Blackstone

A New Weapon

I ran across the surface of the lake, pushing myself harder, concentrating on maintaining my balance between Space Time and Time Space. The Edge as Mary liked to call it. This was where a Keeper lived, in that small, infinitesimal space between the worlds. Cold water splashed on my bare feet, but I barely felt it. I could see the dock ahead and I increased my pace. My foot slipped out of Time Space, plunged into the lake.  I gasped at feeling the ice cold water. My Time Space bubble collapsed and I plunged into the water. 

            I came up, sputtering, choking on lake water. From the dock, I could hear Mary's gentle laugh. "So close and yet still so far, little star," she said.

            I swam to the dock and clambered up, my teeth chattering. "I just ran around the lake twice, Mary." I wrapped myself in a long blanket that I brought down to the dock just in case.

            "But you still failed," said Mary and walked down the dock.

            I hurried to catch up with her. Mary's curt dismissals of my achievements always cut me deep. All these years later, her stern words of disapproval could deflate my successes in a second. "How did I fail? I walked the edge for over an hour."

            Mary didn't answer and we climbed the path in silence. I'd learned long ago that when she didn't answer a question it was because she wanted quiet. Silence is the handmaiden to knowledge, Mary always told me and many times I could figure out an answer to my question by myself.

            Later after a warm, restoring cup of lightsen tea, Mary set her cup down on the table and looked me in the eye with a stern by loving expression. "Do you know why you failed at the lake today?"

            I swirled the last leaves in my teacup. "I lost concentration. I was thinking of the finish line. I thought I'd already won," I said.

            "Exactly. There is no room for error in the Time/Space. A Keeper must walk an edge so fine that not even a razor can compare. The moment you lost concentration, the moment you thought of your prize. That is when you lost control and failed." she said.

            "I know. I'll try harder."

            Mary reached across the table and poked me in the chest. "Trying will bring failure. Only being in the moment will suffice, Little Star. Being fluid, open and dynamic like water."

            She gathered up the tea cups. "Your teaching is over for today. Before you return to the Middle World. Tell me the Truth."

            I took a breath and prepared to speak. Every time before I left Mary's presence, she made me recite the Truth of the World – the nature of the Earth's hidden reality.

            "For thousands of years, The Earth has been controlled by several dozen powerful Families. They keep the truth to themselves and make the people suffer," I recited from memory.

            "And what is your purpose, little star?"

            "Destroy the Families. Bring light to the People."

            Mary walked towards me and placed her hands on my shoulders. "And how will you do that?" she asked softly.

            I looked into her gold and violet eyes. "By serving them. Making them trust me. Waiting for the proper moment and then using the Dark Power."

            "Very good. We will see each soon."

            My eyes sprang open. Mary had trained me to use my sub-conscious to wake me up without the need of an alarm. I looked around the dark room. Carrie slumbered softly on her side. Thomas lay on his back, one arm over his eyes. I didn't even know how much time we had left before dawn. I got up and quietly went to the window. It was still dark outside and the first rays of dawn hadn't even broken the horizon. Wherever we were at least it had the same time schedule as Earth which would make sense, I thought. Having a bunch of teenagers hauled off to an alien world where the day was 28 hours long would take its toll on our physiology and negatively affect our training.