Time Struck

Chapter 1

Helen:

Being an orphan sucked, it was like being a duck among geese.

Never knowing if you truly belonged, whether anyone would truly be on your side.

Nothing is stronger than the love of a parent towards their child. And nobody is more weak and vulnerable than a child without one.

I put on some purple lipstick and smiled at my reflection - at least I was f*****g gorgeous.

I walked down the stairs, my head high. I can not give Aunt Monique a chance to step all over me.

I learned to stay quiet and emotionless as she tries to figure new ways on just how to trigger me every b****y morning. It was getting pathetic now really, but I applaud her effort.

My mind travelled back to the days I endured harsh punishments from her. I would sometimes get sent up to my room without food for as long as an entire day, or she would try to humble me at school by sending me there with uniform on non- uniform days. Despite that, I was still voted ‘most cool’ in the end of year six party.

It was partly my fault though - I was what they would call a wild child.

I would run away from the teachers who thought that just because I was a child, they could touch and grab me or force me to eat the horrific school dinners.

I would eat the food but it would give me an upset stomach and I almost always vomited it out by the time I got home. Aunt wouldn’t let me explain that it was the school food causing my vomiting and not because I was behind the missing cookie jar - that was Sam.

I would also refuse to put on the old clothes aunt would get me from the local charity shop - mainly because I knew that she always bought Sam brand new clothes and ones he actually picked out himself.

But eventually I calmed down.

And I would say that it was ever since aunt came into my room one night, with a plate of the brick hard pizza in her hand.

She handed it to me, giving me a sour look - as if she was forced to give me that slice.

“I don’t like pizza,” I said, crossing my small arms and avoiding eye contact with her.

“Listen Helen, I am trying my best with you! You need to stop this devilish behaviour,” she said harshly.

“What about Sam? He is bad even when you buy him nice clothes and give him all the pretty boy things!” I yelled, tears streaming down my face. She wouldn’t even buy me the barbie doll that everyone in school had.

Luckily I managed to convince everyone that the factories made the barbies using old nappies. But that didn’t change the fact that I wanted one so badly. I wanted pretty girl things.

She stared at me for a couple of seconds. “The difference between you and Sam is that he is my son! Even if he bought down hell on earth I will never let him go, why, because I am his mother. You on the other hand, don’t have a mother, meaning that when you fall, nobody would be there to catch you! Because Helen if you push me too much I will get rid of you! Mark my words!”

And with that she left, the pizza eventually got cold. And so did my heart as the words sunk in.

Ever since that day, my resentment for aunt was fierce but so was my fear of her abandoning me. I stayed out of her way because I couldn’t trust myself to bite back my words.

I headed downstairs, grabbing a snack bar from the kitchen.

“Sam?” I called, it was dark mornings in the winter time, so I preferred him walking with him to school.

I watched one too many crime documentaries.

I went into the living room to see him sat on the edge of the sofa staring at his phone. His face was red with anger, and his hand curled into a tight fist.

“Sam? What’s wrong?” I asked worriedly.

Sam had an issue with controlling his anger. Hence why aunt had him enrolled in all kind of sports, from martial arts to swimming to rugby.

He looked up at me, sorrow and anger mixing in his eyes.

“It’s nothing Helen, just school stuff,” he lied. “Let’s go, come on,” he said ruffling my hair and slinging his bag over his shoulder.

I decided to ignore it, it was probably about a girl or maybe it wad just school stuff. And experience taught me to stay the hell away from Sam and his business - it only bought trouble.

The sun rose and we arrived at school, parting ways. I went to the library to get my history homework printed out before first period, whist Sam probably went to meet up with his annoying arse friends.

Then the school bell rang and I made my way to class.

As I climbed up to the first floor, for a tedious maths lesson with Dr Sprite, my attention was directed to a crowd of people who were gathered cheering and shouting.

I rolled my eyes knowing it was probably another fight. And of course, I wanted front seat view - anything to keep me from algebra.

I jumped and tiptoed to have a better look, but what I saw made my face fall.

What the actual hell?

In what world is my cousin having a fist fight with my ex-boyfriend?

I ran my hand through my hair in panic.

Let me explain why I am so panicked - my history with my ex boyfriend is not so pretty.

