Read Hexad: The Ward for Free Online

as he rolled his head from side to side.
    "Just for being snappy and grumpy. It's not your fault."
    "I'm sorry too. It's been a crazy day, right?"
    "You can say that again." Amanda wondered how much worse it was going to get. "Dale?"
    "Yeah?"
    "Where are we? I mean, you know I told you about the pub?" Dale nodded. "Well, if things are different here to how we both remember them, then where are we? Some other timeline in our own world, or some other universe?"
    "I honestly don't know, honey. I'm not even sure what the difference is between those two things. My guess is that as we basically set things right, but not quite, then we are back where we belong, but also not quite. Once we do this," Dale nodded at the pad and the book, "then that should be it and we will be where we are supposed to be. Maybe."
    "Ugh, this is one Saturday I won't mind forgetting. I wonder if we will, like Tellan said we have in the past? Just wake up again after we do this and it will be like nothing happened."
    "I hope not, as then we'll just go through another version of it all over again, like we already have, right? This is what, the third time now we've had this morning? Although I missed some of it. Better to just do these things and carry on with our lives remembering it."
    Amanda thought for a moment. "I'm not sure it works like that. Also, Tellan said that if there is no time travel then there is no need for the future to have happened, that when you jump you kind of make the future a reality, so you create a new world, or universe, like an almost-parallel universe, so if we do what we are supposed to and then there are no Hexads, won't that mean the other you will be gone?"
    Dale scratched at his stubbly chin. "You know what? I honestly don't care. If there is supposed to be just the past and the present, then great, and there should be only one of me, and you, not endless versions all created because Hexads bring other realities into being."
    "So, shall we do this then?" asked Amanda nervously. Gosh, are we really going to time travel, go meet ourselves? This is so weird.
    Dale got up and stretched his back. "It feels sudden now, but yeah, let's do it. Haha, you do know how crazy this seems, right?"
    "Oh yes, totally bonkers." Amanda moved close to Dale, stood on tip-toes and gave him a peck on the cheek.
    "What's that for?"
    "Because I love you, Dale, and I'm glad you're here, with me." Amanda sniffed deeply, just to make sure, then wrinkled her nose.
    Dale watched her face and Amanda could see his panic rising as she flared her nostrils in disgust at his scent. "No, no, you just need a shower. Haha, it's you, don't worry. I think I need one too."
    "Phew, you had me worried there for a bit. Okay, shower, then we go to save the world. Again, apparently."
    "Dale and Amanda save the world. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
    "Yeah, but I'd rather go to the pub," said Dale.
    "Trust me, the way it is now you might change your mind."
    They went to shower.
     
    ~~~
     
    Dale tapped his foot impatiently on the kitchen tiles. He watched the squirrel upend the bird feeder, tipping out the last few seeds. He turned away when he heard noise in the hallway; Amanda appeared moments later.
    "About time," he said.
    "What? I had to do my hair." Amanda put a hand through the still-damp curls, wondering if it would make a difference to their future if she met herself looking anything but exactly like they had when they'd done it before, a before that was in a future that by rights should no longer exist. She shook such speculation away. Stuff like that could drive you mad.
    She stared out the window and watched the squirrel. Dale followed her gaze.
    "I'll do them when we return. We can jump back to right this moment, I suppose, so it's not like the birds will go hungry. The squirrel certainly won't."
    "Suppose not, no." Amanda put a hand through her hair again, her pride and joy. She hadn't done more than give it a light trim for many years now and she