Flicker

As Nathan sat in the realm he stared into the blue-black landscape. The terrain reminded him of the desert with windblown stalagmites, arches and other weird shapes. He really didn't know how long he had been in this place, as far as he could figure time was irrelevant. He liked to sit by the pool as he called it. He had discovered the pool on one of his many journeys in the realm in an attempt to leave. The pool was a small section of blue liquid in a crater that stood about two feet tall a tiny flat-topped stalagmite stood next to it just the right height to make a stool for staring into the pool. He didn't even know how he had gotten here or where he would go all he knew was this wasn't the place where he belonged. The past was a blur of shapes and figures none of which he recognized, the present was this landscape he knew wasn't home, the future he didn't know and tried to make into going home. He had spent much time searching and wondering. The reason he felt time had no significance was that he didn't observe changes in himself. He did not hunger or thirst, there was no night or day; if the landscape changed it was imperceptible to him. Nothing ever happened it was like being trapped in an endless second that held only the consequences that he made. If he moved a stone it stayed moved if he fell it hurt, he seemed to be the only intelligent thing wherever he was. He had named everything mentioned, the realm, the pool, everything as he described it.

What seemed like months went by he explored as far as he liked to basing his exploration from the pool and always eventually returning to it. He had almost set his mind on traversing the realm walking away from the pool until he returned to it, assuming the realm existed on a planet. However the pool held a fascination for him. It was the only liquid he had come across in his exploration. He was inexplicably drawn to it. Sitting on the stool and staring into its surface for what seemed like hours on end. No matter how far he traveled he did not tire. He slept but not in need, only out of boredom. When he did sleep it was mostly by the pool.

One day he awoke to a sound, voices seemed to emanate from somewhere. He tried to listen carefully for the sounds; they were coming from the pool. He stared into it to see a world full of people who looked like him; specifically he saw a group of people approximately his age. They were talking of something but he could barely make the conversation out, it was muffled and distorted with echoes and breaks. He sat upon the stool and tried his hardest to understand. The conversation became clearer.

"I don't think the air show is until seven." Helen a thin young woman with blonde hair was trying to think of the exact time of the air show.

"Well that will give us plenty of time to get some pizza before the show." Patricia a beautiful red-haired young woman addressed her friend Helen.

"This is the thirtieth what about the jinx?" Melanie a short very thin brunette asked her friends.

"Just because the fifth and the tenth shows had accidents that killed spectators, doesn't mean this one is going to have an accident.