Chapter Fourteen: Gwen

Broad Street approaches...I set my mind to that year. The year...2029.

A few seconds later...

I am in a different subway now. I get off the subway. What place am I in? I look at my arms and check my legs, the bruises are gone. What a relief. It is night, where I am now. However, the streets are full of lights. This reminds me of the city that never sleeps, Seoul, South Korea. Am I in South Korea? I look around me, there are electronics everywhere on the buildings, on the street signs, and even on the sidewalks. People looking at nothing, swiping their fingers in the air as if they are on a phone. I walk up to one person and swipe my hand in front of them and they do not even flinch. Where am I? I walk by a group to hear what language they are speaking. It's Korean. I am in South Korea. I'm not supposed to be seen. I notice a lack of color and I am over here wearing this pink dress. I don't fit in this crowd. I head inside a local clothing store down the street and enter. The old woman says 'Welcome.' I say 'Hello' in return. I look around and notice black jeans and a black shirt. I grab them and pay.

"Do you, by any chance, have a bathroom?" She nods and points to the bathroom. I go inside the stall and change. As I walk out of the bathroom, I put on my mask and rush out of the store. I need to see what the date of this time is, I thought. Is there a newspaper somewhere? A bright light blinds my eyes. I look to where it is coming from. It is coming from a building with jumbotron screens. I read the screen and it is the newspaper. The date is January 4, 2029. The top news says mentions, Alejandro Park. Is this the one I know? It reads 'Alejandro Park finally takes over his Father's company, Park Group, with his wife and 2nd child on the way. Alejandro married and with kids? Another screen flashes, Rosaline Palay divorced after going international, what will happen with their children? And why did they get divorced? Who was she married to? I look to see the article and it is...Ross Redd. Those two divorced? I couldn't believe it. The screen moved to Breaking New.

Gwen Rio, Ex of Chairman Alejandro Park of Park Group, disappears without a trace.

I can't read this anymore. I start to walk down a three-way street. Why couldn't I come here before? That news doesn't...can't...be real. I see a tall guy in a red lifeguard hoodie similar to the one I gave to Alejandro, standing in the middle of the street. He's holding something in his hand. What is he doing there? He could get hurt. He needs to move. I run towards him but then I see the future me. I stop running and step backward. She runs to this guy and right when she does...a car at full speed heads their way. I close my eyes not wanting to see what was going to happen next. After a moment, I open my eyes. A lot of cars toppled onto each other. The people scattered on the scene. I run to help. I see the guy that was in the middle of the street, his body...is under the car. He isn't breathing. What do I do? A tear falls down my face, I have never seen someone die before. His face is covered with his hoodie. I lean in close becoming curious why the future me risked her life for this person? I take the hoodie off of him. He is...Alejandro. What is he doing here? I look for the future me and she is there lying on the street. I run to her, grabbing her wrist to check her pulse. She's not alive...I am not alive. I died. That is why I could not travel at this time. It is because I was not alive anymore. My phone vibrates, I received a text.

Gwen, Leave now. You are not supposed to be in a time where you do not exist. You could disappear or even worse hurt those you love.

Suddenly a Paramedic asks me if I know this person, taking Gwen in a stretcher. I look away not letting them see my face. I start to cry thinking about what happened to Alejandro. I run and run to the subway I came out of. With all my strength I run knowing that someone that I care about getting hurt. My friends and family are in danger right now and it is all my fault. I run inside the subway out of breath. I see a door that goes into a different cart. I can wait there. I head that way squishing through people, ducking the tall ones, and sliding by the short ones. I open the door and stay here hidden. I close my eyes and wait to go back to the exact time I left.

-

I came back to the exact moment I left. I lift my hand up for a taxi but then I realized I don't have money anywhere. I have to call Azul, she would probably be the calmest out of all the girls. Rosaline would beat me. Ann-Marie will be asking too many questions. Jane will care for me too much. I pull out my phone and call Azul.

"Where have you been? How can you leave like that? Why did you leave?" Azul asks through the phone. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? I am glad because I am here for you" She says sincerely. Before I could say something..."When you get back over here you are dead ya hear? You don't leave your friends without saying something okay" She says in a rough tone. She waits for me to respond. Well, I thought she was going to be the most chill one. I was wrong. I got a mix of all the girls' personalities.

"Can you come pick me up?" I say as my voice shakes.

"Yeah, you know why you want me to pick you up because you left all your stuff here and matter fact your wallet with all your money" Azul yells once again.

"Yeah, I know. Come pick me at Chamber Street J," She says okay and hangs up. I wait for about 8 minutes and Azul arrives in the car alone. I hop on the car. "Hey..." I say scared she is going to break my ears.

"Gwen..." I look at her while she is driving. "I know you have a secret...I have not said anything but I have seen the sidelines...I know about your pills from 2025..."

"How?"

"When you showed us your room, I saw the painkillers under your bed. You kicked it with your foot to try to hide it but I have a quick eye. There is nothing wrong with pain killers but the date..." I overflow in worry, "I know you keep a diary talking crazy about how in a specific time you discovered this and that," I just stare at her not saying anything, "So I have a question for you, What exactly are you? The dots don't connect. I want the truth," She glances at me. I sigh and gulp before I speak.

"I am a Time-traveler" The car wobbles as if the tires slipped.

"No way, stop lying, I said I wanted the truth" Azul chuckles.

"I'm serious," Azul becomes silent.

"How...what happened to you? You weren't like this before," She looks worried.

"...It started 5 years ago"

"And you didn't put me in the loop" Azul scoffs.

"Sorry... it's just from the moment I made the mistake of my past...if I don't travel frequently or more than a year then I get bruises and I get in a lot of pain." I touch my arms still feeling the pain.

"Oh, so that is why you have those pills?"

"Yeah, it gets really bad. I went in the future to get the pills though because, in this time, there aren't pills that can help me because I am not a normal human being. I wish I could. That's why I stay far from others because I do not want to hurt them or their loved ones"

"But you can't guard yourself against people either"

"See you don't understand" I get a little frustrated "I can't do that. What if they die like Bo-" I stop myself, "I could not live with myself if that happened..." Once again I cry.

"I will keep your secret I promise..." Azul says as she parks. We are back at Brookfield Place.

"I better wipe these tears" I see wipes on the door pocket, open the sun visor, and wipe them. Azul laughs as we get off and start walking in. I am afraid of what the others will say. I don't want to lie but I can't tell them what I told Azul. I have to find a way to avoid it.