What Time Could Tell

Chapter 1: Misty Musings

What was she doing here? She walked a few steps further and stopped again. She knew the answer. It had been their place, hers and Dale's. Margaret Roosin, known to her friends and foes alike as Maggie, shook her head. She knew better than to come down here.

"Their place….." the thought went through her mind again. She shook off the gloom that followed and started off along the beach again. The sound of the crashing waves helped to alleviate the feeling of sadness that always seemed to follow her whenever she came to this particular stretch of the beach. Off in the distance thunder rumbled and lightning flashed.

"I've stayed out here too long!" she mentally scolded herself. She was a fisherman's daughter, and should be able to read the signs of the weather better. In her pocket her cell phone started to vibrate. She took it out, looked at the number, and flipped open the phone.

"Maggie?" a male voice said. "Where are you? There's a nasty storm brewing out your way!". She recognized the voice of Doctor Peters.

"I know Doc. I'm out on the beach now."

"The beach? Why are you there again Maggie?"

"I'm out getting a little exercise, like you told me too remember? Well if you don't then I do, that particular lecture went on for at least half an hour".

"You know that's not what I mean Maggie." said Doc exasperatedly.

"I know what you mean Doc. I'm heading home right now."

"Good girl. Take two aspirin and call me in the morning" he said cheerfully.

"GOOD-BYE Doc". She ended the call and slipped the phone back into her pocket. The thunder rumbled again and the lightning flashed, the storm was getting closer. She listened for the thunder again and counted the seconds between it and the next lightning flash. She still had time before the storm came upon her. All of a sudden there was a large flash and a earth shaking BOOM. The world around her went temporarily white as her eyes tried to adjust to the brightness.

She blinked several times as the world returned to normal. She could still see the storm clouds several miles out to sea. Where then had the light and noise come from. She didn't know and at that moment she didn't care . Maggie just knew she had to find shelter and quickly. She began to walk quickly down the beach since her running often caused people to wonder if she was having some sort of attack. As she walked along she thought she could hear the sound of something following her. She began to walk faster. Behind her she could hear whatever it was pick up its pace and emit a low growl. A dog? She didn't know of any dogs in this neighborhood and since she was the vet of her small town she would know. She had fought the urge to turn around, but could do so no more. When she heard the growl again she whirled around and saw it.

"IT" was all she could think. In shape and form it looked like a wolf on steroids, except its back was humped like a hyenas. Its eyes held her in its stare. But, instead of being filled with the wariness that most wild creatures had, it's eyes were filled with pure…. Hate. The thought startled her and she took several small steps backwards. The creature gave a snarl and started a weird shuffling run towards her. All of a sudden there was another large flash and BOOM. The thing…it… whatever was almost on top of her now. She turned and began to run away down the beach towards where she had left her car. Her foot caught on a piece of driftwood and she sprawled flat on the ground with a grunt. She whirled around and prepared herself for the attack. The creature was several feet from her and instead of running towards her it seemed to stand still. She saw a thin trickle of blood come out of the corner of it's mouth and then it fell over on its side. She saw the hilt of a dagger sticking out of its neck.

A dagger? Where had that come from? She looked down the beach, there was no one there. There was a splashing sound coming from further down the beach. She got up and went down towards the sound. What she saw surprised her. It was a man, coming up out of the water. He was dressed in medieval costume as of he had stepped out of the pages of a book. He looked at her questioningly. She couldn't help but stare right back at him. He had long golden hair and hard looking green eyes. He had well muscled arms, she could only tell since the chain mail sleeves on his armor were split open to bare the skin beneath them.

"Armor? He's wearing armor? He looks like Norse god out of a story!" Maggie thought. She half expected him to pick up a hammer and calm the storm around him. She wondered what the rest of him looked like but if his arms were any indication, she was sure that any woman would turn her head to stare at him.

They continued staring at each other for several seconds and then he gave a very un-godlike grunt, in Maggie's opinion, and promptly fell unconscious at her feet.

Chapter 2: You're who now?

It took Maggie several seconds to react to what has just happened. Then her instincts took over and she took hold of the man and began to pull him up the beach beyond the tide line. He was heavy! She assumed that it was the armor he was wearing, but she couldn't be sure. He had looked solid enough. Now what? She knew she had to get to some sort of shelter since the storm was upon them and rain was falling in heavy sheets. She wished the man would wake up so she could help him to her car and take him to the nearest hospital. But, the man looked like he was out for the count. Then she remembered and silently thanked the salesman who had talked her into upgrading her Jeep. She could drive the car down the beach!