Storytime, Final Chapter

“That’s what your father told everyone after ‘The Incident’ because he didn’t want anybody to know the truth” said Martella, without a trace of her accent.

“Before I ask about that, what happened to your Russian accent?” asked Mikey.

“For some reason, Koko only understands commands when someone speaks with a heavy accent. Watch! Koko, open the door.”

Koko just stands there.

“Koko, open zee doorrrrr,” asked Martella with her heavy accent. Koko went to the door, opened it and ambled outside to stand guard in case more bad guys showed up.

“Ok, what truth were you talking about?”

“That becoming stuck in a timeloop is a fate worse than death. You see, after the New Year’s party in 1940 where your grandfather first confided in me the secrets of the green potion just after we got married, I became obsessed with using it. However, during my first attempt, I drank too much and became lost in time. I would randomly be flung to anywhere at any time. I saw the pyramids being constructed, King Arthur’s court, some guy surfing a tsunami wave with a dynamite vest near Sydney, even my own birth. I could never control it though.”

“Wow, that sounds both great and horrible. How did you escape the time loop?” Mikey inquired.

“When your grandfather gave you the bottle, the willing transfer of the potion broke the time loop. I knew instantly that was what happened and I tried to get here in time to say goodbye to him, but since he was so old, once he gave up custody of the potion, he only had minutes left. I managed to get here just in time to say my goodbyes to him.”

“I’m glad you did, Grandma. But what do I do now?”

“That’s up to you, Mikey. I’m too old for more time-traveling adventures, and I certainly don’t want to risk getting stuck in another loop. You’re now the guardian of the potion. Keep it safe and enjoy!”

Mikey smiled at his newly-found grandmother. “I’m done time-traveling for now as well. But who knows what the future may hold for me? Or the past, for that matter. Let’s just enjoy the present while you’re still here.”