Yellow Brick Road, Chapter 2
Lukas concluded there were four possible scenarios that could explain his current predicament, which he listed in order, starting from the most probable case.
First, this was the most bizarre dream dream he had ever experienced and somehow his imagination had conjured a mad scientist who literally just offered to send him back fifty years into the past, and in the next moment when he opens his eyes again, he will be back in his apartment, resting on his couch. However, this "dream" also felt strangely realistic, so he couldn't exactly rule out the potential that everything, up to the ground shaking, had been real. Which drew him to his second inference, where the so called time machine was a complete blunder and he was still sprawled on the floor of the old abandoned factory. This also leads to a third scenario where the experiment had turned out deadly. Thus, the trauma to his body had been too heavy, and the physical sensation of peace and relaxation he currently experienced had been due to him passing away. Finally, although he figured that the chances of the situation was slim, perhaps everything had occurred, exactly as Dr. Plushenko had forecasted and he was truly sent back to 1965.
There was only one way to find out. Drawing a deep breath, he allowed his vision to return to focus.
The surroundings did not lie. Lukas found himself in a room all right. He was lying on a bed. An ordinary one that was, as it certainly didn't seem like he was in a hospital or some other institutionalized place any sort. Nothing was recognizable yet at the same time, was remotely familiar. Who's room and whose bed was the next question. He was perplexed at how he managed to sit up with such ease, as well as how light his body felt. And when he reached over for his cane, it was nowhere to be found.
Thanks to the maneuver, he caught a good glimpse of his arm, which he noted was strangely smooth and youthful looking. The same applied to every part of his body within view, Lukas realized, as he analyzed the details of his anatomy. Furrowing his brows, he found himself utterly puzzled. With all the nonsensical phenomenons Lukas had seen throughout his life, it wasn't often that he was caught off guard. This was one of those rare occasions.
'A dorm hmm?' he observed, after a quick glance around. The place appeared to be the typical college residence at least, and the bed he was resting on wasn't the only one in the compact room. On the other side was a similar cot, narrow and fitting for a single person. The bedding was askew and whoever used it earlier had done a lousy job at keeping it orderly. 'No way. It couldn't be.' Lukas thought for a moment. If his suspicions were correct, there was something he needed to confirm before drawing any verdicts.
Without hesitation, he bolted from the bed. He needed to find a mirror, or something that would give him a clear view of his features. Fortunately, there had been one hanging right above the dresser nearby. Lukas gave a surprised gasp at what he saw. In front of him was the visage of a teenage boy, whom had some striking attributes. His eyes were well-defined, sharp and a deep shade of indigo. A shock of platinum blond hair canopied his head and dangled loosely to the bottom of his chin. It was almost impossible to believe that the person staring back was actually himself. Nevertheless, when Lukas raised his arm to run his fingers through those locks, the reflection followed suit.
'Well this completely eliminates the middle two scenarios,' He most certainly wasn't at the factory anymore and was very much alive. There still held the chance that everything he was seeing was a dream within a dream and to make his final deduction, Lukas gave himself a hard pinch on the cheek. He hissed, as the pain seared through his skin. Rubbing the tender spot, he scowled. As much as he found it baffling to accept, Lukas could not come up with a more feasible explanation, other than the fact that he had genuinely been transported back through time, courtesy of some demented old man.
Regardless of his nagging intuitions, Lukas wanted to find one last affirmation to be absolutely certain. His gaze descended on the desk adjacent. Disregarding the table itself, he was drawn to the calendar that hung directly above. He inched forward for a better look. 'September 1965', it read. Flipping the page over, the next month was October 1965, followed by November of the same year.
Every piece of evidence now indicated that the so called experiment had gone according to plan. 'This is absolutely absurd'. No, Lukas still found it baffling and his reluctance still fed into the denial he had about the whole situation, in spite of the overwhelming proof. He needed some time to contemplate, and perhaps his stubbornness refused to allow him to accept everything he was hearing, seeing, and feeling - but for now, he would play along, as if the circumstances were completely normal.
