R e t r o s p e c t • PSYPHY

Chapter 4: P a r a d o x

Eerie...no eerie wasn't enough to describe the gravity of this moment. It was...it was more like, ominous. Yeah it was definitely more like that. Here, at least what I could define as here; outside in the space between the cart behind me and the next - I thought I could take solace in the tranquility of solitude. But no, no I couldn't even have that. My little moment of silence was penetrated by the presence of this adolescent girl. Part of me was irritated that she happened to be out here at the same time as me. Although part of me was sympathetic at the same time. She was, crying. Her tears racing down her face only to accumulate at her chin. It was a wonder they didn't freeze and turn into icicles in this weather.

Though what had made this moment ominous, was the utterance that she'd said not even a moment ago. It replayed in my head repeatedly while my mind tried to generate the right response. "It's starting..." What'd you mean it's starting? What's starting?! Why are you crying? What're you doing out here? How old are you? Can you tell me what in the hell you're talking about? Among the many questions that spiraled in my head I settled with one. I gulped and spoke up in a low and wary tone, "What's starting?" I asked. 

She sniffled; wiping her face with her sleeve. She took a few short breaths before speaking. "T-the robbery," her delicate voice trembled with what I would imagine was fear and helplessness. Immediately after she said that I felt a slight jolt in my body. It was odd but it hadn't occurred to me up until now, that I was a part of a train robbery not too long ago.

I blinked vigorously, my glance drifting downward. I slid my hand in my pocket to catch the feel of the ridged texture of the watch. That's when it hit me, an assortment of memories flooding all at once. That's right...I was reaching for the watch when... I looked up to the petite girl in front of me. She was standing there, tears in her eyes; waiting, practically begging me for a response to what she had just said. But even though my body was willing, my mind was not. I just couldn't escape the feeling that something bigger was going on here. It was incessant. The lingering thought of this girl having something to do with this was swirling around my brain like a spinning top. Yet the likelihood of her involvement was so low that I wasn't sure I should even speculate something like that. Still with each moment passing, the urge to speak felt stronger.

"What'd you..." I halted with my fragmented sentence. Just as I went to ask her something I could faintly hear voices yelling from the cart behind me. 

"Get on the ground now!" I heard. Instantly I knew what she was referencing. It wasn't just a robbery, it was THE robbery. The one that had not only occurred not too long ago, but the very same one that was happening right now. 

Wait how can this... I questioned the validity of the occurrence. How can this be happening right now, but I clearly remember it happening before? 

"See!" The girl hollered; interrupting my train of thought. "I don't know what's going on but it's... It's like some kind of weird déjà vu," she added. 

I looked her up and down. So it's not just me...she's catching on to it too. Her crying had stopped and the sense of urgency had effectively hit her. It reciprocated to me, as I glanced in the window of the door to the cart; watching as the robbers began making their move.

That's when I heard it. A soft yet audibly steady ticking. I looked down realizing that it was coming from within my garments. Easing my hand into my pocket I quickly took hold of the item responsible. Pulling it from within my pocket I held it gently in my hand as it ticked. Okay, okay don't freak out. Just think, what happened the last time I messed with this thing? Okay I took it out of the box, held it for a second, then it dropped. Then...then things got weird. And now we're twenty or thirty minutes back to where we started.