I couldn't believe my eyes when I picked up my phone. How could I have been calling myself? My heart raced, thudding loudly amidst the fear building in my chest as I answered my own number

"Hello? I asked, my voice trembling.

"It's me." came the reply as my heart skipped a beat.

Who is this?" I asked, still unsure.

"It's your future self, don't you remember?

I sat down with a soft thud, stunned, trying to make sense of it all, my mind awash with a million questions that I was sure I should ask myself.

"What do you know? What have you seen? I asked in awe.

"You know I can't answer that, it wouldn't be fair." came the response "But I'm here to warn you that there is trouble ahead, you must tread carefully."

"But I don't understand..."

"Trust your instincts, don't let them lead you astray, and always remember, every choice you make has consequences."

Suddenly, the call disconnected, her warnings ringing loudly in my mind, my whole body trembling in fear and disbelief. Slowly, I reached out to my phone and checked the call logs, sure that there had been some mistake, but the incoming call wasn't registered. I stared at the spot where my number should be, I don't know what I expected; maybe I was hoping that there would be some kind of evidence that I wasn't going slightly mad. An eerie feeling crept over me like someone walking over my grave, and then there was a knock at my front door, making me jump in fright. Cautiously, I got up and went to answer it, peering through the peephole in fear of what might be waiting for me on the other side of the door. I saw a well-dressed man, straightening his tie and looking impatient as he rapped the door again. I opened the door with the chain on, peeking out through the crack.

"Yes?"

"Good afternoon, Miss, I'm here on behalf of the Radial Insurance Company, and if you have a moment, I'd like to discuss our fantastic offers with you." he replied with a smarmy smile.

"I'm sorry, I'm not interested," I replied as I started to push the door shut.

"Miss, this won't take long. If I could come in for a few minutes, I'm sure you will see the benefits that Radial has to offer a single lady such as yourself."

He had the flat of his hand on the door now, not shoving it open but putting enough pressure on it so that I couldn't close it any further. My heart was still pounding in my chest from the phone call, and I was in no mood for conversation with anyone, let alone a door-to-door salesman selling insurance. My mind raced, desperately trying to think how I could get rid of him quickly, and the longer I took, the more I saw his smile fade to the impatience that I saw through the spyhole.

"Really, it would be a waste of time, I already have insurance," I explained lamely.

"Oh, it couldn't possibly be as astute as Radial's Miss." he replied, his smile pinging back into place.

"I'm sure, why don't you leave me some material to read over, and maybe we can do this another day?" I replied as forcefully as I could muster.

He didn't reply as he passed me through a bunch of leaflets before turning on his heel and leaving. I let out a sigh of relief as I shut and double locked the door, collapsing back into my comfy sofa, throwing the leaflets on the table without a second thought. I closed my eyes, telling myself that the phone call and the random salesman at my door were all a coincidence, a glitch in the fabric of time that I was simply too stupid to understand. As I fell asleep, I clung to my phone as if that would fix everything that felt wrong.

I woke a few hours later with a start, wondering where the day had gone. Sleepily, I turned on the TV and wandered into the kitchen, thinking about what to have for dinner. As I rifled through my fridge, the voice of the woman on the TV caught my attention, and I hurried back through to hear what she was saying.


"A man is being held tonight in connection with a string of serious assaults in the local area. David Berman, 36, was caught by local police after gaining entry to Melanie Cann's premises. Melanie, 23, called 999 when Mr Berman, posing as an insurance salesman, refused to leave and pushed his way inside. Melanie sustained multiple injuries and is now recovering in the local hospital with the support of her family. Police are asking for anyone with information connected to this to come forward by calling the number at the bottom of the screen."


I sat shocked, trying to read the number between the tears that fell down my face, determined to remember it as I shakily reached for my phone. As I waited for an answer, it dawned on me that if I had let him in, that could've been me in the hospital trying to heal. I jumped in fright as my call was answered.

"This is the police hotline. How can I help?"

"Yes, I, I" I stammered, trying to hold back my tears.

"It's alright, take your time."

"I, I saw the news, the man, Berman...He was at my door today."

"Are you alright to stay on the line, and I'll get some details and then we'll get someone straight round to take a statement from you?"

I still can't explain what happened that day, maybe it was my future self protecting me from my usual trusting nature, I guess I'll never really know for sure. But that call changed me forever; it made me more cautious, made me realise that every choice we make can shape our future in ways we can never begin to fathom.