Godsend

The Space Between Two Worlds

March 16th, 2015

For the first time in a very long time, Perry felt content with the way things were; him and Calico had gone on several more dates, with much less face punching. Even if Calico wouldn't openly admit it, she did indeed like Perry; his dry brand of humor was entertaining and made her laugh. Perry would bring her lunch every day at work because he had nothing better to do with his time, but he really just wanted to see her; there was an appeal about her uniform, something that drew him in. Sometimes he would see Calico's double glancing his way, though he wasn't sure what to make of it. 

The two of them lived in their own world, but the only thing about living in a private fantasy is that they were blind to the outside world's problems. News casters were all trying to predict when the food drought would hit, which cities would be most deeply effected, the estimated casualty rate, the crime rate, the mortality rate, the we're-screwed rate. 

Perry and Calico sat in his living room, watching the news with disbelief, trying to make sense of what was being said; a man named Alan Quimby sat in the news studio, explaining to the veteran anchors that all the doubles in the world, were, in fact, from the future. The anchors assaulted him with questions and speculations, trying to poke holes in his eerily airtight logic. The only thing the man did not presume to know, was when they were from.

Calico turned to Perry, her eyes wide in a way Perry had never seen before; he could tell she was legitimately scared. 

"Does this mean that when we reach that point in the future, all the doubles will go away?" Calico asked Perry, wrapping herself tight in a sweater she had borrowed from him.

"I have no clue. You know more about this than I do, Abby. I killed my double right away, so I don't really know anything about this." Perry turned off the news and focused on her.

"Well what if we get sent back in time? Doesn't that mean you'll die, since you killed the other you?" Her eyes got even wider, Perry felt a twinge in his heart by her concern for him.

"Even if I end up getting killed by myself, I still got to spend time with you, and that's all that really matters to me. I mean I was gonna kill myself anyway, might as well let the other me finish the job." Perry joked, but Calico couldn't find it in her to laugh.

"Wait a second," Calico jumped off the couch, "take me home real quick." Perry was confused.

"Wait, why?" Perry sat on the couch, puzzled as to what caused her sudden action.

"I'll explain when we get there, just take me home real quick, Perry." Calico threw on a pair of slippers and pulled Perry off the couch.

Perry wrapped himself in an Afghan blanket he had pulled off the back of the couch, and hopped in the car. The slight drive to Calico's was quiet; Perry had asked if she would spill her beans a little bit, but she held fast with her "I'll tell you when we get there.", answer. After a few minutes, the two of them arrived at her abode; Calico's car was gone, which told her that her double must still be at work. Perry followed her into the house, still as bewildered as before.

Calico rushed into her room and flung her closet open, a wild look in her eye. Perry stood and watched as she turned her closet inside-out, hurling clothing in every direction. After a few minutes of reverse-laundry-folding, Calico finally emerged from the maelstrom of clothing, holding an old sweater and a pair of sweatpants identical to the ones Perry was currently wearing. Calico sat on the floor clutching the random articles of clothing. Perry plopped down next to her, waiting for an explanation.

"These are the clothes my double was wearing the day they all came. They're yours." Calico dropped the sweats on the floor.

"What do you mean? What does that mean?" Perry was clueless.

"It means we've already done this, Perry. The double that you killed was already with my double, which means it's going to happen again." Calico began sobbing, something else that Perry had never seen from her.

"Well, if we've already done this, then I'm glad I'm doing it again. And I'll do it again, and again, and again. I still don't understand all this wacky bullshit, but I know I'd do it all exactly the same way. The space between these worlds couldn't stop me."

Calico looked up at Perry and smiled.

"You're such a fucking cheeseball, Perry."