The Last Good Sleep

Chapter 1: The End of the Beginning

A cluttered living room at night. ⟨Character 1⟩, 45, slouches in a worn armchair, a small recorder in his hand.

⟨Character 1⟩: Log entry, final. I’m not good with people. Never was. They talk too much, they lie, they take. But I love two things: sleep and food. A good plate of biryani, a deep nap. That’s happiness. And I built websites, made a fortune. But it’s all gray. The world is gray.

⟨Character 1⟩: I found this photograph in an archive. A Jewish family, the Kaplans. On the back it says ‘Sobibor, 1943.’ They were murdered. All of them. And I thought, what if I could change that? What if I could kill Hitler and save them? So I built this.

⟨Character 1⟩: It’s a time machine. I’m going to 1943. I’ll find Hitler and shoot him. Then I’ll save the Kaplans. It’s not heroism. It’s just... fixing a mistake. And maybe then I can sleep. Really sleep.

⟨Character 1⟩: Here goes nothing.

The room blurs, and he vanishes.

A forest near the Wolf's Lair, 1943. ⟨Character 1⟩ stumbles out from under a bush, disoriented.

⟨Character 1⟩: Ugh. My head. Note to self: time travel feels like a hangover. Okay, hide the machine.

⟨Character 1⟩: There. Under that fallen log. Now, where’s the compound?

He creeps to the edge of the trees and raises binoculars.

⟨Character 1⟩: There’s Hitler. Walking with his officers. Just like that. So close. I could take the shot now.

⟨Character 1⟩: But wait. What’s that boy doing?

A young boy, David, runs into the line of fire. ⟨Character 1⟩ hesitates.

⟨Character 1⟩: Damn it! I can’t shoot. Not with the kid there. He’s gone. Hitler’s gone.

⟨Character 1⟩: I’ll have to find another way. But first, that boy. Who is he?

Chapter 2: The Wolf's Lair

A cold office. ⟨Character 1⟩ sits handcuffed across from Hitler, who studies the sleek device on the desk.

Hitler: You are not from here. Your accent, your clothes. And this machine. What is it?

⟨Character 1⟩: It’s a time machine. I came to kill you.

Hitler: A time machine? And why would you want to kill me?

⟨Character 1⟩: Because you’re a monster. You’re murdering millions. I’ve seen the records. I’m here to stop you.

Hitler: Records? From the future? And what do they say about me?

⟨Character 1⟩: That you lost. That you died in a bunker. That your thousand-year Reich lasted twelve years.

Hitler: You think you can change history? You are one man. And tomorrow, you will be dead. Take him away.

Dawn. A guardhouse near the forest. A small fire starts, then spreads. Guards shout.

Guard: Fire! The guardhouse is burning!

In the chaos, ⟨Character 1⟩ overpowers a guard and runs. David waits at the treeline and waves him over.

David: This way! Follow me!

They reach a hidden cave. David lights a small lantern.

⟨Character 1⟩: Who are you? Why did you help me?

David: My name is David. I’m from a labor camp. My family, they were taken to Sobibor. I heard you want to kill Hitler.

⟨Character 1⟩: Sobibor? That’s a death camp. Your family is there?

David: Please. Save them. I’ll help you. I know the routines. I can get you close to Hitler again.

⟨Character 1⟩: Fine. But after I kill Hitler, we go to Sobibor. Deal?

David: Deal.

Chapter 3: The Killing and the Cost

Night. ⟨Character 1⟩ and David slip through the trees toward the Wolf's Lair.

⟨Character 1⟩: The side door. Two guards. I’ll take the one on the left.

David: I’ll cover you.

⟨Character 1⟩ moves silently, knife in hand. The guard falls. He breaks into Hitler’s office. Hitler looks up from his desk.

⟨Character 1⟩: For the Kaplans. For David.

The shot is loud. Hitler slumps forward. The alarm blares. ⟨Character 1⟩ runs.

Outside, David is running toward the treeline when a guard fires. He falls.

⟨Character 1⟩: David!

⟨Character 1⟩ scoops him up and carries him into the forest.

David: Did you get him?

⟨Character 1⟩: Yes. He’s dead. You did it, David.

David: Good. Now... save my family. Please. Sobibor. The Kaplans.

⟨Character 1⟩: I will. I promise.

David’s eyes close. ⟨Character 1⟩ sits with him until dawn, then sets off toward Sobibor.

Night at Sobibor. Floodlights, barbed wire. ⟨Character 1⟩ plants charges along the fence and opens fire.

⟨Character 1⟩: Run! Go! Every one of you, run!

Prisoners scatter. He finds a family huddled together.

⟨Character 1⟩: Are you the Kaplans?

Mrs. Kaplan: Yes. Who are you?

⟨Character 1⟩: Go through the fence. Keep running.

A guard aims at the last man through the gap. ⟨Character 1⟩ steps between them. The bullet hits his chest. He falls.

⟨Character 1⟩: Keep going. Don’t stop.

The camp burns behind them.

A warm living room. The time machine sits on the coffee table. The fire crackles. The Kaplan family sleeps on the couches, at peace. A recorder plays.

⟨Character 1⟩: I never liked people. But David was worth it. The Kaplans are safe. That’s enough. Now I can sleep. Finally, sleep.

Beside the recorder, a photograph: David and ⟨Character 1⟩, side by side. Everyone is asleep.