“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?
“Lancelot!”He turns to the voice that’s calling his name.“Headmaster. What can I do for you today?”Lance is clad in his usual Jinni look with a satin pants and red sash tied in his waist. In the new generation, Jinni’s have become more and more fashionable. The unique ones have mostly made an impact on the style of clothing that everyone is wearing.“I wanted to know how your mission is going. Do you think we’ll make it?” The headmaster is Charlie’s appointed leader for the school of Jinni’s. In the future, Jinni’s has evolved far more from what humans have known. They have become and entirely different entity.Their role has expanded and have maintained the balance of the universe. Each Jinni’s are taught how to carry on wishes of not just the lost souls but even the innocent children. Everyone is given tasks that fits them.“I am getting agitated. But Rory seems to have things under control.”Rory is his father, Charlie’s husband in this future. But Charlie doesn’t know it. She d
She stood in the bleachers of a huge football ground. This is her 8th wish. Soon enough, she will complete her 10th and will know what it truly means to be a full pledged Jinni.“Why are we here?” she asks shaking her head. She’s never been a fan of football. She thinks it’s gruesome and dangerous. But people seem to have an enormous fondness for the game. Some would even go to the extent of fighting against friends just to prove how supportive they are with their friends.Perhaps it happens in every kind of sports.Alvah opens her red umbrella and sat right into an empty section of the bleachers.Below them is a group of uniformed players looking a lot like soldiers, readying themselves for the next battle.They were in the year 1977. One of the most memorable years of the football history.“Is this where I’ll find my next wish?”“Possibly.”“Love the color of that umbrella. You seem to really like red, don’t you? It seems to fill most of your wardrobe.”“I love it. It’s the color of
She was fidgeting as she sat in one corner of the bleachers. Alvah was seated beside her and she couldn’t stop but admire her fashion. She has always worn the most fascinating outfits ever, no matter the generation.Charlie was feeling nervous. Her heart was beating twice its normal beat and she didn’t even know how that was possible. Or even how it’s possible that she could define that it was already beating twice the normal rate. In a few minutes, the football players entered the field, each team introduced their players and people inside the arena started going wild.In a moment, Charlie felt her heart leap at the sight of the man she just met that morning.For some odd reason, she could not fathom the kind of beating he brought to her.It was an ecstatically strange feeling she isn’t willing to welcome.He was included in the first line up and she noticed how most of the people within the bleachers seem to have high regards for him.Spencer. That was what’s written on the boards
Her days were filled with joy as she kept living in that year. She didn’t want to admit it, and yet she knew she was starting to fall in love with him. She goes to every game he has, cheers for him, enjoys the people cheering and constantly gives him a kiss with every win. The only thing she didn’t like about all of it was the fact that they would have to hide. That generation was not a huge fan of interracial relationships. And she would never do anything that could possibly hurt or compromise him. So, no matter how challenging it was, she needed to keep hiding, for him. “Well, that was a great game, wasn’t it?” she beamed against him as they sat still in the open field. He was staring at the moon, getting nostalgic of the win that they just had. She looked at him with adoring eyes, his skin looking good against the light of the moon in the sky. The feelings he brought her were one of a kind. One’s that she’d never wish of having. “It was… It just felt good.” He turned to her
She realized that they had overstayed now, Alvah was sitting inside a coffee shop when Spencer and some of his friends passed by. She wanted to call him but just a few steps from where they were was a group of guys who seemed to be waiting for Spencer’s group to come pass by them. Spencer was with two of his friends while the group of men was about five or six people. They look like they play football too, only from a different team. As they were nearing, the group of white men started blocking their way. Alvah stood up and left some cash for her bill and a tip. Once outside, she came closer to where the two groups were and decided to eavesdrop for a bit. "Hey, how did those bruises feel? Still not doing anything about what I told you?""Spencer, do you know them?" one of Spencer's friend, huge guy with a really good built spoke out. "They're no one. Come on, let's keep going.""We're not done." The guy turned aggressive as he pulled Spencer away from his group and pushed him ri
