15 minutes

“Ayden look at you! You are a mess!” Alice Crain yells at her son looking at his sticky lap. Ayden coming to his senses looks at the wooden stick in his hand that was once a popsicle. Now all that remains is a puddle of rainbow liquid that soaks his pants and streams down the leather seat under him. So intrigued by his new surroundings, he did not recognize that his popsicle had melted. Ayden does not understand how the tall skyscrapers, that were once considered home, had now disappeared into fields of corn and cows— the farmlands that occupy Southern Illinois. Understanding that his sweet treat has vanished, he balls his fists in anger.   

“Calm down, Alice. He is only four,” Andrew says calmly, trying to give his son the benefit of the doubt. He takes one hand off the steering wheel and rubs her thigh.

“Oh, so now you want to be a father, Andrew!” Alice huffs, removing his hand. “Just… pull over so, I can get him cleaned up.”

“Fine,” Andrew whispers. “There’s a rest stop five miles ahead. We’ll stop there, and grab some dinner too,” he suggests. 

Tension fills the car, and it is not due to the popsicle mishap. Alice and Andrew were already not on the best of terms, and this dreadful six-hour move from Chicago to St. Louis is not making matters any better. 

“Right here!” Alice sternly points her finger.

“Alright,” Andrew takes the exit. This was not the rest stop he was intending on going to, but he does not want to upset his wife any more than she already is. The car bumps along the narrow, cracked pavement. Once getting on to the main road, they see it is empty for miles. All of the streetlights are either missing or broken. 

“Um...I think we make a right,” Alice guesses. Andrew does what is said without question. “Ah, there it is.” They pull into the empty parking lot. 

“I don’t think anyone is here. They may be closed,” Andrew says, checking out the place.

“No, why would a rest station be closed? I am sure, the employees just parked in the back.”

“I don’t know Alice; the place looks abandoned. There are literally weeds growing out of the concrete.”

“Whatever, it won’t take long. What time is it anyway?”

Andrew takes out his phone from his pocket and reads the time, “6:23.”

“Okay, I will be back. I am just going to use the restroom, buy some snacks, and get some napkins to clean off Ayden...Actually I'm just going to bring him in.”

Andrew looks back to see Ayden sleeping with the popsicle stick clutched in his hand. “No, maybe just let him be. He’s comfortable.”

“Fine. I’ll be back in about a few minutes,” Alice replies, removing her seatbelt. She gets out of the car and makes her way into the eerie building.

Andrew sits in the driver seat dozing off until he hears the wail of his crying child behind him. He wakes up in urgency looking to see that his wife is not in the passenger seat. As he regains conscience, he recalls his recent memories realizing that she is still in the rest stop. The cries of Ayden only get louder, forcing him to get out of the car and make his way to the back with his son. Andrew takes Ayden out of his car seat and cuddles him.

“I am sorry, I am really trying Ayden.” Ayden calms down in his father's arms and goes to play with his fingers. “It's difficult. She likes to yell at me and treat me badly, but I am only staying because I don’t want to lose you...Speaking of your mother, where is she?” He looks up at the sky and sees that the sun is now setting. Andrew repositions Ayden so he can grab his phone in the front seat. “7:24! What happened to a ‘few minutes?’” He puts Ayden back in his seat and buckles him up. “I will be back; I am going to get your mom. Daddy will be right back, alright? I love you.”

“Love you too, daddy!” Ayden waves his little hand goodbye in an open and close motion with a huge grin on his face. 

Andrew slides his phone in his pocket and heads inside. He opens one of the double doors. Once inside, he sees his wife, Alice, looking at some road maps a few feet from the entrance.

“Alice, what are you doing? We are going to be charged an extra day with the moving trucks.”

Alice turns around and gives Andrew a face, trying to figure out why her husband is here. “What do you mean ‘what are you doing?’ I’ve literally been in here for like 10 seconds.” Alice pulls out her phone to show him the time.

