Time Travel

The sun had just set, and a huge storm was blowing.
When young Daisy, Bo and Blossom Peep were putting the last of their sheep into a pen.
"Is that all of them?" Daisy yelled through the sound of the wind.
"I think so" Bo roared back.
"I hope so!" cried Blossom. Skirts whipping with the wind, they turned to go home. But their home was gone. They looked in circles for nearly 5 minutes, not speaking to each other.
"What's going on!?" Bo finally cried over the strong wind, "Where's our house?"
"I- I don't know" muttered Daisy looking confused and scared at the same time, "Where is it?" she cried frantically.
The wind howled more fiercely still.
They ducked down with their arms over their heads to protect themselves from the might waves of air that beat down on them.
They decided they'd better walk forward -
whichever way forward was.
It seemed a long time before they reached anything, but they discovered
 a building.
Although they could not see what it was (they were still ducking down) they felt their way around this structure for a door.
At last, Blossom, fumbling with her fingers, found a door-knob and pushed it open.
                   *
The room was still and full of light. They looked up, and realized that this was most definitely not their home.
There was a large wooden table in one corner of the room, a big squashy sofa in the other.
They looked at each other. They couldn't explain what they were seeing; no one lived near their house. The closest neighbour was around 10 miles away.
They looked a mess; hair sticking up all over the place, clothing loose and twisted, and still clutching their crooks. It was in that very moment of silence that a door on the side of the door opened, making them all jump.
The man that walked in now looked calm and content, until he turned around with a start and paused.
"Er... good evening sir" panted Daisy with a slight curtsy, "Er... we got caught in the storm, and we don't know where we are"
The man smiled.
"Good evening then, to you misses. Yes, it is blowing a bit out there isn't it? Please, come in. Do tell me, what are your names?"
"I am Blossom Peep, sir"
"My name is Daisy Peep, sir"
"My name is Bo Peep, sir"
The man's jaw dropped at this.
"Pardon? Bo Peep? Is this a game you are playing? Are you tricking me?" he gave them a suspicious stare.
"Er... no sir" muttered Blossom, "We don't know what happened"
"The Bo Peep? As in, Little Bo Peep?" he seemed in awe though almost still suspicious.
"It isn't very amazing" she said looking at him as though he was mental,
"But anyway, could you please tell us where we are? And what is your name?"
Bo asked gently.
"My name's Bill, Bill Hardy and you are in the East Valley on Ingleton road" he said boldly. He looked at their tired, worn faces.
"Have you got a place to stay tonight?"
he asked.
"I- I don't know" said Daisy timidly, looking around, "I know it sounds rather uncanny, but we have lost our house"
"Ah, I'm not surprised" he glanced out the window, "But you can stay here if you like. Then tomorrow you can try and find your house. We've got spare beds if you need to"
"Oh really? Thank you very, very much sir" said Bo.
   *
They awoke the next morning, to see the sun streaming through the gaps in the curtains. The storm was over. Blossom yawned and woke up, shortly followed by Daisy and Bo.
They wondered where they were for a moment, but then remembered the incident the night before.
They then, really began to wonder what had happened. Why couldn't they find their house? Bill cautiously walked into the room.
"Ah, good morning ladies. Did you sleep well? Can I get you something?" he asked.
"Good morning sir. Ah, no thank you. Actually we had better be getting on our way" said Bo.
"Thank you very, very much for your hospitality" said Daisy.
"Anytime" he said with a smile.
They got straight out of bed and picked up their crooks (they had slept in their clothes), thanked Bill again, then curtseyed out the door.
They looked around.
This was not the East Valley that they were used to; it was the same, with all the hills in the usual places, except that there were houses, roads and tall lamps all over them.
"Is this - what - how?" stuttered Blossom.
"Where did all this come from?" asked Daisy, her eyes popping at the new view.
"Where exactly do we live?" asked Bo, finally getting over the first shock.
"I - I don't know" said Blossom staring around and looking very confused. She brushed back her fuzzy hair in frustration.
"I think" Daisy began, "That we have somehow, quite inexplicably, travelled through time"
They stared at her.
"Excuse me?"
"Travelled through time"
"How so?"
"I don't know"
"Who cares for now... let us look for our house"
They looked around again.
"I think it's over there" said Blossom, turning her head towards a clutter of trees,
"See? That clump of rocks was right opposite"
They progressed down the unfamiliar streets. It had always been a usual ruite for them, but now that it was covered with winding paths, it seemed almost impossible.
"It should be around here" said Bo, her hands on her hips, "If you look over there, that's south. I could always see the top of that hill from my room.."
They continued on forward for a long time until they stopped.
"So" said Daisy, "Our house should be right...here" she waved out her arms.
