The Watch – Part 197:

(Amy’s perspective)

‘How long have we been in here?’ Tom asked me.

‘How should I know?’ I unintentionally snapped. I had, thankfully, fully recovered from travelling through the Void and was now standing up. We kept ourselves active by pacing about our box, but we knew that it wouldn’t make time go any faster.

‘Alright, I was only trying to make conversation whilst being trapped in a glass box with no way out,’ Tom stated.

I sighed. I was letting all of the stress get to me. I didn’t mean to snap. Tom was holding up better than I was, but he still looked tired from worrying so much. ‘Sorry,’ I said, stopping pacing and leaned against the back wall.

‘Don’t be,’ Tom sympathised. Tom continued pacing until his legs started to ache and joined me at the back where he sat down next to me and leaned against the wall as well.

‘What have you been thinking about?’ I asked in an attempt to make conversation.

‘Nothing much. You?’

‘Same.’

Silence. I hate when we fall silent. Makes time feel as if it’s going so much slower than it already is. We sat, leaning against the wall. I could tell that Tom was thinking a lot of things. I just want to end this silence, but I have no idea what to talk about. It’s practically impossible to think clearly in here. I want to say something, anything, but that would be disturbing Tom and that may lead to an awkward situation. It was then that I found myself with my eyes closed. My brain must have tried to keep itself calm.

‘Amy?’ Tom called

‘Yeah,’ I said, softly this time and turned towards him in acknowledgement.

‘What do you think he meant by when he said he heard stories about us?’ That was a question and a half. How am I supposed to answer that? No, keep myself calm. It’s an honest question and an excuse to start talking and break this silence.

‘I don’t know,’ I admitted but I wanted to keep this train of thought going. ‘What do you think he meant?’

‘I don’t know,’ he said, blandly.

‘You don’t think anything has happened to Sebastian, do you?’ I asked out of nowhere. I didn’t mean to ask that, but maybe Tom can help me in some way. I hope that doesn’t sound selfish. ‘And be honest about it,’ I said just before he was about to say the same answer to all of our previous questions. I expected that.

‘I believe he’s looking for us,’ he said. ‘We both know what he is capable of but Zaylor doesn’t…’ That’s true. Zaylor doesn’t know what he’s capable of. But…

‘But he said so himself that he knows what Sebastian is capable of,’ I said, challenging his belief, but it was an honest answer and one that kept the conversation going and hopefully speeding up time so that we can get out of here quicker.

‘But does he, though,’ Tom said. ‘All he said was that he heard stories. For all we know, they could be nothing more than just stories that have gone through numerous changes as it went from person to person.’ Like the game Telephone.

‘Tom,’ I said called.

‘Yeah.’

‘If the stories are true. Are you afraid of what they might be? I don’t want this to happen over and over again.’ I knew that was a very hard question. ‘I don’t know if I should be. We were enjoying ourselves, having fun, and dancing at a concert, and then four meteorites appeared out of nowhere and…’ I didn’t mean for it to, but my casual and relaxed manner had changed into a rant, ‘then we end up here. We’re locked in here for an unknown amount of time, and if and when we get rescued, it still happened.’

‘This isn’t anyone’s fault,’ Tom said. I went silent. Thank you, Tom.

‘No one knew that this was going to happen, watch or not,’ he said rationally.

‘But it is happening, and soon it will be in the past, as a story. Is this what our lives are going to consist of, always getting rescued?’ I will not let myself go. I will not let myself go.

‘No,’ Tom said quickly. ‘I do not think that, and you shouldn’t either. It’s not healthy.’

‘Oh, don’t tell me you aren’t thinking the same,’ I said. He went silent. I had caught him off guard. But his expression did tell me he was thinking the same as I, just didn’t want to admit it.

‘I don’t know,’ he said calmly. Is that it? He doesn’t know. I went silent once more. We both went quiet. We didn’t know what else to say.

And then the door slid open. Sebastian?

Zaylor entered the room, smiling as if he had just won something. If he tells me what I think he’s going to tell me…

‘Oh, I’m so pleased,’ She said even more excited than before. ‘Oh, now I get to know the truths.’ Was she talking to herself or us? We found out that answer when she skipped up to the front of my side of the box and said. ‘I never believed in a million years that it would work. I mean, I really didn’t believe that it would, but a small part of me kept a tiny glimmer of hope that made everything go perfectly.’ Tom stood up as she slid over to where I was. I stood up to. ‘Of all the people that sat in my chair before, I never thought it would be the legendary, Sebastian Spencer.’ What?

‘You had better be careful,’ I said.

‘Please, tell,’ she said, genuinely curious as to what I had to say.

‘You don’t know what he is capable of. You had better watch out before your plans backfire.’

‘A strong warning. I shall make a mental note of that and continue on with my plans. But, I don’t think I have anything to worry about as he is under very heavy sedation. I don’t think that he will be up and about any time soon.’ What does that mean?

‘What are you doing to him?’ Tom asked. She slid over to him.

‘A scientist never reveals his secrets,’ she said.

‘You mean magicians?’ Tom corrected.

‘What’s the difference nowadays,’ she smiled. ‘I’ve got to get back. I only came here to give you and update on what is happening and… and… oh, yes, and to give you something to eat and drink.’ She pressed a green button on one the table on the right of the room and a small patch of floor near the front opened up and a tray of food with a glass of water rose up.

‘As soon as I know of any changes, I’ll let you know,’ and she slipped out of the room once more.

I hate her.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)