Free Flashback by Simon Rose Page A

down his face, cautiously pinching his cheeks to determine if he was dreaming. On Max’s wrist was the Rolex watch David had talked about on the bus and he was dressed in a black tuxedo. It was incredible. Deanna’s hypnosis had actually worked. Max had traveled back in time and into another life. Max felt like his head was going to explode, but he knew he certainly couldn’t hide in the bathroom all evening. He swallowed hard and opened the bathroom door.
    “David? Are you ready to go?”
    Max spun around to see Vanessa Dexter coming down the winding staircase, looking considerably younger than when he’d last seen her at Belvedere Mansions. She had sparkling blue eyes and her hair was a deep chestnut brown, cascading over her shoulders.
    “Well?” she said.
    “Oh, yeah,” said Max, haltingly. “I’m ready.”
    “Good, the car should be here any minute. I hope this is all worth it.”
    Max turned and immediately recognized Jonathan Dexter as he walked into the room, having seen him in so many photographs during his research. Mr. Dexter was a tall, slim man, possessing an air of authority, his jet-black hair graying slightly at the temples.
    “Now, Jonathan,” said Mrs. Dexter, as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek, “you know how important these functions are. It was very good of Carl to go to all this trouble, you know.”
    “Ha!” laughed Mr. Dexter. “Carl Maurier can afford to have a party like this every week. And he wouldn’t be hosting it if there wasn’t something in it for him, you know that.”
    Max felt a strange sensation behind his eyes and must have appeared in some discomfort.
    “David, are you feeling all right?” Mrs. Dexter asked, looking rather concerned.
    “Perfect,” said Max, with a nod, although he wondered what he had got himself into.
    “The car’s here,” Mr. Dexter announced.
    Max looked out the window and saw a black limousine outside the front door.
    “Okay,” said Mr. Dexter, “let’s get moving.”
    Max followed David’s parents as they left the house.
    “Good evening, Mr. Dexter, Mrs. Dexter,” said the driver, opening the rear door as they approached the car.
    “Good evening, Sean,” Jonathan replied, as he stood aside to allow his wife to get into the back seat.
    “Hi, David,” said Sean, with a smile.
    Max was startled when images from what he had to assume were David’s past life experiences flashed across his mind. It appeared that Sean had worked as a driver for the Dexter family for several years and had often driven David to school when he was younger. Max got into the car, struggling to keep David’s memories in check.
     
    As the car swept along, Max marveled at the large and luxurious houses of the Dexters’ upscale neighbourhood, a world away from the surroundings of his own home. The limousine left the residential area, driving by a restaurant whose neon sign had just been extinguished as it closed for the evening. Max was sitting between Mr. and Mrs. Dexter, who talked constantly to each other throughout the journey, but Max wasn’t really listening. He found that he was remembering countless episodes from David’s life—his childhood, family holidays, his friends at school, the occasion that he’d fallen off his bike and broke his ankle at the age of seven. As more of David’s memories flashed across his mind, Max desperately hoped that his own personality wouldn’t be completely swamped in the process.
    When his thoughts finally cleared a little, the car was heading into the downtown area. Max noted that the city skyline looked different from what he was familiar with, since numerous office and apartment towers would be built in the coming years. When the car came to a stop outside a large hotel, Sean opened the rear door. Mr. Dexter got out first, followed by Max, then Mrs. Dexter
    “Hurry up, David,” urged Mrs. Dexter. “We don’t want to keep everyone waiting.”
    Max followed David’s parents through the revolving door