The Day Time Ended

Chapter Three.

(Unedited)

My breath hitched, and I stumbled to the ground. I had passed my limit a while ago, but it was now that my body gave in and finally came to the ground. I wished I could keep going, but I knew it was best for me to stop now, for more reasons than one. I didn't think I would make it this far, in both the running distance, and in life.
In this world, and time, it's uncommon for people to survive. Living until the age of six, and past, is normal, but for what I've been through it's not. Most people live until the ages of forty or fifty. That old man was way past that, I'd reckon he was near his 130's. He's not a human, that much was obvious. He's a wanderer of the void; someone who is dead, but can't die.
In this world we don't have one superior species anymore.
I've never been to school, but I have heard stories. Stories about the past, about what life used to be like. In the times before nuclear wars, or the plagues, or the Collapse of the Hearts. Those are things I was lucky enough to never experience. In my time, there are still wars and plagues, but it's nothing like it was eternities ago.
The human race is rare, most other species believe it's bad luck to ever come into contact with one. I try to dress and act like a Shione, but it's difficult to be something you were born not to be. I respect that old man for treating me decently. Despite my disguise, I knew he could tell I was human, not Shione. I'll never see that old man again. He was shot, but he's already dead, he didn't die. He moved on. Perhaps to another world, another era, a different dimension, perhaps he went back through his memories and took the body form of someone who he watched die. That mans life wasn't easy, and it's possible he was more than 130 years, the scars on his body we not mistakes.

Although it's unlikely I'll ever see him again before I die, I regret not thanking him.

Luna stirred in my jacket, I had I forgotten about her. She popped her head out, and looked at me with her large, aqua eyes that over the years I have found comfort in. They were blue and green and also another colour that I didn't know how to explain. They swirled and mixed together, all the colours. They hold stories that I have yet to figure out. But they also hold stories I have yet to forget about. Stories about my past, and hers. Sometimes I think they hold other people's past too.

I felt some tears slip down my cheeks. Luna cocked her head to the side. "Memories, they're slipping out of my eyes again," I said, hoping Luna would understand. Luna rubbed her head gently against mine, wiping away a few tears, but but all of them. I whimpered, and then sobbed uncontrollably. Damn memories.

•                  •                  •

(In the memories/ past/ I don't know)

It was my own scream that brought me back to reality. Not a warm hug, or a loving kiss on the forehead, no. It was my own cracking, hoarse, despairing shriek that brought my soul back to my body. My eyes rolled back so I could see what was in front of me, but everything was dark. Then I heard their voices. And I thought maybe things weren't bad. But then my vision returned, and oh how wrong I was.
What I witnessed that day. The day that started it all is too dark to share. But since that day, things haven't been the same. I haven't been the same.
"T-take the cat" my mother pointed with the last of her strength to the scruffy fur ball of a rat. Little did I know, that "cat" would be my new family. The only bit of light in this wretched world.
I looked to the cat, but stayed where I was. My mother spoke my name, "take the cat!" I stayed put though. "Please!" Again she used my name, "take that damn cat and keep her safe!"
This time my mothers voice cracked, and that was it. I didn't pick up the poor starving animal for quite sometime. I just sat, devastated, in front of my parents, family, friends, and home. Sobs wracked my body for the longest time. Finally I was able to choke out some kind of sentence. To this day I don't know what exactly it was that I said, because in my ears all I could hear was my own heartbeat. So loud.
And that's when I watched my parents float into the sky. Just their souls. It was the last time I ever saw them. They became Wanders of the Void too, just like all of us who die the way they did.
People say when we die we become free. Perhaps for the Shiones, the Eclipses, and other species that's true, but not for us humans. We become wanderers. Dead, but left to die a thousand more times. Dead, but alive until they become close with things, then they move on, forced to feel the pain of death again, and to never see those close to them. Stuck in the loops of time, constantly stuck, forgotten. Most would forget a Wanderer soon after the Wanderers death, but not me. I've never forgotten one. It's a curse.
Humans become wanderers because we must be punished. We must atone for the problems we've cost this earth and it's own species. Humans are monsters. We've cost so much pain and suffering to our own kind. We've ruined worlds and broken our morals. That is why we are no longer superior. And that is why we will always become wanderers. Not to fix our mistakes, because we can't. But to learn from them. So that one day when perhaps the human race is gone, we will start again. Time just repeats and repeats. One day when this era ends, everything will start again. I've spoken with the spirits from the most northern points of the universe; the Fiores. Time has begun millions of times over. And every time it starts with us Humans and our planet that is now called Cioplas, but was once called Earth. The Fiores have told me that every time the humans repeat the same mistakes. A soul can only go into a body that works for it. Human souls are called Ambisios, and Ambisios can only go into human bodies. The same soul usually goes to the same body every time history starts a new.
Until the day comes that humans finally get things right, we will have to  keep repeating this. It's not fair, but neither was the pain we cost each other.

Ever since the day of when my parents passed away, I've been orphaned. Moved from house to house, world to world, family to family. But everywhere I go, sooner or later they find out I'm human, not Shione. And to them I'm a bad omen, bad luck. And just like you would if you came into contact with a cursed object, you would throw it away. To them I was the cursed object, so I was thrown away. I was only four years young when I became orphaned. It's been two years and all I can say is that although I'm six, I've lived more than someone who lived their entire life.
All the different species have different life expectancies. Humans have the shortest, and most don't count this but the Fiores live the longest. Some say they live for eternity, others disagree.
But myself, I believe that the Fiores are Time.

•         •        •

I woke up abruptly, my body jolting awake. I hadn't known I was asleep. I hadn't known I was in a space traveler, either. Once again, things weren't right. I looked around for Luna, or my belongings, but neither of those were near. I stood, or tried to before my body collapsed. I couldn't stand up, but I could see. My clothes have been changed, my hair has grown. I have grown.
I tried shouting out, for anyone, but the minute I opened my mouth, water filled it. And as soon as that water hit my lungs, I was, once again, asleep. With a last thought of once again, not knowing about where I was or what was happening. Why me?