The Red Cloak Trail

Waking Up in London to a Big Blue Box

IN 221 B BAKER ST, LONDON

John woke up promptly at 6 o'clock in the morning to his beeping alarm, and blinked his bleary eyes.

"Six hours of sleep," he said and then sighed, "I guess some sleep is better than no sleep."

He then deftly turned his alarm off and rolled out of his bed. John showered, and dressed in 15 minutes, then headed downstairs towards the kitchen. He entered the sitting room, only to find Sherlock still lying on the couch, thinking.

"Still haven't solved it, I take it? Bet you didn't get any sleep. I'll have to let your fans know. They like to think your human you know." John said.

Sherlock turned to him eyes flashing open, and asked, irritated "WHY?!", then in an excited tone he continued "Sleep, John? Why would I sleep when I such a non-boring case waiting to be solved?! Disapearing people, gone for months unheard from, that resurface just long enough to muder complete strangers, then get caught claiming to have no recollection of having killed or where they disappeared to. There's ten unrelated people with the same pattern. It's Christmas!"

He looked as though he might've continued with more gruesome details but was cut off by a sudden "vwoorping" noise.

Sherlock suddenly looked very alert and asked, very calmly "What was that?"

"It's probably just Mrs. Hudson's washer on the fritz again." John replied.

"No it's not! It's like nothing I've ever heard before! No earthly thing makes that noise!" Sherlock shouted, looking almost, if John didn't know better, SCARED.

"You can't have heard every noise that everything on this Earth has ever made! What is it then? Is is a spaceship that can travel all over the Universe and in time, like out of a bad sci-fi television show?!"

Sherlock looked into Johns eyes, and full of seriousness he said, "Maybe."

John just shook his head. It was Sherlock. You really couldn't understand him. He lived with him for a while now and even he knew that. He looked up and noticed Sherlock had gone to the window.

"Come here John look!" Sherlock called.

John walked over to the window and looked out on the street below. Directly across the street from their flat, in front of the newly made motel, made in place of the flat that had exploded before, was a big blue box. It looked sort of like a phone booth except it was blue, and John could barely read the words but said "Police Public Call Box".

Sherlock answered his unasked question. "It a box police used to trap people they arrested and call for back-up. It was used in the 1960's before mobiles and police cars were common. What I don't understand is how it got there it wasn't there last night, but it couldn't have just appeared"

"Maybe some kids put it in their car, and drove it here, then left it as a prank?"

"Possible, but what was that noise? I'm going down there to determine for sure."

Before John could say a word Sherlock was in his robe and running down the stairs towards the strange box.

"Sherlock!" John called as he raced after him.

At the door, John nearly ran into Sherlock. He had stopped just short of the threshold. John noticed him waiting and watching a man and a woman who appeared to have just vacated the box. They appeared to be arguing, the female one angry and the male one grinning with delight. The male one began to hurry down the street calling," AL-LON-SY!" after him. The woman began to follow, then stopped, walked completely around the box, hesitated, then chased after him. Immediately after they were out of sight, Sherlock ran across the street, without looking, to the box and began examining it. John hurried after him. When he reached the box, John noticed the look of frustration on Sherlock's face, and asked "Well?"