Time Is Money

Two

I kept my eyes scrunched shut as I hid under my covers, wishing it was all a dream.

No time for two weeks, he had said. You shall die for all I care. Until you begin to respect us, I will make you have less and less time. You are also grounded for two weeks.
"Hello?" a deep voice questioned. "Master Tom?"
I bolted upright and stared at the man. He had blonde hair like a sunflower, and deep brown eyes that pulled me in. My striking blue eyes locked with his.
"No.. Halee.." I whispered, my eyes blurring with tears. "She won't make it."

"Halee? Your old maid? Your father.. he.. drained her time."
I lay down and covered myself with my blanket, sobbing into it.
"Master Tom, I'm sorry for your loss." the boy whispered. "But we can't change it. My name is Evan, and I will serve you until you do not need me any longer."
"Shut up!" I screeched. "You don't understand!"
Evan shut his mouth and began walking silently towards me.

"Did you like like her?" he questioned, pulling my blanket slowly off.
"N..n..o. She was my best..friend," I responded, curling up into a ball. "Now she's gone.. all because of the stupid time currency!"
"If this helps, Tom, I disagree with the time currency too.."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I lost my mum and dad when I was just a kid because of it."
"How old are you, Evan?"
"Seventeen in real years, a hundred and seventy in time years."
"I'm sixteen in real years, a hundred and sixty in time years."

Evan sighed.
"We are so old, very old," he said. "But guess what? We could stop the time currency altogether, we just need to find out how."
"Yes, I think my dad has a work room with a heavily guarded lever which shuts down the time currency, he was telling me a couple of years ago." I explained, sitting up and wiping tears away. "He just never said where it is."
"Well; that could help us,"
"Possibly; but the lever could be miles away."
"I guess so."

Evan grinned at me and I smiled at him, trying not to cry. This was how me and Halee started out - why was history repeating itself? We both had wanted to pull the lever, to free people of the burden that was the time currency.

We will find it, we will. Won't we, Tom?
Yes, and we will make sure everyone is happy with money!
Of course, Tom. Everyone will be free!
We had never found the lever, much to our disappointment. However, it had helped as I knew every corner of the house now, like it was the back of my hand.

"Maybe we should check his bed-"
"Nothing is there, there's no point in searching, there's nothing." I spoke a little too quickly. "Me and Halee - we searched all of the house, and we found nothing. Nothing at all."
Evan gasped lowly.
"You and Halee really were close, weren't you?" he whispered, a look of sympathy on his face. " I'm sorry."
"No, no. She probably wants me to carry on, not just mourn her," I said thoughtfully.
"Well, this could help," Evan says, before turning away. "your mother and father told me they are going to meet with another company for a couple of days.. we could use that time to good use. Maybe there is a basement or attic you don't know about?"
"I don't know."
"Let's look. Maybe a trapdoor is hidden under carpet or something,"

After we were sure my parents had left for the airport, we began searching. We searched every place I could think of, including the bathroom. Nothing at all popped up.