Complex Existance, John Pallister [howl and other poems txt] 📗

was in fact a small club in 2003 he’d been there several times with his friends when he was 17. The difference was there weren’t any bouncers on the door, so he opened the door and stepped in. It looked very posh and new. He picked up the menu on one of the tables and scouted through. He wasn’t hungry but he wanted to know the food they ate in the era.
A barmaid walked past.
“System of a down, who are they? Nice clothes.”
The minute she said this the whole pub turned round to look. Lots of people smiled he had attracted lots of attention.
Ben Holmes looked around at the boy and wondered who he was, the tripe that came out these days on the wireless, it probably was no different. Anyhow he turned to his friends ignoring Tommy.
“Take a look at this”
He slid a coin across the table and Ronnie picked it up.
“It’s a normal coin.”
“Yes but look at the date 1978, its 1976”
“Oh yes” Ronnie exclaimed.
“Where you get it from” Stuart the other man said.
“Found it on the street along with this receipt dated 2003.”
“Somebody’s having a joke Ben, you can’t take this seriously you can buy things like this in novelty shops.
“Who’d buy a piece of paper in the form of a receipt?”
“It’s genuine look at this.”
He pulled out the paper with the time travel information. Ronnie and Stuart stared at the paper and then turned to themselves read it again then shocked spoke.
“This is so easy to build, the concepts are so simple, the theory seems easy enough but will it work in practice, I say we could all 3 of us work on it and complete by February 15th.”
“Really”
“Yeah it’s that simple, the only problem is that water on that last page, but that shouldn’t matter too much.”
“My round” Ben said.
Ben stood up and walked to the bar, pleased with how the day was going. He stood next to Tommy as he ordered the drinks.
“You’re the boy I bumped into earlier, my names Ben.”
“You’re not Ben Holmes by any chance?”
“Yes how do you know that” He edged closer to Tommy and noticed on his wrist was a watch similar to the one in the diagram.
“I’ve been looking for you; I’ve got some important information about something.”
“I already know you’re from the future aren’t you?”
“Yes”
“I came back to warn you not to use the time machine or to develop one it ends in disaster.”
“Why what happ…?”
He was stopped suddenly.
“EVERYBODY ON THE FLOOR NOW, THIS AN ARMED ROBBERY.”
People screamed.
Meanwhile…
“Ahh that’s better”
Stuart pulled his zip up and tapped on the door of the cubicle.
“Hurry up Ronnie.”
“Shh I can hear screaming.”
“Don’t be stupid.”
The two men were in the toilets. Stuart opened the door and immediately a hail of bullets hit him in the chest, Ronnie made a run for it, but slipped on some water and fell cracking his head on the table. The three robbers panicked grabbed the paper with the time machine details took a look then ripped them up leaving the receipt and the coin.
“Everybody ok” some manager shouted.
“Christ its Ronnie he’s dead” Ben shouted as he turned to Stuart.
“Stuart”
Stuart looked at Ben.
“Guess you’ll never fulfil your dream after all.”
Then Stuart died in Ben’s hands.
“Police will be here in 5 minutes they want to speak to you all.”
Ben looked around where was the boy, he was gone? Damn he thought, frustrated he wanted to get the watch to go back and save his friends.
Tommy had climbed through the window of the toilets he couldn’t talk to the police he didn’t have a name to give them as he couldn’t use his real name. He thought to himself that if he travelled back to 2003 nobody would be after him as there was no detail of the time machine and Ben Holmes hadn’t disappeared. Then he remembered that it was Ben Holmes who formed the organization that built the machine, perhaps he would develop it later in time. It was getting complex but all he had to do was to stop Ben using the time machine or building one luckily all the plans were ripped up.
Ben asked around about the boy and found out that he had gone through the window, so he followed. He could just about see him up the road. He ran after him and grabbed him.
“I need that watch. I need to go back and save my friends.”
“Negative you can’t mess with time travel, besides which I don’t know how to use it.”
“Your messing with time travel yourself, what are you doing here?”
“I’m stopping the time machine ever being made, I’ll find out how to use it go back to my time then destroy the watch.”
“You would destroy the chance of a life time think of the things you could do.”
“Yeah and think of the things you would mess up, I’m not even a scientist but I know the supposed theories of time travel.”
“Come on kid give me the watch.”
“No I won’t”
“Then I’ll have to get nasty”
“Hand me the watch.”
“No”
Tommy made a quick run for it, running down a back alley, the same alley towards the hotel. Ben was in quick pursuit he needed the watch that stupid kid had no idea.
As Tommy was running he noticed a flash on the watch. He quickly read the text which came across the screen.
“Must return to original time, time protection lock activated transport in 2 minutes.”
He wondered what that was but knew that Ban was getting nearer and nearer, he would never out run him. The two came to a back alley with a dead end. This was it. Tommy looked at the watch and it was counting down from 30 seconds.
“Come here you brat give me the watch.”
Ben grabbed Tommy’s arm, he felt a strange sensation through his body then both passed out.


