"When?" Loque Bella asked.
"Yes when," Gorette said.
"What does that even mean?"
"It means another time."
"The part of me that's missing is in another time?" Loque Bella asked.
"Yes."
"Like past and future another time?"
"The past actually, that's where the truth of your being lies. If you are to find that missing part and live out the truth of who you really are, you must travel to the past," Gorette said.
"Uh huh . . . Alright it was nice chatting with you, I am going to leave you be and go and do literally anything else," Loque Bella said standing up.
"You are living but not to the fullness of who you really are." She stopped. "Your spirit is calling out for things this time cannot give it and as such it is sad because it knows what it can really do, what it really is but this time will not let it because a spirit like yours is extincted and can no longer have the freedom it once did because it's not supposed to exist. But it does, you are not supposed to be here but you are and instead of you living a life of wishing things were . . . I am giving you a chance to live a life of what is."
"Who are you?" she turned back to her and asked.
"Oh dear where are my manners? I didn't even introduce myself. I'm so sorry. My name is Gorette and I am door-woman," she said standing up and extended her hand out to her.
"Of a hotel?" They shook hands.
"No . . . Of time."
"Right," Loque Bella said; looking at her with a calm face on but inside like she was the craziest person she had ever met. Talking about going back into the past to find the part of her that was missing, the heck was she going on about? She had to be drunk or high because what she was saying was very random. But then again, there was truth behind some of her words, a truth that touched Loque Bella and shone a sweet light in the corners of her heart that had been darkened for as long as she could remember, and that just left her brain a little scattered.
"Listen my dear, I've been where you are, trying to find myself but never doing so because I was looking in the wrong place. I was helped too to find myself in the right place and when I did, words cannot describe the peace and the freedom that I felt. I felt like for the first time in my life I was where I belonged. You are looking for that place where you belong and I can help you find it." She smiled. "Sweet sweet Loque Bella . . . You have absolutely no idea how special you are." She removed a card from underneath her blanket and put it on the table. "Thank you again for the coffee and the apple pie, you are such a dear. I just hope you will let me help you just as you so kindly helped me, you know return the favour," Gorette said and smilingly walked off as Loque Bella just stood there watching her go; out of the front door and down the streets.
"The heck was that?" she said to herself and walked to the table to grab the card. It was blank on one side but on the other there was an address for a clock shop, the Winding Times. Loque Bella just stood there dead faced, did that just really happen?
The following day came. It was afternoon and Loque Bella was making her way down the street to the coffee shop by the corner. She reached it and walked in and went up to the counter to order herself a large cup of coffee and when she got it, she sat down on one of the empty tables by the window and had a certain look come over her; going back to what happened the previous night with Gorette. It was at that same moment that she pulled out the Winding Times card from her small handbag and looked at it; contemplating on whether to go and see her or not. Why would she when she was talking crazy? But then again why wouldn't she? Her life was empty and she did feel like there was a huge chunk of it missing. For years she had tried to find it but hadn't been successful, she was barely managing to keep herself afloat what more finding where her truly calling lied. Loque Bella was stuck in thought; whatever was she going to do?
An hour later, she returned home and upon turning down the hallway, she saw a white box with a red bow on it at her front door. She lived on the fourth floor of a shabby apartment building.
Loque Bella walked up to her door and reached down to grab the box, about the size of a shoe box, and went with it inside. Her room was just slightly bigger than the box she held in her hand; a single bed on one side, and on the other side a toilet and shower head in one corner and a kitchen, with a one plate stove, in the other. She sat down on the bed and opened the box and inside was a letter and a shiny gold pocket watch."Oh pretty," Loque Bella said taking a close look at the watch; with the way the sun hit it making it look like it was glowing. She then put it aside and grabbed the letter to open it.
