Most people get the timer installed once they hit the age of fourteen, the ten digits are encased in a sturdy plastic that is then implanted into the users dominate wrist. There are four numbers in the first group and then three sets of two afterwards; the numbers represent days, hours, minutes, and seconds respectively. The clock continuously counts down until it reaches zero, at which time the person is to meet their soul mate, however, there are a few people who decide to opt out of getting the timer which consequently leaves their soul mates clock blank.
Unlike most people, Hiccup wasn't as excited about getting a timer. It wasn't that he didn't want one, he just figured that he'd meet his soul mate no matter what. All the timer did was pinpoint when that would be and since everyone only has one soul mate then wouldn't he end up with them no matter what? If you asked his mother, Valka, she would say that it was thanks to the timer that she and Stoick found each other. Hiccup knew his mother thought that, but he believed that they would have gotten together anyways without the timer in the equation; most people would say the same when they saw how in-love the two were.
It didn't come as a surprise to the brunet that on the morning of his fourteenth birthday his mother took him to get a timer. It was earlier than he would normally get up on a weekend but he couldn't get the extra hour he wanted; his mother would come in every two minutes to make sure he was out of bed and getting ready for the day. Hiccup had tried the argument that it was his birthday, so he should be granted to sleep in longer, it was countered with the reasoning that the earlier they arrived the shorter the wait would be. The boy mumbled something about most people who want timers already have them and that there wasn't going to be a sudden influx today just because it was his birthday.
He knew that he wasn't going to be getting anymore sleep that morning so, he had reluctantly pulled himself from the warmth of his covers and into the cool air of the early dawn. Lethargically, Hiccup had gotten dressed, mostly insouciant about the whole affair that his mother had planned that morning. When he had gone downstairs his mood had brightened from the sour turn it had taken by being woken up; pancakes were waiting for him.
Since Hiccup didn't see much of a difference about getting the clock or not he decided to go along with it because his mother looked more enthusiastic than he did; she did a bad job at hiding it. The boy knew that he didn't exactly exude excitement about the prospect of getting the timer. He didn't want to seem ungrateful and end up dampening his mother's mood so, he made a mental note to be happier about the whole thing.
Once breakfast was over he wished his father a good day at work when he headed out, he and his mother leaving soon after. Hiccup had known what he was getting into, his mom had already told him the process of getting a timer and how it would be placed in his wrist; all whilst on the drive there. It was already basic knowledge that getting it would come with a little pain, otherwise it would just fall off if you so much as bumped it the wrong way. The pain wasn't something that Hiccup was looking forward too, but then again, who would?
Entering the establishment the teenager reminded himself to appear like he was enjoying himself, and looking forward to it instead of being indifferent to the whole thing; which he was. After answering a few basic questions and the paperwork was sorted out the employee led them towards the back room where the procedure would take place. The room wasn't very big, but Hiccup didn't expect it to be, it's not like it was used for surgery. Implanting a timer into someone's wrist wouldn't take up much space.
The employee mentioned a few more things in such a monotone that it looked like she was about to pass out from sheer boredom before she began preparing the timer for implantation. The teen took a seat and rolled up his left sleeve before placing his now exposed arm onto the cold metal cuff sitting in front of him. When he looked off to the side he practically saw excitement rolling off of his mother in waves, a sharp contrast from the person in front of him.
His attention shifted back to his arm once the machine was placed against his wrist. Barely given any time before the trigger was pulled pain shot up his arm instantly, causing Hiccup to bitterly think that it would be too much effort to count down from three. The pain soon dulled down, instead of engulfing his entire forearm as it once did it stayed confined to the small area around his newly installed timer. The wince that had fixed itself onto his face slowly melted into a scowl. Was it too much to ask to warn someone before you impale them, Hiccup didn't think so. The woman didn't even look sorry, she just began to put the device away.
The scowl was cut off prematurely when Valka quickly went to her son's side, anxiously waiting to see if a number would appear on the timer. Dissimilar to the woman gazing over his shoulder, Hiccup wasn't gawking at the new accessory that adorned his wrist, instead he was focused on his mother. She looked ecstatic over the whole ordeal, she had never outright said so, but it was obvious that she had been looking forward to the day that her son got a timer. Having never voiced why she was anticipating the day, the brunet could only speculate.
Valka was a woman who always wanted what was best for her family and to see them happy. Hiccup was her miracle baby, she was told from a young age that it was improbable that she would be able to conceive children, it had almost broken her. She had wanted to be a mother once she had her life set up. However, eventually she had come to terms with the fact that she wouldn't be bearing any children, instead she began to play with the idea of adoption with her husband of three years. Before they came to a consensus, Valka had fallen pregnant, it was the best news that she ever received. With the unlikelihood of birthing a child and then falling pregnant only made her love for the baby grow, he must've been something special to be able to overcome the unseen obstacle.
She had known that it was a miracle and it wouldn't happen again. She became very protective over her son, but not overwhelmingly so, nor did she shelter him to an insane extent, he could still take care of himself when needed. Valka's greatest joy was seeing her son happy, and spending time with the people that you love does just that. She knew that Hiccup loved them, they were his parents after all, but she wanted to meet the boy that would love him and make him smile without a care in the world even after her and Stoick passed on.
Yes, she knew that her son was gay and had known for a while even without him having to tell her. She wanted her son to know that she was supportive of the fact that he liked boys, so she gently brought it up with him one night when Stoick was working late. Knowing that the teen wouldn't want his father accidentally overhearing. It had taken a bit of persuading and a few sarcastic remarks thrown in but eventually Hiccup confided in his mother about his sexuality. Though the boy remained adamant about keeping the information as far away from Stoick as possible. Valka knew where the brunet was coming from, her husband could be quite intimidating considering his size and general demeanor, but she still pushed her son to tell him. She knew that the burly man may be slightly caught off guard but he wouldn't be angry or upset about it.
Hiccup thought differently, it wasn't so much that he was worried about angering his father, but disappointing him. When the topic of timers, or specifically when Hiccup was going to get his timer came up in conversation, Stoick's expression visibly brightened. He would begin talking about bringing the 'lucky lady' home and what he thought she would be like, Valka used to join in too before she confirmed the teens orientation. Another conversation that was conflicting for the brunet was the talk about grandchildren, he didn't hate kids, he liked them enough, but he didn't know if he'd even be able to give his father little-Hiccups to continue the family name. Obviously he couldn't conceive naturally, and he didn't quite like the thought of a surrogate. If he was going to have a child that was blood-related to him then it would be with the man he married, no one else. Since that wasn't an option, it only left adoption, but having just entered his teens, he didn't want to think too much about it. There was a lot of time ahead for that still.
