Time Elapsed

Chapter 2

For the past two nights Clare had continuous dreams of the pocket watch and its mysterious power, now she was going to find out what it did!

Slowly she lifted the lid of the patchy box it was old and felt cold like the marble surface it had once been lying on, 'this is it' she thought 'I'll see what power it beholds, the power my grandmother was on about'. As she picked up the dirty copper watch she felt a burning sensation surge through her tired body. Second thoughts became a tempting option as tormenting images ran through her of what might happen if, just if the pocket watch wasn't what she thought it would be...

Her head felt numb and her fingers had lost strength; the room was gradually growing darker as though she was walking into darkness. Then...

THUMP... she hit something hard or did she? Effortlessly she opened her eyes; the room around her was pale and had a sort of ghostly glow about it. Marble walls towered high above her; a magnificent glass chandelier hung high above, dazzling the room with wonderful lights.

 The air had an eerie silence. Was she dead? It was true, there was dark magic in it, she had died but why had her grandma given her something dangerous if she knew it was a risk to Clare? She continued to look round the room in the centre there stood a tree it was finely polished and white with no leaves. It wasn't warm nor was it cold in the room but a sort of warm breezy type of weather that seemed as if she was walking on clouds. She wearily stood up. The room around her was so big! For some reason the tree had particularity caught Clare's attention; without noticing she strode over to the tall dead tree... it smelt fresh like going for a long walk in a damp forest. The urge to touch the tree was so high she could no longer resist it. Her cold hand drew nearer the tree its branches pale and surely dead. Closer and closer she got until... tap! It was on the tree. It felt so rough yet surreal, it was really there, maybe she wasn't dead, maybe it was the magic working. Almost instantly the tree began to blossom with glorious golden buds. They shone like the arising sun at the break of dawn.

Stepping back, she heard a soft, sweet sound like water trickling in a river. "I'm sorry," she cried instantly without second thoughts. The trees noise of water became louder as if to say thank you. Surprisingly Clare did not feel curious about what had just happened but act like it was normal. But what she could do next in this wonderful place. Then she felt a warm breeze hit her, it felt real that's when she immediately knew death wasn't upon her, it felt magical like she was trapped inside the pocket watch or among its magic

Slowly her thoughts and memories began to disappear from her head like a distant memory long forgotten. Her mind became empty and the only thoughts were there and then. Inquisitively she ambled through the walls of this gigantic place. Without noticing, every room she walked into the same pale white tree was in, like it was following her through this marble palace, it wanted to tell her something but she didn't realize. Every time she swept past the amazing tree one of the golden buds would wither and descend to the ground breaking into nothing.

The tree was now almost as it was to begin with, with only a few buttercup like buds on it the tree's time was virtually out. Now Clare had no idea that the tree was almost out of time with her memory she could hardly remember where she was! But she didn't need to worry since this place was a virtual version of heaven, it was safe and she knew that.

She looked round her the room was like a blank canvas; empty. Her heart stayed steady as she continued to amble through the room. Near the end of the room there remained and rough wooden door it was as ancient and decrepit as ever but although it had an unwelcoming feeling it still beckoned Clare to trespass and leave this room of warmth. Weak minded she sauntered towards the door.

Slowly she drew the rusted handle towards her feebly the door glided open revealing queerest things she had ever seen; a continuous ticking distracted her from the new and ancient wooden frames of... Clocks? Millions of them in rows, it was amazing they were all different shapes and sizes some were old as the dawn of time.

Astonished Clare swayed through the room merely missing hitting every clock of from their places on the walls. "This place is lovely it is as though I am walking on air!" there was one thing missing in the gigantic room the tree! It had been following her this whole time but now it was not in sight. This room went on for miles yet she could see everything perfectly clearly. Then where was it? Quicker than a blink of an eye there came a bone chilling breeze seizing up every bone in her body! This was followed by the golden blossoms from the tree piling into the room. It lined the room with a golden glow.  Stunned she bounded back on to the wall SMASH! One of the clocks shattered on the floor "NO!" Cried Clare, trying to pick up the old broken pieces of wood but she wasn't getting very far her body was getting crushed by the blossoms as she tightly held the pieces of wood. "HEL....." the blossoms were now up to her mouth and she could feel them press against her chest.

Although all of this was happening Clare couldn't help falling into a deep sleep. The buds were harsh yet soft it seemed to just loosen all of her muscles, her body was limp and useless she tried to move her arms but they wouldn't budge. As for their smell is was as though it had just hit spring with all the beautiful odours of that time. Gradually her eyes began to shut and her mind arose into another world of wonders and happiness. She took one last breath of air and sunk into the deep valley of buds. But she did not stay there for long. ' Do not stay there and wilt young one' said a voice bouncing off the golden walls ' Be free of this place and start somewhere new' as this voice was talking her body began to fade away turning into nothing and being filled by the golden buds from the tree. 'Be gone and remember, remember it all, go!' with a bang Clare had gone and so had the buds.

Left there was the room that Clare had begun in with tall arched walls made of hard cold marble and beautiful engravings that had not been there before. The engravings were of beautiful golden flowers they were small and subtle but there was so many of them. The room now glowed like setting sun in the west. Once the room had dimmed down a bit there stood the tree once again pale, dead and slowly rotting. Next to the tree stood a very familiar women, with a long pale white gown on and long beautiful locks, a small smile played on her lips and her glistening eyes shone with a new type of happiness.