“Hey, so I only got a few minutes, like maybe ten minutes and unfortunately, just like those demigods in your book, I can’t totally give you a straight answer, but I can give you a prophecy of sorts,” there was an awkward smile on her face, she looked so ridiculous with these big gauges, I couldn’t help but to gawk.

“If you’re me, tell me something that only I know.” I challenged her. She hardly looks like me, and the idea of my future self coming to the present made my head hurt.

“I’m here, aren’t I? I knew exactly where to find you. We never did see many people around here.” She cocked an eyebrow at me, I could feel my cheeks redden but I wouldn’t back down, either.

I looked around, at the trees and the stream below my feet. While she was right, there never did seem to be many people here, this also was just a few minutes off the hiking path in the local woods. I’m sure it wouldn’t be difficult to find. “Anyone can find this place, I’ve already beaten a path to this place.” I countered, a smirk on my face now, sure that she wouldn’t be able to prove she was me and she was just a crazy person living in a delusioned state.

She looked to the ground. It took about five minutes, but she managed, “I know about your wrestle with her every night. It’s going to happen again tonight and it’s only going to get worse from here.” Did she have to sound so ominous?

I feel my mouth tugging in a frown at the corner of my mouth. I thought about the many, many times a professional lady would show up to the door, saying they were from DCF, I’m sure the neighbors noticed things. And I didn’t really know many of them. “That doesn’t prove anything. You just sound vague, if anything.”

She shrugged, “I guess you can take it with a grain of salt. But listen, I came here to warn you…

Don’t wake in the land with no trees

On your treacherous journey, you’ll come across many wonders that you may not touch

One will die, one will prevail

Open your eyes to the world around you.”

Oookay that was the most ominous thing I’ve heard. I huffed, “is this supposed to help me? If you’re really me, then why come back now?” I demanded, a sneer on my lips. She expects me to just believe whatever she says? Just because she seemed to appear out of thin air, leaning against a skateboard and saying that she’s me from the future, I’m supposed to just what? Believe that she’s here to help?

“Well, you’ll understand. When the time is right. You won’t be here for long, give it another two years, but take my warning, remember it, here, I’ve written it for you,” she produced a pink sticky note with the same words she’d spoken wrote unevenly and messy. My handwriting. “Just, please… open your eyes… maybe life will…” she winced as if she were about to say something she wasn’t supposed to.

I stared at the sticky note in my hand. This was my handwriting, chicken scratch, uneven, half cursive, half printed. I felt a whirl of confusion. Was this person actually me? 8 or 9 years from now? I could feel anger rising in my chest, “what the hell is this?” I demanded. She comes here, expecting me to take her as she is and not the crazy person she looks with the spiky, colored hair and nose pierced in four different ways.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could but there’s going to be some things that happen that I can’t interfere with. I know this is so difficult. But Nyx, I need you to take this and with time, I hope things can change.”

A chord broke in my heart and I felt a warmth I’ve never felt before, “how do you know that name? I haven’t told…” a million questions run through my head, but it seems our time is running short. She was fiddling with her fingers, running them across her jeans. Looking down, I realized I was tapping my own pants as well. She knew about my nightly battle, and knew about my name.

“I’m you, remember? That barn isn’t abandoned, by the way. I know what your plans are, obviously you don’t go through with one of them. Sometimes, I wish we did… heh, sorry, but your first plan doesn’t work well.” She tilted her head in thought, “I only have a few minutes, take that sticky note, remember it, keep it close.”

Maybe she really is me? “Why do we travel with skateboard? Isn’t a car better?” I couldn’t help myself, I can’t even skate right now so how does that make sense that we learn to skate quicker than learning to drive?

She grinned, the first full grin I’ve seen. “It’s the best gift that we receive and way faster than any car.” She pushed the skateboard to the ground, putting her right foot on the board, “well, remember to open your eyes. And stay strong. And good luck with tonight’s battle.” A pained expression wore on her face before she kicked off and suddenly, she was gone. That skateboard really is fast.

Well, now I’ve got a sticky note, and a timeline. A timeline to what, though? And do I really wanna be so gullible to believe that my future self took a skateboarding ride to the present- or… past… to give me- what? A prophecy? A warning? Maybe I should just discard the sticky note…

But she knew my name. I definitely didn’t tell anyone that name, I.. hate my true name, my birth name, and I want that name to be mine. And the barn, I was going to scope that out tomorrow… no one knew I wanted to create a plan to run away.. or have an.. well, expiration date.

But two years before things were set into motion? Don’t wake in the land without trees? What did that mean? And I go on a journey? Or is it one of those metaphors? Where it’s just life. Land without trees… maybe a desert? But what does open my eyes mean?

I groan in frustration and walk home, keeping my eyes to the ground. Sometimes she wished we were dead. I was hoping that life would just get better like people keep telling me, but she’s me aged 8 or 9 years and even she wished we’d gone through with it sometimes. Obviously our future is grim.

What would happen if I just took off running? To the streets? Inside the home that loomed before me, I could hear my brother and sister yelling at each other, before a big bang followed and I ran inside, my heart pounding.