Warning: this contains death and swearing. Also I'm apologizing right now for making it so long...
It had been a long day. He pranced outside, waiting to strike. His fists curled and his muscles tensed. He knew exactly what he had to do.
4:15, March 6th, 2022. Right outside the school parking lot. A specific person was just about to leave improv club. Jason grinned, thinking about how he was going to jump Devon Richards. Would he go for the face first? Would he kick him in the shin? He imagined giving pain to Devon. It would be so nice. He sat on the ground, twiddling the bright spring grass between his hands. He didn't care about homework. He didn't care about what his parents would think. Heck, he didn't care about what the school would think. He would get revenge on Devon.
Now, why would he beat Devon up? Devon wasn't a jock. He wasn't particularly cool, but he was far from hated. He had never been particularly nice to Jason, but that wasn't a good reason to hurt anybody.
But it was what he had said about his sister. A 'deformed freak who looked more like a tortoise than a human'. Those very words made his blood curl. What an asshole. It wasn't Cindy's fault that she had a terrible candle accident when she was 5. She still looked incredible. She still was incredible. Who else would have the guts to be in the school play if they weren't brave enough to deal with that type of rhetoric?
Jason had had an argument with Devon before. He was furious back then, and his feelings hadn't changed. Devon had apologized, saying that it was spur of the moment. Jason had sent a few more messages, mainly threats. Some were in his locker, some were snuck into his backpack. It wasn't over. Apologies or not, it would never be over. Jason would torment Devon for the rest of his life if he could. Suddenly, the door opened. Jason shot up, his eyes fixed on Devon.
Suddenly, he felt someone grab the back of his shoulder. He whirled around as a harsh pain hit his face, and the world turned black.
He woke up in a strange black suit. His hands were tied up with a rope. Next to him sat a girl. She had a streak of emerald and a streak of purple in her page brown hair. She wore the same suit as he did. His eyes widened as she stared at him.
"Where are we?" He demanded, his loud voice churning in the quiet winds. She sighed. "I thought this would be easier." He scrambled upward.
This world was stranger. It was a bit colder, and there was snow on the ground. The road was unpaved, and there seemed to be trees everywhere, not school grounds. "Where are we?" He looked around, keeping his still-tied arms close to his chest. His anger hid the fear he had.
"We traveled about 200 years into the past. Want to take a walk into town? I heard it's quite quaint." The girl responded, casually.
"No. You're joking, no..." He started panicking, prancing around the dirt road. She's lying. I've probably been taken back to some woods so she can kill me. He tried to slowly step back, but she grabbed him, tugging him in towards her chest. "I was sent here to stop it. The fight you were about to have."
"What are you, my granddaughter? And your weird outfit is some sort of time travel suit?" He asked, sarcastically. He tried to flail, but she wouldn't let go. This woman's insane. I'm gonna die here. "Your great granddaughter. Call be Beta."
He scowled at her. "You can't be serious." It was all that his mouth could say. He kept flailing, but she was like an anchor, never letting go. She started to squeeze him tighter. It was becoming harder to breathe. Yet, she never reacted, as if not acknowledging that it was happening in the first place.
"I had to do it. That fight you were about to have starts a chain of events that would lead to the world getting obliterated. Not unless I stop it, of course." She let go of him. He fell to the wet ground, gasping for air. He was about to get up and run, until Beta pressed a button on her wrist. Suddenly, her suit became a beautiful magenta dress, doused with silk and pieces of yellow cloth that resembled flowers.
"You drugged me." Jason realized. He sat back down, tears sliding down his cheeks. How can I possibly know where to go next if I'm drugged? I might not even be in a forest. Beta might not even be real.
"I'm real, Jason. That wasn't a drug. You were transported back in time. I need your help. The whole world does." He glared at her. "Then send me back to where I was supposed to be, will ya? I can apologize, or something. I just can't be here."
"That won't work. You hate Devon. As long as you go back feeling the same way you do, then it'll never work. You will provoke him again. Maybe he even provokes you again. My point is, the hostilities have to be over."
"You have no idea how much I hate that guy." Jason said bitterly. Beta rolled her eyes. Jason snapped for a moment, but he settled down again. "I-I'm a little on edge, if you can't tell." He looked Beta in the eye. Beta seemed to give him an understanding look. "So...how exactly does Devon end the world?"
Beta gave another sigh, but it was more of a longing sigh. Jason could tell that she wasn't mad at him. "Devon gets so mad about the fight that it sends him down the trajectory of being singlehandedly the worst human being on the planet. That's probably all you should know." Jason's eyes widened. The worst human being on the planet. All because of me. "Didn't we stop it already?" He tried to make the tone of his voice sound less bitter, and certainly less terrified.
