22. DECEMBER 2022

 

I like magic! Early next morning I was dreaming. That is, I believed I was dreaming. As on the previous days, some early morning birds were chirping so I am not sure. When I turned around in bed, the small box was there once again. Nothing rattled inside. I opened the box. There were some sheets of paper. I wanted to read chapter 22.

 

22. DECEMBER 2022

The sky was ominent. Black clouds were popping up as if a thunderstorm was brewing. Winter was approaching.

Jack and Jill were standing on the beach. There were no waves, no ripples as far as they could see. However, a thin layer of haze was all around.

Far away someone was walking. It looked like as if he or she was coming from nowhere. A black raven up in the sky was croaking.

The person carried a speargun and wore a wetsuit.

-          I think it is the time traveler, Jill whispered.

And so it was.

-          What brings you to this solitary beach in December 2022, he said.

-          I was to ask you the same, said Jill. – I thought we were in the beginning of October. This looks like Land’s End or something.

-          Maybe it is.

The time traveler looked sad.

-          Or rather the end of the world as we know it.

-          Cannot be, Jack said. – You told us before you did not have the power to change the future.

-          True, the time traveler said, holding the speargun up. - Do you see there is blood on the spear?

-          Sure. You have been hunting?

-          Yes. I will tell you what happened. I was swimming out there in the shallows. Visibility was good, but not excellent. On the sandy bottom I was sure I had spotted a nice plaice. I could see the tail and head of the flatfish, An easy shot. I pulled the trigger. No reaction as the spear hit. It was only the imprint left by a plaice on the sea floor.

-          OK. Did you find other fish?

-          Then the bad thing.

-          The blood on the spear? Jack asked.

-          Yes.

The time traveler looked down as he was hesitating.

-          I do not know if should tell you this. In the sand something was glittering. I could swear it was Stalin’s dagger. Then I pulled the spear up. It had hit something. The spear had penetrated a head. I looked into the glazy eyes of Vladimir Putin.

-          The Russian president?

-          Definitely, and he was dead.

-          Cannot be, Jack said.

-          How disgusting, Jill exclaimed.

-          I asked myself if I was dreaming, but this was not the end of it. I got rid of the head and looked for more flatfish. I had more good shots. The next hit was the head of Xi Jin Ping. It was like a nightmare. Once again, I got a glimpse of Stalin’s dagger. Next head-on hit was the leader of North Korea. This went on for a while, and I do not want to mention more names. I felt devastated and exhilarated at the same time.

-          Strange, Jack said. – As we are in October. Do you think this might be a foreboding of something?

-          That remains to be seen. Everybody is to die some time, but who knows when?

The time traveler disappeared in the mist.

End of chapter 22. To be continued in chapter 23.