‘Hey Mum, when did I get in last night?’ Evie asked, trying not to alarm her parents.

‘I can’t keep up with you, Evie,’ Anna replied, looking thoroughly exasperated. ‘First you tell me to stop waiting up for you, and now you want me to keep tabs on your comings and goings?’

Evie frowned, taken aback by her mum’s response. ‘Is Meg around?’ she asked. Maybe her sister would be able to explain what was happening.

‘She’d better be, or she’ll be late for school.’

School?

‘Mum,’ Meg’s voice drifted from upstairs, ‘where are my shoes?’

‘They’re in here,’ Anna called.

‘In where?’ Meg yelled.

‘The kitchen!’ Anna shrieked back.

Footsteps padded towards the kitchen and Evie turned around to see Meg—only instead of Meg as she knew her it was miniature Meg, all freckled and rosy-cheeked.

As Evie watched her little sister take her school shoes from their mum, the blood rushed from her head.

‘Thanks, Mum,’ Meg said, plonking herself down on a chair next to Anna and grabbing a box of cereal before scowling and putting it back down.

And then Evie screamed. A high-pitched, blood-curdling wail, which Anna quickly hushed, saying she would wake the neighbours, Mr and Mrs Winston—even though Evie knew they’d died two years ago. Her entire family froze, staring at her.

Anna took Evie in her arms and tried to soothe her flailing daughter, asking her gently what was wrong.

‘You’re a nutjob, Evie!’ tiny Meg said.

‘Meg, don’t be insensitive. Your sister is clearly having some kind of mental breakdown,’ Anna said.

But before she could hear her sister’s retort, Evie rushed out of the kitchen.

‘I need to get out of here!’ she muttered to herself as she threw on some old gumboots near the front door and swung it open.

‘Jesus, Evie! You almost gave me a heart attack.’ There, standing in front of her, was Ben. But as with her family, it was not her Ben. This Ben had longer hair, only a hint of stubble, and was wearing skinny jeans—skinny jeans! This Ben looked exactly like he did when he was … twenty-one.

‘Ben?’ Evie gasped. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Evie?’ Ben replied, mimicking her awed expression. ‘Don’t tell me you’re going out dressed in those hideous pyjamas. Did you forget I was coming over to study before class?’ he asked, all smiles, as if Evie’s world hadn’t just exploded.

‘Ben,’ said Evie, reaching out to grab his hand, only to see him flinch. She felt as if she was hyperventilating. ‘Something is happening.’

Ben squeezed her hand, a genuine look of concern now shadowing his features. ‘Evie, what’s going on?’