Simpler Times

Chapter 1- Lament

I look out the window into the rainy mid afternoon as the Uber I took home from work comes to a stop. I mumble a thank you to the driver and get out, heading into my apartment building, the desk clerk looking over at me. I ding an elevator and take it up 17 floors to where my apartment is. I walk down to the end of the hallway, unlocking and entering the luxury loft my firm paid for to convince me to leave the much smaller business back home. Jokes on them, I wanted to leave anyway. After entering my huge, empty feeling loft, I plop the laptop case I had been carrying since I left the office down on my obnoxiously expensive leather couch, and go to my usual after work spot at my liquor cabinet. I then pour myself a glass of whiskey with a little bit of ice, carrying it over to my breakfast bar, where I sit down, slide my suit jacket off, loosen my tie, and undo my first few buttons, sighing and taking the first sip of whiskey of the night.

"One big fucking apartment with nobody in it....... exaaaactly what I wanted out of life...."

I then slam back the rest of the glass, flopping my head down on my arms after. I'm beyond sad, but I feel too empty to even cry at this point. I check my phone in vein to see if anyone's texts, then plop it down. I lay there for a few minutes, staring blankly into the big, empty, urban abyss out of the kitchen window. My phone buzzes and I pick it up, seeing a notification from my video doorbell. I then unlock it, seeing that my neighbor Steve was at the door. Steve was nothing spectacular really, a fairly bland, polite man in his mid 20s, about 6'3 in height with a skinny frame. I tell him he can come in, and he opens the door, walking over to the breakfast bar and sitting next to me. He softly pats my back and looks at me

"All's not well in cooperville?"

I crack a little smile and look at him

"Nope..... not much is well in cooperville"

He sympathetically rubs my back. I can feel his slightly judgmental gaze upon me. I know he resents what I am, as much as he tries to hide it. If it wasn't for my position, his role in the project development division of the tech company I work for would have less restrictions and micromanagement. He slips a small device out of his pocket and places it in front of me. It's a small clicker type device with a screen. The screen displays 4 numbers, "1985" at the moment.

"So..... I heard you had a birthday recently. Being my co-worker and neighbor, I figured I'd get you something..... now the question of "What do you get the man who has everything?" Kept ringing through my head, but then I thought more about you. About how you act.... about what you've told me when you were incredibly drunk. I got you your youth back."

He taps the clicker device gently

"Pick a year from your childhood, wrap the band around your wrist, and pick a year. Hold the button for 15 seconds, and you'll be back to the year of your choice!"

I then perk up, giving him a look like he has six heads. Time travel? Seriously? Is he on crack?

"Steve..... all due respect, what the fuck are you talking about?"

He sighs and rolls his eyes

"Knew you wouldn't be so trusting. Here, watch"

He pulls his slightly cracked phone out and scrolls through his photos, holding the corner of the screen for a few seconds, opening a second menu. He then taps on a line of jumbled text, opening a video. He holds the phone in front of me, a video running. It's Thomson, another one of the project development scientists. He has the device on his wrist, and after the 15 second time period, he disappears in a flash. He comes back after a timeskip in the video, holding a sixshooter and a cowboy hat with a hole in it. The room then celebrated and cheered, the device working. I sit in slack jawed wonder for a second, looking over at Steve. He smugly smiled at me

"Happy birthday!"

I take the device feverishly, looking at it. This is the key.... the key to start my life over again..... make up with some people who are too far gone...... never get into goddamn motherfucking accounting......

"I-......"

I spring up and hug Steve tight, clinging onto him. I start to tear up, shakily speaking as I grip his jacket tight

"Thank you..... so much. I'll take the gift...."

He pats my back gently, comforting me. His hand softly runs off my shoulder as he breaks the hug and leaves the device in my hand.

"I recommend taking a little bit to choose what you wanna do. I'm gonna head back to my place..... please text me when you're about to go."

He smiles lightly and leaves the apartment, going back to his. I sigh a little bit, smiling through the tears. I go to my room and change into more comfortable clothing, then shift my desk chair toward the floor to ceiling window, opening the curtain and putting some music on. I sit and look out the window into the rain, fiddling with the time travel device. I think carefully about what year to go back to. I consider 1988, truly starting over, but not remembering anything and shitting myself for a good few years sounds pretty bad...... after a few more hours, I pick 2003. I'd be 18 just about to finish high school, and in what I'd call the best years of my life. I then lay down in bed after adjusting the numbers to the chosen year, laying down to fall asleep. I text Steve to let him know I'm going, and what year I'm going back to. I fell asleep soon after, making sure to hold onto the time travel device. I sleep soundly, traveling back to 2003 while unconscious.