Chapter 3: The Mill

Penelope

We hung to the bottom of the truck until it came to a stop. When we didn't hear anyone else, we got out from hiding. Perry's robotic eye glowed and he said, "We gotta move fast. I'm making the cameras' recording loop until we're inside."

"What about the inside cameras?" I asked, but stopped when I looked at where we were. It was a windmill with smoke rising from its roof and four spokes moving slowly in a clockwise direction. The building was creaking loudly with age and from being ill-kept.

"There's not a lot of cameras here as it is," replied Perry. We darted inside and were instantly drowned in darkness. Perry grabbed my arm and said, "Follow me. I can see better in the dark."

It seemed very empty and there was no floor, just dirt. Perry guided me to a trap door in the floor. He hushed me and we slowly crept down. There were voices and the only light was very faint. I recognized both of the voices, but I was a little shocked at finding them to be Heinz and the Enigma.

"I anticipate my sister shall be here shortly," said Heinz. Perry stopped just short of us seeing them. "If she interferes with one of our plans, both of them shall fail."

"It was a dangerous risk, linking the Chronological Distortion across two dimensions," said the Enigma.

"Agreed, but if you do as you promised, we can both have power and the curse is stronger. Perry and Penelope are the only ones who can break it and, since they are in two different realms and you are cutting off any hope of them getting back together, we have a chance. Just capture her."

"I already have my puppets in place. Besides, from what you have told me, Perry would have to know to come here."

"Caution. They are both much closer than you think. If they both find the artifact, we are doomed."

"I think we've both gone too far for that. Worry not. They are already in my hands." Suddenly, both Perry and I were caught from behind and dragged away. "And I have no intentions of letting them go."

Perry

I shot awake. Something was wrong. My chest felt heavy and it was difficult to breathe. It was as if my heart was being taken from me. The woman from my dreams… she was in trouble. A name came to mind and I knew if I said it aloud, something malicious might occur. So, I decided to do the next best thing.

I got dressed as quickly as possible and darted outside. I began quickly walking down the street until I heard a hansom heading down the street. I waved a hand and it came to a stop by my side. I got aboard and told the cabby to drop me off outside of the city.

"I would not advise that, Mr. Dracula," the cabby said in an Indian accent.

"How do you know my-" I cut myself off when I turned and saw who it was. "Dr. Jekyll."

"Going even to the border is inviting a death wish. You know this."

"I need to get there, Dr. Jekyll. Please."

"Why?"

"I can't explain it. I have this feeling that someone's in trouble and that I need to go outside the city to help them."

The dark-haired boy gave a sigh. "Come on. I know a way out of the city without being spotted." He disembarked from the hansom and invited me to walk with him.

"Why help me?"

"I am helping you because I have a feeling that you can help me."

"What's wrong?"

The boy was quiet for a few moments. "I am afraid… I am in league with Mr. Hyde."

"You're what?!"

"It is not by choice, I promise you. I cannot help myself. He is too strong. I cannot get away from him, not truly, not ever. I have this feeling that you can stop it though, this feeling that you have done things like this before and succeeded."

"I think you have the wrong man. I'm not the one with all the successful cases."

"Do you not feel as if the hands of fate are bending against you?"

"I don't believe in fate."

"Yet you believe there is something that can free us."

"What are you talking about?"

"Is that not why you are seeking a way out of the city, to help us?

"Every time I've helped someone, it ends badly. I can't even keep Christine away from that monster she calls a boyfriend."

"Then why do you choose to help someone now? You must feel as if there is a gain in this."

"Yeah, there's a gain for me. After helping others and failing, maybe I should start helping myself."

"How so?"

"I can't explain it. It's a matter of my heart."

"Say no more." He stopped and I froze in place at seeing where we were. "We are here."

"The city's border… I've always been afraid of leaving the city. Now? Something is calling me."

"I wish you the best of luck, my friend."

"When I get back, I promise I will do what I can to help you. Who knows? I might succeed in this case."

"I certainly hope so, my friend. We are all counting on you."

I scaled the wall and jumped down onto the other side. It was a foggy, dark countryside. I began walking, not knowing really where I was going.

My mind was elsewhere when I finally noticed the fog had cleared and I was in front of a large windmill. The four spokes were spinning unnaturally in a counterclockwise direction. It spun as if there were weights on the spokes. They would pause, then spin very quickly. The most unusual part of this windmill was the fact that there was no wind. It must be being spun mechanically, somehow.

The door was nonexistent and the mill itself looked as though it had been abandoned for years. Something drew me to walk inside. It was empty, completely. I heard the building creaking from the weight of time and the spinning of the spokes. I kept walking in and I tripped over a handle. When I looked, there was a door in the floor.

"What is this?" I asked myself aloud. I opened it, against my better judgement, and headed downward. A foul stench came to my nostrils and I saw smoke. Despite these warnings, I continued onward. At the bottom of the stairs, I saw a large pot on the fire and a green, glowing smoke coming from it.

"You shouldn't be here," came a voice. I recognized, with a chill, that it was Frederick. The teal platypus with two different colored eyes and a foreign accent put a cloth in front of my bill. It was chloroform. I tried to break free, but could not. I was out.

Things are starting to pull together and apart all at once. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far and I hope you will keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)