Elevators Through Time - Book 1

Part 30: Stay By My Side

Part 30: Stay By My Side

Year: 1990

Time: 8:59pm

Location: "Sydney's Tower", Sydney CBD, NSW, Australia.

Level: 72nd Floor

Kate sat up in bed after not being able to stay asleep. She had decided to sleep by herself this time and I understood. There was quite a lot on her mind.

There was the new-found knowledge and ability to protect me, which gave her something to be proud of, but also the fear and horror of what pain she may need to inflict on someone... anyone at all. She was scared but she knew the necessity and felt the desire to protect me in turn. There was the responsibility that I had given her to use such a fearsome weapon sparingly.

Kate also thought about the mannequin that she shot at and the one afterwards.

'Are you really ready to main and kill for him?' her conscience asked.

She thought 'Of course!' but she was now taking time to think about things clearly before rushing into things by letting her feelings make her take risks that might put her in danger or... in jail.

She also wondered what her parents would have thought about this. Would they be mad at her for taking up arms, or would they understand?

All these questions, and more, flooded her mind... all while part of her was still reminiscing about how it felt to be taught by me. She focused of the happiness she felt when she felt my arms around her... guiding her... even just for breathing. I was gentle and caring. She felt so loved when she felt my embrace. She recalled how her focus faltered for just a moment while I was holding her arm and her waist at the same time.

She carefully lifted herself off the mattress and walked over to the window.

Her thoughts echoed in her mind as she stared out into the city lights.

'I hope I don't have to do that. Please don't make me do that'.

Kate was strong enough to want to fight, but she didn't want it to be a dirty fight.

She went back to bed and noticed the glint in my eyes and realised that I was watching her.

"Kate," I whispered, still sleepy myself, "I shouldn't have shown you a gun like that. I'm sorry if it is getting to you."

Kate looked at me and didn't answer.

I let her continue thinking for a while and then she said, "Not all guns are like that, are they?"

"Some are safe and only stun people for a short time. Some kill straight away but painlessly. Some hurt but don't kill. Different guns, different bullets, different intentions."

"Really?"

"Oh, there is a setting on that gun for a simple projectile that does not work as cold as you saw."

"There is? Why didn't we use it?"

I paused. "I had forgotten to set it. I'm sorry, I was expecting heavy danger threats so I had kept the gun at maximum setting."

Kate took this information and understood that it was necessary to keep such a powerful weapon close in case of danger.

"Hmm, okay," she sighed with some closure for the topic. She went back to her bed and fell asleep after a few minutes of nuzzling into me with a soft 'thank you for today'- kiss on my cheek and my arm..

I lay next to her, still wide awake.

I watched over at her for some time, pondering what dangerous world I had exposed her to: A world of fear, violence, and unnaturally powerful people. I wonder if it was okay to have left her in the world that she knew and was safe in.