THREE

Chapter 1: There's a Beginning to Everything (The Jury of Juttingburg)

                                                               PART ONE

            One, two, three.  How long did it take you to read that sentence? Well, in this story, you won’t need to know that anymore.  Time will be irrelevant. Time will just be a small, careless blink away.  This may be confusing for you, since this story goes from past to present, present to past, present to future, and future to present.  Sounds weird, right? Don’t close the book just yet. 

            We’re just getting started.

Even if you did close it right now, wouldn’t you feel ashamed of wasting 12 dollars on something you don’t dare to even read?  That is just cruel.  Now, you’re probably thinking right now, “Gosh, is this book just gonna be this dude talking about time and stupid stuff like that?”  Well, my answer to that is yes; this book is about time.  But…it’s so much more than that.  It’s a long explanation about an average man who finds fate stepping in front of him, telling him what he must do to save the universe and keep the balance of it.  Now, here’s the catch, the “fate” is himself, from the future.  Weird, right?  But, in order to understand this, you have to read through the whole novel.  If you just skip to the end, none of it will make sense.  I got you there, didn’t I?  Now, you can’t get away with just skipping to the end to find out what happens.  If you do, you will be insanely confused.

            I’ve trapped you. You’re just going to have to read the whole book. 

            So, before I start our wonderful tale, you might be wondering, “Who is this talking to me?”  I’m not any of the characters; I’m not any of the surroundings.  However, I know what goes on in the whole book.  I can feel others’ feelings.  I understand what others are going through.  Do you want to know what I am?  It’s quite simple actually…

            I am time.

 

*****

Our story starts in the courthouse of Juttingburg City in Minnesota.  Emmet Robinson is a 32-year-old lawyer who has a case, a difficult case.  Mr. Graham was shot at the Yuton Grocery Store.  The only problem is that the man, Simon, who everyone thinks shot Mr. Graham, is saying he is innocent.  The witnesses all say that they saw Simon at the grocery store, shooting Mr. Graham, but Simon has a video of him that he shows to the jury, showing him somewhere else.  Is there another person who looks exactly like Simon?  Is Simon lying?  This is what Emmet Robinson has to figure out.  Emmet is Simon’s defendant, so he wants Simon to be proved “Not Guilty”, but it doesn’t come as easy as stealing candy from a baby; it has to be done with skill, agility, and smarts. 

“Your Honor,” Emmet said, “I have seen Simon around town, and he is a very good man.  I have seen him with Mr. Graham, talking normally, like any normal man would.  So, why would he want to shoot him?  There had to be some reason he did it, if he did do it.  Simon is not like any of those sick people on T.V. who kill random people; he is a good citizen.  Please, jury of Juttingburg, understand me, and most importantly, understand that Simon is a good plebian.  I rest my case.”

“Well,” said the Judge, “it is up to you, the jury, to decide if Simon is guilty or not guilty.  We have heard Mr. Robinson talk, so now, it is Mr. Truman’s turn to speak his mind.”  John Truman wants Simon to be guilty.  He has had resentment towards Simon for many years, so it’s just Simon’s luck that John is going to try to convince the jury to make Simon guilty.

“Your Honor,” said John, “Simon has been a good guy for many years, but lately, I have seen him acting very suspiciously, almost as if he is sick and crazy in the head.  So, seeing him doing something like killing an innocent man is not a surprise to me.”