by Jason Ayres
Shortly after the postman’s departure, Charlie and Josh were back at the tunnel entrance. Neither had got much sleep, overcome by the excitement of what they had discovered. It was a crisp autumn morning, but it felt warm in the bright sunshine.
“I want to try it again, Charlie”, said Josh.
“Now hang on a minute. We’ve not been here all night. We have no idea how long you are going to be in there. This thing could be dangerous. You might disappear forever”. Charlie’s naturally more cautious nature contrasted starkly with Josh’s recklessness.
Josh was unperturbed. “We know it only ever doubles in size and last time it was only 45 minutes. It can’t have grown that massively since then even if some other people have been in it. Besides, I don’t fancy school today. You can cover for me, can’t you? Say I’m ill or something?”
“I guess so”, said Charlie, resigned to the fact that as usual Josh was going to do whatever Josh wanted to do and he couldn’t stop him. “What time is it now?”
“It’s five past eight. So let’s try and work out how long I could be in there. If we double what we’ve had so far that gives us 45 minutes for that policewoman, so after that it’s going to be 90 minutes, three hours, six hours – maybe even possibly twelve. Yes, it can’t be more than twelve”.
Josh’s brow furrowed as he worked out the timings. He was doing A Level maths and loved playing around with numbers. Charlie knew that to his cost, having played and lost heavily to him at poker a few times.
“Can you get back here to meet me?” he asked.
“I’ll try”, replied Charlie “But I can’t be back for the first two – I’ve got classes”.
“Can’t you miss them? This sort of thing doesn’t happen every day you know. It’s kind of a bit more important, don’t you think?” Josh couldn’t believe Charlie was putting classes before this monumental discovery.
“I’m not hanging around here all day on the off chance you might appear”, said Charlie. “You might not even be able to go anyway. There could be someone in there already. What about that policewoman? Do you think she might have worked it out?”
“If she had, then don’t you think she or her colleagues would be here? The tunnel would be sealed off, too, I would imagine. Police line – do not cross and all that”.
“I guess you’re right”, conceded Charlie. “Tell you what then – if you come out before three hours, ring me, message me or come into school. If I haven’t heard from you by 11am, I’ll try and get down here to check after three hours are up. If you don’t come out then, I’ll come again three hours after that. Happy with that?”
“I guess I will have to be”, said Josh. “What time is it now – exactly? We must keep timing it so we can calculate the length of each trip precisely.
“It’s 8.07 and three seconds precisely” replied Charlie.
“OK – here goes”. Josh stepped through and vanished.
There was little point Charlie hanging around any longer so he headed off towards school.
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Ye Olde Chapel was a soulless place at the best of times but on Tuesday mornings it could be seen at its most dismal. Built by Presbyterian monks in the late-17th century, it had long ceased to be a place of worship. Now the only salvation its patrons sought was in the cheap beer they flocked to buy on Friday and Saturday nights, later to be vomited up on the streets of the town.
The building had lain disused for years prior to being bought up by a national pub chain. Newly refurbished, it was now doing a roaring trade. The locals referred to it as “Ye Olde Craphole”, but it didn’t stop them from going in there. The lure of cheap food and drink was too tempting.
Although impressive on the outside with its Gothic architecture and stained glass windows, the same could not be said of the interior. On this particular Tuesday morning the place was almost deserted.
Along the right-hand wall was a row of fruit machines, their bright lights flashing in a forlorn attempt to entice in the few customers around at this time of day. A small gaggle of young mums with pushchairs sat at a circular table enjoying the cheap £3.50 breakfast plus a drink deal, their toddlers running around unchecked.
At another table two builders sat having the larger £5.99 breakfast which had two of everything on it, all washed down with a couple of pints of strong lager.
Other than that the only other customer was a bearded middle-aged gentleman sitting at the bar which ran the whole length of the left-hand side of the pub. He was dressed in a smart suit and appeared to be making detailed notes with a biro in the centre of a copy of the Racing Post, pausing every now and again to press a few buttons on a pocket calculator.
However, Ye Olde Chapel did have one key advantage over the other pubs on the High Street. It was the only one open at that time of day. This was good news for one patron in particular who had nothing else of any use to do that day.
The double doors opened and in walked local drunk Andy Green, none the worse and none the wiser for his 42-second trip in the Time Bubble the previous evening.
Andy was 41 years old but looked older. His once-flowing locks of naturally curly hair were thinning and greying now. His tired, bloodshot eyes looked out from a face that was more than a little crinkly, especially around the mouth after a lifetime of heavy smoking.
The single stud earring he wore was beginning to look vaguely ridiculous and his clothes were old and shabby, the ancient denim jacket completing the picture of decline.
Andy himself could not see any of this. In his eyes he was still the life and soul of the party, and as his drinking had increased he had failed to notice that most of his former friends considered him a pain in the arse.
He had always drunk a lot but things had got a lot worse since he had been made redundant three months ago. Now, instead of being down the pub every night, it was every day.
He was dimly aware that the money was running out, but in his alcohol-induced state he chose not to worry about it. He didn’t have anyone to answer to. His wife and kids had long since gone and he had practically lost touch with them. The last he heard of them, they had moved to Cambridge and she had married a scientist.
