He stood there in the fading sunlight, watching the clouds gliding leisurely through the sky. Always going somewhere, clouds — never standing still, never staying in one place, always moving on.
Seemed to be the story of his life.
Standing next to the incongruous yet somehow reassuring form of his time and space machine, he gazed over to where the celebrations were going on. Yet another terrible disaster had been averted, thanks in part to his timely intervention, and those involved were taking the opportunity to celebrate their victory. He'd been invited, of course. And yet there he was, looking in from afar, preparing to leave.
He shook his head. He never felt comfortable at parties or celebrations, anyway. There was always so much out there that still needed to be done, so many more lives to be saved. How could he justify wasting such valuable time on celebrations?
He looked at them all again, feeling the familiar pang he always felt at times like this. All that togetherness, all that belonging — he was forever outside of that sphere, always on the outside looking in. Perhaps he should try to fit in, settle down…
No.
No, he would never fit in here. He would never fit in anywhere, really. Once, long ago… but that was all in the past now, no going back there.
You can't go back and fix the mistakes of your own youth. Not even in a time machine.
So he stood there for a few minutes longer, enjoying their togetherness from afar, smiling at the joy and happiness they could share, at the warm glow of togetherness and belonging they took so very much for granted…
Sighing, he shook himself out of his reverie. They'd come looking for him soon, he knew. Best be on his way before they found him. It was so much easier to leave this way, rather than facing the pain of having to actually say goodbye… to have to look them in the eye… to feel not only his own sorrow, but theirs as well…
No. Much better to leave quietly, discreetly, silently. Like the clouds — always moving on, never staying in one place, never standing still, always going somewhere else.
He stepped into his time machine and, without another look back, closed the door behind him.
Nuages
That Which Passes, Passes Like Clouds
