Chasing Time

Seeing Visions

Sector B3, Lower Terragon.

15:30, 4th July, 3000.

Julia fumed as she pushed the wheel barrow forward. She was staring at the back of her brother's head, wishing she could hit him. Melinda was next to him, trying to get him to listen to Julia but he was not paying her any mind.

"Aren't you even curious? What if she's telling the truth?" Melinda said.

"I am telling the truth and I wish you'd stop being such an i***t and listen to me!" Julia called out.

Travis turned to look at her. He dropped his wheel barrow and walked back towards her with Melinda in tow. Julia dropped hers too and folded her arms, frowing at him as he moved closer to her.

"You want me to believe that you are somehow from the future? To died and got reincarnated to the past? Do you have any idea how dense that sounds?" he said and she lowered her arms then gave him a sad look.

"Travis, I know I've done and said a lot of things before but I would never lie about this. I..." she paused and looked down then swallowed before looking back up "I saw you die, you and Melinda. I saw...it was-"

"A bad dream." Travis interrupted her "it was a bad dream, maybe the most vivid one you've ever had. Your anxiety about work and everything must have gotten to you and you had a wild dream, nothing more. Stop this nonsense now." He told her then turned back and stared walking away.

"Mike will get fired today!" she said and he stopped dead in his tracks then turned to face her.

"What?" he asked.

"Mike. Your friend? He's going to get fired today because he's boning the boss's daughter," she said then walked up to her brother and held his hand "I swear I'm telling the truth. I don't want to lose you again, you have to believe me."

Travis frowned at her, then he looked at Miranda who gave him an encouraging nod. He sighed and looked at his little sister again.

"If what you're saying is true, we should know by the end of today. I'll believe you then. Right now, we need to keep packing or we won't meet our daily quota." Julia sighed and felt immense relief. She knew convincing Travis would be hard and she was glad that it was not harder than that. She grabbed the wheel barrow and started pushing again. Normally, she hated her job with an unspeakable passion but in that moment, she was so glad to be there, slaving alongside the people she loved.

•|•|•|•|•

Sector B, Middle Terragon.

17:00, 4th July, 3000.

Layana sniffed and dabbed at her red, sore eyes with a tissue. She stared at her phone and felt her eyes get blurry with tears as she read the article again.

EPILEPTIC NURSE GOES INTO SHOCK, CAUSING DEATH OF PATIENT.

She did not know how to feel. Because of her, another doctor had slipped while trying to save her and hit the patient, causing him to topple off the operating table. He fell over the scalpel that Doctor Baxter left of his chest and it pierced into his heart. They were still trying to calm her and it took them two full minutes before they realized, by then it was too late.

"Do not cry anymore," Gaya whispered in her ear "soon everyone will be dead and it will not matter."

"No! Stop! Please..." since she had the vision, the goddess of the Earth had continued to be in her presence. She was in her normal green form except she seemed to be peeling, showing red underneath. Layana had no idea what what happening to her. Some would have said that she had become a Clairvoyant but that would be impossible because there can be only one Clairvoyant at a time and Terragon already had the Great Draccus who lives in Upper Terragon, advising the Council of Thirteen on how to govern.

"Only a few people can pass through my gate and be safe. Only the worthy ones," Gaya repeated the same thing she has been saying. Layana held her hands against her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the goddess would leave her alone.

Gaya floated above her, with her hair hovering in the air like she was underwater. Her hair was so dark that it blended in with the gloomy room Layana had shut herself in. Gaya extended locks of her hair forward and used it to lift Layana's face up.

"What do you want from me?" Layana whispered as she looked into Gaya's beautiful eyes that seemed to be many colors at once.

"I want you to save the ones that deserve to be saved."

"Why do you want to destroy humanity?" the question seemed to vex Gaya because she retracted her hair and glared at Layana.

"Why? Humanity already destroyed itself! It wants to take my precious Earth with it and I will wipe out every single human before I let that happen." She said and suddenly, they were on the roof of Layana's building, overlooking the city.

"Look what humanity has done? Look! Everywhere on my beautiful Earth, you humans have occupied with filth." Layana felt so much guilt. All her life, she hated filth and she used all the biodegradable stuff that was less popular among people. After dirt started piling up on Earth, people just gave up on trying to produce less waste and started thinking more of how to get rid of the waste rather than how to reduce waste production but there were still people like her who did their best to limit their debris.

"Why save anyone?" Layana said after a long moment of staring at nothing. Gaya floated up in front of her again, her eyes were kind once more and she looked at Layana softly.

"Because humans are also a part of me. Some of you have beautiful souls and I want to keep that. I will wipe out everything and start anew with humans who care about this planet," she leaned in and stroked Layana's face with a lock of her hair "listen close. There will be others to help you. Some will find you and you will find others. Your journey together will be tough and you shall taste betrayal. Together you will save the ones I choose to save."

"But what if-"

"Close your eyes," Gaya interrupted her and she obeyed immediately "in an hour, you will receive visitors. These are the first ones that will join you. Be prepared."

"How many are they? What should I be prepared for?" Layana asked but she received no response. She slowly opened her eyes and she saw that she was back in her room, in almost complete darkness. Gaya was gone. Somehow, Layana felt lonely but she knew the goddess would be back and she was not completely sure how to feel about that. Her first thoughts was about how to save everyone. She picked her phone up and logged in to the social network that Middlers and Lowers used called The Lessers. Everyone could log in and share whatever they were going through. It was a network that the Uppers knew nothing about. She took in a deep breath started to type.

*Hello everyone, it's your favorite nurse.

I know I have not posted in a while, the reason is why I'm posting now.

The world is ending. I don't exactly know when but it is soon. Some of you might be saved and some might not.

I will let you know how you can be saved soon but remember not everyone will be saved.

My advice to you, hold your loved ones, tell them you love them. Eat what you want, say what you mean and live like the end is tomorrow because it just might be.

Signing out for now. Laylay.*

She stared at the screen and felt somehow satisfied. The screen went off and she was left in the dark again. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Is that them, Gaya?" she asked without expecting any answer. Then she pushed herself to her feet and moved sluggishly out of her room. The person was persistent and kept pushing the doorbell but Layana kept moving slowly and calmly. After the fifth ring, she reached the door and opened it. Standing right outside were two women and one man. One of the women was standing in front of them, she had dirty blonde hair and angry looking ocean blue eyes.

"Hi. I'm Julia, this is my brother Travis and this is Melinda. We-"

"Welcome, I've been waiting for you." Layana interrupted her then pushed the door open wider. Julia looked at Travis and Melinda who shrugged at her. The three of them slowly entered. Layana sighed then shut the door after her.