One Minute Time Machine

Image Source: Andrea Piacquaido

 

“WAIT! Don’t do it.”, Jimmy ran up to me, panting. Bending down, he set his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

“But if I don’t do this, millions will die. This is the only right way. I have to be the one to end this.” I got inside the mechanical set-up. Turning a few knobs and buttons, the dial displayed 20^th April 1889. I peeked my head out of the machine one last time.

“You don’t understand, it will take your life as well,” Jimmy said.

Click, click, vrooommmmmmmm

“Stay right here and tell me everything when I come back!” I shouted against the loud background of machine sounds.

The time machine turned and started rotating. Vibrating like its life depended on it, it took off at an astonishing speed for what seemed like 10 seconds and then stopped. The jerk threw me off the display panel and onto the floor. The door blasted open. I stepped out, very slowly.

A quaint children’s hospital stood a few meters in the front. Sprinting, I quickly reached the door and made my way inside the establishment.

A.    Hitler

“Go to sleep, boy,” I whispered and slowly pressed a pillow on the face.

1^st April 2024. The display panel flashed the date.

After a few seconds of reverberation, I stepped outside once more to my familiar surroundings once again. Jimmy was nowhere to be seen.

“Oh god! I understand now!

Stepping inside the cuboidal mechanism, I pressed the backward button.

10 minutes ago

“I have to save myself!”