Bracing for Impact
756 Words
“Are you absolutely serious about this”, Richard asked me calmly and coldly.
I put my serious face on, I sit straight and answer with absolution.
“Yes”
“Well, this is unbelievable and you’re nuts. I don’t have to listen to this madness anymore and I won’t. I’m out, I’m going home. Have an even crazier night.” he said while picking up his coat and showing himself out.
Alex followed in his footsteps
“Man, I can even begin explaining why I thing is riddled with holes. This is all probably for nothing and you’re hurting no one, so I don’t mind this phase. But talking about making preparations and all that jazz really pushed it overboard. I mean, I’m down to go on a road trip with you, especially since you’re paying, but I think I have heard enough for one night. Besides, Amanda hasn’t said her mind yet and she looks ready to kill someone. I don’t want to be that someone. So see you two around. Have a good night and please don’t completely kill him. She doesn’t even turn her head to that statement, her eyes are still glued to me. Alex leaves, Amanda stands up and I pour myself more gin with lemon.
“Is this… what you were hiding?” she started talking.
“Yeap”, I said while taking a big sip.
“Let’s say I believe this farce. Why tell us only now, and not from the beginning?
“I d-“
“How can you be so sure that this thing happens and how is time travel even possible? Let alone the possibility of an attack by some big, black monkeys. This sounds purely fictional.”, she cuts me off before I could say anything.”
“I know, but pl-“
She stops me again, but this time, she’s starting tearing up.
“I want to believe you. I know you would never do something completely irrational, especially this crazy. But you don’t help me trust you. And n-now,” she started sobbing, “you are talking about taking a loan to fight some creatures that NONE has even seen before. I-if you are wrong, you are destroying your future. And I can’t let you do that, I am supposed to look out for you. But, you are being completely serious and determined, and I am absolutely confused and don’t know what to do.” she closes off her speech and looks at me with tears that are completely soaking the carpet underneath her. God, she looks gorgeous even when crying.
I stand up and hug her. I let her calm down a bit before letting go, and then I pat the space next to me like she usually does. She complies.
“I give you my word that I am completely sane and I mean everything I said so far. I didn’t tell you at the beginning because I wasn’t sure how to tell you all about this. And also because you would think I am crazy; in that I was right. In the wonderful scenario this won’t happen, I will pay off the debt at some point; doctors are not that badly payed. But if it does happen, none will come after me and this amount of money will allow me to buy everything we will need. I know not how I managed to come back to life, but I am sure this will happen. I don’t demand you trust me right away with this, I simply want you to follow me and you will see it for yourself in due time.”
I pat her shoulder and she raises her head to look me in the eyes, with a sulking look.
“Please?”, I asked with the most sincere smile I could muster.
“Fine”
“Really?!” I said excited
“I still believe this is a bunch of nonsense, but will follow this madness until early Christmas, where you will see that this was all bullcrap.”
She sighs. ”At least please be less insane when we are at the hospital, okay?”
“Ohh, I am not planning to return, I have to take care of the preparations alone and it will take some time and…”
“No”, she said flatly and absolute.
“Umm, what do you mean, no?” I played dumb.
“This is my term: You want me to play along? You are not killing of your career as well. And this is final”
“But, then I will need some help with the moving and buying and making calls…. Will you at least give me a hand?”
“Yeah, whatever.” She said a bit pissed and poured herself some wine “Anyways, I don’t feel like going back home tonight, mind if I crash here for today?”
“I’ll go get the spare bed from storage.”
- Writer
