Timeshock - I Want My Life Back Read Online Free

Nigel worked in the same place as he did - he knew there was an alleyway near to where he walked home at night - if he grabbed him there he could make him talk.

    Nigel waited.   He concealed his gun in the pocket of his coat.   Suddenly he felt a chill down his neck when he saw the other Nigel walking past.   He jumped out, grabbed him and pulled him into the alleyway.   He held up the gun to his face.   The other Nigel looked petrified.

    “Leave me alone!” shouted the other Nigel.
    “Look, I just want to know what happened?   I travelled back in time and I came back here!”   Nigel spoke in a world-weary tone.   It helped to calm down the other Nigel a little.

    “Did you get a visit from Raymond Deville?” asked the other Nigel.
    “Yes - he killed Natalie and the kids - I went back in time to get revenge.”
    “Oh.   I see.   You didn’t realise.” The other Nigel sounded almost pitying.
    “Realise what?”
    “That time travel is a poisoned chalice.   Raymond held me and the family hostage but I realised the best thing I could do was to let him go back in time.”  
    “What?   But you never knew what he could have done to the present!”
    The other Nigel smiled wryly. “No, it doesn’t work like that.   The present stays as it is - the person travelling through time just moves to another alternative reality - with an alternative you.”

    The penny dropped for Nigel - he had made the wrong choice.   This Nigel had chosen to let Raymond travel back in time.   By travelling back in time he had switched to an alternative time-line. This was why the Raymond he killed was so surprised to be shot - it was a different Raymond that had killed Natalie.  

    “Does that mean Natalie is alive?” asked Nigel.
    “Yes, though she and the kids were badly traumatised by what happened.   That is why I don’t want her having to put up with another me wandering around.   Please just go somewhere else - start a new life.   Your Natalie is dead - there is nothing you can do about that. And stop using the time machine.   Destroy it.”  

    Nigel let his grip on the other Nigel go.   The other Nigel ran away and Nigel stood stunned in the alleyway.   Tears began to well in his eyes.   It wasn’t supposed to be like this!
    That evil thought started coming back into his mind.   Not just could he get his old life back but Natalie was still alive!   But he couldn’t kill his other self.   Could he?

    Nigel went back to his hotel room.   He was plagued by this idea.   He could get everything back to how it was - he just needed to kill the other Nigel.   He had a gun.   He could do it.   But what would it turn him into?   Would this other Natalie notice?   How different was this time-line?   He might not know things this Nigel knew.   But then he hadn’t changed the time-line that much?   This reality was virtually identical to his - surely a switch would work?

    A feeling of massive jealousy welled up inside Nigel and he began to scheme in an evil way.   He wanted to take the other Nigel’s clothes and possessions - so best not to shoot him while he was wearing them.   Take the other Nigel prisoner, strip him, shoot him, burn and bury him.   He would take him prisoner on the way to work in the morning - then ring in sick to the other Nigel’s work, then go home as “himself” again.

    Nigel looked at the clock.   It was very late at night.   He needed to sleep.   He tried as best as he could to sleep but his mind raced until eventually sheer exhaustion took over and he went into a deep sleep.

    When Nigel woke he felt better but then remembered the events of the previous day.   He dressed, grabbed the gun and headed out.  

    The other Nigel was walking towards the station when he felt a sharp poke in his back and heard a whispered “walk with me”.   Nigel walked him to a hire car parked on a quiet side street.   “Drive,” Nigel barked, sitting in the passenger seat