***Haggleday

While holding Mathilda’s hand tightly Aaricia walked amongst the crowd. She stared down a bit, but the crowd made her feel more comfortable than no crowd. She was almost invisible for the patrolling stormtroopers this way. The black powder on her face, making her look like a poor mine worker, did the rest of the job. Mathilda pulled on her hand.
“Mummy.. euh I mean aunty..” She blushed and put a hand in front of her mouth.
“It’s ok Marieke.” Aaricia smiled at her daughter.
“Look, is that you?” She asked her softly, while pointing at some piece of paper on a wall.
Aaricia looked at the wanted poster and sighed softly when she saw Jarome’s picture. The paper looked old, had turned yellow and some edges had disappeared. “Yes Marieke.”
“And that’s.. is that uncle Jarome?”
Aaricia nodded again.
“Wooh.”
“Try not to use that name.. I have to find somebody to repair the ship –again- and then we will go visit your aunt.”
“Yes.” Mathilda looked at her, smiling, bouncing from excitement. “Mu.. aunty, I think you are so kewl!”
But Aaricia’s jaw had fallen open as she saw, on some clock..
Only one year had seemed to have passed! This date.. this couldn’t be right..
At a little shop she handed one of her few left credit chips to a Rodian trader and took the newspaper.. but the date was the same as on the clock.
Black holes..
She remembered her tuition on school. Black holes, in theory, could twist time. Aurea was situated in the middle of a lot of black holes. For them eight years had passed.. but here only one! This felt very, very confusing. And.. if only one year had passed, she really had to watch out more!
Her right hand felt empty. Adrenaline spread in her blood system. Tensely she peered around.
“Math..”
Her daughter, she had disappeared.

--MORE TO COME--