Death in Stockdale (part two).

Previously on Death in Stockdale:

Henry Hut has travelled back in order to stop the murder of his friend Lemiwell Jones who was shot whilst giving an election speech in front of the whole town. He has one hour to save the day....


"I don't believe it!" Said Henry, making sure to get his catchphrase in before he forgot about it again.

He bolted out of the professors room and flew down the stairs of Mrs Feathingays and out of the front door.

He didn't really have time to ponder the intricate nature of physics (specifically what happens when a moving object meets a stationary object) but nature being the fickle mistress that it is, Henry fulfilled that part of his destiny when found himself - face down in the pavement - having fallen over the crumpled figure that was....

"Chub." Said Chub, dusting herself down and raising to her feet.

"Eh?" Asked Henry, about as confused as confused can be.

"Me. My name is Chub and you are Henry Hut. No?" She shrugged. It was a thing she did.

"Yes... but..." Henry realised that he still sat on the ground and decided it would be best to get up.

"I followed you here. I need your help."

"How could you have followed me HERE?" Henry became slightly more confused that he was previously, which not an easy thing to accomplish.

"I know you can from the future. I lots of things. LOTS." Chub offered a small smile. It was not in her nature to smile. Life had not been the best of friends to this wandering vagrant. 

Having been kicked out of her home, Lenny Henry Tower, chased through the streets of Stockdale by hoodies and having her one and only friend kidnapped by a mad man was not really the best start in life for young girl (we won't even talk about the witnessing of a double homicide at the old abandoned fun fair).

Chub explained her predicament to Henry. She told him how she was taught to see the patterns in the world around her and this lead her to Mrs Featheringays front door in time for Henry to barge through.

"If all that's true," Blasted Henry. "Why didn't you bloody well move if you knew I coming through the door?" 

"I'm not an expert...yet." Chub look slightly embarrassed. "Anyway, I'll help you if you promise to help me free Gus."

"Who the chuffing flip is GUS?" Henry was running out of expletives and was forced to improvise.

"Gus is my friend. He showed me how to see the world as it really is. The patterns - everything is tied together Henry. Everything."

Henry Frowned. The clock was ticking and he didn't have time to argue with this little weirdo, instead he took her hand and together they ran to the town hall to save Lemiwell Jones.


Henry was not the only time traveller to visit Stockdale. The first traveller, who had come from Henry's future BEFORE he travelled back in time (very confusing but logical all the same) was hiding in Mrs Featheringays kitchen as Henry had stomped down the stairs just moments before.

He stood quietly in the shadows as Henry opened the door and fell on his face. Whislt all the commotion was occuring in front our unknown visitor, Mrs Featheringay herself shuffled into the kitchen from the front room.

Too old and frail to stand in a big drafty hall all day, she instead opted to stay at home and prepare some sandwiches and a pot of tea for everyones return.

"Ooh what are you doi...uurgk" She gargled as the shadowy figure grabbed mrs F and covered her mouth, dragging her in the living room where they could not be seen.


Time ticked and tocked, as it tends to do, as Henry and Chub neared the town hall.

Dozens of people were stood outside, finishing off their woodbines and stocking up on cough sweets (the kind that audiences always take before an important meeting to ensure that a fit of hacking up their lungs always starts just as something exciting is about to happen).

"Right." Whispered Henry from around the corner. "If you know everything - which one of these scumbags killed Mr Jones?"

Chub shrugged, as was her want. "I don't know EVERYTHING Henry."

"Then what DO you know?" He shook her, as if the answer would fall out of her pocket.

Something fell out of Chubs pocket.

Henry picked up a piece of paper.

"What's this?" he asked.

Chub didn't say anything. It was important that Henry figured it out for himself.

Looking at the piece of paper made Henry's face contort and wrinkle. "I don't get it. It's just a picture of a rabbit. What does that mean?"

Chub carefully lifted the picture from Henry's hands and turned it around before handing it back.

"Oh... it's one of those optical illusions... it's not a rabbit... it's a duck."

Chub raised her eyebrows expecting the soft of glow of enlightenment to hit any second.

"a duck....a duck?" mumbled Henry.

...any second now....

"Duck. oh DUCK!" and Henry ducked just as he saw his past self walk past with Lemiwell Jones.

Henry (the future NOW Henry that is) put his hand over his mouth. Even he knew that he couldn't interfere with his past self in case of causing one of those universe destroying events the Professor had told him about before he left.

"Good Luck Mr Jones." Previous Henry said. "Knock 'em dead!"

"Thank you Henry. This is were it all starts for us. Stockdale deserves a new beginning, a new future, a new..." Henry cut him off mid sentence.

"Save it for the podium Mr J." He said.

Mr Jones walked off to his spot inside the town hall.

"What do we do now?" Whispered Chub.

"What?" Questioned Henry. "You're the one who knows the future. You tell me!"

"I may know the future Henry, but you LIVE there!" She replied.

"Damn." she had him there. there was no arguing with logic like that.

Henry had to think on his feet.

"Erm..." he said "Give me a minute to think about it."

Back at Mrs Feathingays, the shadowy figure from the future-future had left Mrs F a little shook up but none the worse for wear. Having explained everything to her she made him a cheese sandwich and wished her visitor good luck and would he back for tea.
Her visitor had no reply.
Instead he had leaped over the back wall and made his way to the town hall to meet with fate.

Henry had a plan. He would not have said it was a good plan, but it was a plan and that better than no plan at all.

Chub was not convinced that Henry was coping very well with time travel but she needed him and she had to help Henry in order to save Gus.

"We will wait outside here" Said Henry. "When I see the killer I'll grab him before he goes inside. That way, Mr Jones won't die and I won't make the mistake of meeting my past self and everything will work out. Then we can go home." Henry nodded trying to convince himself that the plan didn't have more holes than a rusty sieve.

"but.." Chub was cut off before she could start. 

"Then... we can ALL GO HOME!" He repeated through gritted teeth.

"We just need to keep our eyes peeled for a man in a hooded toumphbloodyhell!" and Henry found himself on the floor again.

In a humpled, crumpled heap three bodies entangled themselves in knots before Chub managed to wriggle free.

Before her she saw Henry, his arms flailing and waving like a drowning spider. Surrounding him and equally failing to free themselves from the heap was the hooded man Henry has told her to look out for.

"HENRY THAT'S HIM!!" She screamed.

"Who, wha..." Said Henry before noticing the grey hooded top. Instinct took over and Henry threw a punch into the assailants head.

"Bastard." said Henry defiantly.

Henry jumped up, full of adrenaline and fear and rage and hope that he had saved the day!

"That's no way to speak to a friend now is it Henry..." said the killer standing up slowly. He turned to face Henry and Chub. 

Pulling down the hood of his top dramatically to reveal...

Mr Lemiwell Jones.

"But... I don't.... What the...." Mouthed Henry.

Mr Jones wiped a small smear of blood from his lip.

"We have to save the future Henry." Said Mr Jones.

"I don't believe it." Said henry....

Chub shrugged.


To be continued...