The Time Holders

Jason looked down on me, disappointment in his eyes, before he collapsed to the ground. I never felt worse than I did right then. Never felt more hurt, or disappointed in myself. I had let him down, let everyone down. And now Jason lay on the floor unconscious, a pool of hot, red shame forming around his unmoving body. The bullet had pierced right through his chest, and it was all my fault. It was then I knew what I had to do. And it was then that I did what I always did best, I ran, leaving Jason, Marci, Ryann, Rickie, and the others behind. No point in staying if I'm no use.

C1

     So I should probably start from the beginning and introduce myself. My name is Golda Mantis, but everyone calls me Manny–long story as to why, and I prefer not to tell it. I live with my aunt Jannie, and my two cousins Rachelle and Lizzie. They aren't that great of people, rather they treat me like shit, but I don't care. I'm pretty much used to it, I've been dealing with them for five years. I should probably tell you I have a secret. I have the power to stop time, as in I can stop it but I and anybody I choose can move around, except everyone else, and everything else, stays frozen. Also, I can manipulate metal. Sounds weird, but it's actually pretty cool. I can turn one metal into another kind of metal, like copper into gold, change the shape of the metal, and I can even make it levitate! Nobody knows about my secret, of course. Why else would I call it a secret?

     Anyway, now that you know a little bit about me I'm going to start my story. It begins the day of Halloween, about six months before that bullet pierced through Jason's chest. I was setting up all the decorations because no one else was going to, and also because Aunt Jannie would be pissed at me if I didn't. All the scary lights were out up around the outside of the house, and so were the ghosts and the bats. I even finished decorating the doorway. The only thing I had to do now was carve out the jack-o-lantern and then set up the candy bowl. Putting on my costume was the last thing on my mind.

     Just as I finished cleaning out the seeds and gunk from inside the pumpkin, the doorbell rang. "Coming!" I called out, getting a wash rag to clean off my hands. I quickly walked over to the front door, and opened it only to see one of the most attractive guys I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He had short, shaggy, dark brown hair, cold, blue eyes, a chiseled jaw and nose, and slightly tanned skin, along with a five o' clock shadow.

     "Is Golda Mantis home?" he asked, his deep, boyish voice firm and urgent.

     "This is she," I said, cringing at the use of my first name. I hated it so much.

     "You're coming with me," the boy announced, grabbing hold of my arm and pulling me through the front doorway. It wasn't that I minded him touching me, no not at all, it was just the rough and randomness of it all. This random dude comes to my house, knows my name, and then says that I'm going with him without letting me ask what the freaking hell is going on!

     "Who the hell are you to take me away from my home?" I screeched as he shoved me into the passenger side of a fancy blue car, all the while keeping me in such a tight grip that I had no way of struggling. I didn't even think of stopping time, or rather I didn't know that I didn't have the ability to stop time because time had already stopped. All I knew was that this random guy was answering any of my questions. The only thing that he said was, "I have every right to take you from your home. Plus, we both know that you hated it there, so there isn't really a point for you to be so pissed off." And that was that.

     He was right that I hated it in my Aunt's home, though I don't know how he knew, but I still felt I had the right to be pissed. And yet I still didn't question why I couldn't just stop time, nor did I question why I couldn't manipulate the metal of the car so that I could get out. All I did, and all I could do, was keep asking questions until he broke. But that never happened. Not once did his composure break. He just looked out the windshield and concentrated on driving.

     It was two hours before he finally stopped in front of what looked like an abandoned warehouse. He helped me out of the car, and told me to follow him, saying, "Don't even try to get away, because we will find you." So I followed him right into that abandoned warehouse. Inside there were others that looked to be around my and the other guy's age. They were playing video games, or doing something that looked like karate.

     "Welcome to The Time Holders," he said, gesturing to the others.

     "Cool," I mumbled. "But I still don't know who you are."