James was perfect in the beginning. He is unbelievably hot - like he could get hit by a f*****g bus and still somehow look as handsome as ever.

He is tall and muscular, his muscles a work of art. Not to mention he had everything in me fluttering. My heart would beat like a mega drum when he would look my way. My skin on fire when he would trace his fingers on my body. And I would feel like floating when his soft lips were on mine.

But it was too good to be true, he ripped off his mask as well as my heart when he had enough of me. Dumping me only days after he confessed his supposed love for me.

I thank God every single day that I never said it back, even when I really wanted to.

That at least spared me some embarrassment.

I ran towards them, shoving past the crowd. “What the hell is going on!” I yelled, standing between them.

I turned to Sam. “Why the f**k are you fighting him?”

Sam gave me a sad look. “Helen, please get out the way. It is best if you don’t know,” he said out of breath. He didn’t have a single mark on his face, James on the other hand had a bleeding lip and what looked like a bruise forming on his left eye.

He scoffed. “You didn’t tell her?” I noticed his eyes watered, despite his amusement.

I narrowed my eyes, wondering why on earth James would ever get into a fight with Sam. They wouldn’t even know each other if it wasn’t for me dating him.

I turned back to James. “What the hell is going on?”

I noticed some of my classmates recording, some looked at me shocked and I swear I heard someone scoff “as if she doesn’t know?” and the words“w***e”.

Realisation suddenly set in. There was only one thing.

One f*****g thing.

I stared at James in shock, and he stared back at me.

I couldn’t even read him anymore, he was a stranger to me.

I staggered back, turning to Sam, “please don’t say it is what I think this is,” I whispered, a knot forming in my throat.

Don’t you dare cry Helen, don’t you f*****g dare.

Sam nodded his head slowly, looking away.

Everything started to slow down, my heartbeat was the only sound I could hear. The slow thumping, drowning everything and everyone around me.

I saw his face, James f*****g Gresham. Thé boy i trusted.

The memory I once thought was sweet flashed in my mind.

—

“This is best photo I’ve ever taken,” he said, holding his camera in his hands.

It was hot that he was a photographer.

“Oh really?” I blushed, smiling brightly. He took another picture, his eyes lighting up as he grinned behind the lens.

“Really,” he whispered.

I giggled, removing my shirt so that I was only in a b*a and shorts.

“Perfect,” he said, snapping another picture.

I don’t know what came over me, maybe it was his pretty smile or the rush I felt as he called me beautiful.

I unbuttoned my shorts, they slid down and I stepped out of them. He groaned, “So f*****g beautiful, Helen, you really are a work of art,”

“What will you do with them?” I asked shyly, lying down on the bed. He followed me, straddling me. He held up his camera and took another shot as I giggled.

“What do you think, hang them on my f*****g wall, I will,” he said. He placed the camera on the bedside table, leaning down to kiss me. “You know you can trust me,”

“I know,” I replied. “Always,”

—

James looked at my eyes, his eyes swimming with what looked like dread and anxiety - but I didn’t know him enough to be sure. I couldn’t tell between the mask and his true face. “Helen, Helen, listen to me !” He yelled.

I heard yells and screams in the crowd as Sam grabbed James by the collar, dragging him to the ground.

“Leave her the f**k alone!” Sam yelled but somehow James managed to get out of the struggle against him.

“Helen!” He yelled again, but I couldn’t look at him, I couldn’t bare the thought of everyone having that picture of me.

I was ruined.

And that wasn’t even the worst part. I trusted him, and now I don’t think I can ever trust anyone again.

“Helen!” He grabbed my arm. “Helen, are you ok? Helen listen I can explain!”

My heart was beating in my ears, my breathing uncontrollable. I just wanted everything to stop.

He shook me again. “Helen!”

I heard Dr Sprite trying to separate the crowd. No no no . I don’t want the teachers knowing.

Aunt would get rid of me. Universities won’t accept me.

I want everything to just f*****g stop.

“Stop!” I yelled with all my strength, tears streamed down my face and I cried and cried. “Please just stop,” My eyes were shut tight trying to block everything and everyone.

To my surprise and relief everything did stop. There was no more noise, the only think I could feel was a soft hand on my arm and James’ rapid breathing.

