Tanda [The seer of life and death]

Tanda

 Who decides life or death? Some people believe it's forces beyond our control, while others believe it is mythical beings in the sky. Nonetheless, they say we can't control it, and we will never know when our time is up. It could be years or even seconds. Just live like each moment is your last. You'll never know when you will take your last breath.

However, I will. Everyone has a number above his or her heads. A glowing red number that beats in time to their hearts. It tells me how many years, months, days, hours and minutes that person has left. Usually, older people have lower numbers and children have higher numbers. Sometimes I'll see a kid with only a few years left, that usually means that they'll get sick or have an accident. It's just their fate.

"Tanda? Are you listening?" Claire asked. My friend peered at me. I blinked and nodded, even though I hadn't been. Tanda, the seer of life and death; I wonder if my parents knew of my ability when they named me. I can't ask them anymore. My mother died when I was born, and my father died in a car accident. That's how I found out what the numbers meant. He left home with ten minutes left. Half an hour later the police came to tell my babysitter he had died in a car accident just after he left. Claire shook her head before continuing. "What do you think? Should I apply?"

"Hmm? Yeah, sure." I glanced up at her numbers as we walked down the busy street. A habit I had since I was a child. Checking mine and others times. Claire continued going on about the apprenticeship, but I stopped listening again. I narrowed my eyes at her numbers, watching the numbers drop from fifty years to one minute. I rubbed my eyes and checked again. One minute. I stopped walking, but she continued on. Then I noticed the intersection. With her focus on the apprenticeship, she didn't see the road ahead of her. "Claire!"

I lunged and caught her arm, yanking her back from the road as a truck barreled past. We stumbled and fell. Each of us stared at the road and the brush with death we had experienced. I jerked my eyes from the road to her numbers, which had shot back up to fifty years. I felt my knees weaken. I changed her clock. Claire stared at the street then slowly turned to me with wide eyes.

"Thanks." She breathed. I stepped back, muttering something about forgetting something at home, before turning and running away. I'd never tried to change someone numbers before. I didn't think I could. My feet pounded on the sidewalk. In the corner of my eye, I saw red flashing. I had been running past the many stores that littered the street side. The flashing was a reflection in the large store windows. It was my clock. I skidded to a stop and stared at my reflection. My numbers, which previously had said fifty-five years, now said zero. The red numbers flickered before turning into an infinity symbol.

"What the hell?" I breathed. I stared at my reflection. I raised a hand and swiped at the symbol. My hand went through it, just like before.

"Hm, you've figured it out?" A voice asked. I jumped and whirled to face the man beside me. Above his head was an infinity symbol like my own.

"What happened?" I asked. He had an air of knowing around him.

"The first time you save someone, you lose your countdown. You become immortal." He explained. I glanced at our reflection and matching symbols. "But next time you save someone..."

I turned back to face him, noticing his darkening eyes and vanishing smile. He put his hands in his pockets and turned away.

"Don't save them," He warned before striding off. "Or your countdown will resume, much faster."

I turned back to my reflection and stared at the symbol. Immortality. I wouldn't have to keep checking my numbers to make sure I wasn't going to die today.

I stared at her numbers, then at the street where she was heading. Deja vu filled me as she talked, oblivious to the impending death. She spoke of the party this weekend and what she was going to wear. I stopped walking and watched her. I opened my mouth to shout at her, but they caught in my throat.