“Mr. Ash? Is everything alright?” the confused teacher had dropped the white board marker she was holding in surprise. Mrs. M____ was clearly irritated and a little embarrassed as a small scream had escaped her lips.

From her perspective, William was the irresponsible boy who always sat at the back of the classroom sleeping who woke up from some strange dream and stopped her lecture. The sleeping was what made her most angry since she had to acknowledge the fact that someone was sleeping in her class, but she had been forced to just let him be.

The answer she got wasn’t what she wanted. William Ash was still sitting there with a ghastly pale complexion, and a strangely… sad face. His response was indifferent, without the least bit of guilt, embarrassment, or respect:

“Oh… yes. Excuse me.” Before the teacher could even respond, he had already stood up, backpack on his shoulder, and began walking out. He exited the classroom into the low ceiling hallway, a low rumble of voices escaping through the doorway before the door came shut.

A deep breath later, he checked the phone in his pocket. He didn’t really remember how to work the phone, but he knew that the date would be on the lock screen. March 11. I have 5 days, he thought to himself, No breaks for me, I guess.

He searched deep in his vast memory, back to his high school days. It was useless. He no longer had the same powerful mind and body he once had which could’ve remembered anything, and the trifles of his youth had been forgotten long ago.

Nothing of significance or value from the school came to mind after a few minutes of silent pondering, so he decided it would be best to find his way back home. There was probably some sort of mapping system on his phone, but his fuzzy memory prohibited the device of any real function except timekeeping.

As he left the school grounds, he was reminded of the strange, foul stench of the great cities of Earth before the Great Reset, the catastrophic event which erased most of what humanity had created on Earth and replaced the great cities with wild, untamed lands, filled with ferocious beasts, changing the landscape of the world entirely and leaving every human vulnerable to the new dangers of the world.

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He knew he was short on time, but he moved slowly, processing his change in fate.

Busy, stressed looking people brushed past him, as he looked at what was once his home city. The people all looked so unconcerned with the world around them, peacefully living out their lives in this world about to be thrown into chaos. All these skyscraping buildings would be meaningless, and their money would be useless. Everyone was subject to the same fate…. These thoughts ran through his head as his feet unconsciously took him to the front of an older looking apartment building.

“I guess my feet led me right on home,” he said, chuckling to himself. Taking the musty elevator to the 7th floor, he walked up to apartment number 702.

“Home, sweet home.” One of the keys on the key chain in his pocket unlocked the door and he walked in, inhaling the smell of his parents’ home, nearly bringing him to tears from the nostalgia.

He set his bag on the couch, not really caring for its contents as he made his way to his old bedroom.

It was quite a small room, with a single twin bed on the back wall, a desk on the right and just enough room for a dresser and closet on the left. He sat on the bed and began sifting through his thoughts.

He had been reincarnated into his 18-year-old self because of an unlocked hidden ability on his deathbed. He would have died at 900, but now he had another shot at life. He had 5 days to live in the old world before it all vanished.

Before he could even start on what to do next, he could only think of one thing? But why didn’t he just die and pass on? He was old and tired of life and wanted to go on.

Then, there was nothing he wanted more than to see what the afterlife would be like. For a long time, he lay and wept like a child.

Grief for the life he lost. Grief for all his efforts to go to waste. And most of all, grief for the life he would be forced to live now.

But as sudden as his grief had come upon him, ecstasy took its place.

If I am back in time…. Alice! William leapt from his bed and pumped his fists in the air. He was reincarnated. His family was still alive! His Alice was still alive! Everyone was still alive!

How could I be so dumb? This is my shot. This is my chance to protect them all. With everything I know, no one will separate me from them again.

A faint click sounded from the hallway, and William left his room and into the living room with newfound enthusiasm. They were home.