You're dying.

That's all you need to know, that's all you need to feel, that's all you can see - death. Your heart is slowly slowing, it's thumping pathetically in your broken chest. You tears fall down from your cheeks and they feel like fire, ripping apart your skin. Your hand reaches out but there's no one there. Except, there is.

There's a man.

You can see his shoes, his pants pulled up just a little to high so you can see his thick red socks. He kneels by your side and his hand moves the hair from your face, his touch as gentle as the wind. "Oh, Dara." the man says, Is that a tear in his voice? You can't tell. "Oh, my dear, sweet Dara." What? You don't know this man. You've never seen him before in your life - you've never seen anyone like him, never seen anyone in a bow tie and suspenders.

"I... I.." You struggle to speak, "..d...don't"

"You don't know me? Of course not, only makes sense." The man takes hold of your hand. If you had strenght you could have pulled your hands away, but it feels comforting. You don't have anyone else right now. "See that box over there?" Through your haze, you can barely make out a shape. A blue... box with white dots all over it, here, in the middle of the woods? You saw a figure step into it and seconds later, the blue box disappeared.

You're delirious. You must be.

"That's mine. See, Dara, I just - well, myself in the past, it's a little complicated - I saw you get hit. And you were so alone. I was going to leave you, but I decided to make things right." He gaves your hand a squeeze and a gentle smile. "I can't save you, but I can give you a friend in your very last moment. Keeping you in company."

You don't understand. He's not a friend, he's more than that. And that man was him? Inside the box earlier? "W...what?" You croaked.

"You'll see." And then you remember. You have seen this man before. You've known him your entire life. Of course! How could you forget? He's the traveler. Your traveler.

Fifteen years earlier,

You were eaight years old, and alone. A new school, a new home, and a new mother. You father had remarried, and started his life over again in an entirely different state. But where did you come in?  It was like you were the last tidbit of life he wanted to forget. You were the puzzle piece that just didn't fit.

Sitting right in your room, you weren't sure whether to scream or cry. Nothing was right. You father didn't care about you anymore, he only cared about his new family. You might as well run away. And you might have too, but a blue big box appeared in your bedroom, and out stepped a man. He had a strange tie and a weird haircolor, mint but he seems nice. "Dara?" He asked, peaking out from the doors of the box.

You stared at him, "How do you know my name?"

"Finally! I tried three other houses before I got here. Nice people, of course, but I surely did gave that one sweet old lady a scare - " he trailed off with a smirk. "Anways, Dara. I'm the traveler, and I'm here to be your friend my name is Tao."

Twelve years earlier,

"Well Hello, Dara!"

It was a familiar voice that made you jumped right out of your skin. Whirling around, your suspicions were confirmed - that strange man. He was back. "Tao?" you asked, looking around the street. No one else around on your walk home from school. It was just like before. No one had belived you when you blabbed on about a man in a big blue box.

"Of course! Who else?" He closed the doors of the box and trolled up to you. "How've you been?"

"Fine." You grabbed hold of your bag pack strap and kept walking. He followed. "Just fine? Hoe can you live on this planet with all this thriving, wonderful people and only be fine?"

"Well, it's no thanks to you," you muttered. "It's been three years, Tao."

"Only been two minutes to me."

You stopped and looked at him. When you really thought about it, and thought back, he was wearing the exact same clothes as three years ago. Even though you were eleven, and had shot up six inches and had also gained a chest, his face hadn't changed at all. It was time locked and will remain like that forever. "Don't be insane."

"Life is insane!" He cried with a grin. "Just the other day I was playing with a future version of myself while on the phone with a past version of - you know what? That doesn't matter. The point is, I'm a time traveler Dara. Did I tell you that already in the past?" Your mouth was wide open and you glanced back at the big blue box. Was there more to thatx box than just being able to disappear and reappear?

"So!" The traveler cocked an eyebrow. "How would you like to go