'If this was really September 1965, where would I be?' He pondered. Calculating the numbers in his head, Lukas figured he was roughly eighteen years old. It made sense with his current location. If his memory proved correct, he would have left Minnesota to begin his Freshman year of University on the West Coast in San Francisco. Everything, from his place of residence to the people he was around would be foreign, as his hometown was half way across the country. After all, there were no other possibilities. He attended University once and briefly, only to withdraw in the middle of his sophomore year. It was for reasons that were still difficult to dwell upon till this day.
Lukas bit his lower lip, as he was grappled with a sensation of sorrow and uneasiness at the mere thought. He heaved another deep sigh. Nonetheless, if everything was legitimate and he was genuinely being given a second chance, then he would have to face the inconvenient truth, sooner or later.
In his auspicious favor, the dreary thoughts could be temporarily avoided as the door unlocked with click.
"Moi~ Good morning Lukas!" a cheerful voice sang. It belonged to a young man, whose hair held some similar qualities to his own. Perhaps the only distinctive difference was that the other wore his inch or two shorter and it was slightly straighter. He was also smaller by a good couple inches and his way of dress implied a fondness for the light blue color. The man's violet eyes brightened as he spoke. "I see that you're up."
"Good morning." Lukas paused for a moment, imploring his mind for all the details he educed about his companion. In his freshman year he could recall having a particular roommate. It wasn't too difficult to piece together. After all, in the duration of his University career, they remained good friends and Lukas would have considered him one of his closer acquaintances at the time. Lukas started with a name, to which he was fairly certain was right. "Tino."
"Oh umm, my name's actually Timo." the other man corrected. "It's not English, so I guess it can be hard to say. But I wouldn't mind it if you called me Tino, if it's easier, you know."
'Right, that nickname. He must have adopted it at a later time.' Lukas cleared his throat in hopes of brushing away the blunder. "Sorry about that."
"No, no, it's perfectly fine! In fact, I think Tino rolls off the tongue much more easily, right?" he gave a chuckle.. "Not that I'm ashamed of my heritage or anything. I just feel it'll make it more pronounceable to other people here."
"Whatever suits you better." Lukas gave a shrug in return. He plopped himself on the chair nearby to reflect. Tino tended to blabble and could hold a conversation for a gruesomely long time, with unintentional disregard to whether or not the other party was receptive of such attention. On occasion, Lukas had found himself tempted to tell the guy to pipe down so he could concentrate for a few minutes - politely of course, as Tino also had delicate feelings according to Lukas's retrospection.
Even so, he was fond of Tino and Lukas had to give credit to the dorm manager for such a compatible arrangement. It seemed like a far stretch at first, but they did have quite a bit in common. Perhaps it was taken in consideration when the rooms were assigned. If he wasn't mistaken, they shared some close cultural ties, although he couldn't pinpoint the exact country the smaller man was from. 'Definitely Nordic.' Being Scandinavian himself, Lukas could differentiate subtle differences in the facial features of people from the same area with decent accuracy. 'Probably not Norwegian or Icelandic. Perhaps Swedish?'
"Oh yes! I almost forgot. I snuck this out for you," Tino reached over and pulled out a crudely wrapped bagel from his coat pocket. "The dining hall is probably closed now until lunch. I wanted to wake you earlier so we could have breakfast together, but you were still fast asleep and I was getting really hungry. Sorry! How about another time? Oh, I know! We can go together tomorrow!"
"It's fine. Don't worry about it. Thanks for saving me a bite." Taking a mouthful of the bread, Lukas was honestly grateful for the gesture. He hadn't realized his famished state, until his appetite embroiled him to devour the food.
"Too bad you missed breakfast though. There was so much to eat!" Tino's face beamed with excitement as he continued to chatter. "The cream of wheat was so delicious! It tasted just like the helmipuuro my mummo used to make in Finland!"
