Future Tormentor

11

Completely drained, Leo could barely catch his breath, his chest heaving with each labored gasp. Despite the exhaustion, he refused to succumb to weakness. Swallowing hard, Leo gradually steadied his breathing and forced himself to stand. He left the scene, returned to the hospital, and retrieved his phone from his locked storage locker. Securing himself in the bathroom, he locked the door behind him.

After calming his breath and steadying his nerves, Leo activated his phone, which buzzed with an electrical hum. The screen flickered to life, displaying a familiar interface. He vividly remembered the time Jeff had randomly input before vanishing - a moment and place Leo would never forget.

Dizziness washed over him as he entered the time, and he was soon enveloped in darkness. The cold December air bit at his skin as he heard heavy breathing nearby...

Jeff stood at the end of the alley, bloodied and disheveled, looking as if he'd seen a ghost at the sight of Leo. Without hesitation, Jeff turned and ran.

The alley, with its familiar dimness and the flickering streetlight suffering from years of neglect, seemed almost comforting to Leo. A wry smile crept across his face as he set off in pursuit. "Let's see where you run to this time!"

Jeff's panic was palpable, but his efforts were futile against Leo's younger, more resilient physique. Leo swiftly overpowered him, pinning Jeff to the ground. As Leo's hands fumbled beside him, finding a loose brick amidst the debris, his eyes burned with a fierce determination to end this once and for all.

Jeff had always feared that Leo might witness him committing a murder that night, never imagining that he would become the victim himself.

Leo lost count of the blows he delivered to Jeff's battered face, stopping only when Jeff ceased to resist. Holding the brick aloft for one final strike, Leo hesitated, a bitter laugh escaping his lips as he realized it was over.

As he dropped the brick and slumped, the laugh turned hollow, joy eluding him despite the sense of conclusion.

The dim streetlight flickered and dimmed further, casting long shadows around him. Rustling sounds hinted at another presence, and Leo knew who it was. As he tried to look up, to rise and confront his past self, the light finally gave out, plunging the alley into complete darkness.

In that moment, Leo thought he saw his younger self, the one who had fled in terror, or perhaps saw nothing but the consuming dark.

"Leo Marshall..." he murmured, hoping to reach out to his past, to explain everything.

But as Jeff vanished once again from before his eyes, Leo felt a sudden surge in his heart rate, a sharp pain in his head, and his knees buckled under the weight of his collapsing world...