‘Is this like an AI thing?’ says Meg.
I think I’ve forgotten how to speak.
‘Michael?’
Nope. Not really sure how language works right now.
‘What the fuck is this?’ she says.
Say it.
‘I think it’s the past.’
I stare at Meg, and to give her credit she keeps her face steady and doesn’t break eye contact. ‘I’m sorry. Could you say that again?’
My neck flushes in shame but what else can I say? ‘I don’t know how, but I saw the past.’
‘And you photographed it?’
I sound mad.
‘Yes.’
She points at my phone. ‘Then how can I see it?’
I blink. ‘What?’
She touches her acorn necklace. ‘How can I see that –’ she gestures again at the phone – ‘on your phone, but I couldn’t see it with, you know, my eyes?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘This is insane, Michael. Are you sure you don’t want me to call someone?’
‘No, please don’t. I know it’s crazy. I know it makes no sense, but I’m telling you the truth. I swear.’ She looks back at the hotel and shakes her head. ‘Meg, please. I don’t know what’s happening to me.’
We stand quietly on the street as people walk past us. I wish I could say it was all a joke, but I want Meg to believe me. Ineedher to believe me.
She chews her lip. ‘OK. So, you can see the past?’
There’s no logical way to answer this. ‘I think so.’
She gives a half-nod, then bursts out laughing.
My cheeks burn. ‘It’s not funny!’
Meg places her hands on my shoulders. ‘Michael, you just told me you can literally see through time. You’ve shown me a photo that you just took of something that isn’t there. This is terrifying and also, like, fucking hysterical. Right?’
I snort because it is. It is ridiculous. I saw the past.
And something else is wriggling at the back of my mind, like a little kid trying to get my attention in a crowd. Something to do with the lights.
‘I’ve seen other visions too,’ I blurt out.
Meg’s eyes widen and she touches her necklace again.
‘Where? When?’
‘Yesterday, on the boat I saw…’
