1 Chapter 1
Chapter 1
(A/N the changes are finalized, I hope you enjoy your reread or first read depending on who you are. As always if you spot any plot-hole or inconsistency let me know.)
After getting off the bus, I proceeded to walk towards my house. As I walked, I noticed someone a few steps ahead of me who seemed to be keeping pace with my steps. I couldn't help but notice that their shadowy figure bore a striking resemblance to my own. Although I didn't want to seem rude by staring, I couldn't help but sneak glances at the figure's back, which was eerily similar to my own silhouette.
As we continued to walk in sync, I suddenly heard a metallic sound, like a set of keys falling to the ground. Looking up, I saw that a pair of old-looking keys had slipped out of the person's coat pocket. "Excuse me, you dropped your keys," I called out, but the person didn't seem to hear me over the music blasting from their headphones. Deciding to pick up the keys myself, I jogged slightly and reached down to grab them.
However, as soon as my fingers closed around the keys, I was hit with a sudden wave of dizziness and a mild headache. I steadied myself with a hand on my head and looked up to return the keys to their owner, but to my surprise, the person had vanished into thin air. Confused and a bit spooked, I scanned the dark alleyway but found no trace of the person. Shaking off the strange incident, I pocketed the keys and continued on my way home.
~~~
As I entered my childhood home, I called out my usual greeting, "I'm home," without expecting a response. But to my surprise, I heard a familiar voice call back to me from upstairs.
"I'm up here, honey!" my mother's voice rang out, sounding as alive as ever.
"Mom?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My heart raced with both excitement and disbelief, as my parents had passed away some time ago. Without wasting another moment, I hurried up the stairs to the living room, where a table was set with a feast of my favorite Mexican dishes.
But my attention was not on the food, but rather on the person sitting at the table. It was my mother, Maria Rodriguez, looking as young as she did when I was in high school, flipping through a copy of People magazine. As soon as she saw me, she stood up and greeted me with a warm hug, as if we had just seen each other that morning.
"Mateo," she said, smiling brightly. "Get cleaned up and come eat. We're celebrating today!"
"Celebrating what?" I asked, still dazed and trying to make sense of everything.
"Why, your 17th birthday, of course," she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I suddenly remembered that I had indeed turned 17 that day, but it was over 15 years ago. I rushed to the bathroom, my mind racing with disbelief. As I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I saw my teenage self staring back at me - clean-shaven with a square jaw, mid-length brown hair, and dark brown eyes, looking like a younger version of Johnny Depp.
It was then that the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I had somehow traveled back in time to the year 2005.
~~~
I was completely bewildered by the current situation and struggling to comprehend how I could have traveled back in time. As I stood there, my mind raced with questions and my hand instinctively slipped into my pocket. I felt the cold metal of the keyring and pulled it out. On the keyring, there were 13 keys, each with a unique design. I couldn't help but wonder about their true purpose and the secrets they held. These keys were not ordinary; my presence in the past was enough evidence.
Without warning, a sudden and eerie whispering began to emanate from the keyring, drawing my attention back to the cluster of keys in my hand. As I stared at their strange and mysterious appearance, I couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension mingled with fascination. The whisper seemed to beckon to me, almost as if the keys were alive and begging to be used.
"Mateo, are you coming? The food is getting cold!" my mother called from the living room.
"Coming!" I shouted back. I quickly pocketed the keys, washed my hands, and rushed back to the living room, eager to spend some time with my mom.
~~~
As I sat at the dining table, I indulged in my mother's savory homemade meal, allowing my taste buds to revel in its exquisite flavors. The delicious taste of the food escaped my lips in the form of contented moans. Suddenly, my mother interrupted my culinary delight, asking me a question.
"Mateo, did you pack your things?" she inquired.
I took a mouthful of my quesadillas before responding, "What for?"
"Swallow before you speak," she chided. "I told you last month, did you forget? We're moving to Forks, Washington. I got a job at the hospital there," she explained.
"Oh yeah, I remember," I said, a faint memory of my mother asking me flashing in my head. However, the last time she had informed me about a job opportunity, we ended up moving to New York instead, as she was rejected in Forks. Yet, I realized that a few changes were to be expected, given the fact that I had time-traveled. With little concern, I thought to myself, 'I had my mom back, I could be homeless for all I care.'
On that day, I spent the entire afternoon carefully packing our bags, feeling content and grateful for the opportunity to be making this new journey with my mother. We talked and laughed while we worked, savoring each moment together.
The following morning, we were up before the sun and on our way to the airport by 5am. Our movers had already taken care of the larger items we wanted to keep, and we had given away or left behind the rest for the next inhabitants.
As we stepped into the taxi that would take us to the airport, my mother rummaged through her bag and pulled out a small, wrapped box. I raised an eyebrow in surprise as she handed it to me.
"I know you said no gifts, but I couldn't resist," she said, smiling.
Curious, I opened the box and found a sleek new Blackberry 8700 phone inside. With its full QWERTY keyboard, it would make texting a breeze compared to the phone I had been struggling with. It might not have been as advanced as the touchscreens we would have in the future, but it was certainly convenient for the time.
"Since you keep complaining about how difficult texting is with your phone, I decided a full keyboard would be better," she explained.
I couldn't help but smile at her thoughtfulness and thanked her with a heartfelt hug.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of checking in luggage and boarding the plane, reminding me of the hectic and exhausting experience of airports that I had always remembered.
Fortunately, our flight was smooth, with only minor turbulence and no crying babies to disrupt our peace. Upon landing, I quickly retrieved our luggage and loaded it into a waiting cab.
The drive to Forks was a tranquil journey through a town with lush green trees and vibrant vegetation. It was a stark contrast to the urban landscape of Los Angeles that we had left behind.
My mother, exhausted from the long flight, had dozed off beside me, while the cab driver, understanding our need for quiet, drove in silence.
After two hours, we finally arrived at our new home, a charming two-story house.
Without further ado, I reached over and gently shook my mother awake as we pulled up to our new home. Stepping out of the cab, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement mixed with exhaustion. I grabbed our bags from the trunk, thanking the driver and generously tipping him before turning to face our new abode.
My mother was already ahead of me, a newfound pep in her step as she practically skipped up the path to the front door. I followed closely behind, taking in the sight of our new home. It was a two-story house with a charming green roof and a large maple tree in the front yard, its branches reaching towards the sky as if welcoming us to our new home.
As we entered the house, my mother showed me around each room, pointing out little details and features that she had fallen in love with. The rooms were spacious and filled with natural light, and I could tell that my mother had put a lot of thought into the selection of this house.
After the tour, we sat down on the living room couch and took a moment to catch our breath. I couldn't believe that we had actually made it to our new home in Forks. It was a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, but I knew that it was exactly where we needed to be.
