A GIFT OF TIME

Episode 1

"Claire? Are you okay? You've been gloomy since we left the hospital" my mom queried at the front seat next to my dad who seems pretty concentrated on the road while I stared out emotionlessly through the car window to watch what seemed to be the old Jefferson, I turned to my mom at the question and looked at her closely. She looked too real to be a dream. Could everything I had experienced be a terrible nightmare. It had to be. Everything felt so surreal to be true.

"Claire" my mom called worry evident in her voice and on her face.

"I'm fine mom, I'm good" I faked a smile and I watched her heaved a sigh of relief.

"She just needs some time since she just left the hospital" my dad mused and my mom nodded at him in consideration.

No matter how much I think about it, I just couldn't seem to conclude what exactly happened to me, the nightmare had felt so real. Hold on a second? Does that mean I hadn't gone to college, hadn't met my friends, I frowned at the thought but I decided to look at the positive side, the apocalypse hadn't happened, my dad hadn't died, my mom was here. I cleaned the tears that had escaped my eyes at the thoughts. I was glad everything that had happened was just a nightmare.

"Honey are you crying?" my mom worriedly asked.

"No mom, I'm...I'm just so happy to be here with you" I replied staring deep into her eyes as we sauntered into our driveway.

"Awwn, honey. I'm glad we are here with you too, let me come help you get down, and please Claire, tomorrow is your exam, we can't have you going to the exam center with a broken leg. So. Don't you dare try that again" my mom scolded and I nodded with a smile.

Mom helped me get down from the car and lead me to the door while dad gets some stuff at the car boot.

"Sure you don't need any help honey?" my mom asked my dad whose hand seem to have laden at the number of stuff on his hand which includes his work briefcase, mom's bag, his suit, and a bag containing my stuff from the hospital.

"I can manage love" my dad smiled and my mom returned the smile warmly.

"Hey sis, Sadly you hadn't broken a leg" Charlie chirped loudly as I sauntered in with my mom, my mom threw him a haughty look at his statement but tears laced my eyes and I found myself running into my brother's embrace. He stilled, taken aback by my reaction.

"Mom. Are you sure Claire isn't broken somewhere else, perhaps the head?" Charlie panicked as I wept into his chest.

"Claire, is everything alright?" my mom asked worry laced her voice as she moved towards me.

"I'm so glad to see you again" I wept into my brother's chest.

"You saw me before the ambulance arrived and you knew I hid your training wheels, what's this plan of yours Claire?" my brother quarried.

"You hid her training wheels!?" my mom boomed and my brother sucked in his lips after he realized what he'd just said.

"it's okay mom, we were just fooling around," I said after I released to smile at my brother who frowned and glanced at me with total disbelief.

"Are you sure she's okay mom?" my brother asked as I head away from the sitting room and straight to the stairs, but instead of replying,

my mom slapped his shoulder in reaction.

"That's for hiding your sister's training wheels, she could have been seriously injured" my mom scolded.

"Isn't helpful, I mean at her age she can't ride a bicycle. It's embarrassing mom" Charlie blurted and my mom gave a frustrated growl.

I smiled realizing how much I had missed them, I couldn't hold back my tears of joy and happiness. It was a nightmare, a terrible nightmare. I sighed as I moved into my room, how I missed the scent of caramel and milk, the scent from my cream, shampoo, and soap. I inhaled deeply loving the feeling I felt being home again, I slumped and sprawled on my neatly arranged bed. My bed covers had a large image of Elsa and Hannah in frozen, I miss them too, I thought laying flat to hug my bed. I stood and started to jump on my bed but my leg suddenly ache and I realized I had just gotten back from the hospital treated for the sprain.

I smiled feeling blessed and fulfilled as I swipe open my window curtains to make room for more sunlight. I looked around at my girly room, I was super obsessed with frozen animation that my room color was blue complimenting the frozen poster and my frozen bedspread, my furniture which included my closet, reading table, bookshelves, shoe rack, reading chair, and coat hanger was painted white, so you can say my room color was basically white and blue, I grabbed my towel from the hanger right next to my bathroom and made my way into my bathroom to have a nice and cool shower. I hummed my favorite song of frozen which was 'let it go'. Immediately I was out of my bathroom, I moved to my closet to pick a...didn't have any option, I laughed as I recalled never being able to pick a dress on my own. Even in my dream when I had moved to college I would video call my mom to pick a dress. I laughed at the thought, I was sure to have been able to pick a dress on my own by the time I go to college. Settling for a plain white top and faded blue jeans I made my way to my reading table to bring out my books. Actually, I had always been a straight-A student. Couldn't believe even in my dream I was still a topper, even at college. I was still going through my books when my brother Charlie made his way in.

