Echoes of Yesterday
By Nick Somma
In the hazy twilight of the 19th century, a lone figure stands amidst the tumultuous backdrop of the Civil War — Sarah, with eyes the color of emeralds that reflect the tempestuous skies above. Auburn tresses cascade freely over her shoulders as she gazes pensively into the distance, a portrait of graceful defiance against the surrounding chaos.
The scene abruptly morphs into a lavish high-rise apartment in modern day Manhattan. David Allen, a successful tech entrepreneur in his mid-thirties, jolts awake, clinging to the remnants of the vivid dream. Outside his floor-to-ceiling windows, the sleepless city buzzes with restless energy, a stark contrast to the serene past that lingers in his mind. Despite his material success, David finds himself haunted by Sarah, this spectral love from another era.
Over countless restless nights blending seamlessly into busy days, David navigates the breakneck pace of his modern reality — a world of technological marvels, fleeting relationships, and endless ambition. But beneath the veneer of his success simmers an unquenchable longing, a yearning for a love transcending time and reason.
At an extravagant soirée among New York’s crème de la crème, David mills through the crowd, half-heartedly mingling amidst the melodic clinking of champagne flutes. There, through the sea of air kisses and contrived laughs, a woman with striking features drifts along the fringes of the party. Her presence is fleeting yet profound, her graceful manner echoing Sarah’s essence — recognized only by the keenest of observers. Unnoticed by David, she weaves through the room with an enigmatic beauty that lingers like a whisper after she has gone.
Propelled by his vivid dreams of Sarah, David seeks out Dr. Elias Harrow, a maverick in the burgeoning field of time travel. In a cavernous subterranean lab, amidst the hypnotic hum of arcane machinery, Harrow unveils the impossible: a portal into the past. With excitement thrumming through his veins, David agrees to traverse the centuries back to Sarah’s era — a time where gaslights outshine neon and cannon fire drowns out car horns.
Arriving in the midst of the Civil War as a Confederate soldier, David immerses himself in the foreign nuances of the 19th century. Everywhere he turns, the world around him feels jarringly different from the only reality he has ever known. He begins his search for Sarah, longing pulsing through him like a second heartbeat.
When they finally reunite, he is enveloped in her warmth — the scent of wildflowers clinging to her dress, her smile more radiant than he ever dared imagine. As they steal moments together, a love deemed impossible by the bounds of time grows between them, as inevitable as it is forbidden.
But as the harsh realities of Sarah’s era set in, David learns of the tragedy awaiting her, a fixed point in the fabric of history. Desperate to alter her fate, he takes actions sending ripples through time, irrevocably entangling himself in the tapestry of the past. However, history proves resilient to the meddling of a heart from the future. Despite David’s fervent efforts, Sarah’s destiny remains unmoved, as immutable as stone.
Tormented by the futility of it all, David grapples with impossible questions in the dead of night — wrestling with fate, destiny, and the unintended impact of his temporal sojourn. Plagued by insomnia, his mind spins in endless circles weighing duty and desire.
With a heavy heart, David ultimately decides he must return to his native era, leaving his love behind in the past. Their farewell takes on a poetic poignancy — the crescendo of a time-crossed romance destined to endure only in memories.
Back in the glass and steel jungle of modern Manhattan, David struggles to re-adapt to a world feeling suddenly devoid of magic or meaning. The city’s frenetic rhythm now rings hollow and out of sync with the heart of a man indelibly marked by the past.
But then, at an art gallery opening, David’s path fatefully crosses with the mysterious woman from the party weeks prior. As they connect, a spark of recognition flashes between them — a subtle suggestion that Sarah’s spirit lives on. In her, David glimpses hope of moving forward while still honoring the echoes of yesterday.
The encounter brings David a sense of solace — a nod to the possibility of rediscovering lost love across the centuries. He realizes that time is not always the implacable barrier it seems. Perhaps two souls, separated by lifetimes, can find their way back to one another in the end.
David steps out into the city night, the skyline glittering through the darkness. He feels the echoes of his past resonating in his present. Though tinged with sorrow, they remind him that love is that rarest of flowers that can bloom across the bounds of time. The story of him and Sarah remains unfinished, but somewhere beyond the veil of worlds, their entwined destinies march on — timeless — immortal.
