Chapter 001:
C0UNTER CL0CKWISE
Gasping for breath, Robin sprinted up the winding staircase entwined throughout the gears of the great clock. Although it couldn't possibly be that far past noon, the insides of the towering clock were very dark and shadowed. The young girl could only see about ten feet in front or in back of her. Ominous green shadows were lingering among all of the golden gears, slowly turning to the rhythm of time, emitting loud clicks and clanks as they kept the hour. Had he stopped chasing her? She halted to look back down the deep throat of the tower. The clank of his strides could still be heard, but they were muffled and hard to discern from the rest of the noise about. Taking advantage of her temporary safety, she leaned against a pillar and gently slid down it with exhaustion. Her blonde hair damp with sweat, a solitary tear slipped through her emerald eyes and trickled down her cheek.
It had been three months since the explosion at the factory. While everyone had assumed that she and her brooding partner were dead, they had escaped. Amidst the confusion, she had collapsed, only to awake in a hospital bed. Wounded, but not mortally. Some minor scratches, and a broken wrist. But what of her partner, Amon? No one in the hospital seemed to know of whom she asked about incessantly, but one nurse recalled that a tall, dark haired man had brought her in to them. That was all. And now, three months later, he was back to hunting her down. Why had he brought her into the hospital in the first place, if her death was what he sought? And if not, why had he been following her for the past month? The confusion within the young girl created a tight knot in her chest, and the hot tears in her eyes finally began to escape.
Through the glass face of the clock, the young girl watched a nest of doves fly off into the sky. The sound of Amon's footsteps reach her ears, and they were much closer. Nearly right on top of her. Getting to her feet, and wiping the last traces of tears from her cheek, she stumbled over her black dress. Reeling forward, she nearly fell from the green-lit balcony, her arms flailing. Grasping the rail and having found her balance, what she saw below her made her breath catch in her throat. Amon was only two flights of stairs below. Through watery eyes, she saw him halt. Slowly, he turned his head upward towards the rafters to which she clung. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of concern in his features, but then a resolved look took over and his eyes hardened again. Slightly frowning, he flicked back his raven black hair with a finger, and after staring up at her for a moment or two, looked away and began ascending the stairs again.
The girl pushed her self upright again, and turned. For some reason, she could not move more than a few inches. Looking down at her dress, she saw that a fold of cloth was wrapped tightly around a nail in the floorboards. Heart pounding, she desperately wrenched at her dress, but the stubborn metal nail firmly held her in place. Trapped. Any further tugging of the fabric would be purposeless. Amon had reached Robin's perch, and she was trapped.
C0UNTER CL0CKWISE
Gasping for breath, Robin sprinted up the winding staircase entwined throughout the gears of the great clock. Although it couldn't possibly be that far past noon, the insides of the towering clock were very dark and shadowed. The young girl could only see about ten feet in front or in back of her. Ominous green shadows were lingering among all of the golden gears, slowly turning to the rhythm of time, emitting loud clicks and clanks as they kept the hour. Had he stopped chasing her? She halted to look back down the deep throat of the tower. The clank of his strides could still be heard, but they were muffled and hard to discern from the rest of the noise about. Taking advantage of her temporary safety, she leaned against a pillar and gently slid down it with exhaustion. Her blonde hair damp with sweat, a solitary tear slipped through her emerald eyes and trickled down her cheek.
It had been three months since the explosion at the factory. While everyone had assumed that she and her brooding partner were dead, they had escaped. Amidst the confusion, she had collapsed, only to awake in a hospital bed. Wounded, but not mortally. Some minor scratches, and a broken wrist. But what of her partner, Amon? No one in the hospital seemed to know of whom she asked about incessantly, but one nurse recalled that a tall, dark haired man had brought her in to them. That was all. And now, three months later, he was back to hunting her down. Why had he brought her into the hospital in the first place, if her death was what he sought? And if not, why had he been following her for the past month? The confusion within the young girl created a tight knot in her chest, and the hot tears in her eyes finally began to escape.
Through the glass face of the clock, the young girl watched a nest of doves fly off into the sky. The sound of Amon's footsteps reach her ears, and they were much closer. Nearly right on top of her. Getting to her feet, and wiping the last traces of tears from her cheek, she stumbled over her black dress. Reeling forward, she nearly fell from the green-lit balcony, her arms flailing. Grasping the rail and having found her balance, what she saw below her made her breath catch in her throat. Amon was only two flights of stairs below. Through watery eyes, she saw him halt. Slowly, he turned his head upward towards the rafters to which she clung. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of concern in his features, but then a resolved look took over and his eyes hardened again. Slