Time For Reflection

It was a crisp and cool autumn morning in London. The heavens wore a resplendent shade of blue, the sun glinting warmly. Aaron woke up late, after a night of extreme gaming indulgence.

Time-warp had left Aaron addicted to it. It was a particularly curious piece of the game coming from an unknown gaming company. Aaron had come across it on the internet randomly and hit the corresponding torrent download link. The premise itself- made lucid by the name of the game- appealed to his gamer’s mind. Players needed to start out on a quest in a random time but could be warped off, throwing them away into the distant past or lurching them forward hundreds of years ahead.

Aaron’s eyes ached from a shallow sleep. The vivid images of the brilliant graphics and CGI reality had filled up his dreams throughout the night. Mark, his nerdy roommate was away for a weekend Math’s conference to Leeds and he had the room all to himself.

It was mid-day by the time Mark had freshened up and started out for a brunch, following which he went on a much-needed stroll in the nearby park. Feeling lighter and better, the walk has allowed him to get rid of the stuffiness induced by his nocturnal gaming excesses, he turned to return to his lodgings. He had a terrifying Physics assignment to begin. Professor Will- very unlike an amiable creature- did not treat defaulters kindly.

As he sauntered down the lanes, now colored in darker hues due to the approaching twilight, he noticed a dimly lit store in a corner by the street. He had been staying in the neighborhood for almost 2 years, thus familiarizing himself with it greatly. Why then had this store never been visible? Aaron could not comprehend.

The store was a tiny one and appeared old. A board with the letters- Warply’s Antiquities- hung lopsidedly, swinging gently in the cool autumn breeze. The mysterious aura of the shop drew Aaron’s attention. A bell tinkled as he pushed open the wooden door.

The shelves inside were crammed with numerous curios and antique little wares-ancient bronze Egyptian cats, statues that appeared straight out of the Harappan Civilization, intricately carved wooden toys, jeweler and articles of jade and even tattered old books with yellowed pages. Aaron stared about him in wonder. A little cough startled him out of his reverie.

A wheezy old man of diminutive proportions stared at him questioningly from behind half-moon shaped glasses. “Yes?”- The little old man inquired.

“Erm…What a delightfully queer shop. Never come across it before.”

“Time is precious. Do not waste it. Here…the thing, you asked for.”

“Ehh? Well, I never…I don’t understand!”

The storekeeper, who had been rummaging inside a drawer of the counter, brought out a timepiece. It was an exquisite little brass stopwatch dangling from a gold chain. He came over to Aaron and handed it over to him. The clock bore a sign of wear and tear and seemed to be ages old. The ornate dark clock hands, inside the glass frame, ticked time away rightly though. A tiny button had been set atop the watch. Aaron pressed it. And felt dizzy suddenly.

There was greenery all about him. A dazzling blue river swept past a glade, decorated with the most exquisite flowers. Children garbed in animal hides and moccasins spoke an unknown tongue and played about. In the distance, huge dinosaurs grazed the grassland. A sudden blast was heard, followed by tremors in the ground. A nearby volcano had begun spewing lava. Terror struck beasts and humans had begun running halter smelter as red-hot liquid oozed out of the active fire pit. In bout of terror, Aaron pressed the tiny button of the watch. The dizzy sensation overtook him once more.

He was now in an arid land, devoid of any plantation. Huge and strange walkways had created meshes in the sky. The climate was uncomfortably warm, and the air appeared vitiated. A pale-looking child who had donned a mask upon its face passed by with weak steps. The world seemed to have advanced scientifically but settled almost on the apocalypse. Aaron pressed the button again.

He was back in his time with the little old man standing close by.

“Well? Appears you have used it all up. Thank you for today!”- Chuckled the fellow.

Next morning as Aaron walked past the spot, he could find no store. But he had learned a lesson in an unexpected manner, to reflect on the punishments time and nature had in store for humans, to reflect upon the ultimate survivor if they were to continue with their callousness towards the earth.