A strange man by the name of Collin claims he comes from 25 years into the future and tells Emma that she will be married in a year's time.
He even leaves her a clue - he is someone she has already met.
Who is Collin anyway?
*Highest rank: 44 in C...
There are things which are preordained - people call this fate. Things that happen in one's lifetime repeat themselves no matter how many times you do a reset. People thought that time travel allows one to create a ripple effect of changes if something in the past was disturbed, but let me dispute this once and for all.
They don't.
Hence, we do not return to the past to reinvent the future. We only observe.
-Collin
* * *
2016
Emma sits inside a dainty bar, her legs dangling from the high chair she's on. Once or twice, men around her flash her a smile or give her a mini toast. She barely acknowledges them by turning her body away and averting their gazes. She opts instead to observe Alice, her younger sister that is seated beside her, swirl her glass of vodka absent-mindedly. She also happens to find Alice's new hairdo interesting. Gone are the dark brown tresses that cascade down half her back - she now sports a spunky pixie cut which Emma has finally grown to appreciate.
Following a few buzzes on her phone, she taps out a response carefully as she urges Ethan, her faithful counsellee, to make up with his long-time girlfriend, Sarah, for what seems like the hundredth time. She gives a long sigh on behalf of the volatile couple, wondering what their deal really is. They argue over the littlest things, dangling breakup on the line ever so often.
She doesn't get it. If Ethan doesn't have a problem with Sarah's parties and her raunchy photos with other male models, then why can't he accept her other rough edges? Why argue needlessly over insignificant matters?
"Those two at it again?" Alice asks, raising an eyebrow at her and intently observing Emma's crinkled forehead.
Indeed, Emma has played mediator enough times for even Alice to notice, and Emma feels the slightest tinge of guilt for portraying those two in such negative light before her sister.
"Well, they always make it through!" Emma remarks. And yet she isn't so optimistic. Their problems have been chronic. Still, she doesn't want to jinx them. Not everyone needs to end up loveless like her.
She flips through the menu absentmindedly, not really registering the drinks listed inside. She soon gives up and settles for familiarity. "I think I'll just have the same thing, Max."
The bartender nods with a smile as he reaches towards the cupboard, and grabs the liquors and mixers from a colourful selection of bottles. Emma always marvels at how bartenders remember where things are. She knows for fact she wouldn't be able to. She can't even find things half the time in her own home.
"They're dysfunctional. You know it too," Alice says, expressing her ever-so-skeptical opinion about those two even when it's nothing to do with her.
Emma says nothing and continues to sneak glimpses at her phone. When it buzzes again, she picks it up immediately expecting something from Ethan, but it is an unknown number. Emma narrows her eyes at the message, then finally flicks it open.
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