Congratulations !
You have been awarded points.
Thank you for !
- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Science Fiction
- Subject: Horror / Scary
- Published: 04/23/2017
The Traveller
Born 1964, F, from Gordon, ACT, AustraliaTeddy Forsythe waited in the departure lounge with thirty-nine other travellers. Calm on the surface, his stomach rolled with impatient tension.
He watched a group of passengers stream out of the transport bay, excitement flushing their cheeks, eyes sparkling as they shared their adventures with fellow travellers.
A fleeting glimpse of the cleaners entering the travel bay before the lounge’s facing glass wall faded to dark grey, brightening almost immediately into the image of Fagin Tambling-Goggin, inventor of the Time Traveller 2100. There were forty TT2100s now in operation, making Fagin one of the richest men on Earth. He was also Teddy’s friend and lover.
Teddy gazed at Fagin’s image. He was a very handsome man, in a vampirish kind of way. His perfect skin glowed creamy white, contrasting starkly with his dark hair which was combed back with fragrant oils to emphasise his widow’s peak. His honey brown eyes were so dark they were nearly black, beautifully framed by thick dark eyebrows and long, feminine lashes.
Fagin’s voice on the telescreen was rich and deep. However, Teddy happened to know that his voice had been digitally altered from its natural reedy (and let’s be honest, slightly annoying) timbre.
Teddy half-listened as Fagin explained the rules of time travel; this was his fifth trip, and he was already familiar with the rules. You must keep the transporting device at 80% or less, never more than that otherwise there may be a danger of going all the way forward and not being able to return. Under no circumstances are you to interact with any person or object in the time you are visiting due to potential future repercussions. Your timetrip could only run for up to an hour; the TT2100s were programmed to bring you back after this time had elapsed, whether you were ready or not. Keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times (an old industry joke, the origins lost in the mists of time) and enjoy the ride.
He was too excited to sit still. His fidgeting was annoying his two co-sitters so he stood and paced instead, successfully annoying the other thirty-seven.
It was time. Finally, it was time. Teddy stood shivering with excitement as the uniformed attendant wrapped the TravelPal transporting device around his wrist and escorted him to Bay 5. The interior was small but comfortably fitted out, and smelled pleasantly of spicy orange and recently cleaned synthetic leather. He sank into the ergonomically plush armchair and pulled out the blue and silver Timefinder. His fingers trembled as he programmed the directions and hit the big green “Go” button.
A sub-audible hum gradually became loudly audible, transitioning into a not unpleasant vibration that started at his wrist through the TravelPal and spread through his whole body.
This trip would be a personal coup, and he couldn’t wait to get there.
You see, Teddy “collected” serial killers.
He had watched in fascinated despair as Ted Bundy rampaged through the Chi Omega dorm in a violent spree, wondering at the law’s inability in the olden days to solve these brutal crimes.
He had walked through Ed Gein’s farmhouse, gingerly touching human skin lampshades, and marvelling at the infamous “nipple belt”.
He had silently followed Charles Edmund Cullen through hospital corridors as he administered deadly mercy to his elderly charges.
He had watched as the Black Dahlia’s body parts were reverently posed in the famously obscene tableau on a vacant lot in Los Angeles. Interestingly, the killer had wept as he stood and gazed upon his handiwork.
And now the big one. The absolute biggest. The one he had dreamed about since time travel was invented. The waiting list for this one was surprisingly long, and he thanked the gods for his intimate connection with Fagin, who had bumped his name up to the top of the list.
He was about to see the face of one of the most notorious killers of all time, his identity an enduring mystery.
The date was 9 November 1888, just after midnight. The location was 13 Miller’s Court in London. The occupant of this modest dwelling was Mary Jane Kelley, in the final moments before Jack the Ripper was reputed to have taken her life.
Teddy stood in the corner of the room, barely visible in the cold shadows. He had come forward into this world at 90%, but felt securely tethered to his own time and place through his warmly pulsing wristband.
From his vantage point near the window, he had an unobstructed view of Mary’s bed.
The window radiated cold from the dark autumn night. Fog separated and swirled by the window, a living, freezing beast. The small fire had died down, and Mary was wrapped like a mummy, an occasional snore muffled by the mound of thin blankets.
Teddy shuffled uncomfortably, then stilled as the fog separated briefly to reveal a silent figure gliding by the window. Despite the mandatory pre-travel urination, Teddy’s bladder suddenly felt uncomfortably heavy. Fear quickened his breath as he listened to the dark visitor scratching at the door which swung open, briefly admitting a gust of cold, foggy air. The figure slipped in and closed the door.
