Adventures in Time

By Ashley MacGregor

Six short stories involving the past, the future and the unknown. Includes The Caroline, Beyond Help, The Time Tunnel and After the Dance, plus Tarnagulla, set during the gold rush and A Child's Wisdom, a kids interpretation of the inexplicable.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ashley MacGregor
• Release date: Jan 9, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466074675

Ashley MacGregor

Ashley's stories have an unexpected twist at the end. They might make you chuckle, or pull at your heart strings, but your reaction is also likely to surprise you. The inspiration for many of Ashley's stories comes from historical events or from travel. Recent travels in the South of France has lead to Ashley's latest book, Natural Instinct. He has recently written about a journey around the Mediterranean set in 1926, an adventure of both body and mind.

Book preview

Adventures in Time

A Collection of Short Stories

Ashley MacGregor

Copyright 2010 A. MacGregor

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Front cover: After a bushfire in Victoria, by the Author.

Table of Contents

The Caroline

After the dance

Beyond help

The Time Tunnel

Tarnagulla

A Child’s Wisdom

Also by Ashley

The Caroline

The mate is reading out the list of passengers permitted on deck as the ship sails into Port Adelaide.

… and Susan Unwin, he finishes. My name is on the list! And I sense Captain Walker’s compassion for what has happened to me. On deck I see the land, the first for four months. But more vividly I see the tragedy in my daydreams.

The Caroline left Southampton on 11th January 1855, with her cargo of hopeful souls. She is about to deliver us but, it has been via hell. When we reach port they will look in awe at this crippled ship. They will ask, Whatever happened?

Look at the damage, how did you survive? The newspaper will want to know all about the catastrophe. We’ll all be asked for our version of events. They’ll talk about it for weeks.

Only a few women from the 360 passengers are on deck, I feel a sense of privilege. Kind Captain Walker, thinking of those who have suffered most. A breeze blows stiffly astern but the fresh air is most welcome. A large gull is gliding to starboard. Suddenly it dives down to the sea; perhaps it has seen a fish. Now, I see a shape darting down, white as canvas. Splash. It disappears and leaves foam on the surface. I watch the foam pass the ship and join the wake. My stomach rises. It tries to come up my throat. I hold back the sickness this time. But not the tears.

The Caroline is running up the coast of the Gulf of St Vincent. I look at the land. The colours are disconcerting yet it is bright and clear. I feel no emotion for this land, it’s just shapes I see. I doubt this country is worth our journey. Oh why did we leave old England?

***

I was happy in our village, Little Sampford in Essex where my family are cutlers. I worked as a maid at the Fighting Cocks Inn. It wasn’t much, but I was only seventeen. And it’s where I met my husband, Joseph. I remember he easily removed some roughians from the Inn who were disturbing the peace. I fell for his courage and optimism, and was rewarded