The Future That Never Came

The Future That Never Came

A Sci-Fi Short Story

By: Bino Oommen Samuel

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© 2024 Bino Oommen Samuel. All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

1. A Perfect Life

2. The Unexpected Visitor

3. Proof of the Future

4. The Warning

5. A Difficult Decision

6. Breaking Up

7. Heartbreak

8. The Waiting Game

9. The Fall

10. Doubt and Paranoia

11. Attempts to Fix the Past

12. Arrest and Rock Bottom

13. A Plan for the Future

14. Second Thoughts

15. Desperate Measures

16. A New Connection

17. Redemption in Sight

18. A Chance Encounter

19. A Nagging Question

20. The Final Moment

21. Appendix

22. Disclaimer

Page 1: A Perfect Life

Kennith had it all—or at least he thought so. At 25, he was tall, athletic, and undeniably handsome with his dark hair and confident demeanour. His girlfriend, Fiona, was the envy of his peers. Slim, beautiful, and five-foot-seven, she was everything a guy could dream of. They had met in college, where Fiona first noticed his sharp mind. She admired his intelligence, and over time, managed to make him fall for her. Life was moving smoothly, but something always gnawed at Kennith—an unsettling sense that things weren’t meant to be this perfect.

Page 2: The Unexpected Visitor

It was a quiet Friday evening when Kennith’s life took an unexpected turn. He was sitting in his apartment, thinking about the future, when there was a knock at the door. Kennith wasn’t expecting anyone, so he hesitated before opening it. Standing on the other side was a man who looked eerily familiar—too familiar. It was Kennith himself, just five years older. The shock nearly knocked the breath out of him.

“You’re…me?” Kennith stammered, his mind racing. The future version of himself nodded calmly, as if this bizarre situation were completely normal.

Page 3: Proof of the Future

At first, Kennith thought he was being pranked. This had to be a joke. But then the older version of himself began answering questions—personal ones—about his childhood, his darkest secrets, and even small details like what Fiona had said to him the night they first kissed. These were things no one else could possibly know.

“I’m you from five years into the future,” Future Kennith said, his voice filled with urgency. “I’m here to help you avoid the biggest mistakes of your life.”

Page 4: The Warning

Kennith sat on the couch, still in disbelief. “Why are you here? What do I need to do?”

Future Kennith leaned forward. “First, you need to break up with Fiona. She’s not good for you. She’ll betray you eventually. Trust me, I know.”

Kennith’s heart sank. He loved Fiona. They had been through so much together. “And what else?” Kennith asked, trying to process this bombshell.

“You need to take every cent you have and invest it into Bitcoin,” the older Kennith continued. “It’s going to skyrocket in value. You’ll become incredibly rich, but only if you follow my instructions exactly.”

Page 5: A Difficult Decision

For the next few hours, Kennith wrestled with the future version of himself’s advice. Could he really end his relationship with Fiona? And was it smart to invest all his money into something as volatile as Bitcoin? But the future him had been so convincing, and the answers to the personal questions proved he was telling the truth.

After a sleepless night, Kennith made his decision. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life, but he also didn’t want to ignore a warning from his future self.

Page 6: Breaking Up

Kennith called Fiona and asked her to meet him at their usual spot in the park. He hated what he had to do. When she arrived, her face lit up with that familiar smile, but it quickly faded when she saw the seriousness in his eyes.

“I don’t know how to say this,” Kennith began, struggling to find the right words, “but I think we need to break up.”

Fiona’s face twisted in shock and disbelief. “What? Where is this coming from?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Kennith tried to explain without revealing the truth about his future self’s visit. “I just don’t think we’re meant to be together in the long run,” he said, knowing it sounded weak.

Page 7: Heartbreak

Fiona was devastated. She pleaded with Kennith to reconsider, but he stood his ground, feeling awful inside. As she walked away, tears in her eyes, Kennith’s heart ached. But he reminded himself that this was necessary for his future.

He returned home, opened his laptop, and made the bold investment his future self had instructed him to make. He sold all his stocks and savings, and threw every dollar into Bitcoin. Now, all he could do was wait.

Page 8: The Waiting Game

Days turned into weeks. Every morning, Kennith would check the value of Bitcoin, hoping to see the rapid growth his future self had promised. But nothing happened. The stock barely moved. He tried to keep himself busy, but his mind constantly drifted to Fiona. She was seeing someone else now, someone who seemed to make her happier than he ever did.

His confidence began to waver. What if the man he saw wasn’t really his future self? What if the entire encounter was a lie?

Page 9: The Fall

As time passed, Kennith grew increasingly frustrated. One day, after weeks of no change in the stock, he couldn’t take it anymore. He withdrew all his money from Bitcoin, accepting a loss. At least he still had some of his savings left, even though they were diminished.

Then, just days later, Bitcoin soared. Its value quadrupled overnight, and Kennith’s heart sank. He had pulled his money out too soon. He had missed out on the fortune he had been promised.

Page 10: Doubt and Paranoia

Kennith was beside himself with anger and regret. How could he have been so foolish? He had listened to some version of himself that may not have even been real. What if the man was an imposter? Was time travel even possible? Kennith spiraled into doubt and paranoia.

He began obsessively researching time travel theories, desperate for an explanation. If his future self had known what would happen, why hadn’t he come back again to warn him about pulling out too soon? Something wasn’t adding up.