"What!"
"There's nothing here?"
"You mean... our house is gone?"
"Precisely. Look! There's the old sheep pens" she pointed out a single wooden post with a roughly nailed on board attached to it.
"No, no way" whispered Bo. How could this all have happened last night?"
"It didn't. It happened over... I'd say around 100 years"
They stared at her again with this incredible pronouncement.
Bo knelt down and pawed the grass.
"Where, what happened... how! When!"
"There's no point standing around here. I guess we should advance if we are t find any new information that might help us" said Blossom.
So, they walked back down where they had come. As they paced nervously down a paved street, a large, noisy something zoomed down it making them scream out loud.
"What on the earth was that?" asked Bo, clutching her heart.
"I haven't the faintest idea" panted Daisy. However, they kept on going.
They reached an area that was full of people. Firstly, they took a careful look around. These must be the settlers, they thought. As they walked up the crowded street, with a tap, tap of their crooks as they hit the ground.
They attracted a few stares from the people.
There was a small news paper stand outside a shop. Daisy bent down to take a closer look at it.
East Valley Times.
May 5, 2000.
"Look at the year!" she whispered quickly. But just then-
"Excuse me" Blossom asked a man passing by, "But what- what is this place?"
"Pardon me young lady? This is East Valley" he stared down at her, then smiled as he spotted the other two.
"And what are your names?" he had a very friendly voice.
"Er.. I am Blossom. Blossom Peep"
"I am Daisy Peep"
"And I am Bo Peep"
His smile turned to a shocked expression.
"The Bo Peep?" he asked.
Bo shrugged at Daisy.
"That is funny, I don't think I know you. Let me introduce myself. My name is Remius Peep"
"Peep?" they chorused together.
Daisy turned to the other two. "If this is correct, this man could be one of our Grandchildren!" she whispered excitedly.
"Sir, could you please tell us your mother's name?"
"Er... certainly. Her name's Talitha Peep"
"And your Grandmother's name?"
He looked puzzled now but he said,
"I'm not entirely sure. Some sort of flower I think it was. Why do you want to know all this?"
Then, throwing caution to the winds Bo said, "We think we have travelled ahead in time"
"Pardon?" he looked extremely confused.
"Look, I know it sounds weird, but we have. You are a Peep. Most likely, we are your ancestors"
"If this is some sort of game, I am going" he motioned to leave but Blossom stopped him.
"We are NOT joking! Seriously, I swear"
"Very well, continue"
Daisy then whispered, "A name of a flower...it was either Blossom or I!"
She turned to Remius Peep.
"Was your Grandmother's name Blossom?" she asked sweetly.
"Hmm.. No I don't think so. Maybe Daffodil or..."
"Daisy?" she prompted him.
"Yes, I think that was it- " he stopped and stared at her.
"You say, you are Daisy Peep"
"Indeed"
"You expect me to believe-"
They realized, that telling him that they had infact travelled through time seemed quite ludicrous.
"You are my Grandmother?" he asked quietly,
"And you are both my Great-aunts?"
He cleared his throat.
"I am going to be late for an important meeting. I had better go. Good day misses"
and he walked away.
"I must say that was very interesting"
"Indeed it was"
"Why does everyone love Bo so much?"
"I wonder..."
                                 *
They seemed to have been travelling all day. They didn't have anywhere in particular to go, but they wanted to explore the world that shouldn't have happened for another 100 years. They found themselves on a walk that went through a bush. The bush had always been there, but it never had had a path through it. It wasn't that bad either.
The leaves were lovely and green, and there was a tiny creek trickling at the bottom of the muddy bank. No doubt the path came out at the lake, because just then, a group of boys, aged around 17 - 19 came down the path in the opposite way, talking loudly with their hair soaking wet and carrying towels. They spotted the three girls, holding their crooks.
The boys laughed loudly and called back, "Where are your ruddy sheep?"
Insulted, Daisy instinively called back after them, "Where are your ruddy manners?"
And they walked on unperturbed.
Finally, they reached the lake at the end of the path; It was wide, deep, and beautiful. A clear green - blue colour. They walked through the gentle, white powdery sand as they admired the towering trees of green and the vast lake.
"This is very nice" said Bo, "But it isn't getting us home"
"You're right" answered Blossom. They remained at the lake for nearly an hour, when they decided they should probably head back.
"I'm hungry!" Blossom moaned half-way down the track.
"So am I" said Daisy.
"What could we eat, then?" asked Bo patting her stomach.
"There's some fruit trees around here" said Daisy noticing the colourful balls blossoming of the trees.
"Ah, yes there is. I'll try and reach one of those" Bo stepped onto a large flay rock and reached into the thick branches of a tall apple tree.
