3 Years: Vol. 1

By Chandler Thomas

I became conscious suddenly. It was like an immense explosion and then, I had thought. I didn't question where I was or how I got there. I don't have a body, but I can move about and look around like I do. I don't have a face to touch or legs to scratch, just an invisible consciousness in stasis. You can call me: The Narrator.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667876757

Book preview

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© Chandler Thomas 2022

ISBN: 978-1-66787-675-7

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Deshawn

Chapter 2

Thomas

Chapter 2.5

Ripkin

Chapter 3

Stella

Chapter 4

Deshawn

Chapter 5

Stella

Chapter 6

Thomas

Chapter 7

Thomas

Chapter 8

Deshawn

Chapter 9

Stella

Chapter 10

Stella

Chapter 11

Deshawn

Chapter 12

Thomas

Chapter 13

Deshawn

Chapter 14

Thomas

Chapter 15

Stella

Chapter 16

Thomas

Chapter 17

Stella

Chapter 18

Deshawn

Chapter 19

Stella

Chapter 20

Deshawn

Chapter 21

Thomas

Chapter 22

Deshawn

Chapter 23

Me

Prologue

I awoke suddenly in a place somewhere between here and next. I had no senses, memories, or sense of time. I am alone and yet not afraid. It is dark and silent but I am not anxious. I know I was human but yet cannot remember anything about the human experience. I became conscious suddenly. It was like an immense explosion and then I had thought. I didn’t question where I was at, or how I got there. I don’t have a body but I can move about and look around like I do. I don’t have a face to touch or legs to scratch just an invisible consciousness in stasis. You can call me The Narrator.

Chapter 1

Deshawn

The first time I entered a timeline was with Deshawn. It felt like I just woke up. I could see out two eyes but could not control anything. I could hear but could not speak. I was a rider in Deshawn’s head. I could feel everything he felt. I could hear his thoughts. I could shut them off too if I wanted to focus. He had no idea I was there with him. I also saw his defining memories. What are defining memories you ask? I am shown memories that define who these people are in their current lives. Some of these are pleasant, some are horrible. I will share their memories as I have been shown.

Deshawn is a paraplegic. He had an infection when he was a baby that destroyed his body. He has needed constant care his whole life and his care taker is his Grandma. He loves his Grandma with his whole heart. Somehow she can tell when he is thirsty, hungry, etc. What people did not know is what was going on inside his head. Deshawn is extremely smart and has a photographic memory. He has a whole fascinating world inside his head. When he was a child his grandmother would bring him to their local church to listen to the choir.

Grandma was a devoted church member and Deshawn loved to hear the organ and the way the music vibrated him and his wheel chair. This was no secret to anyone though. When ever the music started playing Deshawn would close his eyes and in his head he would dance, sing and recreate all the types of praise he witnessed. He would run up and down the aisles of his own beautiful church filled with all the same people around him. He would throw his hands in the air and praise the lord. It was his happy place.

At home, Deshawn’s mother and father were also very involved. I know they are doctors and even though they are very busy they always made time for Deshawn. Grandma lived with them in a very nice handicapped accessible house somewhere in California. Deshawn was an only child but he had a large family. Both his parents had numerous siblings and cousins. Holidays were very enjoyable and everyone always treated him with love and respect.

Deshawn loved to watch anything to do with music. He would watch a video once or twice and have the dance moves memorized so he could dance in his own world. He loved all the classic artists of the 60s and 70s and would transform into each one of them in his head.

In school, Deshawn was placed at the back of the class, with an aide, and he just stared at the chalkboards recording everything he heard and saw. He taught himself to read at a very early age. Grandma would put morning cartoons on with subtitles and she could see his eyes following the words. So she started to put them on every time he was in front of the TV. By the time he was 5 he could understand English and Spanish.

When I first encountered Deshawn it was on December 31st, 2019 he was sixteen years old. When I enter the timelines I can hear every thought they have. Even visual thoughts pop up. I’m not going to include every thought he has just the relevant ones. They’re like pop ups in my peripheral vision and I can easily block them out. Thoughts too. Just like putting him on mute. I also have all of their senses. These I cannot block. I am going to switch from 3rd to 1st person a lot in jumps. OK, lets do this.

