The Keeper of TIme

Legacy

Peter wakes up in the morning at precisely 8:03 like he does every morning. He puts on the same gray shirt and brown pants that his closet is full of, brushes his mousy brown hair that never stays how he brushes it. He heads downstairs and steps onto a street full of houses that are exactly like his own. He follows the same route he does every morning, stopping to grab a muffin from the same man who has worked at the shack his whole life. Eden hardly changes, there is the same weather cycle, and the same obstacles every morning. No one tries to be different anymore, if they do the Keeper of Time stops them, so everything stays the same.

The Keeper of Time lives in the grand palace where he oversees all the citizens of Eden. He "keeps everything in order" by controlling the weather, schedules, and can change someone's path with a snap of his fingers. He is overseen by the Grand Council, all decisions go through them. The Grand Council and The Keeper of Time live in the Palace of Eden, The Palace of Eden is in the center of the planet and there is something very special about it. It moves like a clock, the wings of the Palace shifting with the time of day. Eden is split into 12 districts each one lining up with the hours of the day. Peter lives in district 3, the business district. Each district in Eden specializes in a different type of occupations: Business, Agriculture, Military, Politics, Factory, Lumber, Power Supply, Technology, Livestock, Transportation, Custodial Services, Education.

The people of Eden are born into their roles, generations in the same occupation. Because nothing ever changes in Eden. From a very young age, children begin to work in Eden, Peter has been working at the Financial Administration Office since the working-age of ten. It was there that he met Katherine. Katherine is Peter's best friend from the 7 O'Clock District. Their friendship is the most unordinary thing in Eden, other Districts don't mix and most people frown upon their relationship, but if the Time Keeper brought those two together it must have been a part of fate.

The 7 O'Clock District is the Politics district, often filled with loud-spoken opinionated people who challenge authority. There are constant protests about everything under the moon happening in District 7, Katherine seen at almost every rally. Katherine is a smart expressive girl with a lion's mane of curly red hair that cascades over her freckled face. In her district she is popular but feared, because she challenges the highest authority without batting an eye. Katherine is against the Grand Council's system. She was to control her own fate, something that is unheard of in Eden. Her protests against the system never made it very far, that was until Peter got a very strange message.

Peter arrived at his work at 8:39, not too early and not too late, just how he liked it. After he gets settled at his desk he reaches for the work he left from the night before only to find an elaborately decorated envelope. His name in gold script being the only writing on the front. Peter was taken by surprise, this was not a part of his daily routine, and who was it from? He slid the envelope into his brown leather messenger bag planning to open it with Katherine.

The envelope stayed on his mind all day, he barely explained the occurrence to Katherine before tearing open the envelope. Inside was an official paper from the Grand Council declaring the next day at precisely 9:00 Peter was to meet with them at the Palace. Peter looked at Katherine; she had the same look of astonishment that he knew he had on his own face.

"I have to go with you!" Katherine exclaimed, "I could talk to them about the system, I could finally get my point across!"

Peter sighs "Will they let you in, let alone talk if they do?"

"I have to try, this could be my one chance. Please Peter let me go with you?"

Peter thought for a moment "Fine, but on one condition, you let the Grand Council speak to me first, then you can talk to them."

Katherine was hesitant but knew this was her only chance "Okay fine, I can work with that. Plus I would feel better about it than if you went alone." Peter was oblivious to the fact that Katherine was in love with him and to his own feelings he had for Katherine.

Peter woke at the usual time he does every morning the next day. He chose his favorite gray shirt and brown pants and took extra care to lay his hair flat. However, this morning was different; there seemed to be roadblocks everywhere, but only for everyone else. Peter took a different route than normal, not stopping for his daily muffin when he realized that he hadn't been delayed once. He made it to District 7 in record time to pick up Katherine. She looked almost normal, wearing a pantsuit in emerald green that complemented her fiery red hair. The pair finished the trip to the Palace and waited for the wing of the Palace to strike at 9 o'clock when they would be granted entry.

A grand hall was behind the doors of the entrance, a gentle swaying motion of the wing barely felt underneath their feet. Peter and Katherine stood before a bench raised high in the air, a seat for each of the five members of the Grand Council.

Five men all dressed in gold robes file to their seats, the one in the middle calling order turning to speak

"Peter James Mills you have been called before the Grand Council for a message regarding your future." Peter stood before them feeling small shifting his weight between his feet. "As you know the people of Eden are overseen by The Keeper of Time."

"But what does that have to do with me?" Peter asked, Katherine, elbowing him for his ridiculous question.

The Grand Council members chuckled at Peter "16 years ago the Time Keeper had a son, and that was you." Peter's jaw dropped to the floor he would have never expected this news, the man continued, "And it is time for you to take over his role as The Time Keeper of Eden."

Katherine lost all words, her highly intricate speech she had planned completely forgotten as she looked at Peter, the new Keeper of Time. "I'm only 16, and you want me to oversee every citizen in all of Eden, I can barely do my job in the district, so why me? And why now? There is no way I can accept this, I don't even know what that means!" Peter ran out of the Palace, his mind racing trying to understand what just happened. Katherine followed behind him muttering an apology to the Grand Council before she left.

Peter made it to his house before Katherine did, in a complete state of confusion he tore through his house. Then reality hit, he had just stood before the Grand Council, was told he was going to be the second most powerful man in all of Eden and he refused. But how could he accept when he didn't know the consequences of accepting this role? Peter fell into an armchair and a gold envelope caught his eye on the coffee table.

A letter was enclosed and it read:

"Peter Mills, we know this is an overwhelming decision, and the Time Keeper predicted your initial response. We are giving you two weeks to make your decision, we hope you choose wisely.

All the best,

The Grand Council."