Lucy Is Gone For Good?

Chapter 7: Hearts Desire Or A Body? Part 3: Grays Decision

“…Why did that tunnel lead me here?”

Waves crashed against the seashore. I looked around in confusion. I noticed the harbor just down the left of the shore. Ships were coming in and going out, catching the warm summer breeze in their giant white sails. I start to walk toward the harbor but the dragons voice stopped me.

“The clock had stopped,

Because it dropped,

The ice has melt,

Before it felt,

It’s child once more.

Go to the store,

And go to the sea,

Get a few things for me.

A working old Grandfather Clock,

One with a tick and a tock,

And a large chunk of the sea,

When you are done being them here to me.”

“...What?” I say in confusion.

I jump as I hear Reselda behind me. “She wants you to get an old Father Clock and an iceberg from the sea.”

I turned around expected to see the Lizardwoman that helped us up the mountain, but instead there was a young white haired pale skinned person in robes. I looked around and couldn’t find any trace of lizard people anywhere. “Reselda?” I asked just to make sure.

“Yes?” she responded.

“Why are you here?”

“I was sent from Spear Heart to help you carry your items.”

“No thanks. I don’t need your help. I can do this alone.”

“... If that is what you wish, then I will not help you. But I will stay with you until you return.”

We stare at eachother. silently arguing about whether she goes or stays. She didn’t blink or move, she just stared. about five minutes later I got bored by it and accepted her presence.

“Just stay out of the way.” was all I could say.

*   *   *

I decided to go to the store and get the clock first, so I didn’t have to drag the giant piece of ice in and out of every store. The town was flooding with people and stores. I hardly went one second without bumping into someone. We searched from store to store finding a lot of old broken clocks, weird clocks and new clocks. None of the old Grandfather Clocks worked tough. Everything wasn’t going so well. My wallet got stolen from snotty little street rats. and now instead of 50,000J I got from my last job I’m now down to about 50J. But things got better, we found a clock. It was a tall, majestic, old, brown and gold clock that you could hear ticking from a mile away. It was getting sold at an auction just out of town.

“And now we have this beautiful Grandfather clock starting at 10J!” The auctioneer announced. “Do I hear 15? 20? 25? Do I hear a 25?” He kept on raising the number higher and higher.

“50!” I called out.

“50!! Do I hear 55? 55?”

“Here!” someone in the crowd called out.

“55. Do I hear 60?”

Eventually the price got to about 3,000J and most of the other bidders dropped out.

“3,000! Going once!... Going twice!... So-”

“10 GOLD COINS” Reselda called out. Everyone looked at her in dismay. I was shocked as well. 10 gold coins is about the same as 10,000J. Everyone was quiet until the auctioneer said “SOLD!!!” We went over, paid, and left with the clock on my back. Then we got a giant piece of ice and went back up the mountain. I fell back down a few times and I almost got crushed plenty more but we finally made it.

I set the clock and the giant block of ice in the room we first arrived in.

“So what do I do now?” I turned back to Reselda but she was gone and the room turned dark. “Reselda?” Suddenly flames swirled around the ice and broke it in two.

“Two lives, One clock. Have one or the other but not both.”

“It’s the dragon!” I gasped.

The flames continued to melt the ice until two statues appeared. The first one was Lucy. And the other one was…

“Wait… What? C-can that really be…?” I couldn’t help but cry. Seeing my old teacher’s body of ice, my heart ached and yearned to hug her, just once.

“Take your time but you must make a decision… Lucy … or your Teacher?”

How could I chose just one?