Time

Chapter 1 - 2015

Chapter 1
2015

Speechless and completely overwhelmed, I fumble around in the dark for the door handle. My heart is pounding, like the church bell back in Victorian London of 1896. It was only several seconds ago that I was there, but I believe that I am in a completely different period of time right now, as I step out from the mysterious time machine.

A light breeze ruffles my hair as I set foot onto a stretch of road, lined with towering buildings that seem to shadow the street. There are no pedestrians, or horse carriages, or any signs of life at all. As I creep curiously down the littered pavement, a buzz of noise starts to occur from around the corner. I can't quite work out what it is. The sounds are completely unfamiliar to me, apart from the chatter of people.

Eventually, I approach the corner where the road trails to the right, and suddenly I am face to face with the strange noises...

A network of roads, all somehow connected, with enormous carriages charging here and there! But there seems to be no horses pulling them? Their wheels are rotating automatically, and they're all painted in reds, blues, greens, silvers, the whole lot! I've never seen anything like this, for I am currently standing in the future London! However, I don't even know what year this is, for I was sent here without a choice!

I've been an orphan for as long as I can remember and orphans are always the first to get great opportunities because people feel sorry for us. In my case, some scientist had built a time machine and had asked the orphanage for volunteers to try it out. Being the typical, fearless orphan, I decided to put myself forth. The scientist showed me how to work the time machine, and told me to come back when id discovered future London. He also offered to pay me if I came back with extraordinary news, but I'm not in it for the money - I'm in for the adventure!

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I'm as keen as ever to explore this surreal city, but the time machine has to be hidden first. That was the number one instruction given by the scientist.

Therefore, I swiftly make my way back down the gloomy street to meet the time machine. It's nothing but a wardrobe, fixed with seven green buttons and a red leaver. But where to hide it? Surely if I left it here, someone was bound to become a little bit suspicious?

I spin around, taking a look at all the buildings, hoping to find one that is fairly deserted. There is one in particular that stands out for me, and it's the darkest and most mysterious one of all. One of the windows has shattered, and the door looks as if it's taken a beating. It's neighbours are in a far better condition, with well polished windows, and freshly painted doors.

Without hesitation, I heave the wardrobe onto the door step and push upon the wooden door. It opens. There's a low buzzing of flies to be heard from down the hallway, but apart from that, the house is silent. Completely silent.

The stairs are scattered with mouse droppings and the floorboards are missing in various places. It smells of rodents, which is a sign that they are the only ones living here. I drag the wardrobe into what must've been a living room, as there are the remains of a red rug and a dusty fireplace. The wardrobe should be fine here for a little while, and I'll be sure to check on it regularly. For now though, I'm off to explore the wonders of this future London. Who knows what might be out there?

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The sky is just starting to fade from a light blue to a deep blue, and already the sun is swapping positions with the moon. I wonder along an impressive bridge, that takes me over the river Thames. The river is the only thing I recognise. It's still the same old murky river, flowing gently on it's journey east. I watch as the ripples disappear underneath the bridge and then appear on the other side. The water seems to glow with the reflection of orange and blue lamps, that line each and every street I've been down. It's getting a little chilly, and I doubt my tatty Victorian dress will keep me warm enough for the night. In fact, I've gotten a few strange looks from strangers, probably because their fashion these days is a lot different to mine.