three days, which left Brent at the mercy of Jodi¡¯s Mom and Stepfather. It was a position that Brent beat himself up for the entire trip to the bus station. The car had sat in silence for the rest of the drive. Brent didn¡¯t want to open his mouth at the risk of giving Jodi¡¯s mother more reason to bury him. It was all he could think about for the whole trip home. He didn¡¯t even pay any attention to the border patrol when they pulled over the bus. He just sat there reflecting on everything. Even enjoying the feeling of being in his own clothing after having borrowed Jodi¡¯s Stepfather¡¯s. He Cared about Jodi, but the stress brought on by her parents made things even more difficult. It felt like they were waiting for him to screw up.

 Chapter 16- Brent Moore- 24 years old

    It had been a few months Since that trip. Brent had moved out of his brother¡¯s house after a huge argument with him. His Mom lived a few hours away in a small town in the Northern part of the state. Brent had moved in with her and tried to put the experience of that trip behind him. Brent and his mom pulled into the pick-up zone at the airport. Jodi and her Stepfather Randy were flying in from California and Brent had roped his mom into picking them up in her van. ¡°Are you sure about this? I haven¡¯t forgotten about the way you told me they treated you last time. If they say anything like that again, I don¡¯t think I''ll be able to bite my tongue.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Brent replied, leaning back in his seat. ¡±Her mom Jean was the worst one and she isn¡¯t even going to be here. Randy is a lot more tolerable than Jean.¡± Brent glanced down at his phone and then up at the entrance of the Airport. ¡±Jodi says Randy has pretty bad ADHD.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not an excuse and you know it, Brent,¡± She said, casting a look of disappointment toward him.. ¡°She needs to stand up to her parents. It¡¯s your relationship, not theirs.¡± Brent would have responded, but he knew his mother was right. Brent tore his gaze away once more to look at the time on his phone. ¡°Are they here yet? It¡¯s been like 30 minutes.¡±

    Brent had just about taken his eyes off the screen of the phone when his ringtone went off. ¡°Hello?¡± He said into the phone. There was a silence in the car between Brent and his mom. Jodi¡¯s voice came through on the other end. ¡°Randy Just found his suitcase?¡± He replied, a feeling of relief washing over him. ¡°See you in a few.¡± Brent said, hanging up the phone and stuffing it into his pocket. ¡°I¡¯m going to go look for them inside.¡± He said as he shifted his attention to his mom and opened the door. The warm sun beat down on his face as he made his way across the street. The airport was bustling with the sounds of engines running. The occasional honk of car horns hit his ears before entering the building.

    The inside of the airport was even louder than the outside. The sound of chattering bounced off the walls in all directions. Crowds of people shuffled past him. Brent searched through the crowds for at least twenty minutes before he finally spotted her. He greeted Jodi with a hug and a kiss before continuing back to the entrance. The trunk of his mom¡¯s car flew open and he hoisted their suitcases over his shoulder and piled them into the back of the car.

    The ride home felt long to him, but he enjoyed the conversation. It consisted of several stories and introductions. By all appearances everything was going nicely. Brent¡¯s mom and Randy were getting along just fine. There were even a few embarrassing stories that made Brent want to bury his face in his hands. Something that Brent only expected his mom to do. When they got home that night, Brent¡¯s mom had ordered a pizza and sat down to watch a movie for the night. Naturally Brent made himself comfortable next to his girlfriend. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Brent threw his arm up around Jodi and pulled her close. She shot him a glance back accompanied by a peck on his cheek. Randy and Brent¡¯s mom settled in on the other couch. Brent didn¡¯t pay much attention to the movie. His attention was on Jodi, Reveling in the feeling of having her in his arms. Brent shifted in his seat, trying to make himself comfortable. His arm moved from Jodi¡¯s shoulder and rested on his lap, intertwining his fingers with hers. ¡°Keep them where I can see them.¡± Randy¡¯s voice rose over the sound of the movie. Brent jumped a little glancing down at his and Jodi¡¯s hands. Brent¡¯s nerves took a hit at that moment. He rolled his eyes and lifted their hands that had sunken onto the couch. ¡°Thank you,¡± Randy said with a nod toward Jodi. Brent gave a half smile and turned his attention toward the movie. Brent¡¯s mom didn¡¯t say anything, though the look on her face suggested that she wanted to.

    A few minutes had passed before he heard the voice again. ¡°Jodi! come here. Let¡¯s have a meeting.¡± Randy and Jodi moved into the other room and Brent remained on the couch. Brent¡¯s mom could see the frustration on her son¡¯s face and rose up from the couch to follow them. Brent¡¯s thoughts took over with a force. Anger began to build and the more Brent thought about it the more he just wanted to leave. He was conflicted. Torn between his love for Jodi and his hatred for her stepfather. A voice  inside Brent¡¯s head pushed him out the door into the cold night air. He closed his eyes as his feet carried him along the sidewalk. He hated the situation with a passion. All Brent wanted was peace. He wanted to be in this relationship without having to worry being watched like a tiger waiting to pounce. Tears began to form at the corners of his eyes and stream down his face. Dripping along the cement as he came to the end of the street. Brent¡¯s leg muscles grew tense and he fell to a crouch, his hands curling over the back of his head as his gaze dropped to the ground.

    A few weeks passed and the memory of that night stuck with him.  He¡¯d begun to dread his conversations with Jodi. While he cared about her, He didn¡¯t care for the control that her parents had established over her. In one call he had finally done it. He broke off his relationship with Jodi and put an end to the control. The pain of the break up left his heart in shambles. At the same time the freedom of the drama was liberating. This was what he thought about as he sat in the bar that night. He set his glass down and let his thoughts gather. Brent poked his head up to glance around the room. The bar was full of patrons, but  each of them were occupied with other things.  No one seemed to be able to see anguish on his face. No one seemed to care.

    The door of the bar swung open behind him. He peered over his shoulder to get a glance at who had just walked through the door. His eyes became glued to her almost instantly. A beautiful Ginger haired woman with long baby curled  hair. Her frame was slender and the red lipstick on her lips only added to the beauty.  She flashed him a smile and he glanced down at the seat slightly suggesting that she have a seat next to him. He would never forget her green eyes. Her smile  was captivating. ¡°Hey,¡± he said, offering a handshake to the lady. ¡°I¡¯m Brent. Brent Moore, What¡¯s your name?¡± He said with a goofy smile.

    She shot him a half smile out of the corner of her eyes. ¡±My name is Katie.¡± she said, turning her attention toward him. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Brent.¡±

 Chapter 17 Katie Benson-Age 27

    Katie opened her eyes slowly only to be met with a sharp pain in the side of her skull. Her vision was blurred, but she could hear something. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± came the sound of a voice. She tried to search for the source, but the pain struck from both sides. ¡°Just relax, would ya?¡±  the voice continued. ¡°If you move, the pain will only get worse.¡± A thumb grazed the palm of her hand. The tips of her fingers pressed against his thumb and squeezed weakly and relaxed to his touch. ¡°Will she make it?¡± the voice continued. Katie kept her eyes closed. She recognized the voice the more it spoke.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, but she¡¯ll need surgery. The crash has caused some cranial damage.¡± came the voice of the EMT. ¡°We¡¯ll be at the ER momentarily, Mr. Nolan.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± he replied, shifting his gaze down to Katie. ¡±You¡¯re lucky to be alive. Your car on the other hand took some pretty bad damage. It looks like it took a pretty bad roll. The top of the car was caved in  pretty badly. I was barely able to find you in the wreckage. ¡±Katie tried to respond, but her mind was too focused on the pain to summon the words. ¡°My name is Daniel, Daniel Nolan, but you can call me Dan.¡±

    ¡°Katie. .¡±  She whispered in a soft, weakened tone. Her arm lifted ever so slightly offering a handshake. ¡°Thank you . . ¡° she said, taking a breath between words. ¡°Thank you for getting me. . out.¡±

    The Ambulance pulled into the drop off zone of the hospital. The doors swung open and Dan hopped out. Offering a shoulder to help the ginger haired beauty into the wheelchair. The nurse fastened the seatbelt and propped up Katie¡¯s legs on the foot rest. ¡°Before I forget, I managed to rescue this from the wreckage of your car.¡± Dan said, taking a bag from the pocket of his coat and setting it down on her lap.

    Katie recognized the faint sound of jingling from within the bag. A jingle that could only be from a bottle of pills. She plunged her fingers into the bag that felt an awful lot like the purse that she had when she was only 26 years old. She could make out the leather surface of the bag as she wiggled her fingers, searching for the bottle. ¡°Thanks. . ¡° she said with a smile. Her eyes were averted from Dan¡¯s. ¡°Could you . .?¡± She asked, gesturing toward the bottle. Dan smiled and nodded, reaching into her purse and grabbing the bottle.

    ¡°Are these your meds or something?¡± Dan asked, placing the bottle in her scarred and bloodied hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s one of my prescriptions.¡± She replied lifting the bottle a little trying to get a clear look at it. Her vision was still a little blurred, but she could make out the faint rainbow-like color. The faint sound of ticking echoed through her brain. The sound caused her to flinch, shaking the bottle a little as she dropped her arm back to the  wheelchair. She closed her eyes for a second as the pain throbbed. The scene around her had dissolved like sand blowing in a fierce gale of wind.

    <b>Realm of Time</b>

    ¡°Thank you for your help again, Chris.¡±Aeryn said, watching as the sand began to pile up along the marble strewn Path of the realm of time. ¡°Here she is now. I¡¯m afraid this chapter in her life isn¡¯t exactly ideal. If I understand this correctly, your presence in her life at this time will be crucial to her survival.¡± Dr, Love said with a reverent bow of his head.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Chris replied, smiling over at the doctor. The fabric of his robes shuffled drifting into the palm of the ginger haired beauty. Her fingers, having formed from the gliding sand, curled around Chris¡¯s robes. ¡°Did Kronos inform you that my assistance can only last for a short time? The healing will not be permanent. She¡¯s not meant to recover for a few more months.¡± Chris replied, smiling down at the mortal woman.

    Aeryn only replied with a nod, gesturing politely to Chris. ¡°That¡¯s all I need, Creator. I only need a little time to explain what¡¯s going on.¡± He continued, watching carefully as Katie¡¯s wounds began to shrink and disappear. Aeryn fell to one knee, shifting his gaze toward the girl. ¡°Please don¡¯t let go of the bottle. ¡°What you hold in your hand is time itself. An anchor that you mustn¡¯t let go if you wish to retain your mortal body.¡± Dr. Love said, cupping his hand over the bottle. ¡°The only things that can exist in this realm are things that are considered timeless. As long as you hold time in a bottle, You can remain timeless.¡± Aeryn offered a hand to Katie to help her up. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°The pain. . it¡¯s gone. . but how?¡± Katie asked, opening her eyes slowly and grabbing the doctor¡¯s hand. Using her recovered strength, she tugged on Chris¡¯s robes relying on Aeryn¡¯s assistance to pull herself up. Her fingers loosened the grip of his clothing, but as soon as they did, the pain came rushing back. Her legs weakened causing her to stumble forward. She  winced in pain, but Chris caught her with his hand. ¡±Thank you. . ¡° She said, shifting her gaze to the person that caught her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid, I didn¡¯t catch your name.¡±

    ¡°Chris Goes by many names.¡± Aeryn interjected before Chris could say anything. ¡±It all depends on what you choose to believe.¡± Christ shot an annoyed look toward Aeryn.¡±When Kronos started this trial, he told us not to help you feed your ego.¡±

    ¡°Is it my fault, that of all the people that believe they¡¯re God, I just happen to be right?¡± Chris replied with a smirk. ¡°Now let¡¯s just get through this before one of the sisters gets after me for impeding on their territory.¡±

    ¡°Yeah Kronos covered that rule.¡± Aeryn said, rolling his eyes. ¡±Chris goes by names like Bud, Chris, or Even Brahm for short. Just in some places.¡±

    ¡°Okay so what''s happening here? Where am I?¡±  Katie paused for a second and glanced down at her hands. She hadn¡¯t even noticed the scars from the accident had disappeared. Her scars and pain were gone in what seemed like an  instant.¡± And what happened to my injuries from the accident?¡±

    ¡°Well umm.¡± Aeryn shifted his gaze then leaned in and whispered to Katie¡¯s ear. ¡°Chris is sort of a miracle worker. As long as you  hold on to him, He can make your pain disappear.¡±

    ¡°I Heard that!¡± Chris Exclaimed. ¡°Did you forget the whole ¡°hear all and see all ¡°thing?¡± He continued, flashing the pair a smirk.

    Aeryn shook his head and continued talking to Katie. ¡°When you shook the pill bottle, you paused time. And when time pauses you travel to the realm of time. The space between realities. As you seem to have noticed, before you lef, You traveled back in time when you took one of the pills¡±

    That¡¯s when it all started to make sense. Katie¡¯s expression grew wide eyed. Her jaw dropped almost causing her to loosen her grip. ¡°This was after I rolled my car down that hill. This was before I met Brent. That Cop spent hours at the hospital in the waiting room. When they finally finished My Surgery I didn¡¯t let him in to see me.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Aeryn said with a delighted grin on his face. ¡°Then you know what to do. Be Wary though. The moment you go back all the pain and scars from your accident will return.¡±

    <b><i>Realm of Earth</i></b>

    Katie didn¡¯t wake up for a few more hours. The pain from the wounds was still apparent, but the medications helped it subside mostly. Katie could feel the weight of the banding over her leg which was propped up on a pillow under the sheets of the hospital bed. The light was dimmed and the glow from the monitors was the only thing that showed through the darkness. The handle turned, followed by the knocking from the nurse. ¡±You¡¯re finally up? Good!¡± She said, closing the door behind her. ¡°Just so you know, the surgery went well.  The Doctor will be in here soon to go over your prescription details with you. Meanwhile, there¡¯s a gentleman out in the lobby that¡¯s been asking about you. Should we go ahead and let him in?¡±

    Katie took a second to gather her thoughts. This was the moment where it had gone differently. She barely even remembered the man. Her brain was foggy back then, but this time she had the chance to change it. ¡°Yeah go ahead and let him in. He¡¯s a friend.,¡± Katie said with a sweet smile. The Nurse nodded and  washed her hands before leaving the room. Katie took a deep breath and let her head drop back against the pillow.  Her curiosity was piqued at this opportunity.

    Moments later The door opened and a man with short brown hair and broad shoulders stepped into the room.  Katie recognized him instantly as the Officer that had been sitting in the Ambulance with her. ¡±Officer Nolan reporting for duty Ms. Benson.¡±  He said, taking off his hat and holding it close to his chest.

    ¡°Does that line work on all the patients you rescue from a burning car?¡± Katie asked with a giggle. ¡±Are you here to arrest me for being in possession of these?¡± She asked jokingly as she held up the pill bottles.

    He dropped his head and shook it with a hard chuckle. ¡±Only if you decide to go for a drive.¡± Dan retained his composure and continued. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. I¡¯ll let it slide, just don¡¯t tell my sergeant.¡±.

 Chapter 18 Katie Benson- 29 Years old

    A few Years had passed since the Accident. Katie had healed and her relationship with Dan had taken off. Dan had used the money he earned from his promotion to Police Captain, to invest in land ownership. Dan had helped her out financially, eliminating the need for her to get a job at the Thrift Store. She turned the Dial on the stove and slid the pan off the burner. She slipped the oven mitts over her hands and tug on the door of the oven, embracing the wall of heat that came at her as she bent down to pull the homemade lasagna out. Katie set the lasagna on the counter and turned off the oven. Dan had opened the door to their two story home and set his stuff down.

    ¡°You¡¯re right on time, hon. I just pulled dinner out of the oven!¡± She shouted from the kitchen. Her arms wrapped around Dan¡¯s Torso, giving him a tight hug before letting him sit down. He smiled and reached out for the plate of food that she set down in front of him.

    ¡°Thanks hon.¡± He said, digging his fork into the food. He blew on it softly before stuffing it between his lips.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Katie said, taking a seat at the table next to him. She batted the meat with her fork before stabbing the food. ¡°So did anything interesting happen at work?¡±

    ¡°Just a few tickets here and there. And I caught some guy with possession of drug paraphernalia,¡± He said between bites of lasagna. ¡±Thanks for making Dinner.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Katie replied, finishing a bite of food. ¡±Oh cool! Did this one run?¡± She continued, taking a sip of water.

    ¡°They always seem to.¡± Dan retorted, twirling his food around with his fork. ¡±We caught up after chasing him for a few blocks,¡± Dan Continued.

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Katie replied, taking another bite of her lasagna. With that reply, the air grew quiet between the two. The only sounds that could be heard in the room were those of the silverware that tapped the plate with each bit of food. Silence would take over the room. Dan chewed his food quietly and pulled his phone up in front of him. His fingers brushed against the screen, sifting between apps on his phone. Katie took a bite of her food and glanced down at her wrist. Dan hadn¡¯t hesitated to buy his girlfriend plenty of jewelry. The Jeweled bracelet that hung from Katie¡¯s wrist was a clear sign of that. The same could be said for the glimmering  gold earrings that dangled from her ears.

    ¡°Thanks again, hon.¡± Dan said, breaking the long silence and getting up from the table. He rinsed off his plate in the sink and set it down in the dishwasher. ¡°I¡¯ve had a long night. I think I¡¯m going to turn in early.¡± Dan gave Katie a hug and took off up the stairs. Katie remained at the dinner table surveying the Jewelry around her wrist. The jewels were beautiful, but the conversation between the couple had grown stale. It was something that Katie had grown accustomed to since her car accident. It wasn¡¯t something that Katie had been particularly fond of. She could hear the distant sound of footsteps hitting the top floor of the house. ¡°Hey Katie?! Could you make sure to throw my uniform in with the laundry tonight?!¡± Dan shouted from the top of the stairs.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Yea! Sure!¡± Katie replied, taking another bite of her food. She got up from the table and cleared off her plate in the garbage. She rinsed off her plate and set it down carefully in the dishwasher. The Ginger haired beauty, set off upstairs to grab the laundry. To some extent, she felt like a house maid. Dan only spoke to her when he wanted her to do something. He humored her attempts at small talk, but stayed to himself most of the time. ¡°Is there anything else you need washed, before I start the load?¡± she asked, bending down to gather his police uniform from the hamper.

    ¡°And my lucky socks if you would.¡± Dan replied, pointing to the pair of dirty white socks on the floor of the bedroom. ¡°Thanks. Good night,¡± Dan said in a soft voice.

    ¡°Goodnight.¡± Katie replied, gathering up the socks and  stuffing them into the hamper. She hoisted the  hamper up and carried it down the hall, folding back the door that covered the washer and dryer. She piled the clothes in along the detergent and turned on the washer, shutting the door behind her. The house was Quiet and the time had come for her favorite show to be on.

    Katie made her way back down the stairs and turned on the tv. Her gaze fixated on the show, letting her mind wander off into the show. It was her favorite medical drama. Katie wasn¡¯t a stranger to getting into the shows she watched. ¡°Oh Come on! Why would you go and do that?¡± she shouted at the tv. Her eyes widened in response to the tv. She let out a loud whimper when the guy on the tv pulled out a gun.

    ¡°Could you keep it down for change?! I Have to get 6 hours!¡± Dan shouted at the top of his lungs from the bedroom. Katie could hear the sound of something hitting what sounded like a pillow.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± She shouted in reply from the couch. ¡±You know how I get into my shows!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± He replied, his voice giving off a stronger hint of agitation. ¡°Could you just do it more quietly?!¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡± She replied with frustration and annoyance. Katie readjusted her position on the couch, trying to let off just a little bit of steam. She tried to take her mind off her frustration by getting lost in her show. She tossed and turned, finding it difficult to get comfortable. She couldn¡¯t push the frustration out of her mind. She couldn¡¯t fight the feeling that she should be used to it by now, but she wasn¡¯t. This same thing happened almost every night and each time just felt as if it was picking at her patience bit by bit.

    Katie needed something much stronger than a good tv drama. She reached in her pocket and pulled out her phone. The timing was perfect for it. Dani would be getting off work right about now at the hospital. She started a text, but something in her brain just told her to call. Even though she knew in the back of her mind that Dan would be upset about it, She didn¡¯t care.  She was getting fed up with Dan¡¯s nagging. ¡°Dani?¡± She asked once the ringing stopped. ¡°Are you busy right now?¡±

    ¡°Oh Hey Kate!¡± Dani replied, using her shoulder to hold the phone to her ear. ¡±Not really, No. Why what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Oh nothing.¡± she said, lowering her tone a bit at the sound of footsteps taking off in the distance. ¡°I was just wondering if you wanted to meet me at the bar after you get off?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Dani replied. Katie could hear something shuffling on the other end of the receiver. ¡°Umm let me just finish dressing Mr. Marti. . .Ummm Let me finish what I¡¯m doing and go clock out.¡± She corrected herself.

    ¡°Perfect!¡± Katie exclaimed, hanging up the phone. The footsteps were getting closer. Katie shot a glance to the top of the stairs and scurried to collect her stuff. ¡°I¡¯m meeting a friend for drinks.¡±

    ¡°What the hell did I just. . ¡° Before Dan could finish his sentence, Katie was out the door. Dan grumbled to himself and turned back around. As far as he could see, This just meant he could finally get some sleep. The time between the car door slamming and the ignition starting wasn¡¯t very long at all. Dan Stomped back upstairs with his angry tail between his legs.

 Chapter 19 -Katie Benson- 29 years old

    Katie and Dani both pulled up to the bar at the same time. Neither of them hesitated to shut their car off. Dani climbed up on the driver¡¯s seat reaching back into the back seat of the car. The blonde was still in her scrubs from work and needed desperately to find something better. Two men came to a halt outside the car. The street light on the road in front of her car coupled with the light that hung off the wall of the bar made it easy to see through the windshield of Dani¡¯s car. Dani turned around just in time to catch peepers. Katie walked over to her friend¡¯s car just in time to spook them.  She glanced over at her friend, catching a glimpse of her thong poking out from beneath her scrubs. ¡°Yeah I hope you got a good look!¡± Dani shouted at the two, opening the door to her car. ¡°Because I know you can¡¯t afford this booty!¡±

    ¡°Pervs!¡± Katie shouted, opening her arms for her a hug from her best friend. ¡°Hey Beautiful! How was work?¡±

    ¡°So Long!¡± Dani replied, hugging her friend with one arm and using the other to pull up her scrub bottoms. ¡°Sorry for changing my tone, darling. My Patient was giving me a dirty look for saying his last name. I keep forgetting that I¡¯m not supposed to use last names.¡± She with a roll of her eyes. ¡°Soo give me all the details, girl. How is it being married to one of the richest guys in town?¡±

    ¡°Terrible!¡± Katie responded, rolling her eyes at her best friend. ¡°You know Money isn¡¯t everything, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh my God, did you start drinking before you came here?¡± Dani exclaimed, taking a step back.¡±I don¡¯t want to have to be the double D, Darling. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re going to stop me from getting in a few shots for myself.¡±

    ¡°Dani, sweetheart.¡± Katie said with a wide eyed expression. ¡°They have names for people like you and it certainly doesn¡¯t involve the word ¡°Goddess.¡±¡±

    ¡°Whatever!¡± the blond said, shaking her head. ¡°So what¡¯s wrong with him then Katie?¡± Dani asked with an annoyed sigh.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong is we have nothing in common.¡± Katie shouted and let her head drop. There was an air of defeat in her voice. ¡°All he does is work all the time. Then when he comes home tired and irritable.¡± The frustration was causing the redhead to get choked up in her speech. ¡°All he ever talks about is his job. . .¡± a tear trickled down Katie¡¯s cheek. ¡°I can only hear about tickets and drug busts for so long before it all starts to sound the same to me.¡± Katie attempted to swallow her discontent.

