Out Of Time (edit pending)

CHAPTER 3

It was dim in the basement.  Even though he never had any real doubts he silently celebrated the fact that he was still okay. Trying to contain his excitement he walked to the light switch.  It was already up. He flicked it down and back up a few times then gave up and left it off.  He walked over to his desk that his lovely wife was sitting at just a minute ago.  Or ten days ago depending on how you look at it.  This was so exciting!

He sat.  He waited

Then he waited a little longer.

He waited for what may have been two minutes.  That was just a guess though as his watch seemed to have been damaged by the trip.  He waited for Natalie, and possibly himself.  He thought one, if not both, of them would be here waiting.  He also waited for the effects of the trip to wear off.  On both counts he was confused and disappointed.

They never came looking for him.  He thought that maybe with the power out they did not know that it was time.  Natalie had never been one for wearing watches, and maybe he had been too busy with everything that would follow a successful trip to have stopped and purchased a new one.  So he called.  No answer came.

Knowing that, if his two minute guess was correct, he only had about eight minutes left here the waiting stopped.  It appeared no one was home and it became obvious that the side effects were going to last too long to wait out when he had only given himself so little time for this trip.  So despite the fact that he could barely breathe, despite the fact that he could barely move he left the basement.

The air seemed stagnant and somehow thick.  It was not quite walking through molasses but that was the only thing his mind could compare it to.  Fighting his way up the stairs he was surprised to notice no light coming through the doorway.  Of course the power was apparently out but there was also no sunlight. Coming through the doorway he looked to the dining room windows which covered almost half the room.  The curtains were not closed.  In the dining room, as well as outside of the window, it was almost as dim as it was downstairs.  Instinctively he flicked up the light switch to no avail.  He headed for the window.

Looking up first he noticed there was almost no cloud cover.  It should be midday.  He could see the sun.  At least there was a circle up there that was a little brighter then everything else.  It didn’t seem to radiate though, and it didn’t hurt to look at.  Bringing his gaze back down to earth he grew even more confused.

There was Natalie’s car in the driveway.  Where was she? And speaking of cars there were four of them out in the middle of the street not moving.  There had not been an accident. There was nothing in the road that would block traffic. The cars just weren’t moving.

Looking up and down the street he saw no one.  It was midday on a Saturday, where was everyone?  Then his gaze brought him to the Anderson’s across the street.  That was enough, too much actually.  What the hell was going on here?  He had had enough.  He could not depend on his watch for any good news.  He sat at the dining room table, placed his head in the hands, and waited for the end of these ten nightmarish minutes.

Across the street a basket ball hung in its net.  Caught in the net? Maybe.  Halfway down the drive way a second ball also hung, this one in midair.