After tea I walked the short distance to the sea and waited

I had only been there a short while when I saw Beryl walking down the road towards the beach

She was wearing a green bathing suit with a tropical towel wrapped around her waist

My luck was in as a train from Minehead was due and the level crossing gates had been closed against traffic

I quickly changed and entered the sea and began swimming in irregular circles watching Beryl all the time

She waved to the engine driver who smiled broadly at her

Although she was a wife and mother the engine driver and many people in the area still held Beryl in high regard because of her heroics at the 1956 Olympics

They were proud to call her one of their own

A few minutes later Beryl entered the sea and began swimming

She swam every day unless the weather was poor or the conditions were dangerous

This was my chance

Although I was a strong swimmer I began to splash around

This attracted her attention immediately

Wait I am coming to get you

Do not panic you will be all right

Within a minute I felt Beryl’s strong arms grasp me firmly

You will be alright I promise

I was swimming and then my legs began to hurt quite badly

You experienced cramp that’s all

Before I knew it we were on the small beach not far from the railway station and Beryl had put her towel around my shoulders

I pretended to cry

Don’t cry you are a big boy

I was scared that I would drown

If I had not saved you somebody else would have done so

But you must always swim in your depth

I have seen you swimming before and I think you might have become over confident

You must always know your limits

As I listened to Beryl speak I knew that she would not die tragically under a bus on a wet road in Fishponds

But would live a normal life with her husband and two children

She would not drown and become Beryl/Viola for the next fifty years

In a way I had saved Beryl from drowning but as I walked back to the camping coach with her I knew that I had committed the greatest of all time-crimes

I had caused a junction in time

Beryl explained what had happened to my parents and it was decided that I had not allowed sufficient time between my tea and my swim

It was agreed that there were lessons to be learnt and after a hot bath I retired to my small bed as they considered that I was still in shock

Neither Beryl or my parents had the faintest idea that I had created a theatre

I had faked my distress to alter a time line

But I knew that it was the only way to ensure that Viola was not cremated

I had disembodied her and physically all that was left of her was the severed arm that was floating in the sea

As each hour passed it would travel further and further from Blue Anchor as I had trapped time

Beryl was safe to swim

That was my last thought as I closed my eyes and when I opened them again I was in my car opposite the chapel of rest

Beryl was not in there as she had not died in an accident

There had been no accident

On that Monday evening the skies above Bristol had remained grey and there had been no hint of a rainbow

My thoughts were interrupted when my phone rang

Viola

You will wish it was

I do not need to tell you what you have done Victor

It was the most senseless action of your entire life

Not only have you sent my sister spinning through time

But you have caused a time crack

You have warped time

It will destroy you

That is of no matter at least Viola is safe

You must be aware that she is just infected matter floating somewhere in the dusts of time  

That is not true

It is my friend

Perhaps it would have been kinder for me to have cremated her in the body of her host

I did not reply as I knew that my actions had indeed disembodied Viola

That was the risk I knew I had to take

Whether she was time dust or not I could not say

I had a feeling that she as still out there watching me

Goodbye Victor

I was jolted from my thoughts

I was going to destroy you to gain your meagre strength but you are as infected as Viola was

Goodbye Victor and as a last thought please be aware that disembodied or not I will still pursue Viola through all levels of time

It is her destiny that we should merge after all we were conjoined at birth and twins should never separate

My phone went dead

I looked at the chapel of rest

It looked dull in the grey light of the day

I knew that I did not have long

Within the hour the time warp would rip me apart

A car passed me and for some reason I watched it in my rear view mirror

It was then I noticed my father sitting in the back of my car

 

 To Be Continued