IV

  A brother you wish to save?

  “Yes!- I- He died around a year ago in that damn alleyway – Mugged by a pure man!”

  Noble indeed, family is equated to god in its path – love too.

  “Enough tongues! Let me seek my brother!”

  Oh hush now. It’s an honourable effort so I’ll give some advice on time.

  “What is it? Tell me so I can hurry!”

  When in time, it is necessary that you close the loop on your paradox; you’ll be stuck if ya don’t.

  I began my ascent into the machine. One goal remained in my head for this endeavor: end my brothers suffering; close the loop. I entered this machine, timeless in its form. Blue and red flashing from a center console labeled “time dial” on the upper right hand side. On the arrangement below read: “January 8th, 2016”, the exact date of my brother's death. My surroundings were all too strange. Machines conformed together as if it was a language unspoken or unknown by me in any way. Lining the crevices of the ship-like container was a metal frosted in its finish. The rest gave the pattern easily recognizable to carbon-fiber. Multiple questions rang out through my head while decoding the mechanism. Yet my investigation would come to a close as the strange man who gave me this opportunity came to the door of the metal compartment.

  This isn’t the machine to rummage in.

  Get a move on.

  I closed the door without questions. Looking back towards the flashes of colors, was a particular button labeled: “Begin loop”. With my chest false and my worries burdensome, my motivation drew itself from one other respiratory: brother, shall I see you again.

  In the moment of the button’s activation, my chest paused, my lungs held its breath, and my brain stopped all signals. My body entered a stasis forced by the machine. When my body came back to itself, would it be the January of past, in 2016.

  The stranger gave me two hours to recollect. Recollect thoughts, maybe a plan, anything to quell time for two hours. I focused first on the strange man. Purified, he acted as if the world could spin without him. When I first met him, he was a drunk inside of a bar that hosted the worst type of drunks: the ones who were alone, ones who were dull to the spin of our world. First interacting with the man felt like watching a slug move or paint dry; he talked in terrible mannerisms rhyming in with small points of poetry made by himself. Then began our reasons to be in the bar. He said he lost himself inside the world's time; to which I agonizingly reciprocated that I followed the same path. I told him of my brother’s death and the exchange that took place inside the walls of the alleyway between 6th and main. He gave me an option to scalp my fear. Time travel, in its limitless, dreaming form, was a resolution to my dread. In my drunk state, it was – alluring, in a way. I could have my brother back. That’s all I wanted really – my brother.

  I then thought on my younger self; how shall I persuade him to chase a drunkard? Would my brother want me to chase a drunkard? Answers to my question never came; instead, a ringing prevailed above the noise of my disconcerted thoughts. It was time.

  I exited the machine with caution for my place inside of the loop.

  When in time, it is necessary that you close the loop on your paradox;

  You’ll be stuck if ya don't.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  such a hallowed environment, malleable in its state, easy for paradoxes to occur in. Another question poked its provoked head out to the assumption of a paradox: what happens if I cause one? Could I cause time to break – or would I break myself.

  You’ll be stuck if ya don't…

  A shiver ran through my body. I shall see you again brother, I swear it.

  There he was, me, younger, soon to be changed, standing next to my older brother. He was smiling with the smile that painted you a picture no painter could: happiness. Behind me, screamed that dangerous man from so long ago.

  “Hey kids! Got any change?!”

  Frightened behind my brother, stood me, a shaken look from the yell and the knife that scratched the poorly shaven beard of our mugger. My brother wasn’t the type to be stirred. Standing fearless, he response echoed through the alleyway.

  “Not a dime man, sorry!”

  The man wouldn’t have it though. Standing up from his position on the wall, his voice spewed back fiercer than many dragons in fantasy books.

  “You damn kids – know nothing of charity!” He pointed the knife at my brother, turning it away from his body and aiming for my brother's chest. “Give me the money!”

  It was my time. Brother told me to run. Yet his words would command three people at the same time. I ran towards the mugger from behind just as I first ran away. The mugger chased the younger me – but my brother stood in his way.

  “Move!-” My harsh voice pushed as far as it could, landing in the ears of my brother and his attacker.

  “Attam-?” His questioning tone got cut off. Blood ran down the arm of the knife, dripping to the concrete. At the end of his breath, the knife expunged from his body.

  I beat the mugger till he was unable to cause pain to anyone. Collapsed on the floor, bleeding and barely breathing, He wouldn’t be standing after this.

  “Attam..? Is that – you?” Turning to my brother, he was a parallel to the man behind me. His blood made a puddle for him to lay in.

  “It’s me amir. It’s me, Attam.” Tears ran down my reddened cheeks. My emotions swallowed all aspirations I had for this mission. Just like a kid, I froze in fear again. For that – my brother faced the consequences of his yellowish brother.

  “You look – not real.”

  “It’s me, I swear.”

  “Am I dead?”

  “No I- I wanted to save you – I came to save you.”

  “Look at yourself, did you… pick up alcohol?” His speech was broken and spattered across the papers of his pronounces. Dying laid close for him, yet he only cared for me – my drinking habits.

  “Focus, we need to call someone! Like an ambulance or-!” He covered my mouth, just as he did as a kid.

  “Hush Attam… There is – no time.”

  “Amir, what do I do! I can’t live without you I-”

  “You can, Attam. Live, live without me.”

  “No , Amir, please!”

  “I love you brother.”

  “I love you too.” I began to cry erratically. The emotions burdened upon me for years crumbled under the pressure, collapsing all at once, forming my erratic cry.

  “I love you! I shall see you again brother, I swear it!”

  I got back into the machine. Every button lit up as if I awoke it from a deep slumber; its patience seemingly alive and wearing. Forging every thought around this machine, could I learn how to use it?

  In my final depository, my final thoughts laid burdened and senseless.

  “I love you! I shall see you again brother, I swear it!”

  “You’ll be stuck if ya don't.”

  A small, anguished noise resonates to me; a small squeak. Could it be?

  Can you shut up! It’s a door, holding no power to ya.

  That god he was; of burdenless faith he struck me. That of no renown and not of principle.

  You are truly evil.