    ¡°That sounds exciting!¡± Dani said, offering a hug to her friend. ¡°If you don¡¯t want him, can I have him?¡±

    Oh my God Dani! You know what? Take him! He¡¯s all yours!¡± Katie screamed, pushing her friend away. ¡°I¡¯ll give you my house key and you can go right up into the bedroom. Just take off your scrubs and meet him in that little piece I just saw sticking out of your scrubs.¡± Katie¡¯s emotions were running high. Her thoughts were on overdrive and her heart was pounding out of her chest. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, staining the blood red blouse that covered her thin torso. ¡°That sort of thing doesn¡¯t appeal to me! It never has!¡± Dani looked at her friend in disbelief. She tried to muster up a response, but she couldn¡¯t come up with anything. She tore her gaze away from her friend, trying to shake off the verbal thrashing at the hands of her ginger haired friend. Danielle managed to swallow her pride for long enough to offer Katie a warm hug.

    ¡°Oh Darling,¡± she finally managed to say. ¡°There there, honey. It¡¯s okay.¡± Katie finally caved in and melted into her friend¡¯s embrace. Dani had a lot she wanted to say, but she kept the words in her head. Katie cried into her friend¡¯s chest. Dani could feel the tears dampening her scrubs and pressing against her chest. Dani turned around and grabbed the pink leather purse from the passenger seat of her car. ¡°Come on Sweetie. Let¡¯s redo your makeup and clean up your tears. Then you can go in and get a seat at the bar, while I find another place to park and change out of my scrubs.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Katie nodded, trying to swallow her tears. She opened the passenger¡¯s side door of Dani¡¯s car and slipped into the front seat. Dani¡¯s car was littered with all sorts of scrubs, makeup sponges, brushes, Shopping bags and fast food bags. Katie always thought Dani was a little messy for someone so pretty. Dani rummaged around in her purse for a moment before taking out her concealer and mascara. Katie took a deep breath and closed her eyes, waiting for her friend to begin.

 Chapter 20- Katie Benson and Brent Moore- 22 and 26 years old

    Brent offered Katie a hand to shake. She curled an eyebrow at the sight of it. Most of the guys she met didn¡¯t even attempt to be this cordial. At least none of the guys she had met before Dan. She took his hand with a half smile. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. She rolled her eyes and tore her gaze away. A feeling of doubt had washed over him like a tidal wave. He dropped his gaze for a few seconds searching for something to say. He glanced back up at her finding himself admiring the shade of her ginger colored hair. The way it hung down over her shoulder. Before he could bring himself to stop admiring her, she returned her glance and caught him. It was that moment when he lost his train of thought. Her mesmerizing emerald green eyes had caught hold of something deep inside him. Piercing his soul and leaving a mark that he couldn¡¯t forget.¡±What?¡± Katie asked, breaking the momentary silence.

    ¡°Uhh nothing. . ¡° Brent replied awkwardly. ¡°So . . umm, what brings you here tonight?¡± He asked in a feeble attempt to cloak his nervousness.

    ¡°Just a long night.¡± Katie answered, using her other hand to cover the smile that had painted across her face. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to stay home tonight.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Brent had managed to tear his eyes away from hers. ¡° Is something wrong at home?¡± He asked bashfully, cupping his hands together on the bar and twiddling his thumbs.

    ¡°You could say that.¡± Katie replied, her eyes scanning the scenery of the bar without even paying attention to her surroundings. The conversation had gone stale in a matter of seconds. She shot a glance back at the door to see if Dani was done changing yet. A feeling of awkwardness was slowly slipping in between the two.

    ¡°Katie?¡± Brent asked, making one last attempt to get her attention. ¡°Um. . can I buy you a drink?¡± He asked shyly. Brent was out of ideas. As hard as he tried to think of something to talk about he couldn¡¯t come up with anything. It was one of his least favorite things about himself. He couldn¡¯t put a stop to the overwhelming shyness that rushed toward him in situations like this.

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m not drinking tonight.¡± Katie replied , fixing her gaze on the doorway of the bar. ¡°I¡¯m just people watching. I¡¯m waiting for a friend.¡± Her eyes lit up when the door finally opened and her blond friend walked in wearing a holographic blue dress. Brent looked up at the doorway himself, spotting the dark haired man holding the door behind her. ¡°Oh no, not another one.¡± Katie said, setting a foot down in front of the bar stool. ¡°I swear, I should start bringing a stick with me whenever I come here with her.¡±

    ¡°Oh Jeff has a thing for blonds.¡± Brent exclaimed, raising his voice a little. ¡°Unless she has Daddy issues, he¡¯s absolutely harmless.¡±

    Katie let out a giggle and turned her gaze back to Brent. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have daddy issues, but unless he¡¯s hiding a diamond encrusted gold bar in pants, He won¡¯t get anywhere with her.¡±

    Brent laughed and watched the scene a little more closely. ¡°Oh she¡¯s one of those types.¡± Brent replied. Katie had eased herself back on the barstool. ¡°They seem to be hitting off. . .It must be the dress. Jeff always has had a fondness for shiny things. The more he can see his reflection in it, the harder he¡¯ll give chase.¡±

    Katie was laughing at this point. She took a deep breath saying ¡°I wonder how he got past the metal detector.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been asking that question ever since I first met him.¡± Brent said with a chuckle focusing his gaze on the pair as Jeff handed Dani a drink. ¡°I try not to imagine the caliber of BS that floats around in his head.¡±

    ¡°Should we stop them?¡± Katie asked with a huff. ¡°Though she did try to convince me to let her have my boyfriend.¡±

    Katie¡¯s words cut into him, but Brent tried to brush it off. ¡°Your boyfriend? Is he loaded or something?¡± Brent was trying to keep the conversation going, despite the news that was eating at him. ¡°Sounds to me like she might deserve it. Jeff has never been one to pursue relationships.¡±

    ¡°I think I just might let her.¡± She said, getting comfortable in the chair. ¡°I love my friend, but all she¡¯s missing is a cowboy hat and Overalls to fit in with the other gold diggers.¡± Katie and Brent continued to talk and laugh, watching Danielle and Jeff out of the corner of her eyes. ¡°Holy shit, she¡¯s playing with her bangs. I know that look on her face. What did Jeff tell her?¡± Katie was in awe at that sight of it. ¡°Jeff is getting a piece of that tonight. ¡±Katie said with a dumbfounded expression on her face.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Look at you Bouncing back.¡± came the voice that took Katie by surprise. ¡°Look at you two getting all cozy over here. Seems like my work is done.¡± Dani said playfully, nudging Katie on the shoulder. ¡°You two look adorable together.¡± She said once more. Jeff leaned into Dani¡¯s ear and whispered into it, too quietly for her friend to hear. Dani responded by waving him off and leaning over to whisper to her friend¡¯s ear. ¡°He owns a business on the other side of town that sells rare weapons for collectors. He said he makes like thousands of Dollars a day. He even showed me a knife that he¡¯s getting ready to ship to Australia. He told me he found it while exploring in Africa. Oh my god! I could listen to these stories forever. This totally blows your police lover out of the water.¡± Dani said, pulling away and walking over toward a small corner of the bar where Jeff had just sat down.

    ¡°Jackpot!¡± Katie said, struggling to keep a straight face. She shot Brent a look of disbelief. Her lips quivered as she tried to hold back the laughter. ¡°Does he really own a store that sells rare weapons on the other side of town?¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± Brent said with a snort, burying his head on the bar counter and laughing hysterically. ¡°He. . . He bought that at the Thrift store we both work at. . ¡° Brent continued between breaths. ¡°Just this afternoon. .¡± Brent would finally catch his breath, using his sleeves to wipe a small tear from his eyes. ¡°Jeff spent the rest of our shift on the receiving docks throwing ideas around about how he could use it to pick up a date for tonight.¡± Katie and Brent had both burst out laughing in the middle of the bar. ¡±I¡¯m so sorry your friend fell for it.¡±

    Katie had managed to suppress her amusement to quieter giggles. ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± she replied with a deep breath. ¡°We¡¯ve been best friends since Elementary school. I¡¯ve never approved of the way she treats men. He¡¯s not the only one to get roped in by her. You should have seen her in the parking lot when I pulled in.¡± Katie was turned around this time, fully focused on Brent. It had proven to be a wise decision to stick around. For the first time in months Katie was starting to enjoy herself. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I told you that I was watching people.¡± Something went off in her mind as she processed Brent¡¯s words. ¡°So you say you work at a thrift store here in town?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡± Brent responded, his curiosity peaked. ¡°It¡¯s just right in the middle of town. If you¡¯ve lived in this town for long enough, you might have heard of it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve lived here on and off.¡± She said as a smile forged across her cheeks. ¡°Before my car accident I had an interview to go work there.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Brent replied with a wide eyed expression. ¡°I started working there a few months ago. There¡¯s a good chance we might have met sooner.¡± A few hours passed with Katie and Brent simply enjoying each other¡¯s company. Last call passed and the bar closed down around the two. Brent would accompany Katie to her car, hands stuffed halfway into his pockets. ¡°Ok this guy looks a little older than her. . So I¡¯m going to say. . . ¡° He paused for only a second to piece together the answer to her question. ¡°She¡¯s going to get really drunk at this very bar and start making out with the guy¡¯s younger sister. That¡¯s how that relationship is going to end. Okay it¡¯s your turn.¡±

    Katie burst into a fit of laughter, reaching into her purse and fiddling with her keys. ¡°I¡¯ll have to go another time.¡± Katie said, playing with her key before jamming it into the lock on her car. The parking was completely empty and the street lights were shutting off. ¡°Thank you for keeping me company tonight.¡± Katie had completely forgotten about Dan. her frustration was gone and her problems seemed to have escaped her mind the entire night. For those few hours in time, Katie was the happiest she had been in a very long time. She thought for a few seconds and snatched the phone that was sticking out of Brent¡¯s pocket.

    Hey! That¡¯s mine.¡± Brent said with a chuckle, making no attempt to take it back. ¡±What do you think you¡¯re doing with that?¡±

    ¡°Making sure there¡¯s a next time.¡± She giggled as she shuffled through the Contacts on his phone, Writing her name and number and handing it back to him. ¡±You better save that or I¡¯m going to come find you. I have connections.¡± She said with a giggle. ¡°I can track you down.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡± He said, chuckling to himself. ¡°Message received. . and contact saved.¡± Brent had completely forgotten about the mention of her boyfriend up until now. He¡¯d even forgotten about Jodi. His mind revisited every minute of that night like a movie. Each memory brought a smile to his face. He was lost in his thoughts and completely unaware of the goofy grin that had formed on his face as he stared at the Ginger haired beauty. ¡°So I¡¯ll message you some time.¡± He said, reaching into his pockets and grabbing his own car keys. Neither of them had anything to drink that night. They just stood there for a second enjoying each other¡¯s company. Katie answered with a nod and opened the driver¡¯s side door.

 Chapter 21 -Katie Benson and Brent Moore-26 and 30 years old

    A few months had passed since that night. Katie and Brent had grown closer and Dan had never felt further away from her thoughts. Brent had a way of making Katie think. He challenged her creativity and her wit. He¡¯d managed to make her laugh at everyday life. Katie had grown more and more comfortable with Brent as each day came to pass. She¡¯d begun to dread going home to Dan. The money and financial stability was great, but she could only receive so many clothes and earrings before they lost the value that they were meant to have. Dan didn¡¯t mind paying for the concerts and fancy foods, but the conversations and discussions began to seem tedious. Dan¡¯s sense of humor was different from hers.

    It was evening in the small town of Ivins. The sun sat barely towering over the vast expansive fertile hills of this growing town. In a small mid sized red sedan, sat the two friends. Positioned in a parking lot  surrounded by fields of wheat and Barley. The two laughed as different people walked by. Passing the car in which they sat on their way into the grocery store. The pair sat with small bowls of ice cream that they had purchased from the store itself. The ginger haired Katie dug her green plastic spoon into her Pistachio flavored ice cream, swallowing her laughter before pushing a scoop of ice cream between her ruby red lips. ¡°Okay. . okay. That guy right there in the rainbow colored robes. What¡¯s his story?¡± She asked, gesturing toward a pale skinned man in what looked like the robes of a shaman walking into the store.

    ¡°Ohhhh that¡¯s an easy one.¡± Brent replied, fiddling with a layer of strawberry ice cream in his bowl. ¡°That guy thinks he¡¯s a. . Medicine man. He¡¯s going in there to purchase purified water to bless, so he can feed it to cart pushers in the parking lot. . tomorrow afternoon.¡± Brent continued snapping his fingers.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad.¡± Katie said with a chuckle. ¡°I think he¡¯s coming off a divorcee, okay? His wife took all his clothes and burned them So he hurried and grabbed the carpet before leaving the house for good. He¡¯s going in there to purchase floor cleaner. . because the carpet he¡¯s wearing is starting to smell bad.¡± Katie chuckled a bit, stuffing another bite into her mouth.

    ¡°That was pretty funny.¡± Brent said, with a loud chuckle. A woman walked in front of the car and bent down to pick something up. Her hair was a hazel color with one side shaved off of her scalp and the rest of her hair dyed purple at the tips. ¡°Now what¡¯s her story?¡± Brent said, stuffing his mouth with another bite of ice cream.

    Katie paused for a second and pondered it. ¡°Okay I got it. She just broke up with her girlfriend. She was going to turn her hair purple in light of the break up, but. . she couldn¡¯t stand the smell of the hair dye and just gave up on it.¡±

    ¡°I can see it.¡± Brent replied, laughing and raising a brow. ¡°I think her girlfriend tried to shave off her hair while they were fighting. She started dying her break up hair then realized half her head was cold and came here to get hair regrowth shampoo and conditioner to make up for the fact that her head now looks like a two faced coin.¡±

    Katie burst out laughing. Her half eaten ice cream bowl tipping over at an angle that came rest on the middle console of Brent¡¯s car. The subtle sound of a car engine in the background, caused her to look up at the rearview mirror. The smile ran away from her face as she studied the car that had just pulled in behind them. ¡°Oh shit! That¡¯s him.¡± She said as her expression turned to worry. ¡°We have to get out of here, now!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Brent asked, shoving his hands into his pockets to find his keys. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Whose him?¡±

    ¡°Officer Kerns!¡± She exclaimed as tiny beads of sweat began to form at the top of her hair line. ¡°He¡¯s Dan¡¯s Right hand man.¡± she continued, watching eagerly, waiting for Brent to turn on the car. She pondered the situation in her head. ¡°Look! So Dan has been getting a little paranoid at home. We¡¯ve been fighting a lot more and he¡¯s been showing a lot of jealousy. He tried to pass off a joke to me the other night about telling his Squad to keep an eye on me. He¡¯s been making these accusations that I¡¯ve been cheating on him.¡± She continued, watching as the officer took his radio from his mouth.

    ¡°Seriously?!¡± Brent asked, stunned at the news Katie was telling him. Before he asked anything else, he heard tapping on the driver¡¯s side window of his car. He rolled the window down and looked over at the short flat top haired police officer that stood outside his  door. ¡±Is there a problem officer?¡± He asked nervously.

    ¡°No Problem.¡± Officer Kerns replied, scanning the inside of Brent¡¯s car. His focus fixed on the redhead in the passenger¡¯s seat of the car. ¡°Katie? Captain Dan said, you¡¯re usually supposed to be home at this time. He said he¡¯s looking forward to dinner tonight. This doesn¡¯t look like your house though. Who might this be?¡± the cop asked, pointing at Brent. ¡°Is this one of your friends?¡± Katie remained quiet, refusing to answer the officer. Brent¡¯s gaze shifted to the Ginger haired beauty. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m going to have to ask you to step out of the car.¡± Kerns said, pulling the latch of the car door.

    ¡°What am I being charged with?¡± Brent asked, slowly getting to his feet outside the car. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°Silence, Sir!¡± Officer Kerns replied, patting the short haired blond down. Katie quietly slipped out of the car, her mind was racing. Trying to hatch an idea to get out of this situation. ¡°Katie, Please do not get out of the car!¡± The officer shouted, as Katie shut the passenger side door. Katie shuffled around in her purse watching the scene unfold carefully. ¡°Sir You are under arrest for kidnapping a young lady.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not kidnapping anyone!¡± Brent shouted, the Officer starting to fasten the cuffs around his wrist. ¡°She came voluntarily. We were just eating Ice Cream!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m seeing.¡± Kerns retorted, turning Brent around and scrambling for his other hand. Katie grabbed the officer¡¯s hand and held up a bottle of mace. She quickly sprayed Kerns in the eyes and grabbed the slender blonde''s hand. ¡°Assault!¡± the Officer shouted, rubbing his eyes desperately trying to get rid of the stinging Spray.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Come on!¡± She said, tugging on Brent¡¯s hand and running off into the fields of wheat and Barley. The pair sprinted through the fields with the sounds of several Sirens roaring at their backs. The sun was starting to set, sucking the light from the evening sky.  They¡¯re legs grew sore the more they ran. Dusk was coming and they needed a break.

    Brent panted and heaved, his eyes setting on a small barn in the middle of the field. Brent tugged on Katie¡¯s hand, directing her attention to the barn.  Brent stumbled over into a small puddle of water and mud that sat in the middle of the bar.  Katie offered a hand to help him out. The pair ducked behind a very large stack of hay that towered over the cow pen. They panted and heaved. Katie let out a quiet giggle, taking a napkin from the pocket of her purse and pressing it to Brent¡¯s forehead. He chuckled a bit as she wiped the mud from his face. The evening sun was setting in. They could see it through the cracks between the wood. ¡°Do you rescue all your friends from police officers?¡± He said, with a chuckle slowly catching his breath.

    ¡°Nope.¡± She said with a giggle. ¡±Only the cool ones.¡± She said laughing quietly at her own joke.

    Something caught Brent¡¯s eye. His gaze became fixed on Katie. The light shown through the wood cracks surrounded her. ¡°I . . ummm. . .¡± He struggled for words. ¡°I can¡¯t hear the footsteps anymore. .¡± He said, finally managing to squeeze something out.

    ¡°Good.¡± Katie replied, she couldn¡¯t keep eye contact. Her cheeks were growing flustered. She grabbed the blonde¡¯s hand and tugged on it once more, this time leading him out of the barn. She tugged his arm pulling him over to the front side of the barn. The Evening Sun¡¯s rays engulfed the ginger haired beauty. Katie continued pulling on his arm, her eyes squinting and locking onto his. She took step after step. Brent¡¯s was mesmerized by the beauty of the red head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, her cheeks were growing crimson red almost matching the hue of her ruby red lips.

    ¡°N-nothing. .¡± Brent stumbled over taking Katie down to the ground with him. He stifled a laugh and crawled over on top of her offering her a hand. ¡°I just ummm. . I¡¯ve never seen anyone like you before.¡± His heart rate skyrocketed. His gaze was locked on her with nothing to distract him. There was nothing to distract her either. As if some force was pulling the two together, They leaned in, pressing their lips together. The palm of his hand pressed firmly into the ground, one hand found its way to her cheeks. His thumb, lightly caressing her cheek. Katie was the slightest bit surprised by the kiss, but the sensation that shot through her body the moment they kissed was numbing. Her mind told her to stop, but for the first time, the rest of her didn¡¯t react.

    Off in the distance, most of Dan¡¯s Squad had given up the search. Their commanding officer seemed like a completely different person. His heart was battered by anger and betrayal. His girlfriend that he had taken in and nursed back to health had been found in the company of a total stranger. ¡±Katie!¡± He screamed out into the vast expansive field.  ¡°Katie Come home! I don¡¯t know who he is but we can work this out!¡± He shouted, pushing through the crops. Having to rely only on the light cascaded over the field. Finally after searching for an hour he spotted a large white wooden house in the middle of the field. The lights in the house were off and he could see no signs of any vehicles that would tell if anyone was home.

    Brent finally broke the kiss, pulling away from Katie¡¯s lips slowly. A chill shot down his spine as he opened his eyes slowly. His eyes met hers, but he struggled for the words to say. He had just kissed this beautiful redhead, knowing full well that she was spoken for. ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over me. . I¡¯m so sorry.¡± His nerves kicked in at full force and his mind set into panic mode. ¡°You¡¯re with your boyfriend. . who. . is probably still out there looking for us. I¡¯m here just getting lost in the. . ¡°

    ¡°Magic of the moment. . ¡° Katie interrupted, her eyes opening slowly and widening. She was bewildered by the whole thing. Her eyes were locked in his. His gaze only left to survey the moonlight that poked out from behind his soft blond hair. ¡°It was really magical. . ¡° she replied shyly. She shot Brent a nervous grin, finding it difficult to catch her breath. The words she was thinking spilled out on their own and the words she knew she should have said stayed in her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t want it to stop.¡± she said under her breath, leaning up and pulling him gently back into the kiss.

    ¡°Really Katie?!¡± A voice shouted from behind them. ¡°I took you in. I bought you all kinds of Jewelry and diamonds! We could have worked this out!¡± Dan shouted at the top of his lungs. His knees gave in and pushed him down to a kneel. Tears began to stream down his face. His arms dropped to his side. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just tell me . . ?¡± He trailed off. Katie and Brent had.

    ¡°Dan?!¡± Katie shouted, going from content to concerned in just a matter of seconds. ¡±I didn¡¯t mean to! It''s just. . ¡° She was cut off.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to what?!¡± He shouted in a fit of rage. ¡°To go behind my back with this Guy?! You didn¡¯t mean to throw away our relationship?!¡± He shouted, pounding his palm against the ground. He removed his gun from the holster and slammed it on the ground. He glanced down at his gun. His thoughts were drifting somewhere dark. ¡°I gave you everything! I took you in! I made it so you wouldn¡¯t have to work another day in your life and this. . This is how you repay me. I gave you my Life!¡± He shouted, slamming the gun down once more. He Stared at the gun for a moment, grazing it with his fingers. His Squad was gone for the night, having abandoned their captain. ¡°You know what?! A life for a Life!¡± Dan shouted, picking up his gun and impulsively pulling the trigger.

    ¡°Katie!¡± Brent shouted, pulling the ginger haired woman into a protective hug and flipping them around. The bullet pierced his back, sending a sharp pain into his side and causing him to double over. He screamed in pain as Katie adjusted her position to support his head.

    Katie Scrambled around searching for something to cover the wound. ¡°Are you happy now?!¡± she shouted at Dan, patting Brent¡¯s body desperately in search of something to help. ¡±I¡¯ll send Dani to get my stuff! Get Out of here! You¡¯ve done enough!¡±

    ¡°No no no NO!! I didn¡¯t mean to. .¡± Dan Cried out falling backward and turning to crawl away. ¡°Please Don¡¯t. . .¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re Done Now, Dan!¡± She shouted in a panic nervously patting Brent¡¯s pant legs. That¡¯s when she hit something. She plunged her hands into Brent¡¯s pocket and pulled out the bottle.

    ¡°I Can¡¯t! No! Please?!¡± Dan got to his feet and grabbed his gun. ¡±It can¡¯t end like this. . Noo. . ¡° Dan cried out in tears.

    ¡°Too late!¡± she cried as the idea struck her. ¡°Come on, stay with me.¡± She whispered to Brent. She shoved the bottle into Brent¡¯s palms and curled his fingers over it. She shook both of their hands at the same time, right as another shot echoed from Dan¡¯s Gun. Time froze around them and Katie looked up just in time to see a bullet from Dan¡¯s gun frozen in place. The bullet was barely above her nose. Katie knew she couldn¡¯t get Brent off this field in time.

 Chapter 21 -Katie Benson and Brent Moore-26 and 30 years old

    A few months had passed since that night. Katie and Brent had grown closer and Dan had never felt further away from her thoughts. Brent had a way of making Katie think. He challenged her creativity and her wit. He¡¯d managed to make her laugh at everyday life. Katie had grown more and more comfortable with Brent as each day came to pass. She¡¯d begun to dread going home to Dan. The money and financial stability was great, but she could only receive so many clothes and earrings before they lost the value that they were meant to have. Dan didn¡¯t mind paying for the concerts and fancy foods, but the conversations and discussions began to seem tedious. Dan¡¯s sense of humor was different from hers.

