Time and Chaos

Nova walked absentmindedly towards home like she does every night after her shift at Starbucks. It was a breezy night, so she strode a bit slower than usual while listening to her playlist through earphones. She did not pay much attention until the smallest hairs on the back of her neck stood up seconds before someone grabbed her arm.

She spun around as a dark mass tackled the person that grabbed her. Two men landed on the ground, one punching the other in the face. The second man was older and curled up to protect himself from his younger attacker. Nova watched this with great confusion and shock. She finally snapped out of her stupor and shouted ‘stop’ at the aggressor.

“Stay down,’ he grunted at the other man as he stood and turned to Nova. “This creep,’ he pointed, “was following you since you left Starbucks. I saw him and followed to make sure he was not up to no good. I’m glad I did too.” Nova looked at the person on the ground.

“Is that true?” she asked.

“Yes.” He sat up and wiped blood from his lip. “But its not what you think. Are you Nova Hesper?”

“How do you know my name,” Nova narrowed her eyes. He held his hands up in surrender before reaching for the leather bag strapped across his torso.

“My name is Hector, and I was following you because you didn’t answer when I called your name. I was trying to deliver this to you.” He stood to his feet and produced a legal manila folder. He held it out to her so that she could read the label, showing her name written in a flowy handwriting. She reached for it with shaken hands. What is this?

“But… but who sent it?’ she asked with an uncertain voice. Hector shrugged his shoulders and held out a clip board.

“I don’t ask question; I just deliver packages. Please sign here.”

She signed her name and they both turned to the third member of this gathering. He stood there with his hands shoved into his pockets. As the strangers stared at him, he reached up and smoothed the back of his hair down.

“Uh, sorry. No hard feelings” he said sheepishly. Hector looked him up and down before answering with a smile.

“Nah, man. Honestly, if this were my daughter, I would hope there was someone looking out for her like you did tonight. Y’all have a good night.” He tucked the clipboard back into his shoulder bag and started off the way they had come. Leaving Nova standing under a streetlamp with some guy she knew nothing about, and a bulky envelope in her hands with no idea who sent it or why.

“And who are you?” she addressed her rescuer.

“Sorry, names Ryan,” he held his hand out for her to shake. “Mind if I walk you to where your going? I’m a little unhinged by what just happened and not comfortable leaving you alone.” His words felt true, so she took his hand.

“Nova. And I’m a bit weirded out myself. Come on.” She waved him to a nearby bench that was directly under another streetlamp.

They sat and she slowly opened the flap on the yellow paper. She turned it down at her lap and several bundles of cash fell out. A small black address book and another white envelope followed. Ryan picked up one of the cash blocks and fanned through it.

“It real,” he said astonished. “That’s gotta be several thousand dollars, there.” Nova flipped open the book. Inside was a list of names and addresses.

Tristan- Lahaina, Maui

Minerva- Theoretical Science Department – Harvard University

Jay- Meteorology Department – Harvard University

June- Political Science Department – Harvard University

Helen, Diana, Selena- Montana 48.754024, -113.449919

The list went on. Nova set the book aside and picked up the letter.

6Inside also included two plane tickets to Kahului Airport in Hawaii. One had her name on it but the second one says Ryan Mathews. Ryan jumped to his feet as if somebody electrocuted him.

“Why is my name on that ticket?” He exclaimed in disbelief.

“I don’t know.” Her head was spinning faster with each minute that goes by tonight. She turned to the letter and read it out loud.

Dear Nova,

I know that you have so many questions. I wish things did not have to be this way and that you could live your life with us. You were born with an important destiny. One that can only come to pass if you experience the world on your own, with out mine or your mother’s influence. We are forced to watch you from afar and are always proud of the woman you become.

To find your true self, you must start with the book. These people are part of your family and will help you along your journey of discovery. I have included $20,000. This is yours, even if you choose not to follow this path. But I’m sure your curiosity will prevent you from this adventure.

Be safe, my daughter. And I hope to meet you soon.

Love, Dad

What the Hell? Nova’s hand shook as she held the white paper with the same flowy handwriting as from the envelope. This is from her dad? Ryan leaned over to look at the letter.

“Wow. I wish my dad would give me 20 thousand dollars.” He uttered.

“But I don’t have a dad.” Nova felt as if her entire world was tipping on its axis and she had nothing to hold on to. “I don’t have parents. What does he mean ‘watched from afar’? Why would they do that? Why would loving parents keep away from their child and watch them grow up miserable? I don’t understand!” Nova’s voice was growing higher pitched with each though. Ryan could tell she was on the verge of crying so he sat back down and wrapped his arms around her shoulder.

