The Birthday letter from my future self

Chapter 2: The First Warnings

Jessica barely slept.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the mysterious black car.

The stranger standing beneath her window.

The text message.

The countdown has begun. Run before it's too late.

By three in the morning, she gave up trying to sleep.

She sat on her bed with the letter in her hands.

For what felt like the hundredth time, she read every word.

"Someone close to you is lying."

"Leave the house before midnight."

"Your future depends on it."

And the final line:

"I'm writing this because I love you."

Jessica's heart raced.

Who was Derick?

Why did his words feel so real?

And why couldn't she shake the feeling that she had heard his name before?

A sudden knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Jessica?"

Her mother's voice came through the door.

Jessica quickly hid the letter under her pillow.

"Yeah?"

"You awake?"

"Kind of."

The door opened slightly.

Her mother smiled.

"Long night?"

Jessica forced a smile.

"You could say that."

Her mother sat beside her.

"You've been quiet since the party."

Jessica hesitated.

Should she tell her?

No.

Something stopped her.

The letter specifically warned her not to trust someone close.

Until she knew more, she couldn't risk it.

"I'm just tired."

Her mother nodded.

"Well, your father and I are heading to work soon."

Jessica frowned.

"Both of you?"

"Yes."

"Today?"

Her mother laughed.

"The world doesn't stop because my daughter turned eighteen."

Jessica managed a small smile.

After her mother left, Jessica checked her phone.

No new messages.

The unknown number had gone silent.

Part of her was relieved.

Another part was disappointed.

She needed answers.

By noon, Jessica couldn't take it anymore.

She grabbed her jacket and headed into town.

The first thing she did was visit the bakery logo printed on the mysterious cake box.

The small bakery sat on a quiet street near downtown.

The bell above the door rang as she entered.

A middle-aged woman stood behind the counter.

"Can I help you?"

Jessica pulled out a photo she had taken of the cake.

"This cake was delivered to my house last night."

The woman's face immediately changed.

Recognition flashed in her eyes.

"Where did you get that?"

Jessica's stomach tightened.

"So you remember it?"

The woman nodded slowly.

"Of course."

Jessica stepped closer.

"Who ordered it?"

The woman hesitated.

"I'm not sure I should say."

"Please."

The woman studied her face.

Finally she sighed.

"The man paid in cash."

"What man?"

"He was tall."

Jessica's pulse quickened.

"The same man from last night?"

The woman frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Jessica shook her head.

"Never mind."

The woman continued.

"He wore a dark coat."

"Did he give his name?"

"No."

Jessica's heart sank.

Of course not.

"But..."

The woman suddenly paused.

Jessica leaned forward.

"What?"

"He left something."

"What?"

The woman disappeared into a back room.

Moments later she returned carrying a small envelope.

Jessica froze.

Her name was written on the front.

Again.

In the same handwriting.

Derick.

"He said to give this only if a girl named Jessica came asking."

Jessica's mouth went dry.

"He knew I'd come here?"

The woman nodded nervously.

Jessica quickly took the envelope.

"Thank you."

Without another word, she rushed outside.

Her hands trembled as she opened it.

Inside was another letter.

This one was shorter.

Jessica,

You're already looking for answers.

Good.

But you're asking the wrong questions.

Don't ask who I am.

Ask what happened to you.

The truth begins at 7:00 PM tonight.

Go to Riverside Station.

Come alone.

And whatever happens—

Don't tell Ryan.

Jessica's blood ran cold.

Again.

Ryan.

Why did every warning involve him?

She stared at the paper.

Then checked the time.

1:15 PM.

Almost six hours until seven.

Six hours felt like forever.

Yet they passed faster than she expected.

By evening, anxiety twisted inside her stomach.

She considered ignoring the letter.

This could be dangerous.

A trap.

A prank.

A setup.

But her curiosity was stronger than her fear.

At 6:30 PM, she left home.

The sun was setting as she reached Riverside Station.

The old train station had been abandoned for years.

Broken windows reflected the orange sky.

Weeds pushed through cracks in the pavement.

The place felt forgotten.

Jessica checked her phone.

6:58 PM.

No messages.

No calls.

No sign of anyone.

Maybe she had been fooled.

Maybe none of this was real.

Then a voice spoke behind her.

"You came."

Jessica spun around.

A man stood several feet away.

Tall.

Dark hair.

Black jacket.

The same figure she had seen outside her window.

Her heart nearly stopped.

"You."

The stranger looked relieved.

For a moment, he simply stared at her.

