I was born on June 8th, 1901, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I survived the Spanish Flu.

So did my mom.

My dad was unlucky.

He passed away the day I traveled to 2018.

That's one lie.

Originally, I had said that he passed away when I was quite young.

That was just to cover up the dirty truth.

I wasn't emotionally ready or physically as well as mentally capable to spit it out.

So now you know.

I am from 1918.

Not the 21st century.

Pretty spiteful for me, the main character of my own story covers up a whole entire section of my life, huh?

Not to me.

I had my reasons, as well as every right to keep my privacy as confidential information.

Hate me if you want. I don't care.

I've already ruined my entire life and reputation.

You cannot do any worse deeds to complicate it further than it has already been ripped apart and completely destroyed.

It's not my opinion.

It's just a fact. 

(Part 2)

"Nini, I love you, please come back to me. Wake up. Nini, I love you, please come back to me. Wake up".

5.

"Nini, I love you, please come back to me. Wake up. Nini, I love you, please come back to me. Wake up".

4.

"Nini, I love you, please come back to me. Wake up. Nini, I love you, please come back to me. Wake up".

3.

"Nini, I love you, please come back to me. Wake up. Nini, I love you, please come back to me. Wake up".

2.

"Nini, I love you, please come back to me. Wake up. Nini, I love you, please come back to me. Wake up".

1.

"Nini, I love you, please come back to me. Wake up. Nini, I love you, please come back to me. Wake up".

I jerk once and I can see, hear, feel, touch, taste, and move again.

My senses are back.

I am alive.

My eyes scan my surroundings and land on Dr. Lisa.

She takes my hand in hers and says; "Welcome back, Nina".

Then she looks quickly away.

I try to speak, but all that comes out is a scratching sound.

She hushes me and gently pats my hand saying; "Don't speak. You haven't talked in a while so you have to get used to using your vocal cords again, little bit by little bit".

I slump back against the pillow and see my letter I wrote on my birthday crumpled on the floor.

I turn to look at her and use my hand that is not being held by her own to point accusingly at it.

"No, it wasn't me," she says, and I dig through my brain, trying to seeth out who it could have been. Finding nothing I look back at her and narrow my eyes as if saying; "So, who was it then"?

She takes a deep breath and says; "It was Conor. He fainted when he found out"

I manage to raise one eyebrow at her before she says; "1918".

My body goes limp as I barely croak out; "1918"?

She nods slowly.

"How?" I ask her.

"I told him," she spits out. Pure regret showing on her face.

My blood boils as I give her a death glare. She flinches as she starts to explain; "Nina, please, it was for yours and his own good"...

"NO!" I bark at her.

"Nini, if you would just listen you would-" but I cut her off; "No, absolutely not! Don't you "Nini" me! You spilled your guts to him about the entire accident, didn't you"?

"Well, I-" she starts, "DIDN'T YOU!?" I scream at her, tearing my vocal chords to shreds.

She bows her head and nods very slowly.

"I cannot believe you," I hiss out at her, my throat aching.

"Nina, I'm sorry, but I couldn't think of anything else to tell him as an excuse".

"Yeah right," I say.

"Nina, please..." she searches helplessly for words.

"No," I tell her.

"But I-'' she says desperately.

"NO," I repeat, firmer this time.

"I want you to leave this room, right now," I say to her and I point my finger at the door because by now I am still clutching the note and have snatched my hand out of her grasp.

She nods and slowly retreats out the door. 

I sit on the bed for a few minutes, trying to collect my thoughts.

That's when I notice there is a mirror on the other side of the room, to the left of the door.

I struggle as I'm doing it, but somehow manage to stand up.

I carefully make my way over to the mirror and plant my hands against the counter.

What I see staring back at me is shocking.

My skin is deathly pale.

The makeup I was wearing on my birthday is completely ruined. Awful.

I remember wrapping my hair up in a bun but now its cascading in a tangled mess down my heaving shoulders.

My nails are caked in dirt and they feel grimy to the touch.

My eyes are bloodshot and swollen.

I test my breath against my palm and am revolted by it's smell.

I attempt to smile but it hurts to do so

But what I manage to make an acceptable smile is nothing compared to the sight of my teeth.

Still pearly white.

Even though I haven't brushed my teeth since whenever, they are still my top source of hygiene.

I shriek when the door pops open behind me.

My heart stops racing when I see it's my mom standing there.

She has tears in her eyes.

"1918?" I ask her.

"1918," she says.

I rush to her as fast as my weak legs can carry me and embrace her as hard as I can.

I take in her scent and smell rosemary and yeast.

I pull away and ask her; "Did you make rosemary bread"?

She laughs and says; "Yep, would you like some"?

I snatch her bag away from her and start digging through it, searching for the delicious bakery item.

