The Mechanic

Chapter 3

I spent the rest of the day at the workshop, my nose buried in the numerous piles of parchment, carefully labeling different sets of plans for a machine that I'd been trying to create for months now. It was nearly dark by the time there was a soft knock on the door. I quickly pulled my hair away from my face and stripped off my apron before opening the door to the workshop.

"Victoria," I said with a forced smile. "What do you want?"

She forced a smile and handed a folded piece of parchment toward me. "I wanted to invite you to the ball that we're hosting tomorrow evening. Everyone in town is invited. Please find something...decent to wear," she said, eyeing me up and down. I nodded and took the invitation.

"Thank you, I guess. Have a good evening." I started to close the door behind me, but Victoria thrust out her foot and blocked the doorway.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if I acted a bit...rude. I know that you can be a bit sensitive at times and I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. I understand how difficult it can be when faced with a person who has everything when you, Evie, have absolutely nothing. Well I'll be off then. And I'll see you at my ball tomorrow evening."

"Don't count on me being there!" I called after her as she made her way back down the alleyway, but all she did was give me a snotty smile and wave carelessly. I slammed the door and walked back down to my desk, crumpling the invitation in my hand. I had never gone to one of Victoria's balls, as neither I nor my father had ever really cared for her. Instead, we usually sat by the fire and laughed at the townspeople as they walked by with their fancy new dresses and freshly polished shoes. But this year I had no idea whether he would be back in time. I hated spending nights alone without him, but tomorrow would be even worse than the rest.

I sighed and threw the balled up parchment onto my desk before blowing out the few oil lamps I had burning, leaving only a small candle aflame. I checked to make sure I had secured everything as I usually did and then pulled a chair under the small square in the ceiling. I pulled the trapdoor open and let down the ladder, using one hand to guide myself up and the other to hold the candle.

The flat upstairs was a small, dusty place. It was the reason why Father and I spent so much time down in the work space rather than in the small room that could barely even hold the two small beds crammed in the corners. We had a small wardrobe over by Father's bed and had managed to fit a small tub by mine. I hated the flat, as it had never really felt at home and always smelled of the raw fish that the renter in the next apartment over packaged for a living.

I was just pulling the pins from my hair when a movement outside the window caught my attention.

"Brown?" I muttered, moving quickly toward the window with my heart pounding in my chest. Sure enough, the same horse that Father had taken to the festival was galloping toward the shop with a crazed look about her. I dropped my pins to the floor and didn't even bother to tie back the long lengths of hair now hanging in front of my face as I climbed back down the ladder. Brown had reared up in the front lawn and was whinnying loudly when I opened the front door.

"Shhhh," I said desperately, hoping that she wouldn't wake up the neighbors. I held out my hand and waited for her to put her two front hooves back onto the earth before I stroked her snout.

"What's wrong?" I muttered and looked up at her saddle, my blood suddenly cool.

"Where's Father?" I asked. She stared at me with two wide, black eyes that didn't help my nerves settle. "Wait here." I tied her reins to the branch of the tree that stood beside the walkway leading up to the shop and then dashed back inside.

I pulled a cloak off of the rack that stood next to the door and then pulled down one of the lanterns my father had stashed up on one of the many shelves surrounding the shop walls. I couldn't find any matches so I bent down and grabbed one of the sticks resting in the fireplace, the top of it still glowing red from the fire I had made earlier this evening. 

By the time I made my way back outside, Brown had calmed slightly and her breathing was steady as I hooked the lantern to her saddle and pulled myself up upon her back. The town was all dark as I made my way down the cobblestone streets, not a single window lit and not a person to be seen. 

My thoughts swirled as Brown and I made our way toward the forest. What if Father had been hurt? The woods weren't exactly safe this time of year and I feared that the worst had happened to him. I just hoped that I wasn't too late.