Almost as if he couldn't believe she was standing there.

Then he smiled sadly.

"You look exactly the same."

Jessica stepped back.

"Who are you?"

The man's expression darkened.

"You really don't remember."

"Remember what?"

A strange pain appeared in his eyes.

"As expected."

Jessica's fear grew.

"Tell me your name."

The stranger hesitated.

Then finally spoke.

"Derick."

The name hit her like a shockwave.

For some reason, hearing it in person felt different.

Familiar.

Dangerously familiar.

"You're the one sending the letters."

"Yes."

"The messages?"

"Yes."

"The cake?"

"Yes."

Jessica stared.

A thousand questions rushed through her mind.

"Why?"

Derick looked away.

"Because you died."

Silence.

Jessica blinked.

"What?"

"In my timeline, you died."

The words sounded insane.

Absolutely insane.

Yet something in his voice made her listen.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"No."

"Then why say it?"

"Because it's true."

Jessica shook her head.

"This is crazy."

"I know."

"You think you're from the future?"

"Not think."

His eyes met hers.

"I am."

A cold breeze swept through the station.

Jessica felt her pulse pounding.

Every rational part of her mind screamed that this man was lying.

Yet another part whispered something terrifying.

What if he wasn't?

Derick reached into his pocket.

Slowly.

Carefully.

He removed a photograph.

Jessica accepted it.

The moment she saw it, her breath caught.

It was her.

Older.

Maybe twenty-five.

Standing beside Derick.

Both of them smiling.

Jessica's hands shook.

"What is this?"

"Our wedding day."

Her heart nearly exploded.

"What?"

"You married me."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, I didn't."

Derick's eyes filled with sadness.

"In my future, you did."

Jessica stared at the photo.

It looked real.

Too real.

There was no sign of editing.

No obvious trick.

Even stranger—

The older version of herself looked genuinely happy.

Happy standing beside him.

"This isn't possible."

"I wish you were right."

Jessica handed the picture back.

"This proves nothing."

Derick nodded.

"I know."

"Then why show me?"

"Because soon you'll stop believing this is a coincidence."

Before Jessica could answer, her phone suddenly rang.

Ryan.

Her stomach tightened.

Derick immediately became tense.

"Don't answer."

Jessica frowned.

"What?"

"Don't answer."

"Why?"

"Because he's already looking for you."

Fear flickered through her chest.

"How do you know that?"

Derick didn't respond.

The phone continued ringing.

Finally it stopped.

A second later, a text message arrived.

Ryan: Where are you?

Jessica looked up.

"Why are you afraid of Ryan?"

Derick's jaw tightened.

"I'm not afraid of him."

"Then what?"

For the first time, anger appeared in his eyes.

"Because he's the reason you're dead."

Jessica froze.

The world seemed to stop.

"No."

"It's true."

"No."

"In every timeline, Ryan is involved."

Jessica stepped backward.

"Stop."

"I know this is hard."

"Stop."

"Jessica—"

"STOP!"

The abandoned station echoed with her voice.

Tears burned behind her eyes.

Ryan wasn't perfect.

But he wasn't a murderer.

He couldn't be.

Derick looked heartbroken.

"I said the same thing."

Jessica stared.

"What?"

"When you first disappeared."

Her breath caught.

"What do you mean disappeared?"

Derick's face grew pale.

For several seconds he said nothing.

Then quietly:

"The night you died, nobody found your body."

A chill crawled down Jessica's spine.

"You weren't murdered."

His voice shook.

"You vanished."

The sun had fully disappeared now.

Darkness surrounded the station.

Jessica suddenly felt exposed.

Vulnerable.

Like invisible eyes were watching.

Then Derick's expression changed.

Instantly.

His gaze moved past her shoulder.

The color drained from his face.

"Jessica."

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

"What?"

His voice became urgent.

"Don't turn around."

Fear exploded inside her chest.

"What?"

"Listen to me carefully."

Derick stepped forward.

For the first time, genuine panic appeared in his eyes.

"You're out of time."

Jessica's heartbeat thundered.

"What are you talking about?"

Derick grabbed her arm.

His grip was firm but desperate.

"Run."

A familiar vibration came from Jessica's phone.

Another text message.

Unknown Number.

With trembling hands, she opened it.

The message contained only one sentence.

We found you.

Jessica slowly looked up.

And for the first time, she realized they weren't alone at Riverside Station.

Several dark figures stood in the shadows.

Watching.

Waiting.

And one of them had just started walking toward her.