Outside Time
I shouldn't be here.
This thought assailed Lucas for the umpteenth time. She was "in" Lakeside, yes. However, she was now seeing things in what was essentially a very weird rendering of three dimensions, and thanking all the gods that she knew and some she didn't that she hadn't bothered to eat anything on the way there, lest the landscape-of-sorts made her lose whatever she ate. Or maybe it was the anxiety of having that much weight on her shoulders.
She stood on a street, in front of a fairly big house. So far, so good. However, instead of the usual crossings at a distance from the street, there were more of the same house - and of the house behind her - lined side by side. All equal. It was like those suburbia in which all houses were alike, except they all WERE alike. The only difference being the point in time.
This is the place. Time crash ground zero. We must find the time in the place. Right now it is divided in seconds. - Said Death.
"SO wish time crash ground zero were a drugstore where I could get some pepto instead..." - Said Lucas. It was disorienting; the horizon, all of the universe for Lucas right now was reduced to copy upon copy of the houses, all in an infinite straight line. Second per second.
I cannot interfere. I can only guide you. You would do well to remember that, Lucas.
"Yeah, yeah. You told me. Now where do we go? Or, well, when?"
Death pointed a way.
The future is that way.
"So that tribe that sees time as if it were backwards was right? The future is behind us?" - Said Lucas, smiling uneasily. The jokes felt flat now, reeking of desperation. She thought of what could happen if she failed, and these thoughts would not leave her mind.
Lucas flew and Death walked towards the future.
After a while of this, Death spoke up.
You fear me. It is why you behave like this at this moment. You fear me not only for yourself, but for everyone
"Sorry, Big D, but every living being fears you. Instinct, and all. Not as a personification, but as a concept. No one knows what lies after you. Incidentally..." - Said Lucas.
Neither do I. - Said Death.
"Yeah, see, and people fear what they don't know. However, the stakes right now are a bit higher, innit? It goes all the way up to TOTAL, UNIVERSAL NON-EXISTENCE if I fail here. I get one try. So, yeah. I'm fearing for EVERYTHING. I mean, not to excuse my own cowardice, but it is understandable, yes?" - Said Lucas. While powerful, she was still quite human in mind, and quite susceptible to fear. The scope of what she was trying to protect didn't help.
"Perhaps this form will be more comforting?" - Said a soft voice - "You know, walking around with a grim reaper can be a bit jarring. Walking around with a cute, smiling reaper might be nicer. I figured you deserved it. And yes, it is understandable."
Lucas looked. A cute, perky, smiling goth-type woman stood where the Grim Reaper was.
"So, Venus told you about the Sandman thing?" - Said Lucas, smiling weakly.
"Yep. Plus I do know human culture, and I'm not completely clueless about how humans feel, you know." - She smiled lightly - "I figured I could do this. If it helps, it helps."
"Thanks. I'll take what I can get." - Said Lucas, smiling lightly.
"All right. Let's go. And relax. We got a chess game to play later, innit? Plus seven members of the Phocidae family to find and a visit to a store to get a tabletop game..."
"Oh, yeah. I'm pretty sure this will be a nice YouTube moment..." - Said Lucas, smiling a bit, her spirits now somewhat lifted - "Let's go."
It didn't suit Death to act like this. But she knew that her companion felt fear and that said fear would be abated by these actions, at least somewhat. The mortal mind being what it was, this alleviation of her fears would make Lucas more effective to do whatever was needed, she knew. So...
Besides - Death thought to herself - It is only until this is solved.
Not that it felt that bad to actually have some flesh for once.
