A Twist In Time

Chapter 16

Raleigh, North Carolina

It was seven o’clock in the evening when I arrived at Raleigh. My hometown. The train just ran the rails in five minutes. I felt a sigh of relief out of my body the moment I stepped in the city.

It was nice to be back. I took a cab to my house some twenty kilometers away from the city.When I got there, it was dark,like the sun hadn’t shone down on earth for a billion years. I was able to recognize my house and ran through it. The cab left me then.

I rushed to the house. It looked like haunted at first sight, but it was my home. I wasn’t afraid of it.

I turned the lights on, and it flickered like crazy. For once, I could conclude the house needed excessive repair. Over time, the house looked fragile in its own way. The furnitures were heavily covered with dust. The walls would fall apart in no time. The floor was dusty as much as the furnitures were. I slowly stepped inside. I covered my nose to keep off the dust from entering inside my body. I went to my room and found out it was clean. In an odd way, I thought, someone must have slept here while the fast twenty years rolled by.

I slapped my body against it. It was nice to leave the mansion, and starting my own life. I was totally free from Sandra and of Sean…

Even though I love him, he made me suffer a lot. I would totally kill myself minute by minute if I still saw his face.

I closed my eyes. I wasn’t planning to sleep, but my mind drifted into an imaginary world…

The next morning, the sun hit my face. I woke up forcedly and went out to stretch my body.

I yawned and looked at the environment around me. I never thought I could still see the beauty of nature at this year, where technology was reaching beyond its limit. I yawned again, taking more oxygen in for my lungs. I closed my eyes. I felt being drowsy again.

My eyes searched for someone to help me fix my house. There was none. I finally gave up when someone called my name.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked, my eyes wide with shock.

Of all people, why Sean Keates? Why the man I love?

I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing. Sean was standing in front of me, as tall as he could be, and with a face that told me that he was half-kidding and half-serious. I couldn’t make out the emotion in his eyes.

“Why are you here?” I asked. I fought to keep my tone are hard, but I realized I couldn’t.

“I just want to be with you.” he said simply.

Shocks, he was absolutely insane.

“Go home now. You’re not welcome here.” I said, closing the door, but he held it and slammed it open. His eyes roamed around the house.

“This needs a lot of repair. Wanna give it a try?” he offered.

Before I could answer, he excused himself for a while and answered a call.

“Yes. Yes. I know. They’re coming right now? Okay. Thanks.”

I just looked at him intently, trying to figure out what he would do next. He turned to me, and then flashed an out-of-this-world smile.

“The deliveries are coming. Just wait for a second.”

I cleared my throat. “Now tell me, why did you come here? There’s no way for you to crash down here, young man.”

“I came here to follow you. Mom worried when you left. She loved you like her daughter, actually more than a daughter.”

His face became sullen as he told me that thing. I left the big mansion for good, and now it seemed like the blame was put on me.

A loaded truck parked in front of my house. Hardware was all complete for the house repair. My jaw dropped at the view. Was Sean really serious?

“Thank you.” he said to the driver. He got twenty workers with him, and he turned to me again.

“So let’s start repairing the house.” he said.

Oh my god.

The house was brought back to life, like it was the house I used to live twenty years ago. I felt like coming back to my real time, but I slapped myself into reality. I was in 2030, not in 2010. From a spooky room, it was transformed into a beautifully furnished house. It was like fantasy, a playful wave of imagery was hitting me at this moment. I smiled, and they all clapped in unison. A great work of interior design.

I went outside for some fresh air while they celebrated inside the living room. Sean followed me and hugged me from the back. It was tight, and all I felt was just ordinary. Nothing.

“Are you happy?” he asked with a sweet voice.

I let myself free from his hug and faced him.

“Yeah. Thanks. But I don’t think you can win me back with just one hug. Don’t be too confident, Sean.” I said and made my way inside the house.

He grabbed my arm and enveloped me in a warm hug.

“I’m sorry, Carmel. I know I’ve been such a coward, and a jerk, for not being able to fight for you. I love you, Carmel. More than anything in this world.”

I couldn’t say anything, but he touched my heart soothingly.