Page 11: Attempts to Fix the Past

Frustrated and filled with doubt, Kennith decided to reinvest the small amount of money he had left into Bitcoin, hoping for another surge. But the market was unpredictable, and nothing happened. The value remained stagnant.

His personal life wasn’t faring much better. He couldn’t get Fiona out of his head. Against his better judgment, Kennith tried reaching out to her again. But Fiona was done with him. She told him to stop contacting her and blocked his number.

Page 12: Arrest and Rock Bottom

Desperate for some closure, Kennith went to Fiona’s apartment to confront her in person. It was a terrible mistake. He ended up causing a scene, and Fiona’s new boyfriend called the police. Kennith was arrested and spent a night in jail.

As he sat in his cell, he reflected on how his life had unraveled so quickly. His future self’s visit had caused nothing but chaos. His relationship was over, his financial situation was in ruins, and now he had a criminal record. Could things possibly get any worse?

Page 13: A Plan for the Future

When Kennith got out of jail, he vowed to never let his emotions control him again. He came up with a new plan. This time, he would protect himself from making rash decisions. He generated a random password for his Bitcoin account and wrote a piece of code that would send him the password in two years. He locked the account, ensuring he couldn’t touch the money, no matter how tempted he became.

This decision brought him some relief. He felt that, for the first time, he was regaining control of his life.

Page 14: Second Thoughts

Four days later, Kennith was already second-guessing his decision. What if he had locked himself out of the account for no reason? What if the stock crashed again and he couldn’t pull his money out in time? His anxiety gnawed at him, and he began to regret everything.

Kennith started borrowing money from friends and invested in a different stock, hoping to make a quick profit to alleviate his stress. But it was another disaster. The stock plummeted the very next day, and now he was deeper in debt than ever before.

Page 15: Desperate Measures

Kennith’s financial troubles spiraled out of control. The people he had borrowed money from started demanding repayment, and some of them were far from friendly. They threatened him, giving him only days to come up with the money. Desperate, Kennith sold off what little he had left—his car, his furniture, anything of value.

In the process, he met a woman named Emily who was also in trouble with the same people. She had made some bad investments and owed money to the same loan sharks. Kennith, feeling a sense of responsibility and seeing a reflection of his own struggles in her, helped her escape from them.

Page 16: A New Connection

Emily was grateful for Kennith’s help, and the two quickly grew close. For the first time since breaking up with Fiona, Kennith felt a genuine connection with someone. Emily was different—she understood what it was like to struggle, to make mistakes, and to fight for a second chance.

As their relationship blossomed, Kennith felt like his life was finally starting to stabilize. He had paid off his debts and was waiting for his Bitcoin account to unlock in one year. Things were looking up.

Page 17: Redemption in Sight

A year passed, and the day finally arrived when Kennith received the password to his Bitcoin account. He logged in and found, to his delight, that the stock had soared. He was a millionaire. The relief and joy he felt were indescribable.

With half of his newfound wealth, Kennith bought a house and a car, and with the other half, he reinvested in Bitcoin, locking the account again for another three years. He and Emily moved in together, and for the first time in a long while, Kennith felt like his future was secure.

Page 18: A Chance Encounter

One afternoon, while out with Emily, Kennith ran into Fiona. She was single again, and it was clear that things hadn’t worked out for her. She looked surprised to see him, and after some awkward small talk, Kennith couldn’t resist taking a dig at her.

“I’m doing pretty well these days,” he said with a smug smile. “Bought a house, a car… I’ve got everything I need. Funny how things turn out, isn’t it?”

Fiona tried to hide her discomfort, but Kennith could see the regret in her eyes. For once, he felt like he had the upper hand.

Page 19: A Nagging Question

Despite his success, one question continued to nag at Kennith: Why didn’t my future self come back again to tell me when I made those mistakes? If his future self had warned him once, why hadn’t he returned when things went wrong? The more Kennith thought about it, the more unsettled he became.

Then it hit him—What if I don’t make it to five years? What if I die before I can become that future version of myself?

Page 20: The Final Moment

Kennith’s heart raced as the terrifying thought took root in his mind. What if his future self had vanished after time traveling because Kennith was fated to die?

Just as this realization dawned on him, Kennith stepped off the curb to cross the street. He didn’t see the train until it was too late.

In that final moment, Kennith understood why his future self had never returned. He was never meant to make it that far.

The End

Appendix

This short story, The Future That Never Came, explores various themes such as:

• Time Travel: The idea of meeting a future self creates tension in Kennith’s life as he struggles to make decisions based on the ambiguous advice he receives. The consequences of attempting to alter his fate bring forth deeper questions about predestination and free will.

• Regret and Paranoia: Kennith’s growing paranoia highlights how decisions, when questioned in hindsight, can lead to self-doubt and further mistakes. His desire to control the future turns into an obsession, making him question every move.

• The Illusion of Control: The story delves into the concept that even when given foreknowledge of the future, people are often powerless to avoid their fate. Kennith’s attempts to follow advice and change his destiny show that some outcomes may be inevitable.

• Character Development: Kennith’s evolution from a confident young man into a person crippled by doubt and desperation paints a cautionary tale about ambition, risk-taking, and the human tendency to second-guess important life decisions.

Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The author does not assume any responsibility for financial decisions or advice given in this story.