However, Valka didn't cease bringing up the subject of telling his father, it happened a couple of times per week, much to the boy's dismay. He knew that his mother was a very determined woman and when that's paired with stubbornness -something all three shared- it can be a fatal combination. It had taken an extended amount of time, but eventually Valka triumphed. Hiccup finally agreed to tell his father. The conversation had been an awkward affair to say the least. His mother agreed to pretend to be ignorant of the fact that Hiccup was gay when he told Stoick, so he could look at his mom -or preferably the ground- when he mumbled out that he liked boys. The awkward bit came when he had to repeat himself, more than once because he had muttered it too quietly to be perceived. Finally, when Hiccup had spoken loud enough to be heard, the end result wasn't too bad compared to his worst-case-scenario. Stoick had been a little befuddled at first, but when he overcame it, he welcomed it with open arms. Hiccup was his son and no matter what he was going to be there for him and that wasn't going to change.
The brunet's attention was still on his mother, so he saw dissatisfaction mar her features. He followed her gaze to his wrist, noticing that it was devoid of numbers because in its stead were little black flashing dashes where the numbers should be. The timer wasn't broken, far from it; it was working perfectly. The absence of numbers only meant that his soul mate was lacking a timer themselves, which wasn't too surprising for people who decide to get them when they first turn fourteen. Getting the clock immediately after becoming the age to do so usually resulted in a blank timer because it most likely meant that their soul mate hadn't come of age to obtain their own. Most of the time the clock began counting down a few months later when their other half is able to get their own installed. It was rare now-a-days that a timer was left blank indefinitely because one of the two didn't purchase it, but it did still happen.
This hadn't bothered Hiccup too much, he half expected it to happen really, his mother however, did not. Disappointment was prominent on Valka's face, she was really looking forward to seeing what time would be displayed so she could know when Hiccup was supposed to meet his one. The green-eyed boy tried his best to placate his mother by reassuring her that his soul mate would get his own timer soon, he probably just wasn't of age yet. It would only be a couple of months wait, tops. Valka's mood perked up slightly at how her son was trying to comfort her. She knew that she shouldn't be the upset one, if anything it should be Hiccup who was downcast.
The ride home was quiet compared to how it was on the way there, but it wasn't tense, it was relaxed if anything. The duo had talked about what was going to be for dinner, if Hiccup had any homework, what other things he was doing in school, and anything else that crossed their mind. There was still an air of melancholy hanging around the pair, but it was dampened slightly by the thought that the wait shouldn't be too long before the numbers would appear and start counting down.
The rest of the day had gone on as a normal, or it would have if it wasn't 'Hiccup's special day'; which his mother called it. Instead of washing the dishes with his mother -which he secretly enjoyed, the talking, not the cleaning- like he usually did, she shooed him away. He could help make his birthday cake later. After being turned away, he trudged up the stairs into his room, deciding to work on some incomplete sketches that were littered throughout his art book.
That's how the next couple of hours had been spent, adding more detail to almost finished pieces, putting some more shading in places that were lacking and starting a few new drawings with the ideas that had been fluttering around his head recently. Time seemed to blur past him while he had been working and sooner than he thought, his mother called up to him from the stairs that she was about to start on the cake if he wanted to help. Hiccup closed the sketch book, laying it on his bed before heading back downstairs into the kitchen.
The teen didn't bake with his mother often, mostly because Valka didn't make sweets more than a couple of times a year. She burned them most of the time, even though she doesn't overcook anything else. Which is why when an occasion came up where she would bake something Hiccup would always help. Making his birthday cake was somewhat like a tradition between the two of them, it was one of the things that he looked forward to when his birthday rolled around. Sometimes his father would join them if a day-off fell onto the same day, which was nice since Stoick's job was quite time consuming.
Hiccup mostly stuck to stirring the ingredients while Valka added the components in the order that the recipe instructed. Throughout the process the two talked about what he was working on in his art book, Valka was always interested in what Hiccup was currently drawing, he got the talent from her. His mother had a knack for realism while the brunet strayed toward fantasy. The boy didn't usually talk to his father about art, he preferred sports to creativity, which is why he watched hockey games with Stoick. It was one of the few sports he could follow. He didn't get as into them as his father did, with all the player names and statistics, but he knew the basics.
Mother and son soon finished mixing it all together and pouring the gooey concoction into the circular cake pan and sticking it into the oven. While they waited for the previously set egg-timer to go off, the two prepared the stuff for decorating the cake. The sweet aroma seeped into the air around the oven, soon spreading throughout the entire kitchen. The tantalizing scent of the baked-good began to make the waiting agonizing by the time that the ding went off, signalling that the cake was finished baking.
The next couple of hours were mostly passed waiting for the dessert to chill before beginning to paint the confectionary in a layer of icing. During the span of decorating the cake from start to finish, the two managed to splash each other with excess icing which also littered the kitchen table. Completing the cake took twice as long as it should have with the mini frosting war that went on, though eventually it was finished.
Valka and Hiccup cleaned up the mess that exploded across the table and slightly dribbled onto the floor. Glancing at the clock it came as a surprise how late it had gotten. Valka told her son to go clean himself up while she prepared supper. Hiccup decided to have a shower before continuing to work on his sketches to kill time until his mother called him down for dinner.
After cleaning off and working for a bit in his art book, the brunet heard the distinct sound of a car door slamming shut, which was soon followed by the jingling of keys in the front door. Hiccup could smell the scent that seeped from downstairs, signalling that dinner was almost ready. Saving his mother from having to call him down, he headed to the kitchen.
The teen had just entered the dining room when the food was being placed on the circular table, he went and sat across from his father who was already seated. Once everybody was sitting down with food on their plates, the first conversation was brought up by Stoick. Unsurprisingly, it was about the timer that Hiccup had gotten earlier that day. It was a given that that was going to be talked about during dinner, after all Stoick had left for work before they had even left to get it implanted, so no one had told the burly man about what had occurred.
Hiccup recalled the events to his father, who by the end of the tale actually looked disappointed, or maybe it was melancholic, he couldn't really remember. The bout of expression that was visible on the man's face shocked Hiccup, Stoick wasn't a very expressive man, and any emotion that was on his face was usually hindered by the massive beard that covered half of it. So it was stunning to the boy when an expression such as that was so evident on the man's face. Even after having fourteen years to decipher how his father felt from face alone was still difficult.
