Fan Fiction |
by Carmen Yip
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He held her tightly, dearly, against him.
Out of the blue, she opened her eyes wide and lifted her hands up to break away from him, and stood still, breathing uneasily.
He startled, and gazed at her with a tint of disappointment, his heart still running wild from the momentary excitement. The spirit in his eyes reflected uncertainness…
"TIM": (shaky voice) What… what happened, Helen?
HELEN: (exclaimed) Nothing happened! (unstably) Yes, that’s right! Nothing happened… I didn’t see you today! This is all but a dream!
She mumbled hysterically to herself while twisting herself around and ran towards the door. He rushed a step before to stop her.
"TIM": Helen! I’m serious! Will you…
HELEN: (shouted) No! (looking straight into his eyes) All is too late!
Then she exited the door, leaving a loud clank in his heart. “All is too late!” That sounds so achingly familiar. It was the same word she told him. The very same one! Was history going to repeat itself? No! He can’t let the answer be positive!
It took him a little more time and courage to open the door and trace her whereabouts. He looked across the hallway. From his point of view, he could clearly visualize her elated interaction with Barry, which appears to be a happy reunion. He bites his lips dishearteningly, feeling so hurt. At that moment, he saw her turning around and spotted himself. He gazed back hopefully, but she looked away and shut the door behind them.
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[Same night – 3rd day – Barry’s ward]
Barry was having his meal when he finds Helen rather daze-looking, sitting herself quietly in one corner. He placed his cup down, and attempts to get off the bed, but his wound was hurting him, and as a result, he alerted her. She jumps out of her trance and attends to him.
HELEN: (rushing to him) Are you alright? Who told you to get off the bed? It would be disastrous if the wound gets…
Before she could complete her sentence, he held her hand…
BARRY: I’m so happy you are so concerned about me…
HELEN: (smiles weakly) Silly, of course I do…
BARRY: I had something to ask you just now, but I guess it’s rather redundant now…
HELEN: Ok, then take a rest now. Don’t aggravate your wound.
BARRY: But may I ask… why were you so moody just now?
HELEN: Because… because… (uncertain) I was…
BARRY: Worried about me?
HELEN: Hmm… yup…
A broad grin appears on Barry’s face.
BARRY: I'm sorry, Helen!
HELEN: (chuckles) That is all ever you'll say!
BARRY: (cries out) I am sorry, but I am really so lucky to have you by me!
She forces another smile, while finding some excuse to get out of the room for a breather. Facing him was such a tiring task! Especially after Tim’s words…
She felt uneasy, guilty, frustrated, confused, unsure and hundreds of complicated feelings continued to engulf her…
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Late in the night, where millions of Hong Kong inhabitants should be finding their way through their fanciful dreamlands, there were two particular lonely hearts which were attached yet detached from each other, in one way and another…
She was thinking about those words again and again, which truly were what she desired to hear all this while. But it came too late! Too pathetically belatedly! How could she be so selfish as to disregard Barry’s feelings! Barry! He is the most innocent of all in this stupid love game of theirs. If only he had not proposed on that fateful day! If only she had not seen Tim with his ex-girlfriend at the same gold coast, repeating the exact same actions he carried out with her, which announced her heart dead, presumably!
She forced herself to come to peace, to treat very absurd things which happened so unpredictably as a dream, a beautiful dream, only to be retained in her heart, like a fragile colorful bubble, attractive yet untouchable…
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He sort of regretted being so impulsive, and rash, that frightened her off so unexpectedly. But he truly empathized with himself. His actions were not entirely baseless. His accumulated longing for her, desiring to see her again, face-to-face, coupled with her uptightness about him, the best catalyst he could find, were too understandable to make him lose his rationality once more.
It was especially cold in his office, but it took less than the freezing air-con to enhance the coldness of his heart. He felt abandoned, staying in his little isolated shell. He had a home, but couldn’t return to it, as the real Tim was supposed to be abroad, and so him, the extra Tim from another dimension, just have to excuse himself from the rest…
He flipped through the mess of documents on his desk. They appeared to be just another boring stack of papers amidst his short-lived existence presently. He pulled out a little photo from his jacket. It was the one Liza had brought back for him, the one which reminded him everything about Helen, but also, sadly, the last for him to see of her in real times…
He was quite convinced that the only way to change history is through the present Tim, and not him! With that, he needs to talk to him… But what could he do? The present Tim would not return until 3 days later, and until then… all would be really too late!
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[4th day – 13 August 1994 – Saturday night – tunnel in Sai Wan]
"Tim" was waiting impatiently for the other Tim to arrive, chain-smoking his way through the anxiety. He has covered himself from head to toe so as not for the Tim to recognize him. The sounds of water dripping on the ceiling of the tunnel could be heard crystal clear, in the late night. It was almost pitched dark on one side of the tunnel, with some light flickering from the other.
Soon, footsteps could be heard amidst the light, as they stepped in closer.
The shadow stopped a distance from him when warned to do so…
"TIM": (alerted) Stop there!
TIM: (stopped) Who are you? And how could did you get to know about my whereabouts?
"TIM": You don’t have to know this! Just be informed that I can help you deal with Uncle Tam so you don’t have to rack your brains for days over the problem!
TIM: Why should I believe you? You’re almost all covered up, I can’t even identify you!
"TIM": If you don’t believe me then why did you rush back to Hong Kong upon my anonymous call?
Tim remained silent.
"TIM": (smirked) I know exactly what to make you move!
TIM: (helplessly) Ok! Let’s take it that I’ll take your word for it, but what’s your condition?
"TIM": I need you to do me a little favor!
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PS: What is "Tim"'s plan exactly?
19/09/2004 ... 1615hrs