Chapter 2: Will's Confession

I was shorter than my parents. I was almost one head shorter than them. My grandmother and mother worried nothing about me, but my father was acting like Simba. He treated me like I was 16. My mother told me that he sent two more guards to tail me when I left home. My father fussed about me. I knew the guards were shit. I found life somewhat boring after I left school at 12. I wanted to be singer and actress, but my father objected. When I reached 25, a thump woke me up. One year started counting down. My father gave me decade to celebrate.

Two years later, I met him. He was looking at his timeclock. I was attracted to his charisma. I never thought that I met Will Salas in the casino. I didn't want him time out. I relaxed when he won. I invited him to my house for a party. My father said, "Allow me to introduce my mother-in-law Clara, my wife Michele and my daughter Sylvia." I wanted to laugh…

I had a little talk with Will while dancing with him. He was one head taller than me. I told him we could live forever if we didn't do anything foolish. He dragged me to swim in the sea. I was afraid at first, but I swam stark naked with him. I would like to run stark naked with him one day. Haha. I loved how the green numbers shone on the water surface. Later, we went back to my house. That timekeeper Raymond Leon and his partners appeared. He destroyed our party. I saw them talking in a room. I was so confused. My father grasped my hand. I shook it away. Suddenly, I could not control myself and walked down the stairs. It was like someone controlling my body. And Will kidnapped me!

Will drove us to Dayton. Raymond followed. The car crashed and fell down the river bank. I woke up and found that I was left with little time! We almost timed out. Like what about the museum event, I was so afraid. Will was too calm! Still, we managed to get some time by pawing my earrings. Will gave me time by putting under and grasping my right hand with his. Then, we went to a telephone kiosk. I closed my eyes when I saw some people timed out. Will deposited one minute and demanded one thousand years as ransom time. I was curious about his father he was talking about. Why didn't my father deliver the ransom to me? Was it because he lost to Will? Err…

Will brought me to his house. There I changed my clothes. I dressed his mother's dress. This was my favorite dress. Tell you, I didn't like wearing high heel shoes; instead I wore my black boots. I asked Will what happened. He said, "A man gave me about 100 years, so I went to New Greenwich. Those timekeepers thought that I stole that man's time. That timekeeper left little time to me." It was strange. I believed 50% only. I asked him, "Oh… Where is your mother?" Will answered, "She timed out." I asked him about his father. Will gave me a sorrowful look, "My father was a great fighter. He was a kind man to people. He fought with other people and shared time with some poorer people. He found this world unfair. He even stole time. One day, timekeepers came and arrested him, my father challenged him. Unfortunately, he timed out." I bit my lip. My father didn't seem like a man like his father.

My father wasn't generous. Although he lent time to people, people needed to return the time with loans. His time given to priests or some organizations was just a slender charity.

The next day, his gun woke me up. We walked on the street of Dayton. Will asked me to call for help. I must phone my father. Will gave me his gun. Wow. He was so hot. I kissed him and walked to the telephone kiosk. I deposited one minute. I sulked, "You couldn't spare a second, father? I wish I could say I'm surprised." No response. "Did you hear what I just said?" My father replied, "You know I would do anything for you. They're coming to get you, they know where you are." When I turned around, I saw Timekeeper Raymond Leon coming up behind Will. I shouted, "Will! Let go!" I shot that timekeeper. He fell down to the ground. Will kicked Raymond's gun away. Out of expectation, Will gave him some time. Oh…

We got in Raymond's cob car. We robbed a woman. Will returned her earrings to me for ones that were pawned. The crew was standing behind the scene. I wanted to rob them too. They didn't have timeclock on their hand but a watch. People in my world wore it too. Finally, we stole that car which that woman and a driver were in.

We watched news in the car. Will was suspected that he murdered Henry Hamilton. I didn't think so, or he would rob me at the beginning. I chose to follow Will.

In the afternoon, Will taught me how to shoot. He was standing behind me. I felt something prodding my back. At night, we drove back to the place around Will's house. We stopped by a convenient shop. I looked outside the window, there was a cob car. I told Will. Will took me by my hand and ran. Those timekeepers chased us. We ran into a shopping center.

It was almost the closing time of the shopping center. We walked past many shops. I never knew shopping centers in Dayton could be that big. However, the shopping centers in New Greenwich were bigger and more beautiful. I liked to eat French fries, buy toys and watch movies there. Timekeepers appeared in the end of the corridor, so we ran on the other corridor. Raymond shouted, "Stop!" Those timekeepers were running toward us. Shit! No other way to escape.