Once upon a time in July 1935 John Thompson stood on the corner of Berry Street and Wood Street, Liverpool, waiting for his cousin Fred. John closed his eyes to soak up the sun’s rays and when he opened them he saw a strange figure materialise out of thin air.
John gaped in horror. It was a young man, taller than himself, dressed peculiarly in a bright red shirt and shiny black shorts.
The man’s eyes blazed and his face widened into a broad smile and he excitedly held in front of his face a small, black rectangular thing. The man swivelled on his heels and looked first at the church across the road and then at the traffic before standing in front of John and pointing the thing directly at him.
John was terrified, but he managed to croak, ‘Who are you?’ The mysterious figure did not answer, but hurtled, squealing down Bold Street, waving his strange rectangle around him.
Back in 2025, Dr Alan Bridgenorth, a university boffin, clicked off the video. ‘Time spots,’ he said in a scholarly tone. ‘If you stand at a predetermined place, at a precisely determined time and hold a coin from 1935 in your hand you will return to that year,’ he beamed, adding a little smugly, ‘And that,’ nodding at the video. ‘is your proof.’
Dr Bridgenorth didn’t live happily ever after because his bosses wouldn’t believe his video was genuine: but they did offer him a job in Media Production.
Words: Richard Rooney
Illustration: A.I.
Flash Fiction 250
Flash Fiction 250 