“So. Lets go find out,” he reassured her. She looked at him with a puzzlement in her eyes. “Well, one of these are for me, so I guess I’m supposed to go with you. Plus, I would really like to know why one is for me. We just met tonight.”

Nova nodded in agreement. This was too strange to pass up. They talked for several more hours. They would depart in two days. That way they can wrap up a few things, like work and arrangements for animals. Turns out Ryan has two chihuahuas he must get a sitter for. He walked Nova the rest of the way to her home and agreed to be there with bags packed to pick her up.

In less than 48 hours, they were landed in Hawaii with a flower lei around their necks looking for someone named Tristan. The address led them to a small B&B, but it was the natives that pointed them to a dock on the shoreline.

There was an old black man sitting in a wheelchair at the end of the dock. As they walked up, not knowing if they are in the right place, the old man spoke.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Nova. You too, Ryan.” He turned to look at them with the milky white eyes of a blind man. They stopped in disbelief. Tristan chuckled and waved them closer.

“Come and sit while I explain to you about destiny,” he said.

“How do you know us?” Nova questioned as she made herself comfortable on the old wooden dock.

“Because we are family,” was the response. Nova glanced at Ryan. Again, Tristan chuckled. “What do you know about Creation?”

“Like the Bible? God made the world in three days type stuff?” Ryan interjected.

“No, sweet child. And yes. There are many Gods and Goddess that lead to the beginning of this world. Whereas many would claim to be king, only one is the supreme ruler of All.”

“Time,” Nova said with a breath. How and why does she know that?

“Yes. Time. The father of All. Even the Gods. We are all born of Time and will all return. He, and the cosmos, allow all things to spin and swirl.” Tristan swept his arms around the air to demonstrate the vastness of his statement. Then his face got serious and he looked at Nova, almost as if he could see her.

“But if you let things spin for too long, they tend to spin out of control. That is where you come in, my dear. You hold the balance of this world in your very hands.”

“Bull,” Ryan got to his feet and held out his hand to Nova. “This old man is just jacking us along. Let’s go.” Seconds after saying that, the wind began to whip around. The ocean crashed against the pilons as if to bring them down. The clouds consumed the sun and plunged them in to shadows. And the old man in a wheelchair stood up tall, a golden trident appearing in his hands.

“Don’t test me, child!” His voice gave of a strange vibration to it.

“Now, now. Poseidon. Sit down before you break a hip,” a gentle feminine voice called out. Tristan turned to the speaker before settling back down.

“Awe, come on, Pele. I was messing with the boy,” he said with a whine. The woman stopped beside Tristan. She was slender with long silky black hair. Her almond eyes held a fire in them that illuminated her olive skin.

She rolled her eyes before turning to them. “What my uncle was trying to say, is that you, Nova, are one of us. You are a Goddess.”

“Yeah, right. How can I be a Goddess and poor at the same time?” The two elders’ glance at each other with a knowing look.

“Well, that’s because of what your job is.” Tristan explained. “You must judge mankind. If they are worth of your love, they get to continue with the spiral into the cosmos and Time. But if they fail, you must wipe them from this world so they can start over. Therefore, in order to judge properly, you must live as a mortal without any advantages.”

“You, dear Ryan, are a mortal human, but with just as great a responsibility. You are Nova’s heart.” Pele said.

The four spoke longer about this bomb that was dropped on the humans. Tristan and Pele told them everything and answer all they could, but eventually told Nova to continue her journey with the black book.

The two destined star-crossed lovers visited everybody on the list, including Nova’s grandmother. They all confirmed the stories as true. Minerva even explained that it was Nova who brought down the Tower of Babel and cause the flood that wiped out most of Egypt. Those were the times that man failed to prove their worth. When the mortals forget the power of the Gods, they step onto a path of destruction for all of Earth. To prevent this global pandemic, Nova resets man to restart, lest they all suffer the indifference of Mankind.

After what felt like eternity, the two finally made their way back home. They sat across from each other at the Starbucks that Nova once worked at.

“So,” Ryan started, “you get to judge us on how selfish we have become. Then wipe us out if we don’t meet your standards. Right?”

“Yeah, I think,” Nova shredded tiny pieces off a napkin in front of her.

“And I am here to remind you of the great things we can do?”

“Yep”

“So, what are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know.” The two looked out the window and pondered this as a young boy grabbed a purse from a bystander’s shoulders. Across the street, a group of high schoolers worked on painting over gang graffiti to beautify the neighborhood. Nova took a sip of her green tea and glanced back at Ryan.