The Disappearance of Naila Hum - surface

Shot 5 • The Clockmaker

The afternoon set of class just ended. Nouse traipsed along the hallway and was about to go down the stairs when she heard a call, "Naila!"

Yes, she was disguising as Naila.

She turned around and found a particular woman, around five years older than her. "What's wrong, Jingjing?" she asked. The lime-haired woman--Jingjing--happily beamed, "I just made a new clock model for the Stage Properties assignment! Would you like to see it?" The Side, immediately lightening up, nodded and said, "Sure, I'd love to!"

"Great! Let's get straight to my home and I'll pull it out of my workshop!"

"You sure are excited about this."

"Sure I am! This is the first time my talent is put to use for the sake of college studies, how can I not get giddy?"

"Okay, okay. I'm happy for you, too. We can continue being gay once we arrive."

"Okyay!"

"You sound like a toddler now. Come on, let's get moving."

Nouse ended up pushing Jingjing forward so the latter could point out the location of her house.

•

Cut to Jingjing's house, where Nouse was waiting impatiently in a bedroom with her eyes blindfolded. She asked out loud, "Um, Jingjing? Are you sure I have to stay like this? It's more like you want to behead me on the spot or feed me to an enormous jerk." Jingjing could be heard shouting from the other end of the house, "Just stay there and don't open your eyes just yet! I'm not gonna kill you, don't worry!"

"Aw, fluck..."

Less than a minute later, there was a faint sound of little wheels rolling against the tile floor. Jingjing was pushing a cart containing a cloth-covered saucer thing into the room. Then she stopped, and with a swift motion, removed both the cloth and Nouse's blindfold in one swipe. She then took out the saucer thing before telling the Side-in-disguise, "Okay, now you may look."

Nouse opened her eyes to a beautifully crafted table clock. The metallic red surface looked like a mirror glaze on a cake, shiny and neat. Atop of it was a miniature Ferris wheel, with its twelve cabins fixed in place. Three golden clock hands were attached into the center of the Ferris wheel, showing the current time. "Gorgeous..." she commented, completely stunned, that she failed to sense something looming over her, and...

*THWACK!*

*THUD!*

"I'm sorry, but we need you... to find the real Naila."

•

One confounded by the presence of a familiar
One felled by a scheming companion
The real person we pursue,
will she be found?

The jingling bells might hold the answer.