Fix It

Chapter 2 - Pranks aren't so funny

The time seemed older as Alex glanced out the window. The moon cried as it slowly disappeared to welcome the singing sun. His attention focused on the old man that stood before him with an opened hand, waiting for some form of greeting and the skeletal T-Rex that was curled up on the shiny floors, fast asleep.

"W-who are you?" The old man only smiled at him, placing his wrinkled hand back to his side. "The question you should be asking young boy, is why am I helping you?" The greying human stretched his worn lips into a smile as he pulled something from behind Alex's ear, like a beginner magician. Alex looked around him wondering why the bastard did such a thing. "Look old man, I don't know who you are or how you even know about my mother but I'm warning you if you do as much a hurt a strand of hair on her b-"

"I have no need for your mother's death you thick-headed boy, I only wish to help her." The old man slowly opened his hand revealing what he took from behind Alex's ear. There was a small hourglass filled with white sand that moved from one end to the other. Alex looked at the sand clock wondering what it was for. "I can see the curiosity in your eyes young Alex but first I must ease your mind. My name is Elfie, Elfie Oak. Protector of time, warlock of Oakwood and healer of the chosen."

"H-healer?" Alex looked into Elfie's bright blue eyes that were filled with nothing but trust. "Yes young one, I heal people, well I have the hourglass of healing and that does the trick." Alex's eyes filled with hope. He could care less about the strange man and why he sought to help him. He only cared about curing his mother. "Will you help her?" Elfie slowly turned around making his way towards his prehistoric beast before sitting next to the carnivore's head. "Not so fast my boy, the hourglass of healing has a price, everything has its price."

"Of course, what is it?" Alex knocked himself in the head for his stupidity. How could he not have known that he had to do something in order for his mother to be cured? "It's simple, in order for you to heal one, one must do good to another."

"That's it?" Alex's smile lit up the room as he thought of giving some old beggar a slice of bread in order for his mother's perseverance. "Oh my dear boy, I don't mean giving some stranger a candy and calling it a day. One must change their most awful moments of their past and young Alex, you have many of those moments."

Alex couldn't prove the warlock wrong. He was never a good person, truly he was a bully at school who picked on whoever seemed inferior to him. He was a rotten one so his lips were now between his teeth as he chuckled at how Karma came to bite him in his a*s. "W-well what should I do?"

"There were three moments that stood out amongst the rest dear boy, you should fix these in three weeks time before your mother exhales her last breath. This hourglass will take you to the moments, back in time. However, I must warn you, you must not be seen by past you no matter what the circumstance! It will ruin the timeline and the days on your mother's life will be cut short,"

"W-what do you mean?" Alex couldn't fathom the words that spilled from the protector's mouth. "Your mother doesn't have much time, three days to be exact. Whenever you go back in time your future will be slowed. Each day here is a week in the past which is why it is so important for your past self not to see you. If he does your mother will surely die, here and in the past which will rupture the timeline seizing you from existence."

The news had Alex's head-turning, his mind was filled with thoughts and endless possibilities, how could he right his wrongs if he couldn't even be seen by his past self? The person who caused him such troubles in the first place? "Are you going or not? Your mother isn't eating berries and watching TV you know," The warlock placed the hourglass in Alex's hand before disappearing into thin air along with his sleeping dinasour. He rubbed his eyes looking down at the hourglass again gripping it for dear life only to see if what he just experienced was real.

He started to shake the hourglass and only then did he realize that he didn't exactly know how to travel back in time. "How does he even expect me to do this," In anger he placed the hourglass on the floor on its opposite side, allowing the sand to return to its previous bulb. Suddenly everything slowed until his soul felt as if it was being ripped out of his body, the time sped up faster than he could imagine days flew by him backward over and over again. He saw the museum filled with people he have never met. His fingertips tingled as he kept seeing day then night until it finally stopped. He looked around the dark museum and then at his hands to see if he was still alive. He emptied his guts on the floor from the feeling of holding his head from the pain, the hourglass shined in the moonlight's reflection. He realized the previous roof over his head was no longer there, it was just being built like it was all those years ago when he was a young boy. No older than twelve, he looked around the empty building, a building which held no artifacts or collections.

He finally realized that he was back in time, he felt an airy presence beside him only to be scared out of his wits when a young girl stared at him in interest. "Alex ain't it?" Her thick British accent accentuated her tall black hair and army green eyes. Her sharp features highlighted her delicate frame. She was covered in a white nightgown that drooped at her ankles. "Who are you?" Alex was convinced that some other weird thing would pop up out of nowhere.

"I'm your guardian Alex, I shall help you with your quest. Come along it's cold this time of year." The girl carried him out of the museum and back to a familiar street. "What's your name? Did that warlock send you? What should I fix here? Wh-"

"Hold your horse mate. My name is Sophia, Sophia Frostbite, and as I said before. I'm only here to help. Now hurry we must seek shelter in your house without being detected." Alex reluctantly made his way home along with the strange girl using the spare key under the carpet when he realizes that doors were closed.

Once they were inside the warm house, Sophia decided to make her presence known once more. "I must warn you once more Alex, you should not be seen by your younger self, it's far too dangerous and may rupture-"

"The timeline, yeah, yeah, The warlock told me. Where are we going to sleep then?"

"It's your house, don't you have a spare bedroom?" Alex remembers the room that his mother hasn't used in years. The master bedroom, ever since his father had left she sleeps in the guestroom leaving the master empty. "Follow me, we don't have much time, its almost two-thirty, mother always wakes up to turn off the house lights."

They quickly made it into the cream-colored room that was just beginning to fill with cobwebs. "Mircomous Wexer!" The girl incanted, the dirty room was now spotless as she tilted her head to the sky in satisfaction. "Very well, I should tell you what we're doing here shall I?"

Alex's nod answers Sophie's questions. "You have made a young girl your age- what was her name again....oh yes! Axteene!"

"Pfft bald Axteene?" The room filled with his laughter as he remembered placing hair remover in her shampoo, she had left the school crying because she was bald and ever since people called her 'Bald Axteene'. "Yes, poor girl. You were so thick that you didn't realize the real reason as to why she ran home crying."

"Wasn't it because Fat Ronald shouted 'Bald Axteene?" His laughter continued tenfold, irritating the wizard in front of him. "Ceirandima!" She cried.

Suddenly, Alex could no longer feel his mouth or hear his laughter. His mouth had completely disappeared. "What did you do!" He tried to voice but the words came out muffled. "That's much better. As I was saying, your stupidity lacked intuition hence you were blinded by the real reason the poor girl was crying. She had fought cancer Alex, when you removed her hair you brought back memories of this she nearly died. She suffered so much pain all because of you. How would you feel if you had just fought cancer, had just gotten your hair back after three whole years all for someone to steal it for a little laugh."

Alex no longer felt the need to speak, he felt horrible knowing that he was the cause of such pain.