I Will Find You

* ~ 19 ~ *

Gwendolyn's POV

My legs meet the ground almost 250 years older at my own time. But there's one small change compared to the 21st century: the trees behind me were planted after the year 1756. They're not in front of me anymore, and the people on the street (which is really busy) saw just five seconds ago how I appeared from nowhere. Two little children have stopped in the middle of the hussle, and other people are flowing past them like a river. The children stand like rocks that make the river go past them.

I quickly lift my index finger in front of my lips, and see how a huge smile appears in the glowing faces of the kids. I had forgot how secrets are like little presents in a cute package when you're little.

"William and Erin, come on!"

The children run away with red cheeks like an apple, and the river of people can flow naturally again.
I walk to the door of the Lodge and pull it open. It feels heavier than it is in the future. Maybe time just makes it feel like that?

When I'm inside the Lodge, I go straight to the stairs.  I enjoy the sound my shoes make against the marble stairs.
When I'm about to take the last step, I see someone walking near the end of the hallway. I squint to try to see who it might be when I lose my balance and almost fall to the floor. The sound from my shoes I kept so satisfying just twenty seconds ago is now pure torture.

The person in the aisle turns around and I can see his face. Huge glasses, thin brown hair that is turning gray and a couple moles. A relieved sigh escapes through my nose.

"Mr. George", I say.

"Excuse me, but... do we know each other?", Mr. George asks.

I walk to Mr. George and show him the ring that the Lodge gave me when it appeared that I'm the ruby. A copy of the ring that Mr. George himself gave me for my 'first' time travel.

"I'm Gwendolyn Sheperd, the ruby. You sent me a letter in the future where you said that I should elapse here. You said that you knew something about getting Gideon back to his own time."

Mr. George's face brightens up when he understands what I'm speaking about.

"Oh, the ruby. Come in, I really do have some ideas", he shows the right door with his hand and I step in. I hear how he speaks to himself behind me:

"I must be really wise at the future if I even sent a letter for the ruby..."

I can hardly hide my smile.

Mr. George sits to a lovely flower printed armchair, and I do the same. A pillow behind my back feels surprisingly comfortable. I look at a another pillow beside me. It has lovely pearl embroidery on it.

"Tea?", Mr. George asks.

"Uh, yes please", I say to him. Mr. George pours tea to a cute teacup which has some hand painted flowers. I take a sip from the tea; sweet earl grey, probably with honey.

"Let's get to it", Mr. George says.

"What do you think? Is it possible to get him back without... risking anything else?"

"I assume -", Mr.George says, "- that you know about the 'plan' already?"

I nod.

"Good. Yes, I honestly think that it's possible, but only in one certain way."

"And what would that way be?"

Mr. George takes a huge book behind his armchair which is made from the same flower fabric as the armchair I'm sitting in. He moves the teapot a bit and puts the book on the table. He opens the book from page 243.

"You see, a person who is connected to a certain year, can only get back with someone else."

I read the open page:

A person unable to re-elapse back to their own particular time, has a chance to return by holding on to something or someone that will elapse back to the wanted year. Since objects don't flung around in time, the other part in returning has to be a person. When the other person elapses back, the another person will simply move with them.

"So that means I have to find Gideon, hold his hand or jacket or something that is connected to him, and wait until I elapse back?"

Mr. George smiles. "Exactly, long story short."

"Can we do it right now?", I ask. I love the idea that all this would be over in under ten minutes.

"Well... I'm not sure that is a good idea -"

"Please Mr. George, it would be the best solution."

"Well, let me see what I can do", Mr. George leaves his chair and goes to the door. "I'll come back in no time."

I nod, but he has already left the room. He gave in surprisingly quickly. 

Now that I'm alone in the room, I take the pillow with pearl embroidery to have a closer look. I can't hold it for long though, because I hear footsteps coming back already. Did Mr. George find Gideon this fast?

The door opens, and the count steps in. I freeze in my chair.

"Oh, hello little ruby", the count smiles to me. "What are you doing here?"

I say nothing and get up from the chair. I count to three and run towards the door, but the count extends his hand and stops me.

"Not so fast, little jewel", he says and lifts a syringe from his pocket. It's full of purple liquid.
I wrinkle my nose.

"What is that?"

"I promise that if you let me insect this here", he lifts the syringe, "to your system, I will let the diamond elapse back to his own time."

"And if I don't?"

"Then I will do it anyway, without your will", the count says and lifts the syringe ready to pinch it into my shoulder. When the needle gets closer to my shoulder I smell a weird smell... like sour and putrid.

putrid...

oversweet...

I swing my elbow to the count's jaw and run out of the room. When I get out of the room I run straight to the stairs, the same ones I came from. I look over my shoulder, and the count is running behind me, the syringe still in his hand.

"Gwen!"

I look back to the stairs and see Gideon coming up with Mr. George. I'm so relieved and frustrated at the same time. In the next second I feel like someone flipped the mat under my feet. I fall down, hear a lot of noise, hurt my ankle, everything turns red. When I open my eyes I see I'm still on the stairs, but the others are not there anymore.

***

LATE CHAPTER!!!

The best chapter I've written in a while (I think :,D).

Have an AWESOME week, and don't forget to elapse daily

SEE YOU (Yep, a lot of capitals) :3