Chrysalis

I can't help myself today. It's the grand opening to a curiosities shop in town and my friend Jason and I are going to see what's kicking in that shop. the guy who owns it is from a foreign land, no one seems to know where yet.

The newspaper said it would be opening at one O'clock this afternoon. I personally wrote the address on the back of my hand. I am skipping the afternoon.

"Mr. Sagan." My teachers voice breaks my daydream.

"Yes?" I ask.

My class is giggling like children. I guess I didn't pay attention to what was going on. I got so caught up in the thought of that store. It's nearly entrancing.

"Would you continue with the next paragraph?" Mrs. Chilton asks me apparently for the second time.

"Uh..." I look at my book, realizing I forgot to open it for my turn to read. my classmates burst into laughter.

I hate this school. I hate this world. The only thing I like is staying home. My parents always try to convince me to make more friends and 'get out there'. They want me to have a normal life with a girlfriend. They like making the topic of conversation my love life. I personally am not interested in anyone.

"What page were we on?" She presses on.

"Uh..."

"Go to the office." She says. "Now."

I get up from my desk and pack my stuff into my bag. I look at the clock as I make my way to the door. It's ten O'clock and the day will now drag for a while I fear. I groan once I close the door to my classroom.

"Jeez." I utter.

"Charlie!" I hear the familiar female tone of my friend, Freda.

"Hey." I say.

"What's got you out of english this time?" She asks.

"I was daydreaming again." I sigh.

"Dude, you got to work on your passive perception." She jokes.

"I fail perception checks all the time." I joke back.

The school reeks of bleach. The janitorial team must have been at some serious cleaning today. The scent of pine is heavily drenching the air with it. I nod to her and continue my way to the office. I am in shit again. These daydreaming moments are becoming a problem. I keep getting caught up in the moment.

I walk to the office and see the secretary at her desk. She looks up from the desk, tilting her head towards the five blue plastic chairs at the wall beside the principal and vice principal doors. I think they already know why I am here, again.

"Let me guess.." The secretary looks at me.

I take a moment to look up when I take my seat. I nod at her as she peers through her raven black hair. I shudder to the sight. I swear, she should have been a cop, her look is so intimidating.

"What's the guess?" I ask.

"Well, either you were drawing in class or daydreaming." She says.

"I guess I get sent here too often." I admit.

"Every week or two." She smirks.

I cross my legs in my seat and lean back. It's nothing new, even she knows it. I always feel like this world is not the one I should be in. I feel like I am trapped in a world that is not welcoming to my ideas or ways. Drawing is frowned upon here, but it feels like this should be something more core to me. The daydreaming I think is because I think deeply.

My thoughts are once again flying about my head, drowning out the world. The radio is playing. Wait a second.. The office doesn't have a radio...

I snap out of my thoughts and take a look around. The secretary see's me and I must look like I am startled. She approaches me quickly.

"Charles, are your feeling okay?" She says as she kneels at my seat.

"I hear a radio." I say.

"There is no radio here Charles." She replies.

I know I hear a radio somewhere. Why can't she hear it? Am I losing my mind?

"You don't hear the music?" I say louder as the music is getting louder.

"I'm sorry?" She asks.

"It's the fifties music! How can't you hear it?!" I say.

My head starts to spin. The idea of this feeling hitting me is scaring me. I feel my body go into a cold shiver. I feel like I'm on a ship and about to get sea sick. The secretary slides over a trash can in front of me. I get to my knees as the contents from my breakfast find their way to the trash can with a wretched stench.

The room spins and I throw up once more. I can't seem to control the force of the smell. I try my best to keep breathing but to my failure, I wretch out more bile. The air fills with the stench and the principal comes out to inquire. A second after the vice principal opens the door.

"I'm-" I try to say as I wretch again.

The secretary works on getting on the phone to call the emergency response services. The music gets louder and we manage to venture into the principal's office. I carry the can on the way, wretching my guts another three times. The music gets so loud i no longer can hear the principal trying to talk to me. I see their lips move, but I can't hear a word. Instead, the sounds of teens clammering is heard over the music.

My vision begins to blur and a sheer exhaustion begins to wash over me. I keep trying to find my way into a more stable breathing. I need to try to stay awake. I can't begin to imagine what is wrong with me today. Grey shades start to slowly creep. I blink a few times and try to wash the greyness out of my vision.

I fail to do so and hear a voice asking is I am okay. I hardly can tell anything of the person who's voice echoes to me. I feel as though I am being pulled from my body by the heart. I know something is amiss. The world feels like a swirling vortex inside of me. I wretch again as i find my breath. The world seems to still be fading from my view.

I feel like I am falling in a brisk cool windy black tunnel. The view I had fades in the empty dark void that I keep falling into. I can't help but think I am dying in this very moment. I watch the world go farther and farther, until the little light it becomes is from my sight.

Falling, through this dark abyss. Where am I? Is this really the end? Why do I feel like i am still breathing? What happened?

The wooshing of wind, loud oldies and voices of another time seems to be surrounding me in this endless void. I surely died or lost my mind. I can't imagine anything else being a rational explanation. Everything suddenly goes silent, my fall ceases with it. I feel myself breathing again deeply. What a relief. I can't fight the overwhelming tiredness.

I try to open my eyes, but they weigh to much at the moment. I feel as if I am glued still. I try to adjust my body, but it seems to be frozen.

RINGGG! RINGG!

An old alarm clock sounds the air. It's not any alarm clock I ever owned. My body seems to be able to adjust in a groggy fog. Was this all a dream? Maybe this is actually time to wake up for school.

"Charles! You're going to be late!" I hear someone shout from the outside of my room.

"Okay.." I groan.

I make my way up from the bed and get dressed in my blue jeans, white tees and a leather jacket. I comb my hair back and look in the mirror. I look slick. I can't help but notice the calendar on the wall behind me. I turn and face it. I don't believe the year it's saying.

"Nineteen Fifty Eight?" I read. "I thought..." I stop myself from saying it aloud.

Did I jump back in time? No, that can't be it. I would be named differently. So what the hell is going on here? I rotate and look around my room. It's full of old memoribilia I have never seen. It even has model hot rod cars around the shelves. I never cared for cars all that much. What the hell is going on?! I suppose for now, I have to act natural, whatever that may be.

I walk to my bedroom door. I exit my room and see a do not enter sign on the door when I close it. What the hell? This is not my house. Where and when am I? I hear humming in the kitchen with the radio playing the same oldies I just heard in the principal's office. Did I just shift into another world?