"Knock knock," He said after he had made his way in, I sighed and turned my reading chair around to face him.

"I was hoping if I could borrow a book, you know-" my brother was saying moving to my bookshelf which was facing my bed.

For some kind of reason, I found the scene very familiar.

"Have you stolen mom's money?" I asked meeting my brother's gaze as he scanned my bookshelf with nervous eyes.

"What...What...I.. Don't know what you're...talking about" my brother stuttered grabbing one of my books before leaving.

Has this happened before? Why does the scene felt so familiar? I subconsciously asked myself. I closed my eyes as my mind subconsciously painted the mental image of the scene that had just happened, it really did happen. My brother had come for my book and he had kept mom's stolen money in it and when mom came looking for it, she had checked his room and couldn't find it, he actually thought she wasn't going to check my room. Then mom came, she checked and found the money right in my room. I was grounded immediately after my exams.

It must have been a coincidence, I thought and sighed, denying the strange feeling that was rising up my gut. After studying extra two hours, I heard my mom's call for dinner downstairs. I closed my books and headed downstairs to meet mom just about to dish dinner.

"Hey honey, how are you feeling now?" my mom asked beckoning me to an empty seat next to dad.

"Much better mom" I replied dishing my veggies, just then I heard my brother strolling down the stairs with his hand fixed in his pockets.

"You look happy, did something happened?" my mom asked as my brother removed his hands moved back to a chair to seat.

"seriously mom, does something have to happen for me to look happy?" Charlie questioned and arched a brow at him.

"Was just asking" my mom avowed and my brother scoffed.

"Here mom, have some meat and you too Charlie," I said dropping on their plates chops of grilled meat.

Maybe my mom was surprised at my actions but Charlie, he was confused but I merely smiled back as he stared at me in awe and confusion.

I stayed up late studying for my exams, late enough to watch Charlie snuck into my room to return my book. Immediately he left after returning my book, I moved to my shelf to check if he really did stole mom's money. My heart skipped a beat to found $200 right in the middle of the book. Okay, it's just a coincidence. There's no way my dream was repeating itself. No, it wasn't possible. I thought of removing the 200bucks and leaving for my parent's room to return the money into my mom's purse.

With that done, I moved back to my room for my beauty rest.

"Charlie you're dropping Claire off at the test center, got that?" My dad said in the morning while he dressed up for work.

"But dad I need to be somewhere, how can I possibly-

" you're dropping her off and that's final" my mom cut Charlie off and he frowned, confusingly the scene also looked familiar, my brother had taken me to the test center and left me to find my way back home. I scoffed recalling the scene.

"Dad" I called climbing down the stairs in my pj's and making my way to the kitchen.

"Morning sweetheart" my dad greeted back warmly as I gave him a peck.

"And can you please tell Charlie to come to pick me up immediately after the test?" I requested with a mischievous smile up my lip.

"No, no way. There's no way that's happening" my brother panicked realizing I was going to ruin his plans.

"For heaven's sake Charlie, what is the big deal of picking up your sister after her test, you can't have her stranded 15miles away from home" my mom fretted arranging her stuff as well as my dad's while both hurriedly prepare for work.

"Mom she's not a kid anymore, I'm sure she can make her way home" my brother argued but earn mom's glare in reaction.

"I'm taking your car keys away if you don't drop and pick her up after her test " my mom threatened following my dad.

"And that's final" my dad's voice resounded as he waited on the pouch for a minute. I moved over to the window as I watch my mom fix dad's tie, then they headed for the garage probably to get their car.

"How did you know I was gonna ditch you?" my brother asked behind me and I scoffed.

"it's a typical thing of you Charlie" I replied and he frowned.

"Come on Charlie, there's no biggie, don't worry, we could have so much fun" I chirped moving back to the stairs.

"Oh please," Charlie rolled his eyes as I hummed while heading upstairs. Getting back to my room I realized my mom had picked my clothes for the day, even underwear. I squealed excitedly making my way into the bathroom and having a warm shower. I came back to dress in the soft cotton cream color body hug gown, Grey knee-length coat my mom had gotten for me, I made my redhead into a ponytail before grabbing my muffler to compliment my dressing. I got to the rack to figure my mom hadn't picked the shoe but seeing my cream leather sandals, I knew it was the one to complete my dressing.

