Chapter 2: The Lone Traveller...

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No-one ever knew he was there, he could seemingly move faster than the eye could even see and he knew how to use the shadows and the very environment around him to his advantage!

But he was more translucent then completely invisible... He could hide better than the next man, probably better than any Government Spy even!

But that doesn't mean he's untraceable, there are fragments left from his seemingly infinite lifespan...

Sometimes it's just an unusual sound in an old recording, sometimes it's a face in a photo and sometimes... It's Legends and Myths themselves!

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Who is this person? Why don't they want to be found? What do they have to hide?... So many questions, so little time.

It's best to start at the beginning, I suppose?...

From what information I've been able to scrap together I can see that it all started in 70,000,000bc... The time where dinosaurs were the only intelligent creatures roaming the planet, or so I thought anyway.

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"I have to find something to eat soon, or I'll starve!" I said to myself

*Let me think, Pterodactyls have a large wingspan in proportion to their bodies... But not much meat* I thought before considering something bigger and less, well... Airborne.

"Maybe a T-Rex? It would be harder to take down but at least I wouldn't stave anytime soon..." Yeah! That's what I was going to do!

I set up camp for the night making a temporary home at the top of the Conifer Trees to avoid the eye of any predators; Because I knew I wasn't strong enough to take one on: Not in this condition!

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My eyes snapped open! I seemingly to be buried alive! I clawed at the dirt in a desperate attempt to replace the grit, ripping me apart from the inside, with air!

It felt like an eternity before I finally saw light and felt the warmth of the sunlight on my face! The air seemed even fresher than I had ever known! But something was amiss...

No Dinosaurs, No Towering Trees! Where was it all?

Everything I knew, just like that was gone! The only way this landscape could possibly be so different was if I were about 70 million years in the future!

I saw someone in the distance... Another person, I thought I was the only one?

Maybe they have the answers? So I went up to them.

"Excuse me!" I tried to project my voice so this person could hear me, as I got closer to this seemingly startled onlooker-

I saw the unusual clothing he was wearing, the detail on it was amazing!

"What on earth is that material too?" I thought out loud while holding this unusual fabric, complete astonishment on my face!

He looked at me before responding, in what might as well have been gibberish for me at the time:

"Ohhhh, you've never seen this before? You must be part of a native tribe or something like that?..."

I looked in confusion, I had no idea what he was saying. I shrugged to attempt to convey this and he looked at me and seemed to understand:

"Ohh, you must not understand English either... You poor thing!"

He pointed at me and then his clothing in turn before saying "Would you like one like it?" He put his hands together in the air, making a tent shape before continuing...

"... And a place to stay too?"

We were on the same page And I gave him a smile and nodded respectfully in response...

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"How was work today?" Ty asked me

It had been 10 years since we first met and became like family, he had worked with me to help me understand English but I also knew how to speak like I had before as well.

I was more settled to life in 1589 though, and I had to say... Things had become more comfortable in those 70 million years!

I was a Inventor, Craftsmen and Scientist by then... But in the 1580's can YOU guess which got me in the most trouble?

Go on, I'll wait...

Yep, being a scientist in the time when everyone still believed the earth was flat... I can tell you, I got into my fair share of altercations!

But something about the idea of it awakened a deep rooted fascination that had been dormant for sooooo many years...

I just had to let my creativity run wild and Ty was incredibly supportive of this.

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There was only one thing though, something I could never really see like everyone else... I never judged on race, gender or opinion!

Because when you've lived with dinosaurs for a good portion of your life, being the only human alive to your knowledge, all you see is another human... Someone who has feelings, emotions, whatever you want to call it!

But they could never see it like that, they couldn't view the world like I did. And I felt sorry for them!

A seemingly endless swarm of people stormed into the house!

"Why are you chumming up with this dirtied piece of filth!" They all piped in unison!

"I...I'm sorry? What did you just call Ty?" I rarely lost my temper but bringing Ty into this just made my blood boil!

"Ohhh, so that the name you've given your Stable Hand!" They all laughed as though agreeing on some sort of joke!

"Ok, listen... I think maybe you've all had a bit too much too drink!" I started, trying to remain calm but knowing I could snap at any minute!

I continued "So why don't you all go home and we can discuss this calmly at tomorrow morning's Town Hall meeting."

"Well, looky here! The know it all is telling US what to do! Can't have that now? Can we boys?!?" The figure said looking to the mob that was gathered around him

"NO!" Piped the mob in complete unison!

The figure lunged towards me, dagger in hand, which I dodged with complete ease (After killing many T-Rex over my earlier years, his movements seemed as slow as a Sloth)

But he'd pulled the fast one, he rushed to Ty and held the serrated edge to his throat!

"You choose then! If you're so fond of this filth! You or... what was it you called him?..."

He paused to think

"...ahhh, yess... Ty! You or Ty!... Your Choice Genius!" He said with an air of arrogance

"And you swear, if I give myself up, you won't kill him?" I asked

"Sure, why not?" He replied

"OK..." I knelt down and he motioned to another of the mob to put their dagger onto my own throat before tying up Ty and walking over

"As much as I'd love to get rid of that filth... People like you take precedence!" He said before slitting my throat with his dagger and watching me bleed out until I died...

