Daily Flash Fiction

Ms. Sandoval adjusted her glasses, a momentary flash in the fluorescent light. Hands shot up across the classroom – always a good sign.

"Alright, alright," she laughed. "So many questions about time travel! Let's dive deeper."

Ethan launched into the classic dilemma, "If I stopped my parents from meeting, would I disappear?"

Ms. Sandoval smiled. "The grandfather paradox – anyone care to tackle this?"

Sarah ventured, "Maybe...different timelines? Another 'me' exists if I change things?"

The idea ignited the class. Ms. Sandoval nodded. "Interesting. Can anyone expand on that?"

Luke jumped in, scribbling notes. "Every choice splits the universe? Small stuff changes in each version, like spilling orange juice..."

"The butterfly effect!" Emilia added.

"Exactly!" Ms. Sandoval grinned. "This stuff keeps physicists and writers up at night. One of you might crack the mystery someday..."

The debate buzzed with closed loops, alternate realities, and the messy consequences of messing with time. Students argued and diagrammed on the whiteboard.

The bell signaled the end of the period.

"Time-traveling explorers," Ms. Sandoval called out, "We continue tomorrow. Just remember, think carefully – your dreams might change the world."

Students spilled out, still chattering. She glanced at the whiteboard, chaotic with theories.

“Are there any questions?” she asked the empty room. It was a question she never left unanswered, even in the lingering, possibility-filled silence.