III
Willow was twenty percent sure that everything was part of a joke. With other eighty percent though, she was certain she has lost her mind.
She stood motionless for few minutes, trying to grasp everything that was happening around her. Raging, black horses that were pulling dark carriage rushed by her as the driver used thin whip to push them forward. Willow winced back saving her toes from being flattened by the carriage. Women that kept staring at her whispering to each other and fanning themselves were clothed in long dresses; different colors yet same style. Men mostly stood in small groups wearing dark tailcoats and white shirts, their heads adorned with tall hats and hands crossed on their backs. Children that were cheerfully running around them, threw their caps back and forth and played on warm, summer day.
Everyone was preoccupied with their own affairs, every group was different but they all had one thing in common - staring at Willow with bafflement.
First thing Willow could think of was that she accidentally intruded on a movie set but the fact she saw no cameras nor anything similar undeceived her.
Calm down, there must be logical explanation for this.
Bracing herself, she slowly turned on her heel only to feel her jaw hit the floor as her stupefaction grew. On the same place where once stood multi-milion, glass airport with sliding doors Willow just passed through, now stood small, friable tavern with cracked doors. Intoxicating smell of alcohol spread around her but she couldn't move occupied by connecting all the pieces in her head. Staring at her reflection in one of tavern's dirty windows she understood why everyone kept giving her funny looks: she was dressed in her favourite jeans and black T-shirt with Che Guevara on it; her feet shoved in red converse, huge map and backpack stuck in her hands. Through stained window, somewhere behind her reflection she saw a guy staring at her like everyone else was doing.
-''Okay! I've officially gone crazy!"- she shouted, making everyone throw her one last glance before going back to whispering and pointing fingers.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she confidently marched towards the tavern. As soon as she opened the door she was welcomed by the stale smell of alcohol mixed with perfumes of poorly dressed women. She walked in enveloped in sun and dust and everybody stared at her, that action provoking annoyance in her.
-''It's like I'm monkey doing break dance,'' - she mumbled to herself as he made her way through the crown that was typical for this tavern.
-''What can I get you, love?'' - plump bartender, with bulbous nose and quite a redness on his cheeks.
-''A glass of water, please,'' - Willow said, confusedly looking around her. She hesitated but still decided to ask the next question, -''I'm sorry, this might seem crazy, but what's the date?''
-''June 25,'' - he responded. Oh, good! -''1810.''
Willow's eyes widened and she staggered a little and then toppled in a stool by the bar. She suddenly paled and felt dizzy and emptied a glass of water as soon as the bartender put it in front of her.
-''Impossible,'' - words escaped her tthrough bewilderment.
-''You a'right? You look kinda pale?'' - the bartender glanced at her under the lashes while simultaneously polishing the glasses.
Willow was thunderstruck. Her gaze flew back and forth not staying on the same place longer than a second. Her brain went berserk trying to find a logical explanation for the situation she was in. Time travel was an idea that often occurred to her but she dispelled those thoughts ascribing them as impossible.
That only happens in movies. I guess.
Everything around her continued its course oblivious to the state Willow was in. Already drunk guests persistently stared at young girls dressed in dresses with deep necklines and too strong makeup that paraded through the tavern like queens do in castles.
The dark haired guy which couldn't take his eyes from her ever since she walked in slowly stood up and in two steps reached her side.
-''You are new?'' - he asked. Willow nodded absentmindedly focused on the glass that she kept twirling in her hands. She tried to understand everything that happened but without avail.
-''Listen buddy, I'm not the best company at the moment,'' - she announced not even glancing at him.
-''Great,'' - he piped in and accommodated himself in the stool beside her. -''Neither am I.''
Willow's eyes flickered in his direction and met his dark onyx ones that pierced her with their radiance and depth. If her brain wasn't overburdened it would most surely urged her to acknowledge his handsomeness, but at that moment all she could do was to say her name,
-''Willow,'' - she extended her hand towards him, only to meet with his bewildered face. He needed few seconds to compose himself, but once he did ignoring her hand he incredulously said,
-''Jack.'' His voice betrayed his surprise and scolding himself mentally, he continued, -''Your parents must not be very fond of you to name you after a tree. Or you must have been very lachrymose as a baby that they likened you to a Weeping Willow.''
Willow stared at him in disbelief. His words - although incorrect - hit the nail in head for they triggered the thoughts about her parents to rule her mind. The situation she was in seemed much more sombre all of sudden and the fact that this rude human being decided that Willow should be the one his venomous tongue fired at angered her.
