Súton

The Beginning, Middle, And End

Before

Ethan James is sick.

No. Scratch that. Ethan James is very sick.

They can't help him, the doctors. They say there is nothing they can do but make him feel comfortable. They tell him that if there's anything he needs, anything he wants, to ask. But he doesn't care.

Ethan James is sick and the last thing he wants is pity from the people who can't save him.

____________

There's a man in the corner of Ethan's room when he wakes up. The man is smirking and holding an object between his nimble fingers.

Ethan can't see the object but he knows it's there. He can hear it tap against the man's fingers.

The man moves from the corner, approaching Ethan. The man makes no sound as he moves. No tip-tap of the man's shoes and no swish of fabric as the man walks. The man makes no sound until he reaches the side of Ethan's bed.

"Do you wish to see her one last time?" The man asks, his voice is rough and cracks. Almost as if it's never been used.

Ethan doesn't know what to do. He's confused. How did this man get into his room? Why is he here?

The man shifts from foot to foot as Ethan remains silent, his impatience showing.

"You don't have a lot of time Ethan," the man says, "you're going to die soon and I know you wish to see her again."

Ethan's confusion persists and only has enough sense to nod.

The man hums in acknowledgement.

Slowly lifting his hand, the man places a small, golden hourglass on Ethan's stomach. He lays impossibly still in the hospital bed.

"In two minutes you will travel back to the day you met. You have an hour to see her. You cannot tell her you're from the future. You cannot tell her anything that you know. You must reenact the day you met perfectly. Do you understand."

"Yes." Ethan spoke for the first time.

"Good." The man nodded, looking off in the distance as if he was thinking of something else, "Good. I wish you well, Ethan."

The man began to walk away, but Ethan stopped him.

"How long?" He asked.

"How long, what?"

"How long do I get to be with her?"

"An hour." The man said as he faded out of view.

____________

During

Ethan James is sitting in a library.

He's been looking at the girl across from him for ten minutes. He knows he should just go up and talk to her. He knows that he's wasting his time, but he must reenact this day out perfectly.

At twelve minutes he stands. The girl looks up at him from her book as he does.

Her honey colored eyes were the first thing to catch Ethan's attention then, and are the same now.