THE MOMENT
Quinn paused. She looked at the bald, round man with squat legs and short, thin arms. He wore a white apron with black slacks and a light green shirt. He almost had a green pallor, but Quinn dismissed it as a reflection from the neon signs around the cafe. Most of them were green; along with the table tops. The walls were painted with lush forest scenes. The earthy decor made Quinn feel almost at home. She didn't feel threatened; but, she didn't feel like she could relax just yet.
"You've been... waiting for me?" she asked.
"Well,..not waiting, exactly," he chuckled. "My name is Mitch. Mundo told me you were coming and to get you anything you want; on the house. I came to the door and there you were," he said. "Mundo will be right out to meet you, what can I get for you in the meantime?"
"Water, please?..," Quinn asked quietly. Mitch chuckled and shook his head.
"You'll get what I serve you," he grinned and spun on his heels to head towards the kitchen. He walked around the cashier counter and into the back through a pair of brown swinging doors. After one swing, a lithe, short woman with vibrant green hair walked out. A single red streak of hair ran along the side of her head. She wore a white apron and a similar uniform to Mitch's outfit.
"Hello, Quinn," the woman smiled as she sat down across from her. "My name is Mundo; I'm glad you finally found your way here," she said.
"You knew I was coming?" Quinn asked. "How? Why?" she followed up with more questions when Mundo nodded.
"That's going to be a lengthy explanation, and we'll get to it," Mundo said. "But, to give you an immediate answer; I am the spirit of the Earth. I can know anything and everything that goes on anywhere on Earth.
"Whoooaa...," Quinn was immediately impressed. By the time she considered doubting Mundo's claims, she already believed it whole-heartedly. She wanted it to be true because there was a lot she could do with that kind of knowledge.
"Do you know who my parents are!??" Quinn sat up and the question shot out of her mouth. Mundo sighed and gave her a heavy nod.
"It's unfortunate news... but, I do know who your parents were. I know they can't be replaced; but, you are a very special child and you'll be well taken care of from now on."
Quinn never knew her parents. She grew up in an orphanage until she couldn't stand to be there anymore. She always dreamed about finding her parents and living a happy, comfortable life, because that's what orphans were supposed to do. But, the more she thought about it; it was the 'comfortable life' part that she was most interested in. She wanted a family. But, being related by blood was little more than a nice bonus for her at that point.
"What makes me special?" Quinn asked. She was ready to be taken care of, but she was still missing a lot of details.
"It's not a direct comparison...," Mundo said. "But, you are a Unique Soul like me. I am the spirit of the Earth, some could argue that you're the spirit of Time. You have the ability to control time. Pause it, rewind, fast forward and even create time loops; you're very powerful."
"I can do that...?" Quinn looked at her hands as if inspecting them for the first time ever. "..how??"
"But, manipulating time is something every Muerte can do, to an extent. That's not what makes you special," Mundo smiled.
"Then.. what?" Quinn asked.
"YOU...," Mundo stared Quinn in the eyes and said it firmly so that the message was clear. It wasn't a throwaway platitude; Mundo meant it sincerely about Quinn. "....have the power to decide the future for everyone."
"What?" Quinn asked. That was suddenly a lot of pressure. "How??"
"Hmmm. How can I put this...," Mundo looked at Quinn as she thought for a moment. "Okay, this is a very loose analogy; don't take it too seriously, okay?" Mundo asked. Quinn nodded.
"Imagine a small group of people; five or less, that run the entire universe. These people are almost god-like and they make a bet thinking they've accounted for everything. The bet is for a certain thing to happen; it doesn't matter what for this example. Still with me?" Mundo asked.
"Uhuh..kind of ...," Quinn nodded.
"So these people are great and they've made plans and everything is set in motion; but, something unexpected happens. The universe itself decided it has its own opinions about how things should go."
"You lost me...," Quinn shook her head.
"Well, let's just stick with the bet analogy," Mundo shrugged. "The way things are going now, it looks like the bet is going to end in a tie." She winked at Quinn and pointed at her. "And, the universe has chosen you to be the tie-breaker."