Timeless Book Cover

Created By Drummerguy and CrazyAndyMan.

Timeless - Part 5

“Just a moment, I need to grab some things,” Tony said as he hurried out of the room.

Farlough followed. “Hey, where are you going? We need to leave before more assassins come!” he paused and watched Tony rush around the room, accidentally knocking things over in his hurry. “What do you need, anyway?”

Tony approached Farlough and handed him a gun.

Farlough looked at the weapon. “What’s this?”

“A .45 pistol," Tony replied. "It's probably better than any weapon you’ve ever used.”

“How do I use it?"

"It's quite simple, actually," Tony replied. "You just aim at your target and shoot."

“I still like my knives better, but I’ll use this sometimes. What did you call it?”

“A gun,” Tony said as he pulled out a long briefcase.

“And what is that?”

Tony looked up. “Another gun, but much bigger and more powerful. Now, let's get movi-"

He stopped and pulled Farlough to the ground just as the sound of an Automatic started and bullets broke through the window.

"Stay here!" Tony ordered. He crawled to the edge of the window. I have 4 seconds before the gun will stop shooting, he thought. Then, while he is reloading, I can jump up and shoot him.

Just as Tony predicted, the sound of the gun stopped four seconds later. He jumped over the edge of the window, aimed his gun towards the shooter, and pulled the trigger. To his horror, the gun jammed. He threw the worthless pistol to the side and sprinted towards the man with the gun. The man stuffed a full mag into his empty weapon. Tony stopped in front of the man and pushed the gun upwards as the shooter fired several shots. With his free arm, he punched Tony in the face and ripped his weapon free from Tony's grasp. He slammed the end of the gun into Tony's head and kicked him in the leg. Tony lost his balance and fell on his back. The man pointed his gun at Tony's head, and started to squeeze the trigger...

A knife flew through the air and into the side of the assassin. He looked up in surprise and was greeted by another knife to the heart. He dropped to the ground, dead.

“Now, we really have to get out of here before more guys come,” Tony said as he swung the door to his car open and got in.

Farlough retrieved his knives and followed Tony.

“Where will we go?” Farlough asked.

Tony shrugged. “I haven’t figured out that part yet. I guess we’ll just start driving until I think of a good place.”

Farlough nodded. Tony put the key in the ignition and the car rumbled to a start.

“I hate these ‘cars’,” Farlough said.

Tony smiled. “You will have to get used to them, especially since you’re stuck here forever.”

The car pulled out of the driveway and started down the road. The two were silent for some time.

Tony broke the silence. “We will go into the city,” He said. “It will be harder for those creeps to find us there.”

“What is it that these guys want from you?” Farlough asked.

Tony shook his head. “I honestly have no idea. I’m not some rich dude, and I don’t think I have something in my house that I don’t know of.”

Farlough sighed. “Whoever they were, they put up a good fight.”

“Yeah, but so did I.”

Farlough looked at Tony. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“It’s a combo of three different fighting styles that I learned years back,” Tony replied. “I was a field agent then, but . . . not anymore.”

“Why is that?”

“Because . . .” he stopped.

“Go on,” Farlough said.

“I failed a mission. A big one. I had to find somebody, and I nearly lost my whole team.”

“That’s tough.”

“Yeah, but I’m almost glad to be out of the field. It’s not easy work.”

Farlough stared out of the car’s window in silence for a few moments. Tony suddenly grunted and took a sharp turn to the left. Farlough looked at Tony.

“What?”

“We’ve had a grey suburban following us for sometime now. I think it’s the assassins.”

An grenade explosion from behind them sent the car off the road. It overturned and landed on its side.

Farlough rubbed his shoulder. “Ugh, I think you’re right...”

Tony yanked off his seatbelt. “Get your seatbelt off and get your weapons out. We’ve got some fighting to do.”

Timeless - Part 4

Farlough sat cross-legged, facing the wall. He didn’t say anything, didn’t make a sound. His hood was pulled down farther than normal. Unseen by Tony, his eyebrow twitched angrily.

Tony folded his arms. “You can’t stay there forever.”

No answer.

“Even if you stay there until you die, I can still move your body an inch to the left to prove my -”

“Don’t say another word.”

Tony fell silent.

Farlough straightened ever so slightly, but just enough so that Tony could see his cheek behind his hood. “I’m not in a joking mood,” Farlough said.

“Me neither.”

“You can at least be quiet, like I told you,” snapped Farlough, slumping over again. As he shifted, his hood slid partly back, revealing his left ear. He quickly pulled the cloth back over. But before that, Tony saw a blonde streak amidst the tangled mass of brown hair.

