Welcome to Manhattan

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Midtown Manhattan
March 9, 1987

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The alarm clock rang loudly throughout the room.

"What the heck..." Belle was still groggy. "Five minutes more..." she grumbled while trying to locate the bothersome alarm clock on her bedside table, cursing when she couldn't reach it, and maneuvered her body, extending her arms in to attempt to lay hold of the annoying contraption till she came to the edge of her bed and fell to the ground. "Ouch!" Belle exclaimed as her sore hip hit the floor, which made her open her weary eyes. "Oh, darn alarm clock--" she paused mid-sentence when her gaze rested on something unfamiliar.

Huh?

She slowly sat on the floor and rubbed her tired eyes to improve her hazy sight. When she opened her eyes again, her view was filled with the magnificence of a classic bedroom.

She gave a loud, unsteady scream, her eyes growing wide in shock. In an instant, her previous drowsiness was completely gone!

Where am I?!

A wave of jitters suddenly crashed over her.

What kind of place is this?

Am I still dreaming?!

She used both her hands to smack her face. She gave her cheek a tight pinch too. "Ouch!" It did nothing. She was still there and hadn't disappeared. It wasn't a dream--this was reality! Anxiety engulfed her.

She could recall with remarkable vividness the events of the day prior. After completing her work in the office, she went home, blew out the birthday cake candles, showered, and went to bed. That's it!

How did she get here?!

She glanced around in sheer disbelief and noticed most items were reminiscent of the bygone eras of the 1970s and 1980s. Her gaze came to a fixated halt upon a large photograph of herself dressed in a vintage and charming floral gown, and her mouth dropped open.

Is that me?!

"Oh, God!" She stood and rushed to the picture. It was her! But she couldn't remember being photographed like that! "Oh no!" she exclaimed when she saw many more pictures of her at various gatherings, some taken with famous people during the 80s and 90s, who looked young despite now being old or dead.

What's happening to her? Why has she got photos with famous Hollywood stars?!

She was taken aback when she spotted their family picture. Her parents and sibling were wearing clothes similar to hers, making it seem as if she'd been transported back in time. Oh, heavens above!

When her gaze fell upon the 1987 New York calendar, she nearly fainted. There were several pinned reminders on it, and with trembling hands, she removed them and saw that the handwriting was her own. She could not be mistaken.

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