There was a banging somewhere in the distance, rattling my brain. I crawled out of bed and I knew straight away things were not right. Everything felt strange, familiar but unfamiliar at the same time, like I’d dreamt about the items in my flat but now I couldn’t quit touch the dream, leaving everything blurry. I stumbled around an unfamiliar room, looking for something to cover my bare skin. I found a pair of jeans and fumbled putting them on, they seemed to fit right. I head toward the sound of the banging, which was now becoming a pulsing thunder in my head, unrelenting. I found the source of the noise and opened a heavy front door. Revealing a strange man standing there, staring at me. Sunlight over his shoulder flashing in my eyes. “Jack, your half an hour late, I’ve been knocking for fucking ever” I looked and him, confused, I didn’t recognise this man at all. “What” was about all I managed. The man barged past me “Get dressed, we need to be on the job in ten minutes”. I closed the door and we stood facing each other in the strange hallway. “God, you look like shit lad” the man said “are you back on the booze?”. I stood there in shock for a few more minutes until I finally got my courage up “Look pal, I don’t know what’s going on here” I tried to use an unthreatening tone, but I don’t think I succeeded.. I was just feeling lost and confused. And now I could see confusion on the strangers face and something else. Concern? He tried to put his hand on my shoulder but I shrugged him off roughly. “Mate are you ok?” He asked I stood there stuttering, I just couldn’t get my words out. I was getting more and more frustrated. He suddenly stepped closer and I just reacted. I punched him full in the face, sending him reeling back. I stumbled myself, my head was pounding now, I felt unsteady. I then pitched forward into darkness.

Hoyle Lipton had had enough of being stuck inside. His advisers had advised he shouldn’t go outside but to Hoyle it didn’t matter now. What really did matter in the end? He left his big sitting room behind him and made his way over to the void. As he went he put a finger to his neck, pressing the button underneath his skin. The button would trigger the installed mechanics within his human body and prepare him for the conditions of the alien world: Larpoc. Hoyle then passed through the void and emerged on to the balcony of his embassy apartment. He stood there, one last time. Arms spread out, hands gripping the top of the safety barrier that was installed especially for him. He took in the view. The city below him. The buildings pink and grey, the light from the two suns sparkling. The forests of Goran behind, all dark yellow trees and birds of epic proportions and colours. To the left of this scene the ocean spread out and back as far as the eye could see. Unlike the gorgeous, blue oceans of Hoyle’s home planet earth, these oceans were red and foreboding. But all the more intriguing for it. As Hoyle Lipton took in these sights he heard a noise behind him. He turned and saw her and he fell in love all over again. Jio, her name was. A native of this planet. When Hoyle first arrived here ten years ago she was his counterpart in her planets government. They worked closely together to bring peace between their two planets. They failed. But they also fell in love. Their love was now forbidden but again, what did it matter in the end. Her shape was human shape but her colour was a light, glimmering blue. In Hoyle’s eyes she was absolutely stunning. He took her in his arms “I couldn’t leave” he said “not without you” “I have to stay, you know” she whispers to him. “Then we stay together, my heart beats blue with your blood now also. Stay together they do, holding each other, coming to terms with what’s about to happen. No words can be spoken now. Time is up.

Far from the gravity pull of the planet Larpoc a general gives an order. The assembled battle ships unleash their full power. Destroying the planet in seconds. All that remains is colour. Blue, red, green, purple and many more, dancing together in the fallout. Another planet falls to the brute and aggressive power of the battleworld: earth.

I flew off of the slip lane like a bullet, opened up the noise and flew around two slow moving cars before hitting the fast lane and putting my foot to the floor. We undertook and dodged, but we carried on at speed, my training kicking in and taking over. “Target ahead Chuck” my passenger Owen, said to me calmly, the talkie to his face, listening to orders and giving our location back in a constant commentary. Two hours ago we were on standby in an abandoned factory unit in the east of London. All we knew was that a substantial amount of explosive was being transported from Dorking, north on the M25 toward an unknown location near Luton. The explosive would be in a transit van being driven by known associates of a terrorist group. The decision was decided that the best place to accomplish the grab would be on the larger road, hence the M25. The target was confirmed as it passed Staines. Owen and I were then given permission to do what it took to secure the job. We were driving an enhanced ford Mondeo. We both wore jeans, t-shirt and jacket. Our 9mm’s secured under the jackets, MP5K sub machine guns tucked between our legs and the doors. We were well trained and ready to go. The back of the van appeared ahead, I eased off the accelerator slightly, nodded at Owen “set” he said. I rammed my foot down “go” I shouted above the roar of the engine. I saw my chance, pulled to the left of the van to overtake it. That’s when things went to shit. As I pulled out the left front tire of the van seemed to explode in a lightening flash. The van knifed in front of me. I braked, hard but too late. The van was now in front of me, side on, I was going too fast. Our mondeo went straight into the side. Hitting the explosive within. Triggering a blast and pile up nobody could survive. Apart from me, in a sense. Chuckie Miller. British special forces. Now the plaything of otherworldly forces. The devil had a job for me. He wanted me to become the plaything of lady death, her muse if you will. Apparently she had wanted me dead for some time to add to her collection. I was to gather information on her operation. If I succeeded I would be granted my life back. “Fuck death” I said. The devil smiled “Whatever it takes” he said.

