Listening To My Future
Stories similar to this that you might like too.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.” The woman was young and pretty. She had long brown hair pulled back into an elegant ponytail with a few strands hanging loose to frame her face. Her eyes were large in their pale blue-gray coloration, giving them the appearance of being set deep within her head rather than above it like most people did.
“You’re going to be late for your appointment if you keep this up,” she added as she gestured at my feet. They’d been propped on top of one another while I sat cross-legged on the floor next to her desk. It wasn’t quite what they meant by ‘couch,’ but it would have to do until we got home from work today.
She didn’t seem angry or upset about me sitting there; just concerned, which made sense given how much time she spent dealing with people who wanted things done yesterday instead of tomorrow. That was why I liked working here so well: everyone understood that sometimes life gets in the way of plans.
Even more importantly, no one expected perfection out of anyone else when those times came around. We all knew our limits and worked together to make sure everything still got accomplished despite whatever obstacles might come along.
The only thing keeping us from total chaos was knowing each other better than any group of coworkers could ever hope to know someone outside of work. Everyone at this company had known each other since before college—or even high school, in some cases.
Most of us lived near enough to walk to work every day without needing cars. When we weren’t busy doing actual work, we hung out during lunch breaks or after hours. A lot of people brought their families over for dinner once a week too. There really wasn’t anything like this anywhere else I’d worked, not even close.
This particular coworker looked familiar somehow though. I couldn’t place where I’d seen her before, but something told me I should remember. After a moment, I realized exactly what it was. This woman reminded me of someone I hadn’t thought about in ages.
Someone I used to talk to almost daily. Now that I saw her again, I felt myself getting excited. Then I remembered why she was important to me and suddenly the excitement faded away.
It took a second longer than usual for my brain to process what I was seeing, but eventually, it clicked, and then everything fell apart. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get past the fact that this woman was married now.
Not only that, but she also seemed happy with her husband. In spite of the joyous look on her face, I could tell that he was the source of her happiness. He always made her smile whenever I talked to him. Seeing them together gave me a feeling similar to the one I usually got when I watched couples kissing on TV shows.
Except for this time, I actually cared about the characters involved.
I stood up quickly and walked toward the door. As soon as I reached it, I turned and started walking down the hall. Before I left, I heard her calling out behind me. “Hey! Where are you going?”
My response was muffled through the walls separating us. I kept moving forward until I found the stairs leading downstairs. Once I hit the bottom level, I hurried across the lobby and headed straight for the exit. Outside, I paused briefly to catch my breath.
I needed air badly, but I forced myself to wait until I was far enough away from the building that nobody inside could see me. Only then did I turn around and start running.
After several minutes of sprinting, I finally slowed to a stop and leaned against the nearest tree trunk. My lungs burned and my legs ached, but I refused to give up. I wouldn’t let myself go back. I couldn’t afford to lose control like that.
What would happen if I lost my job? How would I pay rent? Would I end up homeless again? I didn’t want to find out the answer to those questions. Sooner or later, I would need to return to work. Until then, I would stay focused on staying strong.
As I rested, I noticed a small figure standing nearby staring at me. At first, I assumed it was a child because of its size, but then I recognized the shape of the person’s body. It was definitely a girl. She wore a white dress with red trimming around the collar and sleeves, and her black hair was tied back in two braids.
From the looks of it, she must have been ten years old or younger.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I nodded and pushed myself off the tree. “Yeah… I guess so.”
Her expression softened slightly. “Do you want to sit down for a minute?” she offered kindly.
That sounded nice, but I shook my head. “No thanks,” I said. “I’m fine right here.”
She frowned. “Okay…”
We both sat quietly for a few moments while I caught my breath. Eventually, she spoke up again. “You’re very fast!” she exclaimed. “How do you run so quickly?”
I smiled awkwardly. “Thanks. I’ve always been pretty athletic. But don’t worry about it. You can keep looking at me if you want. It won’t bother me.”
The little girl giggled. “Oh no! That’s not what I meant. I just wanted to say hello. Are you new here?”
“Yes, I am. Just moved into town last month.”
“Well, welcome to our neighborhood! We live next door. Do you mind coming over for a visit sometime? I think my mommy will be glad to meet you.”
“Sure. I’ll come by tomorrow afternoon. Is that all right?”
“Of course! See ya then!” The girl waved cheerfully and skipped away.
***
A couple hours passed after the encounter with the young girl. By that point, I had managed to calm down somewhat. Still, I wasn’t quite ready to go home yet. Instead, I decided to take a walk along the riverbank. Maybe some fresh air would help clear my head.
Besides, there were plenty of people around who might recognize me. If they happened to notice me acting strangely, maybe I could explain things without anyone noticing anything strange.
