A Stairway to Past
Once upon a time, in a small town littered with glistening emerald landscapes, lived a widow named, Margaret. Lonely and remorseful, she lived in a vintage cottage on the edge of the town. Kids called it, 'Ghost House', but Margaret called it her sanctuary.
One blistering summer, a mysterious stranger named Eldridge turned up at the town. Dressed in strange attire, carrying peculiar instruments, Eldridge introduced himself as a time-traveller. Skepticism filled the air, but Margaret, intrigued by his audacious claim, invited him over tea.
At her cottage, they talked for hours. Margaret disclosed her tragic story of losing her husband and only son in a car accident. Eldridge listened, his golden eyes filled with warmth. He comforted Margaret before presenting her with a mysterious watch. Peculiar designs adorned the silver timepiece. On its face, it read, 'A Stairway to Past'. He explained, this watch had the power to take her back in time. Only one catch; she could only return once till yesterday's noon.
Hope started kindling in Margaret’s heart. She yearned to be with her family one last time. With quivering hands, she accepted the watch. A surge of dazzling light blinded her momentarily. When she opened her eyes, she was standing in front of the same house, but it looked radiant, filled with laughter and merry noises.
Margaret's heart swelled with happiness as she watched her husband joyously playing with their son in the yard. The sight took her breath away. She ran and joined them, allowing herself to drown in their love and warmth. Days and nights rolled in and out of focus as Margaret reveled in the moments she thought she’d never experience again.
Days passed, and the inevitable approached. Mornings were marked with laughter, days with love, and nights with the dread of the upcoming accident. Margaret knew her time was running out. On the fateful day, at breakfast, she informed her husband that she had planned a visit to the countryside. She booked him and their son a day at the amusement park.
Margaret held back her tears as she said goodbye, watching them head to the park instead of their doomed fate. Content that she had altered the timeline and saved her family, she clicked the dial on the watch to return to her present.
Once again surrounded by blinding light, she found herself back in her reality. Her house was no longer the empty domicile of the dead. She found her husband cooking lunch, their son doing his homework diligently. Tears streamed down Margaret's face as she realized that her drastic deviance from the timeline gave her back the joy that she thought was lost forever.
She thanked Eldridge for his priceless gift and also asked why he chose her, out of everyone. To which he replied, 'In your agony, I saw courage. In your solitude, I saw strength.' With a warm smile, Eldridge disappeared, leaving behind a grateful Margaret, now blessed with joy, laughter, and love once lost.