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Chapter 22~ Big Ben
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The courtyard of Trafalgar Square looked the same as it had when Kit and Bernard left it—busy with folks going about their Christmas shopping, a monumental golden tree in the very center of it all. There at the base of the tree was Kit’s last refuge—the sleigh that Bernard had made of old sheet metal and the reindeer frozen in place. She was surprised to find it still there which meant Bernard was still in London after all. She wanted to run back to him for his advice, his help. But, he was as good as gone.
Kit approached the sleigh, weaving through the curious kids and skeptical adults crowding the sides. The empty sleigh was no use to her, but Kit had no idea where to go from there. Flora Mae’s clock was gone and could’ve been halfway around the world at that point. And Kit was out of cleverness to spare. She sat in the front seat and waited. It wouldn’t be long until Charlie and Scott figured out where they’d run off to—if they weren’t already on their way now. Kit would apologize, admit she was wrong, and they would go back. Maybe to wait out the storm. Maybe to prove her wrong. Whatever it may be, she was out of time.
A whisper echoed in the back of her mind, He was moving time and space for us—for me.
Kit shook her head to the side. She had to still be dizzy from this morning. A fuzzy, awkward feeling filled the back of her skull like a thought was worming its way through to the very front of her mind. Kit pressed a hand to her forehead. Was she running a fever?
The voice spoke again, a little louder, He wanted to go to Europe. London, England, specifically. He had a calling there.
Kit squeezed her eyes shut tight. An uncomfortable warmth was growing behind her eyes and spreading like a virus through her brain. She tried looking around, but she’d become too disoriented. She could hear the voice clear as day in strange hushed tones and whispers that she’d somewhere heard before.
The ticking will grow louder as you get closer.
Kit’s eyes shot open like a match striking and sparking into a flame. She peered around at the courtyard, ignoring the strange looks from the passing pedestrians. He wasn’t far. He was here. Father Time was here.
The ticking will grow louder as you get closer.
She looked higher up, feeling the warmth draw her to a certain direction until her eyes landed on a far-off tall, brassy golden clocktower frosted with snow and ice. And suddenly, everything made sense.
Kit leaped down from the sleigh and grabbed her bag from the seat, a newfound fire throbbing in the back of her eyes.
The ticking will grow louder as you get closer.
It made sense. Suddenly, everything made sense.
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Getting to Big Ben was the easiest part. Kit was thankful she’d taken the advice of Vicky Clives and prepared herself. Kit allowed herself the time to expand her well-thought-out plan:
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- Get to New York
- Convince Flora Mae to help find Father Time
- Find Father Time
- --Break into Big Ben
- --Track down Father Time’s whereabouts
- --Convince him to fix the time-space crisis
4. Save world.
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She smiled to herself, settled in her resolution that maybe the world wasn’t hopeless and maybe there was still good for her to do. Kit jogged down the bridge, nearing the massive clocktower with every step—the ticking growing louder and louder every second. Her cheeks were pink and flushed with excitement. She finally felt like the bird that Bernard had once compared her to. She just wished she could spread her wings and soar to the very top. Kit’s hair whipped in the wind behind her as she hit the sidewalk and neared the Parliament, the long string of cathedral-like buildings that decorated the riverside. She swerved past the people on the sidewalk just as she’d done at the ice rink. A rush of adrenaline had kicked in, and she didn’t think she’d ever stop. Finally, she rounded the corner of the large black iron fences and landed at the gate entrance, guarded by two officers. A sign posted on the gate read, Clocktower closed for holiday season. Tours will resume January 2nd.
Kit sighed frustratingly. She’d become well acquainted with sneaking out of places but sneaking in? She raced back to the fenced area of the green. She’d need to be quick and unnoticeable. And so, she began the climb.
“Kit?” a voice behind her called.
Kit turned halfway before dropping back down to the sidewalk. Standing there, hands stuffed in her pockets, was the woman who’d taken her in for the night Vicky Clives. She looked at Kit strangely.
“What on earth are you doing here?” she asked.
Kit wrung her hands. “I…dropped something on the other side. Trying to get to it.”
Vicky stared at her blankly. “It’s closed, you know, for the holidays.”
“I see.” Kit looked back at the tower. “Makes sense I guess.”
Vicky approached the fence and watched Kit cautiously. “Is this the important place you had to be?”
Kit stayed quiet, wishing she could run in the opposite direction. “I guess I just really wanted to take a tour.”
Vicky smirked. “I know how you feel. A beautiful thing it is. I’ve seen the whole place inside and out. Frank has been working here for ages and knows all the dirty little secrets, he does.”
Kit looked back to Vicky, eyes wide. “You work here?”
“Well, Frank does. Does small repairs and such.”
“Do you think you could get me in?”
Vicky tossed her head, taken aback by Kit’s eagerness. “Whatever for?”
Kit shifted uncomfortably, trying not to dart her eyes away. “I’m only here for a short while. I just really really wanted that tour.”
Vicky pursed her lips for a moment, the options running through her mind. She looked up and down at Kit again and sighed.
“Well, it is Christmas.”
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