The Time Wanderer

Deep in the stone forest located in the outskirts of Emerald City, there's a teeny tiny village almost unknown to humankind. It is too small that it wasn't even included in the map.

But since nobody knew about its existence, nobody knew that a young girl who knows everyone's good or bad luck lives there.

Margaret McRed, blessed with a very unique eye, the Eye of the Righteous. At the age of two weeks, she began seeing her surroundings. Can even recognize things including the faces of her parents. And at the age of three, her eyes developed a miraculous artifice. From then, she was able to foresee what will happen to a certain person within five seconds in the future. And as years go by, her eyes began traveling through time at a remote distance. However, she can only see what's ahead, and not what's behind.

Yes, at a young age, Margaret defied prophecy. She's changed a lot of fate by walking into people's distant future to change what's gonna happen.

But no one knows this aside from her Grandmother who raised her ever since she was an infant. And nobody's supposed to know this secret until 'this' particular day happened. And that is. . . 'today'.

Noontime; kids are having fun playing on the noisy sidewalk. Vendors are selling fruits and vegetables in every corner of the street. And a bunch of horses in a small carriage running on the muddy road. People seem so busy walking around town with their horses and donkeys.

A young boy got his ankle broken and went crying. A woman who seems to be the parent puts down the bag she's carrying and jumps on to help him. The boy pointed his finger at the nearest vendor who sells fresh fruits. Apples. He wants to eat apples.

Unfortunately, the Mother seems to have not enough money for it so she gave him a sad look.

I stood up and worked myself closer to them. As the kid looked straight into my eyes, I saw something. . . terrible.

"Do you want to eat apples?" I asked him. He gave me a nod as he wiped his tears with the back of his hand.

"I want one but mama says it's poisonous. Aren't apples sweet? How come they are poisonous?"

"I'm so sorry sweety. I—"

I see. But she didn't have to lie about it.

"Here." I took something out of my pocket and handed it to the woman. "An apple costs one silver coin. You should be able to buy one for him and one for your sick husband." Her eyes widen upon hearing what I said. I just gave her two silver coins wholeheartedly.

Her reaction was a bit intense. She was so shocked that it almost took her two minutes to absorb what she just heard.

"How did you—" she was cut off by a sudden clang of a church bell.

"You have five silver and seven bronze, correct?" Still shocked, she dreadfully nods. But her eyes are saying 'you know I have five silvers so why give me another two?

"Don't ever give that to someone with a snake tattoo on the neck," I said that made her even more puzzled.

I believe, this guy I'm speaking of is their relative who takes away their money for no particular reason. the moment I gave her two silver coins, I knew something wrong is bound to happen and warned her.

It seems everything is going on smoothly. I don't like talking to a stranger but as what I saw in the boy's eyes earlier, I need to help them evade an unpleasant incident that is bound to happen hereafter and it's nearing; the arrow of grim, despair, and sorrow is about to land a hit on his bare skin anytime soon.

I knew what there is to be done the moment my fingers touched the woman's pale palm.

She and her husband will die.

And this isn't the first time I'm doing this.

"Listen. I need you to calm down and look at me. Look at me in the eyes, ma'am," I commanded. Reluctantly, she followed my order. And the moment her eyes met mine, I got pulled inside a hole, dragging me forcefully into her mind. Memories are floating as I walk in a void of space with no visible surface to step on.

She's still probably shocked about how I found out that her husband is sick. I can hear a distant voice inside her mind saying "How did this little girl know?"

Oh, she's addressing me as a little girl. It's not something I can be angry about but, it sounds a little offensive in my case. I'm fifteen now.

I kept walking and walking until I reached the end of her memories. From there stood two doors in different hues, glowing in the abyss of her silent mind. I opened the one that will bring me to her ultimate fate: her and her significant other's doom, and the young boy's misery and peril.

The scene in front was a house burning in a mixture of red and yellow flames, screams can be heard in all directions, and the boy standing helplessly in front of her mother's unrelenting grievance.

I just arrived at a time where it's too late to salvage his father's life. I blocked her way intentionally, trying to restrain her when she was about to run inside the house.

And fortunately, she stepped back, alarmed. "Aren't you Margaret? The girl I met yesterday?" Yesterday? So this is 'tomorrow' in the present?

I gave her a mischievous smile before nodding. "Yes. I am Margaret. Margaret McRed. I came here to save you," I declared.

I don't know if I miscalculated my arrival or is it because of the husband's thread of fate that finally meets its other end? A thread that cannot be severed by anything.

"But. . . But what about my husband? He's sick and crying for help and. . . Please, help him!" she's crying desperately as she held my hand so tight, begging me to save his already-gone lover. It's a bit painful to say I can't, but I'm not gonna let this tragedy end with her seeing the remaining ashes of her husband.

I smiled at her and turned around. Leaving her kneeling on the ground as I entered the house that is raging with hot flames. But I seem to not be affected by its heat.

This is tomorrow, after all. And my actual state is in the present. That is why whatever's happening here, I won't take any damage at all. Making me invulnerable in my current state. I don't know where exactly my ability's logic came from but I have to admit, it's a useful thing to have.

I ran upstairs when my nose caught a smell of a burnt human body. There's nothing in the cramped corridor. Only a closed door that leads to the room where the burnt smell is coming. I immediately pushed the door hardly but instead of it opening, it fell on the floor. Luckily, the floor is not burning yet so it didn't collapse upon the impact. And there, under the bed, I saw a man's figure, it's so skinny and he almost has no clothes because of the fire. And he's too hopeless to even breathe knowing there's thick smoke around caused by the flames that are becoming more aggressive.

I was about to carry him when I saw someone standing atop the bed. It's weird to suddenly have somebody at top of the bed when I didn't saw anyone when I entered the room earlier. He's wearing a red loose coat. His face is covered with thick animal fur so I couldn't get a sight of what he looks like. But his eyes were blazing in red. Is he behind all this burning?

"Who are you?"

"How rude for a little girl like you to ask for an elderly person's name so nonchalantly," he scolded me. I was just curious to know who is this mushroom suddenly appearing around unexpectedly.

"Who. Are. You?" This person is weird. I can't find a future in his eyes at all.

"Haze."

Haze?

"And I came here to arrest you, defiant of time. . ."