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“Jericho’s human agent for East London in the 1950’s reports some strange goings on at London Docks which appear to centre around old Shed 13 in the Albert Docks. There have been sightings of people in strange clothes, unusual noises at night and apparitions vanishing through walls and locked doors. Jericho decides to investigate when two Dockers simply vanish from the Night Shift in summer 1958 and both their souls are missing too. The Team quickly find they have a rival investigating the strange phenomena - a certain local History teacher - Quinn McFarland.”
Episode may contain the following warnings:
Alcohol - smoking - strong foul language [including historical language and opinions that are certainly not woke!] - sexual references [including sexual violence and BDSM] - Violence [including torture, combat, domestic and sexual] - references to prostitution, human trafficking, classic slavery and treating women as chattels - Supernatural & paranormal experiences - Horror - Terror induced fear and threats of violence. Reading about historical and past events which have NOT BEEN SANITISED in any way! Oh, and some episodes contain Nazi's; new and old.
“All incidents and dialogue, and all characters with the exception of some well-known historical figures, are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Where real-life historical figures appear, the situations, incidents, and dialogues concerning those persons are entirely fictional and are not intended to depict actual events or to change the entirely fictional nature of the work. In all other respects, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Author’s notes about this episode:
[1] A little extra warning: Contains references to historical human trafficking and slavery.
[2]
The original Title for this episode was: ‘McFARLAND’S MAGIC MOMENTS.’
[3]
A ‘Temporal Detectives’ original story.
[4] "QUINN McFARLAND.” This episode, was conceived and written by the author. Copyright © 2011-2025 Stephen Williams. No reproduction of any part without written permission. The episode ILLUSTRATION is an original drawing created by the author. It is copyright ©2011 - 2025 Stephen Williams. No reproduction of any part without written permission.
[5] There is an 'ALEXANDRA' series adult extended version currently available entitled:
"ALEXANDRA ENCOUNTERS BIG QUINN McFARLAND."
[6] "London Docklands is an area of London encompassing the city’s former docks. It is located in inner east and southeast London, in the boroughs of Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Newham and Greenwich. The docks were formerly part of the Port of London, at one time the world's largest port. After the docks closed, the area had become derelict and poverty-ridden by the 1980s." Quote from 'WIKIPEDIA', read the remainder HERE.
Episode detail
Concept
date: 26th June 2021
First published: Not available
Status: COMPLETED, BUT UNPUBLISHED.
Location: BOOK SERIES 0 – EPISODE 0.
Revisions: 3 [Last revised December 2021]
Version: In review
Published Episode No. 00
Previous episode: NONE
Next episode: NONE
Age
recommendation: 12+
Average
reading time: Approximately 75 Minutes.
Angel-in-charge: Margret
Team
Assigned: Team 74
Mission: 0 - 409966 - 6 - 1958
Human times:
Episode Preview:
"QUINN McFARLAND."
1. "THE KETTLE CAFE" ROYAL ALBERT DOCK, LONDON Monday 7th July 1958.
Every head turned and watched Alex walk to the corner
table; she was dressed in the height of lady's fashion for 1958; long skirt
with plenty of petticoats, little red jacket with matching shoes and hat. She
eased down on the wooden chair and placed her bright red clutch bag on the
plastic covered table. Owen slumped in the chair next to her and picked up the
small plastic folder holding the menu; “May as well have some breakfast before
we start.” He said with real anticipation in his voice. Alex smoothed down her
beautiful skirt and nodded; feeling every eye was on her. The café was packed
with dockers working the early shift.
She was now certainly the topic of conversation amongst the men.
The place went silent – again – as Jericho and Wilson
joined the pair. The old waitress came over and stared at Alex, then Wilson.
“What can I get you?” she said loudly and pulled a pencil from behind her ear, the
dirty hair obvious to Alex. Owen ordered a full breakfast with extra sausages
and eggs, while Wilson just ordered a bacon sandwich. Alex and Jericho only
ordered tea and the waitress wandered off, scratching her head with the
pencil. The really big docker sitting at
the table next to the team chuckled loudly; “Sweet mother O’Riley, we’ve got
toff’s joining us for scoff boys.” The three men with him all laughed. The big rough looking man continued; “I ain’t
seen anything that pretty since...well, I just ain’t never seen anything that
pretty before. I bet her old man walks around with a bloody big smile on his
face!”
The waitress returned and slapped a big plate of
breakfast down in front of him and admonished him; “Mind your language, Malcolm
Jarvis; that’s a real lady, it’s bleeding obvious ain’t it.” Malcolm grinned at
Alex; “So sorry your ladyship, but poor old Malcolm is all shook up about the
terrible ghosts and ghoulish things creeping about shed 13. So please do
forgive him.” The waitress sighed; “The day your scared of bleeding ghosts will
be when the Pope gets married!” All the men at the table laughed at that. But
Jericho was immediately interested in the big man’s remarks [as were the rest
of the team]. He smiled at big Malcolm and asked quietly about the ghostly
apparitions in shed 13.
Big Malcolm stared at him, looking puzzled; “It’s just
a ghost mate; nobody’s seen any bleeding French cars around the place.” Jericho
ran a hand over his face and asked again, just about the ghosts this time.
Malcolm sat back and smiled at him; “You want to speak to weird Willy over
there mate; he and Freddie saw the bloody thing walk through a window and
disappear. He’ll tell you all about it for a cup of tea.” All the men laughed
and returned to their breakfasts. The team
stared at the nervous young man sitting by himself at a small table by the door
to the toilet. He wore a cheap suit and looked like he didn’t know what a
proper meal was. He was in his early twenties, and he sat gripping his cup of
tea with both hands; he managed to smile at the team.