"Well, no. I took you out of the event. It was all I could do." Beta paused, thinking of the words to say. "There are two ways to change the past: influence the past yourself, or take you out of the timeline all together. I tried to do the first at least 30 times. I tried to convince you to stop the fighting. I tried to convince you to be a nicer person. Each time, it failed. You couldn't apologize, either." She sat down next to him. "I want to believe that you're good. That it won't take much to make you just accept what Devon said."
"Was he telling the truth?" Beta shrugged. "I don't know. A month past that moment, he disappears. No one knows what happened to him." She looked down at her feet. "Did I-"
"No, Jason. It couldn't have been you. You were angry at him, but you have an allibi for that night. Nobody was ever charged." Beta explained.
"Anyway. My point is, I've taken you out of the timeline all together. I'm gonna plan on what to do next. I can only make 3 more time jumps." She gave him a grin, but he could tell it was fake. "C'mon, don't you want to save the world?" Jason took a moment to understand what he had been asked to do. To go stop an event that he still wanted to occur from happening in the first place.
"Clearly not." He frowned. Something about the story still made no sense. Heck, he could even believe the time travel aspect. And how Devon was the type of kid to be a sadistic maniac. "Why did I reject all those times? If you're telling me now, then I must've known all those other times that Devon would end the world because of me." Beta didn't respond. "It's not important. We need to think about now. Understand?"
"Okay..." Jason raised a brow. Something was up with Beta. What was she keeping from him? "We better get to town. It's freezing here." Beta decided. "Not in that suit. You'll confuse the locals. Wear something Victorian." Beta insisted. Jason scowled. He almost questioned asking to take the rope that tied his hands together off, but he ultimately chose not to. He could never outrun Beta in the first place.
He pressed the button in his wrist. He was now in ragged clothes. "What's up with this?" He touched his tattered, worn shirt.
"A lady has to be fashionable. I guess you're a bit too young to wear a suit." He groaned. The clothes were fine, but the trek wasn't. They arrived at the town during daylight.
"So. Maybe you just teleport me to the future? Or maybe we can avoid the fight all together..."
"We can't avoid the fight. You still want to do it, don't kid yourself." Beta said. Jason looked away. She was 100% right. He looked back at her. "Something's up. Spill, or else we're stuck in the past together."
"Jason!" Beta yelled, her eyes wide. Jason frowned. Beta grabbed him. He felt a strange, cold touch on the center of his back.
Suddenly, he felt the world shift. His legs were in the air. He couldn't breathe. He saw a flash of light. But this time, he was alone. "Beta!" He shouted. The town was still there, but it looked...different. The buildings were shorter, less modern. The people wore less fancy clothing. There was dirt and grime all over the streets. It wasn't the Victorian ages. And yet, he didn't see Beta anywhere.
"The Devil hast cometh!" He heard someone shout. He turned around, looking for the source of the yelling.
"Excuse me-" He saw an older woman running. He tried to grab hold of her, but the rope prevented him from doing so.
"Young sir!" He heard another person shout. A young lady beconned him to come over. He hesitated. He couldn't trust every person in the past. He looked down at his clothes. At least a tattered shirt looks authentic in all times. He walked to the lady. She smiled at him. "My own nameth is Elizabeth. Calleth me Elly." She untied the ropes on his arms. "Thank you, madam." She nodded. "All's good. Where doth thee cometh from?"
"Nearby, madam." Jason responded, hoping that his politeness was acceptable for Elly. She gave him a piece of bread from the basket she carried. "You seemeth filled with pangs of hunger. Hast this."
"Thank you again." Jason replied. He happily ate the bread. Elly didn't seem to mind. "I am-uh-stucketh here. Is anyone nearby?" He tried his best to reply in old english. "Yonder is the mayor." She answered. He nodded, waving goodbye. Why was she so nice to me? He took it as a sign of good luck, and moved on.
As Jason walked the town streets, wary of stepping over filth, he saw something earilee familiar: two boys, laughing and joking by themselves, and third one, a bit bigger-looking, harrassing them. Jason made the split second decision to confront them. Bullying doesn't go away in 400 years. The sad reality hit him. He was about to yell at the harrasser, until he heard someone call his name.
"Jason!" It was Beta, still wearing her Victorian dress. "Jason, it took me ages to find you. Literally." She gulfed air nervously, looking around. "At least we found each other in the right year. Just the wrong place." He was about to yell at her for leaving him behind with no explanation, before she was talking again.
