Past Self

In a quiet, dimly lit basement cluttered with old electronics and notebooks, Olivia watched the digital clock tick toward 2 a.m. Her heart pounded with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. She had spent the last three years of her life perfecting this moment, tweaking equations, rewriting algorithms, and scrounging for spare parts. Tonight, the time machine was finally ready.

Olivia took a deep breath and pressed the button.

A flash of blue light filled the room, followed by a ripple of distortion as though the very air had been twisted and bent. In an instant, she felt herself pulled forward and then thrown back as if the universe had hiccuped. When she opened her eyes, she wasn’t in the basement anymore.

She was standing in her childhood bedroom.

The pink wallpaper, the cluttered desk, and the posters of bands she no longer remembered — it was exactly as she had left it almost fifteen years ago. A wave of nostalgia hit her, but before she could process it, the door creaked open.

There she was. Her younger self. Maybe 15 years old, Olivia could barely recognize the person in front of her. The teenager had wide, curious eyes, her face free of the worry lines and exhaustion that came with adulthood. She wore her favorite oversized hoodie, the one she thought made her look cool but now seemed endearingly childish.

The younger Olivia stared at the stranger in her room, eyes widening in shock. "Who are you?" she managed to whisper.

For a second, neither spoke. Olivia had rehearsed this moment so many times in her head, but now that she was here, all words seemed inadequate. What do you say to your past self?

Finally, Olivia took a step closer. "I’m... I’m you," she said softly.

The younger girl squinted, tilting her head like she was trying to solve a puzzle. "Is this some kind of prank? Did Jamie put you up to this?" she asked, referring to her best friend at the time.

Olivia shook her head. "No prank. I’m you, just... older. From the future."

Teenage Olivia’s expression shifted from suspicion to bewilderment. "Prove it," she demanded, crossing her arms.

With a wry smile, Olivia pointed to the music player on the desk. "Your favorite song right now is *Starlight Echo.* You haven’t told anyone because you think it’s too cheesy. And tomorrow, you’re planning to skip math class because you didn’t study for the test."

The younger Olivia’s face paled. "How... how do you know that?"

Olivia sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Because I lived it. Every awkward moment, every embarrassing mistake. I know you, because I *am* you."

They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound the distant hum of traffic outside. It was surreal, like looking into a mirror that reflected not just your face but your entire life.

"You’re really me," the younger Olivia whispered, sinking onto the floor, her legs unable to hold her up any longer.

"I am," Olivia replied.

"Then why are you here?" Her younger self looked up, eyes shimmering with a mix of fear and hope. "Did something go wrong? Do I mess up in the future?"

Olivia hesitated. The truth was complicated. She had come back to give herself a warning, but now, face to face with her past, she wasn’t sure what to say.

"Not exactly," she began. "But I needed to remind you of something. Something you’re about to forget in the next few years."

"What?" The younger Olivia leaned in, her expression earnest. "What do I need to remember?"

"To take a breath." Olivia’s voice cracked unexpectedly. "To slow down. You’re going to spend so much time chasing after what you think you’re supposed to be — the perfect grades, the approval of everyone around you, the dream job you’re not even sure you want. And you’ll burn yourself out."

Younger Olivia looked down, tracing the pattern on the rug with her finger. "But... I have to try, don’t I? I want to be successful."

"Success isn’t what you think it is," Olivia said gently. "It’s not about impressing others or achieving everything on some invisible checklist. It’s about finding moments that make you happy, that make you feel like *you.*"

The teenager glanced up, eyes full of questions. "Do I find it? Happiness, I mean?"

Olivia smiled, though it was tinged with a bit of sadness. "Yes. But not in the way you expect. And not until you let yourself be imperfect. You don’t have to be everything to everyone, okay? Just... be kind to yourself. It’s harder than it sounds."

The younger Olivia nodded slowly, like she was absorbing the words but wasn’t quite sure what to do with them yet. "Is that why you came back? To tell me this?"

"Partly," Olivia admitted. "But also because I needed to see you. To remember what it was like before everything got complicated. You’re braver than you know. And things are going to be hard, but you’re strong enough to handle it. I just wanted you to know that."

They sat together in silence after that, side by side on the floor, the past and future connected in a rare, impossible moment. After a while, the older Olivia stood up, brushing off her jeans.

"I have to go," she said softly.

The younger girl nodded, standing too, though she looked like she didn’t want the moment to end. "Will I remember this?"

"Maybe," Olivia said with a wink. "But even if you don’t, it’s okay. You’ll be fine."

And with that, she pressed a small button on her wrist device. The blue light flared again, filling the room with a blinding glow. When it faded, the older Olivia was gone.

The teenager stood there for a long time, staring at the empty space where her future self had been. She couldn’t quite tell if it had been a dream or something real. But as she crawled back into bed, she felt a strange sense of calm wash over her.

She didn’t know why, but she felt like everything was going to be okay. And for now, that was enough.