The sound of metal hitting the wall intermittently woke him up. He was
in the dark, but looking up, there was a slit of light up above. He tried to
rub his clothes and body clean, trying to check if he was really alive still.
His fingers and knees were so sore. He was alive. Dead people do not feel pain.
He almost smiled at the thought, but that would not make any sense in the
situation he was in.
That sound again… and again. Maybe it was his friend trying to rescue
him out of that hole.
- Hey.
He shouted out loud. His voice was strange. The echo responded.
- Hey, hey, hey…
He whispered to himself.
- I’m fucked.
- Hey.
He looked up. Something was hanging up above and swinging from the top.
- I’m OK. Can you bring it down?
- I’m out of rope. Can you try to
climb it up to the hook?
- I can try. The soil is very dry
and loose.
- Try it! I have the Jeep here. I
can pull you up, if you reach the hook.
He tried to see in the dark. Soon he saw the piece of metal and had the
idea of digging steps on the wall, so he could climb them up to the hanging
hook. It would take him some time, but it was worth it, so he did the best he
could.
It took him almost one whole hour to finally reach the hook that would
take him off that “shituation”.
- I got it.
He was tired, but he knew that from then on the Jeep would do the job.
- I got you. Hold it firmly.
So he did, but it was very hard and painful. His body swung and hit the
wall several times. When he finally got up to the mouth of the ravine, his
friend pulled him up by the clothes and dragged him off of the border.
- Fuck, man. I thought I’ve lost
you. You were so quiet.
- I think I fainted…
- Oh, man. Good to see you back.
- Let’s get out of here, please.
Never to come back again.
His friend smiled slightly. He was right.
They got into the vehicle and drove down the hill. The young man was
still covered in dirt and there was some blood here and there, but he seemed to
be ok. He stripped off his t-shirt and tried to clean himself a bit.
- I need a shower… or more than
one… urgently.
- You do indeed. Let’s stop
somewhere by the river and try to clean up a bit. Then we drive back home.
Enough of this nonsense, for good and forever. You need to get over it, man...
for your own sake!
- I know. I just wish I could
simply lie my head down on the pillow and forget about all and everything that
still bring my memories back and so alive, but it’s not that simple…
- I know, my friend, I know.
***
- Is it possible to send a
message to the future? Do you remember anything that it’s still there from this
time now?
- I’m not sure. It’s a long time
and unless it was an important landmark, it would have not survived the passing
of time.
- Think about it. If there is a
way, we must try.
- Why is it so important?
- It just is… Have you ever heard
of a time capsule? You could benefit from that also. Think about it.
- I know what you’re talking
about. I did not stay there long enough to know much or many places. But maybe…
- What?
- I know of something that could
have…
- It’s worth a try, isn’t it?
- Maybe…
- Do you think it would be
possible to somehow turn back time?
- If it is, it’s a very faint
chance.
- But there must be a way. I know
that!
- This is just crazy, man. You
must stop this.
- You know that would never
happen.
- I know. Well, thinking better,
there is this one thing I brought from the future. Although it would the
opposite operation, it might work, if we try…
- What?
- This…
- But this is just…
***
He woke up in the middle of the night. A dream. A strange dream he had.
- What if that’s true? Would that
be possible? Oh, man… I’m going crazy. I wonder if he really knows something
and is just too scared to give it away… But why?
He got up and went to the kitchen. His mind was a turmoil of different
emotions, all wrapped up together.
- I should have forgotten all about
this already. Why do I keep on reliving that situation? It’s such a dead thing.
He took a deep sip of fresh water.
- But what if he…
He wondered if a dream would be that revealing or if it was just an
illusion and a desire made up by his mind to compensate for his losses and the
desire of soothing his pain and sorrow away.
He whispered to himself.
- I really wish that dream would
come true. It would make me feel so much more comfortable…
- What happened?
He turned around. His friend was standing by the kitchen door. Had he
heard his thought spoken aloud?
- I had a dream and cannot go
back to sleep.
- A bad dream?
He just took a deep breath. His friend understood the signal as soon as
he did. That thing was not over yet. He noticed the sorrow in his friend’s eyes
and face.
He had to do something as soon as possible…
- Let’s go!
- Where to?
- If the key to reconcile to the
past is in the future, there’s only one person who can help us now!
***