Ch. 1 Time is at work again... Not that it ever stops

When a dramatic situation occurs, everyone wonders what will happens next. Like what comes after a marriage proposal from a girl kneeling with a ring in hand. Or like when you see a car rushing towards you and time freezes. You can't move nor can you stop the train wreck about to happen. Time slows and hastens, at just the right moment. If you are the one standing in front of the car, than probably at the most inopportune moment. But time moves, and the train wreck happens anyways.

Time paused for the briefest moment when I saw the shocked expression of Kim's face. And not the good shock either. More like the, what are you doing, and you better have a good explanation for this, look. It sounds funny to me too when I think back on that moment. But when I was there kneeling, professing my intent to forever be with him, watching Kim's face get more unsightly, my mind flashed to the one who had left before, wondering how he would have reacted if I had proposed to him. He would probably be stoic as always.

Not giving me a moment to reminisce, Kim pulls the ring out my hands and grabs my wrist, pulling me to my feet. He was looking around at the people around us, trying to see who had seen my proposal, but too bad for him, it would be everyone. He then quickly pulls me out the door, not waiting for me to properly stand and so I tripping come after him, being tugged roughly, along. He pulls me along the corridor, made from transparent windows but because it was nighttime, with lights reflected against the glass, I could see my reflection. My hair had fallen loose out of its' chignon and was hanging messily down. While there was a dirt smear on my white plaid pants from kneeling. My face was blurred, Kim was pulling me too fast to see anything. Although, I could imagine red eyes, a telltale sign that a rage was about to ensue. I quickly snap out of it. This is not dignified, my perfect hair style got messed up!

I braked my feet. "Stop Kim!" I tried throwing off Kim's hand, "You are hurting me, let go of my wrist." I sounded calmer than I thought I would. Maybe even my voice was too tired to deal with this situation. I finally got him to let go my wrist, but not before my wrist was smashed against the wall. Causing a crashing pain to echo up my arm. My wrist let out a painful throb and I used my other hand to grab my hurt wrist.

"What do you think you were doing back there! What are you trying to prove, huh?" Kim was so angry there was spittle coming out of his mouth while he was yelling. He had this look in his eye. I remember the last time he got that look. Looks like someone was angry, not that that was anything new. When Kim was angry, he was like a raging bull seeing a matador's capote, or he at least looked like one.

"I was doing exactly what it looked like I was doing. I was proposing to my boyfriend of six months, whom has been promising that we would get married for last three months." I rubbed my wrist some more, feeling the corners of my eyes sting. My wrist really hurt. Hearing my answer, Kim looked even angrier, but just as he was about to say something, someone bumped into his shoulder and walked off. It looked like a light push, but it was enough to make Kim stumble a step forward. Which to be honest, is not an easy feat, with him being 6 foot and muscular enough to take on a professional wrestler, not to mention him actually being one.

"Hey! Watch where you're going! Do you have eyes made of glass?!" Kim was yelling so loud, it was a wonder the people from the venue they were just at, did not hear him. The man walking away did not stop to look back.

A voice echoed from his back, giving me chills down my spine, "Blocking the path with that body is either going to be hit from the left or the right. As you were busy, I made the choice for you." He leisurely walked away, as if a 6 foot professional wrestler was not behind his back. I looked at the back of his head and time seemed to stop, once again. Only the pause this time extended a few moments more than before. My eyes wavered as flashbacks started to hit.

"Saleb, wait for me, I will come for you..."

I shut it down. I was not going there yet, he was back and I had to keep my emotions under control. I had to finish with this problem first. I turned around and saw that Kim was going to yell some more. So, I spoke first, "Kim, I did not do anything wro-"

Before I could finish what I wanted to say, Kim suddenly turns around and smashes his fist against the wall. The wall however, does not care and remains as placid as ever. Kim pulls his hand back shaking it vigorously as it turns all red. Hah, serves him right, who would actually attempt to punch the wall with reinforced steel that was publicized to be the third strongest wall within all of Kanta. There was magic mixed into the wall I think I see tears brimming at his eyes. Kim, further angered grips my wrist again and pulls me out the door, leading to the outside. I let him, the less witnesses the better.

