Stolen Time

Frank was incredibly nervous. He was about to confront the man whose life he had ruined a year ago, and hopefully make amends. He knew that what he was doing was the right thing, but he still couldn’t bring himself to knock. What do you say to a man you’ve stolen time from?

For years Frank has been obsessed with harnessing time travel technology, ignoring all of the warnings from his fellow scientists. He knew what he was doing was dangerous, but he didn’t care. When he was in his lab, it was almost like he was in his own world, and he was the god to shape it. But one year ago, an accident happened and completely changed the life of a pizza delivery man. Instead of making the delivery man go forward or backwards in time, it took time away from him, his memory. Years of his life were gone, meaning he has no memory of even raising his own son. 

Because it was an accident, Frank suffered no criminal charges, but his career was now in shambles. His device was too advanced for most people and even scientists to understand, but the public had their suspicions about what he was working on. When Frank was fired from his job, he was surprised with how little he cared. It was almost freeing for him after all of his years being obsessed with time travel. But what did make him lose sleep at night was the pizza delivery man’s life he had ruined with his selfishness. He had to make amends.

Frank knocked on the door and tensed as he heard footsteps on the other side. The door open and Frank was met with a man who was at least a decade older than he was, but didn’t at all look it. Despite his graying hair and sunburnt skin, there was a way he stood and his eyes twinkled that let you know that he was younger on the inside. And that wasn’t a flowery metaphor, 20 years of his life had been taken from him.

“Hi,” the man greeted energetically, “can I help you?”

Frank was surprised that the man hadn’t recognized him immediately considering what he had done to him. “Mike Shelly.”

Mike smiled. “Oh, you must be a fan! Well, I’m kind of busy at the moment, but I can get you an autograph!”

“No, Mike,” Frank replied quickly, “it’s me, I’m Dr. Stein.”

Mike looked blankly at him.

“The man who took your memories away.”

His face finally showed understanding. “Dr. Stein, right, knew you looked familiar. So long time no see.”

“Yeah,” Frank said hesitantly, “long time no see.”

“So do you want to come in for a beer or something?”

Frank was dumbfounded by Mike’s reaction to the situation. When he had come up with his plan to make amends, he had imagined a lot of screaming, hitting, and even crying, but not this. He had seen some of the interviews with Mike and knew that he would always say he bore no grudge against him, but he always assumed it was just something for the cameras. Apparently Mike genuinely didn’t hate him, which oddly only increased his guilt.

“That’s...very kind of you, Mike, but that’s not why I came here. I came here to make amends.”

Mike waved his hand dismissively. “Hey, water under the bridge. We all goof up sometimes. Like one time I was signing an autograph for a fan of mine named Erin, but I spelled it as Aaron instead. It was so embarrassing!”

Frank, who was listening to Mike, couldn’t exactly see the difference in spelling, but nodded to be polite anyway. “Again, that’s very kind of you, but I didn’t come here just to apologize. I’ve been working in secret and created a new device.”

“Oh really?” Mike said, grinning. “Hey, is this one going to make me 20 years younger on the outside? Because that I do miss.”

“In a way yes,” Frank said, making sure his face conveyed how serious he was being. “I can give you back your lost years. You can relive the 20 years you lost.”

Mike dropped his smile. “What?”

“I created a device that will send you back to the last thing your mind remembers. Not physically of course, but mentally you’ll be there. You’ll feel all the emotions and experience everything you did but don’t remember doing. It’ll only take a couple seconds, but to you, it will feel like you really lived out those 20 years again, stopping at the moment I erased your memories.”

Mike grew very pale.

“I know this is a lot to take in, and I know you’ll need some time to-”

“Thanks for the offer,” Mike interrupted, smiling again, “but I’m going to have to decline.”

Frank blinked. “Really?”

“Yeah, no point crying over spilled milk, the past is in the past, got to look forward, you know?”

“Yes, I suppose. It’s just I thought you would look forward to seeing your child grow up and getting back those years you lost with your wife, friends, and family.”

A woman back in the house asked, “Honey, who’s at the door?”

“Just a friend,” Mike said, for some reason sounding nervous as he said it. “I’m going out for a bit to talk to him.” Mike stepped out of his house and shut the door behind him. Looking back at Frank now, he said, “Okay, I’m going to need you to get the hell out.”

Frank felt like he had been slapped in the face by the sudden hostility. Shaken, he said, “I don’t understand, I thought-”

“Well you were wrong. Leave and never come back, okay?”

Frank backed away and put his hands up defensively. “I’m sorry! I was just trying to help you! I don’t know what it’s like to lose all of that time, but I know it can’t be easy. The accident must have devastated you.”

“Yeah,” Mike said, now avoiding eye contact. “It was really traumatic.”

Something about Mike’s tone sounded off to Frank, making him question what’s been going on. Now that he thought about it, Frank couldn’t remember Mike looking sad in any of his interviews. He always had a “brave face” on, and even now he had looked pretty happy until the new device was brought up.

“You don’t want your memories back,” Frank said, not quite believing his own words despite it finally sinking in for him. “But in every interview you said you would give anything for them back!”

“I was lying! Of course I don’t want them back, why would I?”

“But your son-”

“Is in college now. You think I was looking forward to changing his diapers, listening to him cry all night, doctor’s appointments, dentist’s appointments, playdates, puberty, ‘the talk’?”

“But years with your wife?”

“Have you seen her now? She’s way better looking now than she was 20 years ago. Let me tell you, that woman ages like wine. Fine wine.”

Out of any other husband, the sentiment would’ve been touching. In this situation, Frank wasn’t so sure. “But what about-”

“Look I’ve managed to avoid 20 years of stupid things like my friends getting married, or kids’ birthday parties. And now I’m rich off of all of the attention I’m getting because of my mind wipe! You think I want to go back to being a nobody? And worse, raising a kid?”

Frank was speechless, but he had to admit that Mike had a point. He was clearly much happier with his new life than he was with his old one. “Okay, I’ll accept your decision.”

“Good. Also do me a favor and never tell anyone about your device.”

“What?”

“You heard me! I don’t need the whole public and my wife pressuring me to use that thing.”

“This device can help millions of people! Even if you don’t use it-”

“Don’t screw with me, Stein,” Mike growled. “I’ve said that I forgave you in all my interviews, but I can turn the public against you very quickly if I wanted to. If I’m going down, you’re going down with me.”

Frank gritted his teeth in anger. He wasn’t just furious about the threat, he was furious over losing nights of sleep for feeling guilty about “ruining” this fraud’s life. “You’re a monster.” Frank walked away.

“I’m the monster you created, Frank Stein!”