Then reality hit me, this wasn’t normal.

I opened my eyes to be met with James looking at me with shock and panic. I shrugged his arm of me and met my face also changed to match his.

Everyone was frozen. Everyone and everything.

Everyone but him. I turned back to look at him. “What is going on?” I whispered, my voice barely audible, but in the deafening silence he heard it.

“I have no clue, Helen,” he stammered.

“Don’t say my name!” I yelled, giving him a deathly glare. I f*****g hated this excuse of a man.

“Now really isn’t the time! Everyone is frozen? What the f**k! It is like someone just pressed pause on the world!”

He was right.

“Look at that bird, it is frozen mid air! How The hell is that even possible!”

“How should I know!” I yelled back.

Too much was happening at once, and all I was trying to figure out was whether this was a dream or not.

“I say we figure things out first, rationalise everything!” He said, his hand running through his hair.

“Rationalise things? How about you start with telling me why the f**k you would leak photos of me? Are you sick?” I yelled.

“If you and your stupid cousin tried listening to me, you would know that it wasn’t me!” He yelled back.

I laughed. Like really laughed. The belly kind of laugh that would have you rolling on the ground and slapping the s**t out of the person next to you kind of laugh

He looked at me like I was insane.

“If you think I would believe another letter that comes out of that dried up mouth of yours you would be very very wrong,” I said. “The second we figure what is happening, I am going straight to your mother and tell her what a piece of s**t you are. And then I am going to call your father up, we would all sit together around a table and there you will whip out your dusty looking camera and delete everything you have of me, and I mean every single picture. Then I want you to take a picture of your manly looking self wearing the tight pink boxers your grandma got you for Christmas and send it to the whole school,” I said, without pausing once for breath.

He stared at me in shock, his face pink with embarrassment

“Got it?” I raised an eyebrow,

“Ok, got it,” he nodded his head. “But I promise it wasn’t me, it was from my camera but I wasn’t the one who sent it around.

“Same way you said you loved me and then dumped me barely two days later,” I muttered.

He stared at me, lost for words a little. Or maybe he wanted to say something but decided it was best to hold back.

I would never understand him. I could never again feel safe in his arms.

Once trust is broken, it stays broken. And that’s a fact of life.

I broke away from his gaze and reality dawned on me.

“What do you think is going on?” I asked worriedly.

“I’m not sure, I was never really a believer in supernatural, but this is definitely supernatural. He thought for a moment before grabbing my arm.

“Follow me,” he said. We were outside, and found people frozen there too.

My eyes widened as I saw Stephanie frozen in place, her mouth wide open in laughter.

James lifted a worm from the mud in his hands.

Gross.

He held it out to me.

“What?” I asked.

“Just hold it, I think that it’s you behind this, you just don’t know it. Think about it, you were yelling for everyone to stop whilst my hand was on your arm. Meaning that you could’ve somehow magically froze everyone and took me along with you.” His explanation made more sense than what I was cooking up in my mind.

As soon as my fingertip touched the worm, it spring back to life. It’s body wriggling in the palm of James’ hand. He looked at me and grinned.

“So what is the solution? Just touch everyone in school to bring them back?” I asked.

That sounded very impractical and meant that everyone would know what was going on.

He shook his head, pulling me back into the building and up to the top floor. He dragged me towards the window. “Look up, see that building way far back ?”

“Yeah?” I said, not knowing where he was going with this.

“The smoke is frozen still, that means that you didn’t just freeze everyone in this school. It is possible that you froze everything in this world, if not, universe even,”

When did James become such a nerd? And why was this even happening to begin with?

“You can’t mean that I froze time do you?” I asked, putting another piece together.

“That must be it, there is no other explanation,” he said, his hands were slightly shaking and his face pale.

I must’ve looked the same. This was beyond scary. How can it be that I could possess such a power.

Was there some sort of glitch in the matrix?

“James but what about-

I paused when as I turned to look at him, to my horror he was frozen in place.

Just like everyone else in this school.

I turned around frantically. What the hell was this? Some sort of prank? What if I freeze too? Then the whole universe would be frozen forever and ever and ever.

“Helen, we finally meet,” a voice said and everything went dark.