I am surrounded.  People of all shapes and sizes are pointed at me like beams of light.  The lights bend only slightly when they reach me and then continue, as if they never felt the glitch.  I am making my way up some famous street near Times Square.  It is almost dark now and the lights begin to wake up for their evening show just as the crowds thicken and deepen.   I don’t know why I am here.  I felt alone, I suppose.  I needed to escape my humming cold-blooded space that allowed any old thought to enter.  Feeling the warm bodies brush by me, reminds me that I am not alone here. There are others.  I miss my family and so these embodied souls will have to do.

I try to look into the eyes of those who pass me.  I offer a warm smile.  Some reciprocate, some do not, as if they are too busy to turn up the corner of their mouth.  I don’t mind, it makes me laugh.  I continue on my mindless path, staying within the crowds and oddly feeling secure there.  Every now and then a paper is shoved my way by some fast talker on repeat.  I politely decline.  I am focused on an adorable little boy ahead of me, whose squishy face is agape at the flashing lights.  As I wonder the meaning behind his questioning eyes, I vaguely hear, “Free ticket to where ever you want to go!”  I hear it as I would background music, hearing but not really comprehending.  It is the jolt of electricity as the paper skims my mid-section, that brings me to the present. My eyes follow the hand connected to the paper and stop at a face that doesn’t seem to belong here. He repeats his mantra while our eyes connect.  By some force I can not explain, I accept the paper as the momentum of the crowd pushes me forward.  I dismiss the unusual event and slip the paper in my pocket, not wanting to liter.

I am home now.  I feel spent.  My body is ready for sleep and my mind has raised the white flag in defeat.  As I slip off my jeans, I hear the crinkle of paper.  I remove the culprit and gently smooth it out between my fingers. It reads only, “Free ticket.  Where do you want to go?”  I flip it over expecting more, but it is blank.  It’s so odd that I am unable to look away.  I feel cold now standing here in only my t-shirt, so I quickly tuck myself into bed and under the billowy covers.  As I lean back and gently mold into the stack of pillows, I stare at the paper still in my hand.  I read it over and over.  I feel it almost hypnotizing me; challenging me with its question.  Where do you want to go?

Ok, I’ll play along.  Where do I want to go?  Hmm, Italy sounds lovely.  Rolling vineyards, architecture, food so unbelievably fresh yet you can taste its centuries old origin, it is endless and intoxicating.  As inviting as that sounds, what would I learn? How would it change my life?  There are hundreds upon hundreds of beautiful places I want to visit; I would never be able to choose.  Maybe, I should meet a famous person from long ago.  I’ve always had a fascination with Henry VIII.  Einstein, perhaps?  Ghandi? Can I meet Jesus? I can read about them and know their life lessons, so maybe not. How about the future?  The future seems frightening; I don’t think I want to know the future. If it’s horrible, how could I enjoy each day knowing my fate, or the fate of the world?  A past event? I’ve always felt a deep connection with American Indians.  That would be fascinating!  But, I can read about that too.  I’m feeling a bit frustrated.  What is wrong with me that I can not think of a single…wait, I know.  I know where I want to go.

I want to be where I will go when I die.  If I have lived before, I have actually already been there, but I just don’t remember.  If I go to this place, I am everywhere at every time, all in one moment.  It is the most perfect choice.  I want to remember this place. This place will remind me to have no fear. Remind me that I am never alone.  Remind me that all my lost loved ones are still with me.  Remind me that I am beautiful and perfect as I am.  I can feel it.  My tears tickle my nose as they find their path down my face.  I feel love.  I feel so much love.  Am I there?

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/writing-challenge-time-machine/

I posted the above awhile back but I wanted to add these other great responses to the challenge:

1. A Random Short Story | Musings | WANGSGARD
2. Second Time Around: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Never Stationary
3. Housecleaning 1900′s Style | The Library Lady and Rosie Bear
4. I grew up on an island. How did I never read this? | Andrea Reads America
5. Weekly Writing Challenge: Time Machine | The WordPress C(h)ronicle
6. The Day Before the Snowdryft | Project eXa
7. My dream trip | Myriad Notions
8. Weekly Writing Challenge: Time Machine | In my world
9. One Night In Summer | Fish Of Gold
10. Hallowed Canaries | field of thorns
11. Labor Day Weekend, 2011 | Simple Heart Girl
12. Memorial Day Weekend, 2011 | Simple Heart Girl
13. On the Steps of the Lincoln Memorial | Lead us from the Unreal to the Real
14. Going Back at Birth | Navigate
15. DP Challenge – The tale of the Hiry Mammoth | Properties for sale in Cuba
16. DP Challenge – The tale of the Hairy Mammoth | Properties for sale in Cuba
17. Day 280: If I Had a DeLorean | Writer’s Desk
18. To go back in time… | adventuresofaneverydaywoman
19. The free ticket. | chey4412
20. Weekly Writing Challenge: Time Machine | Ramblings of a Midwest 20-Something
21. Weekly Writing Challenge : Time Machine | Simply about Life
22. Time machine | Icezine
23. In Our Hands | risingrave28
24. A Peek Into My Past | Ninjas In Stitches
25. Time Machine | Thinking Languages!
26. The Deep Time Society: Imagining Academia and Time Travel | THIS CREATIVE REALITY
27. The Race. « Restawyle
28. Sulfur Island | Speculative Paradigm Shifts
29. Time Machine | jenniferannefleming
30. Weekly Writing Challenge: Time Machine | imagination
31. Dark? Ages | I’m a Writer, Yes I Am
32. I’m Happy Being In The Present, Thank You Very Much! | Sammi Talk
33. Weekly Writing Challenge: Time Machine | The Rambling Rose
34. The Girl in the hammock | thejimmieG
35. Among the Whispers
36. Weekly Writing Challenge: Time Machine | Sarah’s World
37. The Metal File | lostinthisdaydream
38. The Conversation | The 253 in the 402
39. On Train Tracks & Stopwatches | Hullabaloo and Susie Too
40. My Time Machine | waltbox
41. Long In Tooth | A lot from Lydia
42. What if I could travel through time? | Okay, What if ?
43. A Trip to the Doctor | The Seeker’s Dungeon
44. Bali, 1938 | A Simple Note
45. TIME MACHINE- 50′s Dance | The School Of Minds
46. Looking Back: The Day I Should Have Left | Between Madness & Euphoria
47. We Can’t Turn Back Time | I’m no stargirl
48. Daily Post Weekly Writing Challenge | Christine Morgan River
49. xyz | Layperson’s Outlook
50. xyz | Layperson’s Outlook
51. Weekly Writing Challenge: Time Machine | Old Glory | Shawn
52. Royal Male | litadoolan
53. What if we can Travel Through Time. | Free Thinkers Mag.
54. Endure. Breathe. (Repeat) | MightWar
55. Weekly Writing Challenge | Time Travel | Focal Breeze
56. cycle lost | Just Thinking
57. Time traveling to my younger self | MindBodyBreath Malaysia – Yoga in Shah Alam
58. Time Machine | The Colours of Life
59. Coherence Insults My Intelligence | Bumblepuppies
60. Letter to My Future Self | the intrinsickness
61. Turn Back the Time #fiction #addiction | Moondustwriter’s Blog
62. Two Tone Memory | Notes of a Prairie Lotus
63. Nature’s Second Chance | Wired With Words
64. Weekly writing challenge | THE BIG MUNCH
65. Thoughts Tuning Tim | A Nerdy Geek’s blog
66. Urban Living in the Year 3000 | A Life with Limits
67. The Future is Yesterday | cateritforward
68. Creating Ticonae | Artfully Aspiring
69. A no-brainer for every earth scientist: time travel! | EARTH SCIENCE SOCIETY
70. Well, I’m Going to Hell. | meg lago
71. Nancy: Weekly Writing Challenge | Ty
72. How I Became a Storyteller | Pocket-Sized Musings
73. the past and the future | whimsical mayhem
74. The Never Know | Time Travel Writing Challenge | The Never Chronicles
75. A Walk in the Past | Eclectic Alli
76. Say That Again | Master of Something I’m Yet To Discover
77. Weekly Writing Challenge: Time Machine | Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist)
78. Time Machine | Love is always there. Between the lines.
79. Time Machine? No Thanks. | Laughing Through Life
80. How to deal with bad managers: Life Skills | Your Well Wisher Program
81. “The Contact” | Lekhikaa’s diary
82. DP Challenge: Time Travel Free Pass | This Natasha Life
83. Mental Time Travel | Psychology Muffins
84. A Time to Every Purpose | Love, Support, Educate, Advocate, Accept…
85. Pneumatic | Be Less Amazing
86. Back in Time | itsmayurremember
87. The Execution of Mary the Elephant: The 13th of September 1916 – Erwin, Tennessee | Forgotten Correspondence
88. Time Travel is not what it used to be | An Upturned Soul
89. Temporal Corrections Agency | Musings of a Soul Eclectic
90. Back to roots | Scent of Rina
91. Time Machine | Write Through Life
92. The Badge – Compass & Quill
93. Where am I? | A picture is worth 1000 words
94. Conversations with a 5 Year Old | Getting DCK for Dummies
95. I Know You Are but What Am I? « eternal Domnation
96. Time Machine; A Trip Down Memory Lane | Insidethelifeofmoi
97. Then or Now? | The Silver Leaf Journal
98. Weekly Writing Challenge: Time Machine, 03.04.14 | Markie’s Daily Blog
99. Land of Regret | Glorious Results Of A Misspent Youth
100. Trippin’ | Glorious Results Of A Misspent Youth