Another day another dollar as the saying goes. Linus rises wearily from his desk and makes his way to the exit. Leaving the small cubicles behind him he makes his way to the fire exit to walk the five floors down to the freedom of fresh air and no more work for another weekend. Usually he would have taken the lift down with the other workers but today he wasn’t feeling that great. He’d had bursts of dizziness all day, his skin was feeling cold to the touch and the telltale signs of a major migraine were beginning, so instead of being crammed in a tight space loaded with body’s he decided to waste a few minutes and take the stairs. The first step was what did it for him. The dizziness hit him like a train as soon as he lifted his left foot. His weight was already shifting and he must have lost consciousness as his body tipped and then tumbled, hitting each step hard as he fell. Linus awoke, it was impossible to tell how long he had been out. Straight away he realised he wasn’t in the staircase anymore. He was in a field, somewhere in the countryside, lying in wet mud and straw. As the days went by Linus realised with huge shock that he had somehow travelled back in time. He had come back to 1888. With no idea of where to go next he headed back to his family’s roots: London. He hadn’t intended to but eventually he tracked his family down, knowing his great grandfather was a small boy living In Whitechapel. The intention was not to interfere but make the most of his predicament and observe a piece of his family history. A big mistake. He watched his family: his great, great grandfather John; his wife, Anna and their 10 year old son William. Linus grew obsessed with John and began to follow him. He learned the truth of his ancestor one dark night and recoiled in shock. A week later he decided to visit John and have it out with him. He arrived at the family’s modest house one evening. A lot of fearful screaming was coming from inside and Linus barged in. He found his young great grandfather William cowering in a corner as his father John attacked his mother. Consumed with pent up rage from the week before Linus stepped in, a fight ensued between the two men and John was thrown to the floor. He died of a head wound. Linus fled in shock and slept overnight in a brothel. Upon waking the next morning Linus was filled with an all consuming rage. And so he carried on johns mission. There were still two victims left on jack the rippers list.

I’ve had enough. I’ve lost my job. The missus has taken my kid and shacked up with a fucking doctor. I’ve lost my flat and am now absolutely skint. I’ve got nothing. I’ve been living up in Manchester but there’s nothing for me here now. So now here I am at piccadilly station about to catch the train down to London. When things started to go to shit I gave my uncle a shout. He was more than willing to welcome me back in to the fold. I thought I had left that life behind me, obviously not. A few hours later down in London, I exit Euston station. There’s a car waiting for me. I slide in and immediately recognise an old face from my past. Leon smiles at me in the mirror as he pulls the car out and takes off “Joey me old china plate, it’s been a fair while my chum. Here I’ve got something for you”. At a set of red lights he pulls a package from under his seat and carefully passes it over. I open it up, already guessing what I’m about to reveal. I test the weight of the gun in my hand, being careful to keep it low and out of sight of the people outside of the car. Remembering days gone by, days filled with needless violence, I tuck the gun under my thigh. “Your uncles got a job for, wants to throw you in at the deep end lad. See if you’ve still got the bottle”. I sit there silently. What else can I do? I’ve got bugger all left. I swallow my thoughts and prepare myself for my new future, or a return to my past.

One thousand years. It’s a long time. Too fucking long. I shouldn’t be here now, I should be long at rest in the ground, but no I’m still here, fighting other people’s petty, dirty wars. Finally when the remaining soldiers and I finally think it’s over a bastard eagle blocks out the sky bearing more death and destruction. It all started when two small kingdoms thrones were usurped by two scheming wankers calling themselves the last of the mages showed up, decided to go to war and constantly tried to one up each other. One raised an army of the dead, the other cursed us, his so called subjects to fight for him until the war was won, however long that would be. One thousand bloody years and counting. It went on and on and now we’re faced with unnaturally large and deformed fucking creatures, this one an iron beaked monstrosity of an eagle. And that’s where I am now, leading a small phalanx of troops ahead of the main body of our army, the advance team. Our mission to reveal any weaknesses of our newest enemy. We’re expected to die today and, truthfully, thank fuck for that. Sword raised high above my head I lead the charge. Screaming a cry as loud as I can “for death!”.

When we are created we are born with our destiny’s laid out before us, predetermined. We know how smart we are going to be. What path our education will take. Who we will end up with. Where we will live and within what bracket. What jobs we will work and when we retire. Finally we know when and how we are going to die. It all happened in the year 2035. People stopped naturally having babies. For three whole years not one person gave birth. And then the impossible happened. You would wake up one morning, and from somewhere a baby would appear on your doorstep. One arm would be inscribed with the child’s fate in dark ink. It became one of the biggest mysteries of the world. But also one of the biggest joys. After much theorising and head scratching people came to terms with it. The world became peaceful. Until, over one hundred years later I came along. Two different destiny’s, both arms full of ink. With me free will was delicately introduced back into the world. And I was hated for it.

