Borrowed Time

Chapter 20

Finding no point in contemplating this alone she strides back to the silent room and is met with four completely different expressions. Fred looks remorseful and almost on the verge of tears; Dylan has confusion splattered on every muscle in his body as he can't help but change his gaze onto everyone else; Chris looks sorrowful and slightly pitiful for Marcella's situation; Tommy, on the other hand, seems unfazed yet his shaking eyes show shock and a hint of recognition.

"Your proposition states that because I time travelled 300 years into the future I was erased from the past, yes?" Fred replies with a hum leading Marcella to continue, "Then how come Esther has also been erased"

"What do you mean?" Fred jumps out of his seat, startling the three boys.

"Tommy and I tried finding her in the history books, but she is not recorded anywhere-"

"Of course she isn't recorded anywhere in the old Elysianair records, she doesn't exist there"

"What do you mean?"

"Esther was born here in Athery and so were you Marcella, in the same year as Chris and Dylan actually, but when you were 6 months old we had a plan to move you somewhere else with Esther which randomly happened to be Elysianair," Fred finishes his small explanation knowing a million more questions have entered everyone's mind as he waits a minute before leaning back into his seat, "what was Esther in Elysianair?"

"She was my tutor"

"And she isn't even in history books?" Slight panic lies beneath his words.

"No"

"This is bad," continuous mutters emit from him as he vocalises the messy thoughts through his rambling, "are you sure she isn't there? Did you double – no – triple check?"

"Fred, we ripped apart all the books there were and tried searching it online" Tommy speaks up in a timid voice.

"This wasn't meant to happen?"

"What wasn't meant to happen?" Marcella pushes.

"We- we need," Fred rambles breathlessly as he clutches his chest from a loud slam, "HAZEL!"

"What?! Dylan you said it was an emergency"

All eyes pounce onto Dylan who has been sitting nervously for the past 20 minutes, glancing back and forth between Chris and his phone hidden under the table. He struggles to form words as his sight meets Marcella's leaving his mouth open resulting to incomprehensible noises.

"Hazel what are you doing here?"

"Dylan said that you might die today, and I drove as fast as I could"

Marcella softens her eyes on Dylan as they slowly move down to her lap, 'Did he think I was going to kill Fred? Would I have killed Fred?'

She sharply inhales the cold air through her teeth travelling her eager eyes away from her white knuckles. Hazel stands jittery awaiting a response from a room full of people with no clue of the actual situation. She finally lets out a huff of exhaustion beside Marcella despite the deathly stare following her from Fred that she waves off.

"We are perfectly fine, you can go" He says defiantly in his stand.

"Actually, we could use your help" Tommy interjects making Hazel's eyes widen twice the size.

"W-what do you need?!" She replies instantly on the edge of her seat.

"Esther, Tommy said you know Esther" Marcella answers lowly, her eyes darken as they pour out into Hazel's gaze.