    It was evening in the small town of Ivins. The sun sat barely towering over the vast expansive fertile hills of this growing town. In a small mid sized red sedan, sat the two friends. Positioned in a parking lot  surrounded by fields of wheat and Barley. The two laughed as different people walked by. Passing the car in which they sat on their way into the grocery store. The pair sat with small bowls of ice cream that they had purchased from the store itself. The ginger haired Katie dug her green plastic spoon into her Pistachio flavored ice cream, swallowing her laughter before pushing a scoop of ice cream between her ruby red lips. ¡°Okay. . okay. That guy right there in the rainbow colored robes. What¡¯s his story?¡± She asked, gesturing toward a pale skinned man in what looked like the robes of a shaman walking into the store.

    ¡°Ohhhh that¡¯s an easy one.¡± Brent replied, fiddling with a layer of strawberry ice cream in his bowl. ¡°That guy thinks he¡¯s a. . Medicine man. He¡¯s going in there to purchase purified water to bless, so he can feed it to cart pushers in the parking lot. . tomorrow afternoon.¡± Brent continued snapping his fingers.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad.¡± Katie said with a chuckle. ¡°I think he¡¯s coming off a divorcee, okay? His wife took all his clothes and burned them So he hurried and grabbed the carpet before leaving the house for good. He¡¯s going in there to purchase floor cleaner. . because the carpet he¡¯s wearing is starting to smell bad.¡± Katie chuckled a bit, stuffing another bite into her mouth.

    ¡°That was pretty funny.¡± Brent said, with a loud chuckle. A woman walked in front of the car and bent down to pick something up. Her hair was a hazel color with one side shaved off of her scalp and the rest of her hair dyed purple at the tips. ¡°Now what¡¯s her story?¡± Brent said, stuffing his mouth with another bite of ice cream.

    Katie paused for a second and pondered it. ¡°Okay I got it. She just broke up with her girlfriend. She was going to turn her hair purple in light of the break up, but. . she couldn¡¯t stand the smell of the hair dye and just gave up on it.¡±

    ¡°I can see it.¡± Brent replied, laughing and raising a brow. ¡°I think her girlfriend tried to shave off her hair while they were fighting. She started dying her break up hair then realized half her head was cold and came here to get hair regrowth shampoo and conditioner to make up for the fact that her head now looks like a two faced coin.¡±

    Katie burst out laughing. Her half eaten ice cream bowl tipping over at an angle that came rest on the middle console of Brent¡¯s car. The subtle sound of a car engine in the background, caused her to look up at the rearview mirror. The smile ran away from her face as she studied the car that had just pulled in behind them. ¡°Oh shit! That¡¯s him.¡± She said as her expression turned to worry. ¡°We have to get out of here, now!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Brent asked, shoving his hands into his pockets to find his keys. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Whose him?¡±

    ¡°Officer Kerns!¡± She exclaimed as tiny beads of sweat began to form at the top of her hair line. ¡°He¡¯s Dan¡¯s Right hand man.¡± she continued, watching eagerly, waiting for Brent to turn on the car. She pondered the situation in her head. ¡°Look! So Dan has been getting a little paranoid at home. We¡¯ve been fighting a lot more and he¡¯s been showing a lot of jealousy. He tried to pass off a joke to me the other night about telling his Squad to keep an eye on me. He¡¯s been making these accusations that I¡¯ve been cheating on him.¡± She continued, watching as the officer took his radio from his mouth.

    ¡°Seriously?!¡± Brent asked, stunned at the news Katie was telling him. Before he asked anything else, he heard tapping on the driver¡¯s side window of his car. He rolled the window down and looked over at the short flat top haired police officer that stood outside his  door. ¡±Is there a problem officer?¡± He asked nervously.

    ¡°No Problem.¡± Officer Kerns replied, scanning the inside of Brent¡¯s car. His focus fixed on the redhead in the passenger¡¯s seat of the car. ¡°Katie? Captain Dan said, you¡¯re usually supposed to be home at this time. He said he¡¯s looking forward to dinner tonight. This doesn¡¯t look like your house though. Who might this be?¡± the cop asked, pointing at Brent. ¡°Is this one of your friends?¡± Katie remained quiet, refusing to answer the officer. Brent¡¯s gaze shifted to the Ginger haired beauty. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m going to have to ask you to step out of the car.¡± Kerns said, pulling the latch of the car door.

    ¡°What am I being charged with?¡± Brent asked, slowly getting to his feet outside the car. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°Silence, Sir!¡± Officer Kerns replied, patting the short haired blond down. Katie quietly slipped out of the car, her mind was racing. Trying to hatch an idea to get out of this situation. ¡°Katie, Please do not get out of the car!¡± The officer shouted, as Katie shut the passenger side door. Katie shuffled around in her purse watching the scene unfold carefully. ¡°Sir You are under arrest for kidnapping a young lady.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not kidnapping anyone!¡± Brent shouted, the Officer starting to fasten the cuffs around his wrist. ¡°She came voluntarily. We were just eating Ice Cream!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m seeing.¡± Kerns retorted, turning Brent around and scrambling for his other hand. Katie grabbed the officer¡¯s hand and held up a bottle of mace. She quickly sprayed Kerns in the eyes and grabbed the slender blonde''s hand. ¡°Assault!¡± the Officer shouted, rubbing his eyes desperately trying to get rid of the stinging Spray.

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    ¡°Come on!¡± She said, tugging on Brent¡¯s hand and running off into the fields of wheat and Barley. The pair sprinted through the fields with the sounds of several Sirens roaring at their backs. The sun was starting to set, sucking the light from the evening sky.  They¡¯re legs grew sore the more they ran. Dusk was coming and they needed a break.

    Brent panted and heaved, his eyes setting on a small barn in the middle of the field. Brent tugged on Katie¡¯s hand, directing her attention to the barn.  Brent stumbled over into a small puddle of water and mud that sat in the middle of the bar.  Katie offered a hand to help him out. The pair ducked behind a very large stack of hay that towered over the cow pen. They panted and heaved. Katie let out a quiet giggle, taking a napkin from the pocket of her purse and pressing it to Brent¡¯s forehead. He chuckled a bit as she wiped the mud from his face. The evening sun was setting in. They could see it through the cracks between the wood. ¡°Do you rescue all your friends from police officers?¡± He said, with a chuckle slowly catching his breath.

    ¡°Nope.¡± She said with a giggle. ¡±Only the cool ones.¡± She said laughing quietly at her own joke.

    Something caught Brent¡¯s eye. His gaze became fixed on Katie. The light shown through the wood cracks surrounded her. ¡°I . . ummm. . .¡± He struggled for words. ¡°I can¡¯t hear the footsteps anymore. .¡± He said, finally managing to squeeze something out.

    ¡°Good.¡± Katie replied, she couldn¡¯t keep eye contact. Her cheeks were growing flustered. She grabbed the blonde¡¯s hand and tugged on it once more, this time leading him out of the barn. She tugged his arm pulling him over to the front side of the barn. The Evening Sun¡¯s rays engulfed the ginger haired beauty. Katie continued pulling on his arm, her eyes squinting and locking onto his. She took step after step. Brent¡¯s was mesmerized by the beauty of the red head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, her cheeks were growing crimson red almost matching the hue of her ruby red lips.

    ¡°N-nothing. .¡± Brent stumbled over taking Katie down to the ground with him. He stifled a laugh and crawled over on top of her offering her a hand. ¡°I just ummm. . I¡¯ve never seen anyone like you before.¡± His heart rate skyrocketed. His gaze was locked on her with nothing to distract him. There was nothing to distract her either. As if some force was pulling the two together, They leaned in, pressing their lips together. The palm of his hand pressed firmly into the ground, one hand found its way to her cheeks. His thumb, lightly caressing her cheek. Katie was the slightest bit surprised by the kiss, but the sensation that shot through her body the moment they kissed was numbing. Her mind told her to stop, but for the first time, the rest of her didn¡¯t react.

    Off in the distance, most of Dan¡¯s Squad had given up the search. Their commanding officer seemed like a completely different person. His heart was battered by anger and betrayal. His girlfriend that he had taken in and nursed back to health had been found in the company of a total stranger. ¡±Katie!¡± He screamed out into the vast expansive field.  ¡°Katie Come home! I don¡¯t know who he is but we can work this out!¡± He shouted, pushing through the crops. Having to rely only on the light cascaded over the field. Finally after searching for an hour he spotted a large white wooden house in the middle of the field. The lights in the house were off and he could see no signs of any vehicles that would tell if anyone was home.

    Brent finally broke the kiss, pulling away from Katie¡¯s lips slowly. A chill shot down his spine as he opened his eyes slowly. His eyes met hers, but he struggled for the words to say. He had just kissed this beautiful redhead, knowing full well that she was spoken for. ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over me. . I¡¯m so sorry.¡± His nerves kicked in at full force and his mind set into panic mode. ¡°You¡¯re with your boyfriend. . who. . is probably still out there looking for us. I¡¯m here just getting lost in the. . ¡°

    ¡°Magic of the moment. . ¡° Katie interrupted, her eyes opening slowly and widening. She was bewildered by the whole thing. Her eyes were locked in his. His gaze only left to survey the moonlight that poked out from behind his soft blond hair. ¡°It was really magical. . ¡° she replied shyly. She shot Brent a nervous grin, finding it difficult to catch her breath. The words she was thinking spilled out on their own and the words she knew she should have said stayed in her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t want it to stop.¡± she said under her breath, leaning up and pulling him gently back into the kiss.

    ¡°Really Katie?!¡± A voice shouted from behind them. ¡°I took you in. I bought you all kinds of Jewelry and diamonds! We could have worked this out!¡± Dan shouted at the top of his lungs. His knees gave in and pushed him down to a kneel. Tears began to stream down his face. His arms dropped to his side. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just tell me . . ?¡± He trailed off. Katie and Brent had.

    ¡°Dan?!¡± Katie shouted, going from content to concerned in just a matter of seconds. ¡±I didn¡¯t mean to! It''s just. . ¡° She was cut off.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to what?!¡± He shouted in a fit of rage. ¡°To go behind my back with this Guy?! You didn¡¯t mean to throw away our relationship?!¡± He shouted, pounding his palm against the ground. He removed his gun from the holster and slammed it on the ground. He glanced down at his gun. His thoughts were drifting somewhere dark. ¡°I gave you everything! I took you in! I made it so you wouldn¡¯t have to work another day in your life and this. . This is how you repay me. I gave you my Life!¡± He shouted, slamming the gun down once more. He Stared at the gun for a moment, grazing it with his fingers. His Squad was gone for the night, having abandoned their captain. ¡°You know what?! A life for a Life!¡± Dan shouted, picking up his gun and impulsively pulling the trigger.

    ¡°Katie!¡± Brent shouted, pulling the ginger haired woman into a protective hug and flipping them around. The bullet pierced his back, sending a sharp pain into his side and causing him to double over. He screamed in pain as Katie adjusted her position to support his head.

    Katie Scrambled around searching for something to cover the wound. ¡°Are you happy now?!¡± she shouted at Dan, patting Brent¡¯s body desperately in search of something to help. ¡±I¡¯ll send Dani to get my stuff! Get Out of here! You¡¯ve done enough!¡±

    ¡°No no no NO!! I didn¡¯t mean to. .¡± Dan Cried out falling backward and turning to crawl away. ¡°Please Don¡¯t. . .¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re Done Now, Dan!¡± She shouted in a panic nervously patting Brent¡¯s pant legs. That¡¯s when she hit something. She plunged her hands into Brent¡¯s pocket and pulled out the bottle.

    ¡°I Can¡¯t! No! Please?!¡± Dan got to his feet and grabbed his gun. ¡±It can¡¯t end like this. . Noo. . ¡° Dan cried out in tears.

    ¡°Too late!¡± she cried as the idea struck her. ¡°Come on, stay with me.¡± She whispered to Brent. She shoved the bottle into Brent¡¯s palms and curled his fingers over it. She shook both of their hands at the same time, right as another shot echoed from Dan¡¯s Gun. Time froze around them and Katie looked up just in time to see a bullet from Dan¡¯s gun frozen in place. The bullet was barely above her nose. Katie knew she couldn¡¯t get Brent off this field in time.

 Chapter 22-Katie Benson and Brent Moore-26 Years old and 30 Years old-Realm of Time

    Grains of sand broke off from the current that surrounded the massive Castle like clock that stood high above the rest of the Realm of Time. The sand swirled around in the middle of the floor. Aeryn spun around at the sound of the heavy current and scurried off toward the commotion. The sight that formed in front of him left him terrified and stuck in an instant panic. The gains of sand had begun to take the form of Katie, with a very weakened Brent laying in her arms. ¡°No! No no. . ¡° Continued for a moment, mumbling the word on his breath as he fell to one knee next to the injured mortal. His eyes came to focus on the blood stain that covered a large part of the Bottom half of Brent¡¯s shirt. ¡±He was shot? How did this happen?¡± He asked Katie with a concerned look on his face.¡±Chris! I need your help again¡± He shouted. Beckoning to the great deity.

    ¡°He was shot!¡± Katie replied, struggling to hold back the tears that streamed from her face. ¡°In the wheat and Barley fields. By my ex boyfriend. . ¡° Katie trailed off for a moment, closing her eyes and wiping tears from her cheeks. ¡±I need help and fast. I know I couldn¡¯t get him to a hospital in time, so I brought him here. I didn¡¯t know what else to do. You¡¯re a Doctor, You have to help him!¡±  She screamed through the tears.

    ¡°Let me see if I can help.¡± Chris said, his eyes scanning the torso of the injured mortal. He paused for a minute to listen closely to the surroundings. Off in the distance he could hear several footsteps almost in complete sync.¡± They¡¯re coming. That means there''s nothing I can do. This has to happen. I¡¯m Aeryn, You heard Kronos¡¯s rules. We¡¯re not allowed to intervene in anyone Else¡¯s field.¡±

    ¡°Whose coming?¡± Katie cried out in response, gently stroking Brent¡¯s hair. A smile came across the weakened mortal¡¯s face as he stared up at Katie. ¡°Why can¡¯t you help? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. The Sisters.¡± Aeryn muttered with a puzzled look on his face. Katie flashed the doctor a confused look. ¡°If they¡¯re here then it¡¯s meant to happen. We can¡¯t save him.¡± Aeryn gave them a look of defeat, his head dropping and his eyes focusing on the ground.

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    ¡°This isn¡¯t how it¡¯s supposed to happen!¡± the three voices all shouted at once. ¡°Not in their timeline. You¡¯ve left us no choice!¡±

    ¡°You met them once Katie, back before this started.¡± Aeryn said, glancing back at the long and narrow walkway that stretched outside the Castle like clock. ¡±They were in the office when you first came in to see me.¡±

    ¡°Ohhhh!¡± Katie pondered closely trying to recall the first time she¡¯d  set foot in Dr. Love¡¯s Office. She glanced down at Brent, who was still holding onto the bottle of pills in his hand. Slowly, the cogs began to turn in her head. There had to be something she could do. Brent¡¯s grip on the bottle weakened and the bottle itself almost rolled out of his hands. Katie Desperately grabbed it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± Aeryn shouted, looking back up at the walk way. The Sisters were getting closer and closer. ¡°You both need to think about it. Another time. . A time in your past where you might be able to fix things.

    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have any choice.¡± Katie said, taking the bottle from her own purse, and staring at it. She quickly moved to take the top off of the prescription bottle. She tried to summon up another memory. A memory of a long forgotten love. She took a pill and curled Brent¡¯s weakened fingers around it. The sister made their way into the tower, all three of them at once, taking a knee next to the injured mortal. Brent seemed unresponsive and barely held onto the pill. The Sister¡¯s hovered their hands over the mortal. His life was depleting. One of the sisters reached into Brent¡¯s heart and lifted a tightly knotted string from within his chest. The other sister in her old and fragile state, removed a pair of scissors from her cloak. As she lifted the string from Brent¡¯s chest another string appeared from inside Katie¡¯s chest. ¡±I¡¯m sorry. .¡± she said, pushing the pill between her lips.

    As the blades grazed the string carefully, they closed the gap between the scissors. Something went wrong though. The Scissors barely missed the strings. The tightly woven knot did not budge. ¡°What the?¡± Laci shouted. They glance down at the mortal man, whose hands dropped to his sides. The pill bottle was still weakly held between Brent¡¯s fingers. Not even seconds later, the sand grains peeled off and floated away on the currents of the Realm of Time.

    ¡°That was close Doctor¡± The Sisters said all shooting Aeryn a look of relief. ¡°We would have had to report this to Kronos. You were almost disqualified. Consider yourself fortunate that you¡¯re still in this.¡± They each said rising to their feet. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to intrude on another being¡¯s field of work. We won¡¯t be so kind next time.¡±

 Chapter 23-Brent Moore- 22 years old-Realm of Earth

    A loud melody stirred Brent from his sleep. He attempted to tune on the melody by rolling over, but something inside his brain told him not to sleep. Brent grunted and reached for the source of the melody with his eyes still shut. He could feel the flat surface of the windowsill as he carefully patted it, feeling for the source. The song that played brought to mind one of his past experiences, He grabbed the phone and answered the ringtone. ¡°Hey it¡¯s me, are you coming to the meeting? It¡¯ll be starting here pretty soon.¡± came the voice from the other end.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± He yawned, gently rubbing his eyes. ¡°Give me a few minutes. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Brent said, planting his feet on the carpeted floor at the edge of the bed. Brent stepped into the hot shower, letting his mind race. He searched the darkest depths of his memory to try to figure it out. What time in his life was this? What was the  meeting for? Once he finally turned the water off and finished getting ready he finally figured out the first answer. He sat on his bed for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. He grabbed his phone and looked at the time on it, taking off the second he realized how late he was. His instinct alone helped him figure out where to go.

    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Came the familiar voice that he¡¯d recognized as the one on the other side of the phone. ¡±The meeting is just starting.¡± Brent slammed the door of his car and stuffed his keys in his pocket. The voice had come from his co worker, who was spitting smoke and knocking the ashes loose from his cigarette.

    ¡°Traffic!¡± Brent replied, stepping up on the curb and stopping in front of Matt. ¡°What¡¯s this meeting for anyways?¡± Brent asked, scanning the house in front of him.

    ¡°They¡¯re introducing the new Manager.¡± Matt Replied before taking a drag of his cigarette. ¡±This one is younger than I am.¡± He continued with a chuckle.

    ¡°See you inside.¡± Brent said, waving off Matt. The pieces were starting to come together. Brent recognized the building almost instantly. The view from the inside confirmed his suspicion. The tables in the kitchen of the group home were pushed together and all of his co-workers sat there staring at him as he walked through the door. He scanned the row of familiar faces before he came to focus on the unfamiliar face. She had long blonde hair that came down past her neck. Cherry red lipstick painted her lips, Black eyeliner brought out her blue eyes.

    Brent had pulled his attention away from the curvy blonde haired Stranger for long enough to find a seat. He let his thoughts as a woman about the same age as Matt started to speak. Matt had sat down next to him at the table. Brent had managed to tune out most of what the lady was saying lost in his own thoughts. Trying to figure out where he was in the timeline of his own life. The blonde, Matt, His apartment that he had moved into not long after splitting up with Katie. He cycled through the names of all of his exes, before he finally came up with it. ¡°So without further ado. Allow me to introduce you all to. . ¡° Maria was the name of the blonde and Brent had mouthed her name around the same time the lady had. ¡°Right? Have you two met before Brent?¡± The lady asked him with a confused look.

    ¡°No! Just a wild guess¡± Brent said, trying to bare a sincere face to cover up the shock that struck his mind. He shot Maria a glance, before focusing on the paper that had been laid out in front of him. Brent glanced down at the pent he was holding between his fingers, using his other hand to pat his leg down for the bottle. He leaned back and examined his pocket for a second. The bottle was pressed against his leg, buried deep inside his pocket. Brent would spend the rest of the meeting, trying to think of everything from that time that he could try to change. His gaze seemed to gravitate toward Maria from time to time, though he tried to refrain from it. He stopped to talk to Matt on the way out, who was lighting up another cigarette for himself and the lady that had hosted the meeting.

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    The time was as good as any. Brent left the group home and took off for his apartment as soon as he could.He wasn¡¯t one to draw any sort of attention to himself So taking out the pill bottle in the middle of the living room was out of the question. Brent scurried off towards his room, strictly for privacy from his other roommates. He removed the bottle from his pocket and shook it frantically. He needed help and Dr. Love was the only one that might understand his plight.

    <b><i>Realm of Time</i></b>

    Grains of sand broke off from the outside of the castle. Swirling around like a small cyclone along the floor of  the castle, the sand began to take the form of Brent. This time, unlike before Brent stood alone in the middle of the Castle. Brent stood in amazement, taking in the sight of this magical realm. The walls of the castle gave off a beautiful golden glow. As his eyes surveyed the walls they fell upon a reflection. Something was off about this reflection though. The face he saw in the golden walls was indeed his own, but the rest of his body seemed different. It seemed older and more mature.  He tilted his head for a moment and stared. The reflection didn¡¯t move, it just stood there with him. An itch tickled the tip of his nose and he wasted no time in scratching it. Though as his fingers pulled away from his face, His gaze fell back to the reflection which seemed to have been scratching its own nose. Brent¡¯s curiosity took over and he lifted his hand slowly, his focus on the reflection.

    ¡°I see you¡¯ve discovered the trick to these walls.¡± Aeryn asked, with a lighthearted chuckle. ¡°What you¡¯re seeing is yourself. The walls of the temple of time show you yourself at different ages. Some will show you as a child. And some will show you as the person you used to be.¡± The long blond haired man stood at the bottom of the stairway and smiled at him. ¡°Though I don¡¯t imagine you¡¯re here to play. So please, tell me how I can help you?¡± asked the Dirty blond man in the long golden colored robe.

    ¡°Doctor Love. How did I get here?¡± Brent asked, turning to face the man that had appeared from behind him. ¡°You said we were to use these time capsules to try to fix past relationships. Maria strung me along for months, but we never dated.¡±

    ¡°Simple Mr. Moore.¡± Aeryn replied with a smile. ¡°What I said is that these time capsules give you a second chance. A chance to find out what would have happened if those moments of grief could have been averted. If you have found yourself back in this situation, it¡¯s because somewhere in that mind of yours, you have always wondered what would have happened if you hadn¡¯t been caught.¡±

    Brent fell silent for the moment while letting his thoughts gather in his head. ¡°Why this part though Doctor? Why was I brought to the first meeting?¡±

    ¡°Because this is where it all began, my boy.¡± Aeryn said with a brief smile. ¡±A relationship is not necessarily defined as love between two people, but a bond. A bond formed between two people. I have studied this timeline of your life. I designed this time bottle and it¡¯s traits to take you back to the most convenient time within the conflict. I know quite well what will happen soon after you return to the mortal world. Maria will text you and you will make the decision to make one of many jokes that will catch her attention.¡± Aeryn brushed his fingertips across the gold colored walls of the Time Temple. As he did Brent watched his reflection play along quietly showing the sequence of events through Brent¡¯s life that led up to the night that they were caught.¡±These events that you are watching unfold each hold significance. From your first sneaking trip to her house, to the night you decided to go to her house and treat her to that dinner that you cooked for her. Now go ahead and take a capsule. Return to the text messages that started this relationship.¡±

    Brent paused to reflect on things. There were many places to begin. Brent had to carefully consider where the best spot was. The process took what seemed like several minutes. Once he finally came to a conclusion he removed the time bottle from his pocket and popped the capsule between his lips. His form began to collapse, like sand blowing in the heavy currents of the time realm.

