Time Twist

Chapter 19 Dance Till You Drop

After stepping through, the now-familiar sense of controlled falling seemed to put me at ease, but it definitely did not prepare me for what I encounter once we arrived. The trumpet roared so loudly in my ears I reached instinctively covered the sides of my head as did Liz. I looked at her and stifled a laugh she was all decked out, fur, pearls, dark blue dress going to her upper calf, the cloche hat, 20s looks did not bode well for long hair like hers. She laughed right back at me as she swept her hair into a tidy bun. I looked down and realized I had gone perfect flapper, in red and silver. I felt around my head,

"Thank goodness no feather in the headband" I sighed with relief. Liz and I both had our satin gloves all the way up to our forearms. And heels that had the best click. We turn and see Alexander fixing himself in a shop window, he turns on his heels, winks, and tips his hat to us both. 

"Ladies, if you would honor me with escorting you to the best hootenanny in this great city? I assure you it's well worth the time" Alexander sticks his arms out and Liz and I hook our arms into his. We began strutting through the streets,

"So do tell, where and when are we?" Liz inquired

"Ah well, ladies we are currently inhabiting the city the never sleeps, New York New York! And the year is 1922 and we are in the stride of the era of prohibition, goldfish swallowing, and some of the swankiest parties you'll ever endure"

"Endure? I take it parties are not your thing, Alexander?" I retort,

"You would take it right, however, the place I have in mind will have you join me in my beliefs by the end of the night or at least very early morning" 

"Am I the only one who is still on goldfish swallowing?" Liz peeped I giggled,

"So why are we attending a party in the big apple?"

"Well we may have fallen on luck at finding Agnes's tome, however even if we had found the tome we would need the key, and I happen to know where it is, a little hidden speakeasy tucked in between a barber's and vet's office. Just about here" We take a sharp turn and descend down a wet, metal staircase. Alexander knocks rhythmically on and off four times then gently kicks the door. With a heavy-sounding metal clang and an eye slot open on the door I could hear faint music streaming out from the narrow rectangle. The bouncy trumpet had Liz and I tapping our feet,

"What brings you here?" A raspy voice begrudgingly askes,

"I am looking for my jumping ginger cat, have you seen Buttersnaps?" Alexander couldn't help but smile (I am who could after talking about a jumping ginger cat named Buttersnaps?). With another clang, the door was heaved open. Stepping inside the place was to speak with the lingo, hopping. The tobacco smell did make me stifle a cough only to be utterly shocked to see Alexander taking a drag from some woman at the bar, Liz and I share a look. 

"He smokes? I would've thought he frowned on that kinda thing" Liz scratched her head while I tilted mine. 

"I guess he is from a different time?" I said without much confidence. Alexander made his way back to us.

"Alright then ladies, I must find a person named Kitty, he has the key, or at least that's who I entrusted the key with, in all fairness he doesn't know what it does I gave it to him as a gift" He began to blush a little,

"Did you just say he? Kitty is a man?"

"Depends on who you ask Kitty likes to be called he so I stick to it, others aren't quite so accommodating in this era. Ladies believe me when I say steer clear of any alcohol they try to serve you, I mean it most of it is made in either a bathtub, toilet, or some other godforsaken form of plumbing, now let us part, you two stay together I shall begin inquiring you girls do the same meet back here in ten minutes" We all nod. Liz and I start asking around for a kitty and we get a colorful load of answers, such as,