⚜️ THE FOURTH TALE ⚜️
-=₪ February 1926 ₪=-
The A.B.C / Bonny Street / 5.01am
The Regent's Canal was having its early morning lull, the time after the late night cargo rush, but before the new day's work begun.
The air was cold and dark, a few men sat on crates playing cards near a fire grate. Their chatter and low laughter could be faintly heard, while a murder of crows spread their wings competing for their chance at a dead fish discovered near a buoy bell. The bell idly chimed as it bobbed in the calm water.
The A.B.C bakery stood dark and still, its chipped green doors locked shut, not a light, not a whisper.
Ping!
Something so small and quiet, suddenly unloaded its furious energy held within. A spark which became an instantaneous combustion of fire, pushed outwards with such force that nothing nearby stood a chance of escaping its wrath.
Small fragments blasted through the wood of the surrounding barrels, causing sparks and flames to reach the amber rum within, causing a violent outburst of converting the liquid into fire, mass into energy.
The explosion of the grenade and each barrel following happened in such quick cascading force that the resulting detonation had been felt through the earth for miles around. The energy escaping from any fault it could find, blowing off the doors at both ends, all windows of the warehouse above blew shattered glass out like daggers. The morter crumbled to dust, the bricks cracked and gave way as the warehouse above fell into the crater below.
The men held their hats as the force of the explosion sent a shock wave, causing the birds to take flight, the bells to smash their clangers violently and boats to rock in the sudden rough waves of the water. Tiles, glass, bricks and morter fell from the sky as thick smoke and ash was thrown from the flames.
The Mansion / Margate / 11.01am
"Mrs Solomons!" Edna exclaimed, rushing into the drawing room.
Edna had heard a terrible noise from down the hall and urgently went to check the commotion, to find Mrs Solomons lying unconscious on the floor.
It appeared the wrought iron table had toppled with Mrs Solomons through the open balcony doors and glass laid shattered from the morning cup of water which had been provided. Rushing to her side, Edna tried to revive Mrs Solomons. Ishmael entered with the rest of the family as Edna removed her hand from the back of Malka's head to find blood dripping from her fingers.
"Abigail, take the children to the other room." requested Ishmael, but nobody moved as they continued to stare in shock.
"NOW!" he shouted, making his wife and children jump.
"Mama!" Alfred called as he began to cry and take steps into the room.
"Get him out of here Louis." Ishmael demanded.
Picking up the distraught infant, which made Alfred scream at the top of his lungs, Louis took the boy into the boudoir with Abigail and the girls.
"What happened?" Ishmael asked hastily as he too rushed and knelt beside Malka.
"I... I don't know I just heard a crash and found her like this." explained Edna with worry in her eyes and a wobble in her voice.
"Where's Alfie?"
YOU ARE READING
The Camden Tales
FanfictionAlfie Solomons, the crime boss of Camden Town and King of the Jews: estranged from his wife, his empire crumbling and ravaged by war, he makes a deal with the devil, and nothing is the same again. Covering his years of involvement with the Birmingha...