 Chapter 24-Brent Moore-24 Years Old- Realm of Earth

    A gentle breeze carried the golden grains of sand in from the open door of the apartment. They glided along the hallway and fell to the floor in front of the closed door that led to Brent¡¯s room. The sand tumbled gently along the carpet, rolling through the narrow crack at the base of the doorway. Each grain leapt up onto the bed and scattered along the bed. Beneath the covers his torso began to take shape along with his feet and toes. Seconds later Brent would reappear wrapped in the warm covers of the bed. His body lay motionless in the bed. Head resting on the pillow comfortably.

    Fingers curled beneath the pillow. His phone vibrated on the pillow next to him. The feeling from the vibration barely registered to him. His consciousness stirred from the next vibration and he slowly opened his eyes to the familiar scene in front of him. His vision was blurred at first, but they finally came into focus. A low grumble escaped Brent¡¯s lips as he felt the pillow for his phone. He grabbed the phone and brought it to his eyes, the words of a text message had appeared in front of him along with the time and date. It had been a few months since the first meeting. Brent dropped the phone for a second and attempted to gather his wits. He let out a deep sigh and read the message on the screen once more. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty and I¡¯m craving something to drink, that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing right now. ¡±The message had Maria¡¯s name on it. Brent could recall exactly where this conversation led to. This was the night where he was caught.

    He answered the message the same way he did back then, this time  he had to do things differently. He peeled the covers back from over his feet and sat up in the bed, burying his face in his hands. It was only a name, but that didn¡¯t make it any easier to wake up from. He let his feet dangle above the floor for a minute. Once he gathered his wits he rose to his feet and began getting ready to go.

    The drive took only a few minutes and it wasn¡¯t long before he reached the spot that he parked in. This is where it was going to have to be different. Brent would find another parking spot this time. He didn¡¯t care about the walk if it meant going to see Maria. Putting his car out of easy sight might make it harder for him to be recognized. He stopped the car next to a park that sat a few blocks away from Maria¡¯s house. His mind began to wander trying to figure out his next move. He Didn¡¯t know if he should wait for Matt or not. He knew Matt would come by soon to drop off a bottle of booze for her. Matt was the one he needed to avoid. He could remember the conversation that was to come from this night. Maria had gotten spooked by Brent running into Matt and invited him into the office the next morning to break it off with him. Brent didn¡¯t want this to happen again. So he waited patiently. The park that he was sitting at had a good view of the road that led to her house. He waited patiently for Matt¡¯s car to pass by. A wait that almost seemed to take a few hours. He grew tired from it and the food that sat in his back seat was starting to thaw.

    Suddenly Brent saw what he was looking for. It was late at night and Brent had made sure to park between the street lights and use the darkness to conceal his presence. Brent waited a minute before opening the driver¡¯s side door. He had to give Matt a few minutes to drop off the drink and leave. Brent crept up along the sidewalk, taking each step lightly so he didn¡¯t alert anyone or stir any of the neighbors dogs to bark. Brent rounded the corner treading carefully. He scanned the neighborhood in search of the car and took a step back once he found Matt¡¯s car, clearing himself of any light that might give away his position. He paused and watched it carefully waiting for the sound of the engine to run. A few minutes passed before he heard it. He watched with excitement as the car took off down the road and waited for it to disappear from sight before continuing along the sidewalk.

    Brent slipped in through the open fence and pulled out his phone. He didn¡¯t want to alert any of Maria¡¯s roommates. ¡°I¡¯m Here,¡± He typed out before sending the message to her. He waited for a few minutes to see if she¡¯d answer the door. Brent clenched the bag of ingredients tightly before taking a step toward the door and squinting his eyes to peek in. Before he got close enough to look, the door knob turned and there she stood. The beautiful blond Maria stood with a large glass bottle in hand. Brent had to try to act casual and let his eyes fix on the bottle. ¡°Who dropped that off?¡± He asked, pointing to it, despite already knowing the answer.

    ¡°Oh this?¡± she asked with a hint of confusion. ¡°Matt dropped it off. You just missed him.¡± she replied. Brent tried to conceal his excitement at already knowing what he might have just avoided. ¡±What¡¯s in the bag?¡± she asked, pointing to the white grocery bag in Brent¡¯s hands.

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    ¡°I thought I might make you something to eat.¡±  Brent replied with a nervous smile. ¡±If you haven¡¯t eaten yet, that is.¡±

    ¡°Ohhhh You¡¯re making me dinner?¡± She said with a quirky eyebrow and flirtatious smile. ¡±Aren¡¯t you romantic?¡± She asked rhetorically. ¡°Come on in,¡± she continued, stepping aside to let him in.¡±I¡¯ll show you where everything is. I¡¯ve been craving this for the past few hours, I hope you don¡¯t mind it.¡± she gestured toward the bottle of scotch that was tightly gripped between her fingers.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± Brent replied, setting the bag of ingredients down on the counter. The Apartment was mostly darkened with only the light from Maria¡¯s bedroom and the light of the moon. Maria wandered off down the hallway and made herself comfortable on her bed. All the while Brent went to work searching for pots and pans to cook the food in. He could hear the soft sounds of the lid from the bottle being loosened. Brent set the noodles to boil and stepped away from the stove, making his way down the hallway after her.

    ¡°Is the food almost ready?¡± She asked, turning on the tv and flipping through her streaming services. ¡°I''m sooo hungry right now. A girl can¡¯t survive on Alcohol alone, you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just boiling the noodles now. ¡±Brent let out a soft chuckle and rolled his eyes. ¡°So what are we watching?¡± He asked, taking a seat on the bed.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± Maria said, taking a sip from the scotch bottle. ¡°Want some?¡± She asked, holding the scotch bottle up to him. ¡°This is like totally hitting the spot right now.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t drink.¡± He replied, shaking his head. ¡°Plus. Isn¡¯t that a bad idea to drink from the same bottle?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve Kissed sweetie.¡± she replied, screwing the cap back on the bottle. ¡°We even slept together the other night. Do you really think I¡¯m worried about sharing a bottle of alcohol with you?¡± Before Brent could answer, he heard a loud hissing sound coming from the kitchen. Brent knew precisely what the sound was. ¡°Please don¡¯t burn my house down¡± Maria shouted after him as he took off back into the kitchen. Brent had almost forgotten about the boiling noodles that he left on the stove. He quickly pulled the pot off the  stove and shuffled through the bag to get the rest of the ingredients.

    By the time Dinner was done, Maria had made a sizable dent in the scotch bottle. Brent threw two plates of food together and cleaned up his mess, taking one more look at the spot on the stove where the water boiled over and spilled. He slipped quietly into the room where Maria sat on her bed focused on the movie. The blond had climbed between his arms and cuddled as they each began to eat their dinner. ¡±What are we watching now?¡± He asked the very comfortable curvy lady.

    ¡°Beauty and the Beast.¡± She replied, looking up from her food over at the show she had just put on. ¡°This movie is so romantic, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Brent nodded and took a bite of his food. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the live action one? I love this movie.¡± Brent held his position tightly, despite the lingering smell of alcohol that Brent could smell on Maria¡¯s breath.

    ¡°Hold on¡± Maria said, cupping her hand over Brent¡¯s mouth. ¡°This is like my favorite part of the movie. The ballroom scene.¡± She said, excitedly as she peeled away from Brent and scooted a little closer to the tv. ¡°This is like soo sweet! I wanna go ballroom dancing sometime.¡± Brent detected the sound of slurring in her words. ¡°Maybe I can go with a nice return missionary one of these days.¡± Her eyes widened as she spoke. ¡°Could you help me find a place in town to go ballroom dancing?¡± She asked, with a grin on her face, batting her eyelashes.

    Brent tried to brush her words. Nothing about what she had said, seemed to give him any comfort. He tried to ignore her words and move on. Brent had grown to hate those words throughout his short adult life. There always seemed to be this unspoken theory among Brent¡¯s age group in Ivins, that Return Missionaries were the ultimate example of good men. Given the ones he¡¯d met in his lifetime, that wasn¡¯t exactly the case. In Brent¡¯s opinion, A person could do every honorable thing imaginable and it didn¡¯t mean that they were always a good person. Brent clung that philosophy and pushed on through the night. Maria passed out halfway through the movie, setting down a bottle of scotch that only had a quarter of its contents left. Brent tucked her in and positioned her on her side, before leaving her apartment. The long walk to his car served as a good time to get lost in his thoughts, just as well as the drive home.

    Brent pulled out his keys and stuffed them into the locked door of his apartment. It was late at night and the lights were all out. Brent couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Maria didn¡¯t feel the same way about him that he did about her. Her words were a sign that Brent chose to ignore, Solely for how much he had grown to like Maria over the last few months. He got into his bedroom and turned out the lights once he¡¯d finished changing into his PJs.  He tried to put the whole statement out of his mind and closed his eyes for the night.

 Chapter 25-Brent Moore-24 Years Old.

    A month had passed since that night.in that time Brent had found another job to ease Maria¡¯s concerns about being in a relationship with one of her employees. The only catch was, they weren¡¯t in a relationship. Maria had insisted on dating around, but never turned down Brent¡¯s offers to go keep her company. His new boss Anna had kept him on his toes constantly. For the first time in the many years he had spent doing that kind of work, he was exhausted. Anna always had something for Brent to do at work and would snap at the slightest sign that Brent might be texting instead of working. One night after Anna was gone, Brent had settled in for the night. All his work was done for the night and Maria had been texting Brent all evening, but he couldn¡¯t get the time to reply. It was late into the night and one of the messages that Brent had seen was a ¡°Good Night¡± text. The message brought him a sense of discouragement. He would have liked to talk to her, but Anna wouldn¡¯t have taken it.

    There was a few minutes left in his shift and Brent couldn¡¯t leave until another worker arrived. He opened his phone and began scrolling through Maria¡¯s texts. ¡°Oh did I tell you? I¡¯m speaking in church tomorrow,¡± That was the text that caught Brent¡¯s attention. Anna had scheduled him to come in the next morning, which meant that he wouldn¡¯t be able to go watch her speak. He let out a deep sigh and texted her about having to work. Even if she was asleep, she would see it in the morning. There was a long silence that had  fallen over the house. The only sound he could hear was that from the tv. Anna always kept it on one channel and made a point to lock up the remote so it couldn¡¯t be changed. Anyone in the staff that changed the channel to anything else would get a lecture from Anna. To Brent it wasn¡¯t worth the stress of having to listen to her. Brent wasn¡¯t at all fond of Anna and often found himself thinking about Maria.

    The door finally opened after what felt like an eternity of silence and boredom. Brent gathered his stuff and exchanged a few instructions with his new Coworker. He stepped outside and was instantly hit with the cold night air. The walk to his car felt long and tedious and the long drive home wasn¡¯t any better. The roads were empty, lightened only by the street lamps that were strewn along the freeway. The night felt lonely and Brent wasn¡¯t helping it by checking his phone  every few minutes when he had a breather. He¡¯d itched all day to hear from Maria and couldn¡¯t help wondering at times if she was as eager to hear from him. He finally sat down at the edge of his bed and made himself comfortable, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the bottle of time capsules. The bottle was starting to look empty. The rainbow colored glow had weakened. Only a few capsules remained.

    Brent slipped into his PJs for the night and made a point to get his clothes out for the next day. Something he had only done to use up the last of his energy. He stuffed the bottle into the pocket of his blue Jeans and pulled his phone out one more time. No messages or anything had come in. He let out a long sigh and climbed into bed, setting his phone down on the nightstand and closing his eyes.

    The sound of his favorite song playing from his phone served as his alarm for the morning. His brain turned on, leaving him lost in thought as he attempted to gather the willpower to get out of bed. He turned off the alarm and let himself lay there with his eyes  closed. The morning  was always the most difficult part of the day for him. Brent was never fond of early morning shifts. Something that he might take up with Anna some day down the road when He wasn¡¯t so new at this job. Brent had spent much of his childhood wide awake at night, trying to sneak around his mom because he could never fall asleep on time. He checked his phone for a reply from Maria, but found nothing. It took a few minutes, but he finally got himself out of bed.

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    The sun shone brightly through the trees that surrounded the house. The sky was clear with a beautiful blue color. It gave the neighborhood that Brent¡¯s workplace sat in the middle of, a very serene feeling. The moment Brent saw the short brown bristle haired Anna waving to him, the feeling of serenity faded fast. The day that lay ahead of the short haired dirty blond man did nothing to ease the dread that lingered over his mind. Brent had found a way to check his phone periodically throughout the morning, by coming up with reasons to slip into the laundry room and switch the washer and Dryer around. Maria didn¡¯t talk to him until later in the afternoon. ¡°Guess what,¡± The message read. Brent was happy enough to hear from her finally that he played along.¡±I spoke in church today and a guy named Darren approached me after church and started ranting about how good it was. Guess what else,¡± The message came. Brent recognized the name instantly. He knew what the next message would be, before he even received it. ¡°He¡¯s a return missionary.¡± Brent knew where this was going and he dreaded it.  There had to be something he could do, but the sound of Anna screaming his name didn¡¯t give him much time to think. He could hear her footsteps making their way down the hall as he reached into his pocket to grab the bottle. He began shaking the bottle as fast as he could, before Anna had the chance to find him.

    <b><i>Realm of Time</i></b>

    The grains of sand swirled around the marble floors of the temple of Time. The moment he could finally move, he cupped his hands over the back of his neck. Panic and frustration set in, as he held the bottle tightly against his neck. He gritted his teeth and paced the floors of the temple in frustration. A voice caught his attention, but this wasn¡¯t one that he recognized. ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly have thought that would work, could you?¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Brent replied, spotting a tall fair skinned man in the same color robes that Aeryn usually wore. ¡±Where¡¯s Dr. Love?¡±

    ¡°Aeryn is on the top floor of the temple assisting Kronos.¡±  The man replied in a deep voice. ¡°My name is Jaron. How can I help you Brent?¡± He continued offering a hand to shake.

    ¡°Does everyone know?¡± Brent replied, shaking Jaron¡¯s pale skinned hand. ¡°Is there some kind of video broadcast of my life being screened in the temple somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Relax, only the Keepers and students know.¡± Jaron replied, taking a step back and cupping his hand over a dark brown cane.¡±I¡¯m a student of Kronos and so is Aeryn.¡±

    ¡°Kronos?¡± Brent said, scratching his head in confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t that another name for the entity known as Father Time.¡±

    ¡°That would be correct.¡± Jaron said, making himself comfortable. ¡±So let¡¯s think for a moment. What else could you have done to prevent her from meeting him?¡±

    The question stopped Brent in his tracks. ¡°I don¡¯t know. . ¡° He said, with his gaze aimed down at the marble floor. He was lost in thought and needed to think long and hard. What if he had just gone on a mission for the church? He asked himself the question in his mind, but the possibilities were vast and confusing. Brent could only arrive at the theory that his mom would have lost her home in the northern part of the state if he hadn¡¯t been there to help her out with things. That couldn¡¯t be the solution. It¡¯s a step that would change too much and throw his life into even more chaos. Perhaps something more simple.

    ¡°What about the new Job?¡± Jaron said with a wide eyed grin. The idea had struck him with a huge jolt. ¡°What if you hadn¡¯t taken the job?¡±

    ¡°Good Point!¡± Brent replied, scratching the back of his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to work that morning, I would have been able to go hear her speech with her.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you know what to do.¡± Jaron continued, concealing the malicious intent behind a warm smile. Jaron had predicted consequences of his advice, which would play in his favor. He watched carefully as Brent began to shake the bottle of Time Capsules. The mortal¡¯s form began to change, dissolving into the grains of sand that carried off into the never ending flow of the realm of time.

 Chapter 26-Katie Benson -28 years old

    It was Four in the afternoon when her eyes finally opened. The afternoon sun pierced the thin crevice of her eyelids. Katie tried to open them, but her vision was blurred. All she could make out were a few darkened blots and what could only be blurred form of her Archery trophies that sat high upon the shelves that hovered over her room. She blinked and rubbed her eyes carefully until gold and silver blobs came into focus. The sight brought Katie to the realization  of when she was. As soon as she sat up in her bed a sharp pain came over her, centering at her forehead. A full on Migraine that she couldn¡¯t shake off. Her first instinct was to get out of bed and search for the bottle of pain pills that she normally kept in the drawer of her nightstand.

    Katie pulled the drawer out and began shuffling through it. All she could see were a bunch of papers and mismatched socks. She even came across lipstick tubes and even nail polish bottles, but nothing to help get rid of her headache. After a minute she gave up and pulled out the bottom drawer. She scanned the inside of the drawer for a few seconds before she finally found it. She grabbed the bottle of pain pills instantly and started to open it. To her dismay, there was nothing inside it. She held it up for a second to try to get a better look, but she still couldn¡¯t see anything. Frustration took hold and she tossed the empty bottle at the trash can in the corner, but she missed and hit the door of the bedroom instead. ¡°Babe? Is everything alright in there.¡± came a familiar voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± she shouted back with a wide grin. Katie knew that voice from anywhere, It was Mark. The feelings rushed back to her in less than a second. Her mind took off at Fifty miles an hour. The series of events running through her brain like a movie. This was the day that she lost him. A sadness started to wash over her, but she pulled herself out of it by thinking about the opportunity that was presenting itself. It was the day that she sent Mark to the store to grab something. She thought for a second about what it was, until her eyes came to focus on the empty bottle. It was the pain pills. He was on his way to the store to grab another bottle of pain pills when the crash happened. The crash that killed him.  Her eyes widened when she heard his footsteps coming down the hall. Her heart began to race, practically beating out of her chest.

    The door of her room flew open and caught Katie by surprise. Her shirt had barely slid over the crown of her head. She was frozen in her tracks at the sound. Her shirt fell down over her torso and she peered over her shoulder at Mark. At once the feelings rushed back to her. It took every ounce of self control for Katie not to just lunge forward and hug Mark. She wanted to hug him so badly that her fingers twitched at the thought of it. She knew that she had to contain herself or she might raise questions that would give away what she already knew. ¡°How did you sleep?¡± came Mark¡¯s voice, the second their eyes found each other. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± He asked with a confused look on his face.

    Her reply came late after scanning the broad shouldered figure of the man that stood in front of her. His skin was paper white and his hair was a chocolatey brown color. ¡°No reason.¡± she said, flashing him an ear to ear grin. ¡±I¡¯m just glad to see you, that''s all,¡± she lied between her teeth. Katie turned and scurried over to her bed, plopping herself down on the edge of it. She rubbed her forehead gently, still nursing the headache.

    Mark answered, by raising his eyebrow and shaking his head. ¡°Well I¡¯m heading to the store, do you want to come with me?¡± He paused for a moment to watch the ginger haired lady. ¡°Is your head hurting? I¡¯m sure we can grab something for it.¡±

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    Katie shook her head a little and rubbed it again in a feeble attempt to ease the pain. Normally she loved going with him, but she couldn¡¯t this time. Katie had felt responsible for what happened to Mark for a majority of her adult life so far. She felt that it was her panicking that caused the crash. ¡°I overslept and woke up with a migraine. Sooo maybe something to soothe my headache?¡± she asked, turning her head to make eye contact with him.

    ¡°Sure thing!¡± He said, flashing her a smile. ¡°I¡¯m just going to grab a few things to go with dinner. I won¡¯t be too long.¡±

    ¡°Drive safe!¡± Katie shouted as he turned and walked away. She couldn¡¯t help but smile as she stared down at the floor. Her thoughts began to take over. An excitement filled her heart. She could have the first man that she loved back. The sorrow that lingered over her heart for so long would be no more. As soon as she heard the door shut, she rose up from the bed and walked into the living room. She walked over to the tv and turned it on before heading into the kitchen and getting a start on cooking their dinner.

    She took out a knife and began to chop the vegetables, keeping the remote close while she turned it to her favorite medical drama. She finished making dinner and sat down in front of the television. She ripped her gaze away for a moment to watch the front door. Her mind was littered with anticipation throughout the night. Looking over to see if the door would open.

    The short brown haired man stuffed his keys into the ignition of the car. The groceries were tucked safely into the passenger''s seat where Katie would usually sit. Mark took off out of the parking lot of the grocery store and came to a steady halt in the turning lane at the four way stop. His mind was set on Katie. She acted a little strange to him before he left and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why. He glanced up at the stoplight that shifted to green. Mark¡¯s feet pressed into the gas, but quickly hit the brakes, when he caught sight of a man at the crosswalk. His heart raced as he waved the man across. Mark waited patiently for the man to cross with a a hint of nervousness.

    He hated sitting in the middle of the intersection, especially so close to the off ramp on the freeway. A jar of bean dip had flown out of the bags that sat on the passenger¡¯s seat and spilled open on the floor of the car. Mark glanced over at it, without noticing a car coming up the empty street. Before he could press on the gas pedal, it rammed into his car at full speed. The impact caused the car to spin out. Mark couldn¡¯t gain control and the car rolled down the hill and landed upside down on the freeway.

    All the while Katie waited and waited. She¡¯d finished her food and her show and focused on the front door. She reached over and pulled out her phone, hoping that maybe Mark would have sent her a text, but she got something else this time. It was a notification from the News app she kept on her phone. Normally Katie cared little for the news as it never seemed to herald any good. The headline on the Notification read; ¡°Breaking News! A car rolled over onto the freeway, causing a five car pile up on the on ramp!¡± A foreboding feeling washed over her as she clicked the notification. The article that she read struck her like the venom of a deadly snake. ¡°NO!! No! No! Nooooo!¡± she cried out as her eyes skimmed through the article. Katie planted her feet on the floor of the living room and leaned over, burying her head in her hands. Tears streamed down her elbows and soaked the socks that covered her toes. ¡°Why did this happen?! It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen! I prevented this! Why??!!¡± she screamed. Her breathing grew heavy and shallow.  Once she finally caught her breath, she dug her fingers into her pocket with haste to grab the bottle again.  Without thinking, she shoved a capsule into her mouth. There had to be something she could do differently. That was the last thought she had, before she started to disappear.

 Chapter 27-Brent Moore-19 years old

    The door of his room flew open and stirred Brent from his nap. He shot a glance at the blond haired lady that he instantly recognized as his mom.  ¡°Are you ready to go,¡± his mom asked. Brent responded with a confused look as his gaze shifted around the room. He sat up slowly and rubbed his temples in an effort to nurse the headache that stole his attention. ¡°Hurry up and get dressed. We¡¯re going to Johnny¡¯s for dinner. Brent nodded his head and pushed the covers away from his feet.

    The drive felt long, but it was anything but boring. If there was anything he shared with his mom, it was her taste in music. A lot of the hour-long drive was spent singing along to the radio. Brent stared out the window of the car and watched the ever changing landscape of the red desert state. The house that Brent¡¯s uncle lived in stood tall, towering over a green grassy lawn and surrounded by a chain link fence. The house itself had a tan colored paint job, with maroon colored windows.

    Brent opened the passenger side door and stepped out onto the asphalt. He lifted the bar carefully and pushed the gate open, waiting for his mom to pass by. The floors of the house were made of hardwood and each step came with the sound of wood creaking beneath his feet. Brent could hear the roar of the TV from the front door. He made his way up the steps in front of the doorway and followed the sound. Brent¡¯s uncle John sat at the side of the television and looked up at them from the basketball game. He wore a light blue denim shirt and his hair was blond with a natural curl to it. ¡°Come on in,¡± he said behind a thick blond mustache that matched the color of his hair.

    Brent heard the sound of heels clicking against the hardwood floors. His Aunt Rose stood in the doorway of the living room. ¡°You¡¯re just in time, Dinner is almost ready,¡± she said in a soft welcoming tone. A smile painted across her bright red lips as she took another step into the living room and lowered herself onto the couch. Brent recognized the long wrinkly blouse that draped over her torso as the shirt she wore on the day that his aunt and uncle offered to pay for his Church mission. Just as Brent had suspected, she parted her lips to start the conversation. ¡°So Brent. Have you given any thought to going on a mission?¡± Rose continued as she made herself comfortable on the couch.

