I have a morning routine I follow which begins with getting up at the fairly reasonable hour of 7:30AM, coffee, blogging, and then writing for a half hour before I take Jonah out for a walk, shower, and head off to work at 10AM. Last week I had just come back from my walk and was in the kitchen drinking water when I noticed the time - which should've said somewhere around 9:30AM. Instead, the clock said 4:10PM.
Now I knew that wasn't right since I'd just gotten up and it was definitely morning outside, but I did go into the other room and check another clock, just to be sure. Because if the kitchen clock was right, then I'd lost over six hours of my day with no recollection of where I was, what I'd been doing.
This of course sparked the idea, what if that really happened? What would you do to try and find out how you lost six hours? Probably check your phone for messages, right? I mean, I'm sure my boss would've called or texted to find out why I didn't show up at work. Maybe go outside and look at the car, see if the gas gauge was different, which would tell me I might've used the car. If I was really desperate to know I might try hypnosis, although I tried that before it it didn't work. Or maybe a doctor to see see of anything was physically wrong. Then...I don't know...maybe freak out a little?
Anyway. The kitchen clock was wrong and I was right on schedule, but I couldn't help wonder, how would that play out?
What would you do if you discovered you lost six hours?
After the initial freak-out, I'd drill my wife for answers.
ReplyDeleteHahahahaaha. Alex. You're funny.
DeleteSounds like a book premise -- but then, don't you already have a similar manuscript? Long Way Home? Your MC loses a lot more than 6 hours!
ReplyDeleteHuh. I kinda forgot about that!
DeleteIt's a GREAT plot. Especially if somebody finds a body and you had a motive. The show Secrets and Lies followed this idea and it made for a great show, or at least I thought so.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check that show out.
DeleteI'd check to see if I had an implant in my neck and wrap my head in tin foil.
ReplyDeletelol!
DeleteAssume that I had lost my mind.
ReplyDeleteSince my phone spends most of its time turned off, and I don't drive it could be difficult to track down those missing hours too...
Yeah, I might wonder about my mind, too, especially if I didn't find any other answers.
DeleteWow. If I lost 6 hours, I would hope, hope, hope that I'd gotten in some really good sleep during that time lol!
ReplyDeleteBut why would you sleep for an extra 6 hours?
DeleteThat is a great premise. I'd freak out. Then I'd double check my clock and figure that it screwed up. Again. (Occasionally it'll lose an hour, or think the date is four months in the future.)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think I might freak out a bit first, too.
DeleteHi, Marcy,
ReplyDeleteI'd freak for sure. Very interesting premise for a story. Maybe even a BLOG HOP!
Yeah, I think I'd freak out a little, too!
DeleteThat happens to me all the time when I'm working or online. I say to myself "One more hour, then I HAVE to go to bed." Then I realize I'm nodding off over the keyboard, look at the clock again, and find 4-6 hours have passed. But if it happened for reals, I have no idea what I'd do.
ReplyDeleteIt would be pretty frightening.
DeleteI'd probably figure I took a nap and completely forgot I'd done so--at least, the logical part of my brain would insist that's what happened, while the rest of me freaked out and wondered if I'd time traveled!
ReplyDeleteYup!
DeleteHmm, I would definitely freak out first and then retrace my steps, check my phone, call my family and/or friends, freak out again, call my doctor. Maybe even tried to go to sleep in hopes of waking up and being where I was supposed to be.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting thought!
DeleteOoh, yeah. You definitely have my brain overflowing with story ideas here. What would I do. I can say at first I'd totally panic and freeze. I can see myself now: body stiff, only bobbing my eyes around the room like that would make a difference. I'd probably start tracking my previous steps; well, that's if I could.
ReplyDeleteI'm not even sure I can imagine how freaked I'd actually be, especially if I couldn't find any clues as to what the heck happened.
DeleteI would probably think I was in the Twilight Zone. I would check my phone and computer for the date. I would then try to look for clues: dirty or clean dishes, car usage, etc to explain things before I'd call anyone. It's a great premise for a short story. Thanks for dropping by and reading my WEP entry!
ReplyDeleteYes! Very Twilight Zonish! I enjoyed your WEP entry very much :)
DeleteVERY interesting experience! That would actually make an awesome novel premise (or like DG said, a short story), with continuing 6-hour lapses for the MC...and I reason it's EXACTLY six. Start writing. lol!
ReplyDeleteThat would be interesting if there was a reason for the six hour lapse.
DeleteThat is, in fact, how a lot of alleged alien abduction experiences begin. I was wondering if that was where you were headed!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't necessarily going anywhere with it but alien abduction is another avenue to explore and one I hadn't thought of. Hmm...you've given me something more to chew on.
DeleteBack in college, my freshman writing seminar was about UFOs and the like. Fascinating stuff.
DeleteI would definitely freak out too - I'd check the computers and phone to see what time it was and the T.V. to see what shows were playing. Then I would freak out again! It would be really weird if you did lose time and didn't know it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I suspect we'd all freak out a bit.
DeleteI think I would also want to figure out what was going on. A lot of these (lost time) scenarios involve alien abduction. So if you do explore it, steer clear of alien abduction. It's been done to death.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely want to figure out what's going on. And yes, the whole alien abduction has been done before but if you could come up with something unique...
DeleteI would assume I had a massive migraine, took a pill and passed out- Ha ha! I probably texted my book in my migraine haze so no worries there but it was definitely a lost day. Anything else, well I am skeptic it would take a lot for me to think it was anything else.
ReplyDeleteWhat if it happened again...?
DeleteNo problem. I'm retired.....:)
ReplyDeletelol
DeleteI had the feeling on not sensing the time passing after I woke up from my last surgery. I had a feeling I lied down on the surgery table just seconds before .. even though it was ten hours later.
ReplyDeleteI've had that, too, but I was expecting it.
Delete