I was in the inbetween and all of a sudden I was awake. I was sitting by a pool with Grandma and we are getting ready to go to church for practice and then get ready for all of our family to come over for a new years eve pool party. I love the pool area. I could just sit hear all day listening to Grandma sing along with gospel music for that week. She has a very beautiful voice and the vibrations from it are wonderful.

Deshawn closes his eyes and I am transported to his virtual world. A world just like here but where he is not in a wheelchair, not paraplegic, but completely free. Even though Deshawn has every right to be upset and angry about his current situation he never has a disparaging thought. His world is a wonderful world full of happiness and love. He would dream of dancing, singing, giving sermons, teaching or playing football. He loved to watch the games after church with his Dad and his friends and seeing them get so excited always made him feel happy. Whatever he felt like that day he created in his mind. He was also a very eloquent speaker in his head. I could hear everything he thought but he had no idea I was there experiencing it also.

I heard the music stop and opened my eyes. Grandma was saying its time to go to church. She pushed me inside got her go bag ready and checked to make sure I didn’t need cleaned up. Grandma’s go bag is a duffle bag she throws in the back of the van that has anything I might need when we were out. She pushes me outside to a very nice black van and a lift gate comes down from the back. I feel the vibrations of the motor start and stop and she locks me in place. We get to church and the men’s choir is heading to the stage to start their practice. Grandma always comes early because she knows I love the music. We make our way to the wheelchair area about ten rows back and she sits down as they start their first song. She strokes my hair and hums along and I am in heaven.

The vibrations in his head are like a fireworks show and he is dancing and running in an open field. His hands are high and he is jumping from bass to tenor to baritone and is hitting every note perfect. It is absolutely wonderful.

After the men’s choir is done. Grandma and the main choir practice their songs, then the women’s choirs turn and then we left to go back home to get ready for the party.

When we got home I see a lot of cars have arrived. It is around 7pm and all my family has already arrived. I have two uncles, three aunts, sixteen cousins, two more grandparents and tons of my Mom and Dad’s friends, neighbors and coworkers.

We are having a huge BBQ and pool party. My grandma puts me out by the pool, under an umbrella and says she has to help get the food ready and to listen to her favorite gospel channel. She puts headphones on my head and I close my eyes and escape. I can feel people come by and rub the top of my head or hear my name in the distance but I am having my own party right now and I love it. I feel my Grandma’s familiar touch to the back of my neck and I open my eyes and she asks if I am ready to eat. She pushes me to her seat and she spoon feeds me pureed BBQ foods and they are delicious. After dinner she takes me to the bathroom to clean me up and we head back out. I look up at the clock and see it is already 11pm. People are having so much fun around me. No one is grumpy tonight. It is the perfect night.

Deshawn’s Grandma pushed him out by the pool so he could watch the drunken football game his Dad and the other feisty ones had going on. Even one of his aunts was playing center. She was called Big Addy by everyone. Six foot tall 250 easily and the most headstrong woman Deshawn knew. She could play. After the game everyone was laughing and poking fun and one of my cousins announced out the open patio door the ball was getting ready to drop.

After I heard the announcement I tried to find Grandma but she was not in my field of view. She never not included me so I wasn’t concerned but I really wanted to see the ball drop.

Deshawn didn’t know this and I didn’t until later but its important here to not get the wrong idea. Grandma was in the bathroom helping another Aunt, her biological daughter, who tried to go shot for shot with my oldest cousin. Grandma was the only adult who was not drinking and completely drunk so she was tasked with helping her.

I heard my Dad yell to not throw the ball in the house and then I saw the football launched out the door and headed straight for me. It missed me but hit my wheelchair. I hear people start counting down. 10 wait..wait...am I moving??? 9 a huge gust of wind came over the ocean and hit me from the back. I definitely am moving now. I am starting to feel panicked. I slowly roll off the grass and straight through the pool gate. 8 I fall head first into the pool strapped in the chair. I go black almost instantly.

Deshawn awoke and was in a cavern. Yeah, a cave, follow me here because this gets weird. This did not feel like his world but he was able to walk and talk.

