Benjamin Blake started to feel fed up with his job at the office, continuously having to deal with people's insurance claims all day long. Benjamin had gotten to hate his job so much; he started to take days off work by ringing in sick. That night after a long day at work, Benjamin found it hard to sleep. But while he lay awake on top of his bed watching the stars through the bedroom window, a fallen star suddenly shoots across the clear night sky in a trail of bright light. Benjamin makes a wishful thought upon the star for his life to be more fulfilling. Suddenly, his attention is quickly drawn away by a sudden noise that is heard coming from downstairs, and living by himself, he was not expecting any visitors.
He opens the bedroom door very slowly, so it does not creek. He leans over the banister in the hallway at the top of the stairs. Benjamin could hear somebody moving things and walking around the kitchen when suddenly, he remembers that he forgot to lock the back door before going to bed. Feeling scared and anxious, he goes back to the bedroom thinking of what to do next. Benjamin could not telephone the police because his phone was inside a jacket pocket hanging on the coat rail downstairs in the hallway. Quickly he got dressed and searched around the bedroom trying to find an object he could use to defend himself. The only thing that he could find was a small pair of paper scissors at the back of a drawer. With the scissors clenched tightly in his right hand, he makes his way down over the stairs tiptoeing quietly. Before entering, Benjamin switches on the light and is very startled when he sees a masked burglar standing in the middle of the kitchen. Benjamin shouts at the top his voice.
“Get out of my house!”
The masked burglar snatches a laptop off the kitchen table and quickly runs out the back door making no attempt of a confrontation. Benjamin gives chase to the burglar down the back lane of his house. But the chase is cut short, when Benjamin accidentally trips over and falls headfirst down through an uncovered manhole and into a pitch-black pipe. Benjamin slipped down the pipe at such a fast speed; the fall became completely unstoppable and very frightening. Benjamin yelled at the top of his voice, “Help! Please someone help! My god help!”
Benjamin saw daylight throttling towards him and found himself suddenly flung out at such a high-speed leaving his body spinning around in mid-air. Within seconds he started to descend and plunged headfirst into a deep pool of water. Heart racing and running out of breath, Benjamin swims as fast has he could to the surface of the water. A crack in the rock wall sheds enough daylight down through for Benjamin to see that he had fallen into a cavern with very high solid rock walls. He swims to the water’s edge where he manages to pull himself out. A large wood panelled door was on the other side of the water pool. There was no other way to get to this door but to submerge back into the water and swim across. Pushing the iron handle in a downward motion, Benjamin slowly pulls the door open. Beyond his amazement was a large grass field completely surrounded by large hedgerows.
Shots of gunfire and aeroplane engines could be heard in the far distance. Benjamin makes his way across the field heading closer towards the noise. Pulling back a latched gate in the corner of the field, he looks down over a steep hill and could see army vehicles and soldiers at the bottom holding guns. In the far distance sky, there were old fashioned looking warplanes firing their weapons. Running closer Benjamin shouts over to one of the soldiers.
“Could you please help me, I need to know where I am?”
“Get your head down!” shouts the soldier. “You will get yourself shot!”
“Shot!” replied Benjamin looking very confused. “Are you doing some sort of military exercise?”
“Don't stand out there!” yelled the soldier. “Keep your head down and get over here to the bunker.”
“You're lucky we didn't mistake you for the enemy. What is your name?”
“My names Benjamin Blake.”
“Nice to meet you Benjamin. My name is Maurice Bridgman,” holding his hand out for a friendly welcome shake.
“I think we have shot all the soldiers that were hiding behind the trees over there.”
“Shot who?” Benjamin asked, feeling very confused and overwhelmed by the entire encounter.
“The enemy!” replied Maurice.
“You cannot be telling me this is for real Maurice? You and everyone else are dressed up like World War II folks… What exactly is happening Maurice? Where is this place?” asked Benjamin looking very puzzled.
“France, 1944, and it's Christmas Day tomorrow, or have you forgotten that too?” replied Maurice.
“This is absolute madness,” said Benjamin. “It's 2015 and the month is June not Christmas.”
“Lots of people have gone mad in this war Benjamin. That soldier over there, woke up yesterday morning took his uniform off and went looking for his Pyjamas. I wish I could wake up and find myself back home, sat in front of the fire with my wife Gladys on Christmas Day with all this war being just a dream.”
“I have not gone mad Maurice!” said Benjamin. “Five minutes ago, I was chasing a burglar down the back lane and the next thing I know I went flying down this man hole and ended up here”
“Sounds like you knocked yourself out and woke up seeing the fairies!” laughed Maurice.
“Where is home then Benjamin when your heads feeling alright? Do you work for the press because you are not in uniform?”
“I live in Exeter and I work for an insurance company,” replied Benjamin.
“That's not far from where I live,” replied Maurice looking surprised. “I live in a small town called Modbury, just outside of Plymouth.”
“Somehow Maurice I have got to get back home, but I'm not sure how?”
“Try going back home the same way you came,” replied a soldier who was stood by the entrance of the bunker listening in on the conversation.
“I wish I was going back home, eating my Christmas dinner with all my family sat around the table,” the soldier remarked.
“Don't worry Tim, the war will soon be over and then we can all go home,” said Maurice.
