The back door slide open and a familiar guest made her entrance to the veranda.
"Hey, Geo!" Sophia cheerfully greeted. "You forgot to lock your door - "
"Again..." her words trailed at the sight of the man sprawled on the floor.
It wasn't a common sight for her to see him like this because for the past 17 months, he was practically awake every time she dropped by, inseparable from his station. Clanking, wielding, molting, building; busy as a bee.
"Well, well," she smirked, eyebrows raised. "Look who's so vulnerable right now."
Sophia got back inside to put down the dinner she brought over before she headed towards him. Tip toeing; even though her boots pretty much creaked the floor boards, ruining the still silence she had intended.
She stood over him, studying his exhausted face and smiling to herself at the fact that he snores. He looked pretty tranquil for some reason.
It was not until Sophia turned her head to the other side, and saw the reason for the look on his face... The time machine. It looked... complete. It finally have doors and a calculator-intercom device thingy on it.
"Urgh," Geo moaned. Finally awake. "Hello, Sophia."
He still managed to blurt greetings as he struggled to stand on two.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Nothing aspirins can't help," he massaged his temples. "I'm fine. Thank you."
"So..." she was hesitant to say it. "The time machine looks good. Is it done?"
He gasped. Somewhat shocked at what she just said. His eyes darted to the space where the machine occupied.
"It's okay if it's not yet," she noticed his anxiety and tried to calm him. "At least you're getting there. It actually looked awes - "
"It's done," he mumbled under his breath, interrupting her. "I can't believe I have to get inside it now... Oh no..."
"What?! I can't believe you're worrying about that of all things," she scoffed. "Of course you're gonna travel in it. That's the plan, right?"
"I know..." he catch his breath. "But it never crossed my mind... not until today..."
"You worked so hard for this," she reasoned. "You're not getting cold feet now, aren't you? I mean, you still wanna know why Granny Olsen made you do this, no?"
"Yes, you're right," he calmed down now. A little embarrassed at his reactions.
"Of course! I'm always right," she grinned. "Now get inside, wash up and eat dinner. I brought Carbonara over. - And shave will ya? You look like freakin' Jesus."
"Look at you..." he spoke to his reflection; sunken cheeks, dark eye bags and messy beard. He kind of just stood there in the bathroom thinking about things, wondering what his plan would be next.
Over the past few months when his invention started making big progress, Geo had care less about his well being. How he looked, how he smelled or how malnourished he was... If it weren't for Sophia showing up regularly, he wouldn't be having the strength to continue his work.
She was always around to keep him well fed, checking up to see if he's still alive.
"Let's do something about this overgrown beard first."
So he started shaving, shaving and shaving.
"Ahem, be careful with that," he blurted when he got out to see how curiously fascinated Sophia was at the invention that took him a year plus to complete. "I wouldn't want you to be sucked in and sent to nowhere."
"Oh-em-gee, Geo!" she exclaimed as she stride closer to him. Getting a better look under the light, instead of getting her shades off. "You look gorgeous, you know that? And my, you have a dimple too! That is soo cute!"
"Thanks for the dinner," he awkwardly smiled, wanting to change the subject. "Have you eaten yet?"
"Nah, I had my dinner already," she replied. "It's all for you. You can heat it up for breakfast tomorrow."
"Uhm, about that..." he walked past her, towards the machine. "I'm not sure how long does it take to travel cause - "
"What?! You're leaving now?" she seemed upset. He can't blame her, it's too sudden of him to decide this too. "Can't you wait until tomorrow?"
"I thought about what you said," he tried to explain, even though he had no idea how to begin. "And I believe granma would have wanted - "
Without words, Sophia went towards him and gave him a kiss. Geo shook in surprise but he didn't pull away.
"Wh-What was that for?" he said after he caught his breath back.
"That's for luck," she smiled. "Now get the hell outta here, handsome."
"Okay," he tried to be cool about it and started to punch the time device with his fingers.
"You know where you're going?" she asked because the numbers he input was not years but an algorithm of some sort. "Past? Future?"
"To a ruin somewhere in..." he continued to press some numbers which he already know by heart; details he read over and over again from the tome. "Eleven hundred."
As soon as he said that, the doors split open, revealing ectoplasm mass stirring within the time machine. The sound coming from it seemed to be a mix of electrical hums and the whispering of distant winds.
And as creepy as it may be, it was a majestic sight beyond words. There was no time to change his mind or doubt about the machine's capabilities, and Sophia was not going to stop him anyway. This was the moment they both had been waiting for. Somehow.
No matter how narrow the machine's body is, there was a certain feel to it that the space within was deep. As a matter of fact, it looked endless.
Geo stepped back to get a kick start.
And as soon as he dashed in, the machine's door shut close.
Sophia stood there for the next ten minutes, wondering when will he spring back out of the peculiar machine. And little did Geo know, she patiently waited day in, day out...
for 4 months.
for 4 months.
And counting...
