The Calling of Time

In Shades of Black Secrets

 I kept a careful eye on the man in front of us. My skin was still tingling, like some kind of internal warning system was going off. I’d seen him shoot me in the dream…I’d felt it. My gaze was drawn down to the shotgun he still carried. He gripped it loosely, muzzle pointed down, beside his left leg. But it still made me nervous just looking at it.

I could hardly blame him though, could I? He didn’t know who we were any more than we knew him. We could be a bunch of thieving scum, as far as he was concerned. And he was being pretty nice to us.

He made eye contact with me, and his blue eyes widened slightly. “Ah, uh…got a whole family with you, huh? No trouble with the suckers along the way?” His eyes were still fixed on me, and I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me. Luckily Manda took charge of the conversation.

“Nothing we can’t handle, I make sucker killing a kind of hobby. And everyone, this here is Bruce. Bruce, meet Kali, Jai and Horace.”

Bruce nodded at me, then transferred his gaze over to Horace and Jai. “Pleased to meet you lot. It’ll be good to have a bit of company.” His eyes shifted this way and that, suddenly, flicking over the surrounding buildings. “Better get inside though. The suckers stay away during the daytime, but we have army guys come through here once in awhile. Nasty bunch.”

He strode up to the door and knocked it open with his boot, beckoning us inside. “Come in, I’ve still got some coffee left, if you’ve got time for a cup.”

I was the last one in, and I couldn’t help hesitating a bit, my feet faltering on the threshold. I could see the store beyond clearly. Bare shelves and a glass case, just like in my vision. Bruce tilted his head, staring at me questioningly, and I shrugged and moved inside, jamming my fear down and out of the way. It would be fine. We’d changed the future. I wasn’t going to get shot.

There was no way the guardians would let me come inside this place if there was a chance of that happening. Or maybe they weren’t too worried, since they’d said I wouldn’t die.

I shivered. What was worse, dying.. or walking around with a gaping chest wound like some kind of  zombie? Gross.

There was a rickety looking table at the far end of the store, and there were a few guns sitting there, they were dissembled, pieces scattered over the wooden surface.

“Was just cleaning some of them,” Bruce explained. He moved the pieces carefully over to the window sill, and I noticed he leaned his shotgun up against the side of the window as he did so. I couldn’t help feeling a little relieved that he’d put it down. 

“You been living here on your own?” Manda asked, turning around in her chair to watch as Bruce sauntered over behind the counter.

“Yup.” He turned the knob on a tiny cook stove that was jammed between a file stuffed with papers and a steel safe on the back counter. The flame flickered to life.  There was already a pot of black coffee on the top. He leaned back against the counter, blue eyes distant. “Been here for years now. Sort of lost count.” He sighed. “Wife and kids were some of the first to go. They were shopping.” He snorted, shaking his head. “Just went out to get a few things from the super market. We were supposed to have guests over for a chicken dinner. Said she would only be a few minutes, be right back, she said.”

He trailed off. The coffee pot made bubbling noises in the silence.

Manda said softly, “They never came back?”

Bruce blinked, like she’d interrupted his memories. “Yup,” he said shortly.

“Sorry to hear that,” Jai said, his voice was grave. “And we really appreciate you doing this for us. We don’t want to intrude long…”