Young Writers Society

Time dived deeper and deeper, rushing past all of the knowledge they didn’t need to acknowledge right now.

Alex James Williams just turned fifteen today.

Martha Ann Jacobson was daydreaming about killing her husband again.

A werewolf was born in India.

They just gritted their teeth and asked themselves one single question. Is there a multiverse? Is multiple universes possible?

——

Death smiled. No, no. It’s okay. Right now, Time’s duty is to help you get home. Back to your proper time. And they invited me, so I’m here. So, it’s my job to help you too.

"Oh I see. Well. If I'm really not a bother then thank you so very much. Even if it is your duty I'm sure there are much better things to be doing out there in the world rather than tending to a mistake that got dumped in the wrong timeline. The duty of Death is hardly a cakewalk as I learnt from Jason. I used to think Death was this evil thing you know. And then I realized Death really is much more like the world's first therapist, eternally having to deal with so so much pain and suffering. I don't know how you all do it. The satisfaction of seeing the guilty get what they deserve, and families reunite is the answer I got from Jason but...well that's Jason."

But, in the sea of knowledge Time wallowed in, no answer came. They groaned. Is there a multiverse?

All that came up was all of the multiverse science fiction, all of the mortal what-ifs and maybes. That wasn’t an answer. That was make believe. Where was the truth? The real answer?

——

Death blushed slightly. Well… many find me to be… something less than good. I don’t like seeing people punished. It’s… heartbreaking to me, that there is evil that follows people into my realm. Seeing families reunite eases the hurt, I suppose, but they always leave someone behind. And it hurts. Knowing they’ll be missed. But, with or without me, people will die. I may be Death, but I’m not death, you know. I just… make the process easier. I give the souls a home. I can’t do anything to prevent the heartbreak or the hatred, but I can do something for them.

Death looked around before leaning towards Susie. Also, don’t tell anyone this, but my brother Life is awful. He likes toying with feelings. Ruining people’s lives. It feels nice to save people from his grasp.

Susie giggled. Your secret is safe with me Death.

She sobered up quickly. "Well that's true. Evil is always out to hurt everyone, even those who have to end up guiding them to their deserved doom."

Susie reached out to pat Death's shoulder. It seemed natural somehow. Maybe because she already knew a version of Death she was comfortable with and she knew it wouldn't' be received badly.

"And that truly is a heartbreak. Jason mentioned that too. How the forces of life tend to simply flow sometimes and as much as you sometimes want to just reverse, let families leave no one behind, let them be together forever as they deserve, prevent them from losing out on time. You just can't." Susie felt a little tear fall. "And you...I mean Death has to watch your... err... their parents weep over their loved ones, unable to really change it. At least you give them a home, comfort them in their terror and give them a place to spend eternity."

Time growled. They rushed forward, information blurring into one ball of words.

-found in Berlin-

-seventeen times-

-one thousand, two hundred, thirteen years old-

They just kept going until…

they hit a wall. A literal wall. A barrier. The information just… ended. Time slammed their fist against the wall. “Hello? Is there a multiverse?”

The wall was unyielding as if Time wasn’t allowed to know that.

——

Death blinked. Death has hurt you. I’m sorry.

Death shifted a bit away from her. Even so, I do have to say you’re one of the nicer ones. I talk to all of the spirits that pass through. There’s multiple of me, so I’m talking to some right now. And I can hear them. All in my head. All of the time. And… Death shrugged. You’re allowed to hate me. I won’t stop you. Time doesn’t understand why I’d be so… apathetic about it. But, they don’t have to do what I do. You can be angry with me. It’s okay.

Susie shook her head, not really thinking until she was suddenly hugging Death.

"No. Please don't think that. It wasn't you. Never you. Death was not responsible. Death was the one that made my fate bearable. I wasn't completely alone. I had my sisters. They kept me sane and Death kept us together. Gave us a place. Saved us... saved me from being erased like I deserved to be."

Time banged agains the wall again. “Tell me something! Come on!”

They were about to huff and just wake up, when everything started to get fuzzy. Their vision warped, their head spun. What was that? What was happening? Their squeezed their eyes shut against an intense wave of dizziness.

When they opened again, they found themselves hovering beside a moving car that held five people. Four of which Time didn’t know (which wasn’t supposed to happen), and Susie.

——

Death shook Death’s head. Hey. Woah. What do you mean deserved to be erased? I doubt that’s the full story.

"I... I was going to be erased. I was the first to die, the first to enter the inbetween zone and so the last to be pulled out. Once they understood we were mistakes and went to manually pull us out of the system towards Death, it was too late. My sisters got out, but I... was sent to be erased."

Time blinked. Why were they outside of a past Susie's car? Why was their information still so limited? They tried to rear back, to wake back up, but a searing pain shot through their skull. Okay. Staying here, then. Fine.

They leaned closer to the window. Inside Susie appeared to be fast asleep curled into the side of of the person sitting in the centre seat. A pang of some... fondness shot through them. She actually looked... sort of... not bad like that. Huh.

——

Death frowned. That doesn’t sound like that was meant to happen. Ergo, you weren’t meant to be erased.

Susie shook her head. "I was. I was. Sort of. I was a mistake. Mistakes get erased. Its just how things go. Someone somewhere decided I couldn't be allowed to live out the life I was meant to because I would cause too much change."

There was the sound of fire and a large object hurtling through the air. A meteor, about the size of a washing machine appeared in the memory. It was falling fast, headed right for this car, or at least very close to it. It was hardly as high as the treetops. It would hit the ground or the car at any moment.

Time blinked. A meteor? Really? Now that just seemed grossly excessive. A meteor? That's how Susie died? How often does that happen?

A meteor?

It hit the ground just in front of the car with a massive thunk, echoing all across the land and creating a crater, a crate that the driver of the car immediately tried to swerve away from.

——

Death sighed. Well, if it’s any solace, I think they were wrong to do that.

"Thank you. That does help a little bit." Susie hugged Death tighter.

Time swerved along with the car, following the side that remained closer to the impact. But it wasn't enough. That wasn't enough to escape the damage. Debris. The force of the impact. No. This was dangerous. Time tried to move, tried to say something, tried to do anything, but all they could do was watch.

The debris flew up, a deadly tornado made entire of sharp and superheated rock. It flew towards the car, approaching the back window even as the the front of the car ran off the road, starting to slide. Time growled. Of course. They just had to get stuck right in the way of a deadly debris tornado just because the theoretical multiverse was giving them the mortal middle finger.

——

Death smiled. I’m glad. I’m glad I could help you.

"Of course. I'm so sorry you have to go through us mortals being all annoying an entitled sometimes. We don't hate you. I promise."

The debris flew through the window, shattering it into a thousand pieces as it fell, scatering over Susie who turned to the window, moving almost in slow motion as she formed a sleep surprised face for just a moment.

Time barely had time to register Susie stare down what could only be her immediate demise before a wave of hot agony washed over them. The debris. Why was it hurting them? It was sharp, biting through cloth into skin, tearing their back like paper mache. And it burned. Oh, it burned, searing Time's bago like nothing before. They collapsed to the ground, crying out. But the pain follow them, still just coming as they were pelted by debris. This was how Susie died, in acute agony.

——

Death blinked. I…

Before Death had to come up with a response to that very… powerful comment, Time cried out from their chair. Death whirled around immediately.

Time’s eyes were still that white, but the swirl was moving much faster now. They cried out again, writhing as if in immense pain.