The Watch – Part 75:

‘You should have said something; we could have sat down today and researched this together,’ I said sympathetically, but at the same time with a subtle hint of a lecture just to make sure that she understood that I would have been with her whenever she needed me, ‘instead of staying up all night making yourself unable to think properly for the rest of the day.’

‘I didn’t want you to think that I was getting myself into something that I wouldn’t be able to get myself out of,’ Amy said.

‘To be honest, I did think that at first,’ I admitted, ‘but I’ve come to realise that you’re only going through what other people have written instead of writing something yourself and pursuing the person for an interview or something,’ I said. I sat down on the side of her bed, leaning forward so to not lose focus on the computer screen. I know this may seem bad, but I did honestly think that Amy’s getting herself into something rather deep and unforgiving, but now that I’ve found out that there is information about what my future-self has done, I have to know what else there is, meaning I have to, reluctantly, allow Amy to carry on, but at the same time make sure that she doesn’t get too much information as she might actually figure out that I’m the guy she’s researching about. ‘All you needed to do was phone me up this morning and explain that you couldn’t get these thoughts out of your head and you would like me to help you. Together, and with you being refreshed after a good night’s sleep, we could have found out so much more.’

‘You really would have helped me and not think that I was some crazy person?’ Amy asked.

‘Are you kidding,’ I said, ‘of course I wouldn’t have thought you were crazy. There is nothing that you can do that would make me think that.

‘And you’re not just saying that to make me feel better?’ she questioned.

‘Come here,’ I said, sighing before standing up with my arms outstretched. Amy stood up at the same time and accepted my hug.

‘That means a lot to me, you know that,’ Amy said looking more tired than ever. She was struggling to keep her eyes open and was starting to lose her balance. She was swaying backwards and forwards. Her energy levels were now at zero, meaning she needs to go to bed right now.

‘OK,’ I said making sure she stayed upright. ‘I think someone needs to lay down.’

‘I’m so tired,’ she said, giving into her body’s protests of wanting sleep. I directed her to her bed and pulled back the covers. I then helped her to climb into bed and pulled the covers back over her.

‘You’re the best you know that,’ Amy said drowsily.

‘Don’t waste your energy,’ I said making sure that the duvet was wrapped in such a way that it wouldn’t get uncomfortable later on. She was asleep in seconds. Her computer was still on and making that low humming noise as its internal hardware ticked over. Making sure that I had saved every webpage to her favourites and every Word document into a folder on her desktop, I shut down the computer, turned off the screen, made sure that everything was switched off at the wall and then moved over to her light switch where I flicked it off, plunging the whole room into darkness.

The sun outside tried hard to penetrate her room through her curtains, but they weren’t going to let Amy be disturbed. Closing the door to keep out any noises that may occur for any reason, I headed downstairs and wondered what I should do now. I could stay here and wait for her to wake up, but that would be a rather awkward conversation if her parents came home and saw me about the place with Amy upstairs asleep. That leaves me with the option of heading home and waiting there. If Amy needs me when she wakes up, I was just a phone call away.

Just before I was about to open the front door and head home, an idea popped into my head. I should at least do something for when Amy wakes up. I can’t just leave. Cooking a good meal won’t be worth it as it will go stone cold by the time she wants to eat it. I should leave something that would make her happy.

‘Hey, Interface,’ I said quietly after I having a good idea. I didn’t want to wake Amy up. Interface appeared in front of me, wearing that same suit he always wears and standing in that same, firm posture as before.

‘Yes, Sebastian,’ he said, nodding his head.

‘Oh, hang on,’ I said suddenly realising something. ‘I don’t know what her favourite flowers are and I don’t want to give her something that she’s allergic to.’

‘If you like,’ Interface said, ‘I can scan her mind and find out for you.’

‘You can do that?... No, wait, that would be breaching privacy and that’s immoral. I can’t do that. No, although there is no other option to get that bit of information, I have to come up with something else instead. I don’t really want to go away without leaving something behind.’ I thought about that predicament for some more seconds before coming to an answer that I thought was rather good.

‘Who doesn’t like chocolates?’ I said. ‘And I don’t have to know her favourite kind of chocolate because I can just get her a selection so that she can pick out the ones she likes the most.’ The shops are just down the road and so I can leave to go down the road, then come back, place the box of chocolates on her bedside cabinet and then I can go home and wait it out. I can’t see how that plan would fail,’ I explained to myself more than Interface as he wouldn’t have said anything in response.

I headed back towards the front door, once more before having a sudden brainwave. I don’t have to leave the house. I have the watch. I can simply spawn in some chocolates.

Hunting through the many watch’s menus, I struggled to find any chocolates. Eventually, I gave up looking and asked Interface to find them for me, which he did immediately and soon I had a box of mixed chocolates in my hands, complete with neat wrapping.

‘Awesome,’ I said, analysing the box all over. Time to head back upstairs.

‘There you go,’ I said, placing a nice, big box of assorted chocolates on her bedside cabinet next to her alarm clock and picture frame. Amy was sound asleep and didn’t hear me enter or leave. My plan worked the way I had hoped it to. Her parents weren’t home and so I wasn’t caught. Now that I’ve left her a nice gift for when Amy wakes up, I can head home and wait for when she wakes up.

It was at that point my happiness was interrupted by a man walking towards me, holding some kind of weapon in his left hand and pointing it at me…

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)