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

It took hours for Eske to stop throwing up. His heart was pounding in his throat, and his eyes burned from crying and forcing the purging. He kept ramming his fingers as deep as he could into his throat, but nothing else would come out after a while.

And who was he kidding? At this point, she was mixed into his bloodstream. 'What a fucking asshole! What. A. Fucking. Asshole!'

He still saw her on the other side of the bathroom, with too much makeup and an outfit that didn't hide much. 'So, that is what the soup cans were for? They would feed off you?'

The image of Nona didn't move, but it almost looked as if she nodded.

'And that is why nobody talked to you? What a fucking mess.'; Eske rubbed his face: 'I don't believe I did this for over a decade. What the fuck? I'm no better than a frog. What the fuck!'; he hit his head against the wall: 'I always thought it was like time matter or something like memories. I never thought it would actually be you, part of you, your own flesh. So what, they were sick, and they used you? Like Alice used you? Am I getting this right? Because whenever I think I'm close to understanding all this mess, there is like a whole new plot. Oh, fuck! Thank god you're not here. I feel so fucking ashamed! I should be smarter than this! How the fuck didn't I see it? Nona?'

The apparition didn't move and just nodded from time to time. She looked tired and sad too. Her hair grey, her face tired and stern despite the makeup.

Eske felt tears coming again, and he put his hand between his legs. 'Oh my god..., they have a tank. A fucking full tank.'; the realisation made Eske stand up, turn the shower on and pace fast to his room, throwing a suit over the bed and grabbing his colt 45 that was hidden inside a shoe box. 'Don't look at me like that. I got it after you left. Now it is sorta handy.'; he peeked over his shoulder, a Nona looking down the closet as if scared that someone would find out. 'Did you hide something?'

Eske started to remove one shoe box after one shoe box. He opened the lid to all of them until there was a yellow box that looked more used than the others, hidden in the very back of the closet. He opened the lid carefully and found a notebook with a list of names, addresses to restaurants, churches, lists of flowers name, colours, and drawings he wasn't sure what they were about. There were dozen of bridal magazines with little post-it bookmarking each section.

'Why were you collecting this thing if you said no?'; Eske continued to explore the hidden content and finally found a little velvet box. He carefully opened it and found two golden rings.

He took the largest and put it on his finger fitting it perfectly: 'Why Nona? You said no.'

When he removed the ring, he could read Love of my life AM.

'Am?' On the other one, it was correct, it said Love of my life FM.

He put the ring back inside the yellow box and placed everything back into the shoe box as it was. He felt hassled and confused by the whole finding. She waited. She was waiting for the right time to say yes, and he had fucked it up. In every aspect possible.

He went for the last time to Alice's lab. At an edgy pace, he walked onto the last floor with his gun clutched around his fingers. Nobody noticed him. Everyone was used to seeing him through this corridor.

But the door to the laboratory was locked, and only an authorised fingerprint would open it. Eske was ready, he pointed the gun, and when he was about to pull the trigger, a voice behind him said: 'Maybe we can try my card, boss?'

He turned and saw Vihann behind him with a mischievous smile showing off a card displaying the acronym W.T.L.

'You are such a badass, man.'; he walked past, still grinning and entered the lab: 'Are you coming?'; asked Vihann.

'Yes,' Eske replied, stammering and following him. 'How did you... why are you opening the door when I'm holding a gun? Aren't you supposed to call the cops or something?'

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

'I don't work for the lab. So, I don't give a fuck.'; Vihann answered, obviously amused.

'I have seen you here, working since day one,'; he circled the room with his index finger.

'Let's say my work lead me to work here as an outsource. But my Bosses are somewhen else.'; Vihann smirked while going through a desk as if looking for something.

'I don't understand. So who do you work for?'

'Well, my paycheck says WTL Pi. Bet it doesn't ring you a bell, Boss.'

'Should it?'; asked Eske raising an eyebrow.

'Not really, not yet. Ah! Found it, here.'; Vihann gave him a large folder containing the DNA results of hundreds of people. He recognised his name. Even Robert's and Penny's names were on the list. Marie Sue, who used to work with Nona. Horatio, Chloe, and others he had never heard of.

'What is this?'; asked Eske, completely confused.

'You tell me, Boss.'

'I don't understand. I'm really lost. Why are you giving me all this?'; Eske looked around the room, and his eyes landed on the tank. 'I just came too...'

'To free the remains of the vortex, I know. I was expecting you to come any time soon.'

'When are you from?'

'I was wondering when you would ask. I was born in 2201, in Europa. Not Europe, but Europa.'; he clarified, pointing to the ceiling. 'I was on Io when that timeline was deleted. Rumours of a kid who could taste time getting rid of a... well, that is complicated to explain. Let's say the child breaks free and brings hell on earth, in this case, on the moon. That was how I jumped for the first time. And here I am, on a mission.'

'Kid?'; a blank expression narrowed in Eske's eye.

Vihann lost the grin, understanding that it wasn't subject to goofing around: 'The remains of the vortex have a carb-14 of a ten-year-old. She was a kid at the time.'; pointing to the tank: ‘This was collected when she was only ten.’

'But I saw...'

'You saw what your brain allows you to process. I'm sorry for that. I didn't stop you because my orders were not to stop you. I apologise once more.'; Vihann sad bowing his and pressing his lips.

'What kind of sick motherfucker would..., who is he or they?'; Eske asked, exalting his tone.

'I can't say, but soon enough, you'll know, trust me, I understand is really hard to swallow. Okay, this was a bad choice of words, but you will know. You'll understand. This was the best course of action. Just please be patient. You deserve it.'

'I deserve it?'; Eske looked at him as Vihann hit a nerve: 'I deserve it?'

'As I said, it will make sense. In the folder, you have all my possible contacts to recruit me because, yes, you will need me. You also have the DNA results of Day. I mean, Delbert Day Whiterabbit, you didn't ask, but I thought you would need it.'; he handed Eske another piece of paper.

Eske looked at it, which could be read as a to-do list written with what he recognised as his own handwriting. 'Where did you get this?'

Vihan smiled again and showed another sheet of paper: 'My Boss told me to keep an eye on you and to remind you that time conversion is a fact. You see, 10 years here are actually 8 hours where I come from. In a couple of minutes, my shift is done. And I did a double shift. I'm exhausted! And dying to get home, take a quick shower and enjoy the end of the day with a Marguerita.'

'Should I ask...?'

'No, you shouldn't. It will all be okay. You guys have done an incredible job. And I feel so proud to be part of it. It is an honour to work with you, Mr Schrodinger.'

'Whatever, I just came to...'; Eske pointed the gun to the tank.

'May I...'; Vhiann interrupted.

'What?'

'Can I do it?'

'What?'

'I'm always closed on the servers container room and do almost all nightshifts. I never have a cool story to tell like the others.'; Vhiann begged.

'You want to pull the trigger?'

'It would be so cool! You know, I just feel always left out.'

'I don't know why I'm doing this.'; Eske handed over his gun to the engineer, whose eyes lit up.

'You know how to use...'

The double bang and smell of burn powder interrupted Eske. At the same time, he could see the black residues vanishing, leaving no trace behind.

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