What was even more shocking was that Stoick then proceeded to try and comfort his son, which confused him more than anything. Hiccup wasn't too upset about the whole thing, he was pretty neutral towards it. So it was jarring how much importance that both of his parents placed on the little clock that now sat upon his left wrist. Still, Hiccup did his best to try and reassure his father that he didn't mind if there weren't any numbers on his timer, he could wait.
The teen didn't think that he'd ever understand why his parents thought that getting a timer was so significant, but that was alright. Hiccup knew that there were aspects to his own life that his parents didn't understand. His love for reptiles were one, Valka and Stoick preferred dogs. Even though he found their concern a bit unwarranted, he did his best to calm their worries. It may have been hidden behind countless sarcastic comments, but Hiccup loved his parents.
Jack was the opposite of Hiccup when he first got his timer he'd been excited. It took a lot to convince North to agree to it, he believed in the old fashioned way of finding love. After more than a handful of weeks of pleading, North finally accepted the fact that the teen wouldn't drop the subject as long as they were still being manufactured. So a deal was made, if Jack paid for the timer himself than he would give his consent. Jack's face lit up like a child's on Christmas day at the news he oh-so-wanted to hear.
The fourteen year old had spent the majority of his free time doing extra chores and odd jobs around the neighborhood. Walking some dogs when it got too cold for the owners to take them out, helping people shovel their walkways or dig out cars that were buried during a particularly bad snow storm. Jack was almost always exhausted by the time that dinner rolled around, but he didn't mind. It just got him closer to getting a timer, something that he's been waiting to get since he found out what it was. It took him longer than he would have liked to save up enough money, but once he did his excitement grew. North had agreed to take him the next day after school.
Jack had tossed and turned all night. For how long, he couldn't tell you, his mind was too preoccupied. He thought of what his soul mate was going to be like, how they would meet, were they excited to meet him too, and most importantly how long would he have to wait to meet them? He hoped it wouldn't be too long, like that one girl he goes to school with who's clock said '7261' days, that's almost twenty years! Jack wasn't sure he could wait that long, he wanted to meet the person who was meant to love him more than anyone, and to love them back the same way.
The teen didn't really sleep that night, it was more like he had blinked and it was morning; excited for the day to come. He got ready in record time, with the mindset that the faster he moved and got ready the quicker the day would go by and the closer he got to finally getting his timer. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, if you asked Jack he'd tell you that instead it was one of the longest days he had ever experienced.
The painfully mind-numbing day at school was granted a reprieve when the lunch bell rang, which rekindled Jack's flame of excitement that had previously been doused. The teen had been the first out of the classroom, on his way to find his best friend Jamie and tell him the news that had kept him up the night before. If it wasn't for the fact that the two had different homerooms Jack would have already shared his excitement with the brunet, which he couldn't do with brief passes in the hallway.
Jack had beaten Jamie to their usual spot in the lunchroom, the boy was practically bouncing in his seat with giddiness by the time that the younger boy showed up. Once the two teenagers were seated Jack dove head first into the timer situation, both of them brainstorming about the time that would be displayed. Jamie hadn't gotten his own timer yet, being a few months shy of fourteen, another topic the boys had chatted about.
The rest of the school day was spent with boredom and anticipation, making the minute hand look like it was moving slowly just to spite the teen. When the final bell rang it was music to all of the kids' ears, especially Jack. With liquid ecstasy running through his veins the boy sprinted home, not caring about anything else. The only thought in his head was about finally getting his timer, and knowing once and for all when he would meet his soul mate.
When Jack finally arrived home, he didn't bother to take off his shoes before heading straight into North's study, asking if they could go now. The jolly man merely chuckled at the enthusiasm that the boy was displaying before nodding his head and grabbing his jacket. Jack had bolted to the car, already strapped in the passenger seat and ready to go by the time that North had only just exited and closed his study door.
Jack spent most of the drive thinking that in about a half an hour he'd have a timer. He hoped that his soul mate already had his own because otherwise he would have to wait until they did purchase one before he could know the moment that they were supposed to meet. He vaguely remembers hearing that getting the clock installed in the wrist hurts initially. He'd overheard a group of girls say that it's like getting your ears pierced, though Jack wouldn't know how that felt seeing as he doesn't even have a single piercing.
Arriving at the building brought on the nerves that had been dormant in the teen. What if his soul mate never gets a clock, will they pass by each other and never know? If his soul mate doesn't get a timer, does that mean they don't want to meet him? Even though these thoughts were running through Jack's head, he knew that he wouldn't know if his soul mate got a clock or not until he got his own. Even though those thoughts plagued his mind, he sucked it up and headed inside, North right behind.
The teen remembers clambering up to the desk, telling the receptionist that he was interested in getting a timer. The man had then asked Jack a few questions. What his age was, if he was on prescription drugs or if he had a history of drug abuse, and if he had any outstanding medical issues, before talking to North about the paperwork needed and the more complicated information. Jack had been more focused on the surreality of the moment, not what the adults were talking about, he was stuck inside his own head.
Once the two men were finished discussing paperwork a woman had led the duo to a back room, where she had asked them to wait for the doctor who would then install the timer. The man, whose face Jack doesn't remember, reminded the teen that it was advised not to get the clock removed because if it is. It damages the nerves in the wrist and you can never get a new one. The non-dominant wrist wasn't an option. He was also told that yes, it would hurt a bit, but the sting wouldn't last more than an hour.
Jack made a noise of understanding before sitting down on a plush chair and placing his right arm on the little metal curve in front of him. The boy was ready for a bit of pain, what was a dull ache that would only last an hour when he'd have the timer for the rest of his life, to him it was worth it in the long run.
The doctor got a contraption ready that would insert the timer into his wrist. Jack thought it looked strangely like a price gun that was used in stores. He then placed one end against the teen's wrist, asking if he was ready. Jacks previously forgotten anxieties flitted through his mind, but he pushed them away; he had waited a long time to finally get this clock, to find out when he'd meet the love of his life and he wasn't going to back out now that he was there. Jack gave an affirmative nod. The guy across from him then proceeded to count down from three, causing Jack's nerves to rise. It would have been better if he just pulled the trigger, according to the fourteen year old.
