1. Time Loop

(2022*BLUEVIEW, USA) 

TYRE

"Alright, bye." I grabbed the keys to my Hyundai sonata and kissed my wife and daughter goodbye.

That's when it all happened; My death, I mean. Before that day, my life has been like every other human's, hurt within, filled with lots and lots of flaws. Maybe my life, before I died didn't have any meaning or maybe the life afterward was just too intriguing.

Just like flashes before my eyes, I could still picture the way the dirt-colored truck ran into my car and tossed it onto a sidewalk with me in it. This was not how I visualized death. I had imagined my drifting away from this world in a hospital bed, old and wimpy with my wife and daughter by the bedside sobbing. There was just too much left unachieved, I wanted to be there for my Annabelle, take her to college for the very first time, and there's Christy. I haven't been the best husband to her.

In that 'moment of death' frenzy, I saw a hooded man in black staring at me, eyes so glued to the unfortunate catastrophe that'd just unraveled. Assuredly, he was the last person I saw before I closed my eyes unto the embrace of death.

Then shockingly, I woke up in my bed unscarred, but early that morning, before the truck incident. I had somehow traveled back in time and was now reliving the twentieth of March over again. I can't say I totally disliked the idea, seeing that I died in the first trial, perhaps this was another chance at redemption.

Fine, I thought. Since going to work was the cause of my death, maybe I'll just call in sick. I mean, that's quite plausible, isn't it? I did a little rewinding, I had died sometime between 8 am to 10 am that morning.

Damn! Christy. I hurried to the kitchen where I saw Christy attending to Annabelle. She seemed to have misplaced something and Christy was helping her scrounge up.

"Yay. " Christy's eyes became round, "Found it. Here. "

She handed a textbook to Annabelle who shot a wry look at it and stocked it into her bag.

Christy squatted so that her height was compatible with Annabelle's, smiled, and lightly stroked her bright-colored hair.

"What's wrong, Ann? " she said.

Annabelle took a glance at the corridor, facing the kitchen, where I stood, and yelped, "Mom, Dad's awake! " She then ran toward me giving me a soothing hug. I could tell she noticed my coldness.

I smiled at Christy as our eyes met, but she gave me a curt nod and continued whatever she was doing.

"Christy. " I moved closer to her and without permission, grabbed her sloppy hand. "You have to hear me out, " I said candidly. She hesitatingly motioned to a corner with me while Annabelle had her breakfast of cereal.

"This better be worth hearing, Tyre, " She said folding her arms around her stomach.

"Look, Christy. I know I must have caused you a lot of pain and worry. "

"And? "

"... and I'm sorry. But look at me, promise me you'll at least hear me out. "

She shrugged. "Okay, I promise. "

"I know this might sound crazier than it looks but I'm reliving this day. I mean, I've experienced all these before and I'm back again to this very same day. "

Christy averted her eyes which were initially glued to mine. I couldn't tell if she actually took me seriously or if she at all, believed me.

"Huh? " She rolled up her sleeves, "If you are reliving this day–today as you said then what do I do next? What do I say next, Tyre? "

I threw my eyes to the ground, rubbing my forehead with the back of my palm. I could feel her eyes chasing mine sinuously.

"No, " I replied sternly. "It doesn't work that way. "

"Okay? " She repositioned her ears towards me as if expecting a more legit explanation. I could hit the nail on its head, I thought.

"I died, Christy, " I said sharply. "... I died today. "

She flickered her eyelids. "Tyre... what do you mean? "

"When I had this day before, I woke up not finding you next to me. We had a mild argument then I left for work, where my car was run over by a truck. I thought I would've drifted into the afterlife by now but somehow I find myself back to that same day, which is today, " I blurted out.

