Wednesday Writings #14 - Revelations

My "Wednesday Writing" posts were initially created as a writing exercise for me to try and keep myself motivated and on track by making sure that I spend at least 30-60 minutes each week (with the follow-up goal to turn it into a daily writing practice).

Over the past few weeks, I've been continuing the same story with a single post each week. To help you catch up with this serialized story, you can use the following table of contents:

1. Morning Machinations
2. Communication Between Friends
3. Daydreaming Decisions
4. Off to the Park
5. Driven
6. Coming Home
7. Revealing Photographs
8. Just a Dream?
9. At the Tower
10. Caught

These writing sessions are more the "just get it out" variety...not worrying about polish/editing/etc but just making sure I'm actually writing. Still, I hope they're at least enjoyable. Definitely feel free to provide any feedback or thoughts. While these aren't polished works, I'm always open for general critiques.

And, without further ado, here's this week's episode.

Thanks for stopping by.

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Revelations

Gabby choked on a chuckle and glanced over at Julie who shook her head with a small breathy laugh. Julie stood to leave but was pulled roughly back in her chair by a pair of rough hands standing behind her. She grabbed one of the hands and pushed it off her shoulder and tried to stand again.

"Hey! You said we could leave after we heard what you had to say!" Julie looked to Gabby for support. The man in the wingback chair replied.

"You can leave. AFTER you have heard all I have to say and have fully weighed your options."

"We've heard enough already, right Gabby? You are obviously a little bit crazy and we don't want anything to do with it."

Julie managed to stand up again, this time jumping forward a step out of reach of the man behind her chair. He stumbled forward after her, the chair screeching noisily across the hardwood floor.

"You are welcome to go, Julie." The man waved his hand and the man by the door flipped the lock and pulled the door open. Julie turned to Gabby.

"Good. Let's go Gabby."

"Oh no. Julie, I said YOU could go. This endeavor does not involve you and you are free to stay or leave as you will. Miss Gabrielle, however, is intrinsically involved and must at least remain to hear the entirety of my proposal."

Julie huffed indignantly and whirled to face the Gabby alternated glances between her friend and the strange man sitting across from her. Now that the initial shock had been dispelled, she began studying him intently.

He wore faded blue jeans and a green button down sweater, open halfway down his chest to expose a dingy white T-shirt. His smooth hands and young face contrasted against his silver white hair and made it difficult to determine his age. He seemed young but was likely at least in his forties and possibly older.

His eyebrows were the same silvery white and were bushy and full, hanging over his eyes like fuzzy white caterpillars. His average build, generally casual dress and otherwise unremarkable appearance seemed out of place in the elegant library filled with thousands of books and decorated with fashionable statuettes and paintings.

Julie turned around to face Gabby, her face full of fear and concern. She motioned pleadingly with her eyes as she spoke.

"Gabby. You can't seriously take this guy serious." Then in a whisper, she added "He's crazy. And dangerous."

"Julie. I again promise that I mean neither of you any harm. And I also wish to add that I am most definitely not crazy. At least not in the way you infer it."

In spite of the silence, Julie's eyes continued to scream at Gabby, begging her to stand up and run out of the room while they could. Instead, Gabby shook her head and closed her eyes.

"I'll listen to what you have to say. Julie, you can wait for me outside if you want to, but I'd rather have you hear beside me. Please?"

When she opened her eyes again, the fear etched on Julie's face shifted slowly from outrage and anger, to fear and sorrow and finally to genuine concern. Without saying a word, she moved back to her chair, scooted it closer to Gabby's and sat down. The man resumed speaking.

"Good. That's settled then. Yes, I need you, Gabrielle, to help save our world. I realize this sounds crazy. Crazier still since at this time, you do not yet know me or my associates. Under normal circumstances, we would not be having a discussion like this for another year or more. But it is those very circumstances which have led us to these circumstances and bring us together now."

"Hold up there. You're making less sense the more you talk. Gabby, are you getting any of this?" Gabby shook her head without saying anything. She was trying to follow along, but had to admit she was confused. She realized Julie and the man were waiting on her for an answer.

"Um, no. I'm not sure, Mr., um. What's your name?"

"Dalton. My name is Walter Dalton. At your service."

"Uh, right. OK. Mr. Dalton. I'm with Julie on this. I really don't know what you're talking about. You don't really seem to be saying anything."

"I am sorry. I have forgotten that you are behind the times as it were."

As if this is some hilarious joke, Walter chuckles to himself and then proceeds to let out large, loud guffaws of laughter that finally result in him doubling over in a coughing fit. Gabby and Julie stare at each other. Julie twirls her pointer finger in a circle by her ear and whispers 'coo-coo', at which both girls laugh.

