James’ bedroom was dimly lit, the soft glow from his digital clock reading 11:50 pm. The night outside was quiet, still. The only light in the room came from the open bathroom door, casting a faint glow across the floor.

Inside the bathroom, James stood at the sink, water dripping from his face. His reflection stared back at him in the mirror, pale and troubled. His hands gripped the edge of the sink tightly, knuckles white, his entire body tense. His eyes were wide, filled with confusion and distress, as fragments of a haunting memory flashed in his mind—headlights, Ashley’s scream.

“It felt too real,” he muttered under his breath, his voice shaky. “It couldn’t have just been a dream.”

......

A coffee shop buzzed with morning activity. Conversations overlapped, chairs scraped the floor, and waiters moved swiftly between tables, balancing trays of steaming drinks and clearing empty plates. A clock above the cashier showed 8:30 AM.

At the farthest corner of the shop, James sat alone, his posture slouched, still looking troubled. In front of him sat a cup of coffee, the steam rising slowly, untouched.

Across from him, an elderly man sat reading a newspaper, the headline boldly stating: “Scientific Discovery of the Decade.” The words barely registered in James’s mind, his thoughts too clouded by the unsettling memories flashing through his head.

His gaze shifted as the door chimed softly, and in walked Ashley, her presence pulling James back to the present.

James felt a wave of relief as he saw Ashley enter the coffee shop. She wore a cozy, striped sweater—black and white, loose-fitting but stylish, tucked slightly into her light-wash jeans. The jeans hugged her frame comfortably. With her hair falling effortlessly barely over her shoulders, she looked both relaxed and effortlessly chic. As she moved past the waiter, placing her order for a cappuccino, her outfit complemented her natural grace, every step measured and confident.

Before she could sit down, James stood up abruptly and wrapped her in a tight hug.

Ashley blinked in surprise, caught off guard, but smiled anyway, her arms loosely resting around him. “Good to see you too?” she said, her tone playful but laced with confusion.

James held onto her for a moment longer before pulling back, searching her face with an almost desperate intensity. “Are you okay? I mean... do you feel fine?” he asked, his voice hesitant, but his eyes eager for reassurance.

Ashley’s brow furrowed as she tilted her head, still unsure where this was coming from. “Yeah... I’m fine,” she answered slowly, concern creeping into her voice. “James, what’s going on?”

Realizing how strange he must’ve seemed, James gave a weak, awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m... I’m fine,” he stammered, trying to smooth over his worry. “I’m just—” he paused, searching for the right words. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Ashley studied him for a moment longer, her confusion not entirely gone, but she gave him a soft smile anyway, accepting his answer for now.

Both of them sat down, adjusting themselves into the soft café chairs, trying to get comfortable. The cozy murmur of the coffee shop continued around them, but Ashley still couldn’t shake the odd feeling about James.

“So,” she began, tilting her head slightly as she watched him, “how’s the headache? Any better?”

James, who seemed to have found a brief moment of calm, nodded. “It’s gone,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “I feel really well, actually.”

But just as he finished speaking, his eyes locked on Ashley’s face. In an instant, a fragmented memory flashed across his mind—a blinding pair of headlights, Ashley’s scream—and his heart skipped a beat. His face drained of color, his calm exterior breaking.

Ashley noticed immediately, her eyes narrowing with concern. “James,” she said softly, leaning forward, “what’s going on with you today? You’re acting... different.”

For a brief moment, silence filled the space between them. James’s gaze lingered, distant and clouded by the lingering confusion of that vivid memory. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, the waitress arrived with Ashley’s cappuccino, interrupting the moment. She placed the cup gently on the table, and Ashley, offering a quick thank you, turned her attention back to James.

James, however, hesitated. Whatever he had been about to say dissolved, swallowed by a wave of uncertainty. The images in his mind—the headlights, the screams—were too raw, too strange to explain. Instead, he forced a faint smile and waved it off. “I’m just tired,” he said, his voice softer now, almost too casual. “Didn’t sleep well last night.”

Ashley’s brow furrowed slightly, but she didn’t push. She took a sip of her coffee, her gaze still resting on him, trying to decipher the unease behind his eyes. Meanwhile, James kept his thoughts locked away, for now.

Ashley sipped her coffee and then casually reminded James, "Don't forget about our meeting with everyone tonight. It's probably the last time we can hang out before Gary and his girlfriend leave for Rome next week."

James furrowed his brow, slightly confused. "Wait, didn’t we just meet yesterday?"

Ashley gave him a strange look, chuckling softly. "Yesterday? James, we’re supposed to meet tonight, Saturday night. Didn’t you read the text I sent you yesterday?"