“6:24? Oh, my bad. I apologize. My phone said 7:24 in the car. Maybe my phone automatically switched time zones or something.”

“Yeah, you’re just going to walk up on me like I am in the wrong. Pfft, you don’t know everything, Andrew… Wait where’s Ayden?”

“He is in the car. I dozed off and I thought that you had been in here for an hour, so I told him I would be back, and I was going to check on you.”

Alice put her hand on her head trying to keep herself from strangling him. She takes a deep breath before unleashing her anger, “You can’t leave a four-year-old child in the car unattended! What were you thinking?”

“I am sorry… I just wanted to come you before we get charged another day.”

“Ugh… this is the exact reason why I left you the first time. You don’t have what it takes to be a father, let alone a husband. It was a mistake for Ayden and I to move to St. Louis with you. We should have stayed in Chicago. Matter of fact, it was a mistake to get back together with you in the first place. You don’t think!” she roars. “Either go to the car with him or make this stop quicker and get us a snack and some napkins to clean up Ayden, while I go to the restroom.”

Before Andrew can even reply, a man in a vintage army uniform comes from around the corner yelling, “Excuse me! Excuse me!” The couple eyes him. He is tall, approximately six foot three, and appears to be in his mid-twenties at least. Before saying anything else he salutes them then asks, “Are you from the infirmary?”

“The what?” Alice questions as he closes in on them, now able to see the handsome, hazel-eyed stranger close. 

“The Infirmary? Are you the head nurse and is this your commander?” he questions.

“No, this is my husband,” She responds, looking confused. 

Andrew then whispers in Alice's ear, “I think he’s L.A.R.P.”

“What does that mean?” Alice says rolling her eyes at him.

“Live action role play,” Andrew looks down at her. 

“Well, I don't know what that is, Sir, but I am Private Ross from flor-”

“Ross, do you know where the restroom is?” Andrew interrupts.

“The restroom? I haven’t seen any cots to lay my head, but I will let you know when I find it.”

“No, I need to relieve myself,” Alice insinuates politely.

“Oh, you are looking for the chamber pot?”

Both Alice and Andrew look at each other in amazement on how serious this guy is taking his acting. Thanks to Andrew’s grandfather he knows that chamber pot means toilet.

“Well, we are going to go. But have fun, with your mission,” Andrew says with as much sarcasm as possible. 

“I will Captain…”

“Andrew.”

“I will Captain Andrew and head nurse, I wish you the best of luck on your mission as well.” Ross salutes both before heading back to wherever he came from. After he leaves, both Andrew and Alice break out into laughter.

“I’m not a nurse, I am a real estate agent,” Alice holler wiping away tears of laughter before realizing that she is supposed to be angry with him. Her smile fades, and she gets back on track. “Okay, let’s just find the restroom, before Ayden wakes up and gets into stuff.”

The couple walks around half of the rest stop before finding a restroom on the north end of the building.

“Here we are!” Andrew said pointing to the restroom sign. 

“Great! I will be right back. Just wait right here.” 

A few minutes pass by, before Andrew sees Alice exiting the ladies’ room with a handful of both wet and dry paper towels. Now the couple is ready for their next task. “Oh good, your back. Let’s go get something to eat. I think the food court is on the south side. That is where we came in, I believe.”

“Oh okay, but I didn’t smell any food when I came in.”

“Well, it’s not like they actually cook the food, like they used to do back in the day. You know they microwave everything now, “Andrew chuckles.

“Oh yeah, speaking of back then! Have you noticed that everything is vintage here? I noticed that when I went to the bathroom, even the toilet was kind of old fashion. I didn’t know how to use it. I think you pull the string or something when you're done.”

“No wonder why no one comes here,” Andrew laughs, trying to clear the air between the two. “This place needs a major update. “As Andrew finishes speaking, they make a left to the food court to see no one there, only an array of neatly dressed tables with checkered pattern cloth.

“Hello!” Alice yells waiting for someone to come and serve them. She hits the bell sitting on the counter multiple times, but still no answer.

