The memory came like a hurricane, flooding his mind and drowning every single happy thought he could conjure. In his memory tyres screeched, the clunk of metal hit two bodies, sending them hurtling across the road like ragdolls. It haunted him.

Why do bad memories linger so long? Why do they turn the joy in our hands to acid that burns it away?

“Are you ready, Joseph?” The Timekeeper’s voice pulled him from the memory that sent shivers down his spine.

“No, but that will not stop me,” he replied.

A date burned bright on the clock before it disappeared, and Joseph and the Timekeeper found themselves in front of their house once more. The day was beautiful, summer was nearing its end and the trees slowly starting to lose their green clothing.

Joseph watched his younger self play in the yard with his little brother, Max. His laughter had always been more contagious than the common cold. So, they fell onto the grass and stayed there laughing as children always do.

“Boys, it’s almost time to leave,” a voice called out, a voice Joseph would recognize even if it were drowned out by a thousand others.

His mother walked into the yard. Beautiful and younger than he seemed to remember. She waved in his direction, and he had almost lifted a hand when he was interrupted as the neighbour greeted her.

“She cannot see you, Joseph. Not unless you will it,” the Timekeeper said, with aloof dignity.

She walked towards his younger self and his brother, smiling the way she always did. Her smile had always been radiant, but for the first time he noticed that it looked as if it was held together by a thousand bolts. It saddened him to see her like this.

“You boys ready?” she said, helping Max with his shoes.

“Of course, Mommy,” they replied in unison.

Joseph wanted to stop them right here and tell them that going out of the gate would mean their last walk, but he could not. He had to wait before the exact moment to save them. So, he followed them out as they made their way to the shopping centre. The Timekeeper followed at a distance, but he was there. Watching.

Joseph’s mother and the two boys reached the main road that separated them from the shopping centre. The robot was red and that gave pedestrians the right of way to cross.

“Come now boys, give me your hands,” his mother said, as they crossed the road.

“My laces, Mommy.” The younger Joseph unclasped his hand from his mother’s and stopped and bent whilst they headed on, now halfway across the road.

There it was. The taxi that came full speed ahead. The driver was on his phone and did not see that there was a mother and her child walking across the pedestrian walkway.

“Make it real!” Joseph cried out, and the Timekeeper made it so.

“Stop!” he screamed, flailing his arms in front of the driver.

The driver saw him, but the tyres screeched as he hit his brakes, clearly not working in time. The taxi came full speed ahead, and Joseph raced to push his mother and little brother out of the way. They were safe, they were unharmed. He had saved them – but hurt himself in the process.

Joseph lay in the middle of the main road, his eyes staring up to the heavens. He had saved his family. Sacrificed himself to do so.

Time had seemed to stop, and the Timekeeper stood over him.

“Come,” he said, “our time here is done,” and the memory disintegrated once more.

Tell us: What do you think of this twist in the story?