I walked into the apartment, dropped my keys in the bowl and paused at the bar before continuing on to the windows. I can’t tell you how many times I stood here, staring out over the city as the lights twinkled in the snow gray sky. These floor to ceiling windows are one of the main reasons I bought this apartment, for this view. And because of the address, which put me right across the street from the park. I watched as the snow started to fall again, putting another layer on the already fresh snow. The barren trees lining the walkway standing tall over the metal benches. The lights flickered as if they still held candles from centuries past. Those lampposts were as much a part of the city’s history as the park, the Liberty Bell, and the Independence Mall. But it wasn’t just the nice views that drew me to the windows, it always seemed to calm me no matter how screwed up the day was.

Today definitely topped the charts of screwed up. I had stopped at my usual coffee shop but as I was walking out some wall street type “didn’t see me” and walked into me. I was used to not being seen by men like him, men who were part of the boys club. Men who didn’t think a woman could do the job I had, the job I had earned. He spilled a full cup of hot coffee all over me and it didn’t just splash over my coat but also all over my blouse, skirt, and boots. I guess the curse I muttered at him pulled him from his phone long enough to mutter a useless apology. Already late I had to call my assistant and have my morning rearranged. When I finally got into the office someone else walked into me and when my purse hit the floor they tripped over it spilling the entire contents of my purse onto the lobby floor. I scrambled to push everything back into my purse and quickly made my way into the office. My assistant – Michelle – was awesome and had my day lined up as always. Every meeting had a folder so I could stay organized and prepared. It wasn’t until much later in the day that I realized my wallet was missing. I thought perhaps I had left it here in the apartment but by the end of the day I knew I hadn’t.

The purchases were starting to pile up quickly and the thief clearly knew what he was doing. By five in the afternoon Michelle had spent hours getting the purchases disputed, the cards turned off, and the bank and police been made aware of it. Of course the security cameras didn’t show anything more than a long coat and a hat pulled too low to even tell if it was a man or a woman that had bumped me. My meetings had all run late by five to ten minutes, and as usual it was not until well after 7pm before I was finally sitting down at my desk ready to start working through my emails. And that’s when the other shoe dropped. Usually Michelle categorized my emails for me so I could pick and choose what to read and respond to, and any emails I got after she left were either up to me to handle or ignore. But I didn’t get one email – I stared at the screen as hundreds of them flooded in. I picked up my phone but the head of the company’s technology team was already calling me. The company was being hacked and it seemed to have stemmed from my emails, and all were dated January 24th, 1822 – an odd date exactly two hundred years in the past.

As if that wasn’t enough, as I walked home from the office a taxi slid close to the curb and hitting a puddle drenched me. Again. So here I stood at the windows, looking out at the falling snow and the pristine white path through the park. The rainwater had mostly dried but I could still feel it stiffen in my hair. I took a deep breath and as I moved to the bedroom stripped off my second outfit of the day. I sat on the edge of the bed, pulled off my boots then put on jeans, my boots, and a flannel shirt. I made my way to the door, grabbed my keys and phone, then a coat and headed out the door. I reached the street and as I headed for the corner sucked in a deep breath of cold air. I had brushed the rain water out of my hair and now welcomed the soft snowflakes landing on my jacket and face. I stood at the corner, across from the park waiting for the few cars to pass. The snow seeming to cover more than just my hair and jacket, but also the anxiety and stress of the day.

I crossed the street and as I entered the park itself I looked back to see my own footsteps the only break in the virgin snow. I walked along the path, realizing that snow covered the street lamps so the light was just a dull yellow haze. I walked to the center of the park and looked in the four directions, surprised to see a set of relatively new footsteps coming from the other direction. I looked around rather quickly then more slowly trying to find the other person who had to be in the park. Oddly the footsteps had reached the center like my own, but then they stopped. It was as if the other person should be standing right beside me, but obviously I was alone. In the moments before I felt the thud of something heavy against the back of my head I heard the swish of a heavy cloth. Then everything went black.

