SHORT STORY (A TRAVEL TO THE PAST)

One day there was a boy named Dryle. He is a science addict and likes to invent a lot of
things that can use for our everyday life. He has a project called “A travel to the past and future”
where he needs to invent the time machine that can travel to the past and future. He poured all of
his time just to finish it. And, after four years of making it with a lot of failed testing, he finally
makes it. Now, he just needs to test it again by himself. He enters inside of the machine and put a
year where he wants to travel, “from 2020 to 1963, Let’s see” he said with excitement. From the
moment he pushes the button, his life going to change forever.

The time machine took him into a closed space, and he was amazed that finally, his
project was not a failure anymore. Now he just needs to wait for one month to go back to his time.
He tried to observe everything that happens outside and type it on his phone. He also tried to
capture some for evidence and after that, he hides his phone in his safest pocket since he
doesn’t want to lose it. “Who are you?” said a girl in his back with a rifle in his hand. “Wait, I am
not a bad guy, I am just lost” his fake excuse. “What are talking about? Are making fun of me?
How come you lost in the middle of the war?” she said angrily, and Dryle gulp for the
nervousness he felt. “I am n-not making fun of you. What year is now? And what war are you
talking about?” he asked. The girl just laughed and said “Crazy man, are you just woke up? It is
May 1, 1898, Now are you back on your senses?”. “What? That’s when the battle in Manila Bay
happened, I type the year correctly, how come I went to this year? Is my project fail again? What
if I can’t go back? Am I going to die in this year?” he continuous. “No, it can be!” he said like a
crazy man. “Here take this,” the girl said and gave her riffle to Dryle. “Don’t worry this is a safe
place, I am the only one who knows this place since this is my hideout. I made this place for me
and it is located under my house. So basically, we are in the underground” the girl explained.
“How did you get here?” the girl asked.

“I came from future,2020” he just answers. “Are you making fun of me again?” she asked.
“No, that’s the truth. And the machine that I used brings me here in your time. I don’t know but I
am supposed to travel in the year 1963.” He sadly said. “I don’t know if I am going to believe in
you, but by the way I am Katarina,” she said. “Your name is beautiful and not so Filipino I wonder
where your parents got your name. By the way, I am Dryle” he said. “My parents just want my
name unique. So, are you really telling a truth?” “Yes, here’s my evidence,” he said and bring out
his phone.” Wow! this is fantastic” she said. Dryle shows Katarina how to use a phone and
Katarina was amazed. “How? I mean your year was incredible, like how did you invent this kind of
thing and the time machine?” “The phone was common in the year 2020, and most people even
kids have a phone, and the time machine? I am the one who’s making it, and think there was a
mistake about it that’s why I am here. We invent this kind of thing using a lot of calculation in
math and science” he said. “I am sorry to hear that. You can stay here for now and please don’t
try to go out because it was really dangerous outside. I am trained for this situation unlike you.”

After the day they met, they became close day by day. Six months passed and still, Dryle
can’t go back to his time. He doesn’t know when he will come back but he is sure he wants to
spend his remaining time with Katarina. He already trained himself for the war so he could save
Katarina in case something bad happens. A year passed and Dryle losing his hope that he can
still come back. And another few years passed until World War 1 happened. Dryle was already in
the year 1914. And he already spends 16 years in the past. He and Katarina are already together.
Their feeling for each other already develops and Dryle don’t know what happened if he ever
comes back to his year. He doesn’t want to leave Katarina alone. He really loves her so much. He
wants to try to invent something like the time machine but it is impossible in the year of Katarina.

The war was started and both Dryle and Katrina are joining in. “Are you okay?” Katarina
asked Dryle. “Y-yeah, I just feel like something bad will happen” he answered. “This scenario was
already bad, Dryle. Relax and focus” she said to calm Dryle. “Yeah, thank you and I love you,
always remember that” Dryle said. “I love you always and always be until I die” she said with a
smile. “Don’t say that” “What? It’s true until I died, I will still love you, and to my next, and next life
I will still ¬¬ ꟷ love you. The world and universe let us meet. You know why?” “Why?” “Because
no matter what happened, we are really destined to be together.” she said with a smile, and Dryle
hugs her. “If I ever come back from my time, I will still choose to come back here to you.” He said
and Katarina just nods. “Let’s go” she said and go out first, and Dryle followed.

The war was totally chaos and there are hundreds of people who died from their place.
Dryle and Katarina are still fighting to live but they will never ever stop the tragic love story that
destined for them. Katarina was shot in her arms that cause Dryle to lost his focus. Katarina saw
someone that will be going to shot Dryle straight to its head. She runs to Dryle and hugs it and
said “You should not die here, save yourself. I love y ꟷ” Katarina didn’t finish her last words when
she was shot to her head, and fall to the arms of Dryle. “No, no, please wake up. Don’t try to
leave me, please” he cried and cried and didn’t even bother the bullets that are flying in the air.
“You should die also” someone’s said on the back of Dryle and put its riffle into the head of Dryle.
Dryle doesn’t care anymore, he also wants to die with Katarina. But before the bullet hit Dryle’s
head, Dryle suddenly disappeared like a bubble.

Dryle came back to his time, and he wakes in a white room. “What happened?” he asked
the man he works with. “We just found you inside your time machine unconscious. What
happened? It did not work again?” the man asked. “I guess it failed again, I am going to quit that
project now” he said and the man just nods, respecting Dryle’s opinion. The man came out of the
room after they talk. And then, Dryle started to cry. He still can’t accept what happened between
him and Katarina. But he immediately wiped away his tears when the nurse came to his room.
“Sir, do you still feel anything? Like dizziness?” the nurse asked. “No, I am already oka ꟷ “he
suddenly stops when he saw the nurse's face. “K-Katarina?” he asked. “That’s my second name,
how did you know that?” the nurse asked. “It’s me Dryle” Dryle said. “I know” she replied.
“Really?” Dryle asked happily. “Yes, because you’re my patient” she just said. “O-okay, I am
sorry, I thought you’re the girl that I met before.” He sadly said. “But you know what, your face
and your name are kind a familiar to me and I really don’t know why because I never met you
before,” she said. “By the way don’t make fun of me. Are you my stalker? How do you know my
second name?” she asked and Dryle just smiles.

THE END