“What’s with the blonde?”

“What’s with the blonde what?”

“Hair. I saw it.”

Farlough grunted. “It’s a long story,” he said pointedly, wanting to end the discussion.

Tony continued anyway. “Enlighten me.”

Farlough stood up quickly, balling his hands. “I told you to keep your trap shut. Why don’t you listen?”

“Maybe I don’t want to.”

Farlough spun around, slammed his fist down on the table, and roared, “SHUT UP! I can’t STAND this! YOU try getting banished from your planet for the rest of YOUR life!”

Tony’s coffee rattled.

Farlough froze. “Act normal,” he mouthed.

“You know what,” said Tony, rising from his seat, “I’ve extended all this hospitality to you, driven you all over the place, believed your fantasy worlds, and what do you do? You bang all over the walls and tables, you -”

“It was just the table.”

“- knock over my coffee, you -”

“I didn’t knock it over, idiot.”

“- call me names -”

“I thought ‘idiot’ was an endearing term.”

“- and you are REALLY getting on my nerves. I should just throw you out of the house right now!” He backhanded Farlough’s cheek.

Farlough staggered back, seemingly winded by the blow. He landed in an armchair and tipped it back, rolling into a crouch while driving his knife into the back of the chair.

Tony stood stock-still, confused.

Farlough grinned. “I think we had him going there for a while.”

“Had who going?”

Farlough lifted up the chair and Tony peered underneath.

A man. A man with a hole in his chest.

“What . . . how did you . . .”

“Good acting, by the way.”

“Acting? I wasn’t acting!”

“Ah, that explains the sincerity.”

Tony drew his gun and pointed it at Farlough’s neck. “Don’t move, or I’ll shoot.”

Farlough obeyed.

“I’m still mad at you, you know,” said Tony, squeezing the trigger.

The recoil brought his arm up a few inches, but Farlough didn’t flinch as the bullet skimmed past his neck and slammed into the brain of second intruder.

“Jeepers, dude. I can’t believe you would scare me like that. And I think there’s a red mark on my neck now.”

“Good,” replied Tony, turning away. “You deserved it.”

Farlough placed his hand on his chest and said innocently, “Me?”

“Yes, you. That was my favorite chair. And I think you’re endangering me by coming here. Apparently somebody wants you dead, and they won’t let someone like me stand in their way.”

“Hardly. They were unarmed.”

Tony scowled and grabbed the man behind the chair, lifting him up by his limp leg. He ripped off the man’s oversized boot. A few small grenades fell out, and Tony caught them before they hit the ground.

“I think they were suicidal,” he said. “You’re lucky they didn’t kick you.”

Farlough snorted. “Kick me? No, they were after you. Do you owe a bunch of money to somebody?”

“Not that I know of . . .”

“Exactly. Let’s get out of here.”

Timeless - Part 3

Tony pushed a cup across the table towards Farlough.

“What’s this? Poison?” Farlough asked as he peeked inside the cup.

“No, it's coffee."

Farlough stared at the cup for several seconds before he picked it up and started to drink.

"You were doing some strange things last night," Tony continued. "I was sitting at my table, wondering what was wrong with you, and when I came back to the sofa, you were gone."

Farlough froze at his first mouthful of coffee, made a face, and quietly spat the drink back into the cup.

Tony ignored him and went on. "I saw that my front door was open, and I found you writhing on the grass. Then, you jumped at me and said something about a king. I'm guessing you remembered something."

Farlough nodded. "I did."

Tony sipped his own cup of coffee. "What?"

“How I got here.”

“Really? How?”

Farlough hesitated before saying, "I was banished from Ragon for my crimes."

Tony choked on his drink. "Banished from where??"

“Ragon,” Farlough replied in surprise, wondering why this man didn't know about the place.

Tony put his hand over his face. "You're confused..."

"No, you're the one who's confused."

Tony place his hands on the table and looked Farlough in the eye. "How so?"

"Because you obviously don't have a clue what my home planet is."

"What?!" Tony exclaimed. "Your home planet?? There's only one planet that has life!"

"No," Farlough said. "There isn't."

"You need some serious help," Tony mumbled.

"Do I?" Farlough stood. "Follow me," he said as he walked out Tony's front door.

Tony grunted, stood, let out a laugh, and followed. He stopped by where he kept his guns and grabbed a revolver, just in case.