-''And your parents must have not taught you to shut your pie hole!'' - she hissed at him and shot up to her feet, -''I don't need this shit.''
Shaking her head and dragging her backpack behind whose sound filled the tavern she stormed out of it fuming. Perhaps she has overreacting but she felt the privilege to do so considering everythıng that happened. Willow marched in the unknown direction until she felt someone yank her shoulder turning her around. She felt fear somewhere in her stomach for Jack reeked of alcohol she sensed in the tavern too but attributed to stale smell it owned.
-''What do you t-'' - she started but was cut off by his voice filled with venom.
-''How dare you speak about my parents like that?! You don't have any right to do so an-''
-''And you do!?'' - this time Willow was the was doing the interrupting part for she could't stand his hypocrisy. -''Before you demand respect you take a look at yourself and your words. Accusing someone of doing the very same thing you just did is called hypocrisy, FYI, and it's not desirable trait.''
-''I don't need vocabulary lessons, thank you very much,'' - he spat back at her. -''Also, eye for and eye kind of retaliation you chose prove we posses similar attributes so you may keep your lecture in morality to yourself as well.''
Jack stared at Willow with his dark eyes that were black sea of furor, his masculine chest moved up and down like he has just ran a marathon. After giving her last look of disdain he turned on his heel abruptly and stormed back to the tavern leaving Willow gaping.
-''Jerk,'' - she spat into the air and she preformed same action and walked into opposite direction. After wandering about the town a little wishing to find a way out she gave up and - spotting a small house looking building - she threw her backpack to the ground and sat beside it. Willow decided to dwell on he hopeless situation later and focus on the issue in hand.
She was hungry.
Roaming through her backpack she found a sandwich she had bought at the airport and unwrapping it she began eating. There was some money in her wallet and just as a rush of hope enveloped her, the fact she was in 19th century and her money was invalid for about two hundred years crushed it. Sighing deeply, she continued nibbling on her sandwich as looking around.
Sun was shining in its strongest light and people were storming past Willow as she sat on the ground, her back against the wall of a small brick house. Everyone was staring at her but she would respond with a smile full of defiance. She was aware of two thing for now.
First, no matter how ridiculous it sounded - she was in 19th century, trapped until further notice. And second, she needed to find a place to sleep. Willow was not a stranger to sleeping under the sky with only earth as he bed but it was different this time.
-''Don't try to trick me, Mike!'' - high-pitched, male voice was heard from narrow alley behind Willow and unintentionally she overheard the conversation.
-''I'm not the one doing the tricking, Blue Johnny,'' - another voice was heard, but gruffer and more determined. -''We made the deal and you can't back out.''
Deprecation and commotion was heard.
-''You sure 'bout that, ey?'' - former voice was heard and Willow peaked from her hideout only to spot a knife in one man's hand, while two other man were standing in front of him with their hands slightly up. Gasp escaped her mouth as the shine of the knife blinded her and all three of them snapped their heads in her direction.
Mike and Danny, young man who was silently observing the situation used the moment of Blue Johnny's inattention and jumping over small, brick fence escaped while the later headed towards Willow's direction.
Not sparing a moment of reflection, she scrambled up on he feet and began running. She cut through the onslaught of people not daring to look behind her afraid he would recognize her. That task of his was, however, not difficult for Willow's clothes were enough to stand out in million of people. Nevertheless, breaking through the crowds she turned right and continued running in unknown direction.
Everything seemed like a nightmare and she had enough of it. She wanted to wake up she needed to wake up or she was going to go insane.
Making another right she cursed loudly finding herself in empty, blind alley.
Blue Johnny didin't need much to catch up with her and seeing her stuck he rushed towards her and grabbed her with his big hands. Willow fought, struggled and tried to free herself but without avail, for he was stronger and bigger.
God, what have I ever done to you to deserve this?
-''Calm down, love,'' - he said, grinning widely showing his punctured smile. His horrible breath mixed with alcohol made Willow gag inwardly.
-''Leave me alone, you moron!'' - she shouted, trashing around. That sick grin was wiped off his face but Willow didn't have a chance to bask in her triumph.
Time froze. She stopped fighting, blinded by the knife that was slowly approaching her face
The fear she felt didn't have limit, it spread around like poison sucking all of her courage out. She didn't sense anything, focused of escaping, but the scarlet blood on the tip of the knife stopped her. Her whole body frantically shook as Blue Johnny laughed like a maniac while touching her all over her body. The image in front of her eyes became more blurred, threatening to completely disappear inviting her to give in, and the last thought went through her mind as the darkness became complete,
Let it pass quickly.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