'So he's Finnish. That's right.' Now it all clicked together. There were some distinguishing attributes about his friend that Lukas could sort out, which he listed in his mind.
The Finn enjoyed saunas, perhaps too much for his own good. Trips to spa resorts were way over budget and most of the local bathhouses were rather shady. Tino would compensate by taking lengthy showers with the heat turned up as blistering as possible, which would then result in a scolding from their residential advisor for wasting all the hot water. He also enjoyed that putrid black licorice, which Lukas had once deemed the candy from hell.
Tino would be his roommate for the rest of the school year. During their sophomore year, they remained great friends, despite no longer sharing the same place. Tino would end up living with a boy he had become inseparable from - a foreign student from a fellow Nordic country.
"Isn't it nice? We have tomorrow off!" He heard Tino chirp across the room as he stretched himself out on his mattress. "I'm excited to start the school year but it's also great to have an extra day to relax. Hey Lukas." he hauled himself upright before speaking again.. "What do you think the training's going to be like?"
'The training, of course.' Which reminded Lukas of the other reason they made excellent roommates. After all, his social group during University, which prominently featured Tino, was mostly formed due to their involvement with the Reserve Officer's Training Corps program. They trained, had classes, and resided in the same lofts together.
"Extremely exhausting and tedious most of the time, from what I heard." Lukas explained, which was the truth. The first few weeks were particularly tough. He still remembered coming back sore, bruised and utterly drained after each drill session. Then again, he wasn't in the best shape when training began and from what he could tell, Tino didn't appear to be either. "But the experience gets much better after a while and you'll probably enjoy yourself, or so what people have told me." he added, upon seeing his companions eyes widen in shock.
He refrained from mentioning to Tino that he probably wouldn't have much to worry about. From what Lukas knew, Tino eventually graduated with the successful completion of his training. Not long after, he joined the war efforts in Vietnam. Lukas reckoned that would have been his exact fate as well, had he not withdrawn.
Finishing the last of the bagel, Lukas figured he needed to construct some strategies on how he was going to sort out this eccentric predicament. Scanning the room, he realized it was going to be a bit of trouble. Afterall, it was supposedly forty-nine years ago that he last set foot in this room and after the vast amount of time, his recollection wasn't infallible. He started by going through his possessions. He was able to identify his own materials whilst watching Tino in the background excitedly rummaging around.
Beginning with the closet, Lukas noted the details. Much like the rest of the room, it was narrow and compact. At the same hand, it had an efficient sliding two-door design. Inside, he was greeted with a colorful array of clothing. Examining the garments closely, he noticed a wide selection of frayed bell-bottom jeans, t-shirts and bandanas. Rolling his eyes, Lukas found it hard to believe that he once wore such ridiculous things. Yet they were a popular fashion trend. The "hippie" style, he recognized, was how every fresh-faced liberal University student dressed, including himself. After scouring around through the collection, he selected a set of top and trousers that were the least outlandish.
After dressing himself and fixing his hair, Lukas delved into his other belongings. On his desk, he found a copy of his class schedule. He gave a groan in frustration, noting that his daily routine began at six thirty in the morning. Perhaps he had more energy in his earlier years, which prompted him with the same arrangement as the typical morning person. However that most certainly dwindled and as of late, in which he preferred to rest until the sun was well-up in the sky.
At the very corner of the table, he noticed a large envelope. It was the sturdy kind, fit for mailing and lined with bubble wrap on the interior. A piece of paper, along with a photograph slipped out. The paper was not much more than a small record of phone numbers and addresses, with the list beginning with an entry titled "home". He tucked the sheet back into the envelope for safekeeping.
