Joe Johnson got up from his couch to answer the unexpected ringing of his doorbell. He had not been anticipating visitors, so it was probably just a solicitor. When he opened the door, though, he groaned. “Kobe warned me this would happen…”
Father Time grinned a toothless grin. “You thought you could evade me forever, Joe? You humans are a foolish bunch. Time afflicts all things equally.”
“I guess you can come in,” Joe sighed.
“Now that you mention it, my feet could use a rest,” Father Time mused. “Your politeness might buy you some more time.” He walked through the front door, picked a comfortable-looking recliner, and sat down with a happy sound. “Oh yeah. I’m going to be here for a while I think. After all, unlike some people, I have all the time in the world.” He laughed at his own joke.
Joe sat down in the couch opposite. “I suppose it’s not even worth trying to bargain with you.”
“Nope,” answered Father Time, pulling a watch on a chain out of his pocket. He observed its quiet ticking for a few seconds before replacing it. “Your time is up. I have already informed DownToBuck that it is now acceptable to make highlight videos of your games as they inexorably decline in quality.”
“Just like with Paul Pierce…” Joe murmured to himself. He looked back up at his visitor. “I still have a few more years left, right?”
Father Time pressed the tips of his fingers together and his forehead wrinkled in thought. “Yes. It seems so. However, your skills will continue to deteriorate and you will become a three-point specialist who only plays for twenty minutes a game, if that. Your name alone will carry you well past the point of relevance. In fact, it already has.”
“It was a good run,” Joe said with resignation. “But time, as they say, waits for no one.”
“Leave the philosophical musings to me, kid. You’re out of your element,” Father Time responded. He slowly got to his feet and stretched his arms out. “While your recliner is very comfortable indeed, I must get going. There is no rest for this weary wizard.” He took out his watch again, turned a tiny knob on the side, and flashed out of existence.
Taking out his phone, Joe navigated to the DownToBuck YouTube channel. Sure enough, there was a Joe Johnson highlight video. Thirty minutes later, he was still staring at the thumbnail, wondering where the time had gone.