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After a few minutes of staying in the park and weeping at my misfortune, I got up and stormed back down Watery Lane and began to search for John. I would attempt to try and explain myself and somehow recruit his help, hopefully he wouldn't blind me with the razors in his cap at the already ridiculous story.
I turned a corner and found myself back on the same street, the smog had cleared slightly as the day broke and the sun shone through wistfully. I knew what I was looking for: The Shelby Company Limited. Once I had found it, I knew I would be entering a lion's den, one that I would probably get killed in and would never return back to my normal life. Let's just hope John will see me willingly.
I entered the shop and immediately garnered attention, the whispers of a woman entering a betting shop in tight clothes was the talk of the room. I walked up to the secretary and combed my hair back ready for this awkward encounter. "Do you know where I could find John Shelby?" I spoke rather confidently and she might as well have told me to drop dead. "He's gone out and won't be back until-..." " 'orse girl! What'ya doin' 'ere? No place for a girl like you in this shop."
John walked over to Rowan and her eyes widened in obvious surprise at his unawareness of the entire shop staring at me. "Come on, let's go for a walk. Shall we?" He placed his arm out like a gentleman and I hesitantly placed my palm under his arm and dipped my head a little. He'd seemed so cheery all the time, even though there was absolutely nothing to be so happy about at this time in the world.
"Where are you from?" I looked up at him and we met eyes, they were friendly and opening. He was definitely intrigued to get to know who I was. "Here... Small Heath." He stopped and studied me hard for a moment. "What's with your clothes? They're erm... a little distracting if you ask me." I had no clue how to respond. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you... so can we move on." I knew he would ask for the truth, he had always been curious in the books I had read about him.
"Try me."
"Listen I need your help John, I-... my name is Rowan Lockwood and I was born in 1998. I'm 22 years old and about 2 hours ago I was in 2020 in a museum, I leant forward to touch a badge and I ended up here. Facedown in the mud in 1920's Birmingham. Hence my clothes, my way of talking, my fashion and also my frenzy. I'm absolutely bewildered as to what on Earth I'm meant to do. I'm stuck in a time where I don't know anyone personally, I have nowhere to sleep, no clothes nor money. What the heck am I meant to do? You're probably gonna send me to an asylum now... I just... I need to find that badge." He looked a little confused before he grabbed me and dragged me into an alleyway, pressing me against a wall with hardly any breathing space between us.
"Be honest with me Rowan... are you doing me over? Because that's the most stupidest fucked up shit I've ever heard." "Exactly... it's so ridiculous that if it was a lie I would be the worst liar ever. Look." I opened my necklace to a picture of Malachi, he stepped back at the sight of it. The picture was that: a picture. All in colour and on photo paper... that didn't exist in the 20s.
"I'm taking you to Tommy."
"No, no. You can't. I-... I studied your family for months. I know everything about all of you: when you were born, when you die, the battles you fought and the places you conquered as well as the long list of crimes you've committed. I know who Tommy is and how he operates and I have no wish to meet him."
