30 June @marinnewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2783: Grandfather Paradox.
Here is my post on #freewriters2783 #dailyprompt
grandfather paradox hosted by 
My original purpose in building the time machine was curiosity, not mayhem. I had always been fascinated by time travel, which led me to this point. I only wanted to see the past; I did not want to change anything. However, temptation is a cunning foe.
My grandfather, whom I never knew, had passed away in an odd way. Family rumours suggested treachery, possibly even murder. Determined to find the truth, I set the coordinates to 1962, the year before my father was born. However, as the machine moaned and came to life, a sinister idea began to creep in: What if I prevented him from ever seeing my grandmother?Will I disappear? Would history fall apart?
With the dust swirling at my feet, I arrived in a small Nigerian village. My grandfather, Udo Etuk, was tall, proud, and full of dreams when I found him in his youth. He was not married yet. I felt the weight of possibility as I watched him from a distance. A traumatic family history could be avoided if I forewarned him and ended their meeting. I would, however, also erase myself.
Nevertheless, the paradox drew me in like a siren.
One night I went up to him. I said, "There is danger in your path," while using riddles to disguise my warning. He nodded and narrowed his eyes as he listened courteously. I told him to stay away from my grandmother, the woman he would soon fall in love with. I was about to leave when he yelled, "You remind me of someone."
I tried to leave that night, but the time machine sputtered. Broken. Due to a choice I had already made, I was stuck in a time that was not mine.
Weeks went by. There was a literal fading of me. My hands became translucent. My voice had an odd echo. Something was different because of me. Perhaps he had paid attention. It is possible that he was never married. It is possible that my father never existed.
Fear surged within me. Now that I was engaged to someone else, I went back to Udo. I pleaded with him to think again. I revealed my identity, the machine, and the future.
His laughter was soft. "You have made me realise what really counts."
He came back to my grandmother the following day.
That is when everything fell back into place. My palms got hard. The machine began to whirr. I nearly erased myself. Not quite.
In the past, everything appeared to be the same. However, I was aware of the fact that time is not a toy. Pulling too hard could cause you to disappear along with the past, which is a delicate thread.