Wonder • Five Hargreeves

34

The Day That Wasn't

Five tugged Winnie along towards an auxiliary building filled with an insane number of tubes.

Winnie was enraptured by the twists and turns of the metal work. It was chaotic but organic- like they were roots of an old forest. They made a strange sense, beholden only to their own logic. It made her sigh was admiration. Unlike Winnie, who was happily enjoying the artistry of the building, Five was gnawing at his lip and trying to navigate the confusing peaks and dips of the piping by himself.

"I think it was left..." He said to himself. "Or right.."

Winnie tapped her fingers along the cool metal piping and as she touched the one by her left hip; she felt a tingle run up her arm. Her eyes flashed a blue- and not her usual blue. Like a startling pop of neon in a dark room. Winnie blinked away the warmth in her eyes and jerked her hand out to hold Five in place. He hadn't noticed her change, but stopped when she did.

"1993 Waco Texas." Winnie told him.

"What?"

"That one goes to Waco Texas. And that one's Mammoth caves circa 500 B.C?" Winnie felt more threads of energy zip up her arm like static electricity as she ran her fingers along a new pipe. Her eyes lit up again with that total shocking blue.

This time, Five was paying attention and he then noticed its consequences. Winnie winced in pain and rubbed at the heat in her eyes. Five gently took her hand off the pipe and inspected her face with concern.

"Are you okay?" He raised his eyebrows, crouching a little so he could look into her downcast eyes. Winnie nodded, still wincing with an oncoming headache and jittery with energy.

"Yeah. Yeah! Im fine. I just got all these flashes...like what happens with my powers- only stronger. More exact. The exact moment in time and location. Ive got all this energy now- like it was a shot of caffeine. Or when a plug overheats."

Five rolled this new information over in his head. He almost didn't want to say anything -and almost didnt- because he watched her rub a soothing thumb to her temple. She didn't tend to show when something bothered her physically, and it made him worried when she did.

"Well you... I mean youre connected into the absolute timeline right? The one this whole place was created to protect? Maybe we can use that." Five said but then back tracked. "But if you arent feeling well- we stop right here."

"How am I supposed to use it to my advantage? Touch all the pipes?" Winnie ignored the last part and gave him an incredulous glance. To which, Five just rolled his eyes.

"No- paint something. Draw something. This whole place, its connection into time and all its buzzing energy. Use it."

Winnie thought about it. Then she smiled. She pulled him forward and kissed his cheek.

"You clever man." She complimented, and then sat down in a quick flourish. Her hair fell down in a loose messy wave over her shoulders, but Winnie paid it no mind.

The dust on the ground was thin and barely treaded on. It was a rarely cleaned building, so there was only one pair of shoes that left prints coming and leaving. That meant there was plenty of material to use.