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