Speakeasy 144 – Can They Change History?

The instructions for Speakeasy 144:

This week’ sentence prompt, provided by last week’s winner, can be used anywhere in your piece. And the media prompt is a song, Elton John’s cover of a song by the Beatles that topped the charts for two weeks in 1975, which you will find below. As with all our media prompts, your post shouldn’t be about the photo, but you must make some sort of reference to it in your submission.

“Some things can’t be forgotten.”

My story is the culmination of a three-parter, in which a quantum mechanics scientist has figured out the particulars of time travel so he can return to September 3, 1940 and save his beloved fiance Millicent from the German fighter plane that took her life. If you did not read the first two installments, you can catch up here: Saving Millicent? and Is He In Time?

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 Both Dwight and Amanda stood frozen as they watched the mass of people scrambling for safety. How in all this chaos could they hope to find the members of their team? Dwight cocked his head when he heard something familiar to his right. He wasn’t sure, but it sounded familiar and he wanted to be sure he wasn’t imagining.

No, he certainly was not imagining that. It was something he heard too much and found rather annoying. But at this moment it was the most beautiful sound in all creation.

“Listen, do you hear it?” he asked Amanda as he touched her arm.

Amanda stopped to listen, although the drone of the planes was getting ever louder.

“It’s Forbender; that dreadful song by Sir Elton. The one he plays all the time.”

“Exactly, what is it? Lucy in the Kitchen?”

Something like that,” Dwight smiled. “This way!”

They pushed through the crush of people, trying to close the distance between them and the source of music. Suddenly it stopped and they were no closer to their team. Dwight surveyed the scene quickly, but there were no immediately recognizable faces. Amanda screamed as the first explosion rocked the street. Dwight tried to remember where their mapping had indicated the first blasts. He looked at the buildings and jerked Amanda’s arm as he darted to the left down an alley just as a thunderous explosion erupted above them. Chunks of concrete wood and other debris clattered in the space behind them as they ran.

Two blocks down they turned back toward the crowd to return to the place they expected to find Blakely and the others. By this time much of the crowd was no longer on the street and searching was simplified greatly.

“There!” Amanda pointed. It was Blakely, Forbender and three others, scanning the computer generated maps to verify where the next ordinance would land.

“Move away!” Dwight shouted as he ran toward them. Move from that place!”

When the pair closed some ground Forbender noticed them and began to wave. The expressions of the larger group reflected their uncertainty at Dwight’s intentions.

“Move away!” Dwight screamed.

Blakely pushed Forbender and another to the right when he heard the high pitched whistle of a bomb from above. They dived behind a panel truck stopped in the street just before another explosion sent shrapnel flying all around. The sides of the truck absorbed much of the force, but there was still heat and other evidence of their close call.

Dwight dived across Amanda to shield her when a second explosion followed the first. They were in a bad place. This is what his new document had shown, what he knew would doom the team. They had to get out of here, and quick.

“Follow me!” he screamed to the others.

Scrambling through a narrow alley, the seven of them held their breath each time the tell-tale sounds of certain death found their ears. Two streets later Dwight stopped to rest and allow the others to catch up.

“My new data. . .”Dwight said between breaths, “Shows we missed . . . some of the hits.”

“Obviously,” Blakely smiled. “Thank you for making the trip to save us!”

“We must hurry,” Amanda said, checking her watch. “It is nearly time for Millicent to leave.”

The group followed Dwight as darted across streets as they made their way toward her route. For Blakely his whole life’s work would culminate in the next few moment’s efforts. He just wanted a second chance to prevent the death of his precious Millicent.  

“There she is!” Blakely said excitedly. “Some things can’t be forgotten.”

“No, you cannot be the one,” Dwight cautioned.

“He’s right,” Amanda agreed.

Blakely knew his protégés were correct. All he could do was admire the pretty brunette from afar as his team saved her life.

Dwight and Amanda joined hands and approached Millicent as if they were a happy married couple.

“Could you tell us how to get to Cooley Place?” Amana asked.

Millicent smiled and nodded, stepping away from her route to show them the way around the corner.

Seconds later the Messerschmidt roared down the avenue and unloaded its deathly fire on those remaining in the street.

“You saved my life!” Millicent said.

“It seemed you saved ours also,” Dwight smiled.

After they were sure Millicent was headed home on a safe path, they returned to see Blakely, tears streaming down his face.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you ever so much.”

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