The Time Traveler

He had always wanted to see the future. He had spent years working on his time machine, hoping to witness the wonders of human civilization in the next millennium. He had set the date to January 1, 3000, and pressed the button.

He expected to see flying cars, towering skyscrapers, and dazzling holograms. Instead, he saw nothing but dust and ruins. He stepped out of his time machine and looked around. He was in the middle of a deserted city, with no signs of life or technology. He felt a cold wind blowing through his hair and a chill in his bones.

He checked his time machine's display. It showed the correct date and location. He had arrived in New York City, but it was not the New York City he knew. It was a wasteland, a graveyard of humanity.

He wondered what had happened. Had there been a war, a plague, a natural disaster? How long had it been since the last human had walked the earth? He felt a surge of curiosity and fear. He wanted to explore, but he also wanted to go back.

He decided to take a quick look around. He grabbed his backpack and his camera, and left his time machine behind. He walked through the empty streets, taking pictures of the decayed buildings and the cracked pavement. He saw no animals, no plants, no signs of life at all. He felt like he was the last man on earth.

He reached a large square, where he saw a familiar sight. It was the Statue of Liberty, or what was left of it. It was half-buried in the ground, with only its head and torch visible. He recognized it from the movies and the history books. He felt a pang of sadness and nostalgia. He walked towards it, hoping to find some clue or message from the past.

He reached the base of the statue and looked up. He saw something that made his heart stop. It was a plaque, with a date and a message engraved on it. It read:

December 31, 2034
We are sorry. We failed. Goodbye.

He felt a shock of realization. He had traveled too far. He had missed the end of the world. He had arrived in a time when humans were extinct.

He felt a sudden urge to go back. He turned around and ran towards his time machine. He hoped it was still there, still working. He hoped he could undo his mistake and return to his own time.

He reached the spot where he had left his time machine. He saw nothing but dust and ruins. His time machine was gone. He looked around, hoping to find some trace of it. He saw nothing but dust and ruins.

He felt a wave of despair. He realized he was trapped. He had no way to go back. He had no way to escape. He was alone in a dead world.

He fell to his knees and screamed. He screamed until he had no voice left. He screamed until he had no hope left. He screamed until he had no life left.