History of the Future: A Science Fiction Anthology

The Secret of Tanencha sy Tyrin

Lights. Music. Dancing.

This was not the way I wanted to spend my twenty-first birthday. I stirred my drink at the bar, wondering how I ended up here.

"Isn't this so much fun?" my friend, Haily, giggled. She didn't wait for an answer, and went straight back to the dance floor. I rolled my eyes. That's how I ended up here. She had told me that we were going to have fun celebrating this landmark birthday. If I had known this was her definition of fun, I would have stayed home and watched TV with my cat.

"Another virgin pina colada?" the bartender asked. I nodded. The bartender smiled and went away. I checked the time and sighed. It was already 11 o'clock, meaning I had stayed up later than my normal bedtime of 9 o'clock. I would have left hours ago, but I couldn't leave Haily alone here, even though I was furious with her. I watched her make a fool of herself in the center of the dance floor.

"Excuse me," a voice said from behind me. I turned around to see an elderly man approach me. I quickly faced forward. Maybe if I ignore him, he'll go away.

"Emiline McPeterson, right?" he continued. I froze. How did he know my name? Every instinct told me not to talk to him. He was probably a drunkard who overheard Haily introducing me to people when we first arrived. Still, curiosity got the better of me.

"Yes?" I said tentatively.

The man beamed. "It's me." He stretched his arms out, as if to give me a big hug. I must have given him a look of disgust, because his smile faded and his arms fell to his side.

"You don't remember me, do you?" he said, clearly dejected. I shook my head no. The sooner this man left me alone, the better. He was quiet for a while. For a moment, I thought that he was actually going to leave me alone. But then, he began to speak again:

"I'm your godfather." I snorted. Godfather? What was this cook talking about? 

"I don't have a godfather," I told him indignantly. The man seemed hurt by my words.

"I was your father's best friend in college. He specifically asked me to your godfather," he said, desperation rising.

This guy was drunker than I thought. He definitely did not know me. My father had died when I was a baby, leaving me with my mother and grandparents. There had never been any mention of a godfather. "I don't have a father," I declared curtly. 

"Of course you do! I saw him last year at your wedding," he countered. "In fact, you invited me to your wedding. How can you not remember me?"

"You must be very drunk right now," I said to him. "You should go lie down. I've never been married."

The man shook his head and held up a bottle of water. "All I've had to drink is this. Your the one who has taken a few too many drinks." The man turned to the bartender, who had just brought my virgin pina colada. "How much alcohol has the lady had today?"

"None," the bartender replied. "You two are the only ones." We stared at each other in shock. As much as I wanted him to go away, I needed to know what was going on.

"So.... you think you recognize me?" I said, breaking the silence.

"Yes," he answered slowly. We sat a little longer. I sipped nervously on my drink. What is going on?

"I don't believe that I caught your name," I said finally.

"Tanencha sy Tyrin."

I finally got home at 2 am. I collapsed onto my bed, completely exhausted. My body wanted to sleep, but my mind was active and awake. I couldn't stop thinking about the strange old gentleman I met at the bar. We had talked for a little bit. He told me all about who he thought I was, and I told him who I actually was. It was weird. According to him, I was ten years older, married, had two parents, and had a PhD in interior decorating. I was actually a college student pursuing electrical engineering. After about half an hour, he left. But on the bar counter, I saw that he left a gold band. I wondered what I should do with it. I knew that I should leave it there. He'd probably come back for it. But, for some reason, I brought it with me. I thought that maybe I'd see the strange gentleman again, but I realize now that my thinking was ridiculous. Oh well. Hopefully it wasn't expensive or important to him. I tossed the ring a little, then fit it onto my finger. It fit perfectly. A wave of exhaustion overcame me, and I fell fast asleep.

I woke with a start. Something wasn't right. I looked around me. I was in a large bedroom in a king sized bed with a white lace canopy. I sat up and looked around. The room was totally different from my room. And then, I felt something shift in the bed. In my peripheral, I spotted someone next to me. I peered over to the other side of the bed and gasped. A young man was fast asleep right next to me. I leaped up and ran out of the room. I flew down the stairs.

I stopped dead in my tracks. Standing in front of me was a young lady in her early thirties. 

And she looked just like me. 

We stared at each other. What kind of sick prank is this? I looked past her and gasped. Tanencha sy Tyrin sat on the couch.

"Tanencha, what's going on?" she exclaimed. "Who is she?" 

Tanencha's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know, Emiline." My breathe caught in my throat. Emiline?

"Godfather, do something!" the other Emiline squealed. "I don't want this woman in my house!" Godfather?

"He's.... he's your godfather?" I stuttered in disbelief. Realization hit me. I looked down at the ring. Tanencha sy Tryin must have acquired the ring. When he put it on, it somehow transported him into an alternate universe. The person I was staring at now was me from a different reality.

"GET HER OUT!!" Emiline shrieked. I removed the ring from my finger and placed it on the table.

"Good-bye," I said, then left the house. I walked along the street outside and sighed. Hopefully, the next time I woke up I would be back to my normal universe.

Maybe some day Emiline would try the ring on her finger. Maybe some day we'd meet again.