When the man reached one he set off the machine which plunged into the boy's wrist, breaking the skin and latching onto his flesh. Even with the countdown Jack wasn't fully prepared for the pain that radiated through his forearm. Once the initial pain had subsided, he was left with a slight burning sensation like a dying fire with hot coals. It had only taken a second for Jack to become accustomed to the dull ache before opening his eyes, which had instinctively closed on impact. His gaze immediately went to the timer that now lay upon his wrist, waiting for the numbers to process or to his horror, stay blank.
Jacks stare never wavered from the clock, time seemed to come to a stop. Apprehension slowly bubbling up the longer the wait continued. The teen started to resign himself to the fact that his soul mate hadn't acquired their own timer when there was a soft ping that came from his wrist, a number had appeared. Jack could never remember the entire sequence that had been displayed when it was first revealed, just that it started with a one and a zero for the first two numbers in the day's column. Once he saw that the numbers had indeed made an appearance on his wrist a grin stuck itself on his face, showing off snow white teeth.
North had watched the whole scene transpire, he saw the nervousness that briefly consumed the boy's face before it was masked. The underlying fear that most people wouldn't notice hadn't gone undetected by the older man. Both had then been erased to clear a path for the pain that overtook the boy, with his scrunched up face and grimace that anyone would associate with discomfort. The Santa Clause-like man wanted to reassure his nephew-turned-son but knew that the teen would brush it off saying that it hadn't hurt, a blatant lie. Next came the hope that covered Jack's face, intently staring at the new device that was now a part of him. Soon after came despair, like the poor boy just had his heart broken, which North supposed would be an accurate description. When that faint little noise had reverberated around the room the older man saw Jack's expression make a one-eighty, the misery that had befallen his face was shattered and replaced with pure unadulterated joy.
The jolly man's own face broke out into a grin, clapping Jack on the shoulder. Peering down at his son, his smile turned gentle and affectionate, his previous uncertainties about the timer flew from his mind when he saw how genuinely euphoric it had made the boy, he now knew he made the right choice. The whole experience was not something that North would soon forget. In that period of time if he had to choose to remember one thing it would be this moment, and how exultant Jack looked, more so than he had in a long while.
It had happened years ago, but the lingering effects still had an impact on the boy. He wasn't as carefree as he used to be when his parents were still alive. It was a combination of things, but the main perpetrators were how terribly he missed them both on a daily basis. The reminders of them were littered around the house so he didn't go more than a couple of hours without them on his mind. That mixed with the knowledge of how dangerous the world could be put a damper on his usual high spirits. Don't get him wrong, Jack had still been a very boisterous child, even after his parents' untimely deaths, it took a while to get back to that extent but he returned to how he usually behaved.
The change came in little differences that would normally go unseen by most eyes but not to North. The burly man noticed how Jack didn't take as many risks. He stopped climbing up trees, something he used to do in abundance, and enjoyed immensely if his laughter was any indicator. He stopped running near roads, even if he was on the sidewalk and no cars were approaching, pavement wouldn't even be in the line of sight if he decided to ride his bike. He had wanted a trampoline; brought it up in almost every conversation, now a word was never uttered about the subject. If Jack was asked he would say that he was too old to climb trees anymore, or he didn't want a trampoline because kids at school said it wasn't that fun. A common excuse though, was that he didn't know what they were talking about and then head to his room.
Some parents may have brushed it off, he was getting older and his interests were changing. He was bound to stop doing things he used to. North knew it was because of the plane crash his parents were in. They had been on their way to Tahiti for a late honeymoon. The first being postponed with the pregnancy of Jack, who was to be staying with his uncle North -his mother's brother- while they were on their trip. Most kids would have been excited to see an airplane take-off and at first Jack had been too, then the flight was delayed for engine troubles. That was when Jack's stomach screamed with unease. He had only been five at the time, but he remembered saying that maybe they should go another time if there was problems with the plane. Like most parents, they reassured their son that everything was going to be alright, it did nothing to help the horrid feeling that he felt.
Once the plane was cleared for departure his parents waved goodbye with smiles on their faces and some final words of not to worry. The rock that had lodged itself in his stomach resided there throughout the day and just got worse the closer his bedtime came. Jack knew that he wasn't going to feel any better until they returned and he could see that they had their feet on the ground. Unfortunately, that never happened. Their plane had crashed that night. The now orphaned boy had mostly spent his time cooped up in his room where he cried and stared at the ceiling once he ran out of tears to shed.
North had filed for adoption about a week later, Jack was his family. The only had each other anymore and the older man wasn't about to separate Jack from everything else he knew. The process took quite a long time, but eventually it was approved and the five year old was legally his son. Since then, North thought of Jack as his own child and it hurt to see him hold himself back from what he used to enjoy. In that one moment, he could see that carefree boy in Jack's expression like he never left. Letting the boy get this timer was definitely the right choice.
It was an understatement to say that Jack was ecstatic, he felt exhilarated, invigorated, thrilled and like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders and was just overall happy. Even though he still had a while to wait, he didn't mind too much, it wasn't like he'd be seventy before he would meet his other half. He still felt a little disappointed though, only because he wanted to meet them as soon as possible. He didn't want to wait, but he knew that there wasn't much that he could do about it, so the disappointment quickly turned into anticipation. Someday he would meet the one person who would make him happier than anyone else and they were out there somewhere, just going about their day -or maybe it was night- with the same number on their timer as he had, also waiting for the day that they would finally encounter each other. Jack was looking forward to it.
It had only been a couple of weeks before the numbers on Hiccup's timer presented itself. The teen honestly didn't expect that it would take such a short amount of time before his soul mate got their own timer. What wasn't as surprising, however, was his parent's reaction. It was a one-eighty from their initial response when they found out it was blank. It didn't help that the number displayed didn't exceed half a lifetime, causing Valka's excitement to double.
Besides when the timer had made the ping to inform the brunet that his clock was now counting down he hadn't glanced at it. Even when he first instinctively looked towards the noise he didn't really take in the digits that adorned his wrist. Needless to say, after a couple of days Hiccup no longer knew what number first appeared.
Over the next few days that was the main topic around the Haddock household, Hiccup soon got tired of it. Even though he didn't have proof, Hiccup would swear that once his mother found out about his clock she called everyone they knew to tell them the news after he had left the room.
Despite Hiccup's attempts to remain upbeat throughout the next couple of days Valka saw the toll that it was taking on her son. She knew that timers weren't one of the few interests that the teen had and that he didn't really want a timer in the first place, but got one to make her happy, making her feel both grateful and a little guilty. Though Hiccup didn't show any signs of down-right hating the device (or liking it either), Valka hoped that one day he would come to appreciate getting the timer when he did, even if it took until he was old and grey to realize it.
