Time flows differently here
It exists, but also does not exist as a fixed moment
You blink and it has shifted to a new and different part of the day.
You blink and it’s as if time has simply stopped.
You blink and time has sped up.
The world you live in is in flux.
Like a river flow, it is constantly shifting, changing and transforming.
You have been here before, in this very moment.
Time flows differently here.
You move into a room in a hospital.
A door opens and you see a doctor walking out,
saying to you that your father has passed away.
The door closes.
You are in shock.
You cannot comprehend what you are seeing.
Time flows differently here.
You look at the clock.
12:50 p.m.
It’s too late to call your father.
He was not with us anymore.
You get on a train and start going home.
As the train moves along, it slows down and eventually stops.
People get off. You are no longer going to the same place.
You know it, and they know it.
They don’t try to convince you that you are still going the same place.
They respect that you have come to a different place,
that you have stopped to visit and reflect.
Time flows differently here.
You reach your home and get off the train.
Time flows differently here.
As you walk along the road to your house,
you hear a child crying.
It sounds like a bird, and you know it is a mother bird with her baby that is in danger.
You pick the child up.
Time flows differently here.
You go to your father’s room.
You know he is not there anymore.
Time flows differently here.
You start packing your father’s things.
You put them in a cardboard box.
You want to keep the things that are important.
You know your father will not need them anymore.
You know he is no longer a part of your world.
Time flows differently here.
You close the door and put the box outside.
People walk by, as if time has stood still,
and you wonder if they think you have gone mad.
But you know there are different kinds of time.
You are walking towards the past.
As you reach home, you look out of the window and see a house you have never seen before.
It is a home with a new owner.
The owners have been remodeling it, as if they have stopped time for a while.
Time flows differently here.
The doorbell rings.
The woman who lives there has a visitor.
Time flows differently here.
You get a small envelope.
It has your father’s ID in it.
The woman is giving it to you as a gift.
You open it and find your father’s photograph.
It’s the last picture he had of himself.
It is the last time you saw him alive.
The woman tells you it is time for you to move on.
Time flows differently here.
You put the photograph in the same box as your father’s things.
Time flows differently here.
The woman tells you she has a daughter.
She thinks you look alike.
You both live on an island.
It is not far from your house.
It’s a beautiful island.
It is part of your world.
Time flows differently here.
You and the woman’s daughter have a friendship.
You know there are different kinds of time.
You can hear time move in her life.
You know your life is like a river that flows differently.
You are the part of the river in which it moves.
She is the other part of the river.
You can hear the change that is happening in her life,
like the change you have experienced.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
You are no longer connected to the place where she lives,
but you see her and think of her every day.
Time flows differently here.
Time flows differently here.
You have been here before.
You are in the same place, but you know that things have shifted.
You reach the top of the mountain.
A small bridge is in front of you.
Time flows differently here.
You look at the river.
Time flows differently here.
It is 12:10 p.m.
A plane is taking off.
Time flows differently here.
You get on the plane.
You are going to the same place.
You are still in the same time zone.
You are still in the same world.
You are going back to your old life.
But things have changed.
It’s as if time is still in one moment,
but it has shifted.
The plane is rising.
Time flows differently here.
Time flows differently here.
As the plane rises, it moves into another time zone.
It does not cross an imaginary line.
You cross a time zone boundary.
Time does not stop moving.
You know time does not stop moving,
but you go back to the place where you live.
You know that time does not stop,
but it goes on its own time.
You know that time has become different.
The plane starts to descend.
You hear the engines and the plane is getting ready to land.
The plane is approaching the terminal.
The time has come to take a certain direction.
It is taking a certain direction because it knows it is at home.
It knows it can no longer turn back.
You are in an airport.
Time flows differently here.
You walk out of the airport and your life is unchanged.
Your day is the same as usual.
Time flows differently here.
Time flows differently here.
You have been here before.
You are at the airport,
but it is a different airport.
You are ready to leave.
Time flows differently here.
You get on a train.
You know you are going to the same place.
You know it is the same place, but the time is different.
You are going home.
The train stops in a station and people get off.
You know the people who get off.
Time flows differently here.
You have been here before.
You know you are going home.
You get off at the station.
You know you are going to your house.
You know it is the same house, but it’s not the same place.
It is a different place, a different time.
You are not going home.
The world has turned a corner.
It is different.
You cannot describe the difference.
You know the change, but you cannot explain it.
The man who opens the door sees you.
He knows the difference.
He knows it is different.
You are no longer welcome.
Time flows differently here.
You move into a room in a hospital.
The door opens and a doctor walks out,
saying to you that your mother has passed away.
The door closes.
You are in shock.
Time flows differently here.
You have been here before.
You know you are going home.
You look at the clock.
9:30 a.m.
It’s still early.
The clock has stopped at 9:30 a.m.
It is as if time has simply stopped.
You look out of the window and see a street in a city you have never been to.
You have been here before.
You know you have been home.
You get on a plane.
You know you are going home.
Time flows differently here.
The plane takes off.
You cannot hear it.
You are no longer part of the flight.
You know you are in an airport, but you know it is not the same airport.
You know you are no longer at the airport.
Time is different here.
You get on a train and start going home.
The train stops.
People get off. You are no longer going to the same place.
You are not going home.
The train is now going a different direction.
People are getting on.
You know you are in a station, but you know you are not in the same station.
You are going a different direction.
The time has become different.
The change has come to your world.
Time flows differently here.
Time flows differently here.
You have been here before.
You know you have been in the hospital,
but it is a different hospital.
You are no longer going home.
You know you have been in the station, but it is a different station.
You know you are going a different direction.
The world has turned a corner.
It is different.
You cannot describe the difference.
You know it is different, but you cannot explain it.
The man who opens the door sees you.
Time flows differently here.
The clock has stopped at 10 a.m.
It is as if time has simply stopped.
You look out of the window and see a street in a city you have never been to.
Time flows differently here.
It does not stop at 10 a.m.
It has never stopped there.
You get on the plane.
You know you are going home.
Time flows differently here.
The plane takes off.
You do not hear the plane.
You are no longer on a plane.
You know you are at home, but you know it is not the same home.
It is not the same place, not the same time.
It is the same place, but it is not the same time.
You know the change is here.
You know the change has come to your life.
You know you have been in the hospital, but it is not the same hospital.
You are not going home.
The man who opens the door sees you.
You have been here before.
You know you are going home.
You look at the clock.
11:15 a.m.
It is as if time has simply stopped.
You look out of the window and see a street in a city you have never been to.
Time flows differently here.
Time flows differently here.
It does not stop at 11:15 a.m.
You get on the train.
You know you are going home.
You know that you are going to the same place,
but it is not the same place.
It is not the same time.
The time has become different.
The train starts.
It is going to the same place.
You are going home.
Time flows differently here.
The plane is taking off.
The plane takes off.
It takes off and the world has changed.
The world has changed.