4: Tick tock goes the clock

Retrace IV: Tick Tock Goes the Clock

 

     “W-WHY HASN’T THE PRINCESS RETURNED?!” Demitrius cried out. He searched frantically about the castle, for the eldest princess checking the gardens, kitchen, cellar, and even the younger princess’s room.

     “Sarah’s not in here…she never play’s dolls with us.” The second eldest princess said. Demitrius closed the door and hurried to Sarah’s room. Upon opening it, he was welcomed to an empty room.

     “O-oh no, I’m dead, I’m dead, I-I’m dead…Sarah is n-nowhere to be seen…s-she should have been b-back by now…” He mumbled, holding his head, panicking. When he looked over at the desk with dread in his eyes, he spotted a piece of paper. Curiously thinking it was likely one of Sarah’s stories she had been writing, he sluggishly came by to it and picked it up. It was not of any stories she’s written, neither was it her hand writing. It was the note Jack had left for her. He read it and was fuming mad. Something he usually never felt.

     “T-that man has been seeing Sarah?! H-he must have taken her away and i-is hiding her as I speak! I knew s-something about him was misleading! PRINCESS! I’M COMING FOR YOU!” Demetrius exclaimed. He rushed out the door, storming down the staircase and barging out the front doors, calling for a carriage to take him to town. As he waited though, there was a rustling in a nearby bush. Turning, he was met by Yasmine, the energetic black girl from before at Pandora.

     “W-what do you think y-you’re doing here?!” Demitrius asked.

     “To take you back to Pandora HQ. Break-さま needs to ask you a few questions.” Yasmine said taking Demetrius’s wrist.

     “I’m terribly sorry, but I c-cannot see anyone today, I-I have to find my lady, Sarah.” Demitrius said pulling his hand away from Yasmine. A carriage came by and he said apologetically, “I’m sorry, a-another time maybe?”

   When he opened the carriage door, Xerxes Break was sitting in it and he was munching down on sweets.

     “B-Break?!” Demitrius exclaimed. He was shoved in by Yasmine who also got in and she closed the door, taking a seat next to Demitrius to ensure he wouldn’t try to escape.

     “Want one?” Break asked, offering a cookie.

     “W-what is the meaning of this?!” Demetrius bellowed.

     “Huh, guess you don’t want it.” Break said. He turned to Yasmine. “Want it?”

     “YES!” Yasmine cried happily, scarfing down on the cookie.

     “Enough! E-explain why I’m here or y-you’ll hear about this from the Queen and King!”

   Break sighed.

     “Can’t we have a peaceful talk without people YELLING into ones eardrums?”

     “I-I’m sorry…” Demitrius apologized.

     “Thank you. Now, the reason why I needed to talk with you was about the Princess. She went to the Nightray manor with three others, correct?”

     “H-how did you-”

     “I have my ways.” Break said looking at Yasmine who smiled brightly. Demetrius cursed under his breath. “She was planning to never return home. She wanted to go out and about on an adventure, but with the Baskervilles on the prowl for Oz, who carries Jack’s soul, she would be their target since she met him yesterday. And with her Chain, the White Queen, she would be helpless in a fight left unguarded. It’s only power is to heal.”

     “W-what? Sarah is being targeted?!” Demetrius said in woe.

     “Yeah, but I know where she is.” Yasmine said.

     “WHERE?!” He asked getting all up in Yasmine’s face.

     “Dude! Personal bubble!” Yasmine said moving him away from her. “She’s headed into town with three others who aren’t those she was acquainted with yesterday.”

   Demetrius just died inside (not literally).

~***~

     “And this is where my chambers are.” Vincent said finishing his tour of the Nightray mansion.

     “I’ve seen better.” Bethany said bluntly.

     “Oh?” Vincent asked.

     “I think we should be leaving now.” Rachel said.

     “But you just got here. Stay a little longer, why don’t you?” Vincent asked.

     “The princess needs to return back to the castle unfortunately.” Rachel said.

     “And she has duties she must perform.” Jaya added.

     “Well then, I guess there is no other way around it, there is always next time.” Vincent said. Vincent escorted the three young ladies out of the Nightray manor and said, “Okay then, good bye!” He shut the large doors, locking it and went around the back where he met up with Charlotte, Zwei, and Sarah who was being controlled.

     “Vincent! ♥” Zwei cheered happily, hugging Vincent around the waist.

     “What took you so long, Vincent?” Charlotte asked. “We need to find the Vessalius boy as soon as possible; you said the girl will make it easy to find him.”

     “Yes, I apologize; I had to escort her friends out.” He said. He pulled Zwei off of him and walked towards Sarah. “Zwei, could you please release Sarah from her strings?”

     “Huh? Why?” She asked.

     “Just do it.” He ordered. Zwei frowned and Deldum released Sarah from her torture of being manipulated and she blinked a few times before trying to run away. Vincent took her wrist firmly, turning her around and setting his fingers across her forehead.

     “Hold still.” He ordered. A large blue mouse with sewed shut eyes and a long tail coiling around Vincent appeared and the princess began to feel sleepy. Soon, her eyes shut and she drifted off onto a deep sleep. Vincent looked up to the two girls with tired eyes as well and said, smiling, “Now then, let us be on our way.”

~***~

Rylie, Gil, Alice, and Oz were over at a meat stand, getting Alice, yet again, more meat. Rylie and Oz had waited farther away though, leaving papa (Gil) to be the one in charge of getting Alice her meat.

     “Rylie…” Oz began.

     “Hmm? What?” Rylie asked, turning her head.

