Today was the day Eliah’s life would change for good. Forever.
This 33-year-old man had met his share of misfortunes over the years. Coming from a poor, uncaring family and not the brightest nor good-looking kid at school, most his boyhood was best left undescribed. When he finally graduated from the shittiest college on the state Eliah began a journey through lots of short-lived jobs and ill-fated relationships with people of both genders as he couldn’t make sense of his own sexuality. At this point, he found himself with no real friends, no job and he couldn’t even remember when was the last time he had sex. His life had no purpose at all and he couldn’t even afford a shrink.
So one beautiful early morning Eliah decided to go jogging in a futile attempt at losing some weight on his chubby and hairy body. The exercise felt good actually, every drop of sweat that left his body felt like a worry disappearing from his life. Eliah felt healthy, and he felt like he could do anything. He ran away, away from home, away from his neighbourhood, away from his problems. But by the time he had arrived at a long bridge he felt exhausted. The chubby man’s pace abruptly ended and he collapsed on his knees, gasping for air.
It was freaking hot. Eliah’s tracking suit was drenched in sweat and so was his face. He should have brought a cold drink with him at the very least.
“Hey, look at that!” Yelled a youngster’s voice from behind him. When Eliah turned he saw a shiny red sports car ridden by four teenagers. The one in the driver’s seat, a blond boy called Cody, didn’t look very sober by the look on his eyes. Maybe the teenagers were returning home after having been drinking all night? “That fatso’s having the fight of his life!”
A muscular teenager stuck his head out from the backseat’s window as the car flied past Eliah. “KILL YOURSELF, YOU UGLY FETUS!” He yelled. The drunken teenagers laughed loudly as they left the man behind.
It was the first time Eliah had encountered these four young men, and most probably he would never do so again. Yet, that was the last push this failure of a human being needed to do what he should’ve done a long time ago. Without a hint of expression on his ugly face Eliah threw himself from the bridge in the same way you throw trash into a dumpster and his body fell into the river.
It felt good, being carried away into nothingness.
“...Hey.”
Eliah felt at peace in the darkness. It was finally over. His stupid life was finally over.
“Hey! Wake up fatso!”
“Uh?” Eliah realized he could open his eyes. It was difficult to see with the blinding sunlight, but he saw the face of a handsome man looking right at him. “Who...*Cough!* are you? *Cough, cough!*”
“Take it easy, you drank a lot of it so let it all out.”
Eliah spat out some more water and took a look at his surroundings. He was in a small shore by the river. “This makes no sense...How could I have survived the fall? The bridge stood very high and the current from this river is very strong...” Eliah looked at the man. He was indeed young and handsome. And quite muscular too, he had a defined six pack on his torso and a nice patch of pubes on his...Oh shit, he was naked!
“Don’t freak out, I’m not a pervert. I assure you. I just couldn’t save you with my clothes on.”
“Save me?” Eliah said. “You...rescued me from drowning to death in the river?”
“You don’t seem too pleased...Oh crap, were you trying to commit suicide?”
Eliah decided to lie. He didn’t want to admit he had just tried to kill himself. “No, no, I slipped and fell from the bridge. I’m very glad you helped me.”
“Thank goodness,” the naked man sighed with relief. “I hate when I end up saving suicidal people, it’s just a waste of time.”
Eliah wanted to ask the man about lots of things, but he was so intimidated by the man’s exposed big genitals that he didn’t know where to start. “How did you save me? Are you a professional swimmer or something?”
“No. It was my first time swimming. It has been quite an experience if I have to be honest.”
“Uh?!”
“It’s fortunate that this river is full of sea life at this time of the year. If you had fell in the summer I would have needed to formulate a completely different plan. Ugh...Having fins in place of arms was so freaky...”
“Uh-huh.” Replied Eliah having no idea about what the man was saying.
“In any case, before I search for my clothes and get ready to go back, I’m supposed to tell you about the paradox. Just a courtesy of mine, it’s not a strict rule.”
Eliah’s eyes still struggled to dart away from the naked man’s handsome figure. “What’s a paradox?”
“Well...Let’s suppose someone invented a time machine to avert a loved one’s death. If that inventor managed to save his loved one, then he wouldn’t have had a reason to build that same time machine in the first place...”
“Oh, wasn’t there a book or a movie with that same plot...?”
“Maybe. But turns out the universe’s much smarter than that. If that hypothetical scenario were to happen, a second time machine would begin to exist out from nowhere just so the time paradox would not occur.”
“That makes sense...I think...” Was all that Eliah could say.
“Well, long story short...Someone went backwards in time to six hours before my premature death and prevented it, and thanks to the time paradox I now have the power to rewind time as well.”
“You’re a time traveler?!” Eliah couldn’t believe it.
“Yes. And now you’re one of us as well.”
Eliah was amazed. So this guy had used time travel to prevent his death, and in turn that gave him time travel powers as well? That sounds so cool! He could go back in time to whenever he wanted and do anything! He could change the course of history, his life would have meaning!
“But don’t get too excited yet. You can only travel six hours into the past, no more, no less. And it’s quite hard to understand at first but your body can’t go back with you. Only one copy of your body can exist in the entire universe at the same time so you’ll need another one.”
“Uh? Then what would happen to me when I go back in time?”
“Crap...People are approaching...If they see me naked they’ll call the police! I’m going to search for my clothes, I’ll tell you more about this time travel gig when the time comes. Make sure not to touch any dead bodies until then, haha!”
Not to touch any dead bodies? It’s not like Eliah was planning to do so any time soon! This man was so weird...
“By the way, I haven’t asked you your name...” Said Eliah, but then he realized the naked man had already disappeared. This was surreal, what if that man was just plain ol’ crazy? Mmm...In any case Eliah should return home as well. His tracking suit was still wet and he didn’t want to catch a cold.