When I arrived at the riverside, I stopped to admire the view. There was something peaceful about watching the water flow slowly beneath the bridge. After taking a deep breath, I continued onward. Soon, I came upon a large park where families often gathered during weekends.
A group of children played soccer near the entrance, and I spotted an elderly man sitting on a bench reading his newspaper. When I approached, he looked up curiously. His eyes widened when he saw me, and he immediately rose to his feet.
“Excuse me, sir,” I began politely. “Is your wife still working today?”
He stared blankly at me. “What?”
“Your wife is employed by the local library, correct?”
His face lit up. “Ah yes! Of course! Why thank you for asking. Yes, she should be returning any moment now. Please excuse me. I’d better get this paper folded before she gets here.” He rushed off without another word.
I watched him leave for a second, wondering why he reacted so strongly. Then I shrugged and continued on my way. As I walked deeper into the park, I heard someone call out behind me. Turning around, I saw a boy about twelve years old waving enthusiastically.
“Hey, mister! Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure thing,” I replied. “Go ahead.”
“Why are you walking alone?”
I chuckled. “It’s nothing important. I just prefer being outside instead of cooped up indoors.”
“Really?!” The kid grinned excitedly. “Me too! Me and my friends usually play basketball together every day after school. Want to join us?”
“Uh, sure. Sounds fun.”
“Great! Let’s meet at the courts in half an hour.”
“Sounds good.”
With that, the boy ran off toward one of the playgrounds. Before long, I reached the court and found three other boys waiting for me.
They introduced themselves as John, Mark, and Mikey. All four of them seemed friendly enough, but none of their names rang a bell. In fact, I couldn’t remember ever seeing any of these kids before.
After we exchanged introductions, the conversation turned to sports. One of the guys mentioned how much he liked playing tennis, which led to everyone else talking about various activities they enjoyed. For the most part, I listened attentively, though occasionally I interjected a comment or two.
As time went on, I realized that each of the boys knew more than a dozen different games—from baseball to football to volleyball. And although I didn’t know many of those either, I tried my best to follow along.
Eventually, the sun started to set, and darkness fell across the city. The boys’ parents called them back from the game, and soon they left the park. I stayed behind until the lights inside the building came on. Once I was certain nobody else remained nearby, I headed home.
As I made my way through the streets, I noticed several groups of teenagers hanging around. Some were laughing loudly, others whispering to each other nervously. Several times throughout the evening, I overheard conversations between strangers that involved words like ‘troublemaker’, ‘gangster’, and even ‘killer’.
It was obvious that crime was a common problem in this area. But despite everything I’d seen tonight, I felt safe. My only worry was whether it was wise to return home alone.
Then again, if I waited for somebody to escort me, I might never make it back. Sooner or later, I’d have to learn to handle myself. Besides, I hadn’t done anything wrong. No matter what anybody said, I wouldn’t let them intimidate me…wouldn’t allow fear to stop me from living life the way I wanted.
That night, I lay awake in bed for hours thinking about all the things I needed to do tomorrow. First, I planned to visit the police station to report the incident with the knife-wielding stranger. Next, I intended to find a job. Finally, I hoped to start attending church regularly. With God’s guidance, I believed I could overcome any obstacle.
The following morning, I awoke early and dressed quickly. Grabbing my coat, I stepped outside to wait for the bus. By the time I boarded, there wasn’t a single seat available. Instead, I stood next to a young woman who appeared to be in her twenties.
She wore a white blouse and black pants and had short brown hair tied neatly behind her head. Her skin was pale, and she kept glancing down at the floor. Although she spoke quietly, I caught bits and pieces of our conversation:
“…so sorry…”
“Don’t worry about it.”
They were such simple sentences, yet somehow they conveyed so much emotion. At first glance, I thought she must’ve been nervous about something. But then I remembered hearing stories last year of people committing suicide by jumping off bridges.
Perhaps she was simply trying to avoid attracting attention. Either way, I decided not to say anything unless she asked. After all, I didn’t want to upset anyone unnecessarily.
When the bus arrived at its destination, I followed the girl onto the sidewalk. We stopped briefly to exchange pleasantries before parting ways. However, as soon as we parted company, I suddenly became aware of someone standing directly behind me.
Instinctively, I spun around to see another woman staring right into my eyes. This time, however, she looked completely normal. There was no sign of insanity, nor did she appear dangerous in any way. Yet still, I froze in place.
She smiled gently. “Hello, sir. Would you mind accompanying me? You seem lost.”
Before I could respond, the woman grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me away from the curb. Then, without warning, she began running forward.
When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw that the street ahead of us was empty. Nobody else was anywhere near. Still, the woman continued sprinting straight toward the edge of the bridge.
The End