Plot

Based on the short story by Robert F. Young. Written in 1961. Mark, a middle-aged man encounters a young, mysterious woman, while staying at his cabin, who claims to be a time traveler from the future. Over the course of a few days, Mark and the young woman, Julie, begin to form a budding romance with one another. Mark is unhappy in his life, in a stale marriage, where he goes through the motions of living and work. His meeting with Julie is his sought-after respite from the "real" world. After Julie expresses interest in the art of photography, Mark gifts her with his wife Anne's old Polaroid camera from her photography days. Mark takes a picture of her with the camera, which Julie protests due to time travel regulations in the supposed future. She pockets the photo happily after feeling the long-lost magic associated with the analogue art. Later Julie reveals that her father is sick, and she must return home to care for him. Mark continues to daydream about the wonderful young woman he has met and pushes thoughts of his wife from his mind, who is scheduled to meet him at the cabin in a few days. On the fourth visit with Julie, the tone is immediately different. She stands in a black dress and weeps, explaining to Mark, her father has passed away. Julie doesn't know how the time machine works and may only have one or two uses left. She disappears before Mark's eyes and it is known, without a shadow of a doubt, she is from the future, and he may never see her again. Struggling with the somber realization, Mark picks up his wife and sinks into a depression. He ignores Anne's existence and emotional pleas. Mark visits his and Julie's meeting places, searching for her. She never shows. Crushed by Marks' unwillingness to salvage their relationship, Anne packs her suitcase and leaves Mark in the cabin. Shortly afterwards Mark notices a new polaroid photo on the wall in the cabin. It is the Polaroid he shot of Julie the week before. The Polaroid that she took to the future. Mark chases after Anne to the beach where he met Julie. It has dawned on him the truth. Julie had used one of the last uses of the time machine to go back in time and become his wife; Julie/Anne. He confronts the older Julie on the beach, now realizing he had fallen in love with his wife all over again, or at least the younger variant of her. He pleads for her to stay. She turns to give him one last look. Her watch beeps, signalling her return to the future. Mark can only hope their relationship can still be salvaged as he realizes what he was prepared to throw away in the moments that follow.—Rogan Lovse