"I know you probably do not believe me," he said after a pause. "To me, the strangest thing is that I am back here in this familiar room, looking at your friendly faces. You can think it is just a dream or a made-up story. But if it is just a story, what did you think of it?"
The room was very quiet. Then, the Editor stood up and sighed. "It is a pity you do not write books!" he said, putting his hand on the Time Traveller’s shoulder.
"So, you don't believe it?" the Time Traveller asked.
"Well..." the Editor said slowly.
The Time Traveller lit his pipe. "To tell you the truth, I hardly believe it myself." He looked at his hands, which were covered in small cuts, and then at the strange white flowers on the table.
The Medical Man walked over to look at the flowers. "These are very unusual," he said. "I don't know what kind of plant this is. Can I keep them?"
"Certainly not!" the Time Traveller answered quickly. "Weena put them in my pocket when I was in the future."
Suddenly, the Time Traveller put a hand to his head. "Being back here in normal life is confusing my memory. Did I really build a Time Machine? Or was it all a dream? I must go and look at the machine—if it is actually there!"
He picked up a lamp and walked quickly down the hall. We followed him. There, in the dim light, was the Time Machine. It was made of metal and shiny stone. It looked real and heavy, but it was dirty. There were brown spots on it, and bits of grass and dirt on the bottom parts. One piece of metal was bent and broken.
The Time Traveller touched the damaged machine gently. "It is real," he said softly. "The story I told you was true. I am sorry to have brought you out here in the cold."
We all said goodnight and went home. The Editor thought the story was a complete lie, but I was not sure. The story was amazing, but the Time Traveller had seemed so serious. I lay awake all night thinking about it.
The next day, I decided to go back and find out the truth. The servant let me in, and I went straight to the laboratory. The room was empty, but the Time Machine was there. I touched the control lever, and the heavy machine shook slightly.
I walked back into the house and met the Time Traveller. He was carrying a small camera and a backpack. He smiled when he saw me. "I am frightfully busy right now," he said.
"But is it really a joke?" I asked him. "Do you really travel through time?"
"Yes, I really do," he said, looking straight into my eyes. "I only need half an hour. If you wait here for lunch, I will bring back proof. I will show you everything. Please, excuse me for a moment."
I agreed and sat down with a newspaper. He went down the hall, and I heard the laboratory door close. Suddenly, I remembered that I had an important meeting at two o'clock. I got up to tell him that I could not stay.
As I opened the laboratory door, I heard a sharp click and a loud noise. A strong wind blew past me, and I heard the sound of breaking glass. The Time Traveller was not there. For one second, I thought I saw a ghostly figure sitting in a spinning shape of metal. The figure was so clear that I could see the wall right through it. Then, I rubbed my eyes, and it disappeared.
The Time Machine was gone. The room was completely empty, except for a little dust in the air.
I stood there in complete shock. Then, the door to the garden opened, and the servant walked in.
"Did he go out that way?" I asked.
"No, sir," the servant replied. "Nobody came out. I thought he was in here."
At that moment, I understood everything. I stayed there and waited for the Time Traveller. I wanted to hear his second story and see the photos he promised to bring.
But now, I am afraid that I will have to wait for the rest of my life. The Time Traveller disappeared three years ago. And, as everybody knows today, he has never returned.