Coming to the conclusion that it wasn't much of a present since it was more for her than him, Valka decided that she would get Hiccup a real gift that he would thoroughly enjoy. With that she grabbed her car keys and made a beeline to the store.
Arriving home from the last day of school that week Hiccup noticed that the house was quiet, which wasn't a surprise to the brunet. Friday afternoons were usually spent working on recently acquired homework, followed by doodling in his sketchbook until his parents came home; one of which with armfuls of take-out for the trio. For the adults it was filled with work, Valka was only busy with her job in the morning which left lunch and the time following free, which was her weekly luncheon with old friends.
By the time that either parent arrived home it was a bit late to start dinner, so the two would take turns bringing back some fast-food. It was an ill-sorted type of tradition within their household, the three would sit in the living room eating their food while watching movies that were playing on television that night. The rest of the evening usually passed this way before Stoick decided to hit the hay, he normally had work the next day.
However, this Friday evening was different for the teen. He completed his out-standing assignments and drew in his art book like normal, but once his mother came home the normalcy changed. She had come through the door carrying what looked like a cardboard box with holes, it wasn't very big but it was large enough that she had to carry it with two hands.
Hiccup instantly knew that it wasn't his mother bringing home food because they're almost always packaged in brown paper bags, she also brought the fast-food last week, meaning it wasn't her turn. Upon seeing the package the brunet boy started down the stairs tentatively. Valka stayed near the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Hiccup to fully descend the steps.
Reaching the bottom the teen just started quizzically at his mother, who was just beaming down at her son. Holding her arms out, Valka merely waited until her son hesitantly raised his own, before depositing the box into his awaiting hands.
It wasn't like Valka could say happy birthday, seeing as that had been a couple of weeks ago, so instead she said that it was a celebratory gift since his timer had started counting down. She prompted Hiccup to open it.
The boy didn't quite know how to respond to the proffered gift, outside of his birthday and Christmas he didn't receive such presents. Tentatively he reached his hand up to move the flap out of the way while his other arm supported the weight. Gripping the wing of the box he moved it so he could finally see what was inside. To his surprise, laying within was a black gecko, who was curled up in the corner staring up at Hiccup with big emerald-green eyes.
He was slightly taken aback by the little creature he was now presented with. Finding it too good to be true, the stunned boy glanced up at his mother who was grinning like a maniac at her son's surprise. She let Hiccup soak up the situation for a couple of seconds before mentioning that his tank and other supplies were in the trunk if he wanted to go and bring them in. After gently placing down the box that held another living life form, the teen hastily took the keys from his mother's out-stretched hand and hurried to the car to grab his new friend's home.
Stoick had arrived home shortly after the gecko-related items had been brought inside. The man could see the excitement on his son's face, he had been asking for a reptilian pet for a while. He and Valka had talked about getting the boy one, but hadn't come to a final decision by the time his birthday came around. Stoick didn't really have a problem that Valka had went out and bought him one, he felt that they were leaning towards a definitive yes on the situation anyways, it was only a matter of time. There also wasn't too high of an expectation for taking care of the animal, not as much as a dog anyway.
After seeing how happy his son was, he allowed him to set up the reptile's tank before he came down to eat, since Hiccup didn't want to leave the gecko inside a cardboard box longer than necessary. It took almost a half-hour to organize the glass box and the other items inside it to his liking before he felt that it was ready for his new friend.
Hiccup had previously brought up the box that the small animal lay in, it was currently sitting on his dresser next to his new home. Peering inside the still-open box, he could see that the gecko was still staring up at him. Slowly reaching his left-hand towards the green-eyed creature -so as not to startle him- the brunet noticed the slight flinch that the reptile displayed, a wary glint in his eye. Hiccup stopped his hand in mid-air to wait for the reptile to relax a bit before trying to pick him up. Once the gecko seemed to become accustomed to the proximity, he appeared to move away from the corner, if only slightly. The teen began the descent again, this time actually managing to touch the scales that covered its body, a small smile coming to his face.
He placed his hand palm up in front of the gecko, letting it choose if it wanted to climb on instead of surprising it by picking him up out of nowhere. A couple of seconds passed before a cautious foot stepped on his hand. Deeming that it was okay, the reptile slowly climbed aboard. Bringing up his other hand, Hiccup placed it beside his other one, making a cup-like shape. Carefully bringing the fragile life-form out of the box he made sure not to jostle him too much as he carried him over to the opening of the tank and gently lowering him inside.
Once the gecko had stepped off of his palm he removed his hands from the tank, watching him look around his new home. Hiccup decided to let the reptile explore without his constant gaze, he sure wouldn't want someone a hundred times his size to stare at him mercilessly, so he headed downstairs to eat his dinner.
As expected Stoick and Valka had already finished their own supper, and like every other Friday night they were watching movies that were featured on television. Grabbing his dinner that had been placed in the fridge, Hiccup headed to the living room to join his parents. While waiting for the credits to finish and the next movie on the channel to start, his parents asked him if he had trouble setting up the tank or getting the gecko inside it. The brunet answered the simple questions with simple answers, setting up a small tank isn't too hard and the reptile seemed to like him as far as he could tell.
Hiccup stayed to watch the end of the next movie, after which his mother and father went up to bed, both having to get up for work in the morning. The teen said that he would clean up the trash that was still in the living room, as a sort-of thank you for the gecko he was now in possession of. Cleaning up the minimal trash didn't take too long, the house was usually kept clean in the first place. After turning the television and all the lights downstairs off, he went back upstairs.
First stepping into his room his eyes went straight to the tank that sat on his dresser beside the left side of his bed. Bringing over his chair from his desk on the other side of the room Hiccup dragged it so it sat across from the tank that held the reptilian creature. Reaching his left-hand inside, the boy waited for the black scaled creature to step onto his palms. Lifting him out of the glass box, he sat down on the chair that he had previously brought over.
He raised his hand so they were about eye-level, using his other appendage he lightly pet the reptiles back with a single finger. As the two stared at each other they were both curiously contemplating the creature that was before them. Hiccup soon came to the conclusion that he needed to name the little guy, instead of just calling him a gecko.
He wasn't sure what he wanted to name his scaly friend, sure he could always change it, but that could become really confusing if he changed it more than once. Deciding that whatever name he chose he'd stick with, the teen vocally asked what he wanted to be called. Not expecting a response, the boy was more than mildly surprised when the animal in his palm opened his mouth and looked expectantly at him.
