Dusk Harbor 1999

Time May Bend

Mason stood with Sarah trying to climb onto his back, Olive at his side, and Drake pushing the stroller back and forth. People were wandering everywhere, mostly mothers with their children, some lovesick couples holding hands and giggling at each other, and the man from the ticket booth was sitting on a nearby bench, reading a magazine.

"Lemme look at this map for a second, OK?" He asked as he unfurled the brightly colored park map. He took note of where he was in relation to the merry-go-round, where the Flaming Inferno was, and where the dragon roller coaster was. It wasn't far from where he stood, just a little past the bathrooms, across from a lemonade stand. I'll take them over there now.

He folded up the map. Stuck it in his jacket pocket. He turned to ask them if they wanted to head over, only to see that Drake and the twins were nowhere to be found. Panic tried to claw its way towards him but he wouldn't let it. It wasn't the time to panic just yet. He looked to Houston, who was half awake.

"Where're the other sixty percent of your siblings?" He asked as panic ate through him.

Houston stuck his bottom lip out and gave a shrug. Rolled his head to the side and went back to sleep.

"Wow, real helpful kid." Mason grumbled.

What's up with this kid?

He looked around in every direction but it was as if they were dust in the wind.

****

Drake's face was hurting from the wide grin he had as he led his twin sisters through the park, everyone around him moved as if through molasses. Birds were stuck in mid-air, wings outstretched but moving only a beat every thirty seconds. A pink balloon was frozen three feet away from a little girl's outstretched hand. Olive and Sarah were slipping their hands into people's purses and pockets and snatching up every wallet and dollar they could find.

And no one reacted to it. Because they couldn't. He had time bent to his will. He could make a single minute last an hour.

Or make an hour last a minute. And when he let everything resume the way it should people took no notice either way. Except for those he wanted to experience what he did. His sisters were like his partners in crime. They'd stolen thousands of dollars ever since he discovered his power last year. What a glorious day it had been. He made gym class last just three minutes.

Even though they didn't need the money, it was fun. It was all about the thrill for them.

Once his sisters were laden with treasure he led them behind a trash can. Sat down on one leg, with his other knee tucked under his chin. He counted up all the money. Counted it again. Then a third time just to be sure. He shoved it into his pockets, pushed some towards his sisters so they could load up, and left the empty wallets in a pile.

Sarah tucked a strand of pearls into her pocket and gave a thumbs up. Olive gave a short nod. He snapped his fingers, and time resumed as normal. The pink balloon floated way up into the sky, much to the little blond girl's dismay. A few people patted their pockets, looked around all confused as to where their possessions had gone. One man started yelling at a lady behind him, accusing her of theft.

He laughed, and his sisters joined in with slightly more maniacal laughter.

"High fives all around!" He put up his hands and slapped his hands against his sisters' hands.

"How much did we get?" Olive asked excitedly as she bounced up and down.

Drake motioned for them to lean in closer.

"Seven hundred and forty-three dollars." He whispered.

Sarah smiled.

"Awesome!" She exclaimed. A breeze came by and blew her honey blonde hair around.

"Should we head back to uncle Mason?" Olive asked, looking around. Her green eyes darted from person to person. Sometimes her eyes were blue. That was their typical colour. But they changed to green once in a while. When she was excited or happy.

"He'll be fine." He replied.

"But, he'll get mad," Olive stated in a worried tone. Her eyes started to shift back to blue. They were a sort of mix of blue and green at the moment. Almost aquamarine.

Sarah nodded her agreement. She had soft blue eyes that never changed much. That was the major difference between them. The eyes.

"Yeah, I don't wanna get in trouble." She chimed in.

Drake rolled his eyes and adjusted his black windbreaker.

"You know we haven't really been gone that long right?" He said to them.

The two of them just blinked at him with concern.

Without another word of argument, he led his sisters through the crowded park again, back to the little fake street near the merry-go-round where they had left Mason.

Uncle Mason wasn't there. Neither was aunt Olivia or uncle Jordan. Just a bunch of strangers running around and a weird guy on a bench reading a magazine. Drake thought that anyone who chose to sit and read at a carnival must have been broken. He's probably loose in the head.  He needs therapy.

Sarah grabbed his arm with both hands and stood beside him, looking around anxiously.

"Where is he, Drake?" Sarah asked quietly.