The Predater

“I had a lovely time, but I really should get going.” I said.

“Oh.” Connor said, frowning.

“It was nice meeting in person. I hate online dating; all the profile stalking, pretending, and catfishing. Ironic, I know, considering I run a photo editing company, but nowadays you basically end up predating a made up person before you even meet!”

“Haha, totally. I totally hate dishonesty. Which is why I'm going to be completely honest,” Connor said, “I like you, Nora.”

It had been a nice conversation and I loved the place he'd picked for us to meet: The Skybarnet, a technological dystopia themed bar.

I'd met Connor a few days ago in a coffee shop. He'd approached me because we'd been reading the same Sci-Fi novel. I agreed to a date then because it was the same way my parents met, but I never would've matched with Connor on a dating site.

I'm not shallow. My last boyfriend had also been overweight, and I know what it feels like to be judged. I still hear “hilarious jokes” about how a young, beautiful, blonde isn't capable of running a company.

In reality, business had skyrocketed because of increased demand for photo-shopped pictures during quarantine and because Daddy had used the “opportunity” of COVID as an excuse to fire most of our employees and outsource the work before I took over.

But I just didn't feel that click with Connor. Something was off, and I always trust my heart.

I was just going to be honest.

I finished the last of my wine, “Look, you're great but -”

“Wait!” Connor said, “I can't let you leave yet. I know this is going to sound strange, unbelievable even, but please just hear me out!”

The bar wasn't empty. I was safe. I still glanced toward the exit.

“I'm not from here.” Connor said, dead serious, “I'm not from your Earth.”

My head snapped around to look at him.

Did he mean he was an...

I'd never admit this out loud, but I have a fantasy. It involves being abducted by aliens.

Listen, I know what you're thinking. Don't judge me, ok? You're telling me you've never read romantic stories about an innocent girl given special alien powers in exchange for -

Maybe you haven't. Maybe it really is only me.

There's something about being hunted by a brave, intelligent, predator that does it for me. Ideally the actual “The Predator” from Alien vs Predator. I'd try to run, but he'd stalk me until I was caught and forced to submit.

I desperately wanted that.

Ok, I've definitely had too much to drink. Connor is still looking at me expectantly. I yawned and Connor did too. He was obviously not a Predator.

“It's late.” I said, scrunching my face to properly convey the disappointment of having to deliver this sad - yet irrefutable - news to the unremarkable non-alien sitting across from me.

“One more drink? Please? I need to get something off my chest.” He fidgeted with his shirt.

I wished Mom had remembered to call earlier with a fake emergency so I'd had an excuse to leave. Maybe he'd go to the bathroom and I could escape.

“Fine.” I said. It couldn't hurt to listen.

Connor signaled the waiter, “Another round. On me.” He raised his eyebrows and tapped himself twice on the chest, staring directly at the waiter.

“Don't worry, I'll pay for myself.” I said.

Connor turned back to me and continued, “I want to apologize. I tried to be myself, but I haven't been completely honest with you. The truth is that I actually am a predater.”

“You stalked me on social media?”

“No, I mean I've already dated you. We already had this exact date. We already fell in love and got married. I'm from the future. I'm here to save you and this timeline. I know I sound crazy but if you leave now this world is doomed. I can prove it. This is the part - from our first date - where the waiter spills beer on me.”

I shake my head as the waiter walks over.

“The Darkest Time Wine for the lady, and KillBot IPA for the gent – Oops! I am so sorry, Sir.”

“Don't worry about it. Honestly. Thank you.”

“I'll be right back with some paper towels.”

“In my future,” Connor said, “well, the less I say the better, but it's not good. It's a post-apocalyptic dystopia. Our bodies - the human race – we're kept alive in cells by The Machines. They can't feel emotion themselves so they harvest ours like livestock. But we humans figured out a way to alter timelines, similar to the Quantum Time Travel written about in your favorite book: The Traitor's Timeline. The Connor in this timeline had a heart attack this morning. You two never get a chance to fall in love. Our daughter, Sarah, never got a chance to save the world. I'm fixing that.”

The waiter brings paper towels and hands me some. In a daze, I absentmindedly lean over and start patting the wet spot on Connor's chest. I feel something under his shirt. A heart shaped locket?

“Wait. Is this...?”

“Your Dad's locket. Your Mother gives it to me on our wedding day. It's a tradition in your family – our family.”

I wiped away tears and sipped my wine as the waiter delivered Connor a replacement beer.

