The Time Warden
You have a choice to make.
My name is Remi, and I am a time warden.
To those who meet me, I am both hero and villain. I have no cape, no alter-ego. If you encounter me, you will only meet me once.
My power is my penance, bestowed on me as an answer to a prayer to save the life of a 10-year-old girl, a girl I recklessly killed while racing my motorcycle.
I was a stupid kid, an arrogant kid. Born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I never had to take responsibility for anything.
It all changed that fateful day. For the first time in my 20 years, I knew this was one mess my parents could never have swept under the rug.
I prayed. I’m not even sure I believed, but I prayed. To turn back time. To pick a different location. To make a different decision. Anything. Everything. Everything, except that little girl. I thought only of myself and my predicament as I continued my egocentric prayers.
The answer came in the form of a choice I was given. I could choose to live, knowing that I would be cursed to spend every day tortured with the memory of what I’d done. Or, I could avoid her. My accident would occur ten minutes later. I would still turn the corner driving too fast, but instead of the little girl, there would be a bus. I would be the one who died. I would become a time warden.
I chose the latter.
Now, when I am called upon, to each recipient I encounter, I offer a similar choice. Live, and spend your days tortured in the time wardens’ prison in your mind or join us in our mission to save the innocent by taking the guilty.
About the Creator
Cathy holmes
Canadian family girl with a recently discovered love for writing. Other loves include animals and sports.
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More stories from Cathy holmes and writers in Fiction and other communities.
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By Mallory Rose2 days ago in Fiction
Comments (29)
Wowsers Cathy! An intriguiging concept! Well written and well done! Congratulations on a fine achievement with placing for the challenge!
WOW! That is gonna weigh on my mind. This is heavy but oh so well written and thought-provoking, Cathy. Congratulations on your placing. Very well deserved!
👏👏👏👏 Awesome!!! Congrats, my friend. This was a solid entry, so glad it was recognized!!!
Wow. This is incredible. I love the idea here. Congrats!
How did I miss this? I like the sacrifice of this and the idea of penance. Congratulations, Cathy!
Now that is interesting, a transference of power in time? I liked you thought process on this Congratulations
Congratulations on the runner up win!!!❤️❤️💕
Yay Cathy!! Congrats on Runner Up!!! 🎊
Wooohooooo congratulations on your win!! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Congratulations. You are truly talented, Cathy!
Congrats, Cathy! Knew this was a strong contender!
Congrats on placement!!!!
Congratulations on placing in the Epic Beginnings Challenge - much deserved!
I am SO HAPPY this placed. Well done.
Congratulations!
Yay! Buddy, Congrats another fine placement! :)
great entry Cathy. well deserved.
Excellent!
I like the idea here, where each person who becomes a time warden continues the cycle of the choice being offered. Would make for an interesting story to see the dilemma upon the shoulders of whoever is making it! Very intriguing concept Cathy🙂
This was such a good read fueled by a brilliant concept! Incredibly strong entry for the epic beginnings challenge!
Excellent entry! Good luck ☺
Wow. This was such a clever concept and perfectly executed. Loved this one. Great stuff.
Oh...damn. Isn't this Top Story already. I always know something amazing is going to come from your awesome brain when you turn to fiction. Your poems are always sublime, but there's always these little naunces to your fiction that hook us in. This was definitely a unique take...but love it so much. The dilemma...the idea...how you drew us in to Remi's tale. Well bloody done, Buddy!
Ooh, this one is a bit different, I like it!
Where do I sign up? I sure wanna save the innocent by taking the guilty. Loved your story!