Bedtime - A Short Story Anthology

A Ride to the Airship City

A Ride to the Airship City

By Wuckster

Everything had been still and static for so long, but then out of nowhere I felt the wind-up key on my back turn and the world around me came rushing into motion.

"...find you, Ollie," I said, finishing up the sentence I had been in the middle of saying when I had wound completely down.

"Wot have we here?" a gravelly voice said as I felt myself being picked up off the ground.

I got spun around and found myself staring into the face of a grizzled looking man dressed in a ratty vest and a ruffled shirt that was covered in numerous patches. He had a top hat with goggles strapped to it, although one of the lenses was cracked and broken. His cheeks and neck sported tufts of unruly gray hair, although he sported a surprisingly well-groomed mustache and chin beard, both of which appeared to have been dyed black. He wore long black boots that were splattered in mud and the tops of them were thinning and on the verge of becoming filled with holes.

"You look like some sort of clockwork bunny rabbit, if I'm not mistaken," the man rubbed his chin and peered at him carefully.

"My name is Nub-Nub. I'm a toy. I belong to Oliver Charles Basilworth III. He's gone up to the Airship City in the sky to live with his grandparents after his mommy and daddy disappeared. He didn't mean to leave me behind. They rushed him out of the house without giving him time to pack up his things. Please, good sir. Can you help me? I'm worried about Ollie and I'm sure he misses me terribly."

"It speaks!" the man said with a look of astonishment. "I've never heard of a talking toy before. It might be that you could be worth some coinage."

"Please, sir," I said. "I must get up to the Airship City. It's not that far away, but I need a means to fly! Look! There it is right now!"

A shadow fell on us as the Airship City floated by overhead. It was held aloft by numerous large air balloons and moved about by the flapping of a series of gigantic canvas wings. I didn't know anything about the inner workings of the city, but it made loud rattle and banging noises as it passed by and a huge burst of steam blew out of a vent hole in the aft side of it.

"I've never been on an airship before," the man said softly. "They wouldn't have the likes of me on them."

"I've never been on one either," I said. "But my boy is up there and he needs me. Can you help?"

"I am quite familiar with what it's like to lose something that's important to you. I think, perhaps, I might be able to help you, Nub-Nub. My name is Barnaby Longnethers and most people consider me a no account. Truthfully, they're probably right. I've never done anything good for anyone in my whole rotten life. I've always wanted to, though. Just to see what it feels like, if nothing else. Mayhaps this is my chance."

"Oh, bless you, Master Longnethers," I said. "Your act of kindness shan't be forgotten, I assure you!"

"Please, call me Barnaby. And I haven't done anything yet. My neighbor Silas is a toymaker. I was going to sell you to him, but instead I think I'll hit him up for some supplies. The man does owe me a favor, after all. Follow me to his shop!"

*

"I told you not to show your face around here!" Silas the Toymaker shouted as he threw a wooden train at Barnaby's head.

"Come on, Silas, that was all just a misunderstanding!"

"They arrested my Mum because of you! And they can't let her out of her cell because you lost the key!"