They say time ripens all things, but a paradox occurs when time is called upon to collide with an already ripened other. These paradoxes create that pinch that squeeze the days into nights, hours into minutes, and minutes into seconds. I received a phone call earlier in one of these paradoxes, only to hear the shrill sound of nature, calling into the other side.

Scrambling to pick up loose time around the room, I got to the water closet with nothing to spare. I remember looking at my watch, now almost too small to see what it read. The band around my wrist, cutting off the blood flow to my hand. I knew there was only one thing left to doo.