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