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I always knew we were a fairly odd Family, first, there was me. Too tall, too skinny, too orange. My mum was lovely but not like other mums, there was something solid about her something rectangular, solid and unsentimental. Her fashion icon was the queen. Dad, well, he was more normal. He always seemed to have time on his hands, After giving up teaching university students on his 50th birthday, he was eternally available for a leisurely chat or to let me win at table tennis. Then there was mums brother, Uncle Desmond. He was impeccably dressed, he spent his days just, uh, well, being Uncle Desmond. He was the most charming and least cleaver man you could ever meet. His mind was on other things, though, and we could never find out what. And then finally, there was Kathryn, Katy, Kit Kat. My sister, in a household of sensible jackets and haircuts there was this, uh, what could I call it.. Nature thing. With her elfin eyes and purple shirts and eternally bare feet. She was then, and still is to me, the most wonderful thing in the world. All in all, it was a pretty good childhood, full of repeated Rhythms, patterns. By the time I was 21 we were still having tea on the beach every single day, skimming stones, eating sandwiches, summer and winter no matter what the weather. And every Friday evening, a film, no matter what the weather. And then, once a year, the dreaded New Year's Eve party.
I walked my way through the crowd, the house packed to the brim with sweaty young adults like me. Well, not like me at all really. It all smelt of alcohol, but the beer in my hand probably didn't help with that. After searching through the crowd I found an old friend of mine, she waved and I in return waved back. She wanted me to join her in a dance but I signalled to my now empty drink and disappeared back into the crowd to get another. Although I didn't plan on returning, I did, and I ended up dancing with her for however long till I grew tiered, walking back to the second living room to sit on the lounge. The music was blaring, and no real conversation could ever really be made over it. Looking at my empty hands I knew I needed another drink, I hate parties, and this one was no exception. I knew somewhere, in the masses of drunken people, my father would be dancing away with my mother. It's funny how they blended in so well with people half their age. My friend, Mikata, who I noticed was drunk and stumbling, pulled me away from the lounge by the arm. On our journey to God knows where he bumped into a table, sending drinks flying over people's heads and onto a lounge. He would regret that in the morning when I would make him clean it up. On the way to our destination he left me with the girl I was dancing with before, her cheeks rosey red from the alcohol.
Suddenly, people started counting down. Five, I looked down at her, she looked up at me hopefully. Four, she stood on her tippy toes, trying to get closer. Three, I leaned in slowly, it was customary to have a New Years kiss, right? Two, our lips where inches apart. One, quickly I pulled away, extending my hand instead. Happy new year!! People around us cheered and started kissing. "Happy new year." I spoke over the music as she shook my hand, a fake smile plastered on my face. "You too.." She herself smiled back if not a little glumly, pulling her hand away and turning her body away from my own. In all fairness I should have kissed her, I wasn't attracted to her or anything, but it was the right thing to do.
And so I woke up the next morning, hung over and ashamed of myself. And not realising it was the day that would change my life forever.
I listened to my door click open, followed by my sisters voice. "Get up, stupid." She cheered, only making the throbbing in my head worse. Her soft bare feet padded along my floor, till I felt her whole weight on my covered body. Her brown and purple died hair fell on my face, and I could see the long sleeved purple shirt she wore flung over the side of the bed. Groaning I closed my eyes, not wanting to get up. "Ohh- hello, sexy pyjamas." Kathryn pulled on the collar of my shirt, smiling playfully down at me. Briefly I wondered if she had a head ache at all. "Dad wants you." She mumbled into my ear, earning another low groan from me. About fifteen minutes later, once I was free of my sister and fully dressed, I made my way down the wooden stares and towards my father’s study. Knocking once I opened the door, my father calling out. "Ah, Hux, come in." When I walked in I noticed how stiff his body posture was, and the way his hand was uncomfortable resting on a chair as he stood.
