Time was incongruent. I had lost my grip on what made me, me.

Time was incongruent. I had lost my grip on what made me, me.
It took 20,000 years to build civilization on Earth and only 45 minutes to tear it down.
When I looked back, I caught sight of my wife’s auburn hair and daughter’s golden curls, their heads turning frantically. I could only guess they were searching for me.
Then I heard a grumble. A grinding, undulating, pulse, barely audible, yet excruciating in its volume.
Full disclosure: I’ve read the manual. I know what I can do, what I’m supposed to do, and what I’m not supposed to do. Okay, Okay, I didn’t actually read the manual. It was really just force fed into my brain so I just woke up with an understanding.