A Little Bit of Recreational Time Travel

Due to the rather extreme amount of extraneous pressure caused by an amalgamation of school, my parents, and my social life, I felt that I had to take a break. You know, get away, that sort of thing.

But, the trouble was, I just couldn’t think of anything to do. Normally, I would spend time enjoying a few video games on either my personal computer, or my consoles, but I wasn’t really in the mood for such. Neither was I particularly interested in reading something from my rather impressive collection. Nor did I wish to partake in an online conversation with one of my many friends.

I lay back on my swivel chair for a few moments, contemplating quietly what I wished to do. It was during this meditative state that I found an answer to my apathy: Time travel. Of course, I thought, why hadn’t I thought of doing this before, I thought.

I hurried over to my closet, and pulled out my time traveling device. It was a sort of bluish hoop that one could extend outwards on either end at will. This I did, and place the extended tube on the floor. It took a moment to set the dials - a few hours into the future, only, I thought – and then I came down onto my knees.

It wasn’t the most dignified way of traveling, but I hadn’t invested a particularly large sum into the device, and I wasn’t one to complain. As I crawled through the tunnel, I reflected back on the past times I had used the time device. Upon first purchasing it, I had visited all the times I had been particularly interested in; mostly the medieval times, though I paid the ancient Greeks a few visits, as well. I had only had one jaunt into the future before, and it had been quite far ahead indeed. The trip had been somewhat depressing, and it was, I recall, the reason I hadn’t used the device in some while.

Well, I thought, this time I will only be heading forwards a few hours, nothing to worry about, I thought. I had almost reached the end of the tunnel by this time, and paused, allowing myself a moment to wonder what scene I was about to enter in on.

I crawled out of the tube, and with as much dignity as I could muster, I stood, brushing some slight perceived layer of dust off my pants. I looked up, and found myself in my room, staring at, well, myself.

He – I – was sitting on my chair, and was gazing at me with a face that looked vaguely amused; a small smile danced across it, and I realized it was the face I used when I was meeting new people.

“Really, there’s no need to look like that. I’m only from a few hours ago.”

My future self frowned.

“Oh, I know. Damnit! I made that face without realizing it.” I stood, and leaned against my – his – desk. An awkward manner settled on the room.

“So…what’s the future like?”

“Ah, I already knew you were going to say that. Just as I knew I was going to say this.” He said smugly, smiling in an annoying way.

My own annoyance at his smugness must have showed, for a moment later he stared at me, shocked, and then frowned, disgustedly.

“Ugh.” He said.

“I’m annoying you, aren’t I?” I tried to lie to him that this was certainly not the case, for he was, after all my future self, but he shook his head.

“Don’t lie to me. I know.” My eyes narrowed.

“How exactly do you know, then?” I asked, coldly.

“Haven’t you figured it out yet? Damn!” He said, again.

“I’m ridiculing myself. I’m terribly sorry.” I remembered that this was my future self, and composed myself somewhat, and adopted a slightly warmer attitude.

“It is nothing…you were saying?”

“Well, this is the future. I am a few hours ahead of your own time. Therefore, I myself was once you, and experienced everything you yourself are experiencing now.”

He looked at me, and his eyes widened.

“Ah, yes, I remember now; it is at this point that I inform you about the piece of lint on your shoulder, and you brush it off, sheepishly. Damn! I did it again!” I glanced at my shoulder, and found, to my utter dismay, that there was in fact a piece of lint there. Sheepishly, I brushed it away, before realizing that I had done exactly as he had predicted.

Aaah, that was there the problem lay. I perceived him as someone else, as a “he”, when, in reality, he was just me, at a different time.

“So, how goes it in the future?” I asked, in a more friendly tone.

“Oh, it’s all going well. Not much has happened, since I traveled into the future. Present I mean. For me, anyways.”

I processed this, and became somewhat muddled, I admit. Time travel is no easy thing to grasp, even when one possesses the perception that I am lucky enough to possess.

“There’s no knowledge you may impart? Nothing you wish to give me? A warning, perhaps, of what is to come?” This, I think, was the real reason for my coming. I was interested in avoiding any future problems, and who better to consul than one who had already weathered them?

“Ah, no, not really. I’ve just been…sitting here. Waiting for you, as it were. I’m quite tired, actually.” He said.

“Oh, really? Well, I wouldn’t want to keep you up, then.”

“Ah, it’s no problem, really – actually, I myself left at this point, so it is probably prudent for you to do the same.”

I nodded, and shook my future selves’ hand.

“Goodbye!” We both said, and we smiled.

“Until we next meet…well, actually, you’ll just be meeting with your present self. So, in a sense, you will be me, and another you will be the current you.” He said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

“Bah, this time traveling thing is quite complicated. I don’t know if I will ever get used to it…”

“Oh, but it has its moments. I went to visit the ancient Greeks, once-” My future self began, but I cut him off.
“Ah, yes, I recall that, as well.”

“Ah, haha, I forgot whom I was talking to. Well, I must go to sleep, so I bid you goodnight.”

“Ah, yes. Goodbye.”

I got back down onto my knees, and, throwing a last smile at my soon-to-be-self, I began to crawl back into my own time. As I did, I began to think about the future. I would have to stay up, like my future self had said. To fall asleep when one knows a guest is calling in is unimaginably rude, even if said guest is one’s past self. Besides, it would probably trigger off some kind of time paradox, if I acted any differently.

I climbed out of the time tunnel, and once again brushed myself down to get rid of any dust I may have accumulated whilst traveling through time. I glanced at the time device, but decided to leave it out. It wouldn’t do any good to have my past self come crawling out of the device whilst it was stored in his cupboard, would it? I sat back down on my swivel chair, and began to wait.