Phoenix Rising

The Time Detective - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The world around Kate was completely stationary, there was no movement. Not even the air around her stirred. All was still.’OK now?’ It was the man, looking at her calmly. Kate’s face was still stinging from his slap. ‘Wha..who..you!’ Kate was addressing her assailant, who not only was able to move, but apparently completely oblivious to what has just happened. ‘Fine. Thank you.’ she replied meekly.

‘Good, then perhaps you tell me what you’ve done, and why.’ he replied in his calm tone. Kate was completely taken aback by this accusation, and didn’t know what to say, even her renowned rapier wit had failed her, and all she could manage was to babble incoherently ‘wh…me.?’

For a brief moment, she thought that the man had fallen pray to whatever it was that the rest of her world seemed to have, as he didn’t stir at all. ‘It seems to me’ he continued at last, ‘that being as only you and I remain unaffected, one of us two have caused this incident, since I can safely conclude it definitely wasn’t anything I have done, then, it must have been you.’ He sat back smug in the assumption that his logic was completely flawless. Kate however, was not in the mood for either calm or smug right now, and after taking a moment to regain her composure retorted ‘Well, I could say the same as you!’ The man clearly wasn’t expecting this, and the look of smugness dwindled for a minute, but only for a minute. ‘Well he said, what do you suggest we do now?’ Kate didn’t even have to think. ‘We can start by you telling me who the hell you are, and how you seem to know things about me, you can start with the lighter.’ The man gave a slight smile, ‘ you told me.’ ‘No I didn’t I’ve never even met you before today. Besides even you admitted that, so you’d better come up with something better, and fast!’ Kate was loosing her temper now, and felt she ought to calm down a bit, she took another cigarette out, and lit it. This didn’t help much, so she decided to get up, and take a look around.

People around the cafe were in various states of repose. The two old ladies sitting on the table next to hers were in mid laughter this made Kate smile at first, although she had no idea why they were laughing, but their faces were so contorted that it raised a slight chuckle from her. They looked as if they were enjoying themselves so much, that Kate wondered why she hadn’t even noticed that there was people on the next table let alone that they seemed to be having so much fun.

She wandered up towards the counter. The man who had been arguing with the waitress, was wearing an equally contorted expression, except this one was absolute fury, she didn’t think she had seen anyone this angry, not ever. The waitress however, was as calm as the man seemed angry. She was just standing there completely motionless, with a now empty cup three inches from her face. The only thing that suggested that she even knew that the cup was going to hit her was her eyes both looking at it, giving her a cross eyed expression. Kate let out an involuntary giggle.

‘So you did this for laughs?’ the man was still here, she had forgotten for a second. ‘I told you I didn’t do this’ she replied slightly louder than she needed. ‘No’ he said calmly, ‘no you didn’t.’ ‘Well I didn’t. OK. And even if I did, I don’t think anything here is funny’, ‘well if you didn’t who?’ Kate decided to try and move the cup from its suspension, and put it on the counter. ‘PUT THAT BACK AT ONCE!’ The man was shouting, his calm smugness had all but vanished, he crossed the distance between them in 3 strides, picked up the cup, and hung it in mid air, approximately where it was. ‘Is that it? Is that where it was?’ he demanded ‘Er, yeah, I think so.’ Kate didn’t know what to make of this new behavior, but decided that she much preferred it to calm and smug, even if she didn’t understand what this guy’s problem with the cup was. The cup that seemed to upset the man so much, remained in mid air, quietly defying the laws of gravity.

‘You obviously have no idea what’s going on here do you’ he said, regaining some of his calmness, if not his smugness. ‘No.’ she said ‘No. I don’t. That’s what I’ve been saying.’ The man’s attitude changed in that moment, he was on guard looking about. Like a hunter realizing that his prey has turned the tables, and is currently zeroing on him, claws poised ready to strike the final blow sending him, to the great hunting grounds in the sky.

Kate decided to sit back down, and continue her cigarette. The man was pacing round the café, scrutinizing every person, every object. ‘What are you looking for?’ She asked, not really expecting an answer, and unsurprisingly, not getting one. It seemed to her that she was now just an annoyance to the man, and one that he could ignore quite easily. She lifted her cup, then paused. ‘I suppose I’m allowed to drink this?’ she said with sarcasm. Silence was the only answer. ‘Well I will then, thank you.’ The man stopped, turned round, and started pacing back towards the table. Kate stopped, mid sip, but was determined NOT to put the cup down with out a fight. He sat down, again opposite her.

‘I think’ he said at last. ‘That this is only the beginning.’ As if on cue, the statuesque people in the café vanished, all of them, the light seemed to wink out instantly, and quickly come back on again. Off again. On again. Faster and faster like a strobe light in a disco. Kate noticed things moving in the shadows, she couldn’t quite make them out, but they seemed all around her, sometimes moving through her. She tried to scream again, but couldn’t find the strength or air in her lungs. Gradually, the light flickered slower, then all was dark.

Click here for The Introduction

Click here for Chapter 1

Copyright © 2005 - Mark Wilson