“Why not come back with me Maurice and get the hell out of this place?” asked Benjamin.
“I'm sorry Benjamin but I could not desert my men. I know I'm stuck in a place where none of us want to be, but sometimes you have to make the best out of the worst when you do not get given a choice.”
“Write a little letter to your wife Maurice and I promise you I will hand deliver it tomorrow on Monday.”
“You're as mad as a hatter Benjamin, my wife won't get that letter that quick and besides, postmen don’t work on Christmas Day.”
“It may be Christmas Day for you Maurice but it's not for me and I promise I will deliver that letter to your wife.”
“Ok Benjamin, I will write that letter to my wife just to keep you happy, but I am not saying I believe in your time travelling story though.”
Maurice retrieves a piece of paper and pen from his bag and writes a small letter to his wife. He then folds it in half and writes his address on the front.
“Would any of your other soldier friends like to write a letter?” asked Benjamin.
“I would not go spreading that story around too much Benjamin. Those men in the white coats will have you locked up in a nut house for good,” said Tim. “But like I said, try going back the same way you came… wherever that is and good luck to you mate.”
A few miles away, planes could be seen in the sky dropping bombs, leaving a vibration of heavy pounding when they hit the ground. Benjamin quickly ran back up the hill and across the field heading towards the large wood panelled door. The end of the pipe that Benjamin fell through was embedded high on the wall, which made it quite impossible to get to. Suddenly the water pool started to swirl around and around getting faster and faster.
The water lifted high up into the air emerging into a whirlwind. The water starts to wind itself around Benjamin's body, sucking itself and Benjamin headfirst back into the pipe elevating at a much faster speed than what he came down. There was daylight throttling towards him and he finds himself thrown out at such a high-speed leaving his body spinning around and around again into mid-air. Within seconds, he started to descend and finally plunged headfirst back into a deep pool of water. With his heart racing and running out of breath, Benjamin swims as fast has he could back up to the surface of the water. The full moon sheds enough light over the water for Benjamin to see that he has been thrown into the lake not far from his home. He swims to the water’s edge where he manages to pull himself out. Making his way back home and still thinking about Maurice, he enters the back door of his house, which was still left unlocked from when the burglar was chased down the lane. Benjamin unfolds the soaking wet letter and leaves it on the kitchen table to dry off for the rest of the night. Passing the front door on his way back up the stairs, he picks up a note that was lying on the doormat. It was from the local police station. They have stated that a man has been arrested in connection to several local burglaries. Stolen items have been obtained which included a wallet that may hold some interest to you. Please call into your local police station and bring identification with you.
On a late Monday morning, Benjamin wakes up remembering that he wanted to keep his promise by delivering the letter that Maurice had written to his wife.
“Would Maurice still be alive and living at this address?” Benjamin thought to himself looking at the letter. After a fifty-minute drive down the bypass, Benjamin arrives at the address in the town of Modbury. He rings the doorbell of an old Victorian house and a gentleman answers the door.
“Sorry to bother you Sir, but I am looking for a Maurice Bridgman. Would he still be living here by any chance?” asked Benjamin.
“I am David Bridgman his son and yes my father still lives here.”
“I can't believe Maurice is still alive and living here.” replies Benjamin looking very surprised and shaken by the ordeal.
“You will have to explain yourself better than that or I will have to shut the door on you!” replied David raising his voice.
“Sorry Mr Bridgman, I should have explained myself a bit better. In 1944, my grandfather was a soldier stationed in France. He had died quite some time ago but recently I was searching through a box of his old stuff and I came across this letter which was addressed to your family.”
“Well Benjamin you best come in then. I am sure my parents will be delighted to see you.”
Benjamin is shown through to the living room where Maurice is sat on the sofa watching the television with his wife Gladys, sat asleep beside him.
“This is Benjamin Blake dad. He has got a letter from 1944 to give to you. Dad is a bit deaf these days but then he is ninety-eight and mum is ninety-three now.”
“I remember you!” exclaimed Maurice looking at Benjamin. “France 1944! I never forget a face and I never forget dates.”
“Good lord Dad!” said David looking rather flabbergasted. “Do not take any notice Benjamin, I think dad has gone a bit silly in his old age.”
“I might be old, but I am not silly!” said Maurice raising his voice to his son.
“Oh dear,” replied David, “I better make myself useful and put the kettle on.”
Benjamin passes Maurice the letter he wrote to his wife all those years ago.
“Do you honestly remember me Maurice?” asked Benjamin.
“Yes I do remember Benjamin. You look no older from when I first met you back in 1944. I thought you were mad and after you had gone, we could not stop talking about you. I remember you saying something about falling down a hole. You are seventy-one years late with that letter Benjamin, but at least you got the day right; it is Monday,” Maurice puts the letter into Gladys' hand.
“All those bombs hitting the ground and all that gun fire. It was frightening Maurice, but I am so happy that you made it through the war,” said Benjamin.
Maurice's eyes started to fill up with tears of emotion.
“Half of my comrades did not make it through,” replied Maurice pointing to an old black and white framed photograph on the mantel piece.
“My best pal Tim Bradshaw got shot and killed late on Christmas Eve, two hours before Christmas Day. And so, every Christmas Eve since then, I have always lit a candle and I light that candle for…
Peace on earth.
The End