Where The Streets Are Empty - A Story

5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 & 9

^{Part 9}

^{Helena gathers all her equipment outside the abandoned mansion and takes a final look around her. The spring sun shining it's harsh light reveals how badly the mansion and the buildings around it need renovation. The stead has long lost it's glory and shine. As she is just about to lift her bags and leave, she stops and sighs deeply. She looks at one of the windows in the separate, smaller building and sweet bitter memories come rushing in.}

^{She sees her and Fred paying in the courtyard, their parents and the servants absolutely adoring both of them. She hears Fred laughing and with his bubbly laugh and warm soul, shining a bright light on all of them lighting up the darkest winters.}

^{She remembers how Fred insisted on helping the servants to light the candles. How she moved the candles with Fred from the windows to the tables and light them one by one. She remembers them playing together on the floor as their parents were whispering sweet secrets to each other by the table. How the soft candle light shined just enough to reveal the gentle smiles and glances shared between them.}

^IMAGE

^{Tears begin to fill Helenas eyes as she takes the bags, turns her back to the childhood memories and starts to walk away. She also remembers not so sweet memories from the time after childhood ended. She remembers the feeling of helplessness after numerous travels that weren't her decisions and Fred being gone also alone. She remembers how the constant worry had it's affect on their parents. She remembers how after one travel she realized how their mother had passed away and how her father never forgave her because she missed the funeral. And she remembers the last time she heard from Fred and what was playing in the background of the phone call. It was the perfect song for Fred. The ever shining light of their family in the past, but confused and depressed man from the future.}

^{Helena lets her tears dry on her cheeks and mutters to herself:
– If you're able to call me from the future, then I swear I will find a way to go to the past or send some message to myself and correct everything that has happened to us. I do not care where or when you are. I will find you.}

Part 10

– Are you sure the location you chose is empty?
Said the voice.
– Yes, yes. I am sure.
Answered the other voice. The first voice continued:
– Because we don't want the same thing happening again that happened last time.
– I know, I know. It was a miscalculation and it won't happen again.
– Okay. I'm ready to go. Are you?
– It's on.
– It's on?
– Yes, has been for two minutes now.
– What the fuck! You were supposed to activate it on my mark.
– I thought you said on my mark.
– No I didn't! I am absolutely sure I didn't!
– But you did...
– Oh for fuck sake, I asked about Mark. I didn't say on my mark. Come on we don’t have time for this!
– Okay. You are right. Time is running out. Are we still doing this?
– Yes we are. And I'm ready to go. Follow me right after.
– Hold on... the street isn't empty anymore and I don't have enough time to calculate everything again.
– Fast! Give me an other option!
– What option? I can't just select random numbers, I have to calculate it around something we know to be stable.
– Well head for the mansion over there.
– Do you want to take the risk?
– Yes I will, we can't wait for the next chance. That mansion looks deserted.
– It won't let me take you to the mansion. We don’t have enough power to get to the next neutral point. An other option is to head for the port on Ace Vortau. But that has risks, it is famous for its unpredictable behavior. Look out that lady with the dog!

Pop pop pop.

All the photos in this post are from Tampere, Finland, taken by Insaneworks.