2024-10-14 “Anything But Normal” for Kent (born 1998)

The Monday after Kent’s first time shift back to 1880 began like every other Monday of the year. Except…

Kent had made 7 new friends. They had gone on a journey of around 1000 miles and… oh yeah… gone back in time 144 years. They had saved a man’s life. It was more of a bonding experience than anything he’d ever experienced.

Kent had read Merritt, Emma, and Hannah’s early IG posts about being drawn to each other and the connection they felt. Merritt called it metaphysical. Kent agreed.

Even when he forgot the fact that all four of the girls were drop-dead gorgeous and that the three other guys were the kind he’d hang out with just to pass time, their experience of shifting time had… The only word he could think of was “amplified.” It had amplified the feelings.

But being at work was otherwise like every other Monday of the year. Except…

Merritt had told him about the organization that made deposits whenever the time travelers did good deeds. Like the other seven, Kent had a healthy deposit waiting for him in his account when the banks opened earlier that day.

It was from Aux Autres—not the same company that had paid the others before, but that was who everyone received payments from, that time. And it was in an amount that exceeded what Kent could generally net in two weeks.

But being at work was otherwise like every other Monday of the year. Except…

He woke up, and before his first cup of coffee, he had text messages from three beautiful women. Emma had messaged to say thanks for helping her set up her bed in the new apartment. Addison had texted to invite him to the theater to look over some lighting for some of the stages and… oh, to grab dinner after.

Getting messages from Shay was not uncommon. That day, though, she wasn’t asking him to take on a volunteer project. She just wanted to say hello and wish him a good day.

But being at work was… otherwise… like every other Monday of the year.