The Tempus Virga – An Original Short Story

Chess

“Checkmate! Ha, got you again!” Boasted John, just as he won his third game of chess. “You know, when we were young, there was a thing called “chess club.” But now it’s just holo-screen tutorials and virtual meetups.” Gran sighed. “Well, it’s the year 2104 now, not 2020 or whatever. Life back then seems lame.” They continued on with their game of chess, but little did they know that someone was opening their front door at that very moment.

Intruder

 Rumble rumble. “I’ll be right back.” John said suspiciously. He walked down the hallway, through the living room, and broke into a run. Heavy breaths slowed him down, as his panic began to take him over. “Hello? Who are you?” John jumped onto the sofa and behind the pillows. He heard footsteps. They got closer and closer, until they stopped. John peered over the cushions, and saw a man staring back at him. He had gray hair, and looked just like Gran. 

Uncle Esteban

“Ahhh!!!” John scrambled from behind the pillows and ran for the game room. “Gran! There’s someone in the house! Other than me!” John hastedly added the last part, because he knew Gran could be a little silly sometimes. John entered the game room, and saw a horrible sight. The man was standing behind Gran, but she seemed perfectly calm. “John, this is my brother, Esteban, but he is Uncle Esteban for you.” “Why, hello John! I didn’t mean to startle you.” Uncle Esteban said. “Startle me? You walked into our house randomly! You could have been anyone!” John screamed. 

The Gift

“Well, I came to say hello to your Grandma, and give her a gift.” He handed Gran a black Rod. “What could this be?” Gran asked Uncle Esteban, like she knew exactly what it was. John knew there was clearly a secret being kept between them. John still did not trust Esteban. “John, if anything were to ever happen to your Grandma, you must acquire the gift I gave her just now at all costs.” Esteban warned. “I better be going right about now. I have to get ready for a party. Goodbye!” Just with that, Esteban was out the door. 

The Dream

That night, John wondered what the black Rod did. “Lights out in five! You have school tomorrow.” Gran said. John dreamed about something so bizarre. It started when Gran and him drove to a “surprise” location in their car. Gran drove, since John was only thirteen. They had a quiet drive through the city and woods, but then they reached a cliffside next to the water. It was a very scenic area, and Gran wanted a picture. So, she parked the car, and stood on the road for the picture. After a couple seconds, a car came into view. “Gran, watch out! There’s a car!” But Gran was too busy taking her picture. So John ran to her, and dragged her off the road. But she just walked back. Then, she turned around so John could see her. That was definitely not Gran. Her eyes were red, and she was as pale as snow. Then, she started talking in a gravelly voice. “The Gift. You must inherit The Gift.” Then, the saddest thing happened. The car came at her at the speed of a bullet, and with that, John woke up in a cold sweat. 

“Never Again”

Panting, John whispered, “That was horrifying. Never again.” Then, Gran yelled, “Breakfast!” John walked down the hall into the kitchen, trying to seem calm. But of course, he looked very petrified. “What’s wrong John? Nightmare?” Gran asked. “Yeah. Don’t wanna talk about it.” I responded. “Very well. I made your favorite. Waffles!” Gran exclaimed. “Thanks.” Breakfast was mostly silent, but then Gran said, “John, I’m going to take you to the most beautiful place ever. Hop in the car with me.” John did as he was told. Gran drove him away from the house, onto a narrow old back road. The forest canopy above was shielding most of the light, so it was very dark on the road. Road signs glared at the light of the car’s headlights. After a little while, the forest ended, and they reached a cliffside. Down the cliff, there was a beautiful lake that seemed to extend past the horizon. A cliffside next to water John thought.

Pictures

 “No, no no!” He yelled out loud. “What’s wrong, honey?” Gran asked. “Nothing, just um… you know what? Just nothing” He said. “Okay, we’re going to park here and take some pictures. Begrudgingly, John unbuckled his seatbelt and walked out of the car, knowing exactly what would happen next. Gran stood on the road, taking pictures of him and the lake, but to John’s surprise, nothing happened. No car came, not even one. John walked into the car, and buckled up.

Explosion

 “That went surprisingly well” He whispered to himself. Gran got the car back on the road, but then she got a call. “Hello?” She said. “Don’t talk on the phone while driving!” John yelled. But of course, she didn’t listen. She looked at the screen on her car to disconnect the call, but in that time, she had swerved onto the opposite lane, and a car was coming right at them. “John! Take this!” Gran handed him the Rod. “I’ll… I will take the damage. You must get the gift. Go, out of the car! Jump!” With great courage, he opened the door of the car, and jumped onto the hard cement road, bruising and scraping himself in many places. He moved to the side of the road, and watched as a horrifying explosion took place. Gran was gone. 

The Time Rod

He sobbed, but he knew better than to stay here. He ran the route Gran had taken to get here. It took a good 45 minutes, but he got back. What am I supposed to do with this? John thought. He called Uncle Esteban over. DING He opened the door, to a confused looking Esteban. “What did you need me so urgently for, young child?” “Gran… explosion… car…” I said. I couldn’t utter the whole sentence. “Ah. I’m so sorry. My dreams foretold this. But, you must put that aside, and learn how to use the Gift.” He said. “The Gift is actually an ancient relic. It’s real name is the Tempus Virga. It’s Latin for Time Rod. Now, it’s breaking the ancient laws to tell you what it does, only the history.” Uncle Esteban said. “Our family dates back to the Ancient Roman times. A craftsman named Archimedes made this Rod. Ever since then, only the ancestors of the great inventor were able to possess this relic, and use it.” He said. “Use it how?” John asked. “I cannot tell you.” Uncle Esteban said. “Now, I must leave, unless you would like to live with me now?” “No. I’m good. Just stop by often enough so I’m not an illegal orphan.” John said with a sob. 

A Vision

After Uncle Esteban left, John ran to his room and cried. There was so much to cry about. Gran not making it back, leaving him orphaned, Uncle Esteban not telling him what the Time Rod did. But he knew exactly what it did, and he knew exactly how to do it. At night, he had another dream. This time, he was just looking at the keyhole for the front door. Then, just in a couple seconds of a dream, he woke up to a blue sky, the sunlight burning his eyes. 

Traveling in Time

That dream must have meant something John thought. He took the Time Rod to the front door, and examined both objects. The keyhole was just the right size for the Rod, but what would he do, open the door? There definitely wasn’t any tech inside the door, but then again, Esteban had said it worked in the ancient times. It must be machinery, not tech that we have John concluded. He was worried something would happen when he pulled the Rod. But then again, there must have been many people who pulled it, and nothing happened to them. If something happened the them, Gran or John wouldn’t have existed. So, he placed the Tempus Virga in the keyhole. “Well, that was anticlimactic.” He said. The Rod looked like a lever in the door. So, he pulled it. He felt a tugging sensation in his gut. His throat seemed to clog up, and he felt like he needed to throw up. But he kept on focusing on where, or rather when he wanted to go. Back to when Gran was alive. His vision went black. When John opened his eyes, he saw Gran as a kid. Everything seemed normal, but that seemed too simple. He approached Gran. “John! You’re all grown up.” She exclaimed. John answered. “Yeah. I have inherited the Time Rod.”