The Compass of Time, short story by Anne-Marie Kofoed at Spillwords.com
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The Compass of Time

The Compass of Time

written by: Anne-Marie Kofoed

@Annefueled

 

Edinburgh, June 1949

Hearing the train whistle, Faye panicked. Steam from the engine enveloped the station, blocking her view. Pelting forward, she grabbed the door and hauled herself inside. Fingers nearly slipped as blood stained the brass handle.

“I gotcha.” Hands grabbed her shoulders. “Looks like you need help, lass.”

“No.” Faye swayed as the train sped up. She twisted her body away from the stranger. Dark brown eyes bored into her from beneath a worried frown.

“Let me help you.”

“No need, I’m okay.” Faye pressed her hand to the wound on her shoulder. One of Draz’s thugs shot her while she ran for her life through the narrow streets of Edinburgh. Luckily, she’d gotten on the train without them on her tail. If only this stranger would leave her alone. She glared at him and pushed past him to find a vacant seat. Before she reached it, the world tilted upside down and she stumbled forward.

Strong arms wrapped around her body and mumbled words, “Easy there.”

The rhythmic clanking of the train wheels muffled the world around her. She groaned when the man pressed against her wound. “Hurts.”

“Aye, I know, lass.”

“Who…” She grimaced again when he moved to slip her backpack off. She clutched the straps; this guy would not run away with her father’s notebook.

“Fergus is me name.” The Irish lilt surprised her, she’d been in Scotland for the past two weeks. He gently helped her to rest against the seat and the pain eased.

“Fa…” Black spots flickered before her eyes as she slumped sideways, the cold glass of the window pleasant against her heated forehead.

“Rest now. I’ll get ya’ someplace safe.”

“Wh…” She closed her eyes, and memories of the past few days flitted through her. Her hunt for the Compass of Time had led to her searching for an etching of an old-fashioned hourglass, the infinity symbol splayed across the slender channel joining the upper and lower halves. Her father’s notes had pointed to the old castle outside the city as its likely hiding place. Draz and his men had found her. She had run.

Her dreams were filled with memories of her father, his tales of ancient civilizations, treasures yet to be found. He had been away a lot, leaving her in the care of his sister. Her aunt had been nice, but Faye often wished her father would take her along on his journeys. One day he did, and during their travels around the countryside outside of London, disaster struck. Even back then, Draz had been hunting the same artifact as her father. One bullet fired and her father had been no more, left crumpled on a desolate dirt road. With the echo of a gunshot ringing in her ears, ten-year-old Faye had curled up in the car and cried.

She’d found the first notes about the Compass of Time in her father’s notebook. Her inner drive for finding treasures spurred her to find the artifact and perhaps, somehow, change the course of time.

***

Faye groaned when her eyes opened to blinding sunlight streaming through tall windows.

“Oh, ya’re awake,” a lilting Irish accent smoothed over her confused mind.

“Ugh.” Her eyes landed on Fergus, sitting in a plumped plaid armchair.

“Let me get you something to drink.”

A flash of pain shot from her wound as she struggled to sit against the headboard. “Thanks.” She took a sip of water, letting it swirl around in her parched mouth before swallowing. The water eased the raw feeling in her throat.

She looked around at the old-fashioned furniture, her bed was a large four-poster bed with a canopy. “Where am I?”

“Welcome to the League’s mansion, or headquarters if you will. We find the treasures of the world.” He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward.

“Huh?”

“Your father never spoke of the League?”

“My father?” She’d seen a mention of the League in her father’s notes, but she wasn’t about to reveal that to Fergus.

“A true legend in the League.” Fergus shrugged, and his dark copper hair fell over his forehead. He pushed the curls away with a huff. “If you are interested, I know the board is taking on new members.”

“Oh.”

“Now, you focus on healing and we’ll talk more about it.” He rose. “I’ll bring some food and find some reading material at our library. Any subject, in particular, you’re interested in?”

“Could you find something about the Greek gods, Hermes to be more specific?” Faye pursed her lips. She wasn’t convinced being here was a good idea but she might as well get some research done while her wound healed.

Fergus nodded and slipped out the door.