Subsequently, Lukas found himself inspecting the picture, as it looked rather familiar. Matching the current technology, the photograph was poor in quality and completely in black and white. The image was that of a blond woman with a gentle smile. Her hands were linked together with two young boys on either side. The youngest, who Lukas presumed to be around ten, was shying away from the camera as he buried half his face in the woman's dress. The other boy appeared to be staring blankly at the camera, as no tangible expressions dabbled on his features. The trio seemed to be enjoying a relaxing day at the park.
Lukas felt his chest ache as he was overcome with an unexpected sense of melancholy. He swallowed, in a futile attempt to clear the lump in his throat that was forming, due to the sentiment that wrenched at his his heart. He knew exactly what he had been looking at.
"Hey Lukas, are you alright?" a concerned Tino peered over. His distress didn't go unnoticed. "You seem kind of upset."
"I'm fine. Allergies, you know." was the first excuse he could come up with. "It's that time of year again."
Tino's eyebrows raised in confusion as he returned a wary gaze. "Well alright. If you say so."
Through the years, he had become well versed in keeping his voice calm, monotonic and disguising any hint of feelings with apathy. "Yes, don't worry about it." His companion gave a mere shrug, seemingly satisfied with the clarification.
That photograph was none other than his family - his mother, younger brother, and himself all together. The feeling struck him like a bolt of lightning and never dawned on him until now, just how much he missed them. He longed for everything, from his mother's loving embraces to the silly misadventures and spats he had with his brother.
Never had Lukas considered himself an emotional person. If anything, he was often the mirror opposite, with the tendency to be aloof and impassive. Yet, he found himself fighting the sensation of utter sorrow. As much as this nostalgic nonsense was bothersome, he could not halter his reactions. 'How long had it been since I last seen their faces or heard their voices?' Lukas remembered it clearly. Seven years for Emil. His brother endured a myriad of trauma and unfortunate issues, up until the day of his passing. And his mother? Her demise was much earlier, and so premature that Lukas had practically gone through the rest of his life in her absence.
Mentally chiding himself for inducing such memories, Lukas rubbed his temples, which were throbbing with tension that accompanied his affliction - that was, until he realized the date. 'It was September 1965. But then that could only mean one thing.'
Lukas knew exactly what he desperately needed to do. "Tino, is there a phone here for us to use?"
"Yeah, downstairs in the lobby. Might be a line though. Why? Is there an emergency?"
The question was never answered, as Lukas scampered out the door.
Hello all, thank you for all the wonderful comments last chapter. I had no idea this would be so popular. And hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint. At first, I was so worried that the concept was so strange, no one would even want to click on the link! But now I'm feeling a bit more confident.
What did you think about Lukas's characterization? Hopefully he's not too emotional at the end, but I've always envisioned Norway was someone with plenty of feelings. He's just good at keeping them hidden. Also, hopefully the chapter lengths are alright. I'm going to keep them roughly 3k long for this story, because the story ends up getting repetitive and dragging, plus I'll end up taking an eternity between updates.
Also, for those that are anticipating the romance...Mathias will be here either the next chapter or the one following it, as the lovey-dovey fluff is only a part of the plot - not the complete focus.
Brief history/factual lesson:
The Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC) is a University program in the United States where one can train as an Army officer. The graduates automatically become a Lieutenant. (The rank goes from Private, Corporal, Sargent, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonial, and General in that order. Of course there are plenty of other ranks in between, but those are just the major titles).
The 60's was pretty much the age of the "hippies" and counterculture. To keep everything as realistic as possible, I adhered to the common fashion trends.
Cell phones weren't available to the general public until the 1990's, which is why Lukas needs to use a common land phone.
Timo is an actual Finnish name. However, Tino is not. I kind of played off that a bit with Finland.
Mummo = Grandma (Finnish)
helmipuuro = a traditional Finnish porridge made from potato starch
Thanks again for those who subscribe/favorite/review. It really keeps me motivated to keep writing! Once again, if you can spare a minute, please leave a comment and tell me what you enjoyed or how I can improve my writing! :)
