Chapter 2
1213 Words
Chapter 2Carter slung his backpack over his shoulders and walked briskly across campus toward the library. It was a familiar part of his routine so he knew it took about four minutes to get there on foot. A ringing sound continued in his ear after the odd occurrence in class. He rubbed his head through his messy hair but that didn’t offer much relief. His slender frame blended into the sea of college students traversing the wide open spaces between buildings as they skated by or drowned out the world with headphones. The commotion was a faded blur around Carter as he kept his eyes downward at the triangle sketch tightly gripped in his hand.
His body collided into the glass library doors.
He bounced backward and recovered his footing, confused and flustered at the sudden crash. He looked around at the nearby students who took notice but hardly cared. Even though he barely left his class across campus, he was already in front of the library. He checked his watch. Four minutes had passed.
Missing time. Again.
He pulled open the door and entered.
The lobby entrance was a three-story tower of mostly windows. A main stairway ascended the edge of this large foyer in a rectangular spiral to reach the higher floors.
The first floor was a busy hub of student activity. It boasted a large commons area loaded with computer stations and study desks, most of which were occupied for a majority of the day by revolving waves of undergraduates. Small rooms for private meetings surrounded the perimeter of the commons. Each private room had a large window to see inside and show if it was occupied. Passing by them revealed varied groups of two to four people talking about joint projects or writing on wall-mounted marker boards.
Carter walked through the commons toward the back where some student services were located. He approached the tutoring services counter and greeted the student currently on duty.
“Hello there, Brenda,” he said cheerily as he glanced at her name tag. “I need some help—”
“If you didn’t save a copy of the file, I’m sorry but there’s nothing I can do.” Her tone was friendly, but it sounded like the fifth time she had said that today.
“What are we talking about?” asked Carter.
“Were you on one of the computers that shorted out?”
“Luckily no, I just got here.”
“Oh. We had another rolling blackout. A bunch of computers lost whatever file was open when it happened.”
“Glad to hear I’m not the only one who doesn’t get along with computers.”
“What can I help you with?”
“Is Tina available?”
“Let’s see… it looks like she has a tutoring appointment with Joel next.”
“What a coincidence, because I’m Joel,” said Carter. “Which room do I go to?”
“Nice try,” she smiled, “but he’s taller than you. It looks like he hasn’t shown up yet, so you can probably say hi. She should be wrapping up her current session in a minute.”
“Thanks.”
He walked back the way he came on the opposite side of the commons and scanned each of the private rooms. He stopped when he saw a familiar face through one of the windows.
Tina Daniels sat at a small table across from a student who was taking a practice test. She nonchalantly scribbled in a notebook. Her auburn hair was mostly pulled back in a clip, but she brushed some strands behind her ear.
Carter smirked and lightly tapped on the window. She looked up to deflect the interruption. When she saw it was him, she raised her finger as if saying to wait.
He pressed his triangle sketch flat against the window.
She gasped.
The student looked at her in confusion, then at Carter. Tina quickly apologized and said that time was almost up. Carter grabbed a seat nearby and waited.
Before long, the student exited the room. Carter entered and sat down across from Tina.
“You don’t look like a Joel,” she said sarcastically.
“I know, I’m not tall enough. Let’s pretend I’m him for now.”
“Got your ID?”
Carter held up the triangle sketch. Tina took a deep, quiet breath.
“What is that?” she asked.
“Abstract? Post-modernism? Impressionist? I’m fuzzy on my art theory.”
“When did you draw it?”
“Today.”
“Is that the only one?”
He pulled a folder from his backpack and emptied its contents onto the table. Each page was a variation of the triangle sketch. Tina stared at the mess of papers on the table. She swallowed hard.
“When did you start?”
“About a week and a half ago or so.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Wanted to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. But it’s still happening.”
“Have you… seen anything?”
“Just this. Almost every dream.”
“So… same as last year, then?”
“Maybe. It feels a little different this time.”
“How?”
“Now I can teleport.”
Tina choked back a small burst of laughter. “That’s a relief, now I know you’re not serious.”
“It’s either that or time travel, but difficult to say for certain.”
“Why are you still joking? I got it.”
“Oh, you think so?” said Carter in mock defiance. “Maybe you’ll take me seriously after you see this.”
He placed his hands flat on the table, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. He concentrated deeply. Tina watched him in silence for a few seconds as his muscles tensed.
“What are you doing?”
“Going to the third floor,” he strained while holding his breath.
Carter hadn’t moved. Tina slowly glanced at her watch, then at him. She was unimpressed.
He opened one eye to peek around the room. Once he confirmed he was still present with Tina, he blew a frustrated sigh and relaxed his body.
“Back so soon?” she joked.
He puffed for air, closed his eyes, and repeated the same action as before. Tina gave him a few more seconds this time as he tightened his muscles and held his breath once more.
“Do you mind re-shelving some books for me while you’re up there?”
Carter released his tension and panted. “Okay, so I don’t know how it’s happening yet. But I’ll be in one spot, and then abracadabra, somewhere else.”
“I think you need to say that out loud during the trick for it to work.”
“Say it for me, maybe that will be more helpful than just making fun.”
“I’m never saying that.”
“Alright, make up your own thing then, like ‘good golly goldfish.’”
“Not getting better.”
“If it were just a trick, then I’d know how I got from one place to the other, but I don’t.”
Tina was silent for a moment, then dropped any sense of sarcasm. She leaned forward on the table and showed concern with a slight tremble in her voice. “Like you’re blacking out?”
“Maybe? No. I don’t think I’m explaining it right. It’s like I’ll be walking along and then—”
A panting student popped in at the doorway. “Hi! Sorry I’m late.”
Tina was slightly startled by the interruption. “Yes! Hi. Um. That’s okay. We—”
“You must be Joel,” Carter deadpanned. “Glad you could make it. What are we studying today?”
Joel looked puzzled as he glanced between the two of them.
“Uh… Shakespeare. You?”
“Communications.” Carter gathered his drawings into a messy stack. “You’ll be working with the best here. Thanks for your help, Tina. I feel smarter already. Pizza later? Great.”
Carter exited the room.
Joel stood there awkwardly. “I like pizza. Pizza’s cool.”
Tina sighed. “Let’s get started.”
Joel took a seat at the table and unloaded his backpack. Tina stared out the doorway at Carter as he ascended the main stairs. She barely whispered to herself.
“It’s happening again.”
- Writer
