W1: "If Time Travel Was Real: My First Adventure"

It all started when my mom sent me to the grocery store with a shopping list. I was casually strolling through the aisles, picking up snacks, when suddenly—BANG! A gunshot rang out behind me. My body froze in fear. The echoes of the shot bounced off the shelves, and chaos erupted. People screamed, ducked behind counters, and ran for their lives.

In my panic, I turned to see a thief holding a gun. He was cornered, desperate, and had grabbed an old grandma as a human shield. My first instinct was to rush in and save her, but in that split second of hesitation, something horrifying happened. The thief turned to me. And that’s when I saw myself.

It was me standing beside him.

Before I could process it—BLACKOUT. Another gunshot. My vision blurred, my ears rang, and everything faded into darkness. I thought I was dead.

But then… I woke up.

The air smelled different—thick with something unnatural, something ancient. My body felt heavy, like I was being pulled down by unseen forces. I couldn’t open my eyes right away, but I heard strange, guttural sounds around me.

When I finally managed to lift my eyelids, I found myself face to face with a towering creature. Its body was wrapped in tattered, flowing fabric, black smoke swirling around its limbs. Its face was obscured by spikes protruding from its head, and in its hand was a sword as tall as itself. It loomed over me, making a deep vibrating noise that almost sounded like… speech?

“Zzzrrk-thak’naaaa…?”

I had no idea what it meant. The creature gestured for me to follow. When I hesitated, it grunted in frustration, then suddenly threw me onto its back. I flailed in panic and nearly slipped off, but I grabbed onto one of its limbs—rough, gnarled, and twisted like a tree root. My feet dangled as the creature sprinted forward, dodging between jagged rocks and glowing cracks in the ground.

Then I saw them.

A horde of horrifying beings approached. They were tall, thin, their skin covered in holes and bloodstains. They sniffed the air, their long limbs twitching as they searched for something—me. Their mouths gaped open, filled with jagged teeth, dripping black goo.

“Yiiiickkkk—!” they screeched, sniffing the ground like hunting dogs.

My rescuer—whom I decided to call ‘Zzap-Zzap’ because of the sound it made—panicked. It grabbed a slimy, mud-like substance from the ground and smeared it all over me. I gagged at the smell, but the moment the goo covered my skin, the creatures stopped sniffing and turned away, disappearing into the shadows.

Zzap-Zzap didn’t wait. It rushed forward, carrying me to what seemed to be its kingdom. The dark, grim landscape suddenly shifted into something else. The deeper we went, the brighter it became. Lights flickered from enormous bioluminescent plants, casting a warm, eerie glow over the land. Strange, delicate creatures floated through the air, illuminating the dark caverns.

When we arrived, I saw a grand throne at the center of the glowing city. Sitting on it was a woman—no, a human.

She was unlike anything in this strange world. Her skin was smooth, her hair flowed like silk, and she wore an elegant, glowing gown that seemed almost too perfect for this place. She looked like a fairy queen.

“My name is Laura,” she said, her voice soft yet powerful. “How did you come here?”

I hesitated. “I… don’t know.”

Her expression darkened. “No human has entered this world in over a hundred million years. And those who do… never leave.”

My stomach twisted. “Why?”

“The evil side of this world feeds on human blood to gain power,” she explained. “It’s a miracle you’re still alive.”

My heart pounded. “Then I have to leave.”

She looked at me with pity. “There is only one way out… but you must first understand why you came here.”

I didn’t know what she meant until the realization hit me. The moment before I blacked out… I saw myself with the thief. I wasn’t the hero in that story—I was the coward who pushed the grandma away, thinking only of myself.

Maybe this place wasn’t just a mystery world. Maybe I was here because of my sin. Maybe… this was my punishment.

Laura studied me, then sighed. “You’ve already changed something,” she murmured.

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

She took a step closer. “You don’t recognize me, do you?”

A cold chill ran down my spine. Something about her felt… familiar. But I couldn’t place it.

She smiled sadly. “I was the grandma.”

My breath hitched. “That’s impossible.”

“No,” she whispered. “Because in one timeline… you didn’t save me.”

My head spun. This place—this entire world—existed because of that moment. I had fractured time itself.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, everything blurred again.

I opened my eyes.

I was back at the grocery store.

The thief was still there, holding the gun. The grandma—Laura—was in danger. But this time, I didn’t hesitate. Without thinking, I lunged forward and pulled the grandma out of harm’s way just as the police tackled the thief. She looked at me, eyes filled with gratitude.

I had been given a second chance.

And this time, I didn’t waste it.

References

Gunshot Image

Balakrishnan, P. (2024). As India and Pakistan struggle to breathe, could smog-ridden skies push them toward climate diplomacy? Telegraphindia.com. https://doi.org/1088475/TT_1x1

"Zzap-Zzap" Image

Pinterest. (2018). Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/o0Sleepy_Demon0o/creepy-monsters/

Other Monster Creatures Image

Pinterest. (2022). Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/dreamingofatree/scary-monsters/

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