Oscillatio
‘The past, how do I reverse time?’ I ask.
I stare at the oscillation of her arms, and in one single movement she swings into the pot she has been making the spell in. She grabs a green bottle from the shelf, and pours the liquid into it.
I’ve seen her do this many times before, but tonight it is a strange feeling inside my stomach. The furthest she has been back was a day, when she warned me not to take the left hand branch of the road.
‘You know what I’m asking of you?’ She asks.
‘I do,’ I say. I understand that going back in time is a risky business. If I spot myself, then the ripples will filter to the present. ‘But when do you want me to go.’
‘That night, you were separated, we both thought it was for the best. I used this spell to go back in time with you. Relive our lives away from the future. But by doing this I caused a ripple, which is threatening to take away time itself.’
‘Who do I talk to?’
‘The only person who will listen. Your father will not know you, but I will. Find me, warn me not to take the wrong path. You have to tell me to keep going through the storm.’
‘Will I still be here?’
‘Yes, in body, but your mind will be elsewhere. It is dangerous, but you are the only person who can do this. I wish it were different, so I will give you the choice.’
‘I will do it,’ I say.