     “Follow me, I need to do something.” Oz said. He took Rylie’s wrist, dragging her to where ever this place he was taking her too. He suddenly stopped, and noticed the Princess of White being dragged with her hands tied behind her back and into an old abandoned building. Rylie recognized the girl as Sarah Hollenbeck from the (not so well known) Hollenbeck royal family.

     “I saw that girl the other day! What do you think the Baskerville’s want with her?”

     “They most likely want Oz to go and save her, in exchange for the B-Rabbit’s power.” A familiar voice said. Oz’s eyes had changed from green, to crimson red. That would mean only one thing…

     “Jack? What the hell do you think you’re doing using Oz’s body? That tires him out especially with the incuse so close to running out!” Rylie asked.

     “I have to save Sarah somehow.” Jack remarked.  He walked towards the building and opened the doors. “Hand the girl over and no one will get hurt.”

     “Well look who decided to come! The Vessalius boy and the Illegal Contractor Hunter.” Charlotte said merrily.

     “Oz?” Sarah asked turning around to see the blond haired boy.

     “No, Jack. I’m temporarily using Oz’s body.” Jack said.

     Wait, if…if Oz is Jack…and Jack is Oz, then Oz is not Oz but he is Jack…? But, if Jack is Oz, what is Oz really? Wondered Sarah, suddenly being stabbed in the side and she crippled to the floor, her side bleeding, and a pool of blood began to form on the ground she laid on. Charlotte held the silver pocket watch she took from Sarah, the front just plan and smooth, but when she took her fingers and wiped the blood onto the smooth surface of the watch, it stopped ticking for a few seconds. Sarah was breathing heavily from the loss of blood. The White Queen appeared her figure ghostly. She laid her hands on the deep gash, closing it up. Now that Sarah was healed from such a large wound, she was drifting off into sleep �" barely able to keep her eyes open. The blood on the watch was absorbed and created the design of the Incuse. The needle moved to the first rotation as the clock once again began to tick and Oz suddenly gripped his chest �" it was as if it were on fire.

     “Oz? Oz?!” Rylie asked.

     “We’ll leave the queen in your hands.” Vincent said with a grin upon his face. Charlotte handed over the pocket watch to Vincent who wrapped it around Sarah’s neck, the chain acting like a chocker and the pocket watch, the jewel. “Consider this a favor, Jack. We’re letting the boy stay here a little longer until the time incuse the queen is hosting makes its full rotation.” And with that, the Baskervilles were gone.

 

Three months later…

 

Sarah had been taken to Pandora HQ after the incident with her and the Baskervilles also taking in Rylie and Oz, along with Gil and Alice for questioning. When Break told Demitrius Sarah wouldn’t wake up for quite some time, he suddenly disappeared and hadn’t been heard of since.

     “I feel so bad…if…if only I hadn’t let her keep the watch, none of this would have happened…” Jack said, hanging his head in regret. No one was able to see him at the moment, for he was deep within Oz’s mind. “Maybe…Oz could find a way to wake her up?”

     “She still hasn’t woken up yet?” A man with short ash brown hair, light brown eyes and peach skin asked. He wore small oval shaped glasses over his eyes, a black Pandora uniform like Vincent’s, earrings, and carrying a stack of documents.

     “No…” Oz replied.

     “Oh dear…this is very bad…” The man said looking at a document.

     “Hmmm?” Oz asked. “What is it, Reim?”

     “White Castle, it’s…it’s been attacked!” Reim said.

     “What?!” Oz asked standing up from his seat.

     “What?” Jack said. “That’s it; Oz, I’m coming out now.” Oz’s eyes widened and then when he closed them his appearance was Jack, but others just saw him as Oz. Jack walked over to Sarah’s side, taking her hand and holding it firmly.

     “Oz-kun?” Break asked as he walked into the room wearing his Pandora uniform as well.

     “Sarah, you need to wake up now. Your family is in trouble and your servant, Demitrius is missing. We need you to come back. Wake up, �™め.” Jack said. He leaned in to her face and kissed her forehead, cheek, and then her hand. “Please…”

     “O-Oz-kun? What are-” Break began.

     “Uhn…Huh? Oz…? J-Jack?!”

     “You’re awake!” Jack cheered, embracing the awoken Sarah in a hug.

     “She’s awake?!” Break and Reim say in unison.

     “Jack…Oz? No wait, Oz? Uwaa! W-which are you?” Sarah asked in her half-asleep, half-awake state in agony, unable to tell if Oz was Jack, or Jack was Oz.

     “Jack.” Jack replied with a smile and hugged her again.

     “Huh?” Sarah asked, still in confusion.

     “Oz-kun, you…The Princess is awake because of you.” Reim said. He began to vigorously clean his glasses.

     “What…what happened. Last I remember I was kidnapped and held hostage by the Baskervilles and Vincent.” Sarah said, recalling on the event from three months ago.

     “Damn that Nightray sewer rat! Of course he would do something like this!” Break shouted.

     “Jack…what happened?” Sarah asked. She looked at Jack with her sweet and innocent eyes. Jack smile disappeared and it turned into a frown.

     “You’ve been asleep for three months �™め, and during that time, that man who follows you everywhere-”

     “Demitrius?”

     “-yes, him; he suddenly vanished and hasn’t been seen or heard of for quite some time.”

     “Dem…Demitrius’s what? He’s gone…? But…he…” Sarah gripped onto the blanket.

     “Castle of White has also been attacked recently.” Jack said sadly. “We aren’t sure if…there were any survivors.”

     “No…no…they’re……mom…dad…my…sisters…they can’t be…dead…”

Reviews

[Gobinder Singh Dhindsa]

Your writing is so Good. Well Done! Keep Writing Friend!

Do u read mine 2 "Why?, Who is a Poet"

If possible then give your reviews..

Regards,
Lucky