He quickly raised his eyes and as he did so, the mud erupted in the near distance. He felt the ground shake and the deafening shockwave pass overhead.

“Some trench.”

A figure suddenly grabbed his arm.

“Come on Andy. Bloody Jerry is laying down a barrage.”

Andy needed no second reminder. They crawled back desperately as further shells landed, churning the shattered earth. At last, he felt his feet dangling, and with one final effort, he dropped inside the deep trench.

He felt the helmet strapped to his head and looking down saw the combat fatigues. The man who had really saved him was sitting at his side taking out a cigarette.

“That was bloody close Andy. I want to live you know.”

“As do I mate. What the hell were we doing out there?”

“Attempting to collect the wounded. What’s wrong with you?”

As his mate smoked, further shells landed close to their position and Andy cowered. He raised his arm and saw the Red Cross band and realised his pack included the medic kit.

The sudden appearance of armed infantry told him an attack was expected and he made way for the fighting men.

As the well-fed officer approached, he stood to attention.

“At ease Andy. You can’t win them all, eh Brandeth?”

“No sir. We’ll try again shortly.”

As they spoke, machine guns rattled as the enemy crossed into No-Man’s-Land.

“That will bloody stop them,” the officer commented.

The whirring stopped for a moment as the firing subsided.

“Any news about the push sir?” Brandeth asked.

“No word yet I’m afraid. We are to hold here.”

The guns fired again as another wave of enemy troops was brutally mown down.

“Take yourselves for a rest. You both bloody deserve it.”

They saluted and Andy followed his mate along the trench until he turned into a side opening. Within that underground wooden structure, a table and a couple of chairs were dotted around. Andy noticed a whisky bottle upon a makeshift shelf.

Brandeth grabbed it.

“Fancy a tot mate?”

“You can be shot for that,” Andy warned him.

Brandeth removed a tin cup from his pack and poured a small amount into it before replacing the cap.

“Not in this outfit. Captain Baines is fairly relaxed.”

He drank the spirit quickly and coughed.

Andy sat down removing his filthy helmet for a moment. At least he understood the time period. The futile futility of it all. At least here, he could die with honour.

Brandeth joined him.

“What are you thinking about Andy? Peter?”

The name flashed through his confused mind. Peter was his nine-year-old son living safely at home.

“Who else Brandeth? I wonder if I’ll ever see him again.”

“You will mate. At least we don’t fight eh.”

That was something at least.

“You spoke about a push earlier? I don’t remember that.”

Brandeth looked at him.

“I overheard the bigwigs two days ago. We will attack Ypres soon. For the second time too.”

A shudder rolled down Andy’s spine. This second bloody battle had seen gas for the first time. German gas.

“Oh my God.”

“No worries mate. After the bombardment, we’ll walk straight over them. Then it’s our turn, picking up wounded.”

“May of fifteen,” Andy muttered.

“What’s that mate?”

“Never mind Brandeth. We don’t have gas masks do we?”

Brandeth looked shocked.

“No need for such things. Generals say it’ll never be used you know.”
A phrase came to Andy’s calm mind.

“Lions led by donkeys.”

“Don’t let the brass here you say that mate. Look, politicians start these things and we do the fighting. Nothing can change that.”

“I understand what you are saying Brandeth. It doesn’t make it easier though.”

“It never does,” his mate replied tapping his shoulder. “Come on, it’s back to the field for us.”

He replaced his helmet and followed his friend back into the misery of the trench. They were fully manned now and Andy feared the worst.

The officer approached.

“Word just came through. We go over at dawn.”

They thanked him and moved to their posts.

“What did I tell you mate.”

“You certainly have your finger on the pulse. I’ll give you that.”

As they sat at the far end of the mud-filled trench Andy’s mind wandered. It seemed to him that Jerrix had sent him to his death. By accident of course. However, accidents kill.

The night passed until the artillery opened up. Shells rained down upon the enemy positions, turning the mud into a moonscape. Andy felt his stomach twist and tears flow.

“Hold it back Andy. We are all scared here.”

“What if this wasn’t your time Brandeth? Not your place. What would you do?”

To his surprise, Brandeth laughed.

“Get myself a hooker in Blackpool.”