Hiccup was mostly talking to himself when he said it aloud, since he didn't think that the reptile would understand him. Though he still assumed that the gecko didn't know what he had said, it was just a coincidence. Having no other leads towards a name he decided to humor the gecko sitting on his palm, who still had its mouth open-wide.
Turning his gaze to the scaly head, the teen noticed that intent green eyes were still settled on him, never having looked away. Hiccup could see something shine in those eyes, but it was gone too quick to put a label on. Bringing his attention towards the gaping hole situated in the middle of the reptiles face, the brunet noticed the pinkish flesh that made up most of the interior, including the geckos tongue. However, what caught his attention was the lack of teeth that were inside; he was toothless. The word slipped passed his lips without meaning to.
To Hiccup's surprise that's when the petite reptile finally closed its mouth, leaving a small gap between its lips. Which made it look like some sort of awkward, gummy smile. Even though it wasn't the prettiest smile he'd ever seen, it still brought out a slight upward curve to his mouth.
It seemed like the little guy liked that name so Hiccup saw no use in changing it, he finally had a name for his scaly friend, Toothless.
Hiccup's daily routine was drastically different after that day. As soon as he awoke for school he would feed Toothless a couple of crickets that his mother had purchased when she had gotten him. After six or so hours of classes the brunet would arrive home and give his friend another meal. The teen would still work in his sketch book, but not as often as he usually did, instead he'd let Toothless out of is tank and either let him wander around on the floor (keeping an eye on him of course) or cradle him in his palms. Sometimes, Hiccup would draw his reptilian friend, but most of the time he'd just talk to him about his day, even if not much happened.
It was still a bit strange to the teen that he was talking out loud with no one else in the room, if someone were to look in on him it would appear that he was holding a one-sided conversation with the air. Hiccup didn't mind too much though, he was quickly getting used to the non-verbal communication from Toothless. To anyone else the gecko would look like any ordinary reptile, but that was just the thing, Toothless wasn't ordinary. The boy could now see that it was intelligence swimming just beneath the surface in the green depths of his eyes. People could call him idiotic or crazy if they wanted, but that wouldn't change Hiccup's stand on the matter.
After an hour or two, the brunet would carefully place the gecko back into the glass tank before working on his homework for the remainder of time until dinner. Once he was finished his own meal he'd then give Toothless his, who was always hungry.
That was how the next few weeks passed, his schedule revolving around Toothless' wellbeing. However, the upcoming weekend was going to be different. Hiccup's parents were very active people, but with the obligation of work and their hectic schedules there wasn't much time to do too many outdoor activities. To fix that, a couple of times per year they would each take off a day of work (and sometimes Hiccup a day of school) and head out for the day as a family to some hiking trails that were an hour outside of Berk. Which they happened to be going to today. The entire family had packed up their backpacks the night before, which included: a lunch for the trio, a first aid kit, an extra pair of shoes, an extra jacket and a raincoat, in-case it began to rain and a couple of miscellaneous items.
Before leaving their home, Hiccup made sure that he fed Toothless and that he had enough water until they returned. Grabbing his pack the boy headed downstairs, shoved on his hiking boots and walked to the car, dropping his bag in the trunk. As he climbed into the back seat he saw his father close and lock the front door before coming over as well. Once they were all buckled into their seats the family started their short journey to their destination.
The majority of the ride was boring for the teen, though there were some high points. One of which was when the song 'The Dancing and the Dreaming' began to play on the radio. If asked, the couple would admit that it was their song, it played on their first official date. Later it would also be played at their wedding. Which is why when it started up, the two both heartily sang along, occasionally stealing glances at each other. Hiccup just sat back and watched the exchange, even after almost two decades of marriage the two were still very much in love and anyone who was around the duo for an extended amount of time would see that. Seeing the two like that together always brought a soft smile to the boy's face.
It wasn't much longer after they turned down a loam path that they had arrived at the small dirt parking lot that led to the hiking trails just beyond the trees that lined the area. The car was shut off and they all got out, quickly getting their backpacks and slinging them onto their shoulders before locking the doors and striding into the thick brush of trees.
The three idly chatted about trivial matters, most of which Hiccup couldn't really remember because he was lost in thought. Ever since his mother had gotten him Toothless the subject of his timer hadn't really been brought up, he thought it had something to do with how he had reacted towards the device. He didn't find it surprising that the topic was dropped because of his general interest to the thing. Still, the brunet felt a tad guilty, he knew how important the tiny machine meant to his mother and he pretty much just brushed it off. Realizing that Valka most likely had an ulterior motive giving him the reptile, making the teen feel contrite. She felt bad that Hiccup didn't like his timer, therefore she got him a new birthday gift.
Stopping his guilt-ridden thoughts was Stoick's deep voice saying that he had forgotten the satellite phone back in the car. The bulky thing was usually left in the vehicle in case of an emergency, if they had driven off the road and were injured with no cell-service then the satellite phone would come in handy. Already being fifteen minutes into their hike the burly man made the decision to go back and grab it, telling the other two that he'd catch up with them soon before heading back the way they had come. As they watched the man quickly walk away there was a very subtle rustling in the trees, easily missed.
The two continued walking, albeit slightly slower. There were no complaints that Stoick had headed back to the car, two years prior on another hiking trip the clouds had chosen to cry and ruin their excursion for the day. The rain had come down harder than any of them had expected, especially since the forecast for the day said it would be sunny in the morning before transitioning into showers late into the evening. Long after they planned to arrive home.
The rain was coming down hard, to the point where it was hard to see more than a few feet ahead at any given time. Since it was so dense and pelting anything it could reach, the ground soon became mucky and slippery. Having already been walking for a good portion of an hour before the waves washed over them they had hurried back to their car before they were swimming in their clothes. In no time the ground was soaked with water, making footing questionable, causing Hiccup's left foot to slip forward slightly, catching on an uprooted rhizome; twisting it while he fell.
The boy couldn't put much pressure on the already swelling ankle, making it difficult to walk. Having forgot the satellite phone inside the car, the family was left to fend for themselves. Luckily, it was only a sprain and not a life-threatening injury so Stoick could carry his son back to their vehicle, but after that the family never left the phone inside the car during their hiking trips.
After his father had left, silence hung between Hiccup and Valka because the previous conversation was being held by the adults. The brunet wanted to bring up the thoughts that had previously been plaguing his mind, but didn't know how to initiate the conversation. Thankfully he didn't have to, Valka brought it up instead. She could tell what he was thinking from the clashing emotions that were flashing across his face like a slide show less than five minutes ago.
