My Dear Suitcase

'Oh shit!' you bellowed.

It was a busy day at the railway station as you stormed your way through a bustling mob of tourists. You looked down at your watch.

'Gosh, I wish I could slow down the time…' you thought.

Danny was an old man in his 50s, about 6ft tall and broad shoulders in a grey tuxedo. You pushed your way through the hustle and bustle along with your small brown suitcase. The train whistle blew as you stepped onto the overbridge. The engine puffed clouds of smoke, and the wheels began to turn.  

'It was now or never' you thought.

Your mind stretched like a chariot being pulled by horses from either side. The next moment you leapt from the bridge onto the moving train. And landed on your shoulders with a twist. People in the station went bonkers to see a mad man jumping onto the top of a train. A siren screamed in the halls of the platform, and security force came rushing yet the train already left the station.

No matter what! You knew that this train is not going to stop. Danny caught the handles of the door from the top and flung himself into the cabin chambers. It was the bogey in the centre. The train was jam-packed with tourists and locals, and you pushed through them towards the last compartment. It was if you knew about the train, its bogey numbers and where you had to be.

Sweat came trickling down your temples as you moved from compartment to compartment. Your heart raced as you neared the last bay. Flexing your muscles and taking a deep breath, you slid the cabin doors when a gush of centralized air succumbed your face. You knew that nobody was going to be there, except…

You stood by the side glancing outwards, to the passing of trees and shrubs as the train whistled and rocked its way forward. You put up your elbows covering your face and slowly gazed to your left at a corner window seat. There sat a man, young and dashing, you thought.

Dressed in a white suit, broad shoulders and tiptoed silky shoes. Beside the young man's legs there lay a suitcase. That looked similar to the one you held. His face was much brighter than yours, much more youthful than yours, and slimmer than yours…

He was you.

It was about time, you have to push in and break the suspense to him. Danny broke from his cockish posture and moved towards the young man. You looked at the two suitcases and wished they were both the same weight and colour, yet whatever filled the inside was different.  

'Hey sorry to disturb, is this seat taken?' you asked.

'No, you may please' said the young man as he glanced at you and turned away to look at the running nature outside.

'Thank you' you replied.

'Gosh he can't understand' you thought.

You sat opposite to him and put your suitcase parallel to the other.

You let out a sigh adjusting your coat.

'I've grown fat. Time and age plus my drinking' you thought.  

Time was ticking…. You have to tell him. You leaned yourself forward to break the two timelines.

'Hey Danny' you said, that struck him to look at you.

'Listen, you are not going to believe what I'm about to say. Don't do this.'

'Excuse me, Mr… Who are you? How do you know my name?'

'I'm Danny… I mean… I'm you man… Your future!'

His eyes blazed in disbelief, yet he could see the similarities. The dent below the right cheekbone, the scar on the top left eyebrow, the brown eyes and the black mole by the sideburns all defining you.

'Listen! No time to explain, I need your suitcase. We need to get that out of here before they come.'

'Eh… Who? I mean you look like me, but how? You sound like me too, but old and dry' he said.

'It's a future experiment… we have successfully worked out the time machine, and it works… That's how I'm here' you said.

'No need to panic … This suitcase is a ticking time bomb!' you added.

That sent a shiver down his spine, and he bellowed 'No way!'

'This is my Life's work, Mr... Danny or whoever you are' he yelled.

'You are just an old junkie trying to steal my case.'

'I know who sent you… The government, right? I have begged them to see my papers on the spark between nuclear weapons. They didn't abide to see my notes or my work. They said I was just a dreamer. Now I understand they just don't want my name.'

'Hey Hey… I'm not with the government. I know what you are feeling. I've been there…'

'But you've got to trust me on this man!' you said.

'Danny, your papers are going to be burned to ashes. The whole world is going to be. Your drawings are going to make our future so hostile and dangerous. Millions are going to die…' you shrieked.

'I don't believe you. Get out of this compartment! Or else I'm calling the cops!' he yelled.

'Fine!' you roared.

You slid your hands inside your breast pocket and took out a Walter PPK 9mm and held at his chest.

'Listen to me, you dipshit! Give me the goddamn case or else this will be your last ride!'

He raised his hands while his eyes widened, and his face went glowing white. Just as you bent down to take his case a bullet chiselled past your ear striking at the metal window beside you. Two men in black stormed in. One jumped onto you, flicking the gun out of your hand, while the other pounced onto your younger self trying to restrain him.

You blocked his coming punch at your face and jabbed him by his groin, while your younger one struggled to keep up with the fight.

'Fightback you weasel!' you said as you flipped over your man and bashed his jaw splattering blood and bones. You stood on your feet and raised your hands smashing down on the other man cracking his spine.

'Come on get up!' you yelled at your younger self 'and take those bloody suitcases!'

'Jesus! Why are you so angry?' he asked.

You grunted and cocked your gun.

'Let's move' you walked ahead pointing the gun.

'I never use bad words' he said.

'Yeah, keep at it! You don't know what I've been through!' you said.

You and Danny entered the next cabin. People shrieked and yelled, seeing an armed man.

'Calm down, folks! I'm with the police' you showed your badge 'we have a few unwanted men on this train. Whatever happens, just don't move. We ain't going to disturb your peace.'

Somehow your words had that power. People listened and stayed where they are.

The young man was surprised to know that his future is with the police.

'You liar!' he said

'Just shut up and keep your head down!'

'You die, I die' you said.

Another henchman came bashing from the front, and you slid his arm under your elbows and cracked his joints. You raised your gun and pummelled on his forehead, striking him down unconscious. You and Danny walked into the next bay, and the same followed.

'We have to get on top of this train' you said.

'What! No way! Why the hell are we even moving forward?' he yelled.

'Because we have to stop this train! There is no driver! This journey ends in a crash!' you said.

You and Danny got to the top of the speeding train and walked to the engine.

'How did you survive?' he asked.

'God knows! I got unlucky I guess. Only I make out alive' you said.

'The suitcase?' he asked.

'That was supposed to be stolen by the henchmen. And they jump out onto the river before the crash' you said.

The push was hard against the wind that screamed on your whole body. You have only two more bogeys to reach the engine, just then two henchmen came up from either side and fired at you and him. It streamed past your belly ripping your tuxedo. You fired two rounds aimed at each one, and it scraped their thighs inflicting a searing pain. The two henchmen moved ahead to punch, while you ducked and shoved their chest. You turned and fired at their shoulders, puncturing a deep hole on their balls, flipping them from the train.

The train reached the river, and you fled down to the engine, and he followed you right behind. You caught hold of the brake pedal and pushed it all the way in, and the wheels screeched and came to a sudden sparky halt.

The train was safe now.

'This is what I should have done then' you said.

'It's okay, we never knew...We did the right thing now' he said. 

'Life doesn't give us second chances. This was a miracle' you said.

The young Danny thanked his future self for taking a big leap across time to protect him and the world.

They both exchanged their suitcases. 

The old man took the past with him, while the young man carried his future.