"Jason I-Oh shit." Her eyes widened.
"Jason, get out of here while you can." With that, she ran off, ultimately met by two men, who beat her down until she was unconscious. Jason turned around, to see another set of two men after him. He tried to run, but one grabbed him. He felt someone tug his back-
..and he was in the future.
"We found him, sir." Two adult men explained. Another man sat at the end of a long table. He was older, with a scar across his cheek and a white beard. He wore a strange military uniform, and black pants with a red stripe. "Give him to me."
Jason struggled to get out of the two men's grasps. Then, he was sat down, his chair immediately locking his wrists and ankles in place. "Greetings. It seems like someone's in the wrong timeline." The old man smiled. Jason again struggled in his chair. "Who the hell are you? Are you Devon?" The old man sighed, burrowing his face in his palms.
"God, I've done this 80 times already. No. Jason, I'm you." Future Jason explained. Jason's eyes widened. "Beta said Devon would be the worst human being in existence."
"Oh, you listen to my great granddaughter too often, then." Is that what she was lying about? Was she trying to save the world...from me? "She's been dealt with, unless someone in the timeline tries something tricky." Jason's breathed heavily, staring into the eyes of his older self. They were a bleak blue. Why did it feel so wrong?
Jason stared at the room. It was pristine. The windows outside showed a glimpse of a utopia. There were strange combinations of numbers on the walls. Jason soon realized that they were likely dates. Future Jason gave a grin, as if he was seeing it for the first time. "We've conquered the universe. We have all the resources we could possibly want. All the stability we could possibly want. No one goes hungry anymore. No one is really dead. It's...wonderful."
"If you can control the timeline, did you ever do anything to me?" Future Jason grimaced. "Of course not. We're one in the same. All my choices, whether from my past or future, are justified. They are kept untouched."
Suddenly, a little girl appeared behind the old man. She walked up to Jason, still in awe on the other side of the table. Jason's eyes widened, realizing it was Cindy, just before the candle accident. A tear fell down his eye as Cindy hugged him tight. He remembered how precious she was to him.
Meanwhile, the old man sat at the end of the table, smiling. "Lets focus on positives, shall we?" He gave Jason an intimidating stare, and cleared his throat.
"See, this'll be easy. May 6th 2022, right? That's the day the fight happens. First, we give you a reset. Now I know that sounds terrifying, but you'll be okay. It just means that you won't remember anything about this. It'll be okay, though. You have this fight, and our future is ensured. It's already happened 80 times." A scowl appeared on Future Jason's face as he spoke his next words. "But Beta keeps messing it up."
"Why?" Jason asked. "Why does Beta want it to stop?"
"Oh, you see, young people, such as yourself, I guess...they think they're right. They don't listen to voices of wisdom. We have a gift, you and I. We can think about the future, the past, all of it, in the right way. We've insured prosperity. Now, why Beta wants to take it away...we had a disagreement. It was a while ago, but people don't get over things. She thinks it was bad for me to have the fight. I tried to convince her, but she just wouldn't listen."
Jason stared. He's lying. "What happens to everyone, in the future?"
"Does it matter? We have control of the timeline. How did you think I got you in the first place? Your parents will never have to die in front of your eyes. Your true love can last forever. Your dog can never grow old. We have everything. You can have this-all of this-if you just do as I tell you. When the handcuffs unlock, stand up. A trooper of mine will give you a reset. It won't hurt. You won't even feel anything. Then, you're sent back to have the fight. That's all you need to do."
Jason nodded, blinking several times. The seals around his wrists and ankles unlocked, and he stood up. He looked at the strange numbers on the walls again. They're dates. They've gotta lead somewhere. The guards walked toward him. I can't have this. I know I do something awful. He thought back to the harrasser. He was so close to supplying justice. I can't be complicit in it twice.
There must be a button for time travel. Probably on my back, right? Quickly, Jason put his hand behind his back, searching for a button. He heard his future self shouting at him for a brief moment, before he pressed the button and mouthed a date.
His feet momentarily didn't touch the air, and then they were back on the ground. He looked around. It wasn't a floating fortress, but it certainly wasn't the victorian era. It was still suburbia, but this time with vintage cars and shops along a paved road. Jason scanned the area. He must've gotten the date right, if he was here. He ran, hoping that his future self wouldn't catch up to him.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Jason ran until he found a cellar door nearby. He went in, closing it before the guards could see him.
What surprised him was that he fell into a deep hole, at least 20 feet. His muscles ached when he got up. It was dark and damp. The floor was wet. Instead of hearing silence, he heard crying and screaming. His eyes widened as they adjusted.
