Tim time
Martin sat on Tim's couch. It’d been a few days since Tim came into work. Sasha was also skipping, but Nikki had told Jon everything was ‘a-okay’ on that end. So Martin went to check on Tim. There was a plane ticket purchased on the Archive’s spending account, and Jon filled out the expense form for it immediately.
So here Martin was, watching as Tim packed a small bag.
“Well Martin. Are you going to say anything or just stare like the damn monsters of the ‘Beholding’.” Tim’s voice had an edge to it.
“S-Sorry. I just. We need to talk about this. Jon isn’t- You aren’t being fair.”
“Fair, Martin? Do you even understand how Fucked that everything is? I trusted him. He told us he wasn’t like the other monsters. And I trusted that. We Joked with him about it. Spooky Google? Like his powers were harmless. That him slurping fear out of innocent people is okay since people are coming of their own free will. How many people have we escorted to a lifetime of nightmare Martin?“
“I don-”
“Right. Don’t know. Or maybe don’t care, hm? Jon knows though. Every single one. And he knows that there will always be someone to lead the people to vomit their nightmares so he can have a snack. It doesn’t even bother him anymore does it?”
“Tim. It bothers him. All the time. He literally cannot forget any bit of pain he witnesses. He’s had to learn to deal with the grief, you have no idea how it went down the first time.”
“Oh of course, cause I don’t have the memories like you and Daisy. How could I judge without the full lore behind-”
“Fine, you want the Lore,” Martin was standing at this point, stared at Tim with an odd look of pain. Tim looked like he was going to say something. ”Everyone has been dead longer than they have been alive for us, and Jon is trying to power through it. He’s mourned all of humanity once already.”
Martin’s voice held strong. “And now, he isn’t even sure that we will even be able to prevent anyone’s death, or even if the end of the world is something that can be prevented.”
“Course he fills you in on that before us.” Tim let out an angry sigh. “Do you help him water it down for human consumption?”
“He didn’t tell me actually. This is all based on his mumblings while he was having a breakdown. I know how he thinks so I was able to put that together on my own. Plus there is the fact that though Elias said he took care of Prentiss, she is still alive. Just wandering the Lonely until all her worms die. There is a good chance she is going to die on the same day she did in the past, but we can’t wait to find out cause Sasha dies on the same-” Martin stopped before finishing his sentence, his anger from before seemed to almost deflated. How did he know..?
“Look. I don’t know what your goal is by being here, but I need to be anywhere but here. I got a flight to catch and as much as I like spending Elias’s blood money to annoy him, I would rather not have to wait for another flight. I’ll keep this in mind while I think about it. I just gotta blow some steam, or I’m going to take it out on everyone. Everything is just so fucked, I gotta immerse myself into something not the end of the world related for a little. ” Tim picked up his packed bag. “Now out.”
“Right. Just Tim. Please don’t forget that Jon is only human. He can’t be perfect.” Martin paused in the doorway. “If we don’t communicate with each other. Elias will come out on top.”
--
Tim didn’t think his trip through, as he got off the plane in Italy somewhere. Only that he needed to be very far from London. Far from the monsters, the fears, the playing buddy buddy with A stranger, who he was pretty sure knew more about the circus than she was letting on. It was crazy. At first, he figured Jon knowing more was convenient and easily teasable. Jon did all the monstrous things behind a closed door. Might even be why Tim felt so betrayed.
He knew that Jon didn’t want this, knew that no one wanted to be there under the terms they were brought in on. He wanted to quit. He really did. But he also didn’t. He wanted to take out the circus. Leaving would also get in the way of that.
Tim’s brain was spinning as he made his way to the hotel he’d booked. When he got into the lobby, it was unsettlingly empty considering it was still midday in peak holiday season. No one was at the desk, nor around waiting either. He got out his phone to check if it was the right place, but it didn’t have a signal.
“Damn.” Tim went to leave when he froze. The door was gone. “Of course the door is gone. Why wouldn’t the damn door be gone.“ He sat with his bag beside him.
“Okay, so monster checklist. Lonely or Spiral maybe? Those deal with this kinda thing. Making all the people go away.” He let out a hefty sigh. “Whatever is messing with me, you aren’t getting any kinda meal. I’m not scared, just pissed.”
“Ooh, look at you.” A voice came from behind him. It came from a man who looked like he didn’t quite fit in his skin or this reality. “Thinking that making you scared is why you are here.” His laugh hurt Tim’s teeth.
“If not for that, what could other fear monsters want?” The world started to feel wrong. There was another figure, though that one clearly wasn’t trying to be a person. Her, his, Their? Their body bent in places where there shouldn’t be joints, but not in a painful way. It looked natural on them, like Tim was the one missing joints.
“Oh Michael, you weren’t bluffing when you’d said that those who the Archive surrounds himself with were interesting.” The figure was suddenly next to Tim while the being that they called Michael seemed to take their place farther away.
“Will you get to your points. I would like to check into my room and enjoy my time off.”
“Is there ever a point to anything?” Michael shifted his hands. Tim didn’t like how either of these two felt when they moved.
“I have a point. Many of them!” The other sounded enthused.
“Well then?”
“I want a friend, but they have to be human. Michael said the Archive’s Guard hates him, so thought that would be a fun human to become friends with before the Eye has its way. Super knowledgeable to counter my confusion. It would be so much fun!”
“Archive’s guard?” Tim was having a hard time processing the words. He’d wanted to say ‘fuck off’ but some curiosity rose to the surface first.
“Guard indeed. So what do you say, want to play?” The colors in the room started to be wrong. But like the figures form, the new colors seemed to make more sense, though Tim knew they were wrong.
“No. I don’t want to play.”
Michael laughed. “I told you, Alice, The crew isn’t any fun, but interesting isn’t the word either.”
“You did. You did. I suppose it was worth the shot. Not like the Guard is the only human around. I just wanted to be able to confuse someone that fights it so well. I don’t think he even notices the [----]” Whatever they, Alice?, said, Tim couldn’t hear the words. It just sounded like nails on a chalkboard. “You know, I bet he would be able to even find his way through your halls. Want to test him!!?”
Tim tried to understand the last thing Alice said after the nail sound, but it was as though words weren’t something that could be processed anymore. It was just sounds now, with no meanings.
“Hmm could be interesting.” Michael was getting hard to look at. “Alright Guard.”
Tim could understand those words. There was that Guard word. Was this his name? Was Michael addressing him?
“There are two ways home. Go through the yellow door, or exit through the hotel door. The yellow door, you will remember this encounter, the hotel doors, you will forget.”
Fuck. It was getting hard for the Guard, no, his name was Tim, but that seemed important. Tim tried to think straight. He didn’t want anything taking memories from him.
Tim reached for the door and opened it. The moment the door opened, his mind cleared and he remembered. Jon had told them about Michael. Michael and his halls. Too late now.
Tim entered the halls and the door closed behind him, leaving Alice who was waving goodbye.