Evolutionary

II. Glitch in Time

Cold sweat prickled the back of my neck, my limbs feeling heavier yet weightless. I floated through an unforgiving fog of endless voices echoing and beckoning to my consciousness. A single voice rose to the surface and eclipsed every last utterance my brain could muster.                                                            The time has come, Valerie.

 I awoke with a scream, flinging the covers off of me. Maybe it was just a dream, I thought to myself. Blinking sleep out of my eyes, I sat up in bed and brought the covers down to my waist. Wait, covers? When did I go to sleep last night? My eyes darted around the room, searching for my belongings, or even my creepy roommate, Elaina. Nothing in here is mine. This isn't my dorm. Where am I?  I slowly slid out of the too soft bed and made my way to the bedroom door. Panic set in as I slowly cracked open the heavy wooden door; I hesitantly poked my head out, looking out into the unfamiliar hallway. Nothing. Silent step by step, I made my way down the hallway and into the kitchen. Everything looked too clean. No dust. How did I get here?

I looked around the quiet apartment. "Hello?" I called out, my voice betraying my confidence with a waver. No reply. I glanced at the glass table in the middle of the room and on it sat a phone, car keys, and a stack of papers. I picked up the papers and rifled through them, each one a legal document- a birth certificate, a high school diploma, a Bachelors degree in Genetics, an ID, and a social security card, all with the name 'Eden Tate' printed on them.  I laid them back on the table and wandered around the house.

The living room was bland, yet chic, with a modern leather sofa and a matching coffee table, both tied together with a 50 inch TV sitting on a glass entertainment center. There were no pictures on the walls, no decorations, and no mail. Going back into the bedroom, I picked through the closet and noticed that all of the clothes were the same outfit, repeated 8 times. I frowned and headed back to the kitchen. The cupboards only held white ceramic plates and glass cups, and one drawer was filled with a few pieces of silverware. The fridge was empty except for two jugs of juice.

Finally mustering up the courage, I peeked outside through the window. Ground floor apartment; the small patch of grass below was perfectly manicured and a rich green. The asphalt of the lot was free of potholes, and newly painted it seemed. Scanning the parked vehicles, my eyes landed on one in particular. My car! Something familiar. I ran out the door and to the parking lot, throwing open the unlocked driver-side door. With a small sigh, I realized with disappointment that it wasn't the same year as my car had been, it was a 2020. Huh... 2020 isn't for another 4 years? I shuffled through the car, hoping to clear my confusion, when I opened up the small sun visor to look at myself in the mirror and down fell a small note. Scrawled on it in tiny letters read:

Valerie-

The items on the kitchen table are yours. Utilize them to your liking and live this new life of yours as a gift. You've earned it. Tomorrow, March 2, 2021, show up at 214 Bail Park Rd. in downtown Glasston at 3 p.m. Money will be sent to you on Tuesday, March 3, 2021 for you to buy more clothing and personal items. More will be revealed to you in the future.

 Good-bye for now.

-The E.T.

The E.T. Who is that? The note itself was cryptic, but one detail that caught me by surprise the most was the date. The day I went to Oliver's and we broke up... the day I crashed... That was exactly five years ago, in 2016. I nearly didn't catch myself when I collapsed from shock. No, they're lying, I told myself. I ran inside and snatched the phone from the table. The date on the screen didn't lie: March 1, 2021.

For the rest of the night, I paced aimlessly around the apartment, utterly terrified and trying to recall what happened to me for the past five years. How do I not remember? What the hell is wrong with me? My parents! They must be worried sick. I'm sure they've been looking for me...

I pulled the phone out of my pocket and one by one, I called each number. Mom first: Ring.....ring.....ring..... "We're sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service at this time. Good-bye." Then dad: "We're sorry-". Finally, my hands shook as I dialed Oliver's number, one I couldn't possibly forget. Ring...ring...ring...ring...ring...The ringing went on endlessly, and after 5 minutes of this, I ended the call. I hung my head in defeat, sinking to the ground and allowing myself to feel every emotion spinning around my head. I was confused, hurt, angry, and, most of all, scared.

Numbness filled every nerve as I slowed my breathing, calming myself like Oliver taught me. I stood up and flipped back through the documents on the table. Eden Tate's birth certificate claimed she was born in the town of 'Esthervale Tonsend'. I'd never heard of it. I must have been miles and miles away from Lancaster. With a sigh, I retired to the bedroom and tried to get some sleep. For hours, I tossed and turned in my strange dungeon until sleep overcame me.

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The next morning, I woke up, forgetting the previous day's confusion until it suddenly came rushing back to me, making my head throb rhythmically. The clock on the bedside table read 11:08 a.m., so I began getting ready for the day. Shutting the bathroom door behind me, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I hardly recognized myself. My hair was cut shorter than I usually wore it, and my eyes were a lighter shade of brown, almost honey-like. Newly-formed freckles sprinkled my nose and cheeks,  making my face look younger than it was. Wow. I forgot. I'm 26 now. Time didn't stop while the years slipped through my hands. Without my control, five years had passed... and for me, it only felt like a night. What happened... to make me forget five goddamned years? I stood there, shaking erratically, thinking about everything that could have happened, and then, with the sinking realization that I may never get the those memories back, I ploddingly stepped into the shower, involuntarily obeying the note's instructions. I need to find out what happened to me, and today is a good lead.

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When I pulled onto Bail Park Road, I realized the address the note had given me was a coffee shop called 'Steam'. With my stomach churning and my palms clammy, I made my way inside. The door jingled when I pushed it open, and a man at the counter smiled warmly at me. "Hi, it's Eden, right?" He asked kindly. I scanned the café, unsure of my purpose there. A few customers sat at tables placed sporadically around the room, soft yellow light illuminating their faces of content. "Uh..." I started. I stared at him blankly, shocked from the use of my fake name. He smiled at me again, saying, "Today's your first day, isn't it?" He set down a pot of coffee and faced me completely, waiting for my response. I thought back to the papers on the kitchen table, and gave in. "Um, it is?" His eyes focused in at me. "Eden Tate? We gave you an interview last week."

His words took me aback, and I quickly responded. "O-Oh, um, yes! Of course. I was just joking," I laughed awkwardly and looked at my hands. My hands... My nails are cut short. So either someone was taking care of me, or... My thoughts trailed off as I tuned into what he was saying. "...so just come around the counter and we'll start your training."

Nearing the end of my shift, Eaton, my new manager, left me at the cash register to stock some boxes in the back. I was taking customer's orders without any problems, and although my mind was still racing with confusing thoughts, I was doing fairly well- and kind of enjoying it. As I was putting some cups away, the door jingled. Looking up with a smile, I made eye contact with the customer. Something felt... off about this person. With an odd sense of dread bubbling up in my stomach, I said, "Welcome to Steam. How can I help you?" The customer didn't say a word, instead staring at me as he walked up to the counter. Without looking up at the menu, he uttered, "Mocha Latte, please." Alarms went off in my head as I tapped in his order on the computer. Something about this person... was familiar. Trying to avoid eye contact with the man, I made his coffee as fast as I could without spilling it, my skin tingling. When I was finished, I handed it to the man. "Have a great night," I muttered softly. He grabbed the cup, lingering there, a finger resting on mine. When I looked in his eyes, his words sliced through me like a knife.

"You too, Valerie."