When Jens awoke, it was not in the comfortable bed he’d gotten accustomed to over the last few months. Instead of pillows and a mattress, he was lying on the sidewalk. It had been at least three months since he’d last heard the sound of traffic, and yet he recognized it instantly, and he could even hear people talking.

In a flash he was sitting up and looking around. He was just outside his old apartment building, on the sidewalk. Judging from the position of the sun in the sky it was almost noon.

“I’m back?”

He could hardly believe it, and yet here he was. A car drove by him on the street and Jens almost leapt out in front of it just so he could talk to the driver. He’d long since stopped carrying his keys in his pocket and yet, there they were when he reached for them. He checked his other pocket but he cell phone wasn’t there. Why give him his keys and not his phone? Probably because of the pictures and videos he’d taken while on his own. Regardless, he hurried over the apartment building, wondering if anything was still alive in his fish tank. When he reached his apartment he wasted no time in unlocking the door and hurrying in.

Immediately he realized his mistake. Nothing looked the same to him. All of the furniture was different, the walls were painted a different color, and even the carpet was new.

“Henry?” a woman’s voice called out from somewhere inside the apartment. “What are you doing home?”

Before he could be discovered, Jens dashed back out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him and running away. Of course they’d rented the place out to someone else, he’d been gone for months. All of his things were likely buried somewhere in a landfill.

The only other place Jens could think of going was to his old job. There, at least, people would recognize him and he could begin the process of getting his old life back. It took him a while to walk all the way there since his car was also gone from the apartment parking lot. As soon as he walked into the lobby, Candice, who worked at the front desk, gaped at him.

“Jens!” she nearly shouted. “Where have you been?”

“I don’t even know how to begin to explain, but basically I was kidnapped.” It was the closest thing to the truth he could say without sounding crazy. “They must have gotten tired of me, though, because this morning they dropped me back off outside my old apartment. I don’t suppose George is in?”

“He is,” Candice gaped, still in shock. “Are you all right? What do you mean kidnapped? What did they want? No one knew where you’d gone or what happened, not even your family. Your mom was in here for like a week, hoping you’d turn up or something.”

“I’ll tell you all of it later,” Jens said as he began to make his way over to the elevator, “right now I really need to get my life back in order and that starts with seeing about getting my old job back.”

“Have you even called your mom?” Candice called after him.

“I don’t have my phone anymore,” he replied before the elevator doors shut between them.

The ride up was familiar and he was filled with excitement at being back. He couldn’t wait to see his parents again, but talking to George was what he could do right now. Maybe after their meeting he’d ask to borrow a phone so he could call his mom.

When Jens stepped into George’s office, George had much the same reaction as Candice. Jens gave him the same answers before sitting down in the seat opposite George and leaning forwards.

“I honestly don’t know how long I’ve been gone or what day it is, exactly, but I need to get my life put back together. Is there any chance I could get my old job back?”

George was struggling to keep up with the info dump Jens had just run through and it took him a moment to respond.

“I mean, well, of course let me see what I can do. We did have to hire someone to fill your old roll but I’m sure we’ve got something that’d fit you just fine. Have you gone to the police at all?”

“What would the police do? I never saw any of their faces, never heard their voices, I don’t even know where I was being kept.”

“What did they want with you?” George asked with a sort of sick fascination that caught Jens by surprise.

“They dumped me in an abandoned town and, as far as I can tell, just watched to see what I’d do.”

“And what’d you do?”

“Farming, mostly. I didn’t want to starve.”

The conversation was getting a bit more specific than he was comfortable with just yet so he asked if he could use George’s phone to call his mom.

“Of course,” George replied, handing him the phone and leaving. “I’ll give you some privacy,” he added before shutting the door.

The phone rang a few times before his mom answered.

“Hello?”

“Mom, it’s me, Jens, I’m safe and I’m back.”

A pained cry sounded on the other end and sobbing followed.

“I was kidnapped, but they didn’t hurt me. I just did some farming and they’ve let me go.”

“Oh, my boy,” his mom continued to cry. “I thought you’d died. People were saying that you’d killed yourself. It just wasn’t like you to run off without telling anyone.”

“I’m so sorry you were worried, mom,” Jens choked on his own tears as the loneliness of his last few months came back to him.

“I’m coming to see you right now. Where are you?”

“I’m at the Jorgensen Building,” he replied. “Working on getting my old job back.”

“You went there first before calling me?” she asked, hurt.

“They took my phone away mom, I had to borrow one to call you.”

“All right, well, I’m on my way. I’ll pick up your dad, too. Don’t you dare disappear on me before we get there.”

“Alright, I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied and they ended the call.

Jens stepped out of the office and let George back in.

“Thanks,” he said, handing George back his phone. “Is it alright if I hang around for bit? My mom’s on her way.”

“Of course. I let HR know you’re back and we’re working on finding you a spot here.”

“I can’t tell you what a relief that is.”

“Well I can only imagine what you’ve been through.”

They chatted a bit, going down to the entry to await Jens mom. George filled Jens in on the relevant events he’d missed since he’d been gone, and Jens told him about his burgeoning farm.

The End