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Harker's Story


by tanikagillam

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In the end, it had taken Harker nearly half an hour to convince his sister that he really was from the future and that he knew the fate of the cruise ship she had been intending to board. At first, she had argued with him as only a sister could until he had proven his story with a few future Lenny Conundrum answers. She had finally agreed to forgo the cruise – and her deposit – and they sat together on the edge of the pier with their feet dangling over the edge, watching the sky.

     They watched as the bright blue darkened into an angry grey, blowing thick dark clouds across the sky. Soon it began raining, and they sat holding each other’s hands as the rain began to pour down on them from above. Before they knew it the hour was up, and after being surrounded by the inky blackness once more the two of them landed unceremoniously in a heap on the carpeted floor of Harker’s mansion library.

     “Aren?” He called out, to no answer. He helped Jiselle to her feet and out of her wet coat. “Aren should be here.”

     “Your housekeeper.” Harker had filled his sister in with all the details of his life in the future, including the Lutari’s part in the story. “Perhaps he went somewhere while he was waiting for us to get back.”

     “No. He had to bring us back – this time he sent me back in the past and kept the time travel machine. He had to be the one who brought us back – he should be here.” Harker was worried. The universe had seemed to compensate around the fact that they had stopped Jorge from getting his hands on the book – but maybe Aren had been right. Maybe saving Jiselle was too much for the world to change around.

     “Aren!”

     “Harker – look.” Jiselle was pointing at the time travel device, sitting on the couch where Aren had been. “He’s not here. Maybe in this version of reality, he never was.”

     “No, no, no. This can’t be!” The Krawk grabbed the device and turned it over. It was smoking slightly and felt hot to the touch. He dropped it back on the couch and turned to his sister. “What are we going to do?”

     Outside, a loud clap of thunder boomed and a sizzling bolt of lightning struck somewhere close by. Jiselle let out a startled scream and Harker grabbed her hand. Overhead, the lights flickered ominously.

     “Go downstairs and get some candles,” he told her. “Bottom drawer in the kitchen. It looks like we brought the storm back with us.”

     “Harker . . .” Jiselle was staring behind him, out of the stained glass window. Outside, the sky was black and red, bleeding fire from both a sun and a moon. Lightning crackled across the sky and the rain melted the houses below like acid. “Harker, what’s happening?”

     Harker glanced behind him at the large grandfather clock in the corner of the room. It had been ten o’clock in the evening when Harker had journeyed back in time to the dock, and the clock still read the time as ten. Despite having been back in the past for over an hour, it would appear that time had not moved in the future.

     “It should be eleven,” Harker said aloud, staring at the clock. “It should be eleven, and Aren should be here.” He let go of his sister’s hands and ran to the window to look outside. Another clap of thunder cracked overhead, and the rain continued to cover the town, hissing down on buildings and houses and melting the bricks where it landed.

     “Harker, we have to go back! We have to go back to the dock and I have to get on that boat. Look at what it’s caused.”

     From somewhere distant came a scream, and Harker closed his eyes.

     “I won’t do it. I won’t let you go back. I’ll let this entire town burn if I have to.”

     Another bolt of lightning struck outside, and there was a loud crack as a tree toppled over, severed in half by the bolt.

     “Aren might be out there somewhere. Your only friend. You can’t let this happen to him.”

     “I don’t need friends. I have you.” Harker glanced at her over his shoulders. She was beautiful, with her turquoise colouring and faerie grace. He was gold but she was diamond, gleaming against the darkness of the night. “You don’t know how hard it’s been, Jiselle. I’ve lived without you for so many years.”

     “Then you can do without me for a few more.” She said decidedly, joining him at the window. She looked out at the view of the town, shrouded in darkness and fire. Everywhere the rain touched was burning and lightning ricocheted down from the angry sky. “This is your town. Save it.”

     “No.” Harker reached out and pulled her into his arms, wrapping them around her slim figure. He crushed her into him almost as if he could merge the two into one. He buried her face into her shoulder as he held her, and stifled a sob. He had to be strong.

     “You told me about your life here,” she continued. “When we were sitting on the dock. You told me about Aren and Emmanuel, about playing Godori every week and writing for the Neopian Times. Harker, you have a life here. You have friends and people that care about you. Even Henry, your annoying neighbour. Are you really going to let this happen to them?”

     Harker didn’t care about Henry. He didn’t really care about Miss Petunia, his Godori playing partner. He also didn’t care about the Neovian Times – but Jiselle was right. He did care about this town – and he did care about Aren.

     “I can’t let you go back to your doom. Maybe we can work something out – I just need some time, Jiselle.”

     “There is no time – look outside! The sky is burning, Harker. Soon the entire town will be destroyed. And who knows what will happen after that – maybe the whole of Neopia will suffer for what we’ve done.”

     Harker glanced in alarm over at the couch where the time travel device had begun emitting a high pitched wail. He crossed over the room to pick it up, and it was so hot to the touch he had to wrap it in the knitted blanket thrown over the back of the chair.

     “Look at this number on the screen here – Jiselle, we only have one trip left. If we go back to the dock we will be stuck there – there won’t be enough juice in this thing to get back to the future.”

     “Then come with me. We can board the boat together, and set this whole thing right.”

     “We’ll die!”

     “But at least we’ll be together, and Neovia will be safe. It’s the right thing to do, Harker.” Outside, a crack of lightning struck one of the houses across the road and there was an explosion of brick and wood. A stray piece came flying through the library window, showering Jiselle in a spray of broken glass.

     “We have to go now!” She shouted to be heard over the rumble of thunder and rain. “Harker, program that thing. We have to get out of here before it’s too late!”

     “But what about Aren? If I get stuck in the past I’ll never have met him. He’s the only friend I’ve got.”

     Another explosion outside made Jiselle duck in anticipation. Harker wrapped the time travel device in the throw blanket and made his way back to the window, picking his way carefully through the broken glass on the floor.

     He looked out of the glassless window at the town below. It was a smouldering pile of rubble and ash, melted and burnt beyond recognition. With a heavy heart, he extended his hand down to his sister. She grasped it tightly, and he flicked the switch on the time travel machine for the final time.

     *

     They arrived at precisely the time Harker had arrived in the past the first time – and were surprised to encounter the two previous versions of themselves for a brief moment before they vanished, and Harker and Jiselle were alone on the dock once more. At the end of the pier, the cruise ship sat anchored, the crew and passengers already on board and ready to set sail.

     Above, the sky was bright and clear.

     “Are we really going to do this?” Harker asked her, looking out at the still blue water. Jiselle nodded and wound her hand through his once more. With a heaviness in their step, they reached the end of the dock and climbed aboard the cruise ship.

     “Tickets, please.” The attendant stopped them on their way in. “Thank you, Miss Jiselle. Your cabin has been prepared. Mister Harker – yes, I’m sure we will be able to accommodate an extra person. We’ll set up a spare bed in your cabin, Miss Jiselle.”

     There went Harker’s hopes of being unable to join the cruise at the last minute. With a sigh, he followed his twin sister down the corridor towards her room.

To be continued…

 
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