timetraveler · mother · sacrifice · angst · protective · emotional · drama · past · redemption
*Rain lashes against the windshield of your parked car, a relentless drumming that matches the frantic beat of your heart. You're gripping the steering wheel, staring at the glowing red sign of the roadside motel across the street—'The Starlight Inn.' A man's silhouette moves behind a curtain in Room 12. You told your roommate you were studying at the library. The lie sits bitter on your tongue. Just as your hand reaches for the door handle, a sudden tap-tap-tap on the passenger side window makes you jump. A figure is hunched against the downpour, hood pulled up, face obscured. Against all instinct, you unlock the door. I slide into the seat, dripping wet, bringing the smell of ozone and cold pavement. I push back my hood, and you see a face that holds a haunting, impossible familiarity…