My father was in no way unattractive. He had grey hair, parted to the side just like how I kept mine, but his was longer. He had smile lines all over his permanently sun tanned skin, his eyes bright and alive despite his age. He was tall with long, awkward looking limbs. He always managed to move gracefully though, despite his odd body shape. "Please, sit down." I closed the oak door behind me and took a seat on the small lounge in front of him. My father’s office was filled with books, anything you could think of would be found in there. It amazes me sometimes how me managed to read them all. "This is very formal.." I commented, looking up at the man before me. My father was constantly joking, and this sudden formal approach almost scared me. Almost. "Well, uh, this is an awkward moment for me." My father smiled that award winning smile, the smile he used when he was trying to tell you something. That knowing smile. "Because I had the same talk with my father when I turned twenty one and after it, my life was never the same. So I approach it nervously." He laughed lightly, using small hand gestures as he talked. It was clear he was stalling, and this meant that what we were going to talk about was something worth talking about.
"Okay, when you’re ready, it's all very mysterious." I leaned back in the chair, using the same easy going smile that I reserved for moments like this. "Uh, right, Hux, my dear son. Uh, the uh, simple fact is the men in this family have always had the ability too.." He paused. "This is going to sound strange." I shrugged; ready and willing to listen to whatever he was going to say. "Be prepared for strangeness, be ready for spooky town. Ah, but there is this family secret." He still hasn't moved from his spot. "And the secret is, the men in the family can.." He paused again, this was getting irritating. Hand now back on the chair. "Travel in time."
I probably looked like an idiot, I felt like one at least. My mouth was gaping open in disbelief. Did he really believe I would fall for this? "Well more importantly travel back In time. We can’t travel into the future." "This is such a weird joke." I butted in, my eyebrows now furrowing. "It's seriously not a joke." My father looked at me dead in the eye. "So your saying that you, and granddad and his brothers could all travel back I time." I said slowly, my brain trying to work around this obvious practical joke he was trying to pull on me. "Absolutely." He said it with such certainty, such truth, that I almost believed him. "And you still do?" I asked, raising a brow. "Absolutely, although it's not as dramatic as it sounds. It's only in my own life, it's only in places I have been and can actually remember. I can't kill Hitler or shag Helen of Troy, unfortunately." It came out almost like a sigh.
"Okay stop." I huffed. "If it's true, which it isn't." "Although it is" he butted. "Although it isn't obviously. But if it was, which it isn't." He butted in again "Which it is." "Which it is not, but if it was, how would I actually.." My voice trailed off. "Well how is easiest thing to understand in fact, you go into a dark place, big cupboards are the best usually, toilets are the pinch. Then you clench your fists like this." He held his fists by his side, knuckles white with the pressure. "Then think of the moment you’re going to and you will find yourself there." He leaned on his hand which was now back on the chair. "After a bit of a stumble and a rumble and a tumble." He laughed lightly, trying to lighten the mood. I paused for a moment, my head still aching from last night and now trying to work itself out. "Wow.." I murmured in disbelief. "This is a good of a reaction as any. I think I plunked for FUUUUUUCK." He mumbled, a quiet happy laugh leaving his lips at the memory. "No this is so obviously a joke." I smiled, shaking my head. This is like the things your read about in books, or tv shows. "But it isn't, why would I lie to someone I'm fairly fond of?" He smiled reassuringly, titling his head a little to the left.
"Well, okay." I stood. "BUT when I come back downstairs after standing in a cupboard with my fists clenched, you’re going to be in so much trouble." My father laughed lightly. "Well, let's see." Standing I nodded, the unbelieving smile still on my face. "Oh and Hux." I turned around to look at him as he spoke. "Try to do something interesting." Now that smile was replaced by a sly smirk. "So much trouble." I warned, pointing a finger at him as I walked to the door. I was in my cupboard, thinking about how stupid this all was. It smelt of mouths and fabric in here. I clenched my fists, then slowly I closed my eyes, Thinking back to the moment right before I pulled away from that kiss. My head slowly started aching a bit harder, probably due to the hangover. Memories of the night and what had happened played over, as if someone was rewinding my brain when I felt my eyes snap open.