The hustle and bustle of the modern city rushed past the young shinigami. The London from so many years had vanished, leaving an annoyingly busy and loud predecessor. He only wished the times of horses and carriages could be brought back. Perhaps a world disaster would knock the entire planet back to the simpler times. He could only hope.

Ronald looked to his book, eyes skimming across the writing words.

Her ropes were worn away, allowing the girl to free herself. She struggled to the surface, hazel eyes adjusting to the intense afternoon rays of the sun. She looked around, seeing nothing but a large expanse of land. Even the basement she had called her prison now stood in shambles, threatening to fall with a harsh breeze. Her world had changed so quickly in an instant.

"So she's farther out in the country. Bloody good." Ronald talked to himself with a harsh sarcasm. His date would probably have to be canceled. It wasn't as though he had been involved with the girl from accounting for very long, though. She was a bore anyway.

A moving pair of girls walked past him, brown hair fluttering in the warm breeze. They smiled to him, his eyes offering a flirty allure as well.

Thirtieth of August at 2:12 PM 1977. Overdose. His pupils flitted towards the girl walking in the high heels directly next to her. He flashed a sad smile.

Fourth of February at 12:00 AM. 1982. Suicide after birth of premature child.
There were times when he truly disliked his job. Perhaps one of those was when he looked to the ones still alive, seeing only their death dates rather than their faces. The sad fates awaiting those could never be avoided, he knew, but that fact did not make him any less discouraged.

The pair of beautiful brunettes giggled to one another before striding away. Ronald's smile disappeared as he eyed the high-heeled one. His thoughts still kept to that of her deathly assumption made many years in the future.

"He lives until his early seventies." Ronald breathed out the words, sighing.

But he'll never know his mother.

He turned his back, realizing too much time had been wasted with petty deaths that would be many years yet.

I'll be back for you two later.

Now where the hell could she have gone off to? Ronald reached for Lottie's book once again as he reached the location it had described.

The vast open space of land was bathed in an afternoon sunlight that highlighted each individual piece of wild grass. His green eyes skimmed across the crumbling house for a moment before his fingers reached the latest page of the text. He read the words with indifference.

…each strand was bathed in the warm afternoon sunlight that touched her skin. She looked over, realizing she was no longer alone on the plain. The girl reached out a hand to strange man holding a rather large book.

"Excuse me?" The voice of a young teen interrupted any thoughts held to Ronald's mind. He turned to his back, eyes locking with a gentle hazel.

The gentle breeze of the afternoon wind ran its fingers through thick brown hair, whipping the strands into the air and working out any loose knots. Her small body sat several inches below him, making the girl only able to make eye contact by pointing her soft hazel eyes upwards. She didn't seem afraid to lock eyes with him, but the Ronald found it quite difficult to glance away from the various strips of skin revealed to the air across her dress. It was torn-up heavily, some spots even having fresh blood still staining the cloth. Rope marks were across her pale skin, showing all that she had been in custody of rather rough individuals.

"Sir?" Lottie Sinnet's eyes drifted up and down Ronald, a small smile coming to her lips.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, but I'm very turned around. I'm not exactly sure where I am. Are you, by chance, in acquaintance with Liam?" Her sweet voice seemed so confused that Ronald's sympathy overwhelmed him.

"No, I don't know any Liams. Ah, yes, we're in London. The outskirts, anyway." His eyes looked back to the beauty of a girl standing in front of him. She glanced around, eyes blinking several times.

"Really? The whole world looks so changed, and in only a blink of the eye." She looked down to her rope-burned wrists.

"I got myself into a little situation a few days ago, and I found myself in ropes. But the ropes that were around my wrists fell off, almost as if they had disintegrated. I don't understand what's going on. I need to find Liam." Her bare feet went to leave, yet a quick arm wrapped around her elbow. She shot eyes back to Ronald.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" She struggled against his grip, yet he would not retract it.

"I don't think you're going to be able to find this Liam person." Ronald's plain-stated answer sent frenzy to the hazel just in front of him. Lottie's struggle stopped, as well as her mouth. A free hand covered her mouth as though she might hurl.

"What? And why not?"

Ronald let out a rather annoyed sigh for having to explain such a simple concept. Her ignorance may not have been her fault, but it didn't make it any less annoying for him. So he decided to state it as plainly as he could, with no emotion like he was always taught.

"He's dead. Everyone you know is gone."

Weren't these words supposed to make him feel something? Why was it that they just made him more empty inside?

"What..?"

She put so much trust in a stranger's answer, but Ronald knew his statement was true. Anyone born in the girl's time was long dead, and she was meant to be.

"You're looking at the countryside of London, one hundred years in the future, Lottie Margaret Sinnet."