The Accidental Time Travellers

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Jack and Freddie sat in the two garden chairs, while Jess stood behind them.

“Why do I have to stand?”

“Because you’re the youngest, and Freddie is our guest, that’s why.”

They had been at Jack and Jess’s house for about an hour now. Freddie had met their mum –

“Pleased to meet you, Mrs…”

“Call me Julie. Pleased to meet you, too.”

 and as planned they had spent time out in the garden, before going inside to watch TV for a little while. It was important that they left a good length of time between being outside and going back in time.

“I’m not sure about this,” said Freddie, while Jack was connecting up the equipment. “How about I stay here, then I’ll be able to see you disappear and I’ll know it works, because you won’t be here.”

“No, you won’t. Assuming we return to exactly the same time as when we leave, then you won’t be able to see anything, except a little change in our position.”

“Oh, yeah. I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Ah, well, there’s a lot to think about when you’re a time traveller. It’s not all as simple as Dr Who, you know.” Jack realised he was sounding like a pompous twit, but it was too late.

“Oh, listen to the expert,” said Freddie in a mocking tone. “Sorry, I forgot you were experienced in this.”

“Never mind, let’s get on,” said Jack, trying to sound calm and not at all embarrassed. “Ready Jess?”

“I suppose so,” she replied, sounding fed up.

“Right then, let’s go.” Jack bent down to connect the inverter to the battery, then stopped, took out his penknife and put it on his bedside table. He’d already borrowed Jess’s alarm clock from her room, so he had a reference point for the time they arrived at. He put the knife next to that.

“What are you doing? You always take your penknife everywhere,” said Jess.

“It’s another way of proving we’re back in time. When we get there, the knife won’t be, as I had it in my pocket at the time. Then you’ll see we’ve actually made it.”

“Oh, cool.”

Jack was feeling very nervous. What if it didn’t work a second time? Actually, a third time – he’d had to travel back again yesterday. He’d look a complete idiot. Worse than that, what if it didn’t work the fourth time, and they were all left stranded twenty minutes in the past? Then what? He didn’t want to even think about all the possible things that might happen to time and history, and whether they would end up in a perpetual loop, constantly going back twenty minutes in time.

Was this really such a good idea?

Freddie jolted him out of his thoughts. “Come on, then. If we’re going to do it, let’s get a move on.” He now sounded quite excited. Far more excited than Jack was feeling right now, anyway.

Jack connected the battery, turned up the volume on the amp, and sat back in his chair. He knew there was going to be a terrible noise after a few seconds, and he also know that he’d forgotten to mention this to the others.

“Um, guys. There’s something I should have warned you about. There might be a bit of a noise in a minute.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the smoke started coming from the equalizer, and the amp was throbbing, just like before. A few seconds later, all three of them were putting their hands over their ears to block out the screaming coming from the speakers.