She showed them a shiny, red apple. She examined it carefully, rubbed it with her skirt, then took a bite.
"Oh, lovely" she said through a mouthful.
Daisy then stepped onto the rock, jumped, and pulled down two apples. She  gave one to Blossom.
They continued down the track, somehow feeling hungrier than before the apples.
                                 *
They reached the town again. They stared around as if hoping to see a sign telling them where to go. A small girl was sitting on a park bench with her mother. The girl appeared to be reading a children's fairy tale book. She glanced up from the book and cried, "Mum! Look! THere's the girl from the book! Little Bo Peep!" They stopped and stared at this little girl who was bubbling with excitement.
"Now, sweety don't point. It's rude" said the girl's mother.
"But Mum, look it is  her!"
"I'm terribly sorry" the mother said to Bo, "Jenny's very into her fairy tales"
"Fairy tales?" said Bo, "How does she know me?" she asked more quietly.
"Pardon?" asked the mother.
"Er... you see my name is Bo Peep" she said faintly.
"Oh, really? That's very cute" said the mother with a smile.
"Am I in that book?" Bo asked timidly.
"Have you never read the story of Little Bo Peep? I guess your parents have" she chuckled slightly, "Here, have a look if you like" the mother handed the book to Bo.
Daisy and Blossom leaned over her shoulder to have a look.
Little Bo Peep
has lost her sheep
and doesn't know where to find them
Leave them alone
and they'll come home
wagging their tails behind them.
 Following this was a perfectly drawn picture of Bo, leading a flock of sheep.
They looked up from the book.
"Incredible" she said, "This is why everyone knows me!" she whispered to Blossom and Daisy.
The mother smiled and said, "She does look a bit like you, dear"
"She is  me!" cried Bo. This was very unexplainable. Why was Bo, Daisy and Blossom's ordinary sister in a children's fairy tale book 100 years later?
"How is she you?" asked the mother curiously.
There was no point beating about the bush.
"I am Bo Peep. This is Daisy and Blossom Peep" she added, motioning towards Blossom
and Daisy, "We have somehow travelled through time. It cannot be explained but it has happened. We do not know how to get home"
The mother stared at her. Then she looked like she had just realized something.
She stood up and said, "History tells us, that the famous Bo Peep and her two sisters mysteriously disappeared and were never seen again" She glared at them, "Obviously, my dears, if you are being truthful, then this is where you disappeared to. You have only just arrived."
"Why am I famous?" Bo asked hotly, almost completely changing the subject.
"That must be it then!" cried Daisy, "We disappeared and appeared here, 100 years later"
"Why am I famous?" Bo repeated.
"There's no particular reason why you are famous, and chosen to be the one for the book. Someone must have met you and written this short poem" said the mother.
"By the way, my name is Vicky" she added as an afterthought.
                                *
They spoke with Vicky for a while, ("Bye bye, Little Bo Peep!" Jenny had said) bid her good day then continued on, feeling much more clued up, but still just as confused.
They went back to their farm, well where their house used to be anyway.
"Now, where exactly were we standing when we travelled in time?" asked Daisy.
"Er... somewhere in the pens" said Blossom. The pens weren't exactly there anymore; just the solitary post with one board hanging limply off it.
"I guess that was it" said Daisy pointing to the post. So, they walked carefully over to the post. Just then, the sky began to cloud over. The clouds went from white, to grey then to black in less than 5 seconds. Forked lightening then cracked in the sky, followed by a burst of thunder and then rain. Instantly, a powerful wind came out of nowhere, blowing them about. The grabbed onto the post for support. Everything was so dark, and it was so windy that they could hardly tell what was going on.
But suddenly, as if of magic, the limp board rose up on it's hinge and began to lengthen, as hundreds of other boards and posts sprouted off it. Everything was spinning now, they let go of the post and fell with a thud to the ground. They grabbed onto the nearest post that they could find.
The world stopped spinning. But it was just as windy. They got to their feet, and swivelled around. Standing infront of them was a  large, white, english-style house.
It was very strange, but, fighting against the wind they made their way up to their house.
                                 *
The next day, they had awoken from their own beds, eaten their own food, spoken to their own parents and gone outside.
The storm was over.
They had been discussing what had just happened, but hadn't told anyone yet.
They went straight over to the wooden post (which was now part of wide, handsome sheep runs and pens) and looked carefully at it. They spent alot of time checking it over.
It looked like a normal, ordinary wooden post. Until Daisy noticed something:
carved just below the nail attaching it to the board was the words,
1900 - 2000
Daisy pointed this out.
"Look at this! We must have gone to the year 2000!"
They returned to the post many times, but it must only work in storms, they thought.
They thought it was best not to try it all again, but they will never forget their brief spell in the future.