Hello
written by: Allan Bass
They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting a different result. I have this recurring dream, a bad one, I guess, and it freaks me out every time.
I am in my house (I don’t live there anymore, so that’s insane to begin with). It is nighttime and no one else is home. I don’t know where everyone is, but the important thing is that I am alone, or at least I thought I was alone.
I am not dreaming. I am awake at night, unable to sleep (this is my dream, so I know it’s confusing). The TV is on but I am not paying attention. The phone rang and I picked it up.
“Hello?”
“I can see what you are doing,” said the voice on the other end.
The voice sounds familiar, but I can’t place who it is.
“Who is this and what do you mean?”
“You are alone in the living room with the TV on.”
“So. Who is this?”
“I am you, ten years in the future.”
“What do you mean? Who is this really? Is this a prank?”
I am unable to hang up the phone although I want to. I am curious where this is going to lead.
“I can prove it. You can’t sleep, your family is away, and you are thinking about the future.”
“Good guess but that doesn’t prove anything.”
“You are thinking about dying.”
That struck a chord. I have this morbid curiosity about how and when I am to expire. But if I am speaking to my future self 10 years in the future, then I am not dying at least until after this conversation.
“Okay, yes that is true. What can you tell me about my future self and life? Is my family, okay?”
“You are still here as well as your family. You had a scare recently, but all is calm for now.”
“Well, that is good, tell me more.”
“I can go further in the future if you’d like but you may not like what you hear.”
“Sure, how about another ten years?
“Hello, anyone there? Did I get disconnected? “Hello?”
And then I woke up.