"Dearest Loque Bella, I gift you with this special watch that has the power to take you to a different time, a time that is a lot different from this one but holds all the answers to the questions your spirit has been asking for a very long time. A time that holds the life you seek. You have been given such a rare and unique opportunity to add more meaning to your life and discover a freedom little to no people ever get to experience; an opportunity to come into your true self and find that thing about you that makes you who you are. Now don't get me wrong, this time does hold your destiny but it also does hold a journey that will be your toughest one yet. You will be challenged in ways you never even imagined and many times you will get knocked down, but all you have to do is follow your heart; all you have to do is stay true to the good person I know you are and you will finally find that part of you that has been missing. The choice is yours, you can stay here and continue trying to find yourself in a time that holds no answers for you or you can travel to a time that does, all you have to do is take the clock in your hand, place it upon your heart and it'll open you up to who and what you really are, love Gorette," she then read and gave herself a look. "This crazy woman thinks she can actually transport me to another time." She put the letter down and lifted the watch to look closely at it once more as she thought on. "If she can . . . What do you have to lose? You live in a crappy apartment, you have no family, no friends and your job is super sucky . . . So why not? If I can get to be more than the nobody I am right now . . . Why not? Why not? Ugh because you're talking crazy that's why? There's no way she can transport you to another time. Time travel? Time travel is not possible, gosh I can't believe she was actually beginning to suck me in." She put it aside and stood up; breathing in and out heavily trying to calm herself. Gorette seemed pretty serious about what she said the previous night and now this gift; what if she was exactly who she said she was and could do exactly what she said she could. It meant she could get a chance to have a more meaningful life than the one she had. But even though her life wasn't much was it worth her trading it in for a life she had absolutely no idea was going to be like, she didn't know. But then again she was so lonely. She had been on her own for so long she was close to desperate for any change, even if it meant her leaving the only time she knew and going to a whole knew one. She just wanted to belong, find true love and happiness and live a life of truth and if going to another time was going to offer her that then so be it.
Loque Bella turned back and looked at the watch and sitting back down on the bed and grabbing it, she then placed it over her heart and closed her eyes. Just then the watch started to glow and when its brightness covered the entire room, Loque Bella was transported to another time.
The kingdom was called Hampshen and it was in a time similar to that of the Victorian Era. It was night time and opening her eyes Loque Bella found herself lying down on a bed in a bedroom. There were four beds, including the one she was on, with a chest of drawers against the bare wall and burning oil lamps on the walls. She sat up; wearing a simple dress with her long dark hair flowing down her back and onto the bed.Downstairs, her family sat; father, Mr. Braun, and her three sisters. He was sitting on his sofa by the fire place as the girls set the dining table; singing a song they loved with their voices blending together like angels singing. The first born was Ida, the second was Kima, the third Miro and the last was Loque Bella. Listening in and watching them, Mr. Braun smiled, his daughters were quite a sight, all of them spitting images of their late mother. They lived in a secluded farm house in the outskirts of the village and were a lower middle class family
An hour later, they were done with dinner and the sisters were in their room sitting on their beds. They were changed into their night dresses and could bring themselves to stop talking about the news the queen just brought. Loque Bella was marrying Prince Callum.“Goodness gracious I can’t believe I’m going to be a princess,” Loque Bella said.“Princess darling you’re going to be a queen, queen of Hampshen,” Miro said.“Queen Loque Bella,” Kima said and they chuckled.“Oh gosh I am so nervous, I can’t believe I’m actually going to marry the prince. Me, oh dear, what if I muck it up?” Loque Bella asked.“You are not going to muck it up,” Ida said.“I know nothing about being queen. I can't even handle you lot what more an entire kingdom of all sorts of people.”“You’re going to learn,” Miro said.“What i
"And just like that I never stepped another foot into the night ever again," Loque Bella said."Oh my Loque Bella I am so sorry," Prince Callum said."I don't even like to look into the night through the window. My family knows it too. We close the curtains and lock the doors just when the sun is going down and then we all stay in until the sun comes back up again.""Wow, what happened that night really changed your life.""It did. Now just that the mere sight of the sun setting in the sky brings a coldness to my skin," she said."Have you ever tried to face your fear?""Go out into the night? No. The thought of it shrinks me back to that little girl and I get scared all over again. I know I should do something about it, I'm a big girl for goodness sake, I can't be afraid of the dark. I wake up every morning feeling brave to take on anything but when the sun begins to go down, I become that little girl and all the bravery I had leaves me and