He convinced himself that he didn’t need them. He was living the life of Riley of a bachelor and he could have anyone he wanted. The reality was that he hadn’t pulled in months.
It hadn’t always been this way. Somehow, somewhere along the way he had turned from a person who was “going to be someone” into a person who “could have been someone”.
Back in the early noughties he’d had it all. A decent job, the looks, the hair, and he could also sing. He had made it through the qualifying rounds of a huge TV talent show of the time, and made a few brief appearances on TV. He didn’t have to try very hard back then to get women. They just seemed to fall at his feet, and the cockier and more confident he became, the more they seemed to like it.
The problem now was that he still thought he was the same person he had been fifteen years ago. He had never bothered to learn how to talk to women properly because he hadn’t needed to. Now his looks were gone, he had nothing left to offer and they didn’t want to know.
Deep down inside he was vaguely aware of this but he kept the reality at bay behind a wall of alcohol and bravado, trying to pretend he was still the loveable rogue he once used to be.
The harsh truth was that most people avoided him like the plague and certainly wouldn’t miss him if he wasn’t around. In fact he could probably disappear for an entire day and nobody would even notice, except perhaps his sister, who would probably be relieved more than anything.
Having been kicked out of his flat some time ago, he was now crashing at her place on the new estate, and needless to say she was sick of the sight of him. In fact she was currently away on a week’s late deal with a friend in Majorca to get a break from him, leaving strict instructions to a) look for a job and b) look for somewhere else to live.
Unsurprisingly, he
had done neither.
It was now just after 10am and time for his first pint of the day. He headed straight for the bar and the nineteen-year-old petite blonde barmaid rolled her eyes, knowing she was in for a long morning. Fifteen years ago he’d have been able to charm someone like her into bed at the drop of a hat, but that was a very long time ago.
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Charlie was back at the tunnel for 11.07, but there was no sign of Josh. He had explained his friend’s absence at school by saying he was ill. This was accepted by everyone except Dan who loudly proclaimed that he “must have a hangover” loudly enough for the Head of Year to hear it. He walked through the tunnel but, as he expected, did not disappear into the Time Bubble so Josh was definitely still inside.
There was no point hanging around the tunnel which was deserted, so he decided to head back to school.
Kaylee and Lauren were sitting in the Year 12 common room during their study period but there wasn’t much work going on. Instead the talk was all of boys, and Kaylee’s mind was on one boy in particular.
“Are you going to be seeing Josh again?” asked Kaylee.
“I’m not sure. He’s a good laugh but you know I don’t want anything serious. I’m having too much fun”, replied Lauren suggestively.
Lauren had discovered sex some time ago and had quickly become a free spirit, wanting to experiment with as many boys as possible. She prided herself on the fact that she had waited until she was sixteen, just six months ago, but now it felt amazing and liberating to have already had four lovers.
Kaylee was different. Although she was two months older than Lauren, she was still a virgin. She was curious about sex but wanted her first time to be special – not drunk at a party which was what Lauren seemed to specialise in.
Despite Charlie’s foolish behaviour on Saturday night, it hadn’t put her off him. In fact, it had almost been endearing in a way. She just wished he hadn’t embarrassed himself and her in front of all their friends.
“I was kind of hoping you might see Josh again – perhaps we could go on a double date?” suggested Kaylee, tentatively.
“Ah – I see where you’re going with this. You want me and Josh to come along with you and Charlie. Well, yeah, I’d be up for that. It’s not like he’s my boyfriend or anything serious. I might even get another shag out of it”. Lauren had an irrepressible twinkle in her eye.
“Is that all you think about?” replied Kaylee, with a slight giggle.
“You should try it sometime. You might enjoy it. I do”. Lauren couldn’t resist making comments about sex at every opportunity. It was one of her favourite topics of conversation.
“I do want to. You know I do”, said Kaylee.
“With Charlie?” enquired Lauren.
“Yes – with Charlie. You know how much I like him. But I don’t want to rush it”.
“You’re hardly rushing it. You’ve liked him since you were five and you’ve not so much as kissed him yet”.
“I thought he was going to kiss me on Saturday. But he wouldn’t stop talking”. Kaylee was starting to feel a little forlorn now thinking back to it. Why had he behaved the way he had?
“The trouble with you two is you are both too shy and too nervous to make the first move. You both know you like each other and it’s blindingly obvious to me, Josh, even Dan, who is insanely jealous by the way. That’s why he picks on Charlie so much. You know I think it is time to stop pussyfooting around and take the plunge. Let’s do this double date thing”. Lauren was ready to take charge of the situation.
“When?” asked Kaylee, feeling a sudden attack of nerves.
“Well, there’s no time like the present!” exclaimed Lauren. “Right on cue!” she announced, as Charlie entered the room. “Hey, Charlie, over here!”
Charlie made his way over to the table wanting to say something devastatingly charming and funny but instead he just came out with a feeble “Alright?”