    <b><i>Realm of time</i></b>

    ¡°Do you have any idea Of the kind of mess this mortal is making?!¡± Kronos shouted as he fell sideways against the entrance to the temple of time. ¡°I specifically told you when I brought you into this realm and granted you a portion of my power, that you could not mess with anyone else¡¯s work!¡± His voice was dry, yet powerful. It echoed off the Golden walls of the temple of time.

    The sound of Kronos¡¯s anger stung Aery¡¯s ears. His nerves were shot instantly, rendering Dr. Love Motionless. He struggled to maintain his composure. He shifted his Gaze to Clotho who gave him a blank stare in return. Aeryn struggled with the words to say, but managed to muster up an ounce of courage. ¡°Lord Kronos, I assure you I¡¯m looking into the matter as we speak!¡± He shouted, scrambling to the stairway to meet Kronos.

    Kronos made eye contact, slowly lifting his finger from the button that sat on the golden pocket watch that hung from his neck. Clotho shortly joined Aeryn at the top of the stairs urging him down the stairs. ¡°You summoned the fates to help you?¡± Kronos continued, holding his cane tightly and using it to steady himself.

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    ¡°Come Father,¡± Clotho said, making her way down the stairs. ¡±Let¡¯s go take a look at the situation.¡± The trio disappeared from the temple in a small cloud of sand.

    <b><i>Realm of Earth</i></b>

    Time stood still in this realm where Aeryn, Kronos, and Clotho stood. Here in the living room of Brent¡¯s uncle¡¯s house. On one couch sat his uncle Johnny, on the other sat Brent, his mom, and his Aunt Rose. Every muscle in each of their bodies rendered motionless. It was a rare thing for Kronos to stop the flow of time, but his concern was just. Kronos knew what this contest could mean. Anytime someone messed with the balance power of between the Keepers, meant work for Kronos to restore it. Neither Aeryn, nor Kronos or Clotho could be seen. Any sound made in this state would seem like a thought or whisper to the nearest mortal.

    ¡°If this mortal¡¯s fate is changed, Aeryn. Then I have no choice but to disqualify you and take my blessing back.¡± Kronos whispered sternly. ¡°You were lucky the first time you allowed these mortals alter the tapestry of fate. Lucky that their fates intertwined. And even then you almost brought this mortal to an early death.¡±

    The expression on Aeryn¡¯s face changed. Replaced by concern and worry over the possible failure. Aeryn had put so much thought into this. It was a gamble from the beginning. A gamble on these two mortal souls. He nodded and whispered ¡°,Thank you father,¡± as his gaze dropped to the hardwood floor of the house. He watched out of the corner of his eyes, his thoughts racing as Clotho extended the tapestry from the frozen torso of Brent¡¯s body.

    Kronos took a step closer. ¡°How does it look Sister?,¡± He asked in a calm tone. Clotho removed an eyeglass from her sleeve and held it up to her eyes. Two strings gave off a bright glow that could only be seen through the eye glass. Aeryn couldn¡¯t make out their whispers. He could only watch as the fair skinned pretty brunette surveyed the tapestry.

    ¡°So what does anomaly mean, Sister?¡± He whispered quietly to Clotho. ¡°Will this change be difficult to fix?¡±

    ¡°Fates smile upon your apprentice, Father.¡± Clotho whispered in response, shooting a quick glance toward Aeryn. ¡°If you look over here the weave is identical to the original design.¡±

    Kronos disguised his smile cleverly and straightened his posture. ¡±Thank you for your assistance, Sister.¡± Kronos inched his way slowly toward Aeryn. ¡°You are lucky, my apprentice. Now let us head back to the temple. We have work to do.¡± With a simple pat on Aeryn¡¯s back, the three would disappear into a brightly colored golden sand. As soon as the grains of sand disappeared, time began again.

    The words spilled from Brent¡¯s lips. "Yes I have, but I don¡¯t think we could afford it.¡± He replied, letting out a brief sigh. ¡°We can barely afford to pay rent as it is. Just the other day I had to walk down to the city office and use my paycheck to get the utilities turned back on.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very sweet of you,¡± Rose said, rising to her feet slowly and making herself comfortable on the couch next to Johnny. ¡±Your uncle John and I discussed it and we decided that we could help pay for you to go on a mission. Would you be ok with that?¡¯

    Brent responded with a sheepish nod. ¡°That¡¯d be great. I don¡¯t wanna ask you to spend money that you might not have.¡± He said, looking up at her and trying to retain his composure.

    ¡°Oh shush,¡± she said in a soft tone. ¡°You don¡¯t need to sweat it. Just go do the lord¡¯s work. Your uncle and I will help take care of things. It will still be here when you get back.¡±

 Chapter 28-Brent Moore- Age 24 Years old

    Five years had passed since Brent had accepted his uncle¡¯s support. He¡¯d gone on his church mission and come back with enough stories from it to talk Maria¡¯s ear off. Brent still had the argument with his brother that compelled him to move away. Brent had devoted everything to making this play out in his favor. It was a Sunday morning and Brent was woken up by the sound of his Alarm. He opened his eyes slowly to take in the bright morning sunlight, but it burned at his pupils. He shut his eyes instantly the moment he felt the rays hit his corneas. His head fell back against the pillows on his bed. The sensation felt nice and his mind began to drift again as if he¡¯d not even woken up. Though his moment of peace was cut short by the sound of the doorbell.

    He shot up in his bed and pushed the covers away, but stopped for a second to let his pajama-covered legs get used to the morning atmosphere. A knocking sound came which pulled at his attention. He finally managed to get up after it occurred to him that the knocking and ringing would sooner compel one of his roommates to answer the door and complain to him about it later. He got out of bed and answered the door in his T-shirt and PJs. ¡°Did you just wake up?¡± Maria¡¯s voice came before Brent could even work up a greeting. ¡°I thought I told you last night. Today is the day I¡¯m giving a talk in church. Hurry up and get dressed so we can go. I wanna get there before everyone else arrives.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Brent replied, turning around and making his way back toward his room. He didn¡¯t even bother to shut the door behind Maria. One of the clients we take care of didn¡¯t want to go to bed until Midnight last night.¡± He continued as he opened the door to his room and went straight to his closet. He shuffled through his closet, removing the first formal piece of clothing he could find. ¡°There,¡± He said while  hugging a pile of clothing close to his chest. ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep it short.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?,¡± Maria asked with a confused look. ¡°Are you going to shower? Did you not see the time? We have to be there in twenty minutes. We don¡¯t have the time for that.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Brent replied with his gaze dropping to the floor. ¡°I¡¯ll just get dressed then.¡± he continued, pausing for a second to wait for her.

    ¡°Well?¡± she asked, breaking the short silence. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Brent replied with a gesture toward the door. ¡°Darling, we''ve slept together. We¡¯ve been sleeping together. There¡¯s nothing waiting for me tat I haven¡¯t already seen.¡± Brent stifled a chuckle and began getting ready.

    Brent didn¡¯t like church all that much. He never had liked going since he was little. Which begged the questions as to why he insisted on spending two years in service of it. All to help convert people to it. Brent made himself comfortable in the front row of the congregation. The music fell silent and bustling of the crowd settled into a quiet that filled the sacrament room.

    Brent turned his gaze to Maria who was sitting on the stands that overlooked the conversation. He straightened out his tie and stared in admiration. Finally the beautiful blond was his. The thought made him forget everything. Maria simply smiled at him and held her posture. He bowed his head for the prayer while sitting reverently on the long lightly cushioned bench. A vibrating feeling tickled his upper thigh, but Brent chose to ignore it. He held his head down reverently waiting for the prayer to be over.  The vibrating stopped for a minute, but persisted for a few more minutes. Brent tried to ignore it, even as he watched Maria get up to speak to the congregation. Brent finally caved into his curiosity halfway through Maria¡¯s speech. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

    The screen flashed a notification that read ¡°Missed call from Mom.¡± Maria shot Brent a disapproving glance and pulled her eyes back to the paper she was reading her speech off of. The phone went off once more, vibrating in his hand. Maria gave Brent another glance from the podium. Brent tried to mouth the words ¡°I have to take it,¡± to her before taking off out the door of the sacrament room. Maria responded with a rolling of her eyes as Brent disappeared from sight.

    Maria¡¯s voice echoed over the loudspeakers that carried into the foyer. The atmosphere in the foyer was a lot more alleviated than the chapel. Brent answered the call as soon as the door closed behind him. There was a short pause followed by the delicate tone of his aunt¡¯s voice. ¡°Brent?,¡± she asked in an urgent tone. ¡°It¡¯s your Aunt Rose. I¡¯m calling about your mom. She was in a car accident on her way up here.¡±

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    ¡°An accident?,¡± Brent asked, relaxing on the couch in the foyer. ¡°How long ago was this?¡± The expression on his face showed concern.

    ¡°It happened a year ago,.,¡± Rose continued. ¡°When she couldn¡¯t afford to pay the bills for the house she was living in, She moved in with us. On her way home from work one day she hit black ice and rolled off the side of the freeway. She was on her way back up here because the hospital up here  is the only one in the state with the equipment to perform her surgery.¡±

    ¡°So she got in another one?,¡± Brent replied, leaning over and resting his head into a cupped hand. His thoughts were racing between her replies.

    ¡°Mmhmm. She¡¯s in much worse condition from this one, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Rose paused and let out a deep breath. ¡°They¡¯re saying that it shows no signs of improvement.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Brent said letting out a deep sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll start heading up there to see her.¡± Brent could hear Maria¡¯s voice still echoing through the foyer. Part of him wanted to stay and listen to her speech, but his thoughts soon pushed him out the door. He took off out of the parking lot with a sense of worry and urgency. Rose didn¡¯t sound all that hopeful to him. A feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that it was for a reason.

    What was usually an hour long drive took what seemed like an eternity. Brent drove with a sense of urgency. The traffic due to crashes or construction did nothing to ease his worries. The long waits and impatient honking from other drivers only made it worse. They gave him more time to think and worry. Fear managed to creep into his thoughts. Fear that he might not get there in time to see his mom. Fear that her condition would get worse or her system would shut down. The thought brought  tears to his eyes, but he managed to hold back his sobs to maintain his composure. The longer the miles took, the more he began to worry.

    When he finally pulled into the hospital parking lot, he wasted no time in getting out of his car. When he finally found the line for the front desk, it seemed to carry on forever. He tried to give Rose a call in order to get the room information, but all he got was the voicemail. When he finally got to the front of the line, he waited patiently for the nurse to beckon to him. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Lara Moore.¡± Brent said, searching the nurse¡¯s eyes for a glimmer of hope that she might know some good news that he didn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯m her son.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just in time.,¡± She replied, forging a smile. ¡°She¡¯s in room 407 on the fourth floor. Second turn on the right.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Brent said, turning and heading straight for the double doors. He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor. He took a step back and leaned against the back wall of the elevator. Even the Elevator ride seemed to last. The bell would ding as patients and nurses alike shuffled into the Elevator. By the time he finally got to his floor, he was stuck behind a crowd. He pushed through the crowd eagerly trying to get out of the elevator. He was certain that he managed to step on a few toes, but he didn¡¯t care. He race down the hall, taking care not to run, but to dodge every other person he came across.

    He had just managed to take a right turn when he heard the words ¡°Time of Death 3:35 pm¡± in the distance. A horrible sinking feeling hit him when he heard those words. He followed the faint, muffled sound of the voice that said those words. A tall brown haired doctor with Curly hair, stepped out of the patient¡¯s room. Brent searched for the room numbered with the worst of thoughts plaguing his mind. ¡±Who are you?¡±  He asked, fixing his stance in front of the gold colored plaque.

    ¡°Is this room 407?¡± Brent asked, tilting his head to try to see past the tall doctors torso. He nodded and took a step to the right, revealing the gold plated sign that said the room number. ¡°I¡¯m her son. Is she?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± The doctor dropped his head to the floor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just unplugged the heart monitor.¡± The doctor paused hesitantly reaching over to try to comfort the young blond. ¡°If you want to, you can stay until the Pathologists get here.¡± The doctor said, turning and making his way down the corridor.

    Brent stepped into the room and immediately set his eyes on the patient bed. There she was, the familiar shape of his mother¡¯s torso draped in hospital sheets. He took a step closer and peeled back the covers. The sight of his mother¡¯s face shattered his heart into millions of pieces on the spot. He managed to cover her face back up and fall back into a cushioned seat, before the tears rose to his eyes and started streaming down his cheeks. Brent couldn¡¯t hold his sobs back any longer. He let himself become lost in his thoughts as he sat there. His hands cupped over the bridge of his nose. His tear soaked eyes scanned the corpse on the bed that supported her body. He tried desperately to hide the pain, but it was overwhelming. It felt as if his heart had been stripped from him.

 Chapter 29-Katie Benson-28 Years old

    She woke up again, the familiar scent that she liked to bathe her room in filled her nostrils. Right back at the beginning. During the same period in her life. Other than the time travel, the time capsules yielded the benefit of making it easier to forget the feelings she had been experiencing. She still knew what was going to happen and what she had in mind to try to prevent it. She grabbed the time capsule bottle from her nightstand and  looked it over. The beautiful rainbow colored glow had begun to fade. There was only one capsule left though, so she had to make it count. The familiar throbbing in her forehead washed over her, but she managed to ignore it enough to let herself stay in thought.

    Refusing to go with him, didn¡¯t prevent the car from hitting and killing Mark. There had to be another way to do this. Something she could do or not do to prevent him from going out. He was going to leave for the store whether she wanted him to or not. She had to think up something to prolong it. The ginger haired woman shot up from her bed once it came to her. She tried to push past the headache pain, but it persisted. This time she didn¡¯t even bother to put a shirt back on. She glanced at a mirror that hung from the door and stood there in nothing but her underwear and a mean case of bedhead. That was the part she had to fix in little to no time. She could already hear Mark¡¯s footsteps coming down the hallway. Katie quickly scrambled for a brush to fix her hair in a short amount of time. She opened her bedroom door and greeted the man she had once been so in love with.

    Mark was taken by surprise to see her like that. A grin painted itself across his face and she leered off  for a second biting her bottom lip. Mark remained speechless having been dumbstruck at the jaw dropping sight of the redhead. Katie played coy for a second longer, then wrapped her arms around him  and pulled him in. Katie managed to ignore the scorching headache that had elevated in record time. She was determined to distract him at least for long enough to avoid the car ride at that exact time.

    The couple jockeyed for position, taking turns slamming each other into the wall. The pain got worse to the point where it was almost unbearable, but the passion grew more rapidly. Katie¡¯s Bra fell back to the floor and Mark pulled her back onto the bed. Her panties fell to the floor and her heart rate skyrocketed.

    An hour passed and Mark collapsed on top of her. He panted and heaved in the bed next to her. His lower body was practically numb with pleasure. The muscles in his abdomen were relaxed and sore. Beads of sweat trickled down Katie¡¯s cheek, her body temperature elevated. The headache was throbbing in excruciating pain. Mark rolled over and let his hand flop over on top of her face. Katie let out a giggle and scrunched her face, shaking it off. Mark forced himself up in the bed suddenly. ¡°Wait!,¡± He shouted, propping himself up. He held his hand up to his forehead and shot her an inquisitive look.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?,¡± She asked as she locked his gaze in his. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! You on the other hand though.¡± He said, pressing his palm to her forehead again. ¡°Your forehead is on fire. Much warmer than mine. I should ask you the same thing.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯ve had this stabbing pain in my forehead the past hour.,¡± She replied, placing her hand on the top of her head. ¡±My stomach is feeling a little queasy too.¡±

    Mark stared at her in disbelief. ¡°Your head¡¯s been scorching for the past hour and you roped me into doing that?¡± Mark kicked the sheets off the bed and rolled out of the bed. ¡°We need to get you to the hospital. I think you''re having a thunderclap headache.¡± Mark returned his attention to Katie who just laid there, unresponsive. Drool began to fizzle from the corner of her lips. ¡°Katie?!¡± Mark shouted, but got no response. Her movements became erratic and her limbs began to shake violently in the bed. ¡°KATIE!!¡± He cried out, quickly slipping into his pants and picking up the phone.

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    The Ambulance rushed over as soon as they could. Katie was strapped into the stretcher and Mark assisted the responders with hoisting her up into the back. He climbed up into the back of the ambulance and shut the double doors. Mark was panicking as he sat down and watched her. He scratched his head and cupped his hands over the back of his neck. Tears were beginning to form at the corner of his eye.

    Katie had been out for a few minutes. She still had a pulse but her movements had slowed. That much had given a little comfort to Mark. The man had forced himself to relax against the side of the vehicle. Try as he might, Mark couldn¡¯t calm this nervous feeling that held his mind so tightly. It¡¯s what made him search for something to fiddle with. He didn¡¯t want to get up and look for anything. His eyes focused on Katie as he tried to distract himself. The EMT that sat on the other side of the gurney attempted to comfort him, but his words only served as background noise. Mark had found a utility knife in a glass cup in the corner of the back corner of the vehicle. He brought it in for a closer inspection to admire the crafting in the blade.

    Off in the distance, an older man with snow colored hair and a red plaid fedora sped toward the intersection in Large black truck. He was having a hard day after being let go from his job at a local auto shop. His fingers were greased and his palms gave off a shimmer from the sweat that covered them. He¡¯d grown agitated and tried to floor the gas pedal in an effort to make the light. At first sight it seemed as if the Ambulance was going to pass before he would. The ambulance had cleared all but the corner of the intersection before the truck sped into it.

    The vehicle had spun out down hard as it could. Mark¡¯s arms jerked forward at first before throwing him back. Against the unforgiving metal walls of the ambulance, the blade of the knife lodging deep into his wrist and twisting around. The glass cup shattered against the walls and a large piece of glass lodged into his spine and another carved the skin of his other hand. The EMT, whose leg was planted between Katie and the bench, had failed to pull his leg away when the hard metal gurney cracked his shin. The glass window on the driver''s side was shattered by the head of the vehicle operator.

    Katie, who was tucked and fastened securely to the bed, cracked and bent the double doors of the emergency vehicle. The wheel of the gurney teetered off the edge of the wrecked Ambulance. The man in the truck struggled to regain his balance, but only for a second. He sped through the wreckage without a second thought. Mark''s blood had poured from his severed veins and drenched the sheets that covered Katie¡¯s body. Both EMTs were out cold and rendered immobile. Katie opened her eyes briefly in time to catch more sirens bouncing off the city walls. Her vision was blurred. Her consciousness faded in for a moment then slowly back out.

    When Katie finally opened her eyes once more, her surroundings had changed. It was the middle of the night and all she could see was the darkened room of the hospital. All she could hear was the beeping of a heart monitor, layered over by the loud bellowing cries of the man in the room next door.

    The door flew open behind her as Katie stared off into the dimly lit hospital room. She could barely make out the silhouette of something else in the room. Only surrounded by the lights of passing cars and buildings shown through the window. Two men in light blue scrubs, one with a shaved head and another with his bangs drooped down over his forehead, flickered on the light. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to wake you, just here to pick someone up. Katie made no eye contact with them, and just stared in fear at the illuminated figure on the bed.

    ¡°What happened?!¡±She cried out, shutting her eyes tightly. Tears rolled from her eyes as the men peeled back the blankets. The face they revealed was instantly recognized as her boyfriend¡¯s. Her heart monitor beeped at an accelerated pace. ¡°WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!¡± Her cries alerted the nurse, who sprinted into the room as fast as she could.

    ¡°You were unconscious when it happened.,¡± She began drawing a deep breath and straightening her composure. ¡°A large black truck sideswiped the ambulance. The dispatchers said it was an ambulance called to grab a seizure victim. Tears streamed down along her cheeks, leaving them drenched. The nurse continued, ¡±He was holding a utility knife. The blade was found lodged deep into his arms. The veins were cut. .¡± She let out a deep sigh. ¡°Glass was found deep into his spine.¡± She forged a half smile, taking a step closer to the bed. ¡°By the time the Paramedics got there, He¡¯d lost too much blood.¡± The nurse could feel the heavy weight of the news she was breaking, wash over her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Katie couldn¡¯t answer the nurse. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to muster up anything other than her cries.

 Chapter 30- Realm of Nature

    ¡°I assume you didn¡¯t just call us all here to regale us with stories of your devout Apprentices, Kronos?!¡± All 3 Sisters protested at once. ¡±The Tapestries tell us that there¡¯s more to this story than just repeating the news of your retirement. We already know the fate of one Apprentice. Tell us how the destruction of the Temple of Time came to pass.¡±

    Kronos opened his mouth to reply, but his response was interrupted by a familiar voice. ¡±Must you three always spoil the ending?¡± Soon a devilish grin pierced thick fog. To the surprise of Kronos the figure resembled None other than Death himself. ¡°This is why we never take you three into Mortal Movie Theaters with us.¡± Luci stepped out from behind the thick curtain of fog. The figure pulled up a seat next to Natura. ¡±I, personally, have never been fond of the person that spoils the end of the movie.¡± The devil glanced around as he made himself comfortable.

    ¡°Looking tempting as ever Dark one.¡± the sisters pointed out in unison. ¡±Care to explain to the rest of us why you¡¯re so late?¡±

    ¡°Kronos¡¯s apprentice has been keeping me rather busy.¡± The devil replied with a warm smile toward the sisters whose cheeks flushed red in admiration. Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos, and Lucifer all seemed to work well together. Just as Natura and Kronos had spent much time together. ¡°Though our visits have gotten fewer and further between.¡± Luci¡¯s sly expression changed as he shifted his gaze from the Sisters to Kronos.

    ¡°Thank you, oh tempting one.¡± Chris interrupted with a focused grin. ¡°Nice of you to finally join us. Now that we¡¯ve exchanged pleasantries, can we please allow Kronos to explain why our presence is needed in this realm, hmm?¡± Chris¡¯s gaze shifted back to the Father of Time. ¡°Please feel free to continue to weave your tale. Maybe you can start with explaining what it was you saw in the mortal''s house. Clotho opened her mouth to speak, but her silence demanded by a gesture from the Creator''s hand.

    ¡°Thank you divine one,¡± Kronos said with a gentle nod. ¡°The Tapestries divulged an anomaly that disproved the sisters earlier statement.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± The creator said with a smile. ¡°So what about the mortals now? Do they find comfort in each other as they grieve the death of their loved ones.¡±

    ¡°Not Yet, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Kronos replied, steadying himself up on his staff and leaning in a little closer. ¡°Neither one of their hearts are ready to mend  with so much damage already done. But they do meet. This is where the two rivers meet and begin a journey together. A long Journey at that.¡±

    ¡°How do they run together?¡± Chris asked, his curiosity beginning to peak. ¡±And what of the last time capsules?¡±

    Kronos took a deep breath, finding the strength to straighten himself out. ¡°Time is like a vast river. At times, rocks roll off into it. Rocks of all sizes, big or small.¡± Kronos¡¯s breathing had grown slow and rough. ¡°Sometimes those rocks are big enough to steer the waves in different directions. Sometimes they impact very little on the water¡¯s flow. Sometimes they run into dams in the middle of the river. Dams that act like filters to keep out the stuff that we no longer need. Without the debris, the current learns to grow and adapt. Not all currents grow immediately with each dam. Some take time, but they grow. There¡¯s a friendship that formed that night. A bond that formed from two damaged and lonely hearts. Brent will hear the dismay as Katey finds out about the sudden death of her love. This is where the two rivers connect and flow together. They¡¯re journey carries on for years. Each one¡¯s currents helps to strengthen the other.¡±

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    ¡°Until they become one.¡± The Creator said, with a warm nod. ¡°Is there any foreseeable break in the waves?¡± Chris asked as the pieces began to come together in his mind.

