TIME MANIPULATION

“It’s impossible. No one has ever done that before.” Alvah kept pacing back and forth. Mr. Bailey was sitting beside Charlie as she laid on the couch unconscious.

“Perhaps he’s one of the unique ones.” Mr. Bailey was staring at her, looking like he’s too afraid for her to get away from his sight.

“I know. But no one has ever stopped time. It’s unheard of. This is something else. She is more than just the unique ones.”

Mr. Bailey recalled how the future has identified the unique ones. The ones whose powers as Jinni’s are unheard of. The ones who qualified to become the guardians of all the Jinni’s. As time grew, Jinni’s in the future has become more and more diverse. And it was what Charlie preserved in the future.

But he can’t tell Alvah about it. As far as he knows, she no longer exists in the future that Charlie created.

Her knowing now will not be a good thing.

But he recalled how Charlie has sent him out to this part of the past.

She said he had to go back.

Could it be that Alvah has something to do with it?

“What’s on your mind?” she snapped her fingers right in front of Mr. Bailey.

“Nothing. Something just came to my mind.”

“Care to share?” her eyes grew wide.

“No, I don’t really think its that relevant. But I was just thinking, didn’t you burn all the know unique ones down? Remember the party?”

“That’s exactly the reason why this is impossible.” She slumped down on the couch right across where Charlie is. “All of the known unique ones were in that party. There’s no way she’s one of them. I pretty much have ended all of them a long time ago.”

It was the bitter truth about Alvah.

She wasn’t the innocent or funny person that everyone thought of. And the Jinni’s from the future, wanted to make sure that she remains exonerated.

“I am curious what else does she do. I don’t think I have ever met a Jinni who’s able to stop time. It’s time for God’s sakes. No one should ever be able to stop it. We can travel through it. But it can never be stopped.”

“We’ll there’s been a lot of theories around it. So, it’s a possibility.”

“I don’t believe in theories Bailey. I believe in reality. So, this right here, is too impossible.”

“Are you threatened?” he calmly asked.

“Why would I be?”

Suddenly, her grim grew dangerous. He’s seeing the real cunning Alvah now.

“She’s young, and I am the greatest Jinni this world has. No one can stop me from whatever I can do to her.”

Mr. Bailey smirked and pretended that he liked her idea.

“But right now, I want to dig deeper. See where exactly she will take me with all these powers. I need some tea.” She stood up and left the room.

Just about time that Charlie moved and stretched her body for a bit. Her groggy eyes moved around and as soon as she realizes who was looking at her, she stand up as instantly as she could.

“Mr. Bailey! It’s you. Wait... what happened? Why am I here?”

She saw relief fill his face.

“You passed out.”

“I did?”

“You must have been really exhausted. Do you want some water?”

“Yeah.” She sat back down on the couch.

“How do you feel?”

“I feel, strange. Its as if I’ve missed an entire day. What happened to me exactly?”

“Well, “ he handed a glass of water to Charlie coming from the set of pitcher that Alvah prepared not too long ago, “We were clapping after you’ve read an excerpt of the Little Prince, when all of a sudden you were murmuring. I think you were saying, stop it. I can’t listen to all of you. And then you passed out.”

Her brows furrowed, trying to remember something. She drank the water thirstily, like she just came from a long journey from the desert.

And then, she slowly stopped.

“Charlie?”

“Yes?”

“Are you okay?”

“I…I…I need to go. Can you tell Alvah I’m leaving? I just need to do something really important right now.”

“Of course. Yes. I’ll tell her. But are you okay?”

“I am.”

“Wait.” Mr. Bailey stopped her and for some reason, held her hand carefully, “You did wonderful today. Take it easy on yourself.”

“You’re creeping me out Mr. Bailey.”

“Sorry.” He took his hands back and stepped away from her, “You go now.”

A confusing thought filled her as she exited the mansion and proceeded to her apartment building. She reached the rooftop and pondered on what happened the previous night. Now she remembers.

She, stopped time, before she blacked out.

First was being able to hear all of other people’s thoughts. Then the sudden freezing of time, and then, black out. Total black out.

“Hey!”

She turned around and see Lance with food in hand and some coffee.

“Wait, how did you know I’m here?”

“I actually said hi to you on the staircase but you looked like you’re in a different world. So I figured you’d be here and brought you some food.” He sits down on the ledge where they usually sit whenever they’re on that roof top.

“I’m sorry. I guess I just spaced out.”

He hands her the coffee which she took a sip from and frowned at how bitter and hot it was.

“That’s really good coffee.”

“Newly brewed. So what’s up with you?”

“I don’t know, I mean, I know but I’m having a hard time understanding what’s going on.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you ever had a time when you’ve done something so unexpected and you can’t believe it yourself but, it did happen.”

“I guess, a few times in the past.”

“How did you take it?”

“Well, for starter, I think it wasn’t that big of a deal but I was actually excited the moment I learned that I could do it.”

“Well, that’s good of you. But I don’t think I should be excited with this one.”

“Why not?”

“Because it could possibly change things very differently. And I don’t know why I feel so nervous about it, but it just happened.”

“Wait, does it have something to do with what happened last night?”

How could she forget that he was there.

“I guess it does.”

“Well, I was worried. You were murmuring and then you passed out. It’s not something that usually happens.”

“I know. And something happened today too.”

“Oh, that’s a lot of things happening.”

“Yes. You see my professor, touched my hand and all of a sudden, this bolts of lightning started creeping all over me. It was as if, I’ve been electrocuted at the most careful way possible. Something in me tingled. Isn’t that strange?”

“Why do you think it’s strange?”

“Well, because he’s, my professor. I am not supposed to feel that way about him.”

“Feel what?”

“Why do you have so many questions?”

“Well, because I don’t know those people and I want to know the exact details of things that happened. So what did you feel?”

She caught herself thinking hard of how to describe what she felt.

“It was as if I am connected to him in some ways. That I’ve known him for a very long time.”

“Haven’t you known him for some time now?”

“Yes. But something about it just felt different. It was like, we’re connected emotionally. And that’s both creepy but….romantic in the same way.”

“Are you having a crush Charlie? And with your professor?”

She could feel her face heating up.

“I am not...”

Lance laughed out loud, looking at her furiously, like she’s a lost puppy.

“Stop laughing.”

“You look like a heated marinara sauce.”

“Very specific reference.”

“Well, that’s how red you are right now.”

“Will you just please stop it?”

“I can’t help it.”

“Go ahead, laugh, I’ll go.”

“No. Stay please. Its just, it’s too funny.”

She looked at him like she’d like to crush him but sat back down and chose to munch on the bagel.

It was strange. Definitely. Everything seems to be getting stranger and stranger. But who can she turn to for answers? Maybe Alvah can help her.

But didn’t she say no Jinni has ever traveled to the future? Well, are there Jinni’s ever who could actually stop time?

Isn’t that the ultimate wall of time manipulation?