2168 Our world is in dire need of hope, we have failed the surface of our world, the sky’s and space beyond offered no hope so we turned to the earth and dug deep into a world unlike any other. I am known as the path builder, I lead small mining crews deep in to unexplored territory mapping out routes for the bigger teams to come and carve out resources. I and my team are now six months into our journey, deeper into the earth than any have ever been. No daylight, no real air, nothing but the seven of us and what we can carry on our backs. Hacking and crawling through the darkness. The stuff we’ve seen, I hardly know how to describe it all. Of course some of it has been seen before, nearer the surface, but on a much smaller scale. Down here everything is massive and seemingly more defined. For my companions and I the horror started two days ago. We had just navigated a very small, natural passage. After a good few hours our path opened up before us and so, eventually we stepped out into one of the biggest spaces I have ever seen. To call it a huge cavern of giant proportions would be a massive understatement. This was a place unlike any other, we were agreed on that as soon as we entered. This was a new world so different to our own but somehow it existed underneath us. To list everything we saw would take forever and I really haven’t the time. Two things which I must quickly explain to you though are the rocks. Rocks that spontaneously burst in to flames, disintegrated in a cloud of smoke, to be replaced by giant, rat sized beetle like creatures, devouring anything in their path, including two of my teammates. The other are lizard like creatures as big as the mansions left from the past. They fly and breath fire. They are. And I cannot believe I am writing this down, let alone thinking it. They are dragons. The dragons did for the rest of my team. Now it’s just me, cowering in a small cave. Trying to build my nerve to leave, to run, get back to the real world. If I don’t make it I hope someone finds this and believes my words

It’s been a few weeks and I’ve been making good progress on my escape. I have to turn back now and face my fate. I can not carry on. Behind me for the past few days I have heard noises, shuffling and distorted sounds. I am sure I am being followed. Deep within me I know I can not let whatever is behind me get to the surface. This is my goodbye.

Knock knock “Who’s there?” “Ivana” “Ivana who?” “Ivana suck your blood” “Haha. Hello Drac” “Alright tink, you gonna let me in this time?” “We do this every year Dracula. Why would this time be any different?” “Because I’ve brought a friend with me, someone neutral” “Ok, maybe, we do need to talk” Reluctantly Tinkerbell cautiously opens the door a slight crack. Peering out she see Dracula, dark, tall and utterly frightening. She looks to his left and recognises his companion. Satisfied now she opens the door and allows them to enter. Tinkerbell shows them in to her living room, then heads to the kitchen to make some tea and to prepare herself for the inevitable. A few minutes pass and Tink makes her way back to the living room bearing a tray laden with tea and biscuits. She places the tray onto a low table in the middle of the room and takes a seat opposite the two men. “So the great Gandalf the Grey. He’s roped you into this mess then” Gandalf looks caringly into her eyes “ I’m sorry, but this has to happen now. You need to sign your death” Tinkerbell looks from Gandalf to Dracula, a man she once loved. She nods to herself slowly, and then to the two men, more confidently, she knew this moment would come, and now Gandalf was here it had arrived. As a fairytale character she always thought life would be one big happily ever after, but now she knew. Life wasn’t a fairytale. She had to accept it. Gandalf laid some papers in front of her and she bent down to sign. The heading said DEATH Divorce Eternal And Thereafter Heritage

Place your hand against the tree and ask for one thing, if you are of a pure heart you will be granted your desire. The wishing tree had stood the test of time, historically and in myth. Today though the dream ends as a young lady named Roe of the Dean sets her sights upon its large, ancient trunk. The villagers have heard of her coming and her mission. They now create a barrier of fearful people around the tree. Nothing can stop the Roe of the Dean though and she passes through the masses like mist through a valley. The people watch in silence as she approaches the tree. Places her hands upon the rough bark. She mutters in a long forgotten language. The world seems to take a breath and then a shudder from below the earth scatters the villagers in fear. The tree flashes bright and vanishes in a blink. Replaced by a limbless, faceless shape, man looking but otherwise beastly and unknowing. The Roe of the Dean unsheathes a large, pointed stake from beneath her cloak and drives it into the beasts chest. The pale fleshlike skin covering the creature seems to crack and go red with heat, heating up with a fury. Until a demon fire seems to fill the space and burst into the air as a lava. The heat and fire cease then, and red leafs now fill the air, raining down on the spot where the wishing tree once stood. As the Roe of the Dean departs the once sacred spot a lone, old man nervously approaches her “why?” He asks, quivering, tears streaming down his face. The lady stops and regards the man sadly “I wished to avenge the death of my family” she says softly, she then walks away to another life.