The woman knew that Hiccup would have figured it out eventually, he was just focused on Toothless more than anything else to notice sooner. She could see that he looked conflicted over the whole thing, though she assured him that she didn't mind, and was just glad that he had been so happy as of late. It had been a long while since she had seen him so exultant about anything. Valka also mentioned that she was flattered that he had gotten the timer because he knew how much it had meant to her, but he didn't have to do that, if he didn't want a timer then he should have said so. Sure, she would have been a little disappointed, but she'd have risen past it, as long as he was happy.
Hiccup didn't think that she would have been so calm about it, but he didn't regret obtaining the timer and he made sure his mother understood that. He may have been mostly indifferent to the whole timer fiasco, but he was glad he got it, though not for the reason many people who had their own were. Keeping it to himself, he knew how much his mother did for him, and he felt like repaying her, even just a little. Seeing the look on her face when he first got it was worth the slight discomfort that it brought. He swore to never get it removed, no matter how seldom he'd glance at it.
The teen was no longer guilt-ridden over the clock situation, but bringing a halt to the warm-fuzzy feeling the conversation brought him was a quiet rustle that was a long ways up the trail from their position. Thinking that maybe it was a squirrel or another small critter, the duo continued their slow pace, progressively getting closer to the source of the rustle. Before they got too much farther they heard a low grunting noise, startling them to a stop. Waiting for what-ever-it-was to either show itself or scurry away, all they did was listen.
Slowly strutting out of the thick brush up ahead was a bear on all fours, standing at about three and a half feet. Now completely standing on the trail the bear turned toward the two hikers and angrily huffed from its nose. Hiccup quickly took in the form of the giant creature standing less than a dozen meters from them. Its fur coat was a light brown, and the hump that was apparent on its shoulders meant one thing, it was a grizzly.
The now stunned boy thickly swallowed the saliva that had resided in his mouth, trying to moisten his suddenly parched throat. Bringing his attention from the massive creature staring at them was a smaller rustle from the same place the grizzly bear had just come from. A small head popped out of the bush, tentatively trying to get close to the larger version on the trail. The cub was stopped in its tracks by the low growl that emitted from the adults jaw, swiftly turning back into the safety of the trees, a low whine trailed behind it.
It was a mother grizzly bear, with cubs. This was bad.
The mother bear growled, bringing Hiccup's attention away from her cubs and back on her instead. Neither person had moved from their spot, full awareness on the threat ahead of them. When Hiccup's eyes were again on the mother bear, they immediately connected with the dark brown -almost black- eyes that were almost physically hurting the teen with just its stare. All bear safety that had ever entered his brain fled, replaced with nothing but fear.
A loud roar tore from the bear's mouth, causing the brunet's ears to have a dull ring. Even in his stiff state, he saw the bear's paws brace themselves against the loose dirt beneath its feet, he knew what was going to happen, but he couldn't will his body to move, then the bear charged.
He heard every time the bears paws slammed the ground, breaking passed the ringing in his head and echoing through his cranium. His eyes widened, his breathing picked up and he swore that his heart would tear from his chest any second. The bear closed the gap in a blink of an eye, about to bowl over the lanky teen.
He was going to brace for impact just before he was shoved into the tree-line, earning him scratches on his arms and one on the right side of his chin. Groggy from the fall, Hiccup looked to where he was just standing, gasping at seeing his mother lying on the ground, trying to fend off the bear above her. Making to stand up and try and help, he was cut short by his mother's eyes on him, telling him to go and get his father. After seeing the determination and stubbornness reflected in her eyes, he didn't argue. It wouldn't get them anywhere and frankly, they didn't have time to waste.
He ran as fast as his twig legs could carry him.
His only goal was getting to Stoick, he blocked out his surroundings, just seeing a green blur as he sprinted past. He tossed off his backpack, hoping it would lighten the load so he could run faster. With the adrenaline pumping through his body his senses were heightened, he could feel how sweaty his fist-clenched palms were. He heard every rock shift beneath his feet, he could sense the blood pump through his veins. It felt like his heart was right behind his eyes, his heartbeat radiating from the focal point, feeling the waves ripple and disperse throughout his body.
After a couple of minutes of his frantic running he could feel his lungs strain for a much needed rest, but gave it no heed. His chest may be constricting and he may be out-of-breath, but he wasn't going to willingly stop for anything. Not even to fix his vision which was obstructed by tears welling up in his eyes, the water tension breaking before spilling over onto his face. The wind burned his now soaked eyes, making them difficult to keep open. The frightened boy tried to quickly wipe it away with the palm of his hand.
Unfortunately, he was no longer watching where he was stepping, causing him to lose his footing on a dip in the trail. He fell forward, trying to stick out his arms to absorb most of the fall, springing up shallow cuts on his palms and all along the underside of his forearm, embedded with dirt and rock. Accompanying the fall was a small cracking sound, Hiccup paid no mind to it.
Knowing he couldn't stop and rest yet, he quickly got back to his feet within a second of tripping. Continuing on the long trek, the teen made a conscious declaration to watch where he stepped, he didn't want to fall and waste more time. The scrapes that now adorned his arms started to blossom with blood, trickling toward his wrists and dripping onto the ground. Hiccup could feel the throbbing from the lacerated skin, but without the pain. Adrenaline pushing it back so he could focus on the more important tasks at hand.
The boy wasn't running for much longer when he came across his father, who was on his way back from the car. Upon seeing his sons face, and eventually his bleeding arms the man was severely concerned. When Hiccup skidded to a halt in front of Stoick, his father put his big hands onto both of his shoulders, asking what had happened. The brunet was still out-of-breath, but had eventually managed to wheeze out '...mom' through his gasping.
Stoick immediately let go of his son's shoulders and dashed towards the area Hiccup just came from, over his shoulder he yelled for him to wait by the car. The teen didn't argue, his lungs were burning and he could barely process the recent turn of events. He shuffled the short distance towards their parked car, his legs giving out beneath him once he got beside it. He just leaned against the metal and waited. Once the adrenaline wore off, his whole body ached from top to bottom.
He was tired, so he closed his eyes for a little while, falling asleep briefly. He didn't know how long he was seated there before he heard sirens, an ambulance coming into view shortly after. He idly watched some of the paramedics run around before going down the trail, it was only after they had left that one of the people to stay behind noticed him against the car. Coming up to him, he paramedic brought him over to the back of the ambulance to clean his wounds and hand him a bottle of water.