Teddy strained forward, desperate to see the man’s face in the dimness.
He watched with appalled compassion as The Ripper approached the bed where Mary slept, oblivious and unconcerned.
A frightened gasp from Mary as The Ripper savagely pulled the blankets down. A flash of silver reflected in the dying firelight.
The look of terrified knowledge on Mary’s young face spurred Teddy into unthinking action. He surged all the way forward and ran across the room to save her. But he was too late.
A deep slash to her throat left Mary choking as she breathed blood, her eyes already staring at eternity as her life drained into the cheap bedding.
The Ripper, taken by surprise, lost his grip on the knife as Teddy pushed him into the table which gave way with a terrific crash. The Ripper scrambled to his feet, throwing various objects which Teddy easily ducked. A lantern crashed into the wall behind him, closely followed by a cup and a plate.
With an outraged scream, Teddy pounced on The Ripper as he turned to seek more projectiles, pounding the knife into his neck and back until the monster fell and lay still. He kicked the body onto its back so he could gaze at the man’s face. Such familiar features. The pale complexion, the dark hair with its widow’s peak. He rummaged through the dead man’s pockets, drawing out a bloodstained sheet of richly embossed paper.
“To Whom It May Concern,” the letter read in beautiful flowing script.
“Please consider this Letter of Introduction, which is carried by my Good Friend & Colleague, Dr Cyril Tambling-Goggin …”
Teddy dully wondered how many generations of Tambling-Goggins he had just snuffed out. Including his one true love, Fagin. One-time discoverer and pioneer of time travel. A man who had now never existed.
His wrist was cold where his TravelPal also no longer existed, as it had never been invented.
The piercing police whistles and the clatter of running feet grew closer as Teddy sat with the two mutilated corpses, the dripping knife clenched in his bloody fist.
The Traveller(Hazel Dow)
Teddy Forsythe waited in the departure lounge with thirty-nine other travellers. Calm on the surface, his stomach rolled with impatient tension.
He watched a group of passengers stream out of the transport bay, excitement flushing their cheeks, eyes sparkling as they shared their adventures with fellow travellers.
A fleeting glimpse of the cleaners entering the travel bay before the lounge’s facing glass wall faded to dark grey, brightening almost immediately into the image of Fagin Tambling-Goggin, inventor of the Time Traveller 2100. There were forty TT2100s now in operation, making Fagin one of the richest men on Earth. He was also Teddy’s friend and lover.
Teddy gazed at Fagin’s image. He was a very handsome man, in a vampirish kind of way. His perfect skin glowed creamy white, contrasting starkly with his dark hair which was combed back with fragrant oils to emphasise his widow’s peak. His honey brown eyes were so dark they were nearly black, beautifully framed by thick dark eyebrows and long, feminine lashes.
Fagin’s voice on the telescreen was rich and deep. However, Teddy happened to know that his voice had been digitally altered from its natural reedy (and let’s be honest, slightly annoying) timbre.
Teddy half-listened as Fagin explained the rules of time travel; this was his fifth trip, and he was already familiar with the rules. You must keep the transporting device at 80% or less, never more than that otherwise there may be a danger of going all the way forward and not being able to return. Under no circumstances are you to interact with any person or object in the time you are visiting due to potential future repercussions. Your timetrip could only run for up to an hour; the TT2100s were programmed to bring you back after this time had elapsed, whether you were ready or not. Keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times (an old industry joke, the origins lost in the mists of time) and enjoy the ride.
He was too excited to sit still. His fidgeting was annoying his two co-sitters so he stood and paced instead, successfully annoying the other thirty-seven.
It was time. Finally, it was time. Teddy stood shivering with excitement as the uniformed attendant wrapped the TravelPal transporting device around his wrist and escorted him to Bay 5. The interior was small but comfortably fitted out, and smelled pleasantly of spicy orange and recently cleaned synthetic leather. He sank into the ergonomically plush armchair and pulled out the blue and silver Timefinder. His fingers trembled as he programmed the directions and hit the big green “Go” button.
A sub-audible hum gradually became loudly audible, transitioning into a not unpleasant vibration that started at his wrist through the TravelPal and spread through his whole body.
This trip would be a personal coup, and he couldn’t wait to get there.
You see, Teddy “collected” serial killers.
He had watched in fascinated despair as Ted Bundy rampaged through the Chi Omega dorm in a violent spree, wondering at the law’s inability in the olden days to solve these brutal crimes.
