The understanding of time was long lost, I constantly thought. The image of my heaven bound mother reappearing in my mind. Tears threatened to roll down my cheeks but, I knew better than to let my emotions get to me. I just need to purge every thought of her. Come on Smith, I can do it... Especially considering my time is running out, literally. I need to get paid, so I can live another day.
Yeah, ever since some bozo decided to turn everyone into a living clock, time has become our main priority. We traded, earned, and spent time, it's a way of currency. In this time zone of Dayton, forget ever giving it away. We always must race against the clock here, forget leisure time. Yet, I always find myself giving it away...
I put on my raggedy piece of black cloth for a coat on, and walk out my door. Ahh, nothing like the cold winter weather, with the clouds that are hazy grey. The wind was zooming about while howling, looks like a blizzard might happen. Ehh, not my problem it's off to get paid for me. I started running when I stumbled upon a corpse.
Well doesn't that just damper my mood? No, not at all actually. I know like everyone else that's bound to happen to me sooner or later. As our clocks ended all the same way, decades to years that turned to months then to weeks to days, minutes and finally seconds. Then the clock reaches zero... Boom, that person is dead. No remorse felt, and nobody cared you were lucky if someone even remembered you. Like I was saying the essence of time was long from being found...
The streets are crowded today, did something huge happen? I where they aren't rushing? Nope just the usual blow... Taxes rose. Yay who doesn't love high taxes? I peer down at my watch, it's silently ticking away my life. I only have 30 minutes left, and so many bodies to skip over.
"I still can't believe that it's year 3000" I overheard a man say.
"I know I thought the world would already be done by now." Another voice quickly stated. Ugh, this line is so long and I only have 10 minutes left.
"Next..." The manager stated, I walked up only to be devastated.
"But, I worked extra hours? This isn't even 24 hours." I said enraged. The manager looked taken aback.
" Sorry taxes... Now, Next!" He replied, couldn't even look sincere when he said it.
But, I knew it was the truth. Taxes are always on the rise here in Dayton, so the poor can stay in their place. While the rich can maintain their statuses of sucking their silver and gold spoons. Not only do taxes rise, but bus fares, food and even rent goes up. I was lucky I could even afford a bagel this morning. Could I even Pay the rent or living expenses with this? I only have 20 hours and the price of living is constantly rising.
"Hey Smith..." Toby said to me with his cheeky smile. I felt bad for the boy he was only 25 and had already drained his year, then thrown into the mines.
"Let's dig up everything in this mine today." I replied, he simply nodded as we went down the mineshaft.
"Hey kids, be careful this season." My senior said to Toby and I.
"Yeah, this years winter is harsh. A lot of people are dying." Toby stated, as he shivered a bit.
"The streets are shadowing death like they always do." I responded, adjusting my hardhat and light.
"I remember, the times when we weren't chained to the clock. Indebted to Mr.Jordan who kindly engineered us. So, as long we had time we lived forever." He stated, looking around a bit.
"Those were the years, not being afraid or a slave to anything but a friendly Serpent." He said fidgeting with his wooden cross. Almost like a murmur he stated "Now we are nothing more than pawns for them to dispose of."
Clearing his throat, almost as in a signal, Toby changed the subject.
"I heard that in carlton there are books... And they are all new!" Toby said with a smile to cover that green mask that hides his face.
"We may not have new books here but-" I stated.
"But, they are all damaged by rips and tears then water stains everywhere." Toby pleaded, as a blue shadow gently cascaded over him.
"Books used to be free... Kids used to go to school and learn. Not be caged up in mines and factories forced into working to live." My senior said, his voice cracking as he started to tear up. "They killed my wife, you know? All for a crime she did not commit." His grey hazy eyes became clear and full of remorse and hatred. "They had accused her of stealing time even though someone gave it to her. I tried to help her escape after hiding it, but they caught her. Stole all her time and then killed her right in front of me.."
"At ease." I said, resting my hand on his firm shoulder.
"I would like you to have something." My senior whispered, swiftly shoving a key into my right pocket. "That will bring you freedom from this place." I smiled a bit before placing my hand on his shoulder again.
"Thank you... But why me?" I asked looking around.
"Because, you look at the white pillar, that marks where Carlton is, and realize that it's stained with red. The mask of red is what fools the people that live there the most... Makes them believe that they are saints, when in reality they kill others to be that privileged." He whispered to me. Toby straightened his hard hat, then ran into the hazy hallway that led to the mines.
