Time Struck

Late at night in the busy streets of East London appeared a strange man out of thin air. I say strange because he was too old, with a beard too grey, carrying a stick too polished, with eyes too blue and wrinkles that ran too deep into his skin. It was clear that he was not a man of this world. Or perhaps not even a man at all. The loud honks of the agitated drivers sounded as he crossed the road, at his own pace. He didn’t fear to be in the way of others, he was too powerful for that. He was what everybody feared most and clung onto most dearly. He was time. But nobody knew that, hence why the angry bus driver stuck his head out of the window. “Get off the road before you get run over and die, you old bustard!” The old man chuckled lowly, he wished death was that easy. He lived far too long, endured far too much. His footsteps echoed even in the busy streets, the wind blowing harder with every step he took. The amber leaves scattered across the paved concrete floor. He glanced down at the pink bubblegum he had stepped on, with annoyance. This world is too dull yet never fails to trouble me, he thought. Alas he reached his destination, standing in front of a brown door with the engraved numbers : 135. This is where he was told the girl would be. The girl next destined to carry the power for the next couple of centuries. Perhaps less or perhaps more. He drew his stick above the ground, hitting the floor once. He could practically smell the magic from her and knew that other creatures of magic even the lowly ones of planet Earth could too. It was so sweet, so powerful. Nobody would dare approach her with ill intention. With a small wave of his hand time stilled. The wind stopped blowing. The leaves paused mid air. Silence encompassed the streets, the world. Everything stopped, everything but the old man. And her. A gold string appeared from his stick, which he followed to lead him toward her. So that he can finally rest in peace, so that he can finally leave the world he has come to hate. He can only die once there is someone to take over the responsibility. The front door blast open, a man with sandy blonde hair and a bright smile stood still, facing a young brunette woman with bright green eyes holding a bowl of cake batter. They were both stuck in the time trance. They would only get in the way of her power, he thought. He pointed his stick towards them and whispered a spell, which caused them to fall to the ground. Lifeless. The old man sighed, making his way up the stairs. The gold magical string pointing him towards a nursery. Just a baby, he thought sadly. So many years ahead of her. He stared at her, she cooed; her arms reaching to touch the man’s face. He smiled, spotting the same mark on her cheek that he has. He found it funny that a little girl from this world that run on science would hold this gift. A one in a gazillion chance. “You are going to be so powerful, but this world is too small for you,” he said, stroking her hair. He lifted her up, spotting the embroidery on her blanket. Helen. “Helen, you will bring down the kingdoms and rule over them all. And unlike me, you will not let foolish love get in the way. But for now, you stay here, until fate brings you to that day,” He laid her back down, but not before plucking a single hair from her head. “Finally,” he whispered. “I get to finally perish.” He held his stick up in the air, drawing a circle before him. A portal opened up, wind gushing out in full force. “I found her, the girl you said will replace me. I demand my life end here!” There was a soft hum, before the man and the portal disappeared. Time resumed. And Helen’s fate drew nearer.