Ben awoke Tommy was nowhere to be seen, he had the watch which he looked at it and noticed that the date was 13th January 2003 1043. He reached into his pocket pulling out the receipt. The officers club purchased trousers for £35.00. He tried to use the watch and pressed a button but it came up with critical error, it then feel apart in his hands. He was trapped in this time. Or was he? He had a chance all he had to do was to intercept the boy at the shop because he wouldn’t know who he was he could steal the watch and then travel through time to go to save his friends. He headed towards the shop noticing other boys and girls wearing hoodies like Tommy’s.


Tommy arrived a few minutes later he woke and the first thing he noticed that he didn’t have the watch. Ben must have it but where was he. He then noticed the watch on the floor it was broken and a receipt; it was his receipt for his trousers.
He then put two and two together that Ben was probably going to meet the other version of Tommy he had to stop him doing so.


Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ben didn’t know where the shop was but he knew the street it was down, it wouldn’t be long before he found it. He wandered down the road staring in amazement at the people and cars; which were so much better. He looked at the clothes in the shop windows almost distracted at the task involved.


Pete and Clark were already on the case they had intercepted the phone call between Tommy and the man who wanted the disk and knew for a matter of national security they had to steal the watch and destroy all evidence.
Pete walked down Falkner Street, it was then he spotted a man who looked lost and was walking around aimlessly.
“Alright mate, I don’t suppose you know where the officer’s club is?”
“Yeah it’s just up there.” Pete said pointing to the road ahead.”
“Cheers.”


Tommy could see Ben ahead, he also noticed that two men were talking to him, it must have been the same men who attacked him on the bridge, and they were almost definitely on their way there now. He stood back wondering what they were talking about. He edged closer keeping Ben in view. Pete and Clark left and Tommy quickened up his pace.


The time was 11:00 Ben wanted to make sure he had the right shop; he would then wait for Tommy to arrive and jump him.
“Can I help you sir?”
“No I’m just browsing thanks.”
Ben looked around getting a general view of the shop, he noticed in the corner a man with the same coat on as him. The man looked nervous but Ben didn’t see the face.
Another sales assistant came over.
“God, man is that your twin brother, or am I still pissed from last night.”
“Sorry?” Ben quizzed.
“Never mind.”
Ben left, as he walked through the door he saw Tommy approach.
“Damn” He thought Tommy must be following him.
Tommy didn’t see Ben and entered the shop.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes I’m looking for a man in old clothes quite tall wearing a black coat, have you seen him?” Tommy asked
“Umm, which one?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well I know this sounds stupid but two men identical were in this store a few minutes ago, one went out the back door, the other the main entrance.”
What was going on, where or what was Ben going to do? Why was he existing twice in this time.
Tommy decided he would wait just by the bridge and intercept Ben before he managed to grab the watch.

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Tommy got a taxi into town giving the taxi driver a huge tip heading towards the shop to buy some trousers. He opened the door and the sales assistant gave him a funny look.
“Are you actually going to buy something or just browse like you did an hour ago? By the way the person you’re looking for is outside, well one of them. I saw him when I was taking out the trash.”
“I don’t understand who am I looking for, I’ve only just got here.”
“Whatever weirdo.”
Anyway Tommy was puzzled he bought the trousers and was about to leave when he noticed a letter addressed to him attached to the top of the rail of the shirts.
‘Tommy leave through the back exit and not the front.’
That was odd, Tommy thought it was similar to his handwriting.
He screwed up the paper and chose to follow the strange letter; this was a weird day he thought.


Ben could see Tommy hiding behind the waste bin, but where was the Tommy he was after. He decided to check the