“I guess no one is here. Let’s just make our own food.”

“We can’t do that; it’s robbery.”

“Well, no one else is here. I will make us all a burger, and we’ll be off. No one will ever know.”

Alice thinks for a second, "Fine.” 

The two jumps over the counter and make their way to the restaurant's kitchen. Andrew walks over to the stove, while Alice follows behind him.

“Wow! Even this stove is ancient. They are taking this theme seriously. Can you go to the fridge and pass me three patties?”

“Sure, but I hope they have two meatless ones. Ayden and I are trying to go vegan.” Alice opens the fridge and starts looking for patties, when all of sudden she realizes the expiration date, and mumbles in disbelief getting Andrew's attention. 

“What?” he says turning his head in her direction.

Alice passes Andrew the meat and points to the date. “Look at the date. It expired on December 1987. That’s almost 40 years ago. If this is what they are feeding us, I don’t think I want to eat fast food ever again,” she says in disgust. 

Andrew opens the package to examine it. 

“This is amazing. It hasn’t changed color, or anything.” He puts the meat up to his nose, "It doesn't smell either."

“What’s amazing?” Andrew and Alice look up to see Ross walking up to them. He puts his heavy duffle bag on the ground and joins the conversation.

“Um… just that this meat has been expired for 40 years, and nothing is wrong with it.” Alice responds.

“Let me have a look.” Ross takes it out of Andrew’s hands to see what the hype is all about. “40 years? This is still good. This doesn’t expire until forty years.”

“What! You need your eyes checked man,” Andrew says.

“No, this package right here expires in forty years. People back home would kill for this meat.”

“I am sorry, but Ross…. I mean ‘Private Ross’ what are you talking about? This meat expired in December 1987, today is August 6, 2020,” Alice explained.

“Aw! You're funny. I didn’t know women could be so funny.”

“Ross, what’s today’s date?” Andrew asks as he begins to get concerned for Ross's mental state.

“Um… March 18, 1943.”

“And how long have you been here?”

“Um... about a little over an hour. I guess. Why?”

“Just asking. And one more question, has anyone else been here besides us in the hour you’ve been here?”

“Yes, about 45 minutes before you got here, a man with this large puffy hair came in with these fighter jet glasses, a glitter top and some ‘platform shoes,’ I believe that is what he called them. I started a conversation about his shoes. I had never seen anything like them before. Then he left. Then you all came next.”

Andrew shakes his head in disbelief of what Ross has just told him. “Can I talk to you, Alice?”

“Yeah,” She responds. Alice and Andrew walk about another five feet away from Ross. “This is insane… He is insane.”

“No, it is not.”

“What do you mean?” Alice questions.

“Okay, when I was in 8th grade. I remember we were taught this theory, that there are certain time points in the world. And in these time points time moves slower. I honestly thought it was the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. But as Ross was talking, I did the math. He said he has been in here for a little over an hour so sixty plus minutes and then another man came in 35 minutes ago.”

“Yes, but what are you saying?” Alice worries.

“What I am saying is do the math. Ross believes that we are in 1943. That was 77 years ago and lets just transform that to 77 minutes, which is one hour and seventeen minutes. Which is over an hour ago. Then he said another man came in, a disco king, 45 minutes ago. And forty-five years ago, was 1975. So, if I am doing the math right, I believe that one minute here is one year in the real world. So, either Ross is just crazy or we have been here for years.”

“If what you are saying is true then…we should run.” Andrew and Alice dashes past Ross. They swing around the corner seeing the double doors that they had just entered through fifteen minutes ago. They bust through the entrance, panic overtaking them both. Andrew looks down at his phone, but all he sees is a dead battery symbol lit up on his screen, knowing that the device was nearly at 100 percent a few moments ago. Their hearts fall to the pit of their stomachs, as their eyes adjust to their new surroundings. Everything is the same, a vacant parking lot covered with weeds, but one thing is missing. The spot where their car once remained with their only child in it is no longer in sight.