There were hundreds of people who were crying. No, thousands. He felt someone grab onto his shoulder. "It's you." He whispered. Jason frowned, before realizing something: it was Devon. But something was off with Devon: he was older.
"What is this place?" Jason asked. He soaked in the misery of it all. "It's revenge." Jason stared at Devon. He had bags under his eyes. He barely stood up. His clothes were ripped apart and muddled with dirt.
"It's what you get for messing with your future self. You get taken here. Your family forgets about your existence. For most of them, their family is told that they died in childbirth. For me, my family was told that I was taken. I had to be in the moment of the fight, after all. I'm the original sinner." Devon sniffled, staring Jason in the eye. "Every moment of yourself is destroyed in the Thousand machine. The knives are shot at you a thousand times, from all directions. If you survive the first time, then you still won't make it the next time. It powers on in about 20 minutes." He closed his eyes, tears streaming out of them. He grabbed Jason, desperately moving closer.
"Your pain becomes nothing. There were thousands of other moments of me who were murdered, as for everyone else who's here. They're all sixteen years, 14 days, 20 hours, 36 minutes and 24 seconds old. Soon, they'll be nothing, and then me in the next second will be murdered." He started to cry again. Jason put his hand on Devon's shoulder, taking in what Devon had said. I really became the worst human being in the history of the world. He couldn't help but comfort him. He had a life, too. He had parents. He loved some things and he hated others. All the people in his life don't even realize that he's here, waiting to die. Most of the people around him have their family members not realizing that they even exist. Why? How could I do this? Jason felt a tear fall down his cheek. He never thought he'd cry for Devon.
Still, something troubled him. "Did you really believe what you said about my sister?" Devon took a moment to respond. "I-yes."
Jason ended the embrace. "Why? S-she never did anything to you." Jason couldn't look Devon in the eye. I'm the worst human being in the history of the world, yet he still thought my sister was an ugly prick. "I shouldn't have. She was just a kid, after all. I was so angry, though. I never had the bravery to be like that. Heck, I couldn't sign up for theater unless I was stage crew. I guess I have beliefs about people-bad ones. They all stem from jealousy. Sure, she was a theater kid, but at least she had friends...and a good brother."
Devon sighed. "I know I'm not supposed to be the sob story. I was the asshole who made fun of her. But I'm human, right? I make mistakes-really bad ones. I laugh and I enjoy my life, but I also cry and think I'm worthless. But that's being human, and we all have it, no matter which side is seen. I-I know I'm going to die thinking that." Devon slowly looked into Jason's eyes. "At least you have the chance to fix your mistakes. So, just try, okay? Even if the whole world seems to be against you and the people you love."
Suddenly, a crackle of light appeared in the distance, illuminating the darkness. Jason was horrified to see all the people. Many of them were drenched in blood and tears. Bodies with hundreds of knives in them littered the room. Jason looked away, refusing to see the ultimate death of all these people. The process of the Thousand machine had just begun. Jason thought about it. How cruel it was. Devon didn't need to die this way. "I forgive you, Devon." He admitted.
Devon nodded, but terror still lurched his face. Turning gears filled the air. "Jason, go! If you stop the fight, this will never happen!"
Jason stopped for several seconds, hearing the screams of the soon-dead behind him. He figured that if he went far back into time enough, they would take longer to find him. He pressed the button on his back. "March 8th, 18 b.c."
Suddenly, he felt the world raise above him. He was back on the ground, in the air. The trees were calm and peaceful. Jason fell to his knees, crying. It was a matter of time before his future self found him again. It was a matter of time before he would be in the cellar, with no way out.
Suddenly, he saw a little boy in front of him. The boy was practically naked, besides the strip of animal fur covering his private area. The boy smiled, sitting down next to him. And to his surprise: the boy comforted him. In that moment, it was the two of them, feeling the same windy breeze across their faces, and enjoying the light sunlight of March.
Suddenly, there was a call in the air. The boy got up and quickly ran away. All humans are the same, I suppose. Jason thought with certainty.
Jason knew he had to go back to the future. Otherwise, he could never get Beta. Besides, he would never be questioned by any guards. His future self was probably gone, looking for him in other times.
"May 26th, 2093." He called, imagining where he needed to be. Suddenly, he was back in the floating palace. He grabbed one of the spare suits hanging on the wall. He ran down the stairs and to the prison, where Beta was being held. Two guards were there. "Excuse me. I need to see Beta." The guards didn't budge.