    ¡°There is Creator, but it¡¯s not from the currents breaking off. ¡±That¡¯s where the capsules come into play. If you make yourselves comfortable. . .¡± He paused and took a deep breath. The brittle bones in his aged body began to shake as Kronos tried to make himself comfortable. ¡±I would be happy to finish explaining the first part of my story.

    <b><i>Realm of Earth</i></b>

    The room had gone pitch black. All that could be seen was the shadow of Brent¡¯s lower leg cast by the bright light of the moon that peered in through the window. Brent opened his eyes to  the sound of a girl¡¯s voice in the next room. A blanket had been draped over his torso as he sat in the chair cozy. The voice he heard was the familiar sound of the nurse who directed him to the room where his mother sat.

    His gaze shifted in the direction of the bed where his mother¡¯s deceased body once sat. He couldn¡¯t see any physical evidence that she was still there even in the darkened moonlit hospital room, but he didn¡¯t fight the feeling that she was there with him. Memories of his mom began to play through his head like a movie of his life. Just when he thought all his tears were drained from his body, they returned. Trickling down from the corner of his eye and trickling down his cheeks. The tears began to form a stain on his sleeve that sent a shiver down his spine. The blanket slipped off his torso and fell to the floor of the hospital room.

    Brent leaned forward to pick up the blanket, but his attention was pulled by the sound of crying from the next room. He paused as he sat up straight in the chair listening to her. Her cries sound like soft mouse squeaks from his side of the wall. Brent rose to his feet and crept toward the door. The hallways were empty, but the lights shone brightly through the small glass window. Brent¡¯s curiosity grew more and more with each weep. The cry sounded familiar to him. Much like the sound Katie made the night of their fight. Brent pushed open the door as quietly as he could. He¡¯d been into Katie¡¯s work enough times to know what would happen if anyone knew he was still there, they¡¯d demand him leaving.  He couldn¡¯t even tell them that he¡¯d known Katie from another life.

    As he peered in through the window of the next room, his eyes immediately fell to the familiar redhead, sitting up in her hospital bed. He opened the door quietly and allowed himself to stand in the doorway. The beeping of the heart monitor filled the silence that fell over the two. Katie peeked between her tear soaked fingers. Her eyes grew wide as if she had just seen a loved one rise from the dead. Neither Brent nor Katie spoke any words. Brent tiptoed quietly toward the hospital bed.

    ¡°How did you . .?¡± Katie¡¯s expression was dumbfounded. She recognized this younger face of her potential ex fianc¨¦.

    Brent climbed into the hospital bed and whispered to her. ¡°My mom died,¡± He said quietly as his gaze fell to the hospital bed.

    ¡°Oh,¡± She tore her gaze from Brent. Her voice grew quiet as a sigh escaped her lips. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks. ¡°My ex died. . on the way over here.¡±

    A mutual feeling of anger rose between the two of them, but was simmered by the grief of both their broken hearts. Katie opened her mouth to say something, but Brent¡¯s arms wrapped around her before she could speak. Her thoughts began to shift back to her own grief as his memories turned him toward his own loss. Katie leaned her head up against Brent¡¯s shoulder and closed her eyes. The frustration had been replaced by mutual grief. Two broken hearts came together as one.

 Chapter 31- Brent Moore 59 Years old

    Dani¡¯s Voice wasn¡¯t the most pleasant to hear over the phone. It was rough and lost it¡¯s melodic tone when she picked up a smoking habit after Jeff¡¯s untimely death at the tender age of forty. He had his share of company over many years, but nothing compared to the feeling of peace that he felt around Katie. He could never keep many friends outside of Katie and Dani, despite his best efforts. Friends came and went, but no one ever stayed. In his older age, the long Blonde and gray haired man had since only held onto Katie. She was by all means, his best friend and the only person he got along with. That¡¯s why when he got off the phone it hit him particularly hard.

    Brent grabbed his keys and rushed out the door as fast as his feet could carry him. Dread washed over him as he made his way down the road. The more he thought about it, the worse he started to feel. The thought of what could be happening, instilled a fear that pulled tears from the corners of his eyes. ¡°No, No that can¡¯t be it. . ¡° he whispered to himself, hearing only the echo of his own whispers bouncing off the walls of the car. The windows in the car were slightly cracked and the soft  roar of the wind could be heard as Brent cruised down the open highway. A cool wind brushed at the back of Brent¡¯s neck. His heart seemed to be racing as fast as he was driving. Thoughts of all sorts began to fill his mind. ¡°No, no, NO!¡± he cried out in anger, pounding the dashboard with his clenched fist.

    Why hadn¡¯t he seen it before? The way she stuck by him through his worst times. The way he worried about her with each doctor visit or chemo treatment. Anytime he refused to ask her to move, to make room for some other girl to move in. It¡¯s something that had ended so many of his relationships over the last several years. He couldn¡¯t let her go. The thought alone left him with a feeling of emptiness. The tears began to stream down his face.

    <b><i>Realm of Nature</i></b>

    ¡°Why do mortals do that sort of thing?¡± All three sisters asked in unison. ¡°They keep these feelings for each other bottled up for anywhere from a few weeks to several years. And when they finally build up the courage to act, it¡¯s too late.¡± Kronos opened his mouth to speak in response, but Aeryn¡¯s hand shot up and stopped the Time keeper before he could start.

    ¡°They¡¯re Scared,¡± Aeryn said, letting out a deep sigh. ¡°They¡¯re scared that the other person won¡¯t reciprocate it. It¡¯s like walking up to someone they like and trying to start a conversation. Their nerves can get shot going over every worst case scenario in their head. And if they don¡¯t do it just perfectly, they get labeled as a creep. In some cases they get that sort of thing yelled at them in a public place. Then a scar can evolve that can stay with them for anywhere from many years to the rest of their lives.¡±

    Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos sat there in silence for a few seconds before one of them spoke up. ¡°Mortals can be so cruel to each other. Basing their actions off of assumptions. Thinking they know just what kind of a person another mortal is. Every person has a story that can tell someone everything they need to know. They just refuse to ask¨C¡±

    ¡°And Asking questions is the only way to find the truth,¡± Kronos interrupted, taking a step forward and motioning Aeryn back to his position. ¡°Thank you doctor,¡± Kronos said with a sly grin. ¡°Your words of wisdom are appreciated," Kronos said, shifting his gaze between his apprentice and  the Sisters of Fate. "All  of your words. Now if you¡¯d be so kind, I¡¯d like to continue my story.¡±

    <b><i>Realm of Earth</i></b>

    The tears began to stream down his face. He shook his head, in an attempt to clear them from his eyes. He was barely able to keep up with them. The anger built up inside him, compelling him to pound the horn of his car that echoed into the long dark night. Brent paused and took a deep breath, his eyes fixated on the road ahead. Brent signaled and pulled the car over to the side of he road. The tears were getting too heavy and he could barely see the road ahead. He buried his head in his arms. tears streamed down along the steering wheel. Why didn''t he see it. Everything that Katie meant to him. A few minutes of crying would pass before he looked at the time. Brent turned the ignition and signaled to get back on the road. Time was growing shorter and he couldn''t tear his mind away from the fear that she wasn''t going to make it through the night. Brent pressed a little harder on the gas, He couldn¡¯t miss this. Not this time. If this was Katie¡¯s final struggle with cancer, He needed to be there. He wanted to be there.

    He let out a low, frustrated growl that blew away in the currents of wind. He was mad at himself. He¡¯d tried for so many years to find this miraculous, life changing feeling. Yet in all his attempts to fix his mistakes he¡¯d lost sight of what was sitting in front of him. He let his eyes close for a brief moment as he began to slowly move onto the off ramp of the freeway. The hour long drive had passed by. For the moment his tears seemed to have stopped. He drew another deep breath trying to regain his composure.

    His pupils followed the lights of the street and a few passing cars that he drove by. The streets were empty and the street lamps were fading out for the night. The road ahead seemed long and in his mind, it seemed to go on forever. The Hospital finally came into view and a glimmer of hope rushed through his mind as he pulled into the hospital parking lot. He glanced over at the building, pushing the gear shift into park. The lights on most of the windows were darkened, save a few that were lit up along the building.

    Brent opened the car door and planted his feet firmly on the asphalt. The muscles in his legs were sore, but he ran through the pain. He was determined to get to her. The reality of the situation had already set in and Brent was coming to terms with each possibility. If there was hope that she¡¯d pull through, He would sit with her, by her bedside. Just like he¡¯d always done with anything that happened to her. He just wanted to be there for her. He cared deeply for her. Katie was his partner through this life. The only partner he ever worked so hard to keep around. The only constant that he had ever come to rely on. She is. . His true love.

    ¡°Which floor is she on?!¡± He demanded at the very second he made eye contact with the receptionist. His heart was racing faster than ever. ¡°Where¡¯s Katie?¡±

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    ¡°Sir, calm down.¡± The receptionist replied, looking up from the computer. ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of your visit?

    The sound of an elevator door opening, ripped Brent¡¯s attention away from the receptionist. ¡±Brent! Come with me!¡± The rocky sound of Dani¡¯s voice brought a brief smile to Brent¡¯s face. ¡°He¡¯s with me.¡± She told the receptionist as she made her away down the hallway, her heels clicking against the ceramic tiles. Her long manicured nails wrapped around his wrist, pulling him behind her into the Elevator.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Brent mumbled, letting himself relax against the side of the Elevator. ¡°I¡¯m. .¡± he paused for a second, struggling with the words while trying to catch is breath. ¡°I¡¯m not thinking very clearly right now.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Dani said, flashing him a brief smile. ¡°Thank you for getting here so fast. I know she wants to see you.¡± The smile ran away from Dani¡¯s face and her gaze fell to the ground. She ran a finger through her hair and brushed it back behind her ear. ¡°Look,¡± she continued as she brought her eyes to meet his. ¡°I just spoke with the doctor on staff tonight. You aren¡¯t gonna like this, but Her vitals are low. Her breathing is slowed and her heart rate below average.¡± She closed her eyes and a tear fell from her blush colored cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to make it through the night. She¡¯s still awake, but she could go any minute now. I¡¯ve already said my goodbyes.¡± Dani said, sinking back against the elevator wall. Tears streamed down her face and sniffles could be heard coming from her nostrils.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Brent said, struggling to hold himself together. The door opened and Dani pulled Brent by the arm as fast as her feet could carry her. ¡±Are you sure that you don¡¯t need me to hold those for you?¡±

    ¡°Hold what?¡± Dani asked before pausing and glancing down at her chest. ¡°Very funny. My Best friend is dying and you¡¯re making jokes.¡± She replied, giving him a blank stare.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Brent replied, snickering to himself, ¡°Just trying to lighten the mood.¡± Dani rolled her eyes and continued down the hallway. Brent¡¯s eyes focused on the blood stains on the carpet. Seconds later they found the room. The lights were dimmed, barely revealing ginger haired lady that lay there in the hospital bed. Her arms fidgeted slightly and her gaze shifted ever so slightly.

    ¡°This one¡¯s reeaal mature, Katie.¡± Dani protested, standing firmly in the doorway. ¡°He offered to help me hold my boobs.¡± Dani sniffled and lifted her arm to cover it up. ¡°Dirty old perv!¡±

    A faint giggle escaped Katie¡¯s lips. Her finger pointed at Dani and curled as if to summon her forward. Dani took a few steps forward and  leaned over, listening to her friend. Katie leaned up with as much strength as she could gather and whispered softly into Dani¡¯s ear. Dani rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. ¡°You two were made for each other,¡± she muttered as she stormed out of the room.

    Brent laughed and settled into the chair next to the bed. ¡°What did you say to her?¡± He asked, taking the joint of his index finger and using it to scratch his nose. She tried to speak, but Brent couldn¡¯t hear anything. He leaned in a little closer, letting his head rest comfortably on the mattress next to hers.

    ¡°I told her. .¡± Brent leaned forward just a tiny bit closer. ¡±I told her . . that you were only trying to take the boulders . . off her shoulders.¡±Katie laughed a little and Brent Joined her. ¡°It¡¯s too much fun making. . . fun of her.¡± Katie whispered, though her laughter was cut short by a hard cough that almost knocked the breath out of her.

    ¡°Yeah it is.¡± He whispered, drawing a deep breath. ¡±What do you think Jeff would be saying if he was still here?¡± Brent asked with a grin slowly forming on his face.

    ¡°He. .¡± She let out a hard cough and stared at him, trying to keep hold of her train of thought. ¡°He¡¯d probably give us a lecture on the miracles of Plastic surgery. .¡±

    ¡°And chase after her.¡± Brent finished her sentence, letting his free hand wander over to Katie¡¯s side. ¡°Offering to help her while finding excuses to randomly feel them for himself.¡±

    The two of them laughed for a moment. Katie¡¯s gaze fell to Brent¡¯s hand. She looked up at him and flashed him a soft smile. ¡°She was right about. . one thing.¡± she whispered softly, using what little energy she still had to cup her hand over his. ¡°You always made it seem. . ¡° She let out another cough. ¡°Effortless. .¡± said with her last breath. Her head relaxed, her eyes seemed to be fixated on her.

    An all too familiar sinking feeling washed over Brent. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I''ve been so stubborn.¡± Brent replied letting out a deep sigh. The sound of the heart monitor still running compelled him to keep going. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been so selfish.¡± Brent¡¯s eyes drifted off, letting his head fall to the hospital bed next to hers. ¡°Thank you for everything you did. For getting me out of the house after my mom died. . For picking me up at the bar the night that Jeff finally convinced Danielle to go home with him. For taking me in after that fall out with Maria. . For helping me stay afloat while I started my career as a writer. .For supporting me." He paused for a second as a tear formed in his eyes. His throat was getting choked up. "Thank you for being there for me. For holding me up when things felt absolutely hopeless. I. . . I love you Katie Benson. .¡± His head dropped as his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Brent closed his eyes, making himself comfortable. Tears trickled down his cheeks. The heart monitor in the background went flat and Brent¡¯s tears streamed more rapidly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I never told you how much that meant to me.¡± He squeezed her hand tightly. For a brief second her grip tightened around his, but loosened shortly after.

    ¡°I just wanted to say. . ¡° Dani¡¯s voice echoed as she came to a stop at the doorway. ¡°Oh.¡± she paused again then scampered over to Brent and threw her arms around him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, dear.¡± She continued, closing her eyes and resting her head on Brent¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I wish we could have had more time with her. This was never how I pictured this ending. Not for you two. . Not for either of us.¡±

    Brent remained silent, letting Dani¡¯s words echo through his head. Dani was right. Brent didn¡¯t have enough time with her. He¡¯d never held her, not like this. Even as the silence fell over her deceased body, He could feel his spirits rise. Dani soon left to go take care of another patient. Her words echoed through his ears once more. That¡¯s what he wanted. In that moment he would have given anything to have more time with her.

    Brent took his hand from hers and started patting down her pant legs. The strangest thing about these bottles was that they were never far from them. He jammed his hand into one pocket but found nothing. He brought his hand to her other pocket, and scrambled around inside it, completely ignoring the confused looks from the Orderlies as they passed by.

    To his delight he pulled out the bottle from her pocket and wasted no time in opening it. Using his free hand to dig into his own pockets. His fist clenched tightly around the capsule, making sure not to drop it. He rose to his feet as fast as he could. He didn¡¯t have much time before they¡¯d be up to take her to the morgue. He pushed his fingers between her lips and let the capsule drop into her mouth. ¡°Come on. . ¡° he muttered, removing the capsule from his own bottle. And pushing it between his lips. He sank back into the chair and closed his eyes tightly.

 Chapter 32- Brent Moore 34 years old

    His eyes opened slowly, but the view in front of him was unclear. The tick of the clock began to fade slowly as he lay there on the couch. His thoughts took a few moments to settle down and his pupils were glazed over as he stared out into the pitch black darkness of Jeff¡¯s dimly lit apartment. The moon outside lit up a small corner of the living room. When Brent finally got hold of himself, but his legs felt numb. Almost as if they were halted in the middle of a fierce windstorm. Brent had no other option but to lay there and ponder what had just happened.

    He found the strength to reach into his pocket and search for the bottle, but he couldn¡¯t find it. His body felt jetlagged, but he managed to pat down his legs and search for the bottle in every pocket he could think of. ¡°Dude. If you don¡¯t take your hands out of there this second, I¡¯m kicking you out of my house.¡± Came a familiar voice that startled Brent back to reality. He looked down at his hand that was sliding out the side of his pants, then tilted his head upwards to see his friend standing in the doorway with his phone light on. He flipped the light on which brought a shock to Brent¡¯s eyes. ¡°Jordan? This strange person with his hand in his pants is my best friend Brent. Perv, this is Jordan. We met at the bar tonight.¡± Jeff shifted his gaze back to Brent. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re looking for something in there.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t find it.¡± Brent replied, attempting to pat down his legs once more. Brent finally rolled off the couch and tried to get to his feet. He lunged toward Jeff, trying to catch him in a hug, but missed and face planted into Jordan¡¯s feet. ¡°Sorry. . ¡° Brent said, nervously lifting his head up.

    ¡°Sorry about my friend.¡± Jeff said, turning to face Jordan. ¡°He suffers from severe mental impairments. Some days I have to feed him or he starts trying to eat my shoes.¡± Brent rolled his eyes at Jeff¡¯s sarcasm. ¡°I keep my wine bottles in a mini fridge in my closet. Why don¡¯t you go pick one out and I¡¯ll meet you in the bedroom.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± Brent said in a low tone after the dirty blond haired girl left the room. ¡°The bottle is gone. . I used it all up.¡±

    ¡°So you have been drinking.¡± Jeff said, leaning down to help his friend back up to his feet. With no success, Brent lost his foot and fell back down. ¡°Ok dude, what have you been drinking?¡±

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    ¡°I Haven''t been drinking anything, I promise.¡± Brent replied, catching himself on his knee. ¡°At Least I think I haven¡¯t. . What day is it?¡±

    Jeff gave his friend a confused look. ¡±It¡¯s a few days before your wedding. What kind of question is that? You of all people should be keeping track.¡±

    ¡°My Wedding to who?¡± Brent asked with an air of hope that he already knew the answer. ¡°Who am I marrying again?¡±

    ¡°Your fianc¨¦,¡± Jeff replied utterly dumbfounded as to what was going on. ¡°You¡¯re getting married to Katie. Did you hit your head, because I don¡¯t have time to take you to the hospital? And given what Dani told me earlier tonight, That¡¯s about the last place you probably want to go after your fight with your fianc¨¦.¡±

    ¡°Oh Good,¡± Brent replied with a grin as he positioned himself back on the couch. ¡°That means there¡¯s still time.¡± Brent paused as his memories returned to him. ¡°If there still is going to be a wedding.¡± Brent''s head dropped the moment those words escaped his lips. He buried his head in his hands as the realization came to him. After everything he¡¯d said and done, there was a thought that the wedding might not even take place.

    ¡°If there¡¯s still going to be a Wedding?¡± Jeff asked with a wide eyed response. ¡°What the hell happened? And why did you try to hug me?¡±

    ¡°I Screwed up, that''s what happened!¡± Brent replied, burying his head in his hands. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t blame her if she never forgives me for it.¡± He paused for a second before replying to Jeff¡¯s other question. ¡°And I¡¯m just glad you''re alive. . . I¡¯ll just say. . .¡± Brent stifled a sniffle before he continued. ¡°You . . . You really need to stop sleeping with so many women. . . It could be the . . Death of you. .¡± Brent trailed off into muffled sobbing behind the palms of his hands.

    Jeff was beyond confused, but now didn¡¯t seem like the time to ask questions. ¡°Ok . . ok . . You can sleep out here for the night. I¡¯ll get some pillows and a blanket for you, but you¡¯re talking nonsense here.¡± Jeff left for a few seconds and came back with a pillow, setting it down carefully next to his friend. ¡°Just lay down and get some sleep. ¡±The dark haired man said, easing Brent over onto his side. ¡°Just go to sleep and we¡¯ll talk about this in the morning. . . I need to get back to my date, before she discovers my collection of old posters under my bed.¡±

    ¡°Jeff?!¡± Jordan¡¯s voice called out from the bedroom. ¡°Why do you have so many posters of Jenna . . ?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s just a a really great actress!¡± Jeff shouted from the living room. ¡±I think she has a lot of potential.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a funny name to call her. . ¡° she trailed off. ¡°What¡¯s this one? You never struck me as a Baywatch Fan!¡±

    ¡°Shit!¡± Jeff whispered pulling a blanket over Brent.¡±I¡¯ll need to do some damage control tonight.¡±

 Chapter 33- Aeryn Love and Jaron Holland- Realm of Time

    Aeryn took a step onto the rocky ground just outside the temple of time. He gazed out over the vast riverbanks that made up the realm of time. To the apprentice, it all seemed infinite. The river of time stretched into multiple rivers that ran into an endless amount of streams. It was enough to give any mortal man a pulsating headache upon first sight of it. ¡°Mortals were never meant to see the river of time for themselves. The mere thought of so many lives connected in such an infinite body of water would be way too much for any mortal to handle. It would simply just overload their brain. To step in the River of Time would cause anyone to lose themselves and become lost in time. Even the Keepers weren¡¯t immune to that. <b>The Land of Time is by all Means A dangerous place.</b>¡± Those were the words Kronos spoke when he brought Aeryn and Jaron to this place. Those words didn¡¯t make the Task ahead seem any easier.

    Jaron stopped in the middle of the staircase once he¡¯d spotted the other Apprentice. He tilted his head as curiosity set in. What could Aeryn be doing outside the temple. He slowed himself down and decided to remain more quiet. He followed the other apprentice closely, watching as he crept out over the river. As soon as Jaron reached the doorway, he took off in a quiet run to try to catch Aeryn by surprise. Jaron was stopped by the snap of two fingers. Frozen in the moment and unable to move.

    ¡°Did you not pay attention to what Kronos Said?¡± Aeryn shouted, gesturing to the water just below Jaron¡¯s feet. ¡°This isn¡¯t a good place to run.¡±

    Jaron managed to free his fingers from the spell just enough to snap his own fingers. ¡°Why did you stop me for that?¡± He asked, extending his leg over the river and onto the rocky shore.

    ¡°Because.¡± He replied, continuing to tiptoe over each water vein. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get lost in time. Kronos told us that if anyone were to set foot in the river, they would become lost in time. The current is too powerful.¡±

    ¡°What does that even mean though?¡± Jaron asked, scurrying along to try to catch up. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I just get dragged into the river and hit my head on several rocks? I mean, I can take the pain if that¡¯s what you¡¯re getting at?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t pay attention.¡± Aeryn replied as he dug his hand into the pockets of his robe. ¡°To become lost in time is to drift along the river. Even if I could pull you, you would fall into a deep depression. A depression that most people wouldn¡¯t come out of.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Jaron replied, stopping on the bank across from his competition. ¡°We¡¯re competing to become one of the Keepers. If I were to become lost in time, this would only get easier for you.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m not satisfied with the easy way out.¡± Aeryn said, turning his head toward Jaron. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me. I need to find this vein.¡±

    ¡°Which vein are you looking for?¡± Jaron asked with a confused look on his face. ¡±There are literally billions and billions of River veins out here. Good luck finding one specific water vein.¡±

    Aeryn took a small hourglass from his pocket and stopped at the river bank, popping open the top and pouring it into his hand. With a wave of his hand he scattered a little sand into the River of Time. ¡°This one!¡± he replied as the waves illuminated along the river. He stuffed the hourglass back into his robes and pulled out another one, repeating the same action. Two streams lit up below the two apprentices. Aeryn focused on the lights, following them as carefully as he could, making sure not to  touch any of the waves.