"Wow, you look not bad" Charlie exclaimed as I stylishly walk back into the kitchen to get some cereal.

"your test isn't till 9, and this is just 8.30, do you mind if we drop by Andrew before heading for your test center?" my brother asked grabbing his coat and car keys after I announced I was ready to leave.

"there's no way in the world I'm taking any chances" I croaked. My brother gave an exasperated sigh before giving up. I was having my way this time, not his.

It took my brother 30mins to get to the test center and I was very glad hadn't let him visit his friend on our way, I would have been late for my test.

4hrs. That was what it took me to finish my tests. I was sitting on a park bench made in the open area right in front of the test centers with few other high schoolers like me when I realized I wasn't with my phone. All of them had phones in their hands, some chatting, some calls. I figured I wasn't used to phoning. I frowned at the thought. How could I possibly not be used to phone anymore, like what happened to me was a nightmare wasn't it? That question I still haven't found answers. For some kind of reason, my heartbeat was frantic. Something was wrong somewhere and I couldn't place a finger.

I'm a high schooler, aren't I? I'm Claire Chadwick and I am 19 years old, my birthday was in a month. But why do I feel there was much missing out. Why do I feel so incomplete? I feel so different. Why do I remember every last detail of my dream?. I had so many questions left unanswered and I knew, no one but myself could answer those questions.

"Claire!" Stephanie a friend from school called driving me out of my trance.

"Hey hi," I said standing on my feet.

"you look extremely astonishing" Stephanie chirped loudly.

"Thanks, Steph, you don't look too bad yourself," I remarked briefly scanning her dressing. She was in a blue corset blouse, black skinny Jeans, and black bomber jacket, complimenting her one-side braided jet black hair.

"What ya here for?" I asked tearing my eyes off her and acting casual as I slipped my hand into the coat pockets.

"The test?" she stated like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh sorry, I didn't realize you were also going to apply for, you know college, no offense, a lot of our classmate said-

"I know Claire. I totally understand your point. It really is hard" Stephanie babbled.

"So, how're things been going? How's prom gonna be, I heard some college students will be dropping by. Oh, I can't wait-

"Hold on, prom is this Saturday?" I asked completely clueless and she gave me a wondering look.

"Sorry, it slipped my mind" I lied, yeah lied because my head was forming a mental image of prom and how I had found out. I knew it was prom in my dream. In my dream, I had been super excited and I had patiently waited for Ken to ask me to prom, Ken was my boyfriend but we were on a temporary break. We fought and we decided we needed some time off, I had been disappointed when Ken showed up with Leslie, the school cheerleader.

"Claire, are you okay, you look pale" Stephanie pointed out, and I was drawn out of my reverie.

"Uh, oh... I'm fine" I stuttered,

"Um... Steph, do you mind if I borrow your phone to call my brother?" I requested with my voice sounding as appealing as it could.

"Yeah sure, why not?" she said handing me her phone. She unlocked it and I tried to input my brother's number but, it had faded from my memory like it had been long I made use of it.

"Is something wrong?" Stephanie asked and I slowly met her eyes as my heart beats went frantic again.

"I can't remember" I confessed timidly, finding it hard to believe myself.

"that's not an issue, I have him on f******k. I'll get his contact for you" Stephanie said taking back her phone. Though it seems my eyes were fixed on her, I was completely lost. How couldn't I recall my brother's phone number? Why do I feel like it had been because phones stopped working? This was 2019 and that was 2022. It doesn't make any sense.

"Here" Stephanie broke my trance again, I took the phone and waited for my brother to pick up.

"Hello" his deep rough voice resounded in my ears.

"Hi Charlie, it's me, Claire, I'm done with my test, would you come to pick me up, please? I'm freezing out here" I complained.

"Oh hell Claire, where the heck did you kept your phone, I've been trying to call you" my brother demanded.

"Sorry, Charlie but I kinda forget my phone at home. So, do you mind?" I said and I heard him sigh from the other end of the call.

"I'll be there in a few minutes" he grumbled, it was obvious he wasn't convenient with the decision but he had no choice.

"Okay bye," I noted disconnecting the call.

"Thanks, Steph" I muttered in gratitude to Steph who had stood watching me as I communicated with my brother.

"You're welcome" She smiled taking back her phone as I gestured it back to her.

"I don't think anyone forgets their phones these days" Stephanie pointed and I sighed.