As he regains his composure, Walter's face is red and tears flow down his cheeks. James clears his throat loudly and walks to Walter with a glass of water. After a few long swallows and deep breaths, Walter turns to the girls and continues.

"You'll have to forgive me. I, for one, am particularly susceptible to the side-effects of the transition. Especially those related to outbursts of emotion. I am truly sorry."

"The transition?" Gabby looks to Julie and then to James for clarification. When neither of them answer, she looks back to Walter.

"Yes. I will explain that in good time. But first, to cut to the chase, I need you to help us find your husband and bring him back here."

"My husband?"

"Yes, my dear. Your husband."

"I'm not married. I don't have a husb-"

"Oh, I know that Gabrielle. But you will be. And it's much easier for me to speak in terms of my present than of yours."

"My present?"

"As in, THE present. The present tense. The present time. This present moment."

Again, the girls stared at one another, confused. Julie looked ready to make another outburst, so Gabby spoke first.

"Are you suggesting you're a time traveler? From the future?" Julie laughed her own you're a complete idiot laugh that always made Gabby laugh along with her. But this time, Gabby was too confused both by what had happened the last few days and what was being suggested that she couldn't wholly join in on the humor.

"Given a little prompting. You, Gabrielle, will be better able to explain what I am than I could ever do. But yes, to answer your question generally, I am talking of time travel and the knowledge, information and mission I bring is from the future."

The room fell silent again. Julie even stopped laughing and stared with a look of shock. The ticking from the clock on the mantle seemed to grow in volume as the silence lengthened. Gabby's mind was racing. Trying to piece together some of the strange things that had happened. She thought back on the wedding album. On the pictures of her own wedding. A wedding that hadn't yet happened to a man she had only just barely met and hardly even knew his name. She looked back to Walter, her eyes asking for a greater explanation. When he remained silent, she tried to piece together her questions.

"OK. So you're here from the future. You're here to help me track down my husband for you. A husband I haven't married yet. And….I'm sorry, I still don't understand. Why are you here? And what do you need me for?"

"We are here in pursuit of your husband. He is a wanted criminal who has stolen the technology that allows us to part the curtain of time. We followed him to this time but have experienced a severe rift. Our own devices for parting the curtain have ceased to function properly. We still have limited functionality, but something has definitely gone wrong. We can still pull back the curtain and glance through the window, but we are no longer able to pass through the mists of time that keep everything separated. We are trapped here. And so is he.

"We are unsure why he came to this time or what his final motivation will be. But we are certain that, in order to fulfill his plans, whatever they may be, he is going to confront you, confide in you and ask you to join him."

"Why would he do that? Because we were married? Are married? In some future that hasn't happened yet?"

"No. Yes, that may be part of his motives in coming here. But no. His reason for needing to see you is that you, my dear Gabrielle, you are the one who made this technology possible. And now, with the rift, he will need your help to make the device function again. To enable the curtain to be fully drawn back, the window to be fully opened and let us pass through the mists. When he comes to you. You will bring him to us."

The room fell silent again. Everyone stared at Gabby. She returned their gazes, uncomfortably looking at Walter and James, at the two thugs who had kidnapped and carried the girls to this strange place, and then at Julie who stared back with a mix of compassion and confusion. The whole thing was unbelievable. Ridiculous. Absolute nonsense. And yet, something inside of her knew it was true.

She closed her eyes and called up the images from the wedding album. She stifled a giggle as she remembered the look of absolute joy on her own face at a wedding that hadn't yet happened. Her breath caught in her throat as she remembered the image of her mother standing beside her. She fought down the emotion and opened her eyes. The group continued to watch her expectantly.

"OK. So let's say for a moment that even part of this may be true. What do we do now?"

Walter smiled and nodded at James who walked out of the library, the two thugs following behind him.

"First, we move to the dining room. I shall tell you more over a light lunch."

He stood and slowly walked to the door. As Gabby stood, she again pictured her mother at the wedding and her eyes welled up with tears. She tried to avoid looking at her friend as she turned and started for the door. Julie quickly caught up with her. She put her hand on Gabby's shoulder and turned her around. With a hand on each shoulder, she leaned forward until their foreheads were almost touching.

"I'm here with you Gabby. You've always been way smarter than me, but I don't believe any of this. It's insane and stupid we should just leave. I have a huge pit in my stomach telling me this is dangerous and we should make a run for it while we can. But I'm here for you. And if you want to stay, I'm staying with you. But please be careful."

Gabby wiped the tears from her cheek and pulled her friend into a hug.

"You're the best Jules. Thank you. And don't worry. Somehow I know we'll be alright."

"You girls coming?"

Walter had returned to the door and stood waiting for the girls. They looked at him and nodded then followed him down the hall to the dining room.