Page 106 of Irreversible

“Isaac,” I wail, held back by a firm hand as I twist and writhe to break free. “Let me go. Let mefuckinggo!”

The Timekeeper sighs. “Sweetie, vulgarity really isn’t becoming on you.” Then he clicks his tongue. Dolph saunters forward, taking over, extracting me from my captor’s grasp and holding me with two solid arms.

I keep fighting, kicking, screaming.

“I’m going to skin you alive,” Isaac seethes, his words muffled by the bag.

“So dramatic. The both of you.” He unhooks the hourglass from his belt and holds it in the palm of his hand, his head tilting as he studies it with whimsy. “They say life is like an hourglass. Poetic drivel if you ask me.”

Isaac yanks and tugs on his binds through angry grunts, his muscles bulging with fury.

I bite Dolph’s arm, causing him to shove me to my knees as he palms the back of my neck in a deathlike grip.

Whistling the chorus of “The Scientist,” our captor strolls over to Isaac and sets the timepiece in front of him, far enough away from his flailing chair legs.

Sand gently pours from top to bottom.

I sob, my heart caving in on itself with every passing second.

“You see, I have this client,” he presses on, pacing back and forth, a picture of composure. “A big-game hunter, if you will. He’s looking for a challenger. A worthy prey.”

Ice trickles through my bloodstream.

A hunter.

Of people.

I gaze helplessly at Isaac, knowing where this story is going. “Take me,” I blurt out, squirming in Dolph’s hold. “I’ll do it.”

“You.” The Timekeeper smiles, assessing me. “How noble. I admire that.”

“I’m small. Fast. Quick on my feet.” My stomach lurches with crippling anxiety. “I…I can be a worthy challenger.”

“Not a fucking chance,” Isaac growls. “Everly, stop talking.” The chair jerks and shudders, scraping against the floor. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

“No, please, let me do it,” I beg through my tears.

“Everyone is so quick to fall on the sword.” The monster purses his lips, glancing between me and Isaac. “However, I do have a better idea. I’ll give you a choice, Everly. You can decide who this hourglass belongs to.”

I stop thrashing, waiting for the punchline. “I told you, I’ll do it?—”

The Timekeeper gestures at the door. Dolph tightens his hold on me as he steps backward, then pulls it open by the handle.

Twisting around, I watch in confusion as two guards drag another man into the room by his armpits.

Khaki pants. A burgundy button-down dress shirt. Black socks.

There’s a burlap bag covering his head, just like Isaac’s.

A frown bends my brows as my heart rate escalates.

What is this?

The stranger is tossed into the room like a sack of rice, passed out cold. He lies sprawled across the white tile, a few feet away from me, while the two guards slam the door shut. Silence echoes, save for the song chiming overhead. It starts over, the opening chords replaying.

I swallow hard. “I don’t understand.”

“No worries. I’ll explain.” The Timekeeper bends to pick up the hourglass, then floats across the floor toward the second man. He pauses before walking back to Isaac, the glass piece gleaming under the can lights. “I have a proposition for you, Everly. Until recently, you’ve been a well-trained prisoner. Zero hassles. I appreciate that.” He grins with omen. “I thought I’d reward you for your years of good behavior.”

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