The Watch – Part 117:

‘OK, I’m going to create another new timeline,’ I started to explain. ‘I’m going to take our parallel-selves back into the past, and our past-selves into the future, then when we arrive back in the present, another new timeline would have been created, they would have been split up, and we can carry on as normal.’

Amy thought about my plan for a couple seconds before adding, ‘aren’t you making two new timelines?’ As soon as she pointed that out, that fact hit me hard.

‘Actually, yeah, I will be, won’t I?’

Amy nodded.

‘Do you agree with the plan, though?’ I asked.

‘I do,’ she smiled. ‘As long as they are in their own respected timelines, I will be happy.’

‘Then we have no time to lose,’ I said, engaging my eyesight with the two couples standing by the window, looking confused.

‘So by the time we’ve finished all of this, we would have created…’ she fell silent as she got herself stuck thinking about that. She tried marking each timeline by folding one finger down, but she soon discovered that it would take more time to figure out that she would like, so she accepted defeat and said, ‘I’ll get back to that later.’

‘Let’s get going, then,’ I said, looking both ways before crossing the road. The two couples saw that we were advancing towards the house. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was getting closer or it was them, but it appeared they were getting angrier the closer I got.

Opening the door and stepping back into the living room with Amy beside me, and seeing two versions of myself and Amy staring back at me; that was a sight I don’t think I will ever be able to forget.

‘I thought we were going to fulfil some paradox,’ my parallel-self said, but instead it appears that you are just going to leave us here with no way of doing anything.

‘And I’m your past-self and don’t have the watch – I thought once the paradox was complete, we would figure that mystery out, but apparently you wish to do something different.’

‘OK,’ I said, taking charge of this very strange situation. ‘I know what this must look, and believe you me, I am just as confused as you are. There are mysteries that need solving, yes, and I will explain them to you, please trust me. I am here to make things right and essentially complete the paradox – if that is what you can call it now,’ I added quickly before moving on because it had to be said. ‘I am going to take you,’ I pointed to my parallel-selves, ‘back into the past.’ I then pointed to our past-selves, ‘and you into the future. That way, two new timelines will be created, and you can carry on without worry of bumping into yourselves, or anything. Does that sound reasonable?’ I asked. There was a pregnant silence as the four of us huddled around each other to discuss my plan. I quickly glanced at Amy, who returned my gaze, which was full of hope instead of success, but fortunately when they broke apart, they accepted my plan and prepared themselves to travel through time once more.

My parallel-counterpart spoke for the group. ‘Although there is so much more to talk about, we would like this matter sorted just as quickly as you do, and therefore we will accept your plan. We don’t want any funny business, though.’

‘I promise,’ I nodded. Why would I play with myself, anyway…? I’m so glad I thought that instead of saying it aloud.

All six of us formed a circle in the centre of the living room, joined hands. I inputted the necessary commands into the watch. My past-self watched with a combination of wonder because he wanted to know why he doesn’t have his watch anymore, and sadness because he’s thinking that he might not get the watch back. Am I reading someone else’s mind, or my own mind? That’s a philosophical question that I do not want to start tackling any time soon. I just want to have a nice lie down after all of this, to be honest.

‘Ready?’ my Amy asked me, snapping me out of my train of thought.’

‘Yes,’ I said unnecessarily enthusiastically and loudly.

‘Ready?’ I asked everyone else. My-selves nodded instantly, but Amy’s-selves look a bit nervous, but nodded anyway because they knew nothing was going to go wrong.

I don’t know why, but I took a deep breath before pressing the button. I pressed the button down once more and we disappeared from our spots.

***

We returned to the present. Amy collapsed on the sofa, sighing with exhaustion.

‘That has to be the most confusing thing I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of,’ she smiled. I sat down beside her, nodding and smiling broadly myself. ‘I think it’s four new timelines,’ Amy said suddenly. ‘I doubt it’s three, and five seems too many. I don’t know. I’ll sleep on the mystery and probably instantly know the answer in the morning.’ She snapped her head towards the window where the sun was still shining. ‘But it’s only the afternoon.’ She sighed again. ‘I was looking forward to sleeping.’

‘So was I,’ I said, rubbing my eyes and yarning at the same time.

‘We could jump forward a few hours,’ Amy suggested before immediately taking it back, ‘but that would be a waste of precious hours. No, I would rather be in the present and stay in the present after all of that than keep travelling through time.’

‘OK,’ I said probably a little too unenthusiastically.

‘Well don’t sound too disappointed, will you?’

‘No, I didn’t mean it in that way,’ I defended myself. ‘I’m just glad that it’s all over and things can move forward again. Tom’s parents are safe, Tom’s OK, we’re OK. Everything’s OK. There’s nothing to be disappointed about.’

‘I never want to go through that again. That was the most complex thing I’ve ever had to think about,’ Amy said.

‘I know, right,’ I agreed. ‘That was certainly something else entirely.’

‘I do feel sorry for our other-selves, though,’ Amy stated. ‘I mean they don’t have the watch. Sure, they understood why when we explained it to them, but it almost seems as if they had no choice but to understand, because there’s nothing they can do about it.’

‘I know what you mean,’ I said sympathetically. ‘I had that same thought when I was explaining it, too.’

‘On one hand, it’s not at all fair, but on the other hand, it does seem logical that there is to be only one watch.’ She sighed again. ‘I don’t know, to be honest. So much has happened, my head is fried, I just want to move on.’

‘Amen to that,’ I agreed.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)