"I did read it, but isn't..." James trailed off mid-sentence as he glanced at his smartphone. His eyes froze on the screen—it was Saturday. A wave of confusion washed over him. He could’ve sworn today was Sunday.

This entire morning, he hadn’t checked his phone. The first thing he did after waking up was freshen up, get dressed, and head out. Every weekend, especially in the morning, he’d meet Ashley at a local coffee shop nearby. It was their routine. But now, seeing the date, he felt an unsettling shift.

For a moment, he stared at the date in disbelief. How could he have been so sure? He paused, lost in thought, as the eerie sensation crept back over him.

James blinked, feeling a strange sense of familiarity wash over him. As he glanced around the coffee shop, something tugged at the back of his mind. Although vague, the feeling was undeniable—almost like he’d lived through this moment before. He looked at Ashley again, noticing her striped sweater and jeans. She’d worn that same outfit... yesterday, hadn’t she? The thought felt hazy, like it was slipping through his fingers, but it lingered.

His gaze shifted to the other patrons. The same faces, the same number of customers seated in their usual spots. The elderly man still reading his newspaper. A feeling of déjà vu crept up his spine, unsettling him. He couldn’t shake the nagging sense that everything—Ashley, the coffee shop, even the conversation—was eerily, frustratingly familiar. But why couldn’t he remember exactly why? It felt like grasping at shadows in his mind.

“James, James,” Ashley called, her voice pulling him back from the fog of his thoughts. He blinked and looked up, offering a subtle smile. “Yeah, sorry. Just lost in my thoughts.”

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Ashley raised an eyebrow, slightly annoyed, but she brushed it off. “Do you remember that you promised to come shopping with me today?”

James snapped out a response, almost too quickly. “To buy your blue dress?”

Ashley tilted her head, her tone puzzled. “What blue dress?” She paused, then added, “I mean, I was planning to buy a dress today, and blue is my favorite, but...” She trailed off, studying his face with curiosity. The feeling tugged at James again—vague but persistent. He could swear they had already done this, shopped for that blue dress. Hadn’t she bought it already? The memory was foggy, but it was there, hovering in the back of his mind.

He chuckled lightly, trying to shake off the oddness. “Just guessing,” he said, flashing her a playful grin. “I know blue’s your favorite color.”

Ashley laughed softly and teased, “Seems like you already know what I like. Why don’t you just pick the dress for me instead?”

James smiled, more confidently this time. “Sure, why not.”

She beamed at him, her eyes lighting up as she giggled. “That’s why I love you so much.”

Her joy was infectious, and for a brief moment, James felt a wave of calm wash over him. Seeing her happy brought him a sense of peace. But as her laughter faded into the soft hum of the coffee shop, that strange, nagging feeling returned. No matter how much he tried to push it aside, he couldn’t shake the eerie sense that something was... off. Something he couldn’t quite wrap his head around.

......

It was just past 8 p.m., according to James’s wristwatch. He and Ashley were on their way to meet their friends, and the car ride was filled with a strange sense of repetition that clung to James’s thoughts. Everything that happened before their journey felt eerily expected, almost as if he had lived through it all before—though the details were vague. Ashley had asked how she looked, and James had responded exactly as he had thought he would even the news report about two black holes colliding, deepened the unsettling déjà vu that gripped him.

As they arrived at the bar, the same strange feeling lingered. Keith, Gary, and Rita were already seated, waiting for them. The dim lights and modest décor of the bar felt oddly familiar—too familiar. James’s gaze flickered around nervously as they approached the table. Every word, every casual laugh shared between his peers seemed like an echo from a past he couldn’t quite place. Even the conversation between Rita and Ashley, as they discussed about Ashley job interview, played out exactly as James had predicted, as if time had folded in on itself.

James tried to keep himself calm, but the tension gnawed at him. The sensation of déjà vu grew stronger with each passing minute, making it hard to concentrate on anything else. He feared that if his memory was correct, then tonight would unfold like a grim rerun of a moment he desperately wanted to avoid. The distant, haunting memory of headlights blazing through the darkness and Ashley’s terrified scream echoed inside his mind, tightening his chest.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that the night would end the way his vision—or dream, or whatever it was—had ended. His heart pounded at the thought of what might happen when they drove back. He kept glancing at Ashley, the thought of her in danger tearing at him. The idea of losing her—of that awful moment becoming real—was unbearable. James just couldn’t let it happen, but he also couldn’t shake the gnawing thought that something was beyond his control, lurking just out of reach, waiting for them on the road back home.

A revelation struck James, like a light cutting through the fog that had clouded his thoughts. He remembered now—the reason they had left early last time was because of his terrible headache. But now, the headache was gone, completely vanished. Maybe this time things would work out differently. His eyes darted to Ashley, who was smiling and chatting with Rita, unaware of the storm of thoughts raging inside his mind.

