Chloe Out of Time - Episode 1
by Jonathan Rosen
Chloe?
Chloe, I know for a fact that you can see the texts. Please answer me.
Who is this?
You wouldn’t believe me, even if I told you.
So, I need you to keep calm, because this is very important.
Are you still in the hospital bed?
How’d you know I was in the hospital?
Just listen.
Tell me who you are…
I’ll tell you, but you need to trust me.
I know you, Chloe. Believe me, I know you very well.
I’m blocking you.
I’m here to help you! You’re stuck in a timeslip!
Timeslip??
I can’t explain yet. In a few minutes, a nurse will come into your room.
She’s going to offer you a pill for your pain.
Take it from her and put it in your mouth — but do NOT swallow it.
Understand?
What are you talking about?
I’m in a lot of pain. Of course I’m going to take it!
I know you think you had a car accident, but you didn’t.
I DID have a car accident. I remember everything about it!
And I’m in A LOT of pain!
You’re okay. They’re only telling you that you had an accident. It’s a false memory.
Look down at your cast. It’s not even real. It’s foamcore.
How did you know I was in a cast?
Oh my god. It rips right off…
My leg looks fine.
It IS fine.
Chloe, listen, the nurse is going to be there any second.
Spit out the pill. You’re going to walk out of there tonight.
I can’t walk! This cast might not be real, but the pain is.
It’s not — it’s in your head.
The pill will put you to sleep again. That’s what they want.
You don’t want that, do you?
Wait — that’s what who wants?
The scientists. I’ll explain, but for right now, don’t take it.
Chloe?
Chloe, is she there?
DON’T TAKE IT!!
5 minutes later
She’s gone.
Did you take it?
I have no idea why, but no. So, tell me what this is all about.
The nurse is coming back in a few minutes. She’s going to check to see if you’re asleep.
You should pretend that you are.
Please, I need you to do it.
Look, I don’t know how you knew about the hospital or the cast…
Or the nurse…
But I don’t want to play your little game.
It’s not a game. I promise.
You’ll see. The nurse is coming back right now…
How do you know?
Where are you?
Stop texting!
What the hell are you talking about??
STOP TEXTING!
No matter what, pretend to be asleep!
NOW!
10 minutes later
She’s gone. She came in, but I pretended to sleep so she left.
Good. You don’t have much time.
She’ll be back to check on you again.
You need to give me some answers. NOW.
You’re stuck in a timeslip being studied by scientists.
They belong to some sort of multibillion-dollar company.
That’s insane.
It’s the truth.
They put you to sleep, induce the timeslip with a drug cocktail, and observe the effects on your body.
You’ve been living the same day, over and over, for six months.
But why would anyone do that?
Why would they do that to me?
Because when your mind is in the timeslip, your body responds to it and stops aging.
The scientists want to harness the anti-aging process and sell it to cosmetic companies.
Okay, but that still doesn’t answer the question — why me?
They find people without any family, no strong ties other than a few friends.
That’s who you are to them.
Oh my god…
I know. That’s why we’re not going to let that happen.
I’ve really been here for six months??
Yes, until I figured it out. I broke free, and I need to get you out.
How did you discover all of this?
How do you know so much about what’s going to happen next?
Who are you?
I’m you.
This is me, Chloe. You’re me.
I’m telling you the truth.
I was right about your leg, right?
I can tell you other things about us too…
Like the fact that we kept our middle school diary under the mattress in a pillow case.
Or that we dated Jake Briggs in high school for two months and no one ever found out.
We tell people our dad died—
Because it’s too painful to say he left us.
Woah…
No time for that. GET UP!
Move it! The nurse is coming back now!
But, how is this possible?
Stop asking questions! Just go! I’ll text as you move.
Sneak out of your room and go to the right.
At the end of the hall there’s a room that says, Research.
Nobody’s there, but the door is unlocked.
Okay, I’m there.
Go into the office.
On the desk, there’s a black box with a red button.
Got it. Should I press it?
Not yet. Just listen.
Once you press it, you’re going to break free from the repeat timeslip that you’re in.
You’ll be free.
You’re ready?
I guess so. I came this far.
Okay. Let me know when you’re there.
5 minutes later
I’m here. Pressing the button now…
OMG! What’s happening to me??
I feel weird. My body is buzzing!
I’m scared!
1 hour later
Chloe springs awake, frantically looking around.
She realizes she’s in her own bed—
In her own apartment…
Everything appears to be normal, albeit a bit dusty.
And then it hits her.
She jumps up and runs to the other side of her room, grabbing her phone.
The text thread with Unknown is still there.
She texts Unknown.
I think we did it.
As soon as the text goes through, she receives a response…
From herself…
I think we did it.
And then she realizes…
If Unknown was future Chloe…
And they both successfully escaped…
Future Chloe no longer exists.
She is Future Chloe.
She DID escape.
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