Rap! Rap! The relentless thumping on the front door began again. Wrapped in his comforter, Travis continued his weak shuffle to his front door. Had he ordered DoorDash and forgotten?

“T-Bone, cmon man open up!”

Travis opened his door and his old college buddy Kenny bowled in him over. He landed on his floor butt first. His friend hurried into Travis’ living room.

“What the—“

“No time for small talk, mate. I need 143.125 milliliters of carbonated beverage, a protein rich snack, and a set of encyclopedias. Stat!” Kenny shouted.

“What are you talking about? I haven’t seen you since Smitty’s party where you got sick in his printer and disappeared with my favorite pen. I’m sick and I can’t deal with you right now.”

As if he hadn’t heard Kenny attacked Travis’ bookcase, searching. Books landed on the rug. Travis wrestled Kenny to the sofa.

“Ow! I can’t explain it all to you in detail cause it would rupture the time distance continuum but in the future experimental time travel is possible through the manipulation of word wormholes. I was doing research in 2367 when a electromagnetic storm struck that caused me to stutter back in time. I need those things to reset my lexichronograph. An encyclopedia or even better a dictionary. I need a paper database of words. Please believe me mate.”

Travis looked deep into his buddy’s eyes. Clad in metallic pajamas things, Kenny looked a decade older than he should. Travis scrubbed his face in exasperated.

“Just sit here and don’t touch anything. Don’t make me pop you. I got you,” Travis said trailing his blanket on the way to the kitchen.

“Grab a couple of aspirin and juice,” Kenny called after him.

A few minutes later, Travis was back with a bottle of ginger ale, a glass of orange juice, a couple of peanut butter sandwiches wrapped in wax paper, and something bulky tucked under his arm. Cross legged eyes closed Kenny was mediating on Travis’ coffee table. Travis toed his buddy in the side.

“Here’s what I got. The previous owner used it to prop open the kitchen window. Take it and go. My head is splitting.”

Coughing, Travis held out a dust covered 1987 Yellow Pages. Excited Kenny hugged the dirty thing to his chest. In a gulp, He downed the drink. Belching Kenny shoved the sandwiches into his pajamas pockets.

“You’re a lifesaver. Wait you forgot the medicine,” Kenny said.

Shrugging, Travis dragged himself to the bathroom. He returned with a packet of pills.

“Man all I got is this nighttime cold medicine and—“

His living room was vacant. Looking around, Travis shrugged and took the cold medicine. His old favorite pen was sitting on his coffee table. Confused he picked it up.

“Fever dream, that’s what this is. This is not happening. I’m asleep.”

Travis stared at the pen again and then gingerly set the pen down.