Hello? Deshawn thought looking around. Everything was a deep red color swallowed by black shadows. He could not tell where the light or shadows were coming from. He walked about ten feet and saw a huge stone slab. He suddenly was hit with a wave of dread he had never felt before in his life.

Hello, Deshawn. A familiar voice said to him.

He knew the voice but could not place it, which was a new feeling for him because he could remember everything. Deshawn turned around and saw a very famous 60’s musician standing right behind him. But, this guy was the same guy from the videos his grandma showed him and this guy passed along time ago.

Yes, I thought you might like this version. The tenor voice said.

Am, I dead? Deshawn said out loud for the first time.

The range of emotions Deshawn went through hearing his voice for the first time is to immense to put into words. It was like everything he could of wished for. He was not in a chair and he heard his own voice. If this figure was trying to gain his trust he had started the perfect way.

Do you feel dead? The voice replied.

No, I feel more alive than I ever have in my whole life! Deshawn said while feeling his face.

Deshawn’s emotions leveled out and the dread came back like a ocean wave smacking you when you don’t expect it. What he didn’t get right away but I did, was that this character could read his thoughts. I could see him searching his memories unbeknownst to Deshawn. This character had no idea that I was observing everything. But Deshawn is smart, very smart, and he snapped out of it immediately.

Who are you really? Where am I? Deshawn asked locking eyes with one of his favorite musicians.

If this form displeases you, I can choose another. The voice said nonchalantly.

Deshawn looked around unable to make any sense of this situation.

You didn’t answer my question. Deshawn said turning around to face him again. What is going on?

You can call me Ripkin. I am the caretaker of your world. Ripkin replied

Caretaker? Like death? AM I IN HELL??? Deshawn crescendo-ed exuberantly.

Ripkin laughed and slapped his knee. They told me to watch out for you.

Who? Deshawn interrupted. I can’t take you seriously looking like this, Where’s my Grandma, why am I here.....

Deshawn, not being able to speak all of five minutes, started to have a verbal vomit. Saying anything that came into his head and out his mouth. He knew the feelings he had with music and this was the exact opposite. It was overbearing. So he escaped back into his own world for just a second. His church, friends, music and most importantly his Grandma stroking his hair.

I didn’t summon you here to escape back to your safe place. Ripkin said with a different voice.

Deshawn was brought back to reality, turned around and in front of him was an older man. A man very well dressed, light complexion like Deshawn, a man who oozed distinguishment. Deshawn thought he was dreaming, even though he had never had a dream so vivid before. It was the only plausible explanation.

Your not dreaming, Deshawn. Ripkin said locking eyes and moving towards him. I want to give you a gift. We will talk again. and he disappeared before his eyes and everything went back to black and the dread faded away.

Chapter 2

Thomas

Thomas was my second jump. First thing you need to know about Thomas is that he has a gift or maybe a curse. Thomas can see the defining memories of any living thing if he has any type of skin to skin contact. This made his young life very miserable. He saw things and experienced things no one, let alone a child should have to endure. His first defining memory was right out of the hospital at four days old. Thomas’s father was killed in Afghanistan while his mother was pregnant. It was a very hard time for her. She was all alone on a Military base. Once his company came home they all visited her and Thomas at four days old. His father’s best friend, and best man, held him for the first time. Thomas saw what happened to his dad...

When he was young, first or second grade, a substitute teacher put his hand on his head and he saw that this guy was a really bad man. He had killed his family in another state and moved here under a whole new identity. Thomas went home the next day he typed up a letter and mailed it to the police department. It took almost the whole day while his mother was at work. The teacher was arrested and police acknowledged the tip as crucial to his arrest.

By middle school Thomas had somehow taught himself to control what he saw, if he knew it was coming. If he brushed by someone in the hallway or on the street he couldn’t, but if he had to shake a hand he could mute it. Kind of like how I can with their thoughts. Thomas had never been religious. His mother worked 2 jobs, six days a week, for as long as he could remember. He told his mother about his gift but she thought it was him imagining things and being a kid. Thomas had friends but he was always afraid he would find out something bad, that he tended to just stay to himself. In eighth grade a church group had placed a flier on a cork board that there was going to be a two night three day convention at a beautiful state park near them. He loved being in