The depth of short stories and micro-fiction 2

Future Written

Geoffrey Richardson was a man with a fascination for the unknown. As a historian and collector of rare artifacts, he spent most of his days scouring through dusty old bookstores and antique shops, hoping to stumble upon something that would change his life forever.

It was on one such expedition, deep in the heart of London's Camden Market, that Geoffrey chanced upon a small, mysterious shop tucked away in a forgotten alley. The sign above the door read 'Curios and Antiques', and the windows were filled with an assortment of strange and exotic items that seemed to have been collected from all corners of the globe.

Geoffrey's curiosity was piqued, and he pushed open the door to reveal a dimly lit interior that seemed to be frozen in time. The air was thick with dust, and the smell of old books and decay wafted through the air. A bespectacled old man with a wild look in his eye greeted Geoffrey from behind the counter.

"Welcome, young man," he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "I see you have an eye for the unknown. Come, look around. I'm sure you'll find something that catches your eye."

Geoffrey spent the next hour browsing through the shop, marvelling at the strange artifacts on display. There were ancient tomes bound in black leather, taxidermized animals with glassy eyes, and even a few items that seemed to be of an otherworldly origin.

Just as he was about to leave, Geoffrey spotted a small, leather-bound book tucked away on a shelf in the corner. It was old and worn, with strange symbols etched into the cover.

"What's this?" Geoffrey asked the old man, his curiosity piqued.

The old man's eyes seemed to cloud over, and he hesitated before speaking. "That, my young friend, is a diary. A very special diary, one that is said to hold the power of prophecy."

Geoffrey's eyes widened in excitement. "A diary that tells the future?"

The old man nodded, his eyes glinting with a knowing light. "Yes, that's exactly what I said. But be warned, the diary is said to be cursed. Many have tried to use its power, but none have succeeded. Are you sure you want to take on that kind of responsibility?"

Geoffrey hesitated for a moment, but his curiosity eventually got the better of him. He purchased the diary and left the shop, feeling a sense of excitement and trepidation that he had never experienced before.

As soon as he got home, Geoffrey opened the diary and began to read. The entries were cryptic, but they seemed to be written in a code that he couldn't quite decipher. It wasn't until he came across an entry that mentioned a major earthquake in Los Angeles, scheduled to occur in exactly three days' time, that he realized the true power of the diary.

Over the next few days, Geoffrey found himself becoming increasingly obsessed with the diary. He spent hours poring over its pages, trying to decipher the cryptic messages and unlock its secrets. And to his amazement, he found that every prediction it made came true.

But as the days turned into weeks, Geoffrey began to realize that the diary's power came with a terrible cost. Every time he used it to predict the future, he felt a piece of his soul being torn away. He became withdrawn and isolated, unable to connect with the world around him.

And then, there were the visions. Dark, twisted visions that seemed to sear themselves into his mind like branding irons. Geoffrey would see glimpses of a world gone mad, a world where the laws of nature no longer applied. He saw cities burning, oceans boiling, and skies filled with an eternal, eerie twilight.

Despite his growing unease, Geoffrey found himself unable to stop using the diary. He became addicted to its power, and he found himself spending hours each day pouring over its pages, searching for answers to questions he didn't even know how to ask.

But the diary had one final secret to reveal, one that would change Geoffrey's life forever. As he read the final entry, he felt a cold, clammy hand wrap around his heart. The entry spoke of a great and terrible event, one that would bring about the end of the world as he knew it.

And the date of this event? It was tomorrow.

Geoffrey spent the rest of the day in a daze, unable to process the information he had just received. He wandered the streets, feeling like a ghost, unable to connect with the world around him.

As the sun began to set, he found himself back at the shop where he had purchased the diary. The old man was still behind the counter, his eyes glinting with a knowing light.

"I see you've discovered the diary's secret," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I warned you, didn't I? The diary is cursed. It always has been."

Geoffrey felt a wave of anger wash over him, but it was quickly replaced by a sense of despair. He realized that he had been playing with forces beyond his control, and now he had to pay the price.

"What can I do?" he asked the old man, feeling like a child who had stumbled into a room full of adults.

The old man shrugged. "There's nothing you can do. The event will occur, no matter what you do. But you can try to prepare yourself, to find some way to survive the coming storm."

Geoffrey left the shop, feeling like a man who had been given a death sentence. He spent the rest of the night in a state of panic, trying to find some way to escape the fate that had been laid out before him.

But as the hours ticked by, he realized that there was no escape. The diary had spoken, and its words would come to pass. All he could do was wait and watch as the world around him came to an end.

And so, Geoffrey Richardson sat in his darkened flat, the diary open on his lap, waiting for the inevitable. The clock on the wall ticked away, each passing moment bringing him closer to the abyss.

As the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon, Geoffrey closed his eyes and steeled himself for what was to come. The diary had spoken, and its words would soon become reality. The world as he knew it was about to come to an end, and all he could do was watch in horror as it happened.