Coinbearer-Chapter 1: A Coincidence, and A Coin

It's funny, I noticed the subtle differences first. It's odd that I didn't see the big picture. It's interesting that I became aware because of a simple, unassuming scar.

College, "The best four years of your life." I find that thought depressing. It's four years of sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, maybe even a hundred years, but people wish they could go back to those four years. Was it simpler then than it is now? For some I don't doubt it. The real world can be the worst hell. Was it the partying, the girls, the guys, or the social aspect? Maybe, because the workforce doesn't care about you, just your stats. It could be a plethora of reasons. I don't want to return to college to gain something. No, I want to return to leave something behind.

I won't lie, I went to college, and still am in college. I went for two reasons: money and love for a job. I'm still looking to get that job, and my hopes are high. I'm a good student, an excellent student really, so it shouldn't be a problem. Too my surprise, my biggest problem wasn't school, or I should say became something other than school.

I can trace the beginning of this phenomena that I can remember back to October 25, 2016, my junior year. It was a Tuesday, one of my "easy" days with only two classes and a simple lab. I didn't have many friends in my first class of the day, so I generally sat alone, took notes, and thought. I thought a lot, mainly about the multiple books I was writing. I loved writing, still do, but an active imagination can be dangerous. That fact is very true. Anyways, I was in class, minding my own business when a rather unexpected guest came and sat next to me. It was a young woman with slightly longer than shoulder length blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, a combination that was oddly unsettling. Despite that, her eyes were balanced by her friendly face with smooth cheekbones and a ever so slightly down turned nose. Instead of the standard snooty face most people associate with a beautiful blonde lady, she had the opposite. So of course, I had to ask myself, why is she here?

Personally, I don't think I'm hot. At all. It's not that I have a low self image, I just don't see how I could be seen as hot. I'm not built, don't play many sports, and am a nerd. Epitome of "uncool." The only thing I have going for me was that I was tall, lanky, blonde, and blue eyed with high cheekbones that are not very visible, and prominent eyebrows that made my eyes look a little sunk when I scowled. I didn't scowl much, unless I found something more odious than usual.

"You're Lucas, aren't you?"

At my name I turned fully to the girl, and flinched. I didn't mean to, but I had missed something about her. Across her face, from her left cheek and traveling between her eyes to her right temple, was a thick white scar. It was obviously old, healed, but very visible. Immediately, I felt bad, and went to apologize for my reaction. Instead of getting to apologize, she beat me to the punch.

"Why did you flinch like that?" she asked innocently. Her voice was young, smooth, and sweet, so oblivious. Great day how wrong I was.

"Sorry," I explained softly, looking away embarrassed. "The scar took me by surprise."

"Scar?" The word was whispered so quietly that I thought she hadn't spoken, until I looked at her face. You know the expression white as a ghost? More accurately, she went as white as her scar, and that is impressive in itself. "How can you..." she mumbled something more I didn't catch and turned to stare vacantly at the front of the classroom.

"Um," I murmured in confusion, " did I say something?"

The girl whipped back around to me with a fierce expression. I leaned back in surprise, panic most likely entering my eyes. "What are you?" she whispered. "Some sort of beast?"

"Did you just say beast?" I asked in shock.

"You must be to see it!" she hissed back. I decided around then she was crazy and acted accordingly.

One thing I don't like is violence. Okay, that's a lie. For a long time I wanted to go into the army. Sadly, my eyesight and chronic dependence on contacts eliminated that possibility. I have no qualms standing up for myself and my friends, even if that means knocking some jerks around. Despite being lanky, I do know how to fight. Still, one of my values is don't hit a girl, unless she is obviously trying to hurt me or kill me. Then self-defense kicks in. Otherwise, talk. And as a writer, I can talk.

"Listen here," I spoke rather harshly and scowling. "I don't know what you are talking about, calling me a 'beast' and all, but I am not a 'beast.' If you came over her to insult me, please leave and take your illogical hatred elsewhere."

"Illogical!" the girl exclaimed indignantly. "You wouldn't understand!"

"Then try explaining," I said exasperated, rolling my eyes. Oh, yah, I am rather sarcastic at times. I need to work on that.

"Fine!" The girl almost spat the last word and pulled out a simple gold coin from her pocket. She reached out and grabbed my arm, which I instinctively tried to jerk away from, with an iron grip that defied her looks. I didn't even want to think what the people behind us were thinking, but I was just glad the professor had not arrived yet to witness this. Actually, I remember wishing he would walk through the door at that moment and put an end to this girl's charades. The professor did not walk through the door, and the girl flipped the coin into the air.

Describing what I felt in that moment is extremely difficult. Imagine falling really fast and then hitting water. It feels like you slow down to almost a standstill in seconds. It doesn't necessarily hurt, just stings, and you feel almost weightless as you are surrounded by the fluid. You sit there for a second, then start swimming up, faster with each passing moment and a rushing sound in your ears as you head towards the surface, the normal world until you break the surface and-

I gasped and shivered uncontrollably in my chair, pulling my arms over my chest and hugging myself for warmth. The girl refused to let go of my arm, and I swore she was literally sapping the warmth from me. My teeth chattered as I tried desperately to warm up, but nothing seemed to help. My cold-locked brain decided it had to be the girl, her heavy hand on my arm somehow affecting me.

"C-ca-can yo-you let g-g-go?" I chattered out.

"No."

"Wha-what?!" I stammered in disbelief. Did she just tell me no? I thought incredulously.

"Look around you idiot." The girl now sounded exasperated and tired, much the way I had thirty seconds ago. Still, I listened to her, slowly looking around me. What I saw defied everything I knew.

"Well here is your explanation," the girl said calmly. "Welcome to my world, and a world of no time."