No One Knew This Is How It Ended

PART 4

Ava gazed out the coffee shop window, calculating the years she’d evaded Jovas the goat-bearded satyr. That ended with the clippity-clop of hooves behind her. Calmly, she licked the powdered sugar from her fingers as he greeted her in a gruff voice.

"My little sneak thief, more clever than I expected.” Jovas chuckled. “Hand it over!"

Obediently, Ava plopped a powdered donut into it his outstretched hand.

Jovas smashed it and tossed it aside. “The watch!” He growled. His hand clamped onto her shoulder to prevent her escape.

“The young satyr couldn’t outrun you?"

"No one outruns themselves.”

Realization dawned on Ava as she handed him the timepiece. The younger satyr had been Jovas trying to keep himself from this end. With the precision of a jeweler, he disassembled the watch. Hands floated above gears, which floated above springs, and time slowly unwound.

"Why?"

"To refashion time to my needs. No one knew this is how it would end. No one but me.

The coffee shop slowly unraveled. Feeling herself come undone, Ava shoved her butter knife covered in preserves into the timepiece, jamming the works.

Jovas roared, continuing to unravel. Horns disconnected. His wretched face floated free. A tufted tail hovered over hooves until he was gone.

Time settled into place. Ava pulled the knife free and licked preserves from the clock face.

"A shame this is how ended."

In answer, a clock hand sluggishly ticked forward one minute, and a sly grin crossed Ava’s face.

"Or is it?"

Photo by Tomas Jasovsky