The path we were on lead us to a small house a few miles from the throng of people.

It was much more clear and bright than the area Past had taken me.

Almost as if my surroundings were more current, I felt as if I was closer to finding what I wanted.

However, there was only one spot in which it didn’t shine as clearly as the rest:

The house itself looked a little drained of color, almost bleak against the rest of the city.

I scrunched up my nose in confusion. “This place is strange. Are we in the right area?”

“I’m sure! I know she’s in here. She’s been looking for you too!” Past was way too eager.

She? No sooner than I had the thought, Past knocked on the door, and someone stepped out.

It was a woman that appeared to be about a few years older than me with similar features to my own…

“You’re late, don’t you think?” the woman retorted to Past.

“Well, I looked and looked and only found her recently. Cut me a break!” Past whined.

Seeing such an interaction, I considered once more if I had lost any part of my sanity.

The woman, suddenly, looked at me and spoke a bit more gently, “We’ve been waiting for you. You have to go confront her fi you’re ever going to find what you’re looking for.”

The more I looked at her, the more I began to realize the pattern: Past had younger features that I had as a child, this woman looks similar to me, but with features a little older than mine so she must be…

“Can I ask what your name is?”

A smile. “I think you’re beginning to figure it out. Jessica. I am you in the Future. How much into that future? That is not important.”

My sanity has to be long gone, but oddly enough, I pushed that to the back of my mind.

I had to get to the bottom of this. “Who is this woman that’s been looking for me? She tricked Past into having her bring me to wherever she is.”

Future took on a more serious tone. “Doubt. Her name is Doubt. You keep her alive and me, in particular, from existing. As you can see, my color is fading as well as the house I live in. If you keep her alive long enough, I’ll be…”

A long pause.

“So… I have to find her. That’s all there is to it.”

Future widened her eyes. “It’s nothing to trouble yourself ov..”

I held up my hand. “To risk having you…my Future cease to exist because of Doubt? I can’t live ever thinking that was the best decision to make. All of my life, I have stopped myself from accomplishing so many things because of second-guessing…questioning myself. This will not be one of those times.”

I looked at Past. “My Future and Past are all a part of me. Even if I don’t know what the future will bring, I cannot risk something like that taken from me.”

I turned around and starred into the brightly lit city around us and mustered all of the determination I had left. “Let’s go find her.”