The hum of the refrigerator blended with the faint pop song playing through the store’s speakers. Maya Carter stood behind the counter, tapping the edge of the register as the clock on the wall blinked toward midnight. Her eyes were heavy, her ponytail a little loose, and her apron had a coffee stain she no longer cared to hide. For three years she had worked the late shift at the Oakridge convenience store, serving the same tired faces and scanning the same boxes of snacks. It was not the life she wanted, but it was the only one she could afford.

Outside, the streetlights cast long shadows across the empty parking lot. A cold wind swept through the cracked door as a man in a hoodie rushed in, grabbed a bottle of water, and threw some coins on the counter without a word. Maya gave a polite nod, trying not to look at the clock again. Just ten more minutes. Ten more minutes and she could go home, heat some leftover pasta, and collapse into bed.

When she finally turned the sign to Closed, she breathed out like she had escaped a cage. She grabbed her small bag, tucked her phone into her pocket, and stepped outside. The night was quiet except for the distant sound of cars from the highway. The moonlight glimmered on the asphalt, and Maya’s shoes clicked softly as she walked toward the bus stop.

Her mind wandered as she thought about tomorrow. Maybe she’d take a few online business classes. Maybe she could move to a bigger city someday. She had dreams, small but real ones—dreams of owning something of her own, not just clocking in for someone else. She imagined a store with bright shelves, friendly music, and her name on the sign. The thought made her smile.

Then, from somewhere down the block, she heard shouting. Male voices. Fast, angry. She slowed her steps, her breath catching as she saw two cars parked across from each other, headlights cutting through the darkness. The men were arguing, gesturing wildly. One of them reached into his jacket.

A gun flashed.

The sound cracked through the night, sharp and violent. Maya dropped her bag and ran behind a trash bin. More shots followed—five, six, seven. A woman screamed from an apartment window above. Maya pressed her hands over her ears, heart pounding.

Then, silence. For one second she thought it was over. She peeked out, her breath trembling.

A single sound broke the air again—another shot, farther away this time. She didn’t even see where it came from. All she felt was the sudden sting in her chest, like fire bursting through her ribs. Her body went cold. She fell to her knees, gasping. The world spun as her vision blurred. Her phone slipped from her hand, its screen glowing weakly on the ground.

She tried to call for help, but no sound came out. She thought of her small apartment, her unfinished coffee, her dreams she hadn’t started yet. Then darkness swallowed her whole.

When she opened her eyes, she wasn’t on the street anymore. The smell of asphalt was gone. The sound of sirens was gone. She was lying in tall grass under a bright blue sky. Birds circled overhead, and the air smelled of pine and earth. Maya pushed herself up, blinking against the sunlight. Her chest no longer hurt. The wound was gone. Her uniform was dirty but intact.

She turned in every direction, confusion flooding her mind. In the distance she saw wooden houses with straw roofs and people wearing rough linen clothes. Horses pulled carts filled with vegetables. Children chased each other barefoot on the dirt path. The sight didn’t make sense. It looked like something from a movie set—or a dream.

A young boy stopped in front of her, staring with wide eyes. “Lady,” he said in a strange accent, “are you from the sky?”

Maya shook her head, trying to speak, but her throat was dry. She touched the place where the bullet had hit her. Smooth skin. No pain.

“What year is it?” she asked.

The boy frowned. “Year? We count by harvests, not numbers. Are you hurt?”

Her mind spun faster. None of it made sense. She looked at her phone—it was cracked, black, and completely dead. No signal, no battery, no world she knew.

Maya took a deep breath and looked around again. The people. The carts. The absence of cars or wires. Her heart raced as the truth began to settle in her mind, terrifying and unbelievable.

She was not in Oakridge anymore.

Wherever this place was, it belonged to a time long before she was born.

And somehow, she was stuck here.