"I should get to work." My senior stated, putting on his hard hat. "You better get to that chest soon boy " He said , walking towards me and shoving a piece of paper into my pocket. "Don't disappoint me." He said through gritted teeth grabbing my arm and holding it there for a bit. Drifting away with his head held high into the mines, the man faded away out of my sight. And the haze finally cleared, as I looked down at my arm and saw he had given me one hundred and ninety years.
Turning around I found myself jumping back into the shaft, that took me back up to ground level. Jumping out I found myself running up to the manager.
"I quit!" I shouted, slightly out of breath.
"You what? How are you going to even survive?" He replied sternly his face starting to turn red.
"I quit. And that's for me to worry about, not you." I shot back, feeling as courageous as ten lions. Finally, I have found my voice that I had lost long before I was even born. I looked at the piece of paper he shoved into my pocket and started running towards the address.
"I've arrived..." I gasped, out of breath.
But, now how do I get in the house? Or is it in the back yard? This old man really told me nothing at all. Oh well.
Here goes nothing I thought running towards the white fence, that lined the backyard, then cautiously jumping over it. I walked around the yard, probably looking like a suspicious person, looking for the chest. Well, that failed I found absolutely nothing. It's probably inside... I walked up to the back door, gently grasping the silver knob. It's unlocked. I waited for an alarm to sound or something to alert someone but nothing went off.
I took the first step into what seemed like a palace compared to where I lived. This house didn't even look lived in, everything was neat. The hardwood floors weren't beaten up, or even scratched. What kind of life does this guy even live? Does he have a second job or something? Well, not even someone with a second job could make one hundred and ninety years.
Now it's time for me to find that chest, that he wanted me to find so badly...
This house is like a maze. And to make matters worse, all the walls were grey and the light in the rooms couldn't illuminate them. When I walked up the stairs I suddenly thought, what if he hid it in the attic? This old man really did not help me at all. I searched along the ceiling in the hallway for a possible entry into an attic space and I found one. I yanked down on the string, that would pull it down, and the staircase fell to the ground. When I finally made it up the small, but steep, staircase I looked around for the chest.
"Found it." I whispered to myself in the dimly lit attic.
I grabbed the key out of my pocket, and walked up to the chest. I unlocked it and looked inside to find even more time. How much time does this guy have?! Does he want me to take it all? He probably does want me to take it all... After all he did give me the key to the chest. It took forever for me put the time on my watch. But, when I finished, my time had amounted to about a thousand years. Hopefully, I don't get Timekeepers on my back for having all this time...
When I walked out the house it finally hit me. I've found my freedom, with this time I can go to Carlton. Forget going to Carlton, I can live in Carlton. I will never have to work again and it's all thanks to my senior. I should go find him and thank him then give Toby and hime some time.
I ran all the way back to my old job and went down the mineshaft. That's when I saw Toby.
"Hey Toby." I said, giving him a single pat on his shoulder.
"Oh, hey Smith..." He replied back glumly, briefly looking up at me.
"What's wrong Toby?" I asked.
"That Senior guy died right after you left. Oh, I heard you quit today." Toby said, I saw a little bit of remorse in his eyes.
"That sucks... And yeah I did quit." I replied back. My senior died... How? Why?
"How are you going to support yourself?" Toby questioned.
"The senior gave me his time..." I said, finally realizing that he gave me all his time except a few minutes or seconds. "I want you to have this though..." I stated, grabbing his wrist and giving him a decade.
"Thanks Smith... I owe you." Toby excitedly said, before pulling me into a hug.
"Anytime..." I stated, before waving goodbye.
I left the mining area and ran to the nearest street to find and wave down a taxi. When I finally located one, I waved it down and when it had stopped I jumped in.
"To Carlton Please." I simply demanded to the driver, He turned around to look at me for a brief moment.
"Buddy can you even afford to go to Carlton... Do you have the time for that timezone?" He stated, looking questionably at me through the mirror.
"Yes, I do. Now take me there." I replied, back almost yelling at him. He still looked at me suspiciously until I showed him my watch. Thats when he finally started to move the car. He sped all the way up to the borders of every timezone and each seemed to cost more time to get through then the last. There was six months, eight months, and even a year. But, when I finally made it to Carlton... The city was astonishing.
When the taxi driver stopped where I wanted to be at, I got out and smiled at him. After, I walked around for awhile, catching a few stares from the locals. Thats when I realized I needed to change clothes. I walked into the nearest clothing store and bought a suit that costed 6 months, then to a shoe store to buy some shoes to go with it. When I had Walked outside of the stores I noticed the difference between the clothes. My rags were cold and black, while the new clothes were now white and gold.