When Kim stops, I pull a handkerchief out of my purse and hold it out to him. "Here, don't cry, we can apply medicine when we go back," I say while smirking inside, still toying with him. He slaps my hand away, again using too much force, further hurting my hand. I watch the handkerchief fall to the ground. Now this is getting tiring. I look up with calmer eyes than before. My mind wandering off to the man who had walked away.

"I am not crying! This is all your fault in the first place. Why did you propose to me in front of all those people? Now everyone will think that I am not man enough, that even his girlfriend has to propose to him. You just shattered my image in front of all those people! And who do you think you are, huh? You think you are a princess that can do whatever she wants? Oh, that's right, I forgot. Miss. Saleb thinks she is still from a ducal family. Poor orphan Saleb trying to get all the attention by proposing in front of all those people."

I stare at him. My mind whirs and my thoughts race. "Why aren't you saying anything? Cat got your tongue? This isn't the high and mighty Saleb that I know of. Not Miss. Prude, too prideful to put out and manly enough to kneel and propose to a man..."

Kim keeps talking and I keep thinking. Do I still need him for my plans? I mean, come on, even those taunts are childish. Miss. Prude? Miss. High and Mighty? He might as well call me princess and get it over with, but too late, he already had.

When I focus back on Kim, I realize that he had kept on talking, not noticing that I had stopped paying attention a while ago. I look at his face and see the chiseled contours that balance out the symmetrical face perfectly, with those thick eyebrows, overhanging those dull green eyes of his. His plump lips are curled inwards slightly, giving him a peaked look. How did I stand him for six months? Bravo to me! Saleb, I commend you for your effort, it has been hard on you. I have an urge to pat myself on the back. I don't.

I snap my fingers. It has suddenly become silent, and I let out a huge breath of relief. "Man, you have no idea how long I had to stand you for this year. But I still want to thank you for your cooperation, because of you I now will not be pestered to get married for a while. Along, with completing my mission. As a return gift, I won't kill you but you will have to lose your tongue. I am too lazy to explain the rest, but this is farewell to you! May your life be filled with a horrible ending and may everyone realize the rotten man you are. Also, if you have been wondering why little Kim has not been up as of late, you can thank those special drinks you have been consuming religiously for the past few months. Congratulations, you will be happy to know you now qualify for monk school! I am so happy for your accomplishment." While I speak, Kim goes from looking confused as to why his lips are not moving anymore, no matter how he willed them, to an increasingly horrified expression on his face. His face turns from pasty white to pasty green. He gets a scared look in his eyes, realizing why he can't move his lips.

"Ha Ha did you really believe me? Don't worry I was only kidding about the tongue thing." That is simply too much work to do, Saleb thought knitting her eyebrow. "I will only erase your memory, and send you back to your hometown. Rest assured!"

Kim's face gets a tinge of colour back, looking a bit relieved. Don't catch your breath just yet, little oblivious bull.

"But don't worry, my promise to let you enroll in monk school is true." I keep a straight face, not letting my mirth escape. Kim looks horrified. I think those 10 too many pastries he ate before are threatening to come up again. But with his mouth shut... I snap my fingers, and take a few steps back and yup I guessed it, he vomits on the spot.

I take another step back and take out my phone. 'There is a mess in front of the door outside near the foot path. Come clean it.' I look up just in time to see something flying towards me.

Whoosh, a fist comes towards my face. A centimeter before, the fist meets its' target, I swiftly dodge right, spin my left leg around bending down and do a clean sweep, tripping Kim. Oops. He falls into the puddle of his own vomit. I scrunch up my face. Ahh, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Kim looks dazed, and I would rather leave before he comes to his senses again. Confrontation is not my thing.

I casually put my phone into my pocket and turn around walking away towards the venue. Hmmm, time to pull out my face again. My footsteps pause a bit. Oh, right he is back, deluding myself to believe I hadn't been thinking about him, since the moment I saw him before. My footsteps speed up again. I take a controlled breath and release it. A playful smirk emerges on my face like a permanent fixture. It's too late, Father Time waits for no one, not even for his daughter.