Chasing time

Chris's Death

Samantha sat in her quiet apartment, the soft glow of her computer screen glowing over her face. She adjusted her blanket over her legs, though she couldn’t feel the warmth. Outside, the city buzzed with life, but inside, her world felt still, almost empty.

She wasn’t expecting the news to hit her the way it did. It started with a headline she saw on her favorite music site: "Chris Morgan, Lead Singer of Eternal Chords, Found Dead at 30."

Sam froze, her fingers trembling as she clicked the article. Her heart pounded, each beat louder than the last. She read the words slowly, hoping they would change by the time she finished.

“Chris Morgan… died by apparent suicide…”

Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. Chris Morgan, the boy she had known in high school, the boy who had saved her during her darkest days, was gone.

“No, no, no,” she whispered, shaking her head. “This can’t be real.”

But it was. The article detailed how Chris, the lead singer of the globally adored band Eternal Chords, had been found in his Los Angeles home. The music world was in mourning. Fans flooded social media with tributes, sharing memories and songs that have changed their lives.

For Sam, the pain was deeper, Chris wasn’t just a star on the stage; he was the boy who had once sat next to her in English class, the boy whose smile had lit up the darkest corners of her life.

---

Thirteen years ago, everything was different. Back in high school, Sam was a quiet girl, always sitting in the back row, hoping not to be noticed. Chris, on the other hand, was magnetic. He wasn’t the most popular kid, but there was something about him his laugh, his kindness, his way of making people feel seen.

They hadn’t been close, but they had shared moments. Moments that have stayed with her even now.

When Sam was 17, her life changed in an instant. A car accident had left her unable to walk, and the bright, hopeful girl she had once been seemed to vanish. She withdrew from everyone, refusing to let anyone see her pain.

Chris had been the one to break through her walls. One day, he found her sitting alone in the school’s music room. She hadn’t realized he even knew her name, but he did.

“Hey, Sam,” he had said, his guitar slung over his shoulder. “Mind if I play something for you?”

She had shrugged, not knowing what to say.

He had played a soft, trapping melody, his voice filling the room with a warmth she hadn’t felt in months. When he finished, he had looked at her with those bright, honest eyes.

“You’re stronger than you think,” he had said simply. “Don’t give up, okay?”

Those words had stuck with her, pulling her back from the edge on nights when the darkness felt overwhelming. Over the years, she had followed his rise to fame, cheering for him from afar. Even though they had lost touch after high school, she still felt connected to him.

And now, he was gone.

---

Sam stared at the screen, her heart heavy. She didn’t know how long she had been sitting there, but eventually, her phone buzzed, pulling her back to reality. It was a notification from an auction site she had been following.

The auction was for items belonging to famous musicians, and one of them was Chris Morgan’s wristwatch.

Sam hadn’t planned on bidding, but in her grief, it felt like a way to hold on to him. Without thinking too much, she placed a bid.

A few days later, the watch arrived. It was simple, with a black leather band and a silver face. She held it in her hands, her fingers brushing over the worn edges.

“This was his,” she whispered. “He wore this.”

She wore it on her wrist, feeling an odd connection to him. For a moment, it almost felt like he was there with her, like she could hear his voice.

That night, Sam sat by the window, staring out at the city lights. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, about how his life had ended so tragically.

“Why didn’t I do more?” she murmured. “Why didn’t I reach out?”

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she buried her face in her hands. The weight of her sorrow felt unbearable. She clutched the watch tightly, as if holding on to it could somehow bring him back.

And then, it happened.

A strange warmth spread through her arm, and the room seemed to blur around her. The city lights faded, replaced by something softer, something familiar.

Sam blinked, her breath hitching. She wasn’t in her apartment anymore. She was lying in a bed her old bed, in her childhood room.

She sat up slowly, her heart racing. The walls were covered in posters of her favorite bands. Her old desk was piled with notebooks and pens. It was exactly as she remembered it from high school.

“What… what is this?” she whispered.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, and her heart nearly stopped. Her legs. She could feel them.

Sam stood shakily, her knees threatening to buckle. She took a tentative step, then another. The sensation was overwhelming.

“This isn’t possible,” she said, her voice trembling.

She looked down at the wristwatch on her arm, its face glowing faintly.

“Did… did this bring me here?” she wondered aloud.

Her mind raced as she pieced it together. Somehow, the watch had transported her back in time, to the days when she and Chris were still in high school.

As she stepped out of her room, she heard voices from downstairs. Her parents were talking, their voices younger and livelier than she remembered.

Sam’s chest tightened. This wasn’t just a dream. It was real. She was overly surprised by what had just happened as tears ran down her eyes, making her eyes very difficult to see clearly, but she was happy.