[https://i.postimg.cc/cCxYHKmN/The-Girl-who-could-taste-time.gif]

After the lecture, in the boy's restroom, Eske looked at himself. He had a tired face, and the black circles under his yellow-golden eyes started to show. In the last years, his shaved head was replaced by long strands of black locks. From his count, he should be by now 32, but he didn't look like it. He looked as if time had forgotten about him.

Eske hated his reflection in the mirror. He didn't know who he was or who he could trust. He constantly felt like a rat about to be caught by a cheese trap. Still trying to figure out why.

The last time he remembered seeing himself in a mirror, he was twelve, and his mother was trying to turn him into someone else. Into them. That is the major reason he doesn't allow people to touch his hair, much less cut it. What the fuck was he doing? Why did he decide to follow an academic life? He could just go rampage and have fun, as Robert told him. What was he trying to prove? Why? Because that's what he always does, he overthinks. He listens too much. He tried to understand a universe that doesn't speak his language, and why? What's the point? Why him?

Why?!

He didn't feel the pain of the skin cut on his knuckles, nor hear the pieces of mirror falling on the ground and over the sink. He just punched his own reflection with no logical explanation. Eske had a temper that he didn't know how to control.

'Are you all right, Sir?'

He turned his head and saw a fuzzy silhouette next to him. He couldn't see her straight, but her numbers sang to him as an orchestra made of colours and warmth, something as home. She was at his feet, picking up the shattered pieces, until the song was interrupted by a small shout of startled pain. 'Autsh.'

He crouched down and gathered the broken glass fragments as well when he noticed she had cut her finger. It wasn't deep, but blood trickled from her fingertip. His hands were shaking. With trembling arms, he took her hand and pressed his lips against her fingertip sucking the drops of blood.

When the bleeding stopped, Eske noticed she was looking at him with her face now vivid red.

The blurry image started slowly to focus. She was beautiful. She had a triangle-shaped face with black eyes void of any spark. They looked tired, with black circles underneath them. Just like him. Far she looked like any other girl, but her numbers were majestic, as she could hold all the secrets of all universes created at that precise moment. Number nine.

'Sir, you need to let go of my hand.'; she said almost in a whisper.

'What?'

'My hand.'

Eske looked at their hands. He didn't realise he had tangled his fingers around hers. 'Oh, yeah, hum, sorry.'

She stared at him. A faint smile appeared on his lips. The young woman smiled back, and he felt a tingle running through his veins. 'Can I kiss you?'

Her cheeks flushed crimson. Her voice sounded so sweet and soft when she asked: 'What?'

'What!'

'What did you ask?'

Eske had a brain freeze. What did he just say? 'I meant..., if..., what is your name?'

'You are so strange.'; she flinched her hands and took the broom to gather the scattered mirror.

[https://i.postimg.cc/G2nj65wP/1.png]

[https://i.postimg.cc/Hx0tm9dq/2.png]

'You are not going to tell me?'

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With a sigh, Eske stood up and walked away from the shattered mirror, too embarrassed. Little by little, he realised what a fool he had made of himself. When he reached the door, he heard her mutter: 'Nona.'

His heart skipped a beat for some reason, and he smiled widely and replied: 'It's my favourite number.'

'Eske?'

Eske played with a couple of peas on his plate, daydreaming, holding his head on the other.

'Eske! Are you listening to me, buddy?'; asked Robert on the other side of the table: 'Is anything wrong with the food?'

'No..., no, everything is fine. Sorry, I don't feel like talking much today.'

Robert frowned. 'Well, that's very unusual. You usually talk for the both of us.'; he jested, sipping his wine.

"Yes, well...', Eske muttered without answering.

'Don't be such a bore. What is going on? Did something happen at the campus?'

Eske shook his head: 'I just met someone.'

'A girl?'

Eske nodded.

Robert raised an eyebrow. 'Well, well, well, tell me more! How do you know this girl?'

'She is a cleaning lady at the university.'

'So? Where did you meet her?'

Eske shrugged his shoulders. 'In the men's bathroom.'

'What?! How?'

Eske looked up. 'How am I supposed to explain? I was in the restroom, and she came in to clean, that's all.'

'But...'; Robert stammered. 'That's really uncommon.'

'Yeah.'; Eske agreed and continued: 'and we talked.'

Robert squinted his eyes. 'Really?

'I asked if I could kiss her.'; muttered Eske, realising how stupid he sounded: 'I need more wine.'

Robert opened his mouth, closed it again and sighed. 'Okay, so, what happened after?'

'Nothing special, nothing.'

'Then what?'

Eske sat upright and gave him a look like he'd made the biggest blunder of his life: 'Nothing. I asked her name, and she said Nona. And that's it. She also called me weird.'

'Huh, okay, I can comprehend her response. Makes sense. You are a bit..., how should I put it in words? Peculiar.'

Eske fell silent and stared out of the window. He thought about the encounter. There was something there, even though he couldn't pinpoint its exact nature. Something familiar. 'How do you kiss a girl?'; he asked.

Robert snorted. 'You need to ask her on a date first.'

'Do you think she would agree?'

Robert grinned: 'Who knows?'

Eske smiled wryly and leaned back. 'So how does it works?'

'For a start, dating is a group affair, and if you want to get to know a member of the opposite sex, you get together with a group of your friends and a group of her friends.'; explained Robert.

Eske laughed cynically: 'I'm not sure I can manage that. I don't have friends. I only know you!'

Robert chuckled and continued explaining: 'A boy should open the door for his date. He is also expected to pay for movie tickets, dinner or any sort of refreshments. And that's pretty much it.'

'So, if I get you a date, would you come with me?'

'Why? Do you know any redhead?'

Eske woke up before the alarm clock could ring. He jumped into the shower, dressed in his favourite black suit and grey vest. He even added a tie. Black should be fine. Did she like black? With her grey and red uniform, he couldn't tell much or imagine what her preferences would be. Maybe she liked vivid colours. However, her nails weren't painted, and she wore no makeup. But she was working. Did girls wear makeup when they work? He never noticed it. He quickly prepared himself a mug of coffee and tried to be as discrete as possible to not wake up Robert.

Eske smiled at the thought that he had no idea how good-looking she would look with makeup. It made him feel more excited about asking her on a date.

Eske left the flat exactly at 03:45 am and arrived at the main gate at 03:55 am. The sun hadn't risen yet. It would be impossible that he would miss her arrival at the campus. He stood there in the middle of the university courtyard, waiting for her.

While the sun started to show, she suddenly appeared in his sight., He could see her strolling calmly. She wasn't wearing anything special, just her uniform and a tick beige coat. Her eyes were wide open and staring straight ahead with shock.

He gave a big smile. But Nona didn't move. She was like paralyse on the spot. He came closer and greeted her with his widest smile, but nothing. It was almost as if he was invisible to her.

Her numbers were flashing around her and whispering, shouting, screaming, as a mob gathered around her to turn into an abrupt silence. And that is when he saw it, for the very first time, black particles exhaling out between her lips.

[https://i.postimg.cc/6q9LFb4w/The-Girl-who-could-taste-time-2.gif]