When I woke I blinked several times thinking my eyes were closed, that is how dark it was. Slowly my eyes became accustomed to the darkness and I wondered where I was and why. I started to move my hand to feel the bump on the back of my head but it was stopped short after just an inch or two. I yanked and the pain brought a yelp. I moved the other hand and got the same result. It took a moment to realize my wrists were cuffed to a rope or chain. I shifted my focus to my ankles with the same result. The fear of what might really be happening took hold when I realized that I could feel the cool sheets against my bare back and legs. Even as the idea of being chained and completely naked entered my mind I felt the soft cotton of underwear. I clamped my eyes shut praying it was all a dream but a flicker of light brought them open again.

When I opened my eyes the second time I screamed and stared at the person before me, my mind struggling to understand what I was looking at. Then I was just as confused and screamed a second time. The woman stood in a spotlight and I knew it couldn’t be a mirror because I was laying down and tied up, but the woman before me was a mirror image. Before I could try saying anything again I heard a male voice coming from the distance.

“I know you have a lot of questions and some will be answered. You can scream if it helps you, but no one will hear you. Isn’t that why you got the penthouse? Because there is only one other apartment on this floor and the walls are extra thick.” He paused. “You will not be hurt if you keep your head. As you can see Ms. Smith is your twin so no one will miss you. And anyone who does see minor differences will write it off to the stress of the day. Even your girlfriend – yes, we know all about her – will not know the difference. Just like your co-workers and financial partners. And when we are done, you won’t know how to fix anything. Because you won’t know what we have done. So trust me – this is not just about cleaning out your bank accounts. Anyone can do that. And when we are done you will be free to go, that is all part of the plan. I know you will appreciate a good plan, and this is on par with any of the major acquisitions you have done. So – you could come out of this alive, even if it is not your old life.”

My voice cracked “why are you doing this?”

He laughed and there was something so real in that response that it was chilling. “If you are hungry or thirsty I can arrange for you to sit up.” I heard movement and the light went out that had been spotlighting the woman. Moments later I heard a door open and close, then the click of a deadbolt. I sighed and felt the tears slide down my cheeks but thinking about his words both calmed and frightened me. If they wanted to kill me they would have, so maybe I could come out of this alive. If they knew about Melody then they really did know everything about me, and that added even more to the fear. I don’t know how much time passed before I felt hands on my ankles. Moments later the hands helped me sit up and placed pillows behind me. “Food” was the one word I heard and a moment later I felt a spoon against my mouth. It was hot so I blew on it then swallowed the hot soup. I had to admit it was delicious – with meat, veggies, and good spices.

The person feeding me finished and after they pulled the pillows away so I could lay down they reattached my ankles. Over the next few days I slept most of the time and got fed more of the soup. They added another meal of eggs, toast, and orange juice. They kept the room very dark the entire time and only while I was eating did they add a small sliver of light. I began to realize they were drugging me when I slept through one of the meals, not to mention the constant state of fog my mind was stumbling through. I didn’t see the woman again, and didn’t hear the man’s voice – of course since the feeder did not speak I didn’t know if they were the same person. And now that I thought about it, with no light in the room I also assumed it was a man who was feeding me. It was during one feeding that I became completely aware of how real the situation and under their control I was. I suddenly feared that if I didn’t do something soon they might actually kill me after all. After the soup the person feeding me pulled the bed linens back and I felt their hands on my thighs. My first thought was that they were going to sexually abuse me and I immediately considered fighting back, then I realized that all they were doing was changing a diaper I wore.

