The best of the temperance effect

It has been a long day. And Jeremy isn’t near finished. There is still another thirty minutes worth of cargo to load on this truck. Then he has one truck remaining. He grimaces, resigning himself to this arduous task.

It isn’t the extra work he minds so much as the delay in his after work plans. The meeting was tonight and he hadn’t planned on being late. With this in mind, he pushes the forklift even faster. He is determined to finish his work ahead of schedule.

Jeremy is a changed man. However, not recently. In fact, he had moved past needing the group a few years ago. The group was his family. They all supported one another through their troubles. It had been a refuge for him when he had been in darker days. Therefore, it was safe to say he more than needed the group.

The temperance effect

He sets the last crate on this truck, and begins the next one. It isn’t long before he is nearing the end of this loaded truck. With this in mind he thinks about what he will talk about tonight. It is a weekly thing for everyone in the group. Tonight is his night and he has almost decided on his story.

He parks the forklift and gathers his equipment. The walk to his car from the factory is not far. Furthermore, the evening is warm and the breeze is slight. With this in mind he decides to take the scenic route tonight. Of course, this is where everything went off the rails.

This is the last memory he has before waking up at the station. He is in clothes that are not his, and he’s sitting on a bench with a suitcase. Although he knows this is a station, he has no idea where he is. It certainly isn’t his city. For one thing it’s far too cold.

As he looks around, he notices the emptiness of the place. In fact, it is almost deserted. He knows he isn’t hung over. Therefore, he rules out an all night binge drinking relapse. The clothes he is wearing are too large for him. Where the hell are his clothes, anyway? The suitcase is his. Because someone had attached the suitcase to his wrist. With handcuffs.

Effect

As he stands and looks around he notices he is thick in the middle. He has never been over his ideal weight. Furthermore, he has a rather thick beard. His knees buckle and he sits back down. Hard. What …the…hell…?

He decides to breathe first. So he inhales deeply. Then exhales purposefully. Then again. His nerves begin to calm as he takes the fourth deep breath. He checks the pockets of the clothes he is wearing for his phone. He understands his mind is trying to reject the concept of utter lost time. This has the feel of something unpleasant.

He regains a small measure of his composure as he locates a device in his pocket. Then it leaves him in a whoosh of expelled breath, as he sees that a year has passed since he left his job the night before. It is a year further on, from his night before. The edges of his vision begin to dim, and he feels lightheaded and woozy. He has begun to shake.

Changes

It worsens when a message pops up on the device in bold letters: They will ask your name – Lie. He double checks to make sure it reads correctly. His glasses are causing trouble. Particularly considering he doesn’t wear glasses. However, the message was accurate. Someone was telling him to lie.

At that moment, he has no real time to think about it. Two station security guards are walking up to his bench now. Additionally, they are acting very suspiciously, as they ask him for his name….