“We’re good!” said Lauren, suddenly full of energy now she had a mission to accomplish. “Listen, we are planning to go into town tonight to see that new Monsters movie. Do you and Josh want to come?”
It was the first Kaylee had heard of it, but decided to play along and chipped in. “Yes, apparently it’s the best one yet – I’m really looking forward to it”.
Ordinarily Charlie would have jumped at the chance. In fact he couldn’t remember being asked out like this by any girl before. But he hesitated a little. Josh was still in the Bubble and he didn’t know whether or not he would reappear in time. He fumbled over his words in his reply. “Erm…I’m not sure if I can…” His words tailed off.
He could see the disappointment in Kaylee’s eyes and the disapproving look in Lauren’s. A voice in his head was saying, “Pull yourself together man, don’t blow another opportunity”.
He had to think quickly on his feet, took a more decisive tone and continued. “What I mean is, I don’t know if Josh can make it today. He’s off sick. But I would love to come”.
Yes, he would be letting Josh down to some extent if he didn’t reappear in the afternoon, because he would not be able to come with them. It would also probably mean that he would not be able to go back to meet Josh if he came back out of the Bubble in the evening as he would be at the cinema.
Still, Josh was a big lad – he could take care of himself and it wasn’t as if the tunnel was actually dangerous or anything.
“What’s wrong with Josh?” asked Lauren. “Is he really off sick or just skiving?”
Not for the first time in the conversation Charlie had to think quickly. “I’m not sure. Why don’t I pop round and see him after lunch and see if he’s up to coming out?”
“Sounds like a plan”, replied Lauren. “Oh and tell him it’ll be worth his while”, giving Charlie a flirtatious wink.
“I will. Look, I have to go. I’ve got an 11.30 French class. I’ll catch up with you later!”
“Bye, Charlie”, said Kaylee, with a smile.
Charlie walked away. It may have been autumn but he now had a distinct spring in his step. Now he just had to hope Josh would reappear at 2.09pm.
Chapter Six – 23rd October 2018 (2.00pm)
By 2pm, when Andy was well onto his fifth pint of the day, still propping up the bar of Ye Olde Chapel and trying to chat up the barmaid, Charlie was on his way back to the tunnel to look for Josh. But when he reached the tunnel, he could see it wasn’t empty.
Two police officers were walking back towards him, one of whom he recognised as the policewoman he had seen in the tunnel last night.
Hannah was not at all happy at the way things had turned out the previous evening. She still could not come up with any plausible explanation for the missing 45 minutes other than that she may have passed out. She was also still annoyed about the dressing down she had received from her boss, which was totally unjustified in her opinion.
In the meantime she had managed to convince her reluctant colleague to come down to the tunnel for another look.
“I really don’t understand what we’re doing here, Hannah. What do you hope to find?” asked Adrian, with more than a hint of irritation in his voice.
“Something weird happened here last night, and I want to know what”. She really didn’t want to let this go.
“I don’t think we’re in the business of investigating weird happenings, Hannah. This isn’t The X-Files. How are we going to explain this down at the station?”
“We don’t need to explain anything. We are just out on a routine patrol and happen to be walking this way. If anyone asks, we are just checking to see if those graffiti artists have come back. Now then, I think it was just about here where it happened”.
Charlie was watching from the far end of the tunnel about 50 metres away, peering around the entrance in an attempt not to be spotted. He couldn’t hear what the police officers were saying at this distance, but could see that they had stopped at almost the exact point where the entrance to the Time
Bubble was located.
He looked at his watch. It was 2.07pm. If Josh was about to make his reappearance it would happen right in front of them. There was no way they would be able to explain that. He would need to think fast.
Back at the centre of the tunnel Hannah was examining the walls and the ground closely but could see nothing.
“I was walking exactly past this point when those boys disappeared”. Hannah looked vainly hoping to spot some small clue, but ended up perplexed and disappointed. She knew there was something going on here but could not come up with a rational explanation, and it was eating away at her.
“There’s nothing here, Hannah. I think you are just going to have to forget about it. Come on, let’s get back to the station”.
“I don’t want to forget about it. Something’s going on here and I want to know what”.
Charlie watched them arguing. It was almost 2.09pm. There was nothing else for it. He would have to create a diversion. He stepped into the mouth of the tunnel and walked towards them.
Hannah looked up and spotted him, a hint of recognition spreading across her face. “Adrian!” she exclaimed, “that’s one of the boys who disappeared”.
Adrian looked up and recognised one of the two boys he’d spoken to the previous evening.
“Yes, that’s him alright. There’s no sign of his mate, though”.
As Charlie hoped, they walked up the tunnel towards him. He thought about turning and running but decided that would be a mistake. It would be almost like admitting he was guilty of something and they knew what he looked like. Even if he got away it wouldn’t be that difficult to find him. The last thing he wanted was to be hauled off to the station for questioning.
There was nothing else he could do but to try and bluff it out. So he walked forward towards them, and, as he had hoped, they continued to walk away from the Time Bubble towards him.
“Excuse me”, began Hannah. “Didn’t I see you in here last night?”
“Maybe”, mumbled Charlie, in a non-committal manner.