Charlie meets Charlie

The rain fell like cold hammers that pounded the street. Charlie shivered and drew himself deeper into his coat. He stopped for a moment, at the curb before crossing the road, and looked back at the diner where he just left Shay. A street drone rushed past him. It was an old model and probably couldn't even fly.

Charlie walked past 32nd street. Had he been on his way to the Dungeon, he would have turned here, but he wasn't going to the Dungeon. The miners could take care of themselves. He had a much more important task. It was time to see Thomas and find out exactly what he had planned.

He rounded a corner and shuffled through a dark alleyway. He waded through a river of trash, filth, and homeless. The city was dirty here. You could smell the fear, and pain, and death. Charlie wasn't afraid. He had grown up here. The streets and shadows were his home. He walked past a sour smelling dumpster.

A figure stood up from the shadows. "Hey, buddy, you got any--"

"Look, pal, " Charlie said, "I got nothin' for you. So, you can sit back-- "

"Hello, Charlie." The figure looked up at Charlie.

"Do I know you, man?" Charlie asked.

"Not exactly," the man said, "But, I know you."

"Look, I don't care what--" Charlie looked harder at the man, "Why do you look familiar?" Charlie hardened his stance. Who are you?"

"I don't have time to explain. I am you," the man whispered, "Come, we need to talk."

"Whoa, holy shit, get away from me. Are you crazy, mister?"

"If you want to live, and if you want Shay to live, then you have to come with me now."

Charlie looked at the man again. The guy did look like him, although he was in his fifties and Charlie just turned 20. Charlie smiled. "Lay off the booze, friend." Charle started to leave the alleyway.

The man pulled his shirt open to reveal a long thin scar over his shoulder. "Remember this scar?" the man said, "You got it when Julie Scarbor pushed you off your bike in the third grade."

Charlie took a step back and his hand moved unconsciously to his own shoulder where a deep scar ran over his shoulder.

"I am you," the man slammed his fist into the dumpster, "I'm here from the future and we don't have time to continue convincing you. They are coming."

"They are coming," Charlie said. He didn't know what was going on. This was a lot too weird for him. "No, what are you talking about? Who's coming?"

"The future is coming, here, and it will be here soon. We have to go now."

"All right," Charlie said, "I'll listen. But at the first sign of funny--" Charlie was cut off by a bright flash of light. The man pushed back his coat sleeve and revealed a watch that lit up the entire alley.

The man put his hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Let's go, then," he said, and the two men disappeared from the alley and the darkness returned.

Part I https://steemit.com/writing/@ixoiru/the-star-50-club

Part II https://steemit.com/writing/@ixoiru/the-star-50-club-part-2-shay