"We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!" – Churchill.
London, 1918, October 31st. London's famous skyline was ruined. With blips hovering over. Areas damaged by bombs. Silence filled the air. Down on the streets, a small family were standing in the doorway. A distressed mother waved her hand in the air. Her daughter stood next to her. She was too young to realize what was happening. A young man, her son, waved goodbye to the two. He rushed back quickly and gave them both a quick kiss on the cheek.
"You look after mum!" He said to his younger sister, she nodded.
"Bye mum!" He smiled and gave her another quick kiss. A tear fell down her face. "And if you find your dad, give him our love!" She sobbed.
"I will!" He smiled and rushed off down the street. As young Thomas sat on the bus with the other soldiers he stared out his window. He thought about his mother and his sister and what kind of a world this is to grow up in. Then, as the bus turned a corner, he noticed something new. He had only been on the bus a few minutes so he was still in the areas he knew like the back of his hand. But sat on the pavement he used to walk on everyday was a tall blue box. It was wooden and damaged. He wondered why it was there. Then he saw the writing. "Police Public Call Box"
It must be a new idea from the government he thought. As if they helped. They're the whole reason the world is in this mess, he thought. Then the small wooden door creaked open. A strange looking man stepped out. He was wearing a brown buttoned up shirt with a long lighter brown coat. He had fuzzy hair which made him look like a cheerful person. But that wasn't what he looked like at all. He stared at Thomas and Thomas stared back. Why isn't he in the war, he thought, people like him went ages ago. The man shut the door behind him and waved at Thomas as he drove on down the street. The strange man was called the Doctor. He was upset but Thomas couldn't tell what about. He took one last glimpse of the man as the bus drove out of view.
"I can't change it" The man whispered to himself "I can't!"
Dear Diary,
I saw this strange man today, when I was on the bus. He looked mysterious. At the moment I'm in this training camp but we haven't actually done any training yet. Someone said that all the trainers had left for the war so they're sending us off early. Apparently we are their last hope so no pressure. I miss mum and-
Suddenly soldiers barged into the barracks.
"What are you doing?" Shouted Thomas.
"You need to go now!" Explained one of the soldiers.
"But its 10 o' clock!" He replied.
"Exactly! The Germans won't see you coming!" He ushered Thomas and the rest of the trainees out onto the nearby field. Thomas wasn't happy with them rushing him out like that but he knew what had to be done. As him and the other trainees were marching through the field towards the plane, Thomas noticed some cow pat on the grass.
"I don't suppose there ever will be any more cows on this field again if we fail" He whispered to himself. Another trainee next to him laughed but Thomas just ignored him.
As the group were all on the plane, the vehicle sprung to life. The engines roared. The seats rattled. The pilots sent messages to base with walkie talkies. As the plane lifted up off the ground and reached the clouds Thomas took one last look of London, his home.
A week later, all the other trainee's are dead. But Thomas carries on. He is determined to be reunited with his family. He trots on across a large flat land covered in corpses. He looks down into a small puddle. He didn't recognize his face in the reflection. After one man sees so much death and destruction it changes them. He looked around the perimeter. Not a living soul to be seen. He had no idea where he was in the world. He only knew that he had to carry on going onwards. Then something stopped the silence. A small wheezing sound grew louder. Thomas ducked down into a gap in the ground. Bombs, he thought, coming for me. Then he ducked his head up and scanned the perimeter once more. Standing tall in front of him was a blue box. The same one he saw a week ago, he thought, no it can't be, I'm thousands of miles away from London. Then a man stepped out. Thomas looked up at him. Thomas pointed his gun at him.
"Whose side are you on?" Thomas instructed, slowly realizing he had seen him before. The man raised his hands.
"I'm British!" He said "See!" Thomas lowered his gun and the man slowly lowered his arms.
"I'm-" Thomas was interrupted by the man.
"Thomas Jones" The man smiled "Was born in 1900, your father went to war in 1914, and your mother stayed at home with your sister, you-"
"So you know who I am, well who are you?" Thomas asked surprised at how much he knows.
"Oh…Just a traveller" The man said looking around. Thomas raised his gun again. "Alright!" He yelled "I'm The Doctor"
"Doctor who?" Thomas asked.
"Just the Doctor!" He explained. "Sorry…What year is this?"
"What? You don't know?" Thomas was shocked.
"Like I said, I'm a traveller, so what year is this?" The Doctor argued.
"1918!" Thomas yelled back.
"And the date is?" The mysterious doctor asked.
"November 7th!" Thomas explained.
"Right so only a few more days left" He whispered to himself.
"What?" Thomas yelled.
"Nothing!" The doctor grinned.
"Right then doctor, you've had your questions now here's mine!" Thomas shouted "Where are we?"
"Well…A long way from London!" The doctor explained.
"Yes I can see that!" Thomas argued "Wait…you don't actually know, do you?"
"Alright I don't!" He yelled back "I love not knowing!"
Suddenly a loud bang came from behind the two.
"Get down 'ere!" Thomas yelled dragging the doctor down to the hole "Germans!" Thomas ripped off a small poppy from the Doctor's coat.
"Hey!" The Doctor whispered "Why'd you that?"
"It's a target!" Thomas whispered back.
Suddenly, three men appeared on the horizon. Thomas fired his gun five times. The men collapsed onto the ground.
"Five rounds rapid!" Thomas smiled. The Doctor wasn't happy. He climbed back up to the ground and walked towards his box.
"Where are you going?" Asked Thomas without a reply from the doctor. The Doctor turned to Thomas.
"Good Luck" He whispered as he stepped inside the police box. The Doctor thought about those three lives. Gone in a flash. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. In a motion, the box started wheezing again and faded away. Thomas's jaw dropped. He marched on in the same direction the soldiers came from. Keeping low to ground, out of sight, he trod on to the horizon.
Dear Diary,
I saw that man again today. The strange one from the bus. He said his name was the doctor. I don't believe him. He disappeared in that blue police box. I know I'm close to Germany. I can feel it! I think I heard something outside, ill go look.
For now, yours sincerely, Thomas Jones.
As the man stepped out of the big box
Forward moved the men in flocks
The box stood ever so blue
And bullets flew
Time unravelled in front of his eyes
And the great brave men said they're sad goodbyes
All the memories that could've been
All the fields gone to red from green
Dreadful memories were made
All the men who were so afraid
Many soldiers took their one last bow
The man had seen enough now
So he stepped back inside his police box
And faded off the face of the rocks
I don't think you have any clue
Of the death and destruction that hugely grew
All the men rich and poor
Who had all died in the first Great War
War is over!
Happiness fills the streets
No more planes would flyover
Many met for the large great feasts
London, 1918, November 13th. London's streets were covered in banners of various colours. Thomas jumped off the bus and rushed towards his mother and sister. Then on the street corner he noticed the doctor standing there. He looked exactly the same as he did six days ago.
"I'll be quick" Thomas smiled to his mother who couldn't stop kissing him. Thomas rushed over to the doctor but he faded away again in his blue box. He was annoyed but he was still ever so happy to be home again with the people he love.