Charlie stood still, facing a noodle house where Spencer was happily talking with one of the servers. She seemed entranced by him, as anyone would be. But as she saw them having so much fun talking to each other, she felt a sudden feeling of pain inside her.Is this the reality that Alvah wanted her to see? That he belongs to someone else.She closed her eyes, wanting not to feel this sudden pain that’s attacking her. She took a step back, gave a very good thought of what’s happening and snapped her finger once.As soon as she did, she was transported to another year. A year in her mind where she thinks she’d be. It was twenty years after the year she was in with Spencer. And about five years from her actual present year.She’s led to a huge house the looked to be situated in a suburban area.The corners are filled with flowers and some plants, the windows looked colorful with curtains adorning each one. In a few minutes, the crisp crying sound of a baby filled the entire house.She sm
She sucked in deep breaths as she faced her professor slash mentor. In his face is the look of failure—her failure to be exact. She has nothing to present this morning, no draft, no blurb, not even a concept of what story will she write for her final project. But it’s all because of a really good reason. “I got mugged?” she could sense the discontent coming from his face. She gulped in heavy saliva, preparing herself for a lie she doesn’t even want to tell. “Yes.” “What time exactly did you get mugged?” “Around midnight.” Did she just sound unsure? “Are you trying to trick me?” “No, I’m not. I’m telling the truth.” Well, not really. She wasn’t exactly mugged. She was chased. “Your deadline was two weeks ago. I’m wondering if you are seeing the worth of what this school is paying for your scholarship. You seem uninterested to graduate from my class Miss Peddington. And here I am, thinking that you really want to become a writer. “ “Of course, I do!” Her professor stated to
She coughed, slowly feeling the pain seeping through her entire body. There’s a peculiar smell that rushed through her senses the moment she has slowly gained consciousness. Her body aches like she’s never felt them aching before, paired with the poignantly loud banging within her head. She slowly recalled what happened and started sobbing. She realizes that her hands are now restrained at the back of a single chair. She could only imagine the scenes in movies when mafias would kidnap someone and torture them till their death. Will that be the same fate she’ll have right now? “Now you’re awake!” the sound of the man’s voice sounded unfamiliar. She struggled to slowly open her eyes, definitively glaring at her surroundings. She found three men standing across her, two of them she recognizes as the men who took off the black van not too long ago. One man, was dressed in an all-white suit, paired with the same white fedora. He must be their boss. With the gold necklace around his nec
Charlie stood still, facing a noodle house where Spencer was happily talking with one of the servers. She seemed entranced by him, as anyone would be. But as she saw them having so much fun talking to each other, she felt a sudden feeling of pain inside her.Is this the reality that Alvah wanted her to see? That he belongs to someone else.She closed her eyes, wanting not to feel this sudden pain that’s attacking her. She took a step back, gave a very good thought of what’s happening and snapped her finger once.As soon as she did, she was transported to another year. A year in her mind where she thinks she’d be. It was twenty years after the year she was in with Spencer. And about five years from her actual present year.She’s led to a huge house the looked to be situated in a suburban area.The corners are filled with flowers and some plants, the windows looked colorful with curtains adorning each one. In a few minutes, the crisp crying sound of a baby filled the entire house.She sm
She realized that they had overstayed now, Alvah was sitting inside a coffee shop when Spencer and some of his friends passed by. She wanted to call him but just a few steps from where they were was a group of guys who seemed to be waiting for Spencer’s group to come pass by them. Spencer was with two of his friends while the group of men was about five or six people. They look like they play football too, only from a different team. As they were nearing, the group of white men started blocking their way. Alvah stood up and left some cash for her bill and a tip. Once outside, she came closer to where the two groups were and decided to eavesdrop for a bit. "Hey, how did those bruises feel? Still not doing anything about what I told you?""Spencer, do you know them?" one of Spencer's friend, huge guy with a really good built spoke out. "They're no one. Come on, let's keep going.""We're not done." The guy turned aggressive as he pulled Spencer away from his group and pushed him ri
Her days were filled with joy as she kept living in that year. She didn’t want to admit it, and yet she knew she was starting to fall in love with him. She goes to every game he has, cheers for him, enjoys the people cheering and constantly gives him a kiss with every win. The only thing she didn’t like about all of it was the fact that they would have to hide. That generation was not a huge fan of interracial relationships. And she would never do anything that could possibly hurt or compromise him. So, no matter how challenging it was, she needed to keep hiding, for him. “Well, that was a great game, wasn’t it?” she beamed against him as they sat still in the open field. He was staring at the moon, getting nostalgic of the win that they just had. She looked at him with adoring eyes, his skin looking good against the light of the moon in the sky. The feelings he brought her were one of a kind. One’s that she’d never wish of having. “It was… It just felt good.” He turned to her
