Chronos — Episode 7. The End?
By: David J. Meyer
Tags: Science Fiction, Short Story, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

The End?

Welcome to the final episode of Chronos! I hope you have enjoyed it thus far. I am going, to be honest, I know this is the ending but I’m not 100% sure how I’m going to end it yet. I have had several people contact me with their thoughts on the story, so if you have any other thoughts please let me know! I plan on editing the story with those thoughts and publishing the whole thing as a continuous story…so stay tuned for that in the new year! Without further ado, here is the link to the last episode and a quick summary of what happened. If you are all caught up then just jump into the final episode below!

Previously on Chronos: Jerry and Samantha are not dead after all. We see them wake up again on the same day. Not sure what is happening, Jerry has all his memories of the previous night. Memories of being stabbed and bleeding to death. Quickly, Jerry and Samantha put together a plan. Jerry had recognized the woman killed on the park bench. He had recognized Jess. They track Jess down and try their best to explain what is happening (if they themselves even know). Jess is on board to help them and asks what she needs to do. We were left with their ominous reply, “Jess. We need you…to die.”

Episode 7 — The End?

October 30th

1:30pm

“Die!? You want me to die!? Is this some kind of joke!!?”

“Well…let me explain..”

Furious, she interrupted again, “Die!?”

“Just…look…you are NOT going to die! Not…really.”

Mocking him, “What is that supposed to mean, Time Wizard?”

Brushing the insult off, “If my theory is correct, and they have been so far, then if our plan succeeds we will wake this morning safe and sound.” The two others looked at him in utter confusion.

“Just…trust me. The timing of it is weird. And as strange as it sounds, time is of the essence. We need to lay out our plan.”

Jess looked him in the eyes and saw nothing but confidence. She responded, “Ok, Jerry. I trust you. Let’s see the play.”

5:30pm

The train came to a screeching halt. Jess, heart beating out of her chest, took a deep breath. “This is it.” She whispered to herself. She took what confidence she could muster and exited the train. She looked around the terminal. No one was in sight. Where there usually sat a man with a paper and coffee, was now an empty bench.

She walked to the park. Every step her heartbeat quickened. She sat down at the bench, hands trembling, not even aware of her surroundings. In the bushes nearby lay Jerry, ready to trap the monster once and for all.

5:47pm

“POOF!” As if out of thin air, he appeared. A man with a scarred face and a red feather in his top hat. Knife in hand, he did it. He slit her throat. Jess looked over at Jerry with her eyes wide open. Speaking with her soul, “This better work.”

“POOF! There he was again. Teleported in the same second to where Rob stood. But where was he? Rob was missing. Gerald stood there stabbing thin air! Gerald looked around for a split second. For the first time in a long time, he was afraid. Then a splitting pain in the side of his neck. Blood pouring down his sides as darkness surrounded him.

2:30pm

While Jess and Jerry went over their part of the plan, Samantha left to do her role.

She left the breakroom and walked up to Rob’s desk. “Hello, excuse me, are you Rob Shar?”

“Umm…yes, yes I am.”

“Could you come with me, we have a few questions to ask you.”

“Can I ask what this is about?”

“No. You cannot. Either come quietly or we can arrest you loudly. It’s your choice.”

Rob was terrified. He thought to himself, “Arrest? What did I do? They can’t possibly know about…” He looked in the breakroom and noticed the strange man talking to Jess. “Maybe they do know…”

“Sir, this way please.”

Rob got up and followed Samantha out of the building. She took him all the way back to Jerry’s apartment.

3:15pm

Samantha brought Rob into the apartment and had him sit across from her at the kitchen table. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she offered him some too. Rob accepted the offer. She went on to speak, “Rob, Rob, Rob. You know stalking people is illegal.”

“Stalking? I..”

She cut him off, “Just stop it. We know you stalk Jess every day. Lucky for you, we caught you before she did. Lucky for you, there are bigger problems at hand than you.”

“What do you mean? Am I under arrest?”

“Rob, we are not the police. Look around. This is an apartment, not a police station.”

“Are you going to kill me?” He asked, looking around for a possible escape.

“Rob…calm down. We are doing just the opposite. We are trying to save you, and possibly Jess.” Rob was puzzled and afraid. “Look, we don’t have time to explain everything right now. And to be honest, you would ‘t believe us anyway. So, for now, we just need you to rest.”

“POP!” A tranquilizer dart impaled Rob right in the thigh. He didn’t see she was holding the gun under the table the entire time. He collapsed on the table. His coffee spilling all over the ground. But this time that’s all that spilled.

Talking on the phone, “Alright, Jerry, we are all set. The mission is a go.”

4:00pm

When Samantha left the office with Rob, Jerry went out to use his quantum tracking devices in the streets to try and locate Gerald.

“He’s been a busy man. I don’t know how long he’s been at it, but this day has more entanglement than all the other days in history…combined. I don’t know his full plan, but I know it has to be more than just killing you two.”

“This is just surreal. I don’t understand.”

“I know, Jess. But listen. It will be over soon. As for now, you know your side of the plan. Just go about your day as normal and I promise you will wake up tomorrow. Or…today…well…you just won’t die, ok?”

Jess, afraid, left him and tried to entertain any other thought than the fact she was going to have her throat slit in a couple of hours.

4:15pm

Creaking, Jerry pushed the door opened. It was an old abandoned theater. His quantum tracker was off the charts here. This must be the place. Jerry walked into the main auditorium and saw him sitting on the stage. Practically waiting for him.

Speaking in his ominous slow tone, “Well hello, Jerry. I thought I killed you yesterday, hahaha.”

“Hello, Mr…?”

“Just call me Gerald. I thought I told you to drop all this ‘detective nonsense.’ I simply cannot be stopped. I have seen this day more times than the number of seconds you’ve been alive. In fact, I’ve had this very conversation with you more times than you know.”

Jerry called his bluff, “No. I don’t think that’s true, Gerald. I think this has never happened in all your attempts. I don’t think we’ve ever met. In fact, I think you’re actually afraid of me.”

“POOF!” Gerald disappeared from the stage. He was now right in front of Jerry with a knife to his throat. Staring at him with those red eyes, “hahaha! Afraid? Of you? I haven’t been afraid in years.”

Jerry held it together. “Listen, Gerald, it’s not too late to take it all back. You don’t have to do what you’re going to. Imagine all the good you can do with this power!”

“Good? Why would I do that? What person deserves that? Haha! No, no, no. I plan to rid the earth of you petty creatures. The despicable, deplorable, routine-loving, selfish creatures we call humans!”

“And then what? When we are all gone, then what, Gerald?”

“Well, I guess I’d die after that. But at least I’d be happy.”

Jerry stood there staring into the deep malice in Gerald’s eyes. “Well…Gerald. I’m afraid you’re not the only one who knows about time.”

“What do you mean?”

“POOF!” This time Jerry disappeared. Gerald’s eyes were huge. The fear started to trickle in. “No, no, this cannot be! That arrogant scientist thinks he can trick me! I am Gerald! I am the greatest killer who ever lived! I will prove it to him.”

5:00pm

Jerry couldn’t believe it. His teleporter actually worked. It only took him 15 years to build. And this was the first successful test run. No body-parts removed, no one died, it was a true success.

He gathered his things and made his way to the park for the final showdown.

5:47pm

As the blood poured out of Gerald’s neck, Jerry whispered in his ear, “Do you have the time?” Gerald glanced over at him, that big Christmas grin on his face again. Then…suddenly…darkness.