The Crystal Skies

Chapter 1. 1

It seemed an age since i had been outside, the clean air upon my face felt like something from a dream. I had been resting at home for so long i could hardly remember what the real world looked like, a fountain of colours all around me. 2

I walked quietly through the garden, not knowing if my parents were around, although i felt fine and ready to go out again, i was sure they would send me back inside, telling me i was not ready for exercise. 3

I opened the gate at the end of our garden, and slipped out silently. Freedom at last, i was away from the house i could almost call a prison. 4

Looking around me i could see that not much had changed, the houses, with there small tidy gardens all looked the same as when i'd last been outside. Even if they hadn't changed, i knew something had changed in me, and i would never see them again as i once did, friendly, welcoming houses of friends. No, now they were places i would never go. 5

I headed for the nearby woods, i knew it would be quiet, a place where i could be alone, and think for a while by myself. Once i was amungst the trees i relaxed, and no longer cared how loud my footsteps were, or how visible i was, who could see me anyway? 6

I squinted at my watch, 10.30, no one would check my room until 12, so i was ok for ages. 7

The trees gave me shade, which i liked, i wasn't quite ready for the blazing sunlight yet. After being in my dark room for so long, the sunlight was something my body couldn't handle. 8

I headed deeper into the trees, seeking my favourite place, i sped up, my eyes searching for a gap i could go through. I soon found it, crawling through a mass of undergrowth i came out into a clearing, and saw the clear, welcoming waters that i knew so well. 9

A shiver went down my spine, remembering the last time i had been here, 8 months ago. It was october, and very cold outside. Me and alex had come here to talk, things weren't going right between us. He had found out my secret, knew what i was, and he was angry with me for not telling him. 10

"I couldn't tell you, i just couldn't, its not that easy," I had pleaded with him. 11

"You don't trust me? Is that what your saying, you don't, do you?" 12

I couldn't answer him, he would hate me if i did. Truthfully, i couldn't trust him, not with this, it was something he didn't understand. 13

"Tell me!" His hand grabbed at my arm, stopping me from running away, "tell me Katie!"14

Tears poured down my cheeks, how could i ever explain to him how i truly felt, what had gone on and what i knew would happen. If he ever knew, i would never have freedom again. 15

I tried to run, but his grip tightened on my arm, i kicked him, then through all my body weight against him. It wasn't much, but the ground was slippy and he fell backwards, towards the frozen waters. i dived to grab his hand, but it was too late, his body went trough the ice, and was sucked down into the pool. 16

His death was reported, nobody blamed me, i was just an inocent girl, who cared about him. Everyone thought he'd just slipped on the ground, how could i say it was my fault, that i'd pushed him, killed him. 17

They searched through everything he owned, and found it, the paper where my secret was written. 2 weeks later they took me away. 18

Chapter 2. 19

I looked at the water, for some reason it seemed to call to me, begged me to slide into it, what did i have to lose. 20

I pulled off my jacket and took off my shoes, and sat on the side of the pool. 21

Something seemed to hold me back, perhaps it was fear. fear of dying, or fear of the unknown, they'd never found alex's body, but how was that possible, not to find a body in a small round pool. 22

I slid the lower half of my body into the water, and felt a strong current tug at me, surprised, i let go of the side and was immediately pulled down into the depths of the pool. 23

My head was covered by the water, i tried to scream, to resist the force pulling me down, but it was imposible, i was drowning in my own fearr. 24

I kicked and fought against the force, but it was too much, my lungs seemed to be closing in, there was nothing i could do. My chest hurt, as it sought for air i knew it could not find, would never find. 25

I touched my face with my hand, and blinked. The light hurt my eyes. 26

"Is this death?" I whispered. 27

I tried to sit up, but my body felt weak, i didn't have the energy to move propperly.
I tried to make sense of what had happened, but everything seemed so blurry, i couldn't remember where i had come from, even who i was...all i knew was this must be the end of life. 28