When the person left I cried for quite awhile. It was the first time I felt truly helpless since this had started. And when I finished crying it was also the first time I knew I had to find a way out. But between the cuffs, shackles, and sleeping meds I had no idea how that would ever happen. I started by eating less of the food they gave me and tried making small talk with the person feeding. Of course they completely ignored me, which was fine because I didn’t really want to talk but rather to slur my words. The chance finally came when I was being fed my dinner. Their phone buzzed, then again and again. They finally stood up, and as they did I lashed out with my foot – which was always free during feedings – and caught them with my heel against their jaw. As I heard the grunt I said a quick prayer and in answer they fell across the bed and me. With some shifting I managed to get them up over my face and somehow managed to find a ring of keys. I pushed the person off me and heard a gratifying crack when they hit the floor.

I don’t know how long it took before I managed to get the first of the cuffs unlocked. I made quick work of the remaining cuffs and when I shifted to get off the bed – and picked myself off the floor when my legs buckled – I heard the person on the floor groan. I paused, then hit them again with my heel against their jaw knocking them out again. I grinned wondering what my personal trainer would think. I rifled through their pockets, but they were empty so with a little searching I found the their phone on the floor. I raced to the door and slowly opened it squinting and groaning at the pain of the bright light from the hallway. Once I blinked enough to be able to see I realized this was my own apartment. I listened carefully for any sounds and heard nothing. I bolted the door behind me then made my way towards the guest bedroom, but as I reached the door I heard the flush of a toilet and dashed into a nearby coat closet. I listened to the sounds of footsteps move past the closet and then a door open and close.

Okay, first thing I needed was clothing and quietly searched through the closet finding a flannel shirt, jeans, and boots. I quickly dressed and carrying the boots made my way to the front door. I was halfway there when I saw the doorknob start to turn and once again dashed back to the closet. I heard the male voice from earlier call for someone named George and after a moment heard the deadbolt of the bedroom turn. I heard two people rush inside the bedroom and leaving the closet ran for the front door. I made it out and raced for the stairs, pausing at the closest set and then ran down the hallway to the other set of stairs. I was two flights down before I finally stopped. I listened carefully for any sounds and quietly pulled on the boots then continued down the stairs. I lived on the twenty-fifth floor and it took me forever to reach the bottom. I reached the lobby door and was about to step through when I realized I had no idea what the bad guy looked like and barely remembered his voice.

I went out through the loading dock and slipped on the slick pavement. I felt a hand on my back and another on my arm. They steadied me and for a brief moment held me close enough to get a whiff of the person’s cologne. The scent seemed to be a mix of woods and oddly the ocean as well. And then everything went black. When I came awake I bolted upright, amazed that I could move my arms and legs. I rubbed my eyes and slowly opened them, my mouth dropping open as I realized I was back in my own apartment. I looked down and saw that I was still wearing the flannel shirt, jeans, and boots from the closet. I stared at the man and woman facing me, the uniformed police officer leaning against a wall held a pad and pencil in his hand. They were all watching me carefully as if I had the answer to world peace.

The man spoke first. “There now Ma’am. Take a deep breath and if you can, please tell us your name and what happened?”

“My name is Allison McDough, this is my apartment.” I looked around to make sure. “It had been a rather bad day at work and I stood watching the snow fall in the park. So I decided to take a walk because it always helps with the stress. I made it to the center of the park, saw a set of footprints in the snow that stopped in the middle of nowhere and that was it.”

The man and woman looked at each other and it was the woman who spoke this time. “Ms. McDough, my name is Detective Edwards. And just to make sure we have this right… you said it was snowing. I’m guessing by the footprints it was a couple of inches at least? Is that right?”

“Yes.” I looked back and forth between them. “Why?”

Detective Edwards leaned forward and spoke slowly. “Well, Ma’am. You see… it’s July.”

My eyes wide, my fingers wrapping around the edges of the flannel shirt making fists tight enough that my knuckles turned white. “July? Ju… July what?”

“July 24.”

I practically screamed at them “WHAT YEAR?”

“Today is July 24, 2017.”

And that’s when everything went black. The last thought that went through my mind was the scariest of all. Somehow I had gone back in time. By four years. Before Melody, before I became CEO, before a lot of things. Four years…