* * * * * * * * * *

Outside, Farlough started to walk down the street.
“What are you doing?” Tony asked.
Farlough turned. “I told you already, I’m going to the portal!”
“Why not drive there?” Tony said, pointing to a nearby truck.
Farlough looked at it suspiciously. 
Farlough was a little uneasy. “Okay, but if it flies, I want nothing to do with it.” He started towards the vehicle.
When both were inside, Tony put in the key, and the engine roared to life.
Farlough flinched at the sound and scooted up in his seat.
“Strap in,” Tony said as he took his seat belt and pulled it over himself and clicked it into place. Farlough watched Tony closely and did the same.
“So, where to?”
“Make this ‘car’ move,” Farlough replied. “It’s at an old abandoned house.”
Tony gave Farlough a strange look. “That place? That’s a little less than a mile here. No one's lived there for years."
“Well, that’s where it is.”
Tony looked back to the wheel. “Why are you doing this, Tony?" he mumbled to himself.
Soon, they arrived at the edge of the small town.
“There,” Farlough said, pointing to an old house covered with moss.
I see it, I see it," Tony replied.
Farlough left the door open, and they both made their way through the overgrown brush towards the house.
“So, you say the 'portal' is here?”
Farlough nodded.
"And it leads to a planet called 'Ragon'?"
Farlough smiled. “You’ll see soon enough.
By that time they were at the front door. Farlough opened it and went in.
He then stopped in the middle of the room. Tony watched as Farlough got on his hands and knees and opened a much hidden trap door. Both climbed down the unsteady ladder. 
Tony gasped. A shimmering purple mist was in front of them.
Farlough grinned. “Do you believe me now?”
Tony simply shook his head and stared. "You got me."
The mist started to move. Farlough took a step back.
"Someone is coming through."
He was right. The mist came into the form of a man. A man Farlough recognized as Reles.
"Reles!" Farlough exclaimed. The two embraced each other.
"Why did you come back?" he asked.
"To warn you," Reles replied. "There is a group of men who want to kill you. I overheard them talking about it. I told the king, and he had guards search the whole kingdom for them. But they were not found. I do not know who they are or why they want you dead, but from what I've heard, they have been to earth several times and they know how to use many of earth's contraptions and weapons. I would help you, but the king has forbidden it. I musn't interact with you, because of your banishment."
Farlough stared at the ground for several moments before speaking. "Surely you could reason with the king-"
"I already tried," Reles interrupted. "He will not change his mind."
He sighed. "This is goodbye. I am very sorry this had to happen."
He stepped back into the portal, and was gone.
Tony, who had been watching the entire time, said, "Come, Farlough. We should go back to my house."
He went up the ladder. Farlough looked at the portal one more time, and went up as well. 

Timeless - Part 2

As the man fell asleep, Tony sat down at his table with a cup of coffee to ponder the man’s strange behavior.

* * * * * * * * * *

He stares up at the sky, soaking in each star and every constellation. They are foreign. A voice sounds, but no words are formed. It is a scream; a long, loud, wail to the cold, merciless night. He bows his head down low and squeezes his eyes shut, clenching His fists so hard that blood trickles over His fingertips and dries, leaving a black stain on His knuckles.

Then it hits Him. A scene, slamming into His mind for hardly a second.

But a second is all He needs.

The scene shows Him, with His hands tied behind His back. His friend, Reles, stands in a nearby doorway with his head hung low. An unfamiliar man in royal garb, possibly a king, balls his hands into fists.

“I don’t want to do this, Farlough. But you leave me no choice,” says the king.

The Man grits His teeth. “Let it be, my king.”

The king reaches over to a wall and pulls a lever. The stone in front of the Man shimmers into a deep purple mist, reaching out with violet dust, threatening to pull anybody in that moves too close.

“Go in, Farlough.”

“Yes, sire.” The Man gets up, His hands still tied, and takes a step forward.

Suddenly, His world transforms. His mind swims into darkness and He lands hard on the ground, blacking out.

* * * * * * * * * *

Tony stared at the man lying on the ground. He had been there for over an hour, first screaming to the stars, then falling to the grass.

The man stirred. Tony nearly jumped out of his socks.

“Unnngh . . . no . . . My king . . . why would you do this to me?” he moaned. “I was the best! NO! I could have done so much! WHY?” He jumped up and grabbed Tony by the shirt collar, drawing back his fist to strike.

Tony instinctively pushed the other man away. "Calm down! I’m not a king,” he said.

The man let his arms hang limp his sides. His face softened. He dropped to his knees on the ground in front of Tony, and started sobbing.