***

Several days went by, and Faye spent the time reading the old books Fergus brought. The doctor said her wound would heal nicely and her blackout on the train had likely been from blood loss. Running around with an open bullet wound might not have been the best idea.

In addition to her book research, she’d had a few talks with one of the League’s board members, Alison Greystone. The lady had been curious about her research and to Faye’s surprise, knew about the Compass of Time.

“I worked with your father,” Alison said one day when she’d found Faye in the library jotting down notes.

“You did?” Faye’s heart skipped a beat. A faint prickle of grief slipped through her; she’d missed out on so many things when her father died. “Do you have more notes about the compass?”

“Sadly, no. I never found his notebook, so I’ve tried to remember what we’d found.”

“I have it,” Faye blurted out, but she regretted it the moment she saw the glimmer of excitement in Alison’s eyes. “I want to find the compass, so I’m not about to give you my father’s notes.”

“We could help you.” Alison nodded at Fergus, who watched their conversation from the other end of the table. “Fergus will help too.”

“I’ve managed well on my own so far.” Faye slumped in her seat and crossed her arms.

“It’s one of the last big treasures of this world.” Fergus flipped his thumb over his shoulder. “You wouldn’t believe what they have downstairs.”

“The Holy Grail?” Faye laughed.

“Among other things.” The casual note in Fergus’ voice made her sit straight again.

“Damn.” She rubbed the side of her nose to ease the prickling sensation washing over her. “What will you use it for?” Faye looked between Fergus and Alison.

“The members of the League have sworn an oath never to use the artifacts we find.” Alison explained.

“Okay.” Faye shrugged. “I mean, yeah, why would anyone try to use a time travel compass?” Aside from changing my father’s fate. Nevertheless, she gave Alison a bright smile.

“Most of the artifacts we have in our collection would be highly lethal in the wrong hands. Your father knew that.” Alison slipped her hand into the pocket of her jacket. “This was his.” She placed a small square box on the desk. “Perhaps you should have it now. ” Alison pushed it towards Faye.

A bright gold clasp glinted against the dark polished wood. When Faye flipped it open, a well-worn brass compass lay nestled inside. She slumped back, her heart hammering in her chest, as images of her father using the compass to navigate the world flashed through her mind.

“What fine craftsmanship.”

Fergus’ raspy voice sounding from a place next to her made Faye jump. She had forgotten he was in the room. She smiled at him, fighting the tears pooling in her eyes and the bittersweet memories wrapping around her heart. “It was my father’s.”

“Aye, I gathered as much.” He gently patted her shoulder. “Wish I’d met your ol’ man. He sounds like quite a treasure hunter.”

Faye only nodded. Finding the Compass of Time would change her life, and perhaps also her father’s fate. The thought of bringing her father back had her heart beating a little faster. It would heal the shattered life she’d had since witnessing her father die.

“Fergus tells me you’ve been reading a lot about the Greek gods.” Alison smoothed her hands over the white streak in her dark hair.

“I have a hunch where to look. I’m going to Turkey.”

“Eh, Faye, you know the Greek gods are from Greece?” Fergus chuckled.

Faye refrained from rolling her eyes, focusing instead on Alison. “There’s a small temple of Hermes in Turkey, near the city, Mersin.”

“Do you think the compass is there?” Alison asked.

“It’s the best lead I’ve had in all my time searching.” Faye shoved her notebook into her backpack.

“I’ll have our travel plans sorted out by tomorrow,” Alison said as she scribbled on a notepad.

“Our?”

“Oh, I’ll be joining you.” Alison tilted her head. “You don’t mind, do you? This compass was your father’s primary focus for many years. I’d like to be there when you find it.” She pushed her shoulder-length hair behind her ear.

“Let’s go to Turkey.”

 

Turkey, July 1949

Faye stood at the crumbling temple walls. Immediately, she searched for the infinity symbol wrapping an hourglass. Alison moved to the other side of the building, while the three guards the League had brought along spread out across the terrain.

“Temple of Hermes, location of a time travel compass,” Fergus mused as he walked past her. “Who’d have thought?”

“Well, Hermes was the God of Travelers. So I guess it could include time travel right?” Faye mumbled as her gaze scanned the gray stones.

