Time Maze

Time Twists and Turns

When they saw Beor pacing and talking to himself upon returning, Marcus and Tyson weren't feeling very confident that he could provide them with the answers they needed. It didn't help matters that Beor looked like a lunatic as he proceeded to argue with himself out loud.

"Everything alright?" Tyson asked, even though it was clear that it was anything but.

"Fine," Beor said, stopping in front of the two men with a feverish look in his eyes. "Well, as fine as it can be, having in mind our situation. You know, for three people who managed to get lost while being lost in a Time Maze, I think we are doing rather well."

"Dude, I think he is losing his marbles," Marcus said, addressing Tyson.

However, he said it loud enough so that even Beor could hear his blunt assessment.

"Marcus!" Tyson exclaimed warningly.

He did so because he also believed that Beor was on the verge of losing his mind. So, he didn't want Marcus's insensitive comment to drive him over the edge. He would be of no use to them if he lost it at that moment.

"As much as you might wish for that to be true, princess, I am fine. I am just trying to sort out my thoughts," Beor said bitingly.

Marcus moved towards Beor, annoyed and ready to defend his honor. However, Tyson gently pulled him back, giving him a no-nonsense look that Marcus knew so well. It was a look Tyson rarely used on Marcus, but that meant he needed to take a step back if they wanted to avoid trouble. Trusting his friend's instincts, Marcus grudgingly stepped back.

"So, what did you come up with? What exactly is going on?" Tyson asked, hoping that there was a way for them to continue the journey through the maze and find a way out. "The two of us learned that we are somewhere in Massachusetts and in the similar age range as we were."

"That makes sense," Beor said, scratching his head.

"Huh?" Marcus asked, looking at him with utter confusion. "Absolutely nothing makes sense. I don't remember anything, we are lost in a maze, and people are trying to kill us or erase us, or both. What in the world makes sense to you?"

Hearing the panic in Marcus's voice, Tyson put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him with the gesture as he had no words that could help. He couldn't give him any assurances as he had none.

Ignoring the panic and doubt in Marcus's voice, Beor sat down while thinking of the best possible way to explain what he thought happened. After all, they had no assurances, and all they could do was make the best guesses given the few facts they had.

"I think that the device glitched in the middle of the transfer, causing us to go in the opposite direction," Beor said.

"What do you mean, 'opposite direction'? What can be the opposite of the past?" Marcus asked cluelessly.

"Think about it, Marcus. You mentioned a movie about it recently," Tyson said, patiently waiting for his friend to use his brain.

The exercise was bound to be helpful in the future.

"What movie?" Marcus asked, his face scrunching up in concentration. "Oh, 'Back to the Future'! The opposite of the past is the future."

Marcus said it with such enthusiasm as if it took a genius to figure it out. So, not even Beor had the heart to tell him that even a two-year-old would have figured it out sooner. Beor really wanted to make that comment, yet Marcus just seemed too easy of a target. It would have been like stealing candy from a baby.

"Exactly. I think that we got a glimpse of the future. Do you guys remember seeing that red flying car? It was a dead giveaway," Beor said.

"It could have been a hologram or something," Marcus said as he was really into virtual reality and holograms and knew how real they could appear. "Besides, all I saw were huge, shiny buildings. It could have been the present as far as we know."