She glared earnestly. "Tyre –"

"Yeah, I didn't expect you to take me serious–"

"I believe you. "

I stuttered. "You–you do? "

"I've been married to you for nine years. I know by now when those eyes are lying to me, " she said stroking my chin softly. "What's the next step? "

I rested my chin against her fluffy palm, she looked darn pretty for a housewife. She takes after her mother, Lucy, who for some reason seems not to be aging at all, despite the noticeable grease on her face and her shaggy red hair, she still looked like a college girl. I smiled, my grin nearly reaching my ears. It's not every day a story like this is believed.

"I don't know much about time loops–well, except for some I've seen in... science fiction. I'm sure of one thing though; I'm supposed to do something. "

"Something? "

"Like a major change in the choices I had made before, " I said.

"Well, staying at home would be a thing to consider, " She said lowering her voice as if someone was listening in.

"You are right, I'd already planned to do just that. "

Dropping Annabelle off to school and picking her up afterward was a chore Christy took upon herself since she noticed my unnerving zeal towards my job. She was always like that; doesn't like to nag about an issue more than once. The moment she realizes your stand wasn't compatible with hers, she wouldn't mind just staying quiet about it. When she leaves soon with Ann, I guess I'll be left all alone.

I felt peckish so I took four loaves of bread smudged with peanut butter from the fridge, I may as well change my breakfast too, I thought.

After filling up my stomach, I ambulated to the entrance door where I saw Ann with Christy already packed up for school, I left a warm kiss on her forehead and waved them goodbye. Ann felt quite unusual this morning and I had hoped she shrugged off the uneasiness she felt about her upcoming CA.

I majestically crossed my leg after sitting on my favorite couch and switched on the TV. I increased the volume to the highest since I was the only one at home, I didn't have to bother about anyone returning home soon; After dropping Ann off, Christy would be on her way to her friend's.

I soon heard a blaring bang on the front door, it was definitely not Christy, I tried to remain calm as I grabbed my baseball bat, which was, in great timing, leaning against the wall beside the door.

The banging continued, and I slightly flinched at every sound, I was not expecting anyone that morning, and not to speak of the way my door was nearly knocked over, I threw a glance outside the window and saw two men, in oversized black hoods, I swore I saw one holster a pistol in his back pocket, I didn't have to be told they were robbers and have come to rob us with the assumption no one was home. Robbery seemed to be one of Blueview city's greatest thorns.

I snorted nervously, I didn't own any firearm, just an old baseball bat I played with some years ago which I held on to for protection, just then, I heard the other one hollering at someone else who was already at the back door, they were three not two like I had previously assumed.

"Fuck this, " I uttered under my breath as I grabbed my phone to dial Nine-One-One, just then I heard the back door slam open, my phone fell off as my fingers went numb. I hid under the steps as I watched one of them, presumably the most jacked of them all, walked into the sitting room through the front door, he looked around for a couple of seconds and even threw a little glance at the direction from which I hid, the TV was still switched on at its peak volume.

I stealthily tiptoed towards the man who was now approaching the front door to unlock it from the inside, stood at his back as he focused his eyes on the knob of the door, my hands holding the bat with a steady grip. Counting up to 3 in my mind, I swung the bat against his head. His gigantic body sent a loud thud as it hit the floor.

Luckily for me, the front door was still locked but I could tell they already knew someone was in the house, The back door! I suddenly remembered the back door, I scampered off to bolt it shut and stood still in shock as I heard a gunshot, it was loud and it kept on ringing in my ears. I felt my guts with my palm and took an anxious look, my palm was stained with my blood. I then looked up and almost in a melancholic slow-motion saw a fleck of smoke oozing out from the pistol pointed at me by one of the robbers, I wasn't fast enough.

I fell on my hips and crouched, tightly clenching my hands against my stomach, where I was shot. That feeling. I, one more time experienced what it felt like to drift away from this world as I gasped for breath on the floor.

I saw the blurry image of one of the robbers as he stood above me. Mindlessly, I turned toward the direction of the wall clock that hung up so far away from where I lay. it was 9 am!

Bang! Bang! He finished the job with two more bullets to my chest as I slowly closed my eyes.