“Hmm.” Fergus walked into the small building. “Oy! Come look.”

Faye rushed to his side, her whole body humming with excitement. ”What did you find?”

Fergus grinned and pointed to a stone that was darker than the rest, a faint outline of the infinity symbol and hourglass barely visible on the weather-worn surface. She had found this symbol in her father’s notes, and now it had led her to this place.

Faye stepped forward and ran her fingers over the stone, the rough surface grating over her fingertips, searching for something out of place. When she encountered a slight bump, an elevation nearly undistinguishable, she pressed down. Her heart fluttered as the cool surface yielded and then the ground beneath her gave away. She shrieked as she tumbled into a dark hole, hands reaching out to grasp only air.

“Faye, you alright?” Fergus’s voice sounded from above.

Faye spat out the dirt lodged in her mouth. “Yeah, nothing feels broken.” She looked up. “Do you have some light?”

Seconds later, Fergus dropped a torch to her. The darkness evaporated in the beam of light, and she scanned the area. Roots cracked through the walls of the underground chamber. Heavy clouds of dust still floated in the surrounding air; she covered her nose and mouth with her shirt.

“Did you find it?”

“Hold on…” She slowly rose and swept the torch’s light all around. She focused the bright beam on another dark stone. The hourglass symbol stood out as a deep etching in this one. “Something is here.” Her heart hammered in her chest as her fingers traced over the symbol. This had to be where the compass was. She scraped her nails along the joints between the stones. Then, holding the torch with her mouth, she used both hands to wiggle the hourglass stone out of the wall.

Faye held her breath as she took the torch out of her mouth and shone it into the hole. A small box made of rough wood sat inside a niche behind where the stone had been. She reached inside and wrapped her fingers around the discovery. Anticipation swirled inside her like a million butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. Could this be the compass?

Her hands shook as she opened the box. A silver compass lay nestled inside. Her skin prickled, this was what her father had been looking for. She was certain. It was right here. She flipped it open. It seemed to be an ordinary compass. But when she looked closer at the inside of the lid, there was a row of small dials around the edge, three metallic arrows each centered in a circle of numbers. It almost looked like three little timepieces.

Pulling out her father’s compass, she compared it to the Compass of Time. The two were the same size, one well-used brass, and one worn silver. Quickly, she slipped her father’s compass into the rough box she’d just found. She slid the Compass of Time into her pocket.

“I found it. I found the compass…”

“Oy, Faye, get back up, the men outside have spotted another jeep,” Fergus yelled.

She tucked the box with her father’s compass into her satchel again and looked up. Fergus lay on his stomach, arms ready to pull her up. “Come now, lass. We need to hurry; think I heard gunshots.”

Faye scrambled to find purchase as she reached upwards to grasp Fergus’s hands. The stone wall was hard to climb, and it took her several attempts before Fergus finally got a proper grip on her hands. She pushed off the wall before she grabbed hold of the undergrowth beside Fergus.

“Good to see you.” Fergus grinned and jumped to his feet. “Come on, we need to go.”

Fergus and Faye sprinted towards the jeep, the guards and Alison already scrambling inside. Someone shouted the name Draz and fear trickled down Faye’s spine. How had he picked up their trail? As soon as everyone was inside the jeep, the driver revved the engine and took off. She glanced behind them, the other jeep drawing ever closer. Seconds later, bullets ricocheted against their ride. With each ping against the metal, Faye’s heart skipped a beat.

“Everyone down,” the driver ordered, grinding the gearshift. The motor roared as they raced away.

Faye and Fergus crouched between the seats, her knees trembling as she curled up on the metal floor. Even Fergus’s arms around her didn’t ease her frayed nerves. The two other guards faced the oncoming jeep and fired their weapons.

“We got him. He’s stopped. We hit the engine and one tire,” one guard proclaimed.

“Everyone okay?” Alison looked behind her, smoothing her dark hair away from her face.

“Aye.” Fergus helped Faye to their seats in the middle row and the two guards found the backseats.

“Faye?” Alison asked.

“Hmm, I’m okay.” She tugged her coat tightly around her body, shivers running through her even if the danger had passed.

