«Aron!»
Someone was calling my name! I noticed a woman about my own age walking towards me. This has to be a science fiction movie, I thought, because she also was dressed in a futuristic way. Hm… I ought to have known about this movie, considering I live only some miles from this place.
When the woman got to where I was standing, she gave me a warm hug and smiled broadly. It seemed as though she knew me. I can’t say that the way I hugged her in response was quite as warm and heartfelt, but that was because I did not know her. This was really starting to be rather weird.
«Do I know you?» I heard myself ask in confusion.
«Yes and no», was all the answer I received. «My name is Natalia, by the way, and welcome to our small town of Lighthaven.»
«What kind of movie are you filming?» I asked, feeling flurried and bewildered. «And where are the camera men? I don’t see any, nor any movie equipment.»
«You’ll get your answers, just come with me, please» Natalia said.
I followed her across a beautiful small bridge which had been built across the river. They really had put a lot of quality work into this filming, I mused, for here was a fantastic parklike environment and really cool-looking buildings. It seemed a bit odd that Natalia referred to it as a town, though, as it didn’t seem to be of any great size, more like a village. Maybe they had taken such pains with the «scenery» with a view to later usage? Who knows, perhaps they planned to sell the houses and other buildings later? In that case I might even consider moving here myself, I thought, - provided I could afford it, of course, for I found the place to be exceptionally pleasant, with a wonderful ambience! A far cry from the apartment building where I live, to put it mildly. Here there was life all around me, with children at play. Their happy laughter could be heard, a positive sign. But the fact that I did not know of the existence of this place already, was really peculiar...
«Welcome to the future!» I heard Natalia say.
«Ha-ha, thank you. I have to admit that I am quite impressed with the scenery you have constructed for this movie» I replied.
«Aron, this is not a filming, this is the future!» Natalia said, sounding a bit more serious.
I felt shivers going down my back. I looked at Natalia and could see that she meant what she said. She quickly put one hand on my shoulder to calm me.
«Take it easy, there is nothing to be afraid of. You are just a bit shocked and frightened by what I said. And that is simply because you have no inkling of what has happened to you, but I have. Look, let’s sit down over there and I’ll explain a bit more.» And with these words she took my hand and led me to a bench with a view of the area. Her calm words and her touch quietened me and made me trust her.
«What you have experienced is rather special and something only very few people are granted. You should know that we have been waiting for you. We know where you live. We know that you enjoy being in nature and from time to time visit this mountain plateau. We know of your recent troubles. All in all we know a great deal about you and your life. But most importantly, Aron, we know who you are! We know your personality, your character and your psyche», Natalia said.
«How on earth can you know all these things?» I asked in a state of light shock.
«We’ll get back to that later. Just now I only want to explain a bit more about the process and what has happened to you. When you lay down on the mountain plateau and were just about to fall asleep, things started to happen. In that transition between being awake and sleeping, you were brought through a time portal to the future. The details in this process are of no importance in this connection,» Natalia explained.
«How am I going to believe this? It sounds completely weird!» I said and could feel several other questions building up inside me.
«You might begin by pinching your arm», Natalia said and started to laugh. Her laughter made me feel calmer. As a matter of fact I myself began to laugh a little, until she actually pinched my arm. And then we both laughed even more. After a while our laughter subsided and my urge to ask questions returned.
«I might simply have walked down from the mountain, got into my car and driven home. Then none of these things would have happened» I said.
«In the first place, you would not have found your car. Remember that you have stepped into the future. The vegetation has also changed a great deal. Another thing, - the man you met on the way here was actually on his way to fetch you, to bring you here if you had not found your way to us by yourself. He has now gone to his home. Besides, you would have had trouble finding your apartment, to put it like that. The area where you live looks completely different now. But just relax, we shall bring you back in due time. Although I won’t rule out the possibility that you might want to remain here, but I am afraid you can’t» Natalia explained.
«And why can’t I remain?» I asked.
«You could, but we want you to go back to the age you came from,» she answered. «We want you to tell about us to those who are willing to listen.»
«Ok, and precisely what do you want me to tell?» I asked.
«Tell people about how we have solved many of the problems you face, like the environmental problems. Tell them that we have no poverty here, and that we long ago have abolished wars. We want you to tell who we are, how we live, what we do and how we have organized our society. And, not least important, how we love each other and make love to each other!» she said and sent me a warm and coquettish smile. I suddenly felt rather hot. Natalia was a beautiful woman, at least I thought so. Was I embarrassed? In any case I didn’t quite know what to say.
«You are thinking of sex,» she said, laughing. «That is probably no wonder, after all, you are a man.» I had no time to reply – or defend myself – before she continued. «Jokes aside, we shall show you how we make love, including sex, but to make love is so much more than just sex, as I know that you too are aware of.»
«Yes, I am very aware of that» I replied, and felt my body growing warm from her direct, playful and teasing energetic emanation.
«But where you come from, not everyone is aware of this», she said, serious again now. «Here we have neither abuse, rape or prostitution. All of this we have outgrown, and it is one of the many topics we’ll be touching on while you are visiting here.»
«That is great, of course, but this is after all just a small village where everyone knows everyone else, what about the rest of the world?» I said.
«We’ll get back to that. It is not all that small, however, it is larger than you believe it to be. The larger part of the town is behind the hill you see over there. Come along with me now, I’ll show you around.» Natalia got up from the bench, and I followed her while she continued to explain.