The bombardment rolled on until the officer appeared carrying his pistol and tin whistle.

“Everyone stand to.”

The infantry readied themselves as Andy and Brandeth stood before the simple ladder that led to death and glory. The officer checked his watch, counting down. Putting the whistle to his lips, he blew loudly and scrambled over the top.

As soon as the troops were clear, the medics followed, machine guns rattling from the enemy. Andy heard the screams, the cries as men went down. He scrambled ahead as bullets flew.

He saw a damaged man lying flat. Left leg ripped by flying lead. He stopped to treat him and reached into his bag for his medic kit. He watched Brandeth scramble toward another fallen man then rise in a hail of earth, steel and body parts as he stepped upon a mine.

Andy nearly vomited.

The chattering continued as more men were thrown forward. Andy pushed bandages into the man’s wounds as he heard coughing coming from just ahead. He looked in absolute dread as a yellow and green wall of gas rolled towards them. Looking down at the stricken man, Andy found the weapon and cocking it, pulled the trigger.

It was a dark world now for Andy. He had not felt the death that must have taken him on that awful battlefield. At point blank range, he could not miss.

He could see nothing really. No sound either, for that matter. All was still, and lost. He thought of his experiences, bouncing through time. He even thought of Jerrix, and found himself laughing at last.

“A time travelling cat...”

Raindrops suddenly appeared from nowhere. The inky darkness cleared and he saw flashing lights just a little way off. He looked around with his mouth open.

This was Oak Lane. He was back.

He checked his clothes, feeling relief at the familiar cotton shirt and jeans. Even his trainers looked smart.

The pounding rain had not ceased and a question hit him hard.

“How long have I been away?”

He also wondered what the flashing lights meant. He slowly walked forward until he saw the clear image of a police car standing across the lane. Its blue light flashing brightly in the night sky.

“Must have been an accident,” he muttered as he broke into a run.

He suddenly called out to an officer who simply ignored him. Andy reached the vehicle and saw a taxi parked just beyond. He strolled up to the familiar view and saw the open side doors.

He slowed suddenly as the officer put his radio down.

Looking inside, Andy saw someone slumped over the wheel. The cotton shirt and jeans were terribly familiar. He rocked back as the ambulance arrived.

A long silent voice came from behind him.

“They shot you son. Once in the neck. Took your takings.”

Andy turned to face his late father.

“You are really here?”

His father smiled.

“I am as solid as you are Andy. What you encountered was a phantasm. A construct of the mind. Real to you, but not to you. If you see what I mean.”

“And the cat?”

His father smiled and handed him a book. Andy looked down and read the title.

Jerrix and the planet of Dogs by Colin Bristow.

“You bought it for Peter.”

Andy remembered. He understood now.

“What about my killers?” he asked gently.

“They will be caught next year. Don’t worry about them now.”

“Peter and Linda?”

His father smiled again.

“As safe as houses my boy. There will be heartfelt grief but help is on the way. We must go now. Your grandfather awaits.”

Andy opened the book and flicked through the text.

“There are no dinosaurs in that one.”

“You loved dinosaurs as a child. Your mind must have combined the two. What else did you see?”

“A world fighting giant Creepos. A dinosaur world and the trenches. I was a medic then.”

His father nodded.

“Believe it or not son. Your last life ended in 1915. That’s where that came from. As for Creepos? I have no idea.”

A soft light appeared just ahead of them and Andy asked, “Is that for me?”

“It is for both of us. It brought me here. Now. Are we going to stand here growing old or eh...”

Andy took his loving arm and together, they walked into eternity.
The soft light disappeared and a light green glow came into view. From this illumination, Jerrix ran out and stopped.

“I’m too late.”

As he said this, the wet scene dissolved into an inky darkness and a voice new to him bellowed, “We have him now Jerrix. We shall meet again.”

An invisible force swiped him violently and he was tossed like a rag doll into his ship. Picking himself up, he staggered to the north-facing statue and pulled the waiting lever.

Rays of white light shot out from the statue’s eyes and formed a silver grid above the dome. Moments later an image of the galaxy appeared and a dot started flashing.

“Who the hell was that?” he muttered angrily.

Walking to the east statue, he pulled the lever sharply and plunged into another adventure.