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    Jaron followed him closely, but stopped from time to time to look around. He tiptoed along each bank before coming to a stop in front of a large pocket of water. ¡°Do you remember about these?¡± Jaron asked, focusing on the sight of what looked like a very deep pocket of water in front of him.

    ¡°About what?¡± Aeryn replied, withdrawing his focus from the illuminated veins. He hopped from one bank to another to try to catch up to Jaron. ¡°Oh these.¡± Aeeryn proclaimed once he saw it. He stopped for a second and pondered, trying to recall Kronos¡¯s words. ¡°I think he said something about  the pockets happening when a person comes to a stand still in their lifetime. The currents create pockets where the water just moves in a circle. Until one of the currents manages to form a vein, the stream won¡¯t continue beyond this point. For some people the river never breaks off.¡±

    ¡°And they stay trapped in that pocket for the rest of their lives?¡± Jaron asked, turning to face the other apprentice. ¡±It¡¯s a scary thing to think about. That someone could just stop living.¡±

    ¡°Spoken like a true adventurer.¡± Aeryn replied, letting out a sigh and turning to focus on the illuminated river veins. ¡°But some people are happy with that. In their eyes, they¡¯re right where they want to be.¡±

    ¡°I guess I should envy those people a little.¡± Jaron replied, glancing back at the temple in the distance. ¡°I¡¯m gonna head back. I¡¯ll see you around the temple.¡± Just as he turned around his foot came in contact with a small rock that rolled off into the River of Time. Jaron just brushed it off and took off toward the golden temple.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you around the Temple.¡± Aeryn shouted with a wave. He watched as the rock rolled into the river and pondered the consequences. ¡°You just made someone¡¯s life a little more difficult.¡± He whispered to himself, turning to follow the two veins. ¡°Kronos isn¡¯t going to like that.¡± Aeryn hopped along between the veins following the two streams until he found them meeting. A sigh of relief washed over him. He was almost done. After what felt like an hour he reached a part of the illuminated river that broke off into two veins. He removed two bottles from his other pocket and knelt down by each vein, opening them both. The stream flooded the bottle and filled in in just a few seconds. As he replace the caps on each bottle the flow of water came to a halt. The water vein began to dry up.

    Aeryn held the bottle above his head and stared into the bottom of it. A scene began to play out at the bottom of the bottle. The scene that showed Brent¡¯s face as he looked out over the small California town. Before his eyes, the water morphed in front of him. Taking the form of several capsules, much like the ones he¡¯d given to Katie and Brent. Aeryn collected the water from each of the illuminated veins, stuffing the bottles back in his pocket before heading back toward the temple.

    It would feel like another hour before Aeryn finally reached the Temple of Time. ¡°What did you get?¡± Jaron asked, the second the other Apprentice came through the doorway. Without warning, Jaron reached into the Pocket of Aeryn¡¯s robe and removed one of the bottles. ¡°Aha! You messed with the river time! Kronos is going to be sooo angry at you. We¡¯re not supposed to mess with the River of Time. I¡¯m gonna go tell him and you¡¯ll lose this competition.¡±

    Aeryn panicked and snapped his fingers again, squinting as He looked over Jaron. He was halted where he stood holding the bottle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t let you do that. Jaron grumbled in place, unable to move his lips or any of his body. Though Jaron tried, the spell from his fellow Apprentice was too powerful.  Jaron could hear and he could watch, but that was all he could do. And that¡¯s what he did as Aeryn stuffed the bottle back into his pocket and vanished.

    Jaron stumbled over as soon as Aeryn left the room. His curiosity peaked and he managed to regain his footing, taking off through the temple in search of the Father of Time. Whatever Aeryn was planning on doing with the water from the river, Jaron didn¡¯t think it would be good. Plus, if Jaron could get his fellow Apprentice in trouble, It would eliminate his competition and He would gain the title of a Keeper. That¡¯s all Jaron could think about as he ran up the stairs.

 Chapter 34- Brent Moore- Ages 34 years old

    ¡°I¡¯ll come over as soon as I can.¡± Brent said as he hung up the phone. He closed his eyes for the moment trying to gather his thoughts. His mind drifted to the situation at hand. His wedding day was closing in fast. Just another day and he would be waiting for Katie at the other end of that aisle. At least that''s what he hoped would happen. He¡¯d just gotten off the phone with Aeryn who insisted that he come in, but Brent didn¡¯t want to get up. It didn¡¯t help that he could hear some of the details of Jeff¡¯s exploits coming from the room down the hall for most of the night. Though Brent had just figured to expect that from Jeff. It was his house after all.

    ¡°Text me when you get off work.¡± Came Jeff¡¯s voice as he shut the door behind Jordan. He studied his friend for a moment as he lay there on the couch. All while listening for the distant sound of a car door shutting from outside. ¡°Dude, wake up!¡±  Jeff shouted at his sleeping friend, turning to make his way over toward Brent. ¡°That little thing you did last night, compelled her to tell me about her foot fetish. Drove her crazy like all night long. Best lay I¡¯ve had all month.¡±

    ¡°I could have gone my whole day without knowing that.¡± Brent replied, opening his eyes slowly and staring up at the short haired athletically built man that he called his Best friend. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to tell me the details of your sexcapades.¡± Brent¡¯s tone gave off a robotic Quality. ¡°I heard more than enough last night.¡±

    ¡°I do it because I care.¡± Jeff replied sarcastically as he made himself comfortable on the bean bag chair, relaxing and kicking his legs up. ¡°So What¡¯s the deal man? Have you talked to Katie yet? Do you know for a fact that the wedding is off? Dani is one of her Bridesmaids isn¡¯t she?¡±

    Jeff turned his head to make eye contact with his best friend.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you the story.¡± Brent said, sitting up slowly and trying to steady himself. And I told you, you need to stop doing that. It could very well be the death of you.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you say man.¡± Jeff replied, rolling his eyes at his tall blonde haired friend. ¡°I¡¯m just eager to get some alone time with Katie¡¯s friend, Dani.¡±

    ¡°Dude! You know she¡¯s a damn gold digger right?¡± Brent was getting frustrated. The guilt and anguish of everything he¡¯d managed to witness up until now was getting to him. ¡°The only way she¡¯d get with you is if you dropped gold coins in the toilet every time you went to the bathroom.¡±

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    ¡°Whoa! Whoa!¡± Jeff replied, holding up his palm. ¡±Calm down man. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you man. I¡¯m just spitballing. What¡¯s going on man?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry man.¡± Brent said, letting out a long sigh and looking for his things. ¡°I¡¯m just a little on edge. Katie hasn¡¯t texted me or even tried to call me, yet. The Rehearsal Dinner is supposed to be tonight and I don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s going to be there.¡± Brent paused for a second and let out a sigh. ¡°Ok so I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d be here all night last night. . . and I¡¯m not ready to go home yet, but I have an appointment with Dr. Love. Can I borrow some clothes?¡±

    ¡°You actually went to see that guy?¡±  Jeff replied, raising a brow.¡± His name sounds like a lame grab for the title of ¡°Love Doctor.¡± It¡¯s sooooo corny man.¡±

    ¡°My curiosity got the best of me and now he wants to show me something.¡± He watched as his friend disappeared into his room and came out with a t-shirt and a pair of skinny jeans. ¡°Turns out he kind makes a little sense.¡±

    ¡°A little?¡± Jeff let out a chuckle and handed him the outfit. ¡°A little sense isn¡¯t exactly a trait I search for in a doctor. I prefer a lot more than just a little sense. Here, all I could find were a few outfits I had from high school.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Joking right?¡± Brent asked, holding up the pants to his waist. ¡° They don¡¯t even cover my calves.¡± He continued holding them up and twirling them around in his hands. ¡°Was this part of a Schoolboy Uniform? When did you even get this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story involving the captain of the cheerleading squad and cherry vanilla vodka.¡± Jeff replied as his cheeks flushed light pink color. ¡°It happened during the Grad night party after the Hypnotist show.¡±

    Brent stared at his friend with a dumbfounded look on his face. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity trying to grasp any explanation he could think of. ¡°I¡¯m just not going to ask,¡± He said after a few minutes of silence. ¡°Can I use your shower?¡±  He asked, getting up and making his way down the hall.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡± Jeff replied, trying to put a stop to the video of suppressed memories that was playing in his head. ¡°Wait!¡± Jeff paused for a second as the picture of her face came to mind. ¡°Dude, Tawny was Hot okay?!¡± he shouted out to Brent, but his friend was already out of sight.

    Brent had stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, drying himself off as he looked back over the outfit his friend had picked out. Jeff had a bigger frame than he did which meant that he couldn¡¯t try to switch out the seemingly small pants for anything more his size. He took a deep breath and tried to stuff his legs into the fabric as much as he could. The fabric was soft on his legs, but the breeze hit his calves as soon as he got his feet through.  He looked down at his phone and realized how short he was on time. Without thinking he pulled the shirt over his head and rushed out the door as soon as he could.

    The drive to the hospital was full of uncomfortable stares, all of which just made Brent wish his windows were more tinted.

 Chapter 35- Katie Benson- 38 years old

    The morning sunlight pierced the crevices of her eyelids. She turned her head a little burying her face in the pillow only to feel the dampness of her tear stained pillow. Katie couldn¡¯t seem to gather her thoughts. Her mind felt like it was racing at dangerous speeds. Her body felt like it was being held down under the weight of an anvil. She closed her eyes once more trying to slow the speed of her thoughts. It took what seemed like minutes for her to regain some kind of footing in this current time. The mortal body wasn¡¯t meant to handle time travel by itself. When she finally gained some form of grasp on reality, she was overcome with feelings of dread and despair.

    Her eyes remained closed and her limbs held still, quietly hoping for this feeling to go away. The last thing she could remember was the sight of the empty house she¡¯d come home to. While she was laying in the hers and Brent¡¯s bed, the sheets were still made. She let out a deep sigh as the feelings of heaviness began to lift from her chest. She knew she had to get up, but the reality of things made it more difficult to do. She planted her feet and managed to get to her feet, but she didn¡¯t get very far before she stumbled over and caught herself on the dresser. She pried open the door and managed to get a few more steps in before stumbling out into the recliner that sat in front of the tv. She pulled herself up into the chair and curled up in a ball, burying her face in the arm rest. Her emotions boiled to the surface and a single tear trickled down her cheek.

    As hard as she tried, she couldn¡¯t call to mind the previous night in the hospital, just a scene that was becoming more and more blurry by the second. The ringing of her phone stirred Katie from her thoughts. ¡°Hello?¡± She asked, trying to choke back more tears.

    ¡°Katie Benson?¡± The voice on the other side of the call was familiar. It sounded like Nat''s voice. ¡°I¡¯m calling from Dr. Love¡¯s office. He wants you to come in as soon as you¡¯re available.¡±

    ¡°Why are you calling?¡± Katie replied in a grudging tone. ¡°You¡¯re the last person I want to hear from.¡± Before she had finished her statement, the call had ended. Her frustration culminated into a loud scream that echoed through the empty house. More tears trickled down her cheek as she sobbed into the chair. Why hadn¡¯t Brent been there to talk, when she got home. And why hadn¡¯t he come home. She began to fear the worst as she thought about it. Still she had to get up. Her breathing was shallow and rapid. Her leg slipped off the couch inch by inch. Her make up was smear. Her scrubs were spotted with tear stains.

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    Katie slowly planted her feet on the floor and managed to pull herself up, but only to fall back against the recliner. She waited a few minutes then got herself up and walked back into the room, pulling out her drawers and picking out her clothes for the trip to the hospital. The more she thought about the hospital the more she dread it. She dreaded going into her own workplace and seeing what seemed likely to be Nat, the woman that had driven a wedge between her and her fianc¨¦.

    Katie locked the car door behind her after she pulled into the hospital Parking lot. As soon as she walked through the automated doors, the first thing she heard was the clicking of heels against the ceramic tiles of the hospital floor. At the time she only knew one nurse that insisted on wearing heels to work every day. She looked around the front entrance carefully looking for the sight of her friend.

    She found the blond with her hair in braids, sitting quietly in the waiting area for the hospital¡¯s attending plastic surgeon. She slowed her movements to a sneak and got behind her friend. As she drew closer she lunged forward and hugged Danielle from behind. ¡°You don¡¯t know how happy I am to see you and your original sized boobs.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Dani asked with a puzzled look. ¡°What do you mean my original sized boobs? This is the first time I''ve seen this doctor. When have they ever been bigger?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡± Katie replied awkwardly, searching her mind for the image to back up what she had just said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t even know where that came from.¡±

    ¡°Really now?¡± Dani replied, raising her brow, but choosing to shrug off her friend¡¯s comment. ¡°What are you doing here anyways? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be getting ready for the rehearsal dinner?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here for an appointment.¡± Katie replied while straightening her posture. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Dr. Love.¡±

    ¡°Dr. Love?¡± Dani responded with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve been all over this hospital and I¡¯ve yet to see that name. It sounds like a bad pick up line some guy used on me at the bar once.¡±

    ¡°Tell me. . ¡°Katie replied with a short laughing fit that she tried to suppress. ¡°How did that line work on you?¡± Continued Katie who was struggling to keep a straight face.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t call me back.¡±  she said, taking a deep breath and ripping her gaze away from her friend. ¡°He was a squad captain for the police department. . He owned his own house.¡±

    ¡°Danielle?¡± a voice echoed from across the floor. Dani rose to her feet and walked off toward the nurse. ¡°I understand you¡¯re here for a consultation? Dr. Simmons will be here shortly.¡±

    Katie waved to her friend and turned around to make her way back to the elevators. She reached out to push the button to call the elevator, but someone else had beat her to it. She followed the pointed finger immediately recognizing the face attached to it. Brent was standing next to the elevator as well. The feelings began to rush back to her along with the angry thoughts.

 Chapter 36- Brent Moore and Katie Benson -34 and 38 years old

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Katie snarled, refusing to make eye contact with the man she called her fianc¨¦. The elevator door sounded and the couple both took a step inside it. Brent waited for a second to let the ginger haired lady inside. Katie stood across from him, arms folded, refusing to look in his direction. Her brooding expression could give insight only to  the poisonous thoughts that ran in her head.

    ¡°I spent the night at Jeff¡¯s.¡± He lied, taking his index finger and brushing his bangs from his eyes. Brent leaned against the wall, his head drooped against the side. A silence fell between the two as the elevator doors closed. Brent¡¯s head filled with sorrow and regret. A single tear streamed down Brent¡¯s cheek, which he wiped off on the fabric of the uniform his friend lent him. The outfit was tight against his frame, making  movement uncomfortable for him.

    ¡°What the hell are you wearing?¡± Katie asked, breaking the silence that had lasted for most of the elevator ride. The bell sounded and the elevator doors opened slowly. Katie was the first of the two to step out.

    ¡°Jeff lent it to me, don¡¯t ask.¡± Brent replied, taking a deep breath and stepping out of the elevator doorway before it closed.

    ¡°You look ridiculous.¡± Katie said, stopping and shooting a glance back at him. ¡°The whole thing looks a little tight. How are you even walking in that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very restrictive.¡± Brent said, opening the door to Dr. Love¡¯s office for Katie. ¡°It¡¯s touching me in places you haven¡¯t for years. I¡¯m afraid if I bend over it won¡¯t survive.¡±

    ¡°Riiiight.¡± Katie replied, taking a seat two chairs apart from him. ¡±And you got that from Jeff? Why didn¡¯t you go with something . . I don¡¯t know, Bigger?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen his frame,¡± Brent replied, his gaze focused on his ginger haired fianc¨¦. ¡±His clothing now would swallow me whole. Even his muscle shirts would make me look like a five year old that raided his dad¡¯s closet.¡± Brent heard the softest giggle escape Katie¡¯s lips. He got up from his chair and tried to get Katie¡¯s attention, but she refused to look at him. He made an effort to try to place himself in her field of vision, but Katie dodged it.

    ¡°Brent Moore and Katie Benson?¡± a voice came from the doorway at the other end of the waiting room. ¡±Dr. Aeryn will see you now.¡±

    Katie instantly recognized the lady as one of the triplets she¡¯d seen from her last visit. Brent on the other hand cast her a strange glance. ¡°Nurse Lacey? How are your sisters doing?¡± Katie asked as Brent followed behind her and the nurse. Brent seemed rather fascinated by the lady as they walked along the gold colored corridor. ¡°Why do you keep looking at her like that?¡± she whispered under her breath at Brent

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay.¡± Brent whispered back, tilting his head as he kept his distance and focus behind her. She was by all means a beautiful sight for him to see. Brent couldn¡¯t rip his eyes away. ¡°She¡¯s just really really. . ``Before he could finish the sentence Katie had pelted him in the face with  a stray pen that was sitting on the counter of the nurse¡¯s station. ¡°Ow! What was that for?¡± He asked, rubbing his face where the pen hit.

    ¡°That!¡± she whispered loudly pointing down at Brent¡¯s tight pants. When Brent looked down at his pants, he could see the bump that seemed to be pushing at the seams of his pants. ¡°Could you stop undressing the nurse with your eyes?¡± a few of the seams seemed to split, opening a hole in the tight form fitting uniform. Brent was struck speechless, taking a deep breath as he settled into his seat. Katie hopped up on the bench rolling her eyes at her fianc¨¦. The nurse had left the couple by themselves for only  a few seconds before they heard a knock on the door.

    ¡°Knock knock.¡± Aeryn said, as he slipped through the doorway and closed the door behind him carefully. ¡°How¡¯s my favorite. . ?¡±  Before he could finish the sentence, he caught sight of the young couple. He made himself comfortable on the stool next to a desk with what looked like two bottles of eye drops on it. The sight of the two lovers so close, but so far apart was alarming and a little unexpected. He fished for his next words with caution. ¡°So what¡¯s with the outfit? Did you two?¡±

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    ¡°Nope. I would have made him change before coming here.¡± Katie replied shifting her gaze over to Dr. Love. ¡±He spent that night at his friend Jeff¡¯s. By the way, you can come over and get something more appropriate after we¡¯re done here.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Brent replied in a defeated voice, though his gaze remained focused on the floor, refusing to make eye contact with either of them. ¡±So what is it you asked us here to show us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked.¡± Aeryn said, forging a half smile and fidgeting with the eye drop bottles on the counter. ¡°You see? I wanted to explain to you two the last part of your treatment.¡± He held up one of the bottles to show the couple. ¡°Ms. Benson, if you¡¯ll be so kind as to lay down on the bench. Do you two know what these are?¡±

    ¡°Eyedrops, duh.¡± Katie replied, though her tone sounded more sarcastic which made Aeryn feel a little foolish for asking. ¡°Lemme Guess. . they¡¯re magical eye drops?¡±

    Aeryn refused to play into her sarcasm. ¡°Just lay back, please.¡±  Katie refused to listen to his request and pushed Dr. Love aside. Aeryn took a step back as Katie rose to her feet.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already done enough.¡± She bent down to grab her stuff and Brent leapt to his feet and put himself between her and the door. ¡°You didn¡¯t fix anything between us. You just made it worse.¡± She paused as she bumped into Brent. ¡°Either get behind me or get out of my way.¡± She demanded, shoving Brent aside.

    Dr. Love observed the surrounding area.  He unscrewed the bottle and snapped his fingers, with his gaze centered on the redhead and the long haired blonde. Instantly Katie and Brent were both frozen where they stood. Kronos¡¯s voice rang through his mind at that moment. ¡°If you use these powers for any selfish reasons or to hurt anyone at all, Human or Deity, you will be punished. You will be made to live among ¡°The Lost.¡± The Lost are beings whose existence has halted and written out of history.¡± Those were the words from Kronos that rang through Aeryn¡¯s ears. A sinking feeling took him over. Still, what was done was done. He raised his hand and numbers like a clock appeared in a golden glow in front of him. He took his finger carefully and pressed it against the glowing clock, moving it back carefully. The scene rewinded in front of him.

    ¡°Magical eye drops?¡± Came Katie¡¯s sarcastic tone once more. Before she could get up Aeryn held his hand to her forehead and turned the bottle upside down. A drop of glimmering multi-colored solution fell from the  container and hit her in the eyes. ¡±What the Hell. . ?¡± Her words were halted. Aeryn repeated the action to her other eye and gently lowered her down onto her back.

    ¡°What did you just. . ¡° Brent rose to his feet and walked over to the bench, staring down at his Fianc¨¦, who looked as if she was frozen in time. ¡±What¡¯d you do to my Fianc¨¦?¡± Brent shouted angrily looking down at the redhead.

    ¡°Calm down, please.¡± Aeryn replied, gesturing to the angry Brent. ¡±Nothing is going to happen to her. She¡¯s just Having a vision.¡± Aeryn took his fingers and placed them over her eyelids. He reached into his lab coat and removed a small napkin from his pocket. He proceeded to carefully dab the solution as it trickled from her eyelids.

    ¡°Visions?¡± He said, looking down at his fianc¨¦''s head. Her chest began to rise and fall at that moment. She drew a deep breath and Brent¡¯s expression immediately shifted. ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡±

    ¡°I-I am.¡± She opened her eyes carefully but didn¡¯t move any other part of her body. Recognizing the feeling from when she¡¯d woken up that morning. ¡°I saw something. . It played in front of me like a movie that I was watching progress. It was a vision of you. Like I was looking through your eyes and hearing your thoughts. .¡± Katie¡¯s expression was in disbelief.

    ¡°That¡¯s what these eye drops do.¡± He took both bottles and handed them to both Katie and Brent. ¡°I want you to try these over the next day. They will help you see and hear things from the life of the other. You won¡¯t be able to do anything about it, you¡¯ll just watch life from the other¡¯s point of view. You¡¯ll see what they see. Please, just take the time and put them in whenever you feel like you can¡¯t understand. It won¡¯t take time. It will only suspend you in time for the moment. You won¡¯t lose time or become lost.¡± Aeryn said, opening the office door and letting the couple out. With the couple gone he shut the door and sat back on the bench of the office, drawing a deep Breath. Worry began to wash over Dr. Love. A fear of that spawned a stream of thoughts in his head.

 Chapter 37- Katie Benson- Age 38 Years old

    Katie fell back against the driver¡¯s seat of her car. It¡¯d taken a lot to swallow her pride in the doctor¡¯s office, but she¡¯d managed to cool off some. Partially because she¡¯d seen something in that vision that Dr. Love  showed her. Maybe it was the sound of Her fianc¨¦''s thoughts that reverberated through her mind. Maybe it was the things he saw or the way he perceived things that calmed her still beating heart. After a few minutes of replaying the morning in her head over and over again, she finally started the car and took off down the road.

    Though the vision was short lived, it played through her head all the way home. It only lasted what seemed like a minute, but it spoke to a much deeper side of her. When Katie finally pulled into the driveway of the house, she was overcome with a feeling of emptiness. She dreaded the idea of seeing their home so empty. It left a piece of her heart feeling broken. She dropped her purse by the recliner that Brent usually liked to sit in and quickly filled the empty spot with her own self. She drew a deep sigh as she removed the eye drop bottle from her purse and looked it over. This one was a stranger color than the capsule bottle that she could have sworn remembering seeing. The liquid in the clear bottle seemed to crystalize inside the bottle giving off the same rainbow color glow that the capsules did.

    The sound of shuffling pulled the redhead from her thoughts and alerted her to the fact that she wasn¡¯t alone. The shuffling sound was coming from their bedroom. She rose from her seat and crept over to the closed doorway, carefully pushing it open. ¡°I Thought you were staying at Jeff¡¯s.¡± She said instantly recognizing her fianc¨¦. Brent dragged a small suitcase full of clothes along with him.

