The Door to Tomorrow

Snapshot of Destiny

At first, I was the only one in the Library. I set the sixth journal on a table and refused to touch it again until the other four had arrived. While I waited, I prayed to each of the nine gods and hoped they would give me the strength to handle whatever lied within those pages.

Luckily, the wait was short. The kids arrived within a few minutes, and they seemed to be expecting another scenario to take place. However, Narrator immediately informed them that was not the case.

"Since everyone is here, I'll just go ahead and do the announcement. Here we go—today is the last day of the game! Chuck will be doing the quiz today, so just hang in there until he finishes reading the sixth journal. Oh, and the quiz will be worth two points instead of just one!"

Trevor shuddered in disbelief. "No...you mean...?"

"Yeah. The rest of you will be going to Purgatory very soon."

Upon hearing that statement, Hina and Robin both began to weep. They held onto each other while they begged Narrator to set them free.

"Please, Narrator! Let us go home! We don't wanna die out here!" Hina pleaded.

"Calm down, kid. No one said you were going to die. You just won't want to be alive anymore!" Narrator chortled. "Anyway ,can you, like, shut up? You know, so Chuck can read."

"I-I want to go home with my friend, if nothing else..."

"What the fuck? You think he's still your friend? He tried to drown you. Idiot. Besides, you're the last person the boss would let go."

"Huh?"

I did my best to tune out the sound of whining children in the background while I began reading. For some reason, Hina walked up to me and stood silently as if she were waiting for me to finish. I noticed her inquisitively reading along, but I ignored it.

I took a deep breath and finally viewed the first entries in the last journal, which was written in both 1979 and 1980. I stood aghast at the incoming truths within those pages, but I expected as much.

"Someone once told me that they had read my journals. That person was my dad. Trust me, this nonsense has a point. Well, I guess I should start at the beginning. I was 7 years old, and my dad was about to send me to an unfamiliar place. Before we were separated, he told me, 'About nine years ago, I read some journals with your name in them. One of those journals mentioned me a lot. Back then, I didn't know who the author was talking about, but look at me now.' He paused and stroked my head. 'Around the same time, my friend told me about someone very similar to you. He said you helped change his life. I don't think he would be the same person if you two hadn't met.'"

I didn't know what that passage was supposed to mean, but it certainly got my attention.

"I didn't quite believe any of it. Hell, I didn't even understand what he was implying. I was only seven, after all. Moments later, he clarified. 'You do know who I am, right? I'm capable of impossible things.' I did, in fact, know who he was. My dad was none other than the God of Comfort."

I froze in place and held my breath. That paragraph sounded ridiculous, but Joseph's handwriting reminded me that this was really happening.

In that entry, Joseph claimed to be the son of a deity. That alone was puzzling, but once I pondered the implications, it became downright eerie. Our gods were not supposed to appear on Earth until the turn of the century...

"You get it, don't you? I'm from the future. I, Joseph Peterson (formerly Joseph Rosario) was born in 2009. I had a pathetic mother. She was self-centered and inattentive; inconsiderate and easily swayed by her friends. She always left me with my absent-minded great-grandmother and my deranged aunt. I didn't realize how poorly they had all treated me until my dad took me in. Anyway, in 2016, my father, the God of Comfort, sent me back to 1957. He sent me back in time so I could fulfill my destiny. I absolutely believe that my destiny is to turn my dad's friend's life around. I want to give him a better life. He deserves it."

Frustrated, I heaved a deep sigh and leaned on the table with both of my trembling arms. Joseph really was from another world—the world of the future.

Then, one of the dreams became clearer to me. The futuristic mansion I saw in the dream world must have been a memory from his childhood, meaning his bedroom was actually his childhood bedroom. I had a feeling that mansion belonged to his father. Although, my nostalgic feelings toward the house didn't quite make sense, so I just assumed Joseph was sending his emotions through me.

Once I turned the page, I saw a small object—a tiny brown notebook. It was in surprisingly good condition despite being around for so many decades. There were a couple of wrinkles on its cover, but that was the only damage it had. I was curious as to whether it was the notebook Joseph's dad left with him, so I picked it up and opened it.

Surely enough, I found the passage Joseph mentioned in the first volume. The handwriting was in neat print, and the writer used black ink.

"I have a feeling that you might make a huge mistake one day. I'm willing to take responsibility for that, though. Even if we never meet again, just know that I forgive you."

I sulked and began to wonder about Joseph's dad. I could picture the man in Joseph's sketchbook drawings writing the message, and it broke my heart. I wanted to know the whole story. I wanted to know what Joseph's dad was thinking while he wrote that.

When I slowly flipped the page, I froze again. My palms became sweaty and my ears started to ring. I blankly stared at the sight before me, questioning reality itself. On the page was a small, square portrait of a man I recognized better than anyone. It was a picture of myself. To make matters worse, I had no memory of that picture being taken...

"No...this has to be some kind of joke," I began, then wandered around frantically. I still clutched the notebook in my hands while I addressed Narrator. "Narrator, I need to have a word with you! I demand answers!"

Narrator had a genuine, warm smile on his face. I could hear it in his voice. I would say he was getting a kick out of this as usual, but this time his tone of voice hit a little differently. He seemed to convey some subtle satisfaction in the way he said, "You don't need to ask me anything. You need to tell me. Tell me what you've found, Chuck."

There was a bit of silent tension between us before Narrator asked, "Are you ready for the quiz?"

"Yes," I replied.

I hastily gathered my things and ran to the Lobby. I heard the sound of the others' footsteps behind me. Marina and Robin asked what was going on, but I was too distraught to answer them. I made it to the center of the Lobby, where I impatiently awaited the questions.

"Let's get this started, shall we? First question: Where was Joseph sent to?"

"1957."

"Who did Joseph really meet at the orphanage?"

"Cornelius Kingsley."

"Where is Joseph now?"

I pointed upward. "Up there with you. He's the boss."

"What year was Joseph born?"

"2009."

"Whose picture is in the notebook?"

"It's me."

"So, who was Joseph's dad's friend?"

"Me..."

"Congratulations! All of your answers were correct, which means you now have seven points and can leave the Facility! As for the rest of you, well, you're fucked."

I heard distressed screams of anguish from all around me. Each and every one of the children was wailing. They soon began to speak over each other in an attempt to convince the bosses to change their minds. Of course, all of those attempts failed.

While they were still begging at the top of their lungs, a different voice spoke from the intercom. It was Joseph.