Time Keeper

Chapter 9 Team Teidoll

I checked my golem's watch. All golems had a timekeeper so we didn't carry it around, you know, stuff falling out kind of distracts you from the battle. Kind of dangerous. So the science department installed a watch into the golems after much complaining from the exorcists (mostly me). It was 11:20. We were to arrive at our destination at 12:00. Not much longer to go. I relaxed at the thought of finally getting off this trip to hell just waiting to happen.Giant moving hunks of metal going about 200 miles per hours is deadly if anything goes wrong, and for me, something is always going wrong.

Krowry sat quietly beside me, staring out the window and into the landscape. The train bumped, more than it had the whole way, to the side and I found myself leaning on him. He didn't move. Just looked out the window as he had been. I don't think he noticed. I didn't move, he seemed to not care so what harm was I doing? I just closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the wheels scraping along the old train rails. I don't know when but eventually I fell asleep to the sound of everything going on, the wheels, the wind, but mostly to the sound of Krowry's heart beat and his slow breathing.

* * * * *

When I opened my eyes I was no longer looking at the red interior of the train car. No, now I was looking at trees and the sky. I tried to get up but my head was killing me. I moved my arm, and luckily for me it moved, I reached to the back of my head. It was hot. Hot and sticky. Panic rose in my throat. I couldn't think about that. Krowry. Right. Where is Krowry? I tried getting up again. I got dizzy but I managed to get to my feet. Not that I was standing. I was crouching, but that was all I could manage.

I surveyed the area around me. Nothing as far as I could see. I looked back into the sky. It was grey. Dark. Almost ominous. I clenched my fist and rose to my feet, despite the pain. I swayed for a moment then finally got my balance. I glanced at my watch, 12:00 p.m. Where are we? Well, we weren't making our meeting. Not at all.

I don't know how I missed it. The pitter patter in the deafening silence. No idea how I could have missed the terror inducing sound. I tore my gaze away from the sky. The trees in front of me seemed normal, nothing wrong. I slowly turned around, eyes closed, praying what I was hearing wasn't real, that my imagination just needed some excitement and decided to torture me to do so. Oh god, I hope so. But sadly, my eyes showed me the sad reality.

Destruction laid in front of me. The trees were charcoal, I swear they looked like they would turn to dust with a single touch. Many were destroyed, and I know understood why the sky was so grew. It was filled with the smoke of a fire that may still be raging somewhere beyond my sights. Trees were pushed back and broken. Bent from a force that was no longer pushing on them. Through the smoky musk I could smell iron. Red coated the landscape in spots and sprays. I took in the sight, to my dismay.

I stuttered through a sob. The train had crashed, it was broken and everywhere. Bodies hung from shattered windows, shards of glass poking out of their backs. Bodies hung from trees, their blood coming down causing the pitter patter sound that I had heard. Some bodies laid, strung out, from being pulled apart by either being flung out of the train but getting caught or by being stuck to a tree. Some bodies though, were clawed, and scratched, and chewed. It was horrifying. I sobbed. My knees shook. It was okay to give in to emotions at a time like this.

* * * * *

After what felt like an hour of a little less than silent grieving, I struggled to my feet. My golem settled down onto my shoulder. I had forgotten about it. The time. What was the time? I reached for my golem that had been fluttering beside me. 12:01. So little time. I felt like a whole year had passed maybe. Krowry. Oh God. Krowry. Where is Krowry? A rustle came from the pushes. I whipped my head back to look, tears still coming out of my eyes, "Kro-." My cry of joy was cut short. An akuma. A level three akuma. Oh god, I'm gonna die. How was I going to fight ba- oh yeah. That delirious moment isn't going to go over well with Allen. He always says I need to be strong.