James opened the door, walked confidently into the room, and stopped short at the sight of himself, lying back in the armchair with his legs crossed, his eyes half-closed and a smile on his face.

“Ah, James! How nice to see you. That is, me. Do take a seat.”

James tried to respond casually, but coming face to face with oneself is never easy. The best he could come up with was, “Err…who the hell are you?”

The man in the chair laughed softly. “Ah, I remember my confusion. Nothing I can say will change it, but I should tell you the truth – I’m you, or rather, I am what you will be in around…oh, four days, give or take.”

He certainly looked, and sounded, like James. The only difference was an apparent lack of stomach-churning fear. It was all James could do to spin on his heel and march back the way he had come.

James opened the door, walked confidently into the room, and stopped short at the sight of himself, lying back in the armchair with his legs crossed, his eyes half-closed and a smile on his face.