Amber panted as the intense pain faded. The pen fell from her hand as Cassandra grabbed the paper. Her eyes widened as she recognized whatever image was produced. She turned it to Jenkins and whispered, "It's Jacob."
Jenkins took the paper. It was an image of a man on his knees with a sword at his neck. Jenkins looked at Amber.
"How did you…?"
"He's going to die if you don't do anything right now. "
Jenkins finally understood. He got up and went over to a large globe and tinkered with it. Behind them the door lit up. Without any words, Jenkins went to the doors, opened them and walked through. Once Jenkins disappeared, Amber turned to Cassandra.
"Any chance you got some beer?"
Cassandra nodded and helped Amber up into a padded chair. She curled into it, her legs under her and her head on the large armrest. Her eyes closed, tired. When Cassandra came back with the drink, she found her in the same position but sleeping. She set the drink on the table and looked for a blanket. Once she did, she laid it on top of the woman. While Amber slept, Cassandra piddled around by the table.
-15 mins later-
The door opened and two men stumbled through. Cassandra waved at them to stay quiet. Jenkins looked towards the chair to see Amber sleeping deeply.
"You're telling me this is the woman who predicted my death?"
Jenkins turned at the voice to Jacob Stone. He nodded, "Get yourself cleaned up. I have some books I need to consult."
As Jenkins left towards the stairs, Cassandra frantically waved at Jacob. Jacob gave her a look of confusion. Together they left the room as Cassandra updated him on the events that had transpired. Amber was left alone with Jenkin's cautious eye on her.
Amber wasn't really sleeping as much as she was trapped in her memories. She was back in 1972. 50 years ago. Her mind flittered through the many memories she had buried.
She was in her senior year of college and sitting in an elective class about King Arthur. A new student had shown up a few weeks after term started. She looked up from her textbook when the doors had opened. She expected to see her teacher but instead a black-haired young man had stepped through.
She and the young man, who called himself Gal, sat together working on a research project regarding one of the Knights of the Round Table.
Sounds of giggling flittered through as they sat in a diner having a late-night dinner. The night he called her "My Love".
The arms around her tightly as the bulled passed through him to her. The way time seemed to have frozen as they fell to the ground.
Amber abruptly awoke with a gasp and fell from the chair, legs tangled in the blanket. The thudding noise alerted Jenkins from above. By the time Amber freed herself from the blanket, Jenkins was down the stairs and on the floor. He went up to her and gave a hand. Amber hesitated for a quick second before she took it. He pulled her up to her feet. They stood staring at each other awkwardly, hands still clasped together. When Amber realized that she pulled away.
She shuffled her feet, "Were you able to find him in time?"
"Yes. Jacob is fine," Jenkins replied as he turned away from her to the table in the room.
She followed him and saw her beer. She picked up the water instead and drank it in one gulp. The glass clinked as it was set back down.
"You're a Seer."
The way Jenkins spoke so matter of fact threw her off and she looked up at him. Jenkins stood on the other side of the table across from her with a book in his hand. That image of him threw her back to one of her memories. She drew in a big breath and let it out.
"Yes," she nodded. "A version of it at least."
Jenkins raised an eyebrow.
She elaborated, "I'm a seer in the fact that I do see visions of the future or sometimes glimpses of it. But what's different about it is that it comes with skull splitting pain that lasts for as long as the vision."
Jenkins set the book down. "I've heard of seers and met many. But never one with the way yours is presented."
"I guess I'm the special one then," Amber quipped.
Jenkins hummed in reply. Amber spoke again changing the subject, "So you're the caretaker here?"
"Yes I am, and have been for a long time."
Amber fiddled with the empty glass. "You didn't send that letter did you?"
He looked straight into her eyes, "No."
Amber took a deep breath that felt like it came from her very soul. "I think I need to step out for a moment."
Jenkins watched as the woman turned and left the room. Amber followed her way back to the outside. She opened the door and squinted from the bright sunlight. As soon as the door shut behind her, she burst into tears. She stumbled to the side of the building, putting herself out of sight as much as she could and slid to the ground. The tears overtook her.