I heard the person come into the room before i saw him, a boy, not much older then me, tall, good looking i noticed. He smiled at me, but didn't talk for a while, he just watched. He almost seemed nervous of me, like he didn't quite know what to make of me. 29

"who are you?" his voice was quiet, intense, it touched every atom of my body, warming me, making me feel alive. 30

"Katie, i'm katie." 31

I could only whisper, i was so overwhelmed with everything. what had happened, what was happening. Nothing made sense to me, it all seemed such a dream. 32

He sat on the floor, and stared at me for a minute, a slight frown upon his face. 33

"So, your one of them...i am glad...they, my parents, thought you'd be one of the time keepers...they would have killed you...i wanted you spared i knew you were inocent, you understand, don't you?" 34

I stared at him, the truth was i didn't understand, any of what he was saying. Time keepers, who were they, and why wouldn't i be inocent. 35

"well...no, i don't. but you can tell me, i'll listen, i have, i have forever to listen i suppose."36

He smiled, something in his smile told me he understood my confusion, how lost i felt. 37

"Ok, it started a long time ago. This country, this world, used to be very different. We understood one another, we didn't hurt or kill. It was a perfect world, the only perfect world in existence, because of our protection. This protection, it had been there forever, no one knows how it came, who made it, there was no record of that. But it was there, it held this world together in harmony. But not so long ago, 200 years ago, things started to change.
The time keepers found us. They were not a strong race at the time, there species hadn't been developed very well, but they needed food. There food is energy, it helps them get stronger. This world is the perfect world for them to live in, it is clean, and pure. Also, our beings are pure. We are not like you, girl, katie, our bodies are pure light, pure fantasy and dreams." 38

"So, your like angels? like the angels people might talk about in my world?" 39

"Sort of, i know what your angels are, they are not perfect beings like the people of this world, more of a lesser species, who have the duty of care over certain other universes. But, back to the time keepers, when they found this world, they fed off the people here, they grew stronger and realised their power. they have abilities you could only dream of, they would be a fantasy to your mind.
When they found their abilities they started destroying this world, they killed people to become stronger, to grow and for their power to excell even beyond their wildest dreams.
They did things no one had heard of, no one could even dream of. they destroyed our protection, and ripped apart the atmosphere of this world. That's why you are here, you're just a little girl caught up in a big war. But your here now, you can't go back." 40

"But how am i here, how did it happen?" 41

"I don't know, i can't see the place in your world. But, it was a time hole, a rip in time and space. The time keepers made that, perhaps they don't know it, but when they do...i hate to think. They use the time holes to travel, its easier then normal time travel, that requires huge amounts of energy each time, but a time hole, once it's made, it's there, they can just slip through it and there you go, they're in to your world. They'll destroy that too.
That's why we must stop them, and we need all the help we can get." 42

"So...your trying to tell me that a group of people...beings, whatever, called time keepers are trying to take over the universe. Are you crazy??? Seriously, who are you, how the hell did i get here and what do you want me for." 43

He looked down, i tried to meet his gaze but it was too intense, it seemed to search me, go right through me as if he knew everything about me. 44

"Its all true, what i said. I can show you." 45

He stood up and started to walk towards the door, then turned and looked back at me. 46

"Come on, its the only way you'll believe, and you've got to see what its like, we need you." 47

I stood up, and followed him. the room i had been in was in a house, quite a big house from what i could gather, long, wide coridors went in every direction, but the boy seemed to know where he was going. 48

His pace sped up, and i had to start running to keep up with him, but soon we reached the place he was taking me too. He opened the door and stepped inside. I did not follow him, what i saw repulsed me too much to move. 49

"What...what are they?" i could only whisper, i felt dizzy, what i saw had drained all my energy. 50

"They're us, people from this world, reduced to nothing by the war, the war that's going on around us, and won't stop until the whole universe can help."