No one spoke a word on their two-hour drive back to Mersin.

 

London, July 1949

Faye clutched her satchel as she followed Alison into the office space of the storage area on the lower levels of the League’s large estate.

Alison unlocked a small safe in the wall. “We’ll keep the compass in here until we’ve found a suitable showcase for it.” She turned to Faye and reached out her hand. “Please.”

Faye slipped the rough wooden box out of her bag. “Here.” She stepped back as a coil of worry wrapped tightly inside her.

Alison smiled and placed the box into the safe.

Faye bit her lip as she watched the woman’s fingers caress the clasp on the box. The moment Alison closed the safe she gave Alison a timid smile.

“Thank you, Faye Hart.”

“Anytime.” A wave of relief washed over her, as she followed the woman out of the League’s basement. For now, her plan seemed to succeed. When her fingers pressed onto the round shape in her satchel, she hoped it would be some time before the League looked in the safe.

 

London, August 4th, 1949

The long, winding dirt road carved through the green hills. Faye’s feet hurt, but she had to get outside London and find the rickety old barn where her life had changed ten years ago. Finally, she spotted the place, a few paces from the road. Perfect. The place hadn’t been used for years and cobwebs hung between the rafters, dust filling the air as she moved inside.

It had been a week since she’d returned from Turkey. She’d studied the compass each day to figure out how it worked. Finally, she had a breakthrough.

Her hands shook as she pulled the Compass of Time from her satchel. She couldn’t believe the leaders of the League had yet to discover her switch. Now she could finally get her father back.

“Oy, so what’s a lovely lass doing out here in the London back roads?” Fergus’s unexpected query startled her so much she nearly dropped the compass.

“Shite.” She shoved the device into her pocket and turned. “How did you find me?”

“Oh, I have me ways, lass.” Fergus winked. Even in the dimmed light of the barn, she noticed the twinkle in his eyes.

“I just needed a change of scenery.” Faye lifted her chin.

“I bet, darling.” He walked closer. “Look, I know you have the Compass of Time.”

Faye widened her eyes before squinting. “How?” Her pulse spiked, as her mind flooded with what would happen if Fergus interfered.

“Well, let’s just say the old geezers were quite livid when they found your father’s compass in their safe.” He scratched his chin. “Takes a lot of courage to go against the League.”

“Are you threatening me?” Defiance bloomed inside her, she wasn’t about to let this man ruin her plan.

“Not one bit, but ya might reconsider what you have planned with the time gadget.” He pointed to her pocket. “There’s a reason the League never uses the artifacts. Ever.”

“Well, this was mine to find, and I’ll use it as I see fit.” She closed her hand over the round shape of the compass.

“Do you know how to use it?” He sounded genuinely interested.

“I do.” She smirked. “But since I’m not sure I can trust you, I won’t tell.”

Fergus stepped closer. “We’re friends, and friends trust each other.”

“You just want the credit for finding me,” she huffed and took a step back.

“I saw it best to find you and make sure you didn’t mess up the timeline too much.” He lifted an eyebrow.

“What do you mean…” Her voice trailed off as she replayed his words in her mind. “Do you want to help me?”

“Aye, look, lass. I’ve been with the League for some years now, Me ol’ man was a treasure hunter.” He looked down. “His plane was hit in the war.”

“He was RAF?”

“One of the best.”

“I’m sorry.” She took a step forward and placed her hand on his arm. She searched his face for any hint he was lying.

“It would be too much of a mess to save his arse.” Fergus rubbed his face with his hand, then he gazed at her. “Perhaps with how your father died, change can happen a little more subtly?”

Faye stepped back, tilting her head to the side. “So you want to go back with me?”

“If you’ll let me?” He shuffled his feet over the musty layer of old hay.

“I didn’t know you were so interested in time travel?”

“Oh, well, as a wee lad, I read The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. It made me think a lot.” He shrugged.

“I was in the car watching it all,” Faye gulped. “I just hope I can make a distraction so Draz won’t shoot my father and my past self doesn’t see me.”

Fergus tapped his nose. “Now see, that is where I come in handy, eh?”