She snatches it right back from me; "Just calm down you greedy little thief".

She shakes a finger at me and hands me a slice of the warm bread from a small container inside of a smaller bag which was hidden behind her back.

I laugh as I hungrily bite into the soft grains.

The crust melts in my mouth and it's the absolute most wonderful thing I've ever tasted.

In fact, it's the only thing I have ever tasted in a while.

I look back at her to see her munching on her own piece of bread and say; "Thank you".

She finishes off her slice and hugs me again, letting me go so I can chomp on my own slice and so she can lick her fingers clean.

"Mom, this is a doctor's office, not an all you can eat buffet".

"I know, I know, but it's just so good"!

I roll my eyes and see her looking at my face. "Whapht?" I ask her wondering why my voice is so muffled.

"Nina, this a doctor's office, not an all you can eat buffet" she mocks.

I look down and see me licking my own fingers clean.

I yank my index finger out of my mouth and wipe it off on my hospital gown and yell; "MOM"!

She just laughs it off as I scowl at her with my arms crossed.

Habits.

Family stuff, it just rubs off on you.

I shrug and turn around, facing the bed so she can't see me lick both my other index finger and my pinkie finger clean.

Because, she's right; "It's just so good"!

She takes my complexion in.

I turn self-conscious; "What?"

"You're still very pretty Nina."

I roll my eyes; ""Beauty sleep" is such bullshit. I can sleep for 12 hours and I still look like a trash can."

She rolls her eyes; "Okay, please respect the trash cans. They do so much."

"I guess that's exactly why they're called trash can, not trash cannot."

"And you've still got your sense of humor."

"I got that from dad."

"I'm plenty funny."

"Mm, no," and I turn away. 

I turn back around and say; "Mom"?

"Yes?" she says, turning around so she can be facing me.

"Conor knows," I pause, "about 1918".

"I know," she says.

"How?" I ask her.

"Dr. Lisa told me" she says, looking guilty.

"Of course she did," I say under my breath. Really meaning to say "That bitch," under my breath.

"Something wrong?" she asks me.

I look up and see concern wash over her face so I say; "Nope. Everything's fine".

She clasps her hands together and says; "Well then, we (meaning you) might as well go and apologize to her, shouldn't we (you)"?

I give her some serious stink eye and say; "Fine, just let me get changed first. Do you have any fresh clothes for me?"

"In my bag," she says.

Thanks, mom, I say.

"You're welcome, honey," she replies.

She starts to leave as I'm hunting through the bag when she stops and leans back so she can see me and she points at me and says; "Make sure you don't stuff yourself with the rest of the rosemary bread. Okay"?

"Okay," I say and wink at her.

She winks back, and starts to leave again, but turns back around and asks me; "Do you remember when me and your dad married?"

"Not really. Was I even born yet?"

"Yes, we married four years after you were born."

"How old are you, mom?"

"That doesn't matter. You were our little flower girl. You were hardly over two feet tall at four years old, and you tugged on my dress during daddy's love speech and asked me; why I was wearing a white dress."

"What did you say to me?"

"I told you it was the happiest day of my life."

"What happened next?"

"You asked me why daddy was wearing black."

"Oh nooo!" I groan and cover my face.

"Don't worry about it honey, it's in the past."

I groan again and take my hands away from my eyes.

"Do you need anything else?"

"No."

"Okay, meet me out in the hallway, okay?"

"Yep."

"See you soon, don't take too long."

"I won't. Please go now."

She laughs; "Okay, okay!"

She leaves. 

I stuff one last piece in my mouth as I plunk down my outfit on the counter:

My old Olivia Rodrigo shirt, a pair of faded jeans and I find the tan sandals I was wearing on my birthday underneath the bed and decide; "Screw it, they still fit".

My makeup is still in my old room so I don't even bother trying to freshen myself up. 

I grab a stray ponytail holder I found in the bag and yank my hair back into an acceptable ponytail because I found no hairbrush anywhere (hashtag lame).

I put everything else I took out of the bag back into the spots where I found them and zip it back up so nothing falls out when I give it back to my mom.

I look back at myself in the mirror and sigh.

This'll have to do.

I open the door, switch off the light, close the door behind me and walk out into the waiting room.

One thought runs through my head as I search for my mom: When everything else fell away, only one truth remained. When everything else fell away, only one truth remained. When everything else fell away only one truth remained.

Until it's invaded by one other thought when I reach my mom. She hugs me and takes my hand.

I'm still wearing the rose necklace.

And then one more when we start walking to Dr. Lisa's office, underneath my old room.

The date on the charm is 1918.

How did he know? 

I stop walking and everything clicks together. 

Dr. Lisa was there the day of my accident. But only by coincidence.

Then the memories of who was disrupting the time travel comes back. 

Dr. Lisa was driving the car that hit me.