Jason sighed, before saying his next words. He felt regretful for saying them. "Do you want Revenge or not? I'm only asking once." The two guards immediately fell into place, allowing him to go through.
"Beta!" He yelled. She smiled through the prison bars. He threw her a suit. There were no other guards watching them. "Follow me." He commanded. He tapped the button on his back. "April 19th, 2018." He whispered.
He was back in the woods. Beta showed up, right next to him. "We need a plan."
"I've got one. We go back to the exact time, dress up my former self in these clothes. He'll see the other guy and he'll grab him." Beta nodded., but then frowned "What about-"
Suddenly, they heard footsteps. It was now or never, even if the plan wasn't complete. "May 6th, 2022." He mouthed, touching his back.
He was there, now outside of the school. The parking lot felt all too familiar and terrifying at the same time. He saw his former self, tugging the grass in his fingers. He knew the look on that face. He was going to confront Devon. Jason jumped out of his suit, seeing that Beta had just appeared behind him.
"Give him that." She gave him a meaningful look. "It'll be okay. Who knows, maybe I'll have a great granddaughter named Beta when I'm not a raging lunatic."
She grinned. "Out of all the Jason's I've known, I think you're the best one." He smiled, handing her the suit. Jason watched as his past self was forced to put on the suit, just like last time. Beta barely even struggled to tug it on him against his will.
Suddenly, the guards arrived. So did his future self. Jason ran behind the closest tree, trying to be as quiet as possible. He saw as his past self got the suit on just in time. He saw his future self run, along with the guards. And now, coming out of the school, he saw Devon.
Jason waited, watching in his safety. The two men confronted his past self, and Beta as well. The deception had worked, and no fight would occure. Yet, he found himself frowning. Why was nothing happening? His future self wasn't going away.
It eventually dawned on him that his future self would never disappear unless he spoke to Devon himself. Taking one last shaky breathe, Jason surged through the hill, trying to get to Devon. He heard his guards rush behind him, yelling. He saw Devon running back like a maniac. In that moment, all that mattered was getting to Devon.
"Hey!" Jason called. Devon kept running. "Hey!" Devon took a quick stop to the right, but Jason followed him. He eventually caught up to him, touching his shoulder. But just as he did, Jason was grabbed by the guard. He was forced back, and onto the ground. Devon kept running forward.
Jason felt a tear fall down his cheek. Was he really going to fail here? Was Devon still doomed to being destroyed an infinite number of times?
Jason did the last thing he could think of. He couldn't outrun the guard, and he could never catch up to Devon in time. So he yelled. He shouted Devon's name. He shouted that he was sorry. He shouted until Devon stopped, almost out of view. Jason felt the guard lifting him up, preparing to take him away. But out of the corner of his eye, Jason saw Devon walking forward. It had worked.
Jason fell down again, the guard no longer being there in the first place. The fight had been avoided. Jason ran up to Devon, who still stood in the grassy lawn of the school. "Are we cool?" He asked. Devon's eyes widened, but he didn't take a step back.
"Did you see any of that?" Devon asked. He didn't even sound angry. Jason nodded no. Devon stared, wide eyed.
"I think I need to see a doctor." Jason couldn't help but smile. He thought of Devon when he was 16. Now, he wouldn't have to worry about that version's fate. Devon could keep being a kid. He could have a future. He could fail and do wonderful things, and nothing could ever stop him from doing that. "It's okay." Jason gave a sigh of relief. Devon frowned. "You good?"
Jason nodded. "I just realized how stupid this whole thing was." He gave a meaningful look to Devon. "Take care."
"You too."
Jason headed off home. He looked out into the grassy hill. Beta was gone. His future self was gone. The guards were gone. Hopefully, they would never come back.
Despite all he had seen and witnessed, despite his terrifying fate and the fate he caused onto so many others, Jason felt himself smiling. His whole body was elated. It was the human condition, in a way. The ability to cry one moment and laugh the next.
He walked home, where he could meet with his family again and discuss the boring details of class. It had been a long day.
If you can't tell already I've been thinking a whole lot about time travel. I've been wondering what would happen if one little decision was never made, and how it could change the world. I guess one of the more famous examples would be Gavrilo Princip, who ultimately caused WW1 by his decision to shoot the Archduke. I guess the equivalent of this would be stopping Gavrilo in the act and then taking him to WW1 trenches so he could see the horror he causes(whether purposely or not). I also wanted to write a story where someone learned the value of human dignity and that people are the same across cultures and across the centuries. Although this doesn't quite reflect that(it more reflects the human condition) I think it still told its theme pretty well.
ns 15.158.61.54da2
