Series Wednesday: Timetopia Page 13

                I bow down. “Hello.”  He circles around me, “Up.” He says, I look up to see his smile even more charming then the monument. I can’t believe I am getting to meet Charles, one of The Five! He is like every teen girls crush being the youngest man of The Five. He smiles at me. “Ava, why are you running?” He knows my name. “I lost my friend.” He opens his hand, where he is holding some type of orb. The orb lights up and a picture of Rev shines out. “Is this your friend?” I nod yes. “Do you know how she got to Timetopia?” I think about it for a bit. She never said how she got here, but Rev isn’t much of a sharer. I shake my head, no. “How long have you known Rev?”  I think about it. “A few weeks.” Now, he is nodding. “What has she told you about herself?” I was taught if one of The Five was to ever talk to me, I had to tell them anything and everything they asked. Most people have never even seen one of The Five in person, but Rev wouldn’t want me to tell her story… or the little bit I know. Maybe he can answer some questions for me. “She hasn’t really told me anything… We have just been running. Do you know what a gun is?” His face changed instantly. “Did she tell you what a gun was?” I know the gun is in Rev’s bag, maybe I should just show it to him. But he didn’t answer me, just asked me a question instead. “A manager used the metal handle. I’m sorry, I mean a gun, to hurt my mom at the Questions hall.” He looks shocked. “Wait, you’re saying there are guns here in Timetopia?” I nod yes.  He seems very upset by this news. “Ava, how do you know it was a gun? What does it look like?” Does he not believe me? Did Rev lie to me? I’m not sure what to say. “Rev told me it was a gun. It was metal, it made a loud pop noise. When it did, people started bleeding. My mom being one of them.” He stands very still now. “Ava, this manager… what happened to him?” Everything happened so fast I don’t remember. “I am not sure, I didn’t see. I was too worried about my mom. Do you know what happened to her?” We aren’t supposed to ask The Five questions. He hasn’t said anything about it, but I think he is going to now. Just the look on his face. “I wish I knew what happened to your mom. It seems like some of the managers have gone a little rogue. But I promise you, I’ll look into it.” He strokes his hand across my cheek.

                I take a step back from him. He looks at me “Your eyes, they are so familiar. He pulls the orb out again. He has all my school pictures on it and pictures of my parents. I can’t help but smile when I see their pictures. “Can I see that?” I stick my hand out.  He looks down at the orb for a second and then laughs. “It won’t work for you. Its Five technology. This is my own and only works for me.”  He seems so proud of  this fact. “How is it that there are no baby pictures of you Ava? And no child care tracker in your neck?” I am not sure what to say. I don’t know the answer. “I didn’t know there wasn’t any pictures of me as a baby. There are at my house.” He laughs. “No, those are pictures of you as a toddler. The earliest one of you is when you seem to be 2 or 3.” I shrug, not sure of the answer. “Where are you off to?” I am not sure why he is asking me this. “I am off to my grandma’s house.” He had such a serious face and now he is smiling again. “Did Rev tell you that’s where she is taking you?” I nod yes. “I am going to have to go now, but here. Take this.” He hands me a watch. “It’s pretty, thank you.” I’m not sure what I have done to get a present. “It’s not just a watch. If you press the center, it will tell me where you are. Since I can’t track you, I have no way to come to your side if you need help.  I don’t think Rev is helping you get to your grandma’s. So when you get to where it is that she is taking you, just press the button and I will come to your aid.”  Rev would never hurt me.  Why does he think that? “Rev wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. I think you have the wrong impression of her.” He laughs. “There is a saying where I am originally from. You can’t trust anyone. Not even you’re pets, because if you stop feeding them they will eventually eat you.” WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?! Isn’t that what Rev says? Where is she? I have so many questions for her. “Do you know where I can find Rev?”  He laughs. “Right. I had to pull her out of time so I could talk to you. I threw her ahead a few hours. By the time you make it back to your room, she should be appearing.” He turns to walk away. He must be The Five who is going to lead us for the next year. “Thank you. Oh and welcome to our year, I can’t wait to see how you lead the year.”  He laughs. “I’m not the one making the switch into this year.” He walks away and disappears. This makes no sense. Unless of an emergency, two of The Five are never supposed to be in the same place. How is he in our time? That would break the rules. I’m not sure what’s going on. The Five wrote the laws, why would he risk it? I’m so lost about what’s happening. But I need to find Rev. I grab the back pack and head back to the visiting center.