Hiccup didn't talk to the man who cleaned him up, even though there were questions and concerns being addressed to him. He remembers the man telling another paramedic that he was in shock. Once the man declared his injuries sufficiently cleaned he headed back to the car and waited in the back seat with the window rolled down.
It wasn't long before the paramedics from earlier came back from the hiking trail carrying what almost looked like a gurney but without the wheels, his father close behind with all of their bags. His eyes never left the black body bag that laid on top of the gurney-looking-thing. Stoick's eyes were red and puffy, up close you could see where the tears walked across his face, already dried on.
Hiccup overheard them talking to the others who had stayed behind, saying it was due to the blood lost before arriving. The paramedics then loaded the black bag into the back of the ambulance before driving off. His father stared at where the vehicle once was for an undetermined amount of time before getting into the car and tossing the bags into the unoccupied passenger seat. The ride home was a silent one.
Stoick dropped Hiccup off at the house before taking off again with the mumbled reply of doing paperwork. The boy numbly headed upstairs to his room, glancing at the gecko from the doorway he saw the reptiles head automatically turn toward him upon opening the door; a spark in those green eyes, happy that the boy was home. However, the shine soon dissipated, feeling the melancholic atmosphere hanging around the brunet.
The teen scuffled towards the tank, taking Toothless out, who looked at him with questioning eyes. Hiccup went to go and lay on his bed, turning onto his side he placed his scaly friend onto the pillow beside his head. It was then that the entire situation hit him full force, Toothless' face began to distort through the salt water that accumulated around his eyes.
The reptile had looked worried for his caretaker, unexpectedly the gecko licked the boy's face, trying to comfort him; it made Hiccup cry harder. His mother was dead.
Jack's day had started out as usual, waking up late and scrambling around to get dressed. Pulling his pants on while heading towards the kitchen, he quickly put a piece of bread into the toaster. Shoving a shirt on and putting his sneakers hastily on his feet. He grabbed the recently popped toast, slightly singeing his fingers before picking up his bag sitting at the front and heading out the door. Stuffing his face with the still warm toast the teen jogged all the way to school a couple of blocks away.
The boy barely set foot through the double doors when the warning bell rang, he had two minutes to stop at his locker and drop off his bag and also pick up his textbook for his first class. His locker was on the other side of the school. Determined to make it to class on time he dodged and weaved through the throngs of students also hurrying to class. Action music playing in his head all the while.
Despite almost colliding with a handful of other kids and almost causing a teacher to drop their stack of papers, he made it to his locker in record time. After getting the combination correct after the second try, he speedily grabs the needed material and slammed his locker shut; glad that his first class wasn't too far. The hallways were now almost completely empty, picking up the pace Jack barely made it to class on time without a second to spare; a smile springing to his face. Walking to his desk near the back he sat down, the teacher immediately began the mind-numbing class, he almost fell asleep.
His next two class went by in the same manner as the first, barely able to keep his eyes open, though he had managed to stay awake. He hadn't really followed along with the lesson, more occupied with keeping his eyelids from closing.
It was now his final class before lunch, his energy had steadily decreased since the beginning of the day. He was hunched over his desk, both of his arms were stretched out in front of him with his hands hanging over the edge, the right one loosely holding a pencil, a pale chin rested on blank notebook paper; unable to produce the ardor to keep his head up.
Jack's desk was situated near the front of the classroom, having been moved there for talking earlier in the year. He was mostly just blankly looking at the teacher, feigning that he was listening to the lesson. He was a man in his late forties with a mustache and a balding head, the teen didn't really like this teacher and he seemed to give Jack a harder time than anyone else.
The boy was mostly just day-dreaming, though it wasn't surprising as to what it was about, it was a common occurrence since he got his timer; he was thinking about his soul mate. His day-dream was interrupted however, by a shock of surprise, his breath catching in his throat and the feeling of his heart getting constricted. He strongly gripped the front edge of his desk, quickly jolting his head up he looked around with a quizzical face. Just as soon as it came, the feeling was suddenly gone, though his heart still beat a little faster than normal.
Confused as to what that was he tried to put a name to the feeling. He wasn't doing anything strenuous so he shouldn't be short of breath and his heart shouldn't be beating faster than normal, why would he even be surprised, he hadn't even been doing anything to bring it on. Jack didn't understand, why had he felt fear that had come and gone in less than a second. What was there to even be afraid of?
Corresponding with his sudden movement was the teacher looking over at him, the sudden scrape of a chair against the floor getting his attention. The teen didn't notice that he had acquired the teacher's harsh gaze because he had all the other students' eyes on him, halting the lesson by distracting those students. They looked at him with bewilderment for the cause of his actions. The man walked over to his desk, asking if something was wrong in a condescending tone.
Jack had begun to open his mouth to reply when a sudden stinging sensation erupted on his right wrist, exactly where his timer was. Instinctively bringing his arm closer to his body he wrapped his other hand just beneath the clock that lay in his wrist. The muscles in his arm tensed, trying to stave off the burn and the throbbing that radiated from his timer. He was getting worried, he didn't know why his wrist started hurting so suddenly, it didn't look like anything was wrong and he didn't damage it on anything. What was going on?
The teen kept staring at his clock, completely ignoring his teacher and all the students' eyes on him. It started off slowly, the numbers in the seconds column froze on forty-two for longer than it should have before turning to forty-eight, and sixteen right afterwards, completely missing the numbers in between. Jack was absolutely incredulous. Eventually the other numbers on the timer followed.
The numbers began to speed up in their unpredictability, until all of the digits were consumed by the strange phenomenon, passing by so quickly that it never stopped on one number for more than a millisecond; becoming unreadable. It looked like they were in spasm, unable to stop for anything.
Everyone close enough to see the rapidly changing numbers all had shocked expressions, but no one was more surprised or fearful then Jack.
He had never heard of such a thing happening to someone's timer before, people broke them occasionally but the teen hadn't even hit it, he'd made sure to take care of it so why was it freaking out? Was it the pain that caused the change, or was it the source for the ache that ceased to flee.
The lunch bell rung, gathering everyone's attention, except Jack's. The boy didn't stay for the rest of the day, instead he got permission to head home early. Looking at the constant barrage of numbers the whole way back. His pace was slow and calm, the opposite of his raging thoughts.
When he arrived home he was alone, for North was still at work. He dragged his feet towards his room, flopping onto his back once he reached his bed, neglecting to remove his shoes. With his arm hovering above his head he continued to stare at the numbers.
What happened to his soul mate?