I soon called another taxi to get a car to drive, so that I could go back to Dayton tonight. He took me to a dealership that only sold cars to show in events. Thats when I found the car I wanted it was a 1955 Aston Martin that was as black as night. I walked up to the dealer who was currently talking to someone else about a car.
"I want that one please." I said interrupting their conversation, The dealer and the woman both looked at me.
"Sir that car would be 20 years. Are you sure you want it?" He questioned looking me up and down, obviously asking if I could afford it.
"I have enough time if that's what you're worried about." I spat back. "And yes I want it,"
"Okay then give me your wrist and I'll give you the keys." He said in a much softer and calmer voice than before. I guess Time really does make people talk. "Here you go, now where do you want it shown or shipped." He asked.
"I don't want it shipped or shown... I want to drive it." I replied back, it seemed to have taken him by surprise that someone would actually want to drive the car.
"Okay then sir. Have a safe drive." He said, returning to his previous engagement.
I got into the car and started on my way out of Carlton and into Dayton. When I got out of my car to head into my apartment someone was outside my door crying.
"Why did you do it." She stated furiously.
"Do what?" I questioned back.
"You gave him a decade and he drank himself to death." She shot back and started crying again, Oh no... Toby.
"I'm so sorry I didn't know that he would do that, I thought he would bring it back to you guys." I pleaded back, feeling sorry for who must be his mom.
"He was so young too, only 25 years old. He Didn't even get to spend a year of his adult life." She cried to me.
"I'm so sorry, but I have to get going." I said walking past her and into my room.
I cannot believe that Toby would drink himself to death... And it's all my fault.
I cleared out my small room, putting what I wanted into a small box. And what I didn't want I threw onto the sidewalk, for people to take. I posted a note to say that I'm no longer renting the room on the ran down shabby door. After, I put my box into the car I drove off and headed back towards Carlton so that I could find a suite or penthouse for sale. But, before I could, a Timekeepers siren went off telling me to pull over.
"Sir do you know why I stopped you." The Keeper said, after I pulled over.
"No I do not." I said, trying to hide the fact that I was angry, because he pulled me over even though I was following the law.
"It's because you have stolen time." He stated looking at me. "That car is bought with stolen time at least."
"No it is not, someone gave me this time." I shot back, isn't this what happened to me senior? Someone accused his wife of stealing time, so the time keepers killed her.
"Sure, they did." He said, sarcastically. "I'm going to need you to follow me."
"But, I didn't steal it." I said defensively.
"Well whatever you did... All I know is you did not earn it, and nobody would give you one thousand years." He stated back to me.
"Fine, I'll follow you then." I said defeated.
"Good." The Timekeeper said, walking up to his car and getting in.
Well if that wasn't easier than expected. I floored the gas petal down to the ground, finally realizing why people called these sports cars. He trailed behind me until, I lost him. I had made my way into Carlton as a wanted man. I drove up to a hotel and asked them for their best suite. They gave it to me with no problems, after sneaking a look at my car.
Everything in the room was plain. The floors were white and the walls were white. The only difference was the bedding was purple and the trimmings on every fixture was nothing below gold. And thats when I heard the knocking at my door. Then the sudden bang of my door falling to the ground as Timekeepers ran in.
"You are under arrest for stealing time and disobeying the law." One of the shouted in a loud and booming voice. Their uniforms were different from the last one. These were all black and had crossed bones on them. They held guns that pointed directly at me. I don't know what came over me to reach into my pocket but, when I became a target for their shooting. Thats when my life flashed before my eyes.
My life had began when I was 25. At least that's all we have ever known because, that was when our clocks started. We are each given a year when we are born, thanks to Mr. Jordan the guy who happily engineered us and made the Timezones. We are only allowed to use that year though when we turn 25 our adult age, it's also the age where we no longer age anymore. About 3 months after I turned 25, I realized how unlucky I was. To be born in the poorest Timezone, where the most deaths and poverty happens. Dayton was the worst and I could see why it was hard to find a job and when you did you could hardly keep it.
To make matters worse in those three months not only did me and my mom use the year I had, to pay taxes. My mom had died right before my eyes. She was running to catch up with me, so I could give her some of my time because she had forgotten to get paid, and died on the streets like everyone else. I just about died that day emotionally. Now it would not only be harder to survive but also to look at the world in a new light. And I always blamed myself for why she died even though everyone else told me otherwise.
But, I guess now that doesn't matter. Considering I'm going to join her in a few seconds. I can feel my senior being disappointed in me for not trying to change the world. But, how can you change something that has already been lost? Time has been lost since before I was born. And shall remain loss long after I've died. And this I know will never change.
