The Person From The Future

An alarm

I sit with my back resting against my front door. When I walked down the clock said it was Saturday, the twenty ninth of August, 6:28 am. I didn't know how many minutes had passed in the meantime, but it had probably been a while. The dark hall from when I first sat down was now lit by the sun from outside.

My bedroom window was closed. I had taped ten blue post its on it, in the shape of an arrow. Obviously it pointed down towards my front door. I didn't want to wait and listening to the noise from outside. When I had woken up a faint pressure one the side of my head made it painfully aware that that wouldn't be the smartest thing for me to do. Still I didn't want to miss them.

After another couple of minutes I heard the letterbox rattle. The soft groan that left my lips made me turn my head down.

'Hey.'

I threw two notes of my own back, though made sure not to let the letterbox rattle.

'Hi.'
'Please talk, the letterbox is too loud.'

"Okay, is this good or should I speak softer?"

They asked.

"No, it's fine, just don't suddenly yell."

My voice was weaker than usual, even a little hoarse.

We talked. Well, "talked", they talked more than I did, but it seemed like they didn't mind it. Somewhere during a sentence of theirs I slid down against the door, resting my head on the cool wood of the floor beneath me.

We talked for a while till we heard three beeps.

Confused I let out a questionable hum. Was that an alarm of mine? I didn't recall setting an alarm.

"Oh shi-."

A muttered curse sounds from the other side of the door.

"Is something wrong?"

I asked softly.

The was rustling. They start to speak with rushed sentences as they pick up whatever they had put on the ground.

"Yeah I... it's an alarm I set. It meant that I was supposed to be finished with delivering the mail by now and go home. I- I have to go now. I need to hurry and deliver the last few papers or I'm going to be late."

"Oh."

Is all that I manage to bring out.

Well I hadn't expected it but I guess it's alright. If they need to be somewhere they shouldn't be late.

"You don't mind do you?"

They ask after they've picked everything up and seem to be ready to depart.

I automatically shake my head which makes me groan. I shouldn't have done that. I push myself up to sit back against the door.

"No! No, of course not. You should go, I don't want you to be late for anything. I'll see you next week anyway right?"

They hum, but it sounds as if they're not fully paying attention.

"Yeah, Yeah, next week."

They mumble

"Okay then. Go, don't be late."

I usher them.

The shadow on the other side of the door hesitates, standing in front of the door as if they still needed to say something, but can't remember what. They shrugged it off and walk down the path towards the street. They take their bike and not much later I don't know if the blur I see is them or a random neighbor. I scramble up on my feet and walk up the stairs.

'I should take the post it's off and prepare some muesli bars.' I think to myself