“I Can Fix This,” by Raina Kim: January 2025 1st Place

My hand trembled as I filled out the hospital’s paperwork. DECEASED. My mind struggled to accept it. How could she be dead? It happened so fast. It was almost New Year’s until that drunk driver ended her life.

The nurse in front of me gave me a gentle smile as I turned in the paperwork. Although my wife is dead, the paperwork unfortunately isn’t.

On my way out, I stumbled into a stranger with a stained hoodie and a hat printed “HAPPY NEW YEARS!”

Not that I needed the reminder.

My eyes were glued to the ground as my face inflamed both with anger (toward that drunk) and loss (of the emptiness she left behind), when I noticed the person dropped their watch. I quickly bent down to pick it up.

“Here-” My voice quivered. But when my eyes looked up, the figure was gone.

I looked down at the watch 11:59, but the hospital’s wall clock read 1:42 AM.

I should change the time before I start looking for the guy, I decided as my finger hovered over the side button to change the time.

Click.

“Happy New Year!” Crowds of people roared.

I suddenly stood with a glass of champagne in one hand, and the watch in the other. I was back at my wife’s friend’s New Year’s party.

My head swirled with a million questions. Did I just travel back in time? How? Was it the watch? I glanced down at the watch, but nothing changed about it.

My dazed condition snapped back into reality as my gaze fell on my wife.

Nothing in that moment mattered as she grinned at me. But something loomed over her.

Crash!

The chandelier hurled down, killing her.

My finger inched toward the watch’s side button.

Click.

“Happy New Year!”

A kitchen fire.

Click.

“Happy New Year!”

Armed robbers.

Endless tragedies, like the universe was telling me I couldn’t keep her. After the hundredth time, I broke the watch in frustration.

It sent me back.

Again.

And again.