Chapter 2: Waking Up Yesterday

"Dad?" The word tumbled from my lips, a whisper of disbelief rippling through the early morning quietude. My heart pounded in my chest, its rhythm at odds with the peaceful silence of the room. A room that was too familiar, yet strangely out of place.

I was in my old bedroom. The worn-out carpet, the faded posters, the ancient laptop gathering dust on the corner desk. Everything was as I remembered it, each detail etched with a clarity that was uncanny. I quickly flipped open the laptop, my eyes darting to the date and time displayed on the screen. A jolt of shock coursed through me. I was not just in my old room. I was in my past.

The realization sent tremors coursing through me. I was in my past. As in, I had regressed. Time-travel? Dream? Hallucination? I didn't know. But as I looked at the date again, the stark numbers staring back at me, I felt a chill wrap itself around my spine.

I was startled out of my thoughts as my father's stern voice echoed again, calling me to get ready to drive him for visitations. I mechanically threw on some sweatpants and a jumper, my movements smooth and practiced. Yet, inside, my mind was in chaos, struggling to make sense of what was happening. But as I stepped outside and breathed in the crisp morning air, I made a decision. If this was a dream, I would live it. I had been given an opportunity to relive a slice of my life, to see my family again, and I wouldn't let it slip away.

The drive was long and silent, punctuated only by my father's occasional directions. We navigated through the familiar streets of the town, out into the countryside, stopping every now and then at some church member's house. Every detail of the journey, every turn of the road, every tree and signpost, seemed eerily accurate. How could a dream be so detailed, so vivid?

I remembered my room, the layout of the town, the faces of people I had not seen in what felt like forever. As the day wore on, I realized this was no ordinary dream. It felt too real, too tangible. And as I drove back home, the evening sun casting long shadows on the road, I couldn't help but wonder. Had I truly traveled back in time? Or was I trapped in an illusion of the past, a prison of memories and wishes?

It had been such a long time since I had seen this room, this town, these faces. The thought echoed in my mind as I parked the car and stepped out, my heart heavy with uncertainty. One thing was certain, though. I had woken up yesterday, and whether this was a dream or reality, I was not ready to wake up just yet.