The Time Hopper

Important Choices

Riley didn't dismiss me right away, as I half thought he would. As I half hoped he would, even. Everything would be so much simpler had he told me I was wrong, that Consequences wouldn't, couldn't ever want to hurt me. If my fears were dismissed because they were too outlandish. But instead, he walked over to the nearby cliff and took a seat at the edge, dangling his legs and looking out over the sea to the gorgeous sunset. He patted the ground next to him, and I happily joined, not missing the way he held onto my hand like he feared me falling. It was nice. It made me feel steadier. 

"Alright. Why do you think that?" He asked patiently. I paused for a moment. 

"I don't know, exactly. Everything is really fuzzy from when I was with Obsivian, but I feel like I can't trust Consequences. Like there's something wrong with him, and its just out of my reach." I explained, frowning as I tried to pierce through the thick fog that clouded my mind. I could catch glimpses of my memories through it, but it never showed me what I was looking for. 

"If you think that, is there a chance that Obsivian just manipulated you into thinking that? I mean, if he knew that he was going to mess with your head, why not plant the seed that you shouldn't trust Mr Consequences?" He reasoned. I wondered if he was right, but I couldn't get rid of this niggling feeling that it wasn't just Obsivian getting to me. 

"I don't think so. I didn't want to believe Obsivian about anything when I was there! I didn't want to believe that I was his granddaughter, and I only accepted it when he gave me a bunch of proof. I can't remember what he told me or showed me, but I feel like I said he was lying and he did something and then I believed him, or at least, I started to doubt Consequences." I groaned, rubbing my forehead. I felt a little unsteady, so I tipped backwards so I was laying on my back on the grassy cliff, looking up at the sunset streaked sky above me. A moment later, Riley laid down next to me, staying silent as I frowned and tried to remember what I knew was there. 

"I think there was a book. With, like, columns and writing and names and a bunch of other stuff." Riley nodded, mulling it over. 

"So, something written there was enough to make you doubt Consequences. I know you don't really like him, but he's always looked after you and been kind to me, so I feel like it would take a lot to make you think he wants to hurt you. Maybe the writing was some kind of proof that he had hurt your people before-" I gasped, suddenly seeing the pages of that book in sharp focus in my mind's eye and remembering what I had learnt. I bolted upright, a wave of dizziness washing over me and making me sway until Riley grabbed my collar and pulled me back down. 

"I know that you like your dramatic reveals, but please don't do that when you keep fainting all over the place!"

"Once, I fainted once-" 

"Look, before we argue about that, tell me what you remembered. Just in case you forget." I sighed, making a mental note to bring it up later to argue about it that would no doubt be immediately forgotten. 

"It was a record of all the children of the elements that had come before me, when they died, how they died, and who killed them. And, like, a lot of them were killed by Consequences, almost as many as Obsivian has taken out. The last child of time was killed by him." I explained, feeling dread pool in my stomach again. 

"Alright. How do you know that that was true?" I looked over to him, frowning. 

"I don't, I suppose. And I know that sounds dumb because I still kind of believe it, but it's hard to explain, okay?" 

"Well, give it your best go. We have all the time in your book." He joked, poking my ribs to make me squirm. 

"Oh, very funny. And its just a feeling that I get. And it kind of makes sense, y'know? I mean, what are the chances that Consequences gets each of the children of the elements every generation and persuades all of them to work for him? Pretty slim, I reckon. So if Obsivian gets to someone first, and gets them to work for him, and then sends him to kill Consequences, why wouldn't he kill them?" I reasoned, sitting up again with my knees to my chest so I could watch the sea.