I Gave It Away – Short Story

I GAVE AWAY one time: amazed when I received five in return. I had more time than I knew what to do with. So I gave away some more in optimism, its self wrapped in a blanket of naivety. Nothing. Well, not nothing. I lost time. In a state of negative time, the logical solution presented itself. Give away more time! So I did. Time after time, to a biological soundtrack of mixed emotions.

Giving away time, to receive time, became a behaviour, more or less. Usually less. My generosity lined a fabled cave of riches in a land far away, piled high with gold, gems and a laughing invisible thing. Shhhh! – ? – I can hear it!
Sporadically I felt guilt at giving away time. It was mine to lose. Yet the clock never changed. The best option, was to give time away, as if time grew on trees – no, wait – that’s money isn’t it? Never mind it’s origin. Soon I would get my time back. Even if, I had to spend more time doing it.

Years passed: calendars found their way to landfills. And I was giving away more time than ever. Personal records, if you will. It had become apparent, that I had a problem with time. We looked at each other with the bitterest of bile bubbling. Except, time never once recognised my existence, not so much as a good day. Nemesis time! What I would do to it if it EVER came near me! I gave it away..Again; in the sequel, the trilogy, the franchise.
My duel evolved into a fight, a skirmish, a battle, a war, a – what is greater than a war?! I don’t know. So we fought our invisible war. Fists, knives, guns, bombs, cease-fire! – I will not! – fighter jets, submarines, drones, no! – time?! – surely not! It was inevitable. How did things escalate so quickly, time? Just do it! I encouraged. Time knew the codes to launch a nuclear warhead. But time didn’t. With an apocalypse at its mercy, it refused.

I heard the laughter once more, from that distant cave. Giving away time, started to feel empty. Even giving away large amounts left me numb. So I stopped.
About time.