The Watch - Part 25

‘Er…,’ he said. I could see the look of incomprehension on his face.

‘Is that really what I look like when I’m confused,’ I thought to myself. It was weird to know exactly what was going through his head; I knew what he was thinking about because I was him, so I just stood there, smiling, waiting for his thoughts to process. Something at the back of my head told me not to say my lines too early, just go with the flow and act natural.

My past-self went from being really confused to understanding the situation in a matter of seconds. Even though I was once him, thinking the exact same things he’s thinking now, I was still surprised to see him change expressions as fast as he did. I waited for his thoughts to process some more. He stared at me, figuring out who I am and what version of himself I am. By now, he must have figured out that I am his future-self and that it is OK for me to be here because I must have saw my future-self before travelling in time to be where I am now. Even being in the middle of all this, and having a professional view on all things Time Travel, it is still rather confusing when you are standing, facing your past-self.

‘This is the part where you let me in,’ I said to me/him, smiling.

‘Er…,’ he said again, ‘yeah, sure, please come in.’ He stepped to one side, letting me in. I did what my future-self did and just walked past him, heading straight into the living room. I knew that I would be thinking I was being rude, but then realised that my future-self must have done the same thing and all that I am doing is fulfilling the paradox by copying his every action.

I sat down on the sofa and waited for my past-self to shut the door and follow me into the living room where I offered him to sit beside me. He sat down and I immediately began to explain stuff to him. At first I was nervous about making a mistake, but I knew that if I just relaxed, the words would come naturally, flowing as if I had said them a thousand time before, and technically, I have.

‘As you have already worked out, I am your future self,’ I began, ‘eighteen minutes older than you. After I have finished my explanation, I am going to head upstairs where you will proceed to leave through the back door, go down to the bottom of the back garden and travel into the past eighteen minutes. There you will wait until Tom has left and wait two and a half minutes before making your way around to the front of the house where you will wait out the remaining time, and at precisely eighteen minutes, you will ring the doorbell, where your past-self will greet you and you will have this exact same conversation as we are having now,’ I finished.

He listened intently to every single word I was saying, just so that he wouldn’t miss out a thing for when it’s his turn to explain things, although he was very nervous that he would screw things up. However, I also knew that he knew that I, sitting in front of him also felt nervous before travelling in time and explaining what I had just said to him, so he have nothing to worry about.

‘And when you will go upstairs?’ he asked.

‘In about a half a minute’s time,’ I said checking my watch.

‘How will I remember everything you’ve just said to me?’ he asked even though I had just explained everything.

‘Don’t worry about that,’ I said standing up. He followed me. We stood in front of each other, ‘everything will come naturally to you once you become me,’ I said making my way into the hall way. He stood in the doorway, watching me ascend the stairs.

‘Remember,’ I called down, ‘eighteen minutes into the past,’ then I reached the landing and headed straight towards my bedroom. As soon as I entered it, I knew that my past-self had gone into the past to become me who would eventually head upstairs, just like I have and do whatever I am about to do. It is a little mind-blowing to think that before I travelled in time, my past-self is doing everything that I am about to do. I stood, thinking about the amazingness of it all.

I have always wanted to travel in time, and this watch allows me to do just that, but to actually meet myself is something else entirely. If I am going to be meeting myself in the future again, I will have to meet myself in the present before travelling to whatever time period, then making my way to wherever to meet myself.

Also, the feeling of travelling through time itself is a feeling like no other. Much better than travelling through the Void. It felt so much more relaxing and easy-going. I thought about wanting to do some time travelling right now, but thought against the idea because I had better get some sleep before I make myself too tired, and the last thing I want to happen is to fall asleep next to Tom because I will never hear the end of it. I had just gotten past the last time. Fortunately for him, he has never fallen asleep next to me so I haven’t had the opportunity to give him the taste of his own medicine. Maybe someday.

I decided that I had thought enough about time travel for one day as my brain was starting to ache a lot now from trying to process everything. I climbed into bed and made myself comfortable. This watch was really something special. I am still getting over just how powerful it really is.

Tomorrow is going to be a good day, I feel.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)