Time Riders - "Chapter 4"

This creative piece by Anushka Kar was originally completed as part of a class project. Having read the opening chapters of Alex Scarrow's 'Time Riders', pupils were asked to write a fourth chapter in the style of Alex Scarrow, imagining what happened next:

2001 New York

Liam scanned the room with a groggy head as he squinted his eyes. A small lamp lay on a desk in the far corner next to pile of books with thick spines.

Ugh.

He fell back on the bed with a loud thud as he stared up at the ceiling – he could still hear the muffled rumble above him.

That’s it.

Liam sat up again and peered down at the older girl below him; he contemplated whether he should wake her or not. He suddenly realised that he had no track of what time it was, so he backtracked to whatever happened earlier. Only, there was nothing. His mind was like a blank sheet of paper, waiting for thoughts to be forced upon it. There was not a single clock in sight so he jumped down from the bed with no other option in his head - but he was more unsteady than he thought. His knees gave way as he landed so suddenly.

Ah dammit.

“You alright there?”

Liam found a pair of feet standing in front of him as his gaze travelled up fairly long legs only to be met with questioning brown eyes.

He blinked his eyes in confusion but as he opened them, he found himself staring up at the dirty white ceiling. He sat up and patted his hands around wherever he could reach – he was still in bed. Liam peered down at the bunk below him to find the girl still murmuring in her sleep.

“Liam.”

He jerked his head up as a reflex to wherever the sound came from. There was an older man standing in front of him – strangely familiar he thought.

But it just wouldn’t click.

“Liam, come with me now, and I will give you a chance. A way out,” lured the stranger.

Liam heard himself say five clear words.

“I don’t want to die.”