Faye gasped. “I know what we can do…” The words flowed from her mouth as she laid out the plan for Fergus, her surprise co-conspirator.

***

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Fergus asked. His gaze stuttered nervously over her as she tinkered with the Compass of Time.

“I did a few tests, so no worries.” Faye waved him off.

“Ah, makes me feel so much safer,” Fergus chuckled.

“Now, it will remain to be seen if this time travel can work with two people,” Faye mumbled as she set the final dial. A low buzzing sound emanated from the compass. She looked at Fergus. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be, I guess.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and touched the compass as she pressed the release button located in the intricate design of the hinge. It had taken her a long time to find this little last piece of the puzzle.

 

London, August 4th, 1939

“Bloody hell,” Fergus panted beside her. “I do not recommend time travel on an empty stomach.” He coughed and looked around. “Oh, we’re still at the same barn? We didn’t go anywhere.”

“This is where Draz shot my father.” Her lips quivered as she spoke, tears forming in her eyes knowing what she was about to witness again. Hopefully, this time with a better outcome.

“Oh.”

“I never figured out how to jump to a different location. Just in time, so I had to come here.” Faye gave him a wry smile and glanced at her watch. “The car will stop here in five minutes. Remember what we planned?”

“Aye, aye.” He did a mock salute adding, “Be safe. Stay in here so neither yourself nor your father sees you.”

Faye gave a quick nod and placed the compass in her pocket.

Fergus walked outside, and she placed herself near a cracked window that provided a good view of the space in front of the barn.

On the clock, her father’s car pulled up. A lump lodged in Faye’s throat as she watched him step closer to the ditch running alongside the roadway. Before he even had time to relieve himself, another vehicle pulled up behind her father’s car.

“Hart!” Draz yelled as he jumped out of his car, leaving his driver inside.

When her father turned towards the rogue treasure hunter, Draz took several fast steps closer to him. Her scared ten-year-old younger self had been hiding in the car through this aggressive exchange. She’d slipped from the seat when the shouting had begun.

“What are you doing here?” her father’s familiar voice rang out sending a bolt of longing through her entire being. He tilted his head to one side as he walked towards Draz. Faye remembered seeing him do this when he was unsure about the situation. Seconds later, Draz pulled out a gun. Faye watched in horror and waited for the gunshot to echo.

As her father backed away, hands up, Fergus stumbled from behind the barn waving and shouting in French. Both men turned toward the disturbance. Her father’s shoulders shifted back as if easing the tension in his muscles while Draz glared at the intruder. Draz shouted back in English, but Fergus just kept waving his hands, the French rolling off his tongue.

Fergus tipped his hat toward Faye’s father and turned toward Draz. Faye held her breath, as Fergus bounced easily on the soles of his feet despite standing face-to-face with a man holding a gun. She wasn’t ready to see another man shot.

Moments later, Fergus stumbled towards her father, his arms slumping over her father’s shoulders, his mouth moving next to her father’s ear. Her father scrambled to his car, practically ripping the door off. The engine roared to life and dust swirled in the air as the car fishtailed down the road. The tight coil of worry inside her snapped loose, and air flowed freely into her lungs again.

“Stupid son of a bitch, what the hell did you tell him, you frog-leg-eating piece of shit?” Draz yelled. “You fucking ruined it.”

Fergus waved aimlessly. “Pardon, monsieur, I no speak Anglaise.”

Faye had to hold back a chuckle at Fergus’s horrible French-English accent.

Draz’s driver stuck his head out and shouted, “Let’s just get the hell out of here.” He waved towards Fergus. “The man is an imbecile and won’t know shit tomorrow.”

Draz lifted his gun and pointed the barrel toward Fergus. “See this?” You go bye-bye if you speak of this.”

Fergus nodded. Draz jumped into his car. The driver made a U-turn and as it drove past Fergus, Faye watched in horror as Draz aimed the gun at her friend.

A gunshot pierced the air, and she slapped both her hands over her mouth, stifling her scream. The car darted off, disappearing down the dusty road.

As soon as the car was out of sight, Faye rushed to her friend who lay crumpled on the ground, clasping his left shoulder.