"Pretty occupied with the test huh?" Steph snickered and I smiled.

"Maybe" I replied and she smiled just then I saw a champagne gold range rover pulled by.

"Um, gotta go. My pops here, see you later Claire" Stephanie's voice trailed off as she waved and ran over to the car. I heaved another sigh as I waved back and waited for my brother.

It took my brother more than 45 minutes to arrive. I was upset really. The temperature had dropped beyond normal and I was practically freezing.

"what took you so long?" I demanded with furrowed brows.

"Hello, you should have considered I was busy when you called. I ditched Andrew's f*****g a*s to get to you doll" he replied igniting the engine.

"Not my problem Charlie, you were supposed to get me home" I argued.

"And you were supposed to call me as soon as you were done, you were supposed to have your freaking phone with you" he shot back at me and I frowned.

"I wish you leave real quick for your MBA, it's October, right? I'll tolerate your a*s till then" I sassed at him and he gave me a puzzled look.

"I haven't even sign in for that" he arched his brows at me in question and I frowned in confusion.

I do recall he had signed in for his MBA program and he had left for Los Angeles for the program and. What is wrong with me? I kept mixing reality with dreams. I thought and my heart raced again. I was getting more and more confused.

"Is everything alright Claire?" my brother asked trying to hide his worry but he failed miserably at it. It was all written on his face.

"I don't Charlie, I feel like I'm going crazy" I grumbled.

"What is it? Is something bothering you?" Charlie worried.

"Charlie is it possible to live in the future and then came back to the past.

" It happens in movies a lot " he mentioned with a ditzy look.

" Forget it, it's crazy" I stated and he chuckled softly.

"Come on, tell me, what is it?" he asked briefly moving his eyes away from the road to me.

"I don't know Charlie," I said slumping my back into the seat.

"tell you what, I can be very helpful" my brother clucked and I scoffed.

"You were very helpful in 2022" I mumbled.

"What was that?" my brother asked unsure of what I had said.

"nothing Charlie, just get me home" I growled softly.

"Hello family" my brother chirped loudly with dancing brows as he made his way into the house to found my dad watching TV and Mom busy in the kitchen. They were early than usual. I mean I remembered back. Okay, I really have to stop mixing reality with dreams.

"Your usual chatters" my mom commented moving to the seating room to get a bowl from the table. then I recalled I had gotten home in my dream to see my dad and my brother in a hot discussion over his program which my dad had registered for him.

"And we have good news," my dad said turning in our direction as my brother and I tried to get off our heavy coats.

"What's that dad?" My brother asked moving over to the dining table to grab an apple from the fruit basket.

"But first how was your test honey?" my dad asked and I smiled.

"It was awesome, the questions were-" I froze to recall the questions were simple, I had done it, in my dream. I was a college kid and it was not a big deal.

"The questions were what?" my dad asked and I raised my head sharply to meet his eyes.

"Were okay dad, I had gone through it before" I smiled and my dad gestured for me to come over, I moved over to him and he gave me a light peck. Memories came flooding in. My dad had given me a light peck after I told him about my exams. I saw different flashes of my dreams to my reality and I knew I was panicking right that instant. I controlled myself and sluggishly tried to leave for the stairs when my dad's announcement shook me.

"And we registered for your program son, you should be getting ready to leave by October," my dad said and my brother rose to his feet abruptly.

"What? Isn't that too early, I mean I finished college just a few months ago, I was hoping I could wait probably a year or two to-" I didn't get to hear the last of the conversation as I ran upstairs to my room. I was freaking out and I knew it. What was going on? why was my dream repeating itself?

I moved over to my laptop and pressed on the Google icon. I have to be sure this wasn't just my life playing tricks with me. Nicholas Robinson, I searched. Then I found it. The same person in my dream, my breathing got fast and erratic. This is not happening. I told myself as I entered Nicholas wall on f******k. On his profile picture were him and his sister. I didn't will my hand to move, I felt my finger tracing his face. Tears slipped out of my eyes and I couldn't hold back my sob at the realization that everything I dreamt about was unfolding.

"Claire" my brother called and I instantly shot close my laptop.

"What is this about?" my brother questioned walking into my room sluggishly.

"You said something about my MBA in the car and I got home to meet dad saying the same thing, what's going on Claire?" my brother asked and I felt myself going numb. How could I possibly tell him, I dreamt about it? Or did I died and get reincarnated? I'll rather go with the first one but, I wasn't sure how to tell my brother.

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