    ¡°I just came by to get a few clothes of my own.¡± Brent said,  folding a pair of his pants and stuffing them into the backpack. ¡±I didn¡¯t want you to feel uneasy or awkward having me around So I convinced Jeff to drop me off and hide the car while he waited.¡± Brent continued with a half smile. ¡°These pants are starting to make me feel like I¡¯m walking around with a fir tree tied to  my waist.¡±

    ¡°Oh. . ok.:  Katie replied feeling a tad uncomfortable as she watched her fianc¨¦ zip up the suitcase. She struggled with the words to say a little caught between her emotions. ¡°Look, I.¡± Before she could finish her fianc¨¦ was already out the door. Katie found herself lost in her thoughts once more as she plopped down on the edge of the bed. She took the eye drops and rotated the bottle in her hand. She toppled over on the mattress, her head hitting the pillow instantly. Katie drew a deep breath and shifted onto her back taking the drops and removing the cap. She tipped the bottle toward each eye and let the drops hit her corneas.

    <b><i>A Vision 16 years in the past</i></b>

    ¡°Where am I?¡± Katie asked, lifting her head up and looking around in a panic.¡±Why can I hear Brent¡¯s voice? Hello?¡±

    ¡°No need to panic, my dear.¡± A third voice came that sounded familiar to her. It was Aeryn¡¯s voice that was playing through her head. ¡°I thought I would allow you a different point of view. You see? This is an alternate timeline. One created by both yourself and your fianc¨¦. It was erased from your own and will soon be carried away in the sands of time. As we speak it solidifies and turns to sand. So I can only show you pieces of this timeline.¡±

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    ¡°Why am I looking at myself?¡± she asked in curiosity her gaze sinking lower to recognize a younger torso that belonged not to her, but to Brent. ¡°What? What happened to my body?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re safely tucked away in your bedroom, but you¡¯re seeing this timeline through the eyes of your fianc¨¦. You¡¯re only here as a spectator though. To see yourself through his eyes. The voice you hear is from his thoughts.¡± Aeryn continued, channeling his thoughts through Katie¡¯s head. ¡°If you want to hear his thoughts though, you must silence your own.¡±

    Katie aimed to talk, but decided against it. She watched carefully as the scene played out. She could taste the ice cream as it passed Brent¡¯s tongue. ¡°I never did understand why he liked that flavor so much.¡± Katie fell silent once more watching the scene play out. The playful demeanor as the two exchanged jokes. It brought a smile to her face that she tried to push away. Brent always did know how to make her laugh. She even watched in horror as the Police Officer fastened the cuffs around Brent¡¯s wrists. She could feel the sinking feeling in her own heart as it set over Brent¡¯s. She could hear Brent¡¯s thoughts cursing at his luck when the officer slapped the cuffs around Brent¡¯s wrists. Then it happened, she felt the tug of her own hand as it dragged Brent¡¯ into the field of Barley. She could hear the cops in the background along with the search dogs. She heard the thoughts of panic that set in as Brent tried to catch his breath hiding in the safety of the abandoned Farmhouse. The more she watched the more it started to fascinate her. She could hear Brent¡¯s nervous thoughts.

    Then something grabbed the attention of the spiritual spectator. The evening sun was setting over the empty field and Katie could see herself. She could feel Brent¡¯s heart leap from his chest as if it was her own. For the first since this vision began heard his thoughts pause as if he couldn¡¯t find words. She saw the breathtaking outline of the beautiful redhead that had left him so captivated. It was as if time itself had stopped. Then came the sting of the bullet as it pierced Brent¡¯s flesh. ¡°Wait!¡± her voice rang out. ¡°Can you. . can you go back?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Just this once, though.¡± Came Aeryn¡¯s voice as the scene in this vision began to rewind like a video from the internet.¡±This far?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Thank you,¡± she said, watching the scene  over in utter amazement. It wasn¡¯t her own beauty she found so amazing, but his reaction that set her heart ablaze. A grin painted itself across her mortal face, surrounded by cheeks that flushed a deep Crimson color. ¡°He¡¯s so. . ¡°

    ¡°In Love with you?¡± Aeryn finished the sentence of an otherwise speechless Katie. ¡°This is the timeline you wrote when you took the time capsules.¡±

    ¡°Time Capsules?¡± Katie asked as the faint sound of a rattling pill bottle reached her ears. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find them when I woke up. Did I use them all? Why can¡¯t I remember seeing any of this?¡±

    ¡°Because it was drained from the River of Time.¡± Aeryn replied, the vision in front of her eyes growing dark. ¡°When something is drained from the River of Time it gets erased leaving only tiny grains of Memory in its wake. Like grains of sand. See? No matter what you did to fix  a past relationship, the same result always happened, just differently. The two of you always found each other.¡±

    Aeryn¡¯s words echoed through Katie¡¯s mind. Tears trickled from the corners of her mortal eyes. She only heard a brief stirring of Brent¡¯s thoughts before they faded away. Katie opened her eyes slowly. She could no longer hear the sound of Aeryn¡¯s voice echoing through her brain. She instantly used the time it would take for the vertigo-like feeling to fade, to reflect.

 Chapter 38-Brent Moor- 34 Years old

    Brent tried his best to keep his composure on the drive back to Jeff¡¯s, but despite his best efforts a tear or two managed to escape from between his eyelids. He made his decision not to take the eyedrops. He already felt bad enough for his actions and, from what Dr. Love described, these visions would only make him feel worse. When he pulled into his friend¡¯s apartment complex, he wasted no time in getting the drops and getting out of the car. The more he moved in the school boy uniform, the more it tore at the seams. At this point, he¡¯d lost a few buttons in his car and the Jacket was halfway torn from the hem up. And the hole in the seams of his pants grew bigger with every step he took toward the door.

    He rushed toward Jeff¡¯s bathroom without a moment''s hesitation as soon as he got in the apartment. He removed the Eyedrops from his pocket and looked it over carefully as he proceeded to struggle with the few buttons still left on the coat of the uniform. Brent removed the lid and brought the tip up to his nostrils. The scent that hit his nose reminded him subtly of Katie¡¯s favorite perfume. Instantly the memories rushed back to him. He set the bottle on the top of the sink and carefully attempted to push the holed up pants down. Though it took some effort with his more slender figure, he had only managed to get this around his ankles, still distracted the path of his thoughts.

    Brent hobbled around the bathroom floor struggling to get the pant legs over his ankles. He¡¯d lost the battle with the uniform pant legs, causing him to topple over onto the bathroom floor. The room seemed to rumble just enough to knock the eyedrops off the counter. Brent squinted in pain for a half second only to feel the liquid drops hit his eyes.

    The trance set in almost instantly, leaving Brent laying on the floor of Jeff¡¯s bathroom in a mesmerized stare. The room around him began to shift until it seemed like he was no longer staring out his own eyes. He could feel the sharp pains in his own body that Katie had experienced during the car accident. The picture in front of him was blurred and he heard a familiar voice, though he couldn¡¯t put a finger on whose it was.

    In his thoughts, he cried out in pain. ¡°Where am I? I don¡¯t need to see this!¡± He paused to listen, but nothing came. ¡°I already feel bad enough for what I did. I don¡¯t need to feel any worse.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what this is for.¡± Dr. Love¡¯s voice echoed through Brent¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re seeing flashes of a timeline that¡¯s crystallizing into the sands of time. ¡°You¡¯re seeing through Katie¡¯s eyes and hearing the whisper of her thoughts.¡±

    ¡°What do I have to learn from this?¡± Brent cried out inside his own mind. A flash changed the scene to where Katie found herself in the hospital. Brent immediately recognized the officer that sat next to Katie¡¯s bedside. ¡°That¡¯s the guy. I recognize him. He¡¯s the cop that always drug tests me every time he¡¯s pulled me over.

    Another flash came and he saw the same cop sitting across from Katie at the dinner table. He could hear the echoes of Katie¡¯s thoughts as she listened to the recollection of the story of the cops work day. Moments later he felt the pain from the cop losing his temper and taking it out on Katie.

    ¡°Calm down Mr. Moore, there¡¯s nothing you can do here.¡± Dr. Love¡¯s voice echoed through Brent¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You are only a spectator here. You can¡¯t control her actions or thoughts.¡±

    Brent¡¯s mortal heart rate rose in frustration. At that moment there was nothing Brent wanted more than to strike him back. He¡¯d never let anyone touch Katie and he could never imagine wanting to lay a hand on her. After a few moments his thoughts gave off a sigh that spoke of his displeasure. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair! Why am I seeing this?!!¡±

    ¡°So you can see from a point of view that¡¯s different from your own, Mr. Moore.¡± Aeryn¡¯s voice replied. ¡°This is the life you created when you both took the time capsules.¡±

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    ¡°Those things?¡± Brent asked in a puzzled demeanor. ¡°I can¡¯t even find that bottle, I didn¡¯t even take them. I thought about taking them but I never did.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did Mr. Moore!¡± Aeryn retorted sharply followed by a momentary pause. ¡±You created a different timeline for yourselves, but I had to erase the timeline in order to avoid causing an overflow.¡±

    ¡°And what would happen if the current overflowed?¡± Brent asked as he watched the scene in the bar take place. He could hear the whisperings of Katie¡¯s thoughts. Some of them put a smile on his face while others made the smile run away from it. ¡°And why can¡¯t I remember this?¡±

    ¡°Because as each timeline is erased, so are the memories of that time.¡± Aeryn¡¯s tone changed following a deep sigh. ¡±From what my mentor told me. . if time overflows, the fabric that holds reality together starts to unravel. People end up with memories that aren¡¯t their own. They find themselves in places they weren¡¯t meant to be.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Brent interrupted with a look of amazement. ¡°That''s me, Katie is kissing me . . and we¡¯re kissing? She sounds so happy. . and. . she saved me.¡±

    ¡°I can fast forward if you want me to Mr. Moore.¡± Aeryn said with an inquisitive tone. ¡° There¡¯s another alternate timeline to see, but I can just take you to the end of it.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Brent said, admiring the vision in front of him with each flash of light. ¡°I want to see this . . I want to see all of it.¡± He said, watching closely and letting the whispers of Katie¡¯s thoughts fill his head.¡± Brent could hear the worry in the dread in her thoughts. ¡°Katie told me about this. This was when he died. To this day she blames herself for his death.¡± Brent could feel the pain that came with the news of the car accident. It hit him on a deeper level, leaving a sinking feeling in his mortal heart. ¡°Can you fast forward through this one?¡± He asked instantly once he realized he was watching the woman he loved now getting into bed with her ex boyfriend.

    Aeryn responded with a  chuckle and proceeded to speed up the scene in front of him. When he stopped, Katie¡¯s eyes were closed, her body had been rendered motionless. Though she wasn¡¯t conscious he could hear the voices in the background. It didn¡¯t take the blond man long to figure out what was happening.

    Katie didn¡¯t resume consciousness till later. When the news of Mark¡¯s death came to her, Brent could feel a break in his own heart. Her grief hit him so hard that tears streamed down the cheeks of his mortal face. He could feel the grief as it consumed her. He could hear the sound of her cries. The thoughts in her head that cursed the fates. He even saw himself late that night when he climbed into the bed with her. Katie held a lot of reservations in cuddling with a stranger that it only felt like she had known from somewhere. He could hear her arguing with herself. She didn¡¯t want to see him then, but he was there and she needed someone to hold.

    Years passed by between flashes. He watched everything with the utmost interest. The things she did to keep him around, because she just didn¡¯t want him to leave. Turning down Dan when he offered to take her in to live with him. To see the life and sacrifices she made just to take care of him. The things she did throughout each flashback to ensure his success. It brought hope to a scared mortal man. His appreciation and admiration grew as he watched.

    Then the night came. The night where Katie¡¯s sickness took her. The feelings in her stomach projected on his own. Her thoughts of admiration and gratitude  for him. Without realizing it, his cheeks had flushed a deep red color. The beauty of the moment brought him a feeling of closure that he didn¡¯t believe was possible. Then she closed her eyes one final time. The thought scared him. The thought that she could just stop existing on this earth left him feeling like his heart had just been ripped out. He woke up from the vision with a feeling of unbelievable emptiness. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he sat up in the bathroom.

    ¡°Dude, Crying in my bathroom?¡± came Jeff¡¯s voice. ¡°I know that outfit is a little tight, but I didn¡¯t think my old clothes could hurt that much. Did you cut the seams out? You totally ruined it!¡±

    ¡°It was ruined long before you lent it to me.¡± Brent replied, pulling the pant legs from his toes and rising to his feet. ¡°You ruined it when you bought it to get the captain of the cheerleading squad to sleep with you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Jeff smirked, using his strength to pull his friend up. ¡±I don¡¯t feel ruined at all.¡±

    ¡°You remember her right?¡± Brent replied, subtly hurrying his friend out the door of the bathroom. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember that kid Derek saying she was the only person in school that played with more balls than the entire football team.¡± The door closed before Jeff could respond.

 Chapter 39-Brent Moore and Katie Benson-34 and 38 years old

    It was the day of the wedding. A day that was supposed to be full of nerves and Happiness. A day that Brent and Katie were supposed to cherish and look forward to, but the atmosphere that morning was anything but happy. It was their wedding day, yet an air of dread hung over the air that morning that made it difficult for the both of them. The skies were filled with overcast clouds that brought sprinkles of rain down on the rooftops of both the apartment and the house.

    Brent was woken up that morning by a nudge from Jeff. ¡°Dude? What are you doing still sleeping? It¡¯s your wedding day.¡± Jeff shouted, eagerly urging his friend to get up off the couch. ¡°Come on, I need your help picking out a tie. I can¡¯t tell you how glad I am to escort Dani down the aisle. Thank you so much for making that happen.¡±

    ¡°You know the wedding is going to be in a church right?¡± Brent replied, rubbing his eyes as he lay there with his head on the pillow. ¡°That means the chapel is going to be really quiet and anything that you try to whisper to her will likely be heard by at least half of the guests. And I''m not giving you the keys to any other room in the building. I know you much too well for that. The Bishop entrusted me with them.¡± Brent continued in a monotone voice.

    ¡°Dude?¡± Jeff replied with a dumbfounded look on his face. ¡±What''s your problem? Just because your engagement is falling apart, doesn¡¯t give you an excuse to be an ass to people.¡± Jeff continued, letting out a long sigh. ¡°Still. .  I get that you¡¯re in pain. I¡¯m going over to check on Your place to check on Katie.¡± Without hesitation, Jeff was out the door of the apartment. Leaving his best friend alone with his grief.

    Katie had woken up that morning, not to the sun¡¯s bright rays but the subtle scent of rain. She quickly rolled out of bed and closed the window in their room. She could hear her phone vibrating against the nightstand on the bed, but chose to ignore it. Brent had been sending her texts all morning, but Katie chose not to reply out of the desire to maintain her peace of mind. She lingered at the windowsill admiring the tiny drops of water as they trickled along the glass. Katie heard the sound of the front door shutting and turned away from the window. Dani burst into the room aggressively. ¡°It¡¯s your Wedding Day, why aren¡¯t you dressed?!¡± She shouted, ripping open the closet door. Dani proceeded to pick Katie¡¯s dress off the hanger and lay it out on her bed, ¡°I¡¯ve been at the chapel all morning. Your Sisters are already there and so is Brent¡¯s mom and siblings. Everyone is at the church except the actual Bride and Groom.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Katie?¡± Came Jeff¡¯s voice as he shut the door behind him. Jeff stopped the moment his eyes found Dani. ¡°Oh. Hey Danielle! How was your. . ¡°

    ¡°Shut up and take those out to my car, pretty boy.¡± Dani demanded, flashing Jeff a sweet smile that was shortly replaced with a distressed expression. ¡°I have some work to do on the bride, Okay darling?¡±

    ¡°Right away.¡± Jeff replied with a goofy grin on his face. ¡°You go right ahead and work your magic. I¡¯ll leave you two alone. Don¡¯t be too hard on her.¡± He said, taking the clothes pile and hugging it tightly.¡±

    ¡°But I. . ¡° Danielle¡¯s hand moved to cover Katie¡¯s mouth. Katie protested behind muffled sounds, but Dani urged her friend into the bathroom. Katie let out a deep sigh and looked around the bathroom. Katie began to shed her clothes and step into the tub.

    ¡°Less talking and more getting ready for you big.¡± Dani replied as she shut the door behind Katie. Dani slipped out the door of the bedroom, and began the hunt for the chapel decorations. ¡°Oh Jeffrey!¡± she shouted as she opened each door in the house frantically searching for the pieces of the wedding arch. Jeff appeared almost instantly with an eager look on his face.

    ¡°Now look here.¡± Jeff replied as Dani opened the hallway closet door and began rummaging through the various junk piles that filled up the closet. ¡°The only person that calls me Jeffrey is my mother.¡±

    ¡°I think you can make an exception.¡± Dani whispered, taking a step closer and whispering into his ear. ¡°For me, hmmm? I know you don¡¯t mind whatever I want to call you.¡± She said as she brushed his hand with her finger and moved a metal piece between his fingers. ¡±Now be a good boy and load these into your car. I trust a strong man like you could have that set up by the time we get to the chapel, could you?¡±

    The heat from Dani¡¯s breath, coupled with the flowery scent of her perfume left the dark haired man in a trance of sorts. He could only nod and grip the metal tightly. ¡°I can carry more than that.¡± He insisted as Danie piled more pieces into his thick fingers.

    ¡°Good boy.¡± Dani Grinned, the blond nudging him along on the back and turning to search for all the pieces. ¡°They¡¯re all ready for you!¡± she shouted, setting the last arch piece down on the ground. ¡°I have a bride to make beautiful. I trust you can handle it from here darling.¡± Dani continued, making her way back into the bedroom.

    <b><i>1 Hour Later</i></b>

    ¡°There¡¯s my son.¡± Came the voice of Brent¡¯s mother as she wrapped her arms around her son squeezing him tightly. ¡°How are you feeling, hon?¡± the older blond woman asked with a sweet smile.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Not all that great.¡± Brent replied, refusing to make eye contact with her. ¡°You see? Katie and I. . well. .¡± before he could finish his mom had lifted his chin up piercing his eyes with a stern look.

    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly normal dear.¡± she said, letting her son¡¯s head drop. ¡°Speaking of Katie, where is that lovely red head of hers? I need to see the Bride.¡±

    ¡°She disappeared, mom,¡± Brent replied. ¡°Dani said after they got her dress on, she ran out the door. Speak of the devil.¡± Brent¡¯s gaze shifted to the blond as the sound heels clacking on the hardwood floors came to a stop. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you lose your stocking in one of the church Bathrooms? Did you ask Jeff if he saw it?¡±

    ¡°First of all, Ew.¡± Dani replied, reaching back and fixing her heel. ¡°I¡¯ve seen all your groomsmen, sweetie. The Caterers don¡¯t have anything strong enough to help anyone get that off. Also, My best friend is still missing. I looked all over the church and I couldn''t find her.¡±

    ¡°Check Jeff¡¯s trunk.¡± Brent replied as the worry began to wash over him. He brushed his long blond hair back and scratched his head. ¡°Did you at least see what direction she ran in?¡±

    ¡°Not really, my Purse spilled out and I was busy trying to get all my make up together. ¡±Dani paused for a second before giving Brent a confused look. ¡°You want me to check Jeff¡¯s trunk for Katie? That¡¯s a little dark.¡±

    ¡°No. Jeff wouldn¡¯t do that to Katie.¡± Brent replied, stifling a chuckle. ¡°I meant to say I¡¯ve seen Jeff¡¯s trunk. It¡¯s like a roaming Bar on wheels.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s how he does it.¡± Dani replied with a baffled look on her face. ¡±Ok so what are we going to do here? We can¡¯t have a wedding without a Bride.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve said too much.¡± Brent said, his gaze dropping to the floor as his fingers remained on the back of his neck. ¡°Wait. . I guess. . and Pray. . ¡° His eyelids fell shut as the nervousness overtook him. Brent turned and ran toward the chapel door. He knew that she shouldn¡¯t see the Bride before the ceremony, but the more he thought about it the more it felt like he needed to go. Revealing Jeff who had just walked in with a half assembled Wedding altar.

    Across the street from the church sat a garden that was rich in natural beauty. The occasional vine or foliage that lay across the cobblestone floors, which stemmed from the vines and roses that grew from the soil. In the center of that garden sat a fountain where water spilled over the edges due to the falling precipitation. Along the edge of that fountain sat a beautiful ginger haired Bride. It was Katie¡¯s favorite spot to go. A big reason for her wanting to hold her wedding in this church. Even as the raindrops hit the water, Katie still found such peace in this spot. Roses of all different colors made up the tall hedges that surrounded this part of the Garden. Katie had come here to think. Something about this part of nature made it easier for her to get comfortable and let her mind run free.

    Katie remained just the slightest bit unsure about the commitment she was fixing to make. She loved her fianc¨¦, but something just didn¡¯t add up. If she was meant to be with this man for the rest of her life, why did he go and start talking to some random woman. To make things words she had this Divine beauty to her that even Katie found mesmerizing. All kinds of thoughts ran through her head as she fiddled with the petals of a fully bloomed rose.

    ¡°I suppose you missed the part in the vision where Doctor Aeryn explained.¡± A voice came from what sounded like nowhere. The voice startled Katie and triggered her to jump to her feet. Katie ignored the sound of the eye drop bottle as it fell out onto the edge of the fountain. She surveyed the garden around her desperately trying to put a face with the voice. ¡°Allow me to bring you up to speed,  darling.¡± The voice continued as Katie searched every inch of that garden carefully searching for the source of the sound. Suddenly she¡¯d bumped into someone, which sent her back down on the fountain¡¯s edge. A familiar hand caught her before hit the water. ¡±Before you freak out, just know that Aeryn sent me.¡± When Katie finally retained her balance, she realized who it was that was talking. It was none other than Nat.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Katie yelled, clenching the rose tightly as she glared at the woman. ¡°Did Brent invite you? I don¡¯t recall giving you an invitation.¡±

    ¡°Darling I¡¯m everywhere.¡± Nat replied, carefully removing the rose from Katie¡¯s hand. ¡°Come here and let me show you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need an explanation.¡± Katie continued while grabbing at the rose. ¡°Give that back! I found it.¡± She demanded, knocking the bottle over and causing the cap to slide off into the water.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be more than happy to let you keep it.¡± She said, sitting herself down at the edge of the fountain. She took the stem of the rose and dipped it into the water, gently stirring it in a circular motion. ¡°The Latin word for my name is Natura, but over time mortals have begun to call me Mother Nature. As you can hear Aeryn say.¡± She stirred the water a little more as if rewinding it. Katie could hear Aeryn¡¯s voice explaining something. Katie listened with intent letting the information seep in.

    ¡°So those that see you. . ¡° Katie asked curiously with a wide eyed expression. ¡±If they¡¯re love of nature is strong. . they will find you. . beautiful? That still doesn¡¯t answer my question though. What placed you at that club? Why did you come out that night among the mortals?¡±

    ¡°The other Keepers and I live on this earth.¡± Nat replied, placing the rose back in Katie¡¯s palm gently.  ¡°There¡¯s a magic over this earth that allows people to see us in different ways. Dr. Aeryn Love asked me to help teach you something. The creator has listened to the voices of uncertainty that have plagued your mind. Aeryn is a follower of Kronos. . or as you know him. . Father Time. I was asked to help draw your fianc¨¦ in, so you could learn something about yourself. Something that a lot of people seem to believe is getting harder and harder to find.¡± Nat gestured toward the fountain which had already caught a few drops of the bottle.

    Katie watched the fountain carefully as the scene of Katie¡¯s dying moments from the timeline played through. She could see the worry and the fear on Brent¡¯s face. She watched as this older version of Brent crammed the capsule down her throat. Then the scene vanished from the water¡¯s surface.

    ¡°I was asked  to come here for the both of you.¡± Nat repeated, taking the rose and setting it carefully behind Katie¡¯s ear. ¡°I was asked here to show you that you are in the right place. To show you how rare and beautiful the bond you¡¯re making is.¡±