Time Machine example essay topic

1,106 words
I got a chance of a lifetime the other day. It all started when one of my friends who is an inventor, invited me over to see her new invention. Much to my surprise it turned out to be a time machine. I know you are thinking, "no way it could work".

Well I was thinking the same thing and here is where it started to get really good, she said it worked and that I could go anywhere in time I wanted. Yes, she was going to let me travel back in time where ever and to whatever time I wanted to go to. This was the hard part where to go, what to see, who to talk to? I mean I was still skeptical about it even working but the mere possibility that it could intrigued me, enough so that I was willing to give it a try. After much thought and consideration I chose the place. I wanted to go to England in the late 1300's.

Why this year and in England of all places you ask, it's because I am a huge fan of Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", and I am hoping that I can run into one of the pilgrims from the story. So here I was sitting in this huge thing of what looked like a piece of scrap metal. While my friend is praying that I will come out of this alive. She made the final check and then put the date into the machine, then the place.

All that was left was to push the big green button. Three, two, one we counted and she pushed the button. Nothing happened, then all of a sudden the machine started shaking. As I was looking around the room everything was kind of blurry, like I couldn't get my eyes to focus. Next thing I know I blink my eyes and hello country side.

We still didn't know where we were but we were definitely not at home anymore. Before we could even get ourselves un-strapped a knight, yes a knight with full armor and in all his valor passed by on his horse. I forgot to mention earlier that my friend and I dressed in our medieval wear so that we would fit in should we run into anybody. This was my chance, I jumped out and ran up beside him. I could tell I startled him but he seemed to recover quickly. This is when it started to get really wild.

I told him I was from another country far away and that I was wondering if I could ask him a few questions about his native country, and he agreed! So we walked over to some rocks which over looked a small pond and that is where the real story begins. We started out with an obvious question, his name turned out to be Arthur. I then asked how old he was, he said middle twenties. Finally what family he had, he was living with his only brother, his mother and father had both passed away after getting sick a couple of years before.

He was also of course Catholic. Next I asked him about his career. Of course he had no clue by what I meant, which reminded me to be careful and use the Middle English I learned in college. I knew it would come in use someday. Anyway, he had always wanted to be a knight and had got his chance in his late teens. In fact he had just gotten back from a battle.

His father had taught him and his brother to fight. His brother had chosen though to be a scholar. Arthur was also an educated man who was well read. In his free time he enjoyed reading and he often heard stories when he went to court. I was beside myself could he have heard "Beowulf" perhaps at court? I could barely hold back my excitement when I asked him and in fact he had.

I asked him his take on Beowulf as a character. Arthur conveyed to me that he had heard the story at an early age and had since wanted to be just like Beowulf. This story in fact made him want to be a knight. He told me about how before every battle he would pray to God to watch over him and let his will be done, just like Beowulf. He also talked about how he wished he could be as courageous and unselfish like Beowulf had been. I could tell that Arthur really loved the story and took it very seriously.

Next we talked about his personal life and whether he was planning on getting married. He was courting a lady and hoped that they would soon wed. He also enlightened me that he was looking forward to having a family some day nothing big but definitely a boy to carry on his name. I asked him if he wanted his son to be a knight too?

To this he sat and thought, then replied that it was a hard job and that the things he had to see and do he would prefer to never think about again. Still he thought it was the noblest of professions. He said that it was his job to spread Christianity to the barbarians to bring God in their lives. With the day coming to an end he told me that he had to go. Although I was disappointed, I agreed that it was getting late. My friend had gone into town which turned out to be very close to where we landed.

She had spent the day soaking up everything she could. As we met at the machine we were both bubbling over with excitement about our day. We then prepared ourselves for the trip home. However weird and unbelievable this story may seem it is all true.

Where is the machine you ask, well unfortunately it broke when we got home. We had landed in a cloud of smoke and my friend has yet to get it to work again. Nevertheless I will never forget my day in England, that warm sunny afternoon and the conversation I shared with a noble knight.