“Love is the one thing capable of transcending space and time,” he said, slowly swinging the locket back and forth. “This locket is the Heart of the Timeline. It's saturated with so much love that it's become a beacon and a conduit, able to grant my consciousness passage to the beginning of our love. This locket predates the one in your timeline, which means bringing it here caused the original to be replaced, just like I replaced this timeline's Connor as he died.”

Connor handed me the locket. It was solid gold and intricately crafted. One of a kind.

“The true love this locket absorbs is the key to saving humanity. Your Great Grandfather passed it down to your Grandpa on the day of his wedding, who gave it to your Dad on his. I know you've been worried your Dad isn't alive to pass on the locket to the man you marry, but in my timeline your Mother already gave it to me.”

I looked at the back of the locket. There were initials carefully engraved for each married couple that had owned it.

It included a new inscription: C ❤ N.

Connor ❤ Nora.

“How do you know all this?” It was like he was reading my mind. I'd even recently written about it in my diary, in a letter to Daddy.

“Open your heart for me.” He intoned.

Inside were pictures of each couple on their wedding day. The final picture was one of Connor and I together, smiling. I was wearing the wedding dress that had been passed down from generation to generation. The picture must've been taken years from now, because I'd lost the weight I gained from the stress of quarantine.

And Daddy dying.

“I would've saved your Dad too if I could. I know he was a great man and everything he ever did was for you. You were his heart. But I could only save you if I wanted to save this timeline. It's what your father would've wanted. He always took care of you. I still wish I had another chance to meet him.”

Dad had went missing over a year ago. Connor could've saved him but he could only save...

“Wait. Save me? Am I in danger?”

“It's your ex-boyfriend, Reese. I know he's been threatening you.” Connor's voice was tight and there was a determined gleam in his eyes.

Reese had recently started leaving me threatening messages about what he was planning to do to me. I had security cameras outside my house that showed footage of an intruder, wearing a mask, breaking in. All he did was smash the windows and break the clasp on my diary. The creep. To think I'd written letters to him in there. I'd even written about how I wanted us to get back together, but I just wasn't ready.

I went to the police. They'd questioned Reese but he denied everything. I'd recorded his disgusting threats, but the police said that I couldn't prove it was him since he'd used a voice distorter. Even when he started saying things on the phone only he could know about our relationship it was still deemed insufficient evidence.

I thought our break up hadn't been so nasty. I thought he'd understood I just needed more time.

“Don't worry, I protected you in my timeline. Your Connor should've been here, but he died. You don't want to know what Reese would've done to you if I wasn't here to protect you.”

My head felt fuzzy, this was all too much to take in, “So... what happens now?”

“I'll let you know.” He said, smirking. I laughed.

“You're safe now. With me.” He said. “The less you know the better. I've already said way too much, but, we need to charge the locket with love. Oh, and there's one more vitally important thing.”

“What?”

“It would be nice to get out of this wet shirt.”

I laughed again. Connor took back the locket and shut it with a loud click.

“Ok.” I said. “Ok. I live near here and my ex – Reese - he's your size if you want to change quick at my place...”

Connor left a hundred dollar bill on the table even though the waiter had spilled beer on him. It was reassuring. Daddy had always been generous to me, but not to the service industry or his employees.

💛💛

I wake up to my buzzing phone.

“Hi Mom.” I whisper.

“Honey, I completely forgot to call last night! Am I too late?”

“Yes, Mom. It's 5am... the morning after.” I said as I sneak out of my room.

“Sorry Honey. I got distracted by an awful feeling that something I cared about deeply was stolen...”

What else was new. Ever since Daddy died she'd been making up stories. I told her about Reese breaking into my house and she started imagining the same thing was happening to her. She'd even woken me up the night before my date with Connor frantically yelling about how someone had been watching her sleep. Twice. But nothing was ever missing. Why would someone keep breaking in and not steal anything, Mom?

“...so I went to check on your Father - your Father's locket – his heart - and it's gone! The thief finally found what they were looking for! The strange thing is, the locket is missing but the photos are still right here! It's like the locket just vanished into thin air!”

I crack open the door to my bedroom and look at Connor, still asleep in my bed, wearing Daddy's locket. His locket. From the future. It had replaced this timeline's locket and made the original disappear. Exactly what Connor had said would happen. Which is why my Mom thought her locket was missing. Because it was. Kind of.

“Mom, it's fine.”

“It's not fine!” She was starting to become hysterical. “The locket was stolen! Your Dad's heart was stolen!”

“No, I'm telling you that his heart is safe.” I said.

“You know where it is?”

“Yes, Mom. Daddy's heart is with... me. It's safe now. Everything's fine.”