Jericho nodded to Owen who turned and spoke to ‘weird
Willy’ and invited him to join their table and recount his story. Willy shook
his head and stared at the floor. Alex leaned over Owen and asked Willy – with
a really big smile – to tell his story; she was very interested to hear it.
Willy hesitated, then almost smiled and dragged his chair over. Jericho
couldn’t hide his smile; Alex could get most males to do anything she wanted
and that had proved really useful to the Temporal Detectives!
Jericho ordered the young man a tea and smiled at him, asking Willy about his experiences with the ‘ghost’. Willy smiled at Alex and sipped his tea. He worked as a clerk for the shipping line ‘OFL’ [Ocean Freight Limited] and was in Shed 13 with a colleague – Frederick Smith – checking an assignment of tea chests from India. It was four o’clock in the afternoon and they both saw another young man – who they didn’t recognise – standing by the doors reading a notebook apparently. Willy mentioned – twice – that he was really well dressed to work around the docks and that’s why they noticed him. Willy placed the cup down and gripped his hands together; “I said to Freddie that I had never seen him about the place before and Freddie hadn’t seen him before either. Then he walked past us – like we weren’t even there - and went straight through the big window without opening it or breaking the glass!”
He leaned back; “But there was something really strange
about the ghost...I mean, not that walking through a window without breaking
it, isn’t strange!” Jericho asked what
else was strange about the ‘ghost’. Willy now leaned forward and dropped his
voice; “He appeared quite solid until he reached the window and then – just for
a second or two – went transparent before stepping through. I’ve never seen
that with any spectral apparition before.”
Everyone glanced at each other and had the same thought; time traveller.
Jericho asked him softly about the other ‘spectral apparitions’ that Willy had
seen.
The young man glanced over his shoulder and dropped his
voice even lower; “Several over the years at different locations.” He lowered
his head a little in embarrassment and added; “That’s why they call me ‘weird
Willy’ because I see strange things.” Jericho nodded and smiled; “Well, Willy
then join the club. We’re the team that the Dock Authority has asked to
investigate the sightings. We’re the paranormal investigators from Rutland
University.” A big smile burst upon the young’s face, and he visibly relaxed and
smiled broadly at Alex. “That’s fantastic! If I can help in any capacity, then
please ask. I would be really pleased to help.” Jericho patted his arm; “Well
Willy, we may just take you up on that generous offer.”
As Alex commented later; it was like a light being
switched on inside Willy. He completely opened up and relaxed with the team. At
last, he had met people who wouldn’t immediately dismiss him as a ‘Looney’. He
also couldn’t hide his interest in Alex very well. Wilson smiled at that and
muttered to Owen; “Another moth to the flames.”
Apparently, Willy had been seeing strange things since
he was boy including a beautiful lady in white – he confessed, that now having
seen Alex, the apparition wasn’t that beautiful! He recounted how he had a
conversation with a strangely dressed old man on the number nine bus one
evening, both sitting on the rear seats on the top deck. When he turned away;
he noticed that the old man didn’t show in the darkened window. He turned back
to find no one sitting there. He even asked the bored conductor about where the
old man got off and was told that he [the conductor] hadn’t seen anyone
matching that description on the bus! Jericho nodded and smiled, telling Willy
they were staying at ‘The Royal Standard’ pub in North Woolwich just opposite
the police station. Willy knew it well and they would all meet up that evening.
Everyone had to smile when he said ‘goodnight’ to Alex three times.
The team paid for their meals and tea, then walked
outside and headed for the big black Morris Oxford car that Supplies had
provided which was being admired by several dockers making their way to the
café. They stopped admiring the car and admired Alex instead as Owen opened the
rear door and she slipped gracefully inside. She received several ‘wolf-whistles’
in appreciation and just smiled. Jericho sat in the front passenger seat and
checked his mirror while Wilson started the engine; now he did really enjoy
driving a big car like this; despite [in his opinion] the roads being far too
small. “Young Willy is a ‘passer’ alright; he has the gift...or curse if you
like. He could prove useful, so we’ll cultivate him. I’ll make a note to be
there when he’s collected; he could have the makings of temporal detective with
more experiences like that.” Wilson
nodded and joined the traffic towards North Woolwich and their digs. “He
reminds me of young hollow legs when he first joined.” Wilson chuckled and Alex
agreed with him. Owen didn’t; “I wasn’t that wet behind the ears. I had been a
novice monk you know. I had done and seen things.” He said, a little hurt and
checked his mirror.
Alex patted his arm; “Don’t sulk sweetie, you know we
love you.” Owen just grunted and read his mirror. After a few minutes he looked
up and smiled; “Did you know there is a luxury block of flats now standing
where shed 13 use to be, built in 2017? And guess what?” Jericho turned to
him; he knew how good Owen was at research. “What have you found?” Owen now
grinned; “Operations have reported several breeches of the timeline from those
very flats; starting from shed 13 in 1943, right up to 2041.”
Jericho rubbed his chin and smiled; “So we definitely
have a time traveller operating here. Now that makes this mission quite
interesting.”
"QUINN McFARLAND" CONTINUES IN 'TEMPORAL DETECTIVES' BOOK SERIES 0 [EPISODE 0.]
End of Preview.
Copyright © 2011-2025 Stephen Williams. No reproduction of any part without permission.