The Time Jump

The piercing pain faded, replaced by the soft scent of flowers and the gentle warmth of sunlight.

You blinked, your eyes focusing on the familiar, luxurious room. It was the room you lived in after your seventh birthday, a place you thought you'd never see again. Your hands, once scarred and bloody, were now smooth and pale.

A wave of disbelief washed over you. Was this a dream? But the throbbing pain in your skull, a familiar ache that was not the same as the institute's drugs, felt all too real. Your gaze fell upon the headboard, your old cellphone resting there.

With trembling hands, you reached for it. The screen lit up, displaying a date that made your blood run cold:

2019 July 31st!!

The phone clattered to the floor. You sank to your knees on the bed, a quiet laugh escaping your lips, then growing into a raw, heartbroken howl that echoed through the opulent room, a release of years of suffering and fear.