James felt a surge of hope rising in his chest. He was sure he could change things. He replayed the sequence in his head—the drive back home, the clock ticking closer to 11:30 p.m., and that split second when everything had gone dark. That’s when it had happened.

What if they simply avoided that time? What if they left later, after 11:30 p.m.? Maybe by altering their timing, the chain of events wouldn’t align. James clung to this thought, his heart steadying. He was sure—if they delayed their drive home, even by a little, the accident wouldn’t happen.

A wave of assurance and relief washed over him, quieting the anxious pulse in his veins. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes lingering on Ashley as she laughed with their friends. He felt a renewed sense of control. Tonight, he would make sure things were different. Nothing bad was going to happen.

Not this time.

......

Digital clock on James’ nightstand read 7:45 a.m. as he slowly woke up, blinking against the soft morning light. Reaching for his smartphone, he saw the date—it was Sunday. James put down his smartphone and lay still, his gaze drifting up to the ceiling. A sense of relief washed over him as he replayed the events of the previous night in his head. He and Ashley had driven home safely—no incident, no accident, just a quiet return from their evening with friends.

James sat up, feeling a bit more grounded, and reached for his wristwatch on the nightstand. He studied it for a while, watching the second-hand tick forward with every passing moment. As he observed the steady rhythm, a dull, familiar ache began to form in the back of his head.

But this time, something felt different. The pain was there, but it was like he could control it—focus it. His mind latched onto the sensation, almost as if he could project it out of his body. He did this without really thinking, letting the pain manifest like an unseen force. His eyes fixed on the second hand of his watch, following it intently.

Tick, tick, tick—30 seconds, 31 seconds, and then... it stopped.

James blinked, his focus sharpening, and before he knew it, the second hand began to move in reverse. 31, 30, 29, 28...

His mind snapped back, the focus broken. The second hand returned to its normal forward ticking, resuming its regular pace as if nothing had happened. James stared at his watch, a jolt of shock rippling through him.

“Did I...” he muttered, trailing off as the idea crossed his mind. For a brief moment, he considered the impossible, but quickly dismissed it. He shook his head, trying to shrug off the thought.

Still, the question lingered, unsettling him in a way that wouldn’t quite leave.

......

James sat at his usual spot in the local coffee shop, waiting for Ashley. The clock above the cashier read 8:50 AM. His mind, however, wasn’t in the present. His thoughts kept circling back to the strange experience from this morning—had he really reversed time, or was his wristwatch simply malfunctioning? He tried to brush it off, telling himself it was all in his head.

As he took in his surroundings, his gaze landed on the same elderly man who was always there, sitting opposite him and reading the morning paper. It wasn’t unusual—after all, the man was a regular. But something caught James’s eye. The headline on the newspaper was different today. It read, “Anomaly at CERN Particle Accelerator.” A chill ran down his spine.

His thoughts flickered back to his earlier encounter with the watch. “What if I could change the headline?” The absurdity of the thought made him chuckle, but the faint pain in the back of his head returned, the same sensation he had felt earlier. James sat up straighter, trying to shrug it off, but he couldn’t let go of the thought. “Let’s humor myself,” he decided, focusing his mind on the headline.

He stared at the bold print, his sight narrowing in as the letters started to blur. His surroundings became oddly quiet, the background hum of coffee shop chatter and clinking dishes faded into a hazy silence. James felt a sharp, piercing sensation at the back of his head—just like before, like something shooting out from within his skull and latching onto the headline.

For a brief second, his vision went dark, as if the world itself blinked.

Then, as suddenly as it had come, the pain subsided, and his surroundings snapped back into clarity. The blur lifted, but sitting right in front of him was Ashley, her voice cutting through his daze.

“How’s the headache? Any better?” she asked, her voice sounding concerned.

“What…?” James mumbled, barely comprehending her words. His mind was in complete disarray. When did Ashley sit down? His heart raced as he stared at her, wide-eyed. A second ago, she wasn’t there—he was sure of it. The spot across from him had been empty, and now, she sat there like she had always been. His pulse quickened, a cold sweat creeping down his back.

It was impossible. Ashley hadn’t walked in, hadn’t sat down—she had appeared. The shock was so overwhelming that for a moment, James couldn’t even find his voice. His eyes darted back to the newspaper, and his heart nearly stopped. The headline had changed.

It now read: “Scientific Discovery of the Decade.”

“James? Are you okay?” Ashley asked, her voice breaking through his stunned silence, but he couldn’t answer. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the impossible.

“Did I just travel back in time?” James muttered.