Tick Tock

Chapter One

I lean back in my seat, gazing down at my watch. Sixty years, eight days, thirty seven minutes and twenty four seconds. Twenty three. Twenty two. I gaze up as a figure sits down next to me. I smile up at Nick, my best friend.
"Try not to stare at it too long, it'll drive you insane." He smiles at me, his brown hair flopping over his forehead. "I usually try not to think about it too much." I glance over at his watch. Sixty years, eight days, thirty nine minutes and two seconds. His time of death slowly ticks closer. He glances over at my watch, his face turning momentarily grim before looking away.
There have been stories of peoples watches getting altered or changed by peoples decisions. The moment I met Nick my watch changed, instead of slowly going down it gave me an extra four years of life. Roughly two minutes before his death. We don't speak of it much, it's not something we like to think about.
I clear my throat and gaze out the airplane window. We haven't taken off yet, people are still filing onto the plane.
"I can't wait till we get to Fiji. It's supposed to be so pretty this time of year." He says. I smile and turn back to him.
"I am so looking forward to those legendary beaches. Relaxing on the sand, maybe catch some waves with you." I nudge him playfully and he laughs.
"I look forward to it, hopefully we don't get eaten by a shark."
"There are no sharks in Fiji." I say smiling at him oddly. He raises an eyebrow and my eyes widen. "Are there?" A message over the intercom fills the plane, distracting us from our conversation.
"Hello passengers, this is your pilot speaking. We will be taking off in two minutes. Please stay in your seats until the flight attendants say it is safe to walk around. We should be landing in Fiji in three hours. Thank you for your consideration." The voice cuts off in a small pop of static and I look back to Nick.
"What were we talking about?" He shrugs.
"I can't remember." I smile at him for a few seconds, looking into his pale brown eyes. He smiles back at me, just as caught up in me as I am in him. My smile fades slowly and so does his.
"Excuse me?" The moment is suddenly broken and I find myself looking at a flight attendant. "Can I offer you two any beverages or snacks?" I blush and politely decline. Did I seriously just have a romantic moment with my best friend? I turn and look out the window, feeling my cheeks flare up even more. There is no way I have any romantic feelings for him. Wait, is there? He has always looked after me. He holds whenever I cry and runs his hands through my hair and down my back which always soothes me. He laughs with me, in fact he is one of the only people who can make me laugh. He's my only friend, the only one who cares. I glance back over at him and awkwardly smile. He smiles back.
"Maybe you should do up your seatbelt?" He says, gesturing at my unbuckled one. I look down and laugh.
"Yeah I probably should." I click my belt together and look back up at him. "Happy?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
"Yup. Now you won't get hurt." I feel my ears get hot when the intercom interrupts again.
"Get ready for takeoff in ten, nine, eight-" the pilot continues to count down and people on the plane start counting down too. I look out the window, preparing to watch the airport get further and further away. "One!" People shout, the plane starts moving along the runway. Suddenly a bad feeling starts to stir in my stomach.
Somethings wrong
Nicks hand touches mine and I turn to face him.
"You are looking pale, are you feeling alright?" I shake my head sheepishly.
"I suddenly have a terrible feeling about this, Nick." He shakes his head and smiles at me.
"Don't worry Kalie," he points to my watch "still another eighty years. We will be fine." I glance down at my watch, my eyes widening in horror.
"Nick, Nick-" I say, my voice trailing off.
"What?"
"The time, it's changing." He looks down at my watch too, seeing the hands turn back rapidly. His eyes widen. "Yours is too." I point out, noticing Nicks watch doing the exact same thing.
"Oh my god." He says quietly, his eyes shifting up to mine. A scream comes from the back of the plane.
"My time is changing!" Suddenly panicked murmurs fill the aircraft. I don't take my eyes from my watch face, almost hypnotised by its movements. After what seems like a lifetime the hands slows to a stop.
Two hours and twenty minutes.
That's how long until I die.