NINE TIME MACHINES: Do you want to undo your entire life on planet earth?

CHAPTER 66

Eyes closed, I struggle with the person until I am finally pinned down, mouth covered.

"Listen here, you," he says, voice lowered. "They kill people around here for less. Now I saved you. So don't repay the favour by getting me killed."

I nod in agreement. He slowly releases his grip and climbs off me. And when he sees them drive off, for good this time, he pulls two chairs up and directs me to sit.

"What's your name, girl? And what on earth are you doing out here anyway?"

"Mary."

"You didn't answer my second question?"

"Er, nothing much." I look away. "Just taking a stroll through the park."

"And ended up here during a gunfight?" He looks doubtful. "How unlucky are you?"

"A man chased me out," I explain. "Said it wasn't my lucky day."

"Old Mr. Ken?" He laughs. "He always does that."

"What the hell! I almost died."

"Says it makes people run into their destiny."

"A destiny of death?"

"Oh, you'll be fine." Then he remembers his manners. "People around here call me the priest."

Great! Just my luck! "Nice to meet you." I lean forward to shake hands. "Thanks for saving me."

"That was nothing." Then he zooms in on me. "I know you. The girl from the rain, right?"

I consider pretending not to remember our encounter then decide against it to avoid eviction.

"Oh, yeah! I knew you looked familiar too. Just couldn't put my finger on it."

"Told you we'd meet again."

"You did, didn't you?"

"But it's more than that though. You remind me of someone famous. It'll come back to me."

I use that opportunity to look around the dimly lit room the priest called home. It's slightly bigger than my hostel room but divided by drawn curtains and sparse furniture, the perfect settings to wrestle me to the floor again and have his way with me if he wanted. His bag of tricks is on the chair next to him. I wonder what's in it. Probably chloroform to subdue his victims. I run cool eyes over his trunk of a body. No, he wouldn't need that. Not for a wee mouse like me anyway. But at this point he'd simply have to stare me into submission. Even the slightest breeze can do me in. Oh, what are you doing here, Mary? That we should never mix with the hopefuls was Ebony's biggest warning. And everyone on Leer Island knows they are trouble. Yet as long as this darkness dominates, I'm not going to tell him that. I do however find it in my heart to put him out of his misery. It's the least I can do.

"Ebony's little girl," I say and his eyes light up with pride.

"Yes, that's right! Man, who would've thought I'd live to save you?"

"Again, I'm grateful for that."

"She died, right?"