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

Her numbers flashed around her, whispering, shouting, and screaming as an ocean of strangers gathered around her to turn into an abrupt silence. That is when Eske saw it, for the very first time, black particles exhaling out between her lips. It was all so sudden, so unexpected. He didn't have enough time to process what was about to happen.

The thought had never even crossed his mind that such a cataclysmic event could occur in front of his eyes. He watched the black dust of particles disappear in the air to become something else, something real. Something atrocious.

Placing Nona and him as witnesses of a ruthless time event. A sizeable wooden stage appeared before them, with a crowd demanding the execution of a woman tied to a pole. With her feet encircled by wood and sticks, her whimpering, pleading and screams dissolved into the famish anger of the mob. The mass meeting of a wild frenzy of excitement watching death live. Demanded by shouts and unison slogans. Their words set her to burn, set her to die.

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Eske recognised the despair of wanting to be heard, to be seen as human, and so much more. He recognised the beasts of hatred lost in the crowd. Nona's watery eyes were wide open: 'It's happening again.'; is all she could mumble.

'I should do something.'; said Eske, but she reached for his hand. Her fingers tightened around his.

She looked at the flames growing, looking through his face: 'Is not really happening.'

'There must be something we can do. This is wrong.'; he said, trying to ignore the smell of burning human flesh floating in the air. It smelled like pork.

'Eske, it never happened, or already happened or will happen.'; she swallowed dryly: 'You are the first one I met that can see it too.'

'Did it happen before?'

'Yes.'

'Is it always like that?'

'Yes.'

'Must you watch it?'

'Is hard not to.'

Eske placed a hand over her eyes, and with his other arm, he hugged her as tight as he could. With his chin resting on Nona's head, he whispered to her: 'I'll let you know when it is over, and I'll keep talking to distract you. Robert says I talk a lot. I hope it serves some purpose.'

He felt her grip tighten. She nodded. 'Why are you doing this? You don't even know me.'

A strange feeling came upon him, a sense of peace and calmness, but also a sensation of being safe, which was new for him. Eske wasn't worried about the crowd rejoicing a woman's consummation by a furnace, swallowing her alive. But he did care about her, Nona. He really did. The girl who couldn't even stand up straight when confronted with others suffering. The girl who cried when faced with others' pain and witnessed the ugliest of humankind. That was why he wanted to help her, why he cared.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

'I do know you. It took me a bit to recognise you. But I do remember you. I do know you.'; Eske kept repeating, hoping his voice was louder than the crowd.

Nona smiled sadly. 'That is not true.'

'1944, I was almost beaten to death and really thought a cat would eat me alive, and you showed up from nowhere. And you saved me. You saved me, Nona.'

'I don't..., you make no sense.'

'And now you're here,' he continued. 'What I say is as real as what is happening right now.'

'No. Not possible.'

'It's all right if you don't believe me.'

'I don't understand.'

Eske held her tighter: 'It's okay. It is not important. It is just a story.'; he would only realise later on how frequently he would repeat these words: 'It is okay. It is just a story.'

She tried to pull away slowly, but Eske wouldn't let her go: 'I don't want you to watch this.'

'But it is nothing. Just a story.'; she whispered, repeating. He felt his hand wet with her tears. As he saw the woman disappear into ashes, the curiosity seekers had already carried away all that was left of the memorable event, even pieces of charcoal. And so did the mob and all the detailed pieces of the macabre scenario, like a storm of black sand gathering the cluster of something that never happened to vanish back between Nona's lips.

Eske removed his hand from her eyes. They stared at each other. Eske could see there was another world behind those black eyes. As if a light was stirred slowly where there used to be none. His hands still clutched hers tightly, holding onto her warmth.

'Do you feel better?'; asked Eske, knowing full well she might not answer the truth. For a moment, there was fear in her eyes. She squeezed his hand harder.

With her free hand, Nona wiped the moisture off her cheeks. 'I think I'm about to throw up.'; she admitted.

Eske laughed but not for long. Nona started to vomit compulsively. It seemed that her body was trying to purge itself of time. Eske held her hair, stroking her back soothingly while she retched, and then she stopped.

When the last spasm passed, Nona leaned against him. Yet, her head fell to the side, and her eyes rolled back. Nona’s body shacked uncontrollably. Eske fell on the ground with her, trying to hold her head still. This is the part that Eske would never tell Nona. He would never tell her about how bad it was once she finished downloading. How each time he would feel she might not come back to him.

This was his first time. Nona was having a seizure, with her body leaning against his. His heart broke, seeing her like this. He wished he knew what to do. All he could do was hold her as tight as he could, shouting in the empty courtyard for help. There was no one besides them.

And him, watching from afar. Selfish and indifferent, Professor Delbert Day Whiterabbit.

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