“I’m so sorry . . . so sorry I couldn’t stay . . . Reles . . . I’m so sorry . . .” Tears streaked down his cheeks.

Tony was frozen in place. “Sir, are you okay?”

The man stopped crying for a moment. “Farlough. I am Farlough. Who are you?”

“I’m Tony. Why did you leave the house? I can take you to a hospital, if you want.”

“Hospital. What’s a hospital?”

“Uh . . . It’s a place where doctors can attend to you and stuff like that. Or, if you would prefer an insane asylum -”

“I’m not unhealthy. I’m just fine. Why would I need to go see a doctor?”

Tony was really worried now. “Well, for one, you have amnesia -”

“Whatever that is.”

“- and the doctors can help you get your memory back.”

Farlough glared at Tony. “No they can’t. Doctors are powerless to stop sickness.”

Tony sighed. “Well, at least come back into the house.”

Farlough looked at the one-story building with obvious disgust. “That’s a house?”

**********

Timeless - Part 1

He doesn’t know where He is. The Man is just a shell of what He once was. Images flash through His mind, but they are just that: images. Each image has a person He recognizes, but can’t place. His memory is fractured. Thousands of questions run laps around His brain; but all He can remember are two names:

Reles Firebane.

Farlough Rapshok.

He cannot tell which one is His. The cold floor seems to drain His brain cells like plants sap up rainwater. Something is in His hand.

A knife.

He doesn’t know how He obtained it, yet He knows that it is crafted of fine diamond and coated in steel. How does He know this? He just does. There is no explanation.

Something touches His shoulder. The Man whirls around, snarling and brandishing His knife. Another man is there. He speaks:

“Calm down, buddy,” He says. “I’m here to help you.”

Another picture shows itself in His head. A person He knows is Reles. Again, He just knows.

But this man in front of Him is not Reles.

The Man scowls and He feels something coming out of his throat. Words.

What do the words say? They say, “You did this to me.”

The other person frowns. “I don’t think so. I just walked up and you were just lying here in the middle of the street. A car just about ran over you.”

The Man tightens His grip on the knife.

“I do not know about this ‘car’ you speak of, but you had better leave before you find this sticking out of your chest.”

Where did that come from?

The pedestrian’s frown melts, replaced by a mask of fear.

The Man grins sinisterly, then gives his mind over to the evil battling for control of his body. He switches the knife to His left hand and delivers a powerful punch to the passerby’s jaw, sending him reeling to the ground. Sheathing His knife, He starts running. For no reason at all. His mind is not his own anymore, and He is not sure He can retrieve it from the depths of the blackness in His heart. Why does He harbor this contempt for everybody? The thought is immediately pushed away by an invisible force.

He stops in front of a house. Bounding up the front porch, He rams a fist into the door and falls to the ground, unable to keep Himself awake any longer. Black mist swirls around the edges of His consciousness, and He topples backwards.

Asleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

Tony Amador jumped at the sudden pounding at his door. He glanced at the clock as he moved towards the door. Why would someone come here at this hour?

He shook his head and opened the door.

An unconscious man was sprawled on his doorstep.

Tony gasped and looked up to see if there was anyone else nearby.

There was nothing but the dark street. He knelt down beside the figure and checked his pulse. It seemed fine.

The man bolted upright and drew a knife. "Get away from me!" he yelled.

"Easy, buddy, easy," Tony said. "I'm only trying to help."

"Yeah, that's what the last one said," the man replied hoarsely. "Where am I?"

"<state name>," Tony replied. "What's your name?"

"No, what planet am I on?"

Tony eyed him curiously. "What... Planet?"

The man groaned and let his head hit the floor again.

After several moments of awkward silence, Tony repeated his question.

“Your name. What is it?

The man squeezed his eyes shut, thinking hard.

“Farlough . . . or Reles. I forget.”

Tony nodded. “What happened to you?”

“I . . . I don’t know.” the man said dazedly.

"Amnesia, most likely," Tony mumbled.

“I have no clue what amnesia is.”

Tony furrowed his brow.

“Is there anything you can remember?"

The man closed his eyes again, trying to recall what had happened. His skin bunched around his eyelids as he clenched them tighter.

After a few seconds,

“There's nothing."

“It’s alright,” Tony said. “Try to get some sleep, maybe you will remember more in the morning. I'll help you to the couch.

"The what?"

Tony shook his head and pulled the other man up. They slowly made their way to Tony's sofa.

The man lay back down, and slowly dozed off.