DASCH409 Presents: Timed Out

Hello!! I hope you are having a fabulous August!!! This is the third #WattpadBlockParty that I've been fortunate enough to participate in!! I'd like to say a very BIG thank you to @KellyAnneBlount for hosting this awesome event.

Three years ago, I started working on the JUMP LINE series. The first two books are posted on Wattpad and can be found on my user page (links below). I've finally gotten around to writing the third and final book of the series, TIMED OUT. Check it out...

TIMED OUT - Chapter One

Numb. That's what I felt. My entire body no longer belonged to me. It felt as if I had left my body and was just floating above the white shell.

I slowly sucked in a deep breath and then thrust my head back underneath the steady stream of water that descended from above my head.

Theo had told me I only had thirty minutes to shower and change, but I didn't want to get out. Right now, it was the one place I felt somewhat safe. My mind had been on overdrive since we had arrived here and my thoughts continued to race from everything that had happened over the past few hours. The one consistent link was my mother...Dr. Marie James.

She had tried to kill the entire team. Yes, you heard me right, my mother had tried to kill me and the rest of my team. I'm not even sure why I continue to give her the credit of being the woman who at one point gave birth to me.

She had created an entire army of soldiers who were invisible to the human eye and then they attacked us. I had to assume they too could travel through time.

No one was safe. Not even me.

The realization that we were in imminent danger began to settle in like a sick virus slowly eating away at my body. I felt my torso begin to convulse again as I dry heaved towards the marble wall in front of me. She had done this to me and the team.

"I hate you," I mumbled to myself, as I tried to suppress the reflux to gag again. Water continued to slide down my body. I knew she couldn't hear my words, but I didn't care. She had done too much to sabotage me over the past few years. At first, I had been led to believe that my biological mother had done these things out of love and a need to protect, but I was quickly realizing that idea was all wrong. I mean, it was crazy how off I was about my mother. She didn't care about me. For her, it was about control... and revenge.

I turned around in the shower and let the soft pellets of water slide down my back. I would have liked to be able to enjoy how the water felt, but I couldn't. Steam rose around me, so it had to be hot, but my body felt nothing and it was HER fault.

LUX's voice interrupted the silence. "Captain James, the rest of the team is waiting."

"Good for them." I thrust out my arm and let the water spray towards the glass door.

"Shall I tell them you will be going to your preparation tube in just a minute?"

"No." I responded matter factly. I still needed more time to process everything that was happening.

"Captain James, Captain Marcus has asked for an answer."

"I don't care," I grumbled. Theo could wait a few more minutes. I deserved and needed this time to figure out what was going on.

LUX's face disappeared from the screen. I closed my eyes again and let the water slide slowly down my face...and then it was abruptly shut off.

"LUX! Turn the water back on!"

Silence.

"LUX, I order you to turn the water back on! Right Now!"

Before I could yell anything else, Theo appeared inside of the shower. He was standing only centimeters away from my naked body, wearing his white suit with a serious expression on his face. In a normal time, I probably would have tried to hide my private parts with my hands, but I didn't care right now. I was angry that he had barged into the one place I felt normal...and safe.

"What do you want?" I glared back at him. Theo needed to explain why he thought he should be standing in front of me.

His eyes looked back onto mine. I could tell Theo wanted to look away and possibly down, but he knew I would make him pay for that eye movement.

"It's time to go. I told you we only have thirty minutes," his fists clenched next to his body.

"I heard you, but I don't care. Besides, it doesn't matter. Don't you get it, we're all dead. The entire human race is dead! I'm sure she's already sent her army to find our ancestors and to start taking measures to destroy us. By the way, it was good to know you."

"Esa, you need to get dressed." His face was stoic as he stared straight ahead not even acknowledging my last few sentences.

"You shouldn't have jumped into my shower," I seethed, hoping he could hear how angry I was at the fact that Theo had violated my privacy.

"Go get dressed," he demanded, his serious voice rising several octaves. "Now. I'm not in the mood to play games."

"No," I responded defiantly. I really didn't care what else he had to say. "I'm not ready. I need more time. Theo, look at me. Trust me, this is not a game. Go away."

His head slowly turned back towards mine. For a brief second, it looked like he realized just how crazy all of this was for us.

"No."

"Fine. Then please just give me a few more minutes. I'm trying to figure out what is going on," I pleaded. It was all too much for me to try and figure out in such a short time.

It took him several seconds to respond. "Alright, but I'm going to stay in here with you," he leaned up against the opposite wall.

His words caused me to laugh from the absurdity.

"I think you just want to stay here so you can look at my body."

"No. I want to make sure you don't try and leave us once again. I'm in no mood to go searching throughout a whole bunch of decades to find you Esa. The team needs you."

"Fine," I turned back around. "Can you tell LUX to turn the water back on? She is obviously not listening to me."

Theo shrugged his shoulders. "LUX please turn the water back on. Captain James will have five minutes and then she will be done."

The water instantly came back on. Theo was quiet as I continued to stand under the shower head. I wondered if his eyes had finally glanced downwards and were looking at my body.

Slowly, I peeked back over my shoulders. I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised. Theo was leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed over his chest, staring outside of the shower. His eyes were nowhere near looking at my body.

"You don't want even a small little look?" I asked annoyed that he was giving me the cold shoulder.

Theo's presence in the shower was annoying, but also a good distraction. It suddenly felt good to think of something else besides how depressing it was that my mother wanted to kill all of us.

"Esa, don't," he said.

"Don't? What does that mean?"

"It means I'm in no mood for you."

His words hit me hard. They seemed so cold and mean. Once again, Theo was pulling away from me.

"Don't be an idiot," I turned back around and walked towards him. I slowly put my hands up on his face. "We need each other."

His eyes held mine and finally he responded, "I agree, but that might not be enough."

Theo was the one person I knew I could trust. My fingers intertwined with his. "Come closer to me," I said softly as I bit down on my bottom lip. There was something about Theo that made me want him to be closer to me.

His head cocked slightly off to the right side and then his lips spread into a soft smile. I tugged at his hands again. "Come closer," I whispered.

Theo obliged. His feet slowly walked towards mine.

The electricity between our two bodies was intense. "Theo, I need to tell you something—"

His hand thrust upwards towards my lips. "Shhhh....don't say another word. He might hear you."

"Huh? Who might hear me?" I instinctively responded, suddenly becoming nervous. The look on Theo's face told me there was something else he was considering.

Theo once again put his hand in front of my lips. "Stop talking. Your family is here."

As always, I love to hear from readers. What did you think of this chapter?

If you haven't read my first two books, then definitely check them out:

Jump Line: https://www.wattpad.com/story/31885460-jump-line-book-1-jump-line-series
Time Hunter: https://www.wattpad.com/story/66069829-time-hunter-book-2-jump-line-series

Also, definitely feel free to connect with me on other social media sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012364203401
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darcyschroeder22/

Again, thank you for checking out the #WattpadBlockParty. There are some amazing authors being featured this time around!!

Take care,
Darcy

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