Disappearance

4

He and Lottie came up with a story. He had decided that he had to get away from it all, bought a house cash in the middle of nowhere in Australia, and lived off the grid for four years. He hadn't contacted his family since he didn't have a way to contact them. He had been a farmer.

The story was absolutely bonkers but that was the only explanation they could think of. If they said that he had been kidnapped and held in a cellar for four years a huge investigation would take place to find the pretended perpetrator. If he told the truth they would lock him in a psych ward and throw away the key. Lonely Ranch in Australia was the story he had to go with.

Before he made a public announcement and created a shitstorm in the media he had to talk to his closest. He borrowed Lottie's phone.
"I can go and buy you a new phone while you call everyone." Lottie offered.

"That would be great, actually. Thanks, Lottie!" Louis smiled.

She returned the smile and headed out. Louis called his grandparents first. That took an hour. They were shocked and confused. He told them the public lie. They both scolded him and expressed their happiness at the same time.

Lottie returned with a new cell phone and he wrote in the numbers from her phone that he needed. He found the note from Harry and put his number in as well even if he wasn't gonna call him. He hesitated but sent him a text.

My new number. /Louis

Harry replied within the minute.

Thank you. How are you?

Louis snorted. He was a mess.

Fine.

Harry didn't reply back but he wasn't surprised. He hadn't exactly opened up for a conversation and why would he? Harry was probably with his new boyfriend anyway.

Logically he knew that it had been four years for Harry but that didn't mean he wasn't fucking heart broken. In his life, they kissed a few days ago and said I love you before they fell asleep in a hotel room in Sydney. He needed some time to get over that. Probably four years too or more.

He continued to call people. Next on his list was his childhood friend Oli. He thought it was a prank call.
"Are you in Donny?" Louis asked.

"Yes." Oli replied.

"Get over here then. Me mum's house." Louis said and hung up.

He thought about who he should call next. He chose Liam. He didn't answer so he sent him a text. Liam called a minute later.
"Louis?"

"Yeah, it's me." Louis replied.

"What the hell, mate! It's been four years." Liam said. He sounded drunk.

"Yeah, sorry. I can explain." Louis said.

"This better be good." Liam muttered.

Louis hated that he was angry at him.
"I time traveled. I fell asleep in a hotel room in Sydney and woke up the next day in Donny and it had been four years." Louis hurried to say.

Liam hung up on him.

Feeling discouraged he rang Zayn instead. He didn't believe him either. He almost didn't call Niall but he knew he had to.
"Louis? You're alive?" Niall questioned.

"Yeah." Louis said and then he told Niall the same as the others.
"Shit? Really? Have you to talked to Harry?" Niall asked.

"Do you actually believe me?" Louis questioned. He was baffled.

"Well... Yeah. If you had been anywhere on this planet for four years, even if you hid in the middle of a desert one of our fans would have found you and asked for a selfie. Time travel sounds legit. Have you talked to Harry?" Niall asked again.

"You're fucking amazing, Nialler! I hope you fucking know that. Uhm, yeah. I went to see him. Who the fuck is his new boyfriend?" Louis asked.

"Oh. Ehm... Nick." Niall replied.

"Grimshaw? You must be fucking kidding me?" Louis spitted out.

"No, I'm sorry. Where are you now?" Niall asked.

"Donny." Louis answered.

"Alright, I'll gather up the boys and we'll take the first flight to England. I'll call you when we land." Niall said.

The doorbell rang.
"Okay. Someone's at the door. Talk to you later?" Louis said.

"You better!" Niall replied.

They hung up and Louis went to open the front door. Oli stared at him in disbelief.
"Tell me you were abducted by aliens."

"Unfortunately not." Louis chuckled.

Oli hugged him.
"I can't believe it's you! What happened?"

"Come in for a cup of tea and I will explain." Louis said.

They sat down in the kitchen and Louis made them tea. He looked at the time.
"Aren't you working?"

"I said I was sick and headed straight here. It's not every day one of your best mates comes back from the dead." Oli said.

Louis could see how curious he was.
"Okay, I'm gonna give you the real explanation and I need you to believe me. I swear on me life that I'm telling you the truth."

"Sounds serious. Spit it out for crying out loud." Oli said and stared at him.

"Okay. Five days ago I went to bed in a hotel in Sydney in 2015 and I woke up here in 2019 from a weird dream that I had time traveled."

"Louis, you're scaring me. That sounds..." Oli said skeptically.

"Absolutely insane. Trust me I know!" Louis interrupted him.

"Maybe you should see a doctor?" Oli suggested.

"Oli, God's honest truth, that's the only explanation I have. If I had run away somewhere, don't you think someone would have seen me during these four years? Don't you think I would have called you and me family? Used some of me money at least?" Louis said.

"Right." Oli hesitated.

Lottie came into the kitchen to let them know that she was picking up Louis' siblings from school.
"Do you believe all this?" Oli asked her.

"Yes. There's no way Louis hadn't rushed home when our mum got sick and even if he had hidden somewhere I doubt he would have made it four years without a TV or a computer so he would have seen that she was ill. It was public news." Lottie answered.

"True. Time travel, huh? Cool!" Oli grinned.

"Not cool. I missed everything!" Louis sighed.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for your loss." Oli replied softly.

"Thanks. So how have you been?" Louis asked.

They spent hours catching up. The youngest siblings father Dan came home from a business trip later that evening and he was as shocked as the rest of them.