I thought that was it, but I was VERY wrong!

I woke up, clothes all bloodied, everyone had left the house and Ty... Ty was... was lying next to me! A massive open wound replaced where his heart had been!

I couldn't hold back the tears, one after another they cascaded down my face over the loss of my frien... No, my Family!

"H... H... How could anyone be so cruel? So full of hate?" I asked aloud to the thin air itself, all through my stream of tears!

I pulled Ty's Body over my shoulders and walked... Just walked... For miles and miles, until I reached the place he first found me; All those years ago!

I placed him on the ground and fashioned an axe out of some nearby supplies... I started chopping.

When my arms started to ache... I pushed past the pain, because I now knew an even worse pain!

I built the wood into thick planks and those planks together, sealed with a blend made from tree sap.

It was done...

I lowered the coffin into the newly built 6ft hole, the same place I burst out from when we first met... But he deserved better then just dirt eating away at his corpse!

I put the lid over and filled the hole, I used all my crafting skills to make it as nice as possible...

Surrounding the dark brown tomb with nearby rocks and pebbles as well as marking it with a sign I'd engraved myself...

*Here Rests The Most Compassionate Man That Ever Lived... Ty! I'll Miss You Brother!*

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1952: New York

$75 million... A small price to pay for a glimpse of peace... The world is suffering from the aftermath of the Second World War: which is why we need a symbol of peace, so I've finished work on my latest project...

The United Nations HQ, I don't want fame... I don't want attention on me when it should be on the issues... So I've put this under the name of a close, trusted friend of mine: The US!

All controls; trusted to this country... I'll merely be another "anonymous donor" but it's all I need if this goes right.

I've given them strict instructions for it to be an environment of equality for every man and woman of all colours and upbringing: it's up to them now!

In all this time... I've began to see things more clearly, to understand this world and how it works.

But I'm gonna have to make some adjustments if it's going to be at it's best.

*I casually walk over to the stock market board; to see which companies are making their debut. Greeted only by the untrusting stares of the employees, who know my flawless track record almost too well*

"Hi Mike, I'll take CBS Films if you please" I smiled before continuing "I'd like to invest 1 million into them"

By now, they were used to my larger investments... But they didn't have a clue how I knew these companies would rise (and too be perfectly honest, I'm not 100% sure how I do either)

He looked at me before asking what no-body there had ever had the guts to ask before:

"Do you have insider information or something? Because, and I don't mean to be rude here, but you seem to never miss the mark!" He asked, the curiosity seemed to be killing him!

But I certainly appreciated the confidence it must've taken to ask that, as well as the honesty; but politeness, he presented it with.

"I'm not too sure myself; to be perfectly honest... But, if I had to guess, I'd say it's some middle ground between intuition and pure luck" I smirked and pointed at the board

"Look up there, what do you see?"

Mike looked confused but after a small pause responding: "It's just a bunch of company names and their value"

"Sure!..." I started "On the surface, you'd be exactly right... But think a little deeper; for example - Look at that board, and from that information alone, try to estimate which are the newly created companies." I urged him

He looked puzzled and said: "I guess the ones with the lower value, but what has that..." he started before I interjected

"So you know which companies are newer, due to their lower value per share... So to start off, think about how many shares you could buy while still having enough to survive on."

I continued "These are considered 'low risk investments' because even if you pick a company that goes belly up, you haven't lost a large amount... So I'd recommend starting with those!"

"Wow! I never realised you'd thought about everything sir!" His jaw was dropped by this point

"Ok, how much spare money do you have?" I quizzed

"Let me look..." he pulled out a few notes and coins and counted them

"$2000 spare" he replied

"Ok..." I looked at the board before continuing

"Try this one..." I pointed at a company known then as "Walton's"...

However, you'll know it better by its rename: "Walmart Inc"!

"Sir, I can't just..." he started

I cut him off and asked "Mike, just ask yourself... Do you trust me?"

He considered his options for a moment before responding: "Yes sir... But if I spend this and it goes wrong... I get a free kick to ya goonies"

"It's a deal!" I laughed and continued "I'm completely confident this'll work out! And if it does, here's all I want from you... Don't let anyone know I told you any of this" I smiled as I said this to reassure him

"Unusual request, but ok" He Ended with a chuckle

Me and Mike never saw each other after that, but I hear he has an amazing life for him and his family now... And I couldn't be happier for him, if anyone deserved it; he did!

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Writers Notes: This particular story was incredibly difficult for me to write as I wanted to convey the problems of racial discrimination in the past (that's still echoed in the modern world) but in a way that wouldn't be entirely racially insensitive...

The actual way that people of colour were treated back then were significantly worse both verbally and physically, and I felt taking that route would be too extreme... even for this type of story.

If you have in any way been affected by this story, please be sure to reach out to the relevant parties.

With that said, I hope you enjoyed... Even if it is a tad darker than usual :)

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