“Fergus! You’re shot.” Hot tears streaked her face, and anger coiled in the pit of her stomach. Why did Draz have to shoot? “This wasn’t supposed to happen. I’m so sorry.”

Fergus grimaced and gave her a weak smile. “I’m fine. It’s only a flesh wound.” Blood seeped between his fingers.

Faye pried his fingers away and realized she needed to patch him up before they traveled back to their present. She ripped a strip off his shirt, ignoring how it revealed his abdomen, and put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. He winced.

“I’m sorry.”

Fergus shook his head, “It’s okay.” He reached up with his good hand and brushed the tears away from her cheek with his knuckles. “Now, how about we get back to our time, eh?”

Faye nodded and pulled out the compass. She set the time to 6 am, August 4th, 1949. Fergus held her close as she pressed the button.

 

London, August 4th, 1949

Memories of her father tumbled through her brain, merging new memories of the past ten years she’d lived with her father with her old memories of the years without him. Combining a life she had not lived but could recall clearly with the real life she had. It was all disorienting, separating two realities, both of which seemed real. Faye had barely gotten her bearings when another memory shifted through her mind. “My father went on another treasure hunt, I think.”

Fergus clutched at his wounded shoulder and shook his head. “Whoa. That’s so weird. My memory is all jibbery. I remember saying goodbye to Alison and your father when they left to search for the Compass of Time two weeks ago. But I still remember our meeting on the train.”

Faye grinned, “Yeah, this time travel seems to mix our old memories with those from the new timeline we created when we prevented my father’s murder. They get all smooched together. Like living two lives.” She continued to walk as she nudged his shoulder. “We need to get back to London. I want to see if he’s returned from his trip.”

He pointed behind them, “There’s a truck coming, perhaps we can hitch a ride.

***

Faye woke the next day with worry clawing at her guts. Her father had not returned from his trip with Alison to Turkey. Their house had been empty when Fergus had dropped her off at the front door.

Fergus would meet her at the League’s mansion this afternoon. She tried to busy herself with sorting out her new line of memories, jotting both timelines into her journal. Her new memories were filled with so many moments with her father. With a big smile, she recalled only last month how her father had splurged on dinner at her favorite restaurant for her 21st birthday. She buried the new memory deep in her heart; the new timeline had given her a life with him. In their new life together, he’d gone to Turkey two weeks ago to search for the Compass of Time. But here and now as she sat in this house, the compass was secured in her satchel tucked into the back of her closet. It was there. She’d checked not an hour ago.

The afternoon sun reflected in the tall windows of the mansion. She smiled seeing Fergus at the door.

“How is your arm doing?” Faye asked.

“The doc said I’ll be fine in a few weeks.” Fergus waved her off and tugged his flat cap over his forehead.

The growing rumble of a car’s engine made Faye turn around. Her heart hammered in her chest. Could it be her father? She squinted and tried to figure out who was inside.

Moments later, Alison Greystone emerged, all frazzled hair and dirty, wrinkled clothes.

Alison took in a ragged breath and sadness washed over her face as she approached Faye. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Miss Hart, we…” She swiped her hand over her eyes, “we never found… your father…”

“Where’s my father—” Faye stumbled down the steps. “—did he go back to our house?” She stepped around Alison. She wanted to go back home, but the woman grabbed her arm.

“No, Miss Hart, he didn’t.”

Faye turned around slowly. As she took in the tears now streaming down Alison’s face, blood rushed in her ears, blocking out all other sounds.

“What happened?” Fergus said as he wrapped his arm around Faye’s shoulder.

“Draz found us before we reached the temple… we never even got close enough to search for the compass.” Alison’s voice trembled as she stumbled over the words. “Your father was shot. The doctors at the hospital did all they could. I’m so sorry, Miss Hart.” Alison reached out to Faye.

Faye stumbled back, slipping out of Fergus’ embrace, her knees buckled, and tears burned in her eyes.

“It was all for nothing!” she whispered, crumbling to the ground, pressing her fists to her eyes, blocking out the world. She rocked back and forth but nothing could take away the pain and grief slicing through her. All she’d gained was ten years of new memories, imprinted to the hippocampus part of her brain, but they had never been lived.

 

The End

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