She was fidgeting as she sat in one corner of the bleachers. Alvah was seated beside her and she couldn’t stop but admire her fashion. She has always worn the most fascinating outfits ever, no matter the generation.Charlie was feeling nervous. Her heart was beating twice its normal beat and she didn’t even know how that was possible. Or even how it’s possible that she could define that it was already beating twice the normal rate. In a few minutes, the football players entered the field, each team introduced their players and people inside the arena started going wild.In a moment, Charlie felt her heart leap at the sight of the man she just met that morning.For some odd reason, she could not fathom the kind of beating he brought to her.It was an ecstatically strange feeling she isn’t willing to welcome.He was included in the first line up and she noticed how most of the people within the bleachers seem to have high regards for him.Spencer. That was what’s written on the boards
She stood in the bleachers of a huge football ground. This is her 8th wish. Soon enough, she will complete her 10th and will know what it truly means to be a full pledged Jinni.“Why are we here?” she asks shaking her head. She’s never been a fan of football. She thinks it’s gruesome and dangerous. But people seem to have an enormous fondness for the game. Some would even go to the extent of fighting against friends just to prove how supportive they are with their friends.Perhaps it happens in every kind of sports.Alvah opens her red umbrella and sat right into an empty section of the bleachers.Below them is a group of uniformed players looking a lot like soldiers, readying themselves for the next battle.They were in the year 1977. One of the most memorable years of the football history.“Is this where I’ll find my next wish?”“Possibly.”“Love the color of that umbrella. You seem to really like red, don’t you? It seems to fill most of your wardrobe.”“I love it. It’s the color of
“Lancelot!”He turns to the voice that’s calling his name.“Headmaster. What can I do for you today?”Lance is clad in his usual Jinni look with a satin pants and red sash tied in his waist. In the new generation, Jinni’s have become more and more fashionable. The unique ones have mostly made an impact on the style of clothing that everyone is wearing.“I wanted to know how your mission is going. Do you think we’ll make it?” The headmaster is Charlie’s appointed leader for the school of Jinni’s. In the future, Jinni’s has evolved far more from what humans have known. They have become and entirely different entity.Their role has expanded and have maintained the balance of the universe. Each Jinni’s are taught how to carry on wishes of not just the lost souls but even the innocent children. Everyone is given tasks that fits them.“I am getting agitated. But Rory seems to have things under control.”Rory is his father, Charlie’s husband in this future. But Charlie doesn’t know it. She d
“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
“Charlie! Wake up! Wake up!” she could hear the muffled voice calling her, tugging her that forced her to open her eyes slowly.What welcomed her was a huge array of fire. She tried looking for the voice, but no one was there. The place looked unfamiliar and all she could do was stare out at the entire space. The fire is slowly eating up the place.“Help! Alvah!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. The fire was too big that visibility is impossible. She tried to take a step but her fear took a toll and all she could do was breath heavily. “Help! Please! Help me! Alvah! Alvah!”Some debris started to fall off the floor and one of them was about to fall right through her. She pulled her arms over her head, thinking she could cover herself from the harm that’s about to come.And then, she opened her eyes again.The room has now changed. She’s back in Alvah’s library. She took deep heavy breaths and looked around.There was no fire. Nothing. The whole place looked as serene as it has al
“Days here feels like years, doesn’t it?” she turns to Alvah as they sat in front of the huge yard looking out at Leo and his two assistants painting out the garden’s view. Each had different styles but are required to create the same piece. And each of them took interesting strokes to a different level. “Look at them, creating perfection. While we,” she looks at Alvah, “are frying up ourselves under this heat. When we get back to our generation, we’d already be like sunny side up eggs.” “You worry too much. Just enjoy the sun. We don’t always get this kind of heat. Plus, its healthy to the skin.” “Right.” In a bit, a sudden sound of crashing things was heard. Salai’s entire canvass was no on the ground while Leo was facing him fuming with anger. They could barely hear what they were talking about but she and Alvah began standing up, curious to know what is going on. But just as they were on their feet, Salai hurriedly walked away from where they were just painting. Charlie fol