Two days later, father and his daughters went to the palace to meet with Queen Roselyn and Prince Callum for lunch. They were sitting down by the large table in the dining hall enjoying a wide variety of foods laid out on the table, as the guards stood spread out against the walls and at the door. “Thank you for having us your majesty,” father said. “Oh please the pleasure is all mine,” Queen Roselyn said. “And I must say you all look so wonderful,” she then said. “Yes you do,” Prince Callum said, with his eyes glued on Loque Bella. He knew of her beauty but with her hair bundled up opening her face and her navy blue dress complimenting how her skin shined underneath the light of the chandeliers, he was completely taken. “Thank you,” the girls said slightly bowing their heads. Loque Bella looked at Prince Callum and finding him looking at her, butterflies flooded her tummy and she looked down smiling to herself. He too smiled to himself and they carri
The following day and as planned Loque Bella and Prince Callum went to the stream to have a picnic; sitting on a blanket and enjoying delicious treats whilst enjoying the lovely day. They spent hours out there and in those hours they talked and got to know more about each other, deepening the bond that came to life the first day they met. They talked about how different they grew up and discovered that even though they lived two totally different lives they had so much in common. They talked about their lost parents; Loque Bella's mother and Prince Callum's father and shared wonderful memories about them. Prince Callum shared all the beautiful places he had travelled to and promised to take her to see each one and even took the opportunity to give her a gift he specifically had made for her; a small white box nicely wrapped with a pink ribbon. "What is this?" Loque Bella asked. "Open it," Prince Callum said and she removed the ribbon and pulled the li
Minutes later Loque Bella and her sister bridesmaids were ready to leave for the church. Covered with the veil falling over her face, she was helped into her white and flower decorated wedding carriage by her sisters and together they rode down the road to the church; with the village people, men, women and even children, standing in the sides of the road waving to the carriage and throwing petals into the air and Loque Bella inside the closed carriage waving back at them. A moment later they arrived at the church and Loque Bella's sisters helped her out of the carriage and up the steps of the church where father was standing nicely put together in a brown suit waiting for her. He saw her and his eyes immediately began to water. "My love," father said. "Hello father," Loque Bella said and they shared a warm hug. "Oh my goodness, it's like looking at an angel. My love, you look so beautiful." "Thank you father." "You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen," he said looking
The fayagan breathed out a black flames to the people and seeing the flames coming straight for them they ducked and the flames passed above them. It breathed on and the heat of the flames caused them to scream even louder as the walls, the ceiling and the double door caught fire and the windows burst; scattering the broken pieces into the streets and immediately startling the people that were waiting outside to see the married couple. Inside, the people had their heads down as just then the fayagan stopped breathing fire and looked down at Loque Bella; also on the floor and with her head low. It then gave out another spine chilling squeal and grabbed Loque Bella. It held her firm in its huge clawed hand that almost completely covered her and then leaped off the floor and flew out, flapping its massive wings and creating winds that raised the dust and debris of the broken wall off the floor and into the air, blinding their sight as the fagayan flew off further into the distance. "Loqu
Back in Hampshen, Prince Callum, Queen Roselyn, Mr. Braun and his daughters were in the queen's throne room talking about what just happened. Queen Roselyn was sitting on her throne with Prince Callum standing next to her and Mr. Braun and his daughters were standing before them. The throne room had two thrones all the way at the end of the large room; a throne for him and a bigger one for her, portraits on the walls of the queen and prince as well as the many kings and queens that had ruled Hampshen in the previous years, decorative pillars holding up ornaments and a red carpet that ran from the double door all the way to the two thrones that were sitting on a slightly elevated platform. "What is going on Mr. Braun?" Prince Callum asked. "What just happened?" Mr. Braun looked to his daughters and them at him and then back at the prince with his heart the heaviest it had ever been; whatever it was that had him looking like that it wasn't good. "Loque Bella is very special," Mr. Br