Time Restored : Chapter 1 : The Call

Time Restored is a channeled novella about temporal alchemy. This is the first of 13 chapters that I am serializing each week up to the end of 2024. You can find the other chapters on the Time Restored playlist. This chapter is free and the remainder will be exclusively available to Insight Timer Premium subscribers. I would appreciate your feedback as the book unfolds, as I might even change the ending.

Transcript

This is the first of 13 chapters from a novella that I didn't plan to write.

The essence of the first chapter came to me in a vivid dream on the morning of the 8th of September 2024.

The whole of the rest of the book then channeled its way in,

And the first draft arrived 12 days later,

On the 20th of September.

It went in directions I had not imagined,

And ended up at a place wilder than my wildest imagination.

The seat for the book had been planted before it actually arrived.

This is often the way.

I am creating a new course for authors to be available via Insight Timer.

This course shows you how to allow a book to virtually write itself,

To be told to you,

And to come through you as time restored did for me.

I realised the course needed an additional module on how to entrance readers using a technique known as nested and open loops.

I have loads of examples of this technique in my existing archiver books,

But what could be better than a brand new book about time loops themselves,

To really show how it is done?

So Time Restored is being first released to the world in the Charles Dickens tradition,

Serialised weekly.

This first chapter is free,

And the remainder exclusively for Insight Timer Premium subscribers.

And let me share a temporal note to aid your enjoyment.

To help make sense of the temporal loops,

I've added the year to each chapter title,

And used CE,

The Common Era,

Rather than AD,

Anno Domini,

And in one place BCE,

Before the Common Era,

As opposed to BC,

Before Christ.

I hope you enjoy listening to Time Restored as much as I enjoyed the story being revealed to me.

Chapter One,

The Cold.

Autumn 2021 CE.

They were both out at work,

So missed the delivery man,

Who had left the package on their porch.

In spite of their instructions to always leave them with a neighbour.

They'd had too many things going missing.

Tim picked it up when he got back from the garage,

Around 6 p.

M.

As usual.

He left it for Jenna,

Thinking she must have ordered it.

There was no name on the package,

Just their address.

Last time he'd opened something in haste,

He inadvertently saw his birthday present a few days ahead of time.

Jenna had just about forgiven him.

When Jenna got back around 10 p.

M.

,

She was exhausted,

After yet another 12-hour shift in A&E.

A slightly inebriated Tim completely forgot to mention the package to her,

So it didn't get opened until mid-morning the next day.

Being a Saturday,

They treated themselves to a lie-in,

After another gruelling week at work.

The garage still had three mechanics off with Covid,

And the hospital hadn't recovered.

Why did you order a phone?

Tim asked Jenna when she opened it.

I didn't.

You sure it wasn't you?

Jenna was getting increasingly exasperated at Tim's forgetfulness.

To be fair,

He was taking too much on,

Just so they could make ends meet.

As well as his weekday job as a mechanic,

He was now valeting cars every Sunday.

At least his passion for cars was fulfilled by his jobs.

Jenna wished her initial passion to help others wasn't wavering so much.

The package contained a very sleek handset,

Sitting on a stylish base station.

The materials it was made from didn't feel like metal or plastic.

It had a weird,

Otherworldly smell they couldn't readily identify.

There were no cables or manual with it,

Nothing to power it up or connect it to a telephone socket or computer.

There wasn't a button on any surface,

So no obvious way to log it into the Wi-Fi or to connect to Bluetooth.

They put it to one side and got on with enjoying a leisurely breakfast.

Within a few minutes they were somewhat gobsmacked when it rang.

Tim jumped up and picked up the handset before Jenna had time to stop him.

Who's there?

Silence.

Put the phone down,

Shouted Jenna,

Who had tingles running down her spine.

It must be a spam call.

A warm,

Ethereal female voice said,

Don't hang up Tim,

We are here to help and could do with some help from you too.

Who are you?

Tim asked.

We are you and you are us,

The voice said enigmatically.

Tim put his hand over the mouthpiece and whispered to Jenna,

A cold caller,

She knows my name.

She was getting nervous and slid a post-it note over to Tim on which he'd written,

Put it down.

Tim was about to do so when the voice said,

Please don't put the phone down Tim,

Our lives depend on what we have to share with you.

The line started crackling and the voice said,

I have to go now but we'll call back the same time tomorrow,

Just write these numbers down.

As Tim finished writing the numbers,

The phone went dead and Jenna said to him,

So what was all that about?

No idea,

But do you think these could be lottery numbers?

The next morning Jenna and Tim were still in shock.

Having won the Euro millions jackpot,

They hadn't slept a wink.

What on earth were they going to do with 260 million?

They called the helpline for winnings over 500 pounds and were asked for details about some codes on the ticket.

They were advised to take photographs at the front and the back and to put the ticket in a safe place.

It sounded very genuine as they were sending a representative to drive up to see them in Nottingham later that day to verify it.

They would be told what would happen next should it be valid and to have some overnight bags packed just in case.

They finished that call on their regular landline phone just as the other phone rang.

You better answer it this time,

Said Tim with a look of trepidation on his face.

Jenna picked up.

So congratulations to you both,

I hope we have your attention.

It was a male voice this time,

Both calming yet somewhat distant.

Before Jenna could answer he continued,

We really need your help and you need ours.

So you want some of our winnings,

Asked Jenna,

Smelling a rat.

If you knew the numbers,

Why didn't you buy a ticket yourselves?

We are from your future,

Money means nothing to us,

Said the man.

We gave you the numbers to gain your trust.

I'm all ears,

Said Jenna.

I'm not sure what that means,

Jenna,

The man said.

My sister will call you back in one of your week's time.

In the meantime,

Go to London to collect your winnings.

Take the phone with you.

Oh and treat yourself to a really nice car.

Reviews

This is really well done! I’m excited to listen to all of the chapters, thank you for posting it here.🙏💗🎉✨

❤️ you write well. This is very fun. Glad I'm a premium member!

Intriguing! Looking forward to listening to Chapter 2. Thank you Tom for putting this on Insight. I always love listening to these stories that come to you!

Really enjoyed this novel, beginning, and your narration. Always you give us the very best and something to think about.📚📚📚🫶🏽🌸🌸

Oh love the first chapter very interested to see how this all ends up. also, Tom very excited about the course you’re going to be offering

Very whimsical and fun Tom - another branch in the ever growing portfolio of your work. I’m all ears - like a little child waiting for the ending to this little mindscape adventure - kindly let some of the fortune sprinkle over me and my own adventures will you? I could use a big financial and mind freeing win today, as well as in the past and in the future ☺️

⏲️ ⏳️ ☎️ 📞 Wonderful. Good thing meditation is part of the gig on IT, so I know how to sit and wait for the story to unfold!,🙏🤗

Looking forward to the next chapter ... I'm hooked!

Brilliant. So creative. It would be really freaky if my phone rings in the next few munutes.🤣

Waiting for a similar call myself…any time they feel like it, I’m ready! 😄

OMG Tom, you’ve left us in real suspense with your opening chapter! This canny tale is a beguiling blend of the ordinary and the superordinary! Can’t wait to hear more ❤️

How intriguing Tom! Love this first chapter and look forward to hearing the rest. Music and clock effects are just perfect too of course! Bravo 👏

I can't wait for the next installment, Tom ... bravo!

Enjoying this story so much! Excited for the next chapter.

Ooh! Intriguing, looking forward to chapter 2. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

You are so intriguing! Your messages, readings, talks, and stories are magnetic. You pull ones being into your fabulous work as a storyteller. Thank you ! I’m hooked . Looks like a Premium Package purchase for me again.