Temporal

A buzzing sound interrupted Bryan's sleep as the alarm on his phone vibrated the small side table next to his bed. He fumbled in the dark and swiped his finger across the screen to stop it. For a moment, he lay there, glaring up at the ceiling. The LED from a smoke detector, the only light in the room, stared with the occasional blink. It was too early for normal people to be awake, but he liked to get as much out of his day as he could. His eyelids were heavy and beckoned just a little more sleep. With as much willpower as he could muster this early, he sat up and stretched, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. With a yawn, he hopped off the bed, it was time to face another day.

He limped the first few steps to his closet to choose some running clothes for his morning workout. For a moment he stood there, swaying in the dark, waiting for his eyes to adjust so he could see his clothes. Turning the light on would have made it easier, but he was not ready for that kind of stimuli yet. With a heavy sigh, he settled on a t-shirt and joggers since it was supposed to be chilly this morning, and he was going to be doing a terrain run. He did not want his legs to go numb or end up looking like someone took a switch to him while running through the long grass and underbrush.

Running was something he had picked up not long after moving into the neighborhood just south of Baltimore a year ago. His mountain bike was damaged during the move and instead of getting it fixed, he just started running. It started a few times a week to make himself feel less lazy. Then he gradually started seeking new places to run more and eventually joined some local running clubs. Maybe one day he would get the bike fixed, but running had become an enjoyable pastime and seemed to be better for his lanky build.

Downstairs in the kitchen, he made himself a coffee. Well, not quite a coffee, but one of those mushroom alternatives that were all the rage on the social media. Similar in taste and smell, it was soothing going down and helped wake him up and keep him energized through the runs and the day. Whether it was the drink itself or just the ritual of a hot beverage in the morning, he was not sure, but it worked. He turned to leave the kitchen and caught his reflection in the window, making him pause for a moment. A shudder ran through him at the strong feeling of déjà vu, as if he was looking at a different version or a photo of himself. Weird. After several seconds, he shook it off to routine and continued with his morning.

He called for the morning news over the smart-speaker as he entered the living room. There was nothing really new this morning. People were robbed, people were murdered, wars and rumors of war all around the world, and all while he slept. There was an update of three missing women who went into the same park a week ago that he was going to this morning. Apparently, they were making a vlog on a story not too different from their own and never came back out. Of course, that story came after the latest Hollywood rumors. An actor seen holding hands with another actor was way more important than missing people, it seemed. Bryan shook his head at the afterthought story and for a moment hoped the women were found soon, and safe. Missing the rest of the story due to his reverie, he downed his coffee, told the news to stop, and left before the sun came up.

***

There was only one car in the small parking lot when he pulled in. He got out of the car and began a brief stretch. His breath came out in small clouds of mist. Dark purples and pinks began painting the deep blue canvas of sky in broad, saturated strokes from the slow rising sun. Clouds stretched across the sky like the hand of God reaching for an Earth-sized ball. A ground fog crept through the surrounding forest. Early morning commuters droned down the highway in the distance; a continuous noise that Bryan had grown used to since moving to the area. It was a perfect morning for running.

Once he felt limber enough, he took off at a slow trot to the trail head. The first part of the path was paved and steeped in early morning shadows and ran downhill into the forest. He continued his slow pace to warm up the muscles and avoid straining his knees.