Tick Tock

Chapter Two

I grip Nicks hand tightly, panicking.
"We are all going to die.." I trail off
"No." He says boldly "We can fix this Kaylie." I grip his hand as the staff attendents hurry up the length of the plane.
"What the fuck is going on?" Yells a dark haired man a few seats up from us. "If any of you are terrorists I am personally ganna beat the shit out of you." I bite my bottom lip as his eyes scan the plane. A female flight attendent approaches him and attemps to calm him down. He reluctantly sits down and shuffles uncomfortably in is seat. The staff leave into the cockpit and all the passengers whisper uneasily to each other.
"Nick, we should never have caught this flight."
"Kaylie. Stop. It's okay. We have changed the time before. They can fix this."
"And if they can't?" He silence is the only answer I get. He rubs my knuckles with his thumb, a sad smile on his lips.
"I want to speak to the pilot!" Yells a red haired woman. The flight attendent assists the impossibility of that scenario. She speaks loudly to the rest of plane passengers.
"We will be able to stop in Germany in just over an hour. I assure you once this plane lands your time will return to normal. On behalf of the plane company we are paying for you all to stay in a four star hotel for one night before the next flight tomorrow. There is nothing to worry about. Please stay calm and enjoy the remainder of the flight." With that she turns and vanishes into the cockpit. I frown and turn to Nick.
"Germany?"
"I guess. It's better than death I suppose." He's joking, but I don't find it funny. Tears prick in my eyes, I could die in only a few hours. "Hey, I'm sorry." He touches my face and uses his thumb to wipe away a stray tear. "That was a real asshole thing to say. It'll be okay, Kay. I promise." I nod.
•••••
Its been roughly 45 minutes, and everyone is generally calmer. There is still a tension, but nearing the airport seems to relax some people.
"What did you think? When you saw how long we had?" I ask, gazing at the back of the seat in front of me.
"I thought that dying with you wouldn't be so bad. I mean, we were going to anyway. But even if we only had a little while left, I was glad I am with you." I smile at that, and he smiles back.
"What about yourself?"
"I was scared. I don't want to die, Nick. I want to be able to live a long life. I want to see my kids grow up. I want to see the world. I don't want to die in the air miles away from my family."
"I'm with you."
"Yeah." I smile. "I wouldn't want anybody else."
•••••
When the plane reaches the airport everybody basically itches to get off. They shove past eachother and pull out cellphones to try to contact family. Nick and I wait until the plane is empty before we move. My legs shake as I make my way down the aisle.
When we stand in the airport everything is written in a language we don't understand. I glance at my watch. One hour and seventeen minutes. The flight attendant from the plane notices us and approaches with a smile.
"Hello, I recognise you from the flight." She hands us a map - translated to English. She gives us directions to a hotel walking distance from the airport. "Just show the receptionist your passport and plane ticket and you will be taken to your room. We apologize for everything." She smiles and turns away, heels clicking as she struts. Before she moved away I caught a glimpse at her watch. She had over thirty seven years.
"Nick. Has your watched changed?" He looks and shakes his head. "Neither. Weird."
•••••
The hotel is definitely beautiful.
I notice lots of other people from the flight wandering around in awe. They seem relaxed. Are Nick and I the only people whose watches haven't changed?
When we are taken to our room it's nice to finally sit. I lie down on a bed, letting out a sigh as I sink into the matress. Nick stands over me and smiles.
"Nice?"
"Mmmmmmmm..." He laughs and flops down beside me. His eyes flutter shut and I let mine do the same. We lie like that for a few moments.
"Kaylie?"
"Mm?"
"If I die here, I'll die happy." My eyes shoot open and I sit upright. I stare at him in awe.
"Where is this coming from?"
"Our watches haven't changed." His words hit me heavily, but he acts like he is discussing the weather. "It's us. It's been us all along." He opens his eyes and looks at me. "Just like when we first met. It was always us."
"You're acting crazy."
"I love you."
"Now you're really crazy." My head is spinning. He sits upright.
"You love me too. I see it in your eyes."
"Nic-" suddenly his lips are on mine. They feel so soft and gentle. I arch towards him for a moment. He leans forward and pushes me onto my back, hovering above me. I press my hands against his chest and push him away. "We can't." Our breathing is heavy, and it fills my head.
"Why not?" I think about it for a second. In that moment I can't think of any reasons. I shrug and kiss him again.
We stay like that for a long time. Kissing, touching, whispering sweet nothings to eachother. As I lift my shirt above me head I catch a glimpse of my watch.
Seven minutes, four seconds.
Seven minutes with Nick could be worth an eternity. I whisper three words against his lips.
"I'm not afraid."
"We can go together."
He kisses my neck and I sigh. Our fingers and limbs intertwine.
When it comes for us we don't fight. We walk towards it, smiles on our faces and light in our eyes. In my last moments I felt love. Not many people can say that, but I can. I died loved.