The Room

Daniel looked around at his surroundings.
He whispered to himself, “This room looks familiar, but I’ve no idea how I got here.”

The light was dim, too dim for the size of the room, and seemed to come from nowhere in particular. Dust floated in the air, in languid swirls. The wallpaper was yellowed, peeling in long strips, revealing dark plaster underneath.

He turned in place, heart beginning to thud. There was a chair in the corner, its back turned toward him. A small table sat beside it with a single lamp that wasn’t plugged in. The smell in the air was faint but wrong, like wet soil and something metallic.

Daniel tried the door. The knob was icy to the touch, but it wouldn’t turn.

He swallowed. “Hello?” His voice seemed to be swallowed by the air, as if the walls absorbed sound.

Then he saw it—a photograph hanging crooked on the wall across from him. He moved closer. The frame was cracked, the glass smudged, but the image inside made his skin crawl. It was a picture of him. Sitting in this very room. Wearing the same clothes. Looking at this very photograph.

A cold pressure settled in the back of his skull, like someone had placed a hand there. He spun around. The chair in the corner was no longer empty.

A figure sat in it now, slouched, face obscured by shadow, but its head tilted toward him in a way that made Daniel’s stomach lurch.

He stumbled back until he hit the wall. “Who are you?” he demanded, though his voice cracked.

The figure didn’t answer. Instead, the lamp on the table flickered to life without being touched, bathing the room in a sickly yellow glow. And in that light, Daniel saw the figure clearly.

It was him.

Dead eyes, pale skin, lips pulled into a slack, awful grin.

Daniel clawed at the doorknob, but it turned freely now—and when he wrenched the door open, there was nothing beyond it but the same room, the same chair, the same figure waiting for him inside.

And somewhere, very close to his ear, his own voice whispered, “This room looks familiar, but you’ve no idea how you got here.”

And, you know I mustn’t neglect the obligatory shameless self-promotion. New Yesterdays is available through the following links: Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon as well as your favorite bookshops. The Audiobook is available from Libro.fm, as well as Amazon.

About Ol' Big Jim

Jim L. Wright is a storyteller with a lifetime of experiences as colorful as the characters he creates. Born and raised in Piedmont, Alabama, Jim’s connection to the land, history, and people of the region runs deep. His debut novel New Yesterdays is set in his hometown, where he grew up listening to stories of the past—stories that sparked his imagination and curiosity for history. Today, Jim lives in Leeds, Alabama, with his husband Zeek, a tour operator who shares his passion for adventure and discovery. Known affectionately as “Ol’ Big Jim,” he has had a diverse career that includes time as a storekeeper, an embalmer, a hospital orderly, and a medical coder. There are even whispers—unconfirmed, of course—that he once played piano in a house of ill repute. No matter the job, one thing has remained constant: Jim is a teller of tales. His stories—sometimes humorous, sometimes thought-provoking—are often inspired by his unique life experiences. Many of these tales can be found on his popular blog, Ol’ Big Jim, where he continues to share his musings with a loyal readership. Jim’s adventures have taken him far beyond Alabama. For seven years, he lived in Amman, Jordan, the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city. His time there, spent in smoky coffee shops, enjoying a hookah and a cup of tea while scribbling in his ever-present notebook, deeply influenced his worldview and his writing. When Jim isn’t writing, he’s thinking about writing. His stories, whether tall tales from his past or imaginative reimagining is of historical events should read from his past or imaginative reimaginings of historical events, reflect a life lived fully and authentically. With New Yesterdays, Jim brings readers a rich tapestry of history, fantasy, and human connection. Visit his blog at www.olbigjim.com to read more of his stories, or follow him on social media to keep up with his latest musings and projects, one of which is a series that follows Bonita McCauley, an amateur detective who gets into some very sticky situations. His book, New Yesterdays, can be found at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.

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