Reclaiming Stolen Time

2023 Liam wakes with his head in a fog and covered in sweat. He springs up from the bed like a trap that just got released. He looks around and doesn’t recognize anything. Where in the hell am I, how did I get here? He looks over to his right and see’s a strange woman laying next to him sleeping. What in the f**k. He tries to get out of bed but his head starts to spin. Looking around for anything to jog his memory he notices a clock that says it’s Nov. 14th 2023. That can’t be right he thought. It’s only 2005, some one is messing with me. The woman next to Liam stirs in her sleep a little. Wow she is a beautiful woman but who in the hell is she. Liam notices she is wearing a wedding ring on her left hand. What am I doing in bed with a married woman. Liam is afraid to look down but he does and notices a wedding band on his left hand too. What in the f**k this really has to be a joke. I’m going to kill James when I find him he’s the only one who would do this s**t. Liam looks around for his phone and he find two phones on the dresser on the woman’s side of the bed neither of the he recognizes. Liam try’s to be quiet while he gets up out of bed and he find what he is assuming is his wallet on a grey night stand. He opens it up and sure as s**t it is him. Not only is it him but it says it expires in April 16 2024. As much as Liam’s head was spinning before now it’s even worse. Flipping through the wallet he find pictures of two kids . One a boy who looks a lot like him as a kid . The other a little girl who looks a lot like the woman laying in the bed but with flame orange hair like his beard. I’m f****d, I’m just f****d I don’t know what is going on. Liam spins around the room and finally notices pictures on the wall it’s of the two kids and him . Then some of him and the woman getting married. The only photos he recognizes is that of his grandparents. Liam’s heart is beating so hard and fast he feels like he is going to have a heart attack. Liam feels his chest tightening and then it all goes black. Liam lands hard on the floor with a huge thud. The last thing he hears is the woman yelling honey, honey are you okay. Liam woke to the woman down by his side trying to comfort him. He try’s and struggles to get out of her hold. The more he fights her the tighter she holds him. “ Please, let me go I don’t know you I need to leave. I can’t be here, please let me up. “ Liam is pleading with the woman to let him go but she won’t. “ Honey, relax you fell and hit your head everything will be fine. Just breathe and lay here for a moment.” The woman’s words sound comforting but he feels anything but. “ Please I’m not who you think I am . My name is Liam Barns, I’m not married and I don’t have any kids . You seem like a nice lady and all but you got the wrong guy. That clock is wrong it’s not 2023. It’s only 2005 and I’m not your husband. I’m only 22 years old not 40 I’m single and I don’t live here. Liam’s heart starts to race again and he can feel the blackness coming on again. Oh no he thought not again I need to stay conscious. But just as quick as he came to Liam blacks out again leaving his wife still sitting there with his head in her lap. 1 HOUR LATER Liam wakes up on the floor to his wife starring at him. What’s wrong honey he ask her, not sure as to why she is starting at him like that or why he is on the floor. With tears in her eyes she tell him what happened. Liam refuses to believe her, no way did I black out. I’ve never done anything like that before. She tries to tell him that he didn’t recognize her or their kids. She can’t help up tear up, that’s when Liam realizes she thinks she’s tell the truth. He doesn’t want to scare her so he just agrees with what she says then apologizes. “ I’m sorry honey I must have hit my head harder than I thought, I guess I tripped or something it’s all right. I hope I didn’t wake the kids.” She kisses his cheek and says no the kids are not up yet. With that he get up off the floor and helps his wife up. He walks her over to her side of the bed and tucks her in. Liam doesn’t think much of it, simple answer he thought is always the right one. I just hit my head a little to hard. I’m sure it won’t happen again. How wrong Liam was, this was just the beginning of his problems. As Liam climbs back into bed his wife sits up “ I heard a loud thud honey I was so scared. I don’t know what happened are you sure your okay ?” She say’s sleepily. “ Yeah honey, don’t worry about it I’m fine just a little clumsy this morning I guess. Try and get some more rest before the kids get up. Love you “ With that Liam closes his eyes and falls back to sleep not wasting anymore time thinking about what just happened. 2005 A big storm just hit in Louisiana and almost destroyed the whole state. Liam was watching the news, every station was following the storm and the destruction it was causing. Liam lived in Tampa Florida, they got hit by the storm as well but not nearly as bad . Liam just got called in to an emergency company meeting . This is crazy he thought those port people losing everything. Once Liam got to the office he was met by several other members of his team and the head of the company. “ Please everyone have a seat, we want to get started and get this done as quick as possible . Thank you all for coming in .” Liam’s boss Dale addressed the whole room. Then a woman Liam had never met before stepped up and addressed the group. “Sorry to call you all in on short notice but we need the best of the best to go help out in Louisiana. There is really bad bridge and road damage everywhere. We are looking for a group of men and women to head out and demolish and rebuild the bridges and roads. “ The woman continues to speak and all Liam can think of is you’ve got to be f*****g kidding right. “ Now this is not a mandatory job it is voluntary, the men and women who do agree to go will be compensated very well for their efforts and missed work. This is a great opportunity for our company. I landed this government contract and if all goes well it will let us up for years to come. Now who here would like to partake in this endeavor?” Liam at first was against it yeah it’s sucked people were suffering but what in the hell could they do with it still flooding and storming there. Then he looked around the room he was one of the few men in the room that was single and without a family. The thought of one of his guys getting hurt or worse and not making it back home done him in. Liam stood up and was the first one to volunteer. “ I will go, just tell me when and where to meet me I’m all set.”