He had walked through Ed Gein’s farmhouse, gingerly touching human skin lampshades, and marvelling at the infamous “nipple belt”.
He had silently followed Charles Edmund Cullen through hospital corridors as he administered deadly mercy to his elderly charges.
He had watched as the Black Dahlia’s body parts were reverently posed in the famously obscene tableau on a vacant lot in Los Angeles. Interestingly, the killer had wept as he stood and gazed upon his handiwork.
And now the big one. The absolute biggest. The one he had dreamed about since time travel was invented. The waiting list for this one was surprisingly long, and he thanked the gods for his intimate connection with Fagin, who had bumped his name up to the top of the list.
He was about to see the face of one of the most notorious killers of all time, his identity an enduring mystery.
The date was 9 November 1888, just after midnight. The location was 13 Miller’s Court in London. The occupant of this modest dwelling was Mary Jane Kelley, in the final moments before Jack the Ripper was reputed to have taken her life.
Teddy stood in the corner of the room, barely visible in the cold shadows. He had come forward into this world at 90%, but felt securely tethered to his own time and place through his warmly pulsing wristband.
From his vantage point near the window, he had an unobstructed view of Mary’s bed.
The window radiated cold from the dark autumn night. Fog separated and swirled by the window, a living, freezing beast. The small fire had died down, and Mary was wrapped like a mummy, an occasional snore muffled by the mound of thin blankets.
Teddy shuffled uncomfortably, then stilled as the fog separated briefly to reveal a silent figure gliding by the window. Despite the mandatory pre-travel urination, Teddy’s bladder suddenly felt uncomfortably heavy. Fear quickened his breath as he listened to the dark visitor scratching at the door which swung open, briefly admitting a gust of cold, foggy air. The figure slipped in and closed the door.
Teddy strained forward, desperate to see the man’s face in the dimness.
He watched with appalled compassion as The Ripper approached the bed where Mary slept, oblivious and unconcerned.
A frightened gasp from Mary as The Ripper savagely pulled the blankets down. A flash of silver reflected in the dying firelight.
The look of terrified knowledge on Mary’s young face spurred Teddy into unthinking action. He surged all the way forward and ran across the room to save her. But he was too late.
A deep slash to her throat left Mary choking as she breathed blood, her eyes already staring at eternity as her life drained into the cheap bedding.
The Ripper, taken by surprise, lost his grip on the knife as Teddy pushed him into the table which gave way with a terrific crash. The Ripper scrambled to his feet, throwing various objects which Teddy easily ducked. A lantern crashed into the wall behind him, closely followed by a cup and a plate.
With an outraged scream, Teddy pounced on The Ripper as he turned to seek more projectiles, pounding the knife into his neck and back until the monster fell and lay still. He kicked the body onto its back so he could gaze at the man’s face. Such familiar features. The pale complexion, the dark hair with its widow’s peak. He rummaged through the dead man’s pockets, drawing out a bloodstained sheet of richly embossed paper.
“To Whom It May Concern,” the letter read in beautiful flowing script.
“Please consider this Letter of Introduction, which is carried by my Good Friend & Colleague, Dr Cyril Tambling-Goggin …”
Teddy dully wondered how many generations of Tambling-Goggins he had just snuffed out. Including his one true love, Fagin. One-time discoverer and pioneer of time travel. A man who had now never existed.
His wrist was cold where his TravelPal also no longer existed, as it had never been invented.
The piercing police whistles and the clatter of running feet grew closer as Teddy sat with the two mutilated corpses, the dripping knife clenched in his bloody fist.
- Share this story on
- 9
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Shelly Garrod
06/23/2023Great story Hazel. This is one of my favorite story of yours. The twist at the end is amazing. Happy Short Story Star of the Week. Well earned.
Blessings Shelly
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Kevin Hughes
06/20/2023Oh Dear...Hazel,
That was a rip roaring tale of woe...and circumstance. What a twist at the end. Your dreams must be the stuff of nightmares! Congrats on the richly deserved Award!
Smiles, Kevin
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Lillian Kazmierczak
06/19/2023Such suspense and an ending with a great twist! What a great story, Hazel. Congratulations on short story star of the week! Much deserved!
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
JD
06/18/2023Hazel, it has been so long since your last story I was having withdrawal pangs, which is a good thing I guess because it forced me to search through your older stories I may have missed, and I found this one. Great discovery! One of your first shared here on Storystar and also one of your best I think. Outstanding and with a great surprise at the end. Loved it. Happy short story star of the week! :-)
Reply
COMMENTS (6)