Hello Darlin, Goodbye

May 11th, 2043 4:24 PM

A single lightbulb, dusty as your grandmother's attic, suspended in pale illumination like the orange glow of the harvest moon, dancing to the rhythm of the fan. She must have counted those rotations a thousand times, catching a word or two from whatever damn Republic jargon that was playing on the static ridden tv in the corner every so often, as the three dollar whiskey ran in circles with the blades while she unconsciously stirred the cracked Jack Daniels glass She'd stolen from Pops before the war.

A cloud of smoke, cigarettes and more, thicker than fog when there's dew, wafted amongst the interchanging scavengers in the room of the storm-torn trailer. It was morning, She wasn't sure what time but definitely before noon. She hadn't been to bed, she'd been busy thinking away the hours of the night, consuming whatever was in reach like starving a lioness lost in the desert. She was certain that she'd bought a yellow balloon she told herself, as she watched a bluebird on a powerline. Blue was such a pretty color, it's a shame it had been banned in the Republic.

David

May 10th 2043, 8:53 PM

A blood curdling shriek shot like lightning through his neck, raising his hair as it trickled down his little spine. The whining screams of the curfew sirens reminded him of his little sister's horrific screeches of pain with the final breath she could muster as the charcoal smoke and ever-hungry dancing fire consumed both her and their former cabin deep in the woods of Washington.

A skull splitting light pierced through constant overcast accompanying Seattle's late Spring, as the whirring cry vibrated throughout his entire being. He was so tired, he could just…

He arose groggily, seeing his hand, freshly stained from the grass and dirt of City Park, the only grass left in the entire state. He rubbed it across his eyes as his vision danced into focus, this place reminded him of the doctor's, with many little machines beeping and buzzing in every crevice of the shiny room.

"Wh-Where am I? What is this?" stammered the anxious child.

"Be at peace little one, we are merely observing you." replied a voice that sounded like dropping water.

"Who are you, m-my mother will be worked up if I'm not on the bench in time."

"We are the watchers of your world and many others. Do not be frightened David, have another balloon." said the liquidy voiced one as he extended a smooth grey hand with little pointed and webbed claws clutching an orange balloon from beneath his silver hooded robe.

"You only have three fingers." declared David matter of factly, clutching his sister's heart shaped locket for comfort.

"Yes, as you only have one sun, where I am from there are four."

"Woah!" David exclaimed "I bet it's hot there!

The Watcher smiled at his innocence, removing his hood to expose a sleek, pale, scaly head with a metallic shimmer. "It is a far away tropical world, you are correct."

"How long does it take to get there?" puzzled David as he ran his fingers across a tank of some shimmering purple and blue substance that swirled with thousands of little stars inside it.

"Time is but a perception of a measurement as far as you Earthlings understand, it is much more concrete than that, yet much more flexible."

"What does that mean?" David inquired.

"That glowing liquid in the tank you're tracing, as well as what is in my cup, is in fact time. The physical representation of it in this universe anyways. From the very Essence itself child, the heart of existence. We told your species that time was of the Essence, but they mistook it for some riddle." He sighed. "We could stay here and converse for a thousand years in your time and only a moment will pass in what you consider reality."

"A thousand years! I won't live a thousand years Mr. erm what's your name?"

"Hello Darlin." His mother called out. "Goodbye" growled the watcher with a manner of finality.

David opened his eyes. He was back on the bench holding his balloon, refreshed and full of excitement. He noticed his mother coming down the hill heading in his direction. He looked left, the old tree was still there.

"Mom! Mom! C'mere, hurry! exclaimed David as he bounded up the muddy hill towards her. "You'll never believe what happened to me!"

"Slow down honey or you'll slip and fall. What on Earth could so important David."

"They aren't from Earth Mother, they're lizard fish people who live on a world far away! They transformed from a tree and took me on their space craft and told me-"

"Ok honey, catch your breath. I'm glad you had fun playing while I used the restroom."

"No! No Mother, it was real. I'll show the tree, look!" David yelled while spinning around pointing to the spot the tree previously stood, only to see nothing but a small blue bird. "What the fu-"

"David Carmichael!" His mother angrily squealed. "Don't you dare."

"The tree was right there, I swear it!" cried David "What's going on?!"

"You have a strong imagination darling, you just got carried away." said his mother while running her fingers through his hair. "You need a bath young man. Let's go home."

"Mom it wasn't my imagination! I lost my balloon so I looked up and then the tree became an old man, or what I thought was an old man in a long shiny costume. He told me to look up again and when I did I got blinded! I woke up in a glass chair surrounded by shiny metal things and tiny little brains in jars. They said they were the world watchers Mother! They had a tank with a galaxy in it! They told me it was liquid time stolen from the heart of the universe. That time was of the Essence!" David hurriedly exclaimed. "What's that mean Mom?"

"I've no idea what you're on about but we need to go home David." said his mother quizzically looking him over. "Wasn't your balloon yellow son? Where'd you get an orange one?"

"The Watchers!" shouted David in angst. "I told you!"

As they walked hand in hand back up the hill and to the car his mother watched the blue bird that soared above them, she was positive that she had bought a bright yellow balloon this morning. She looked around the bare parking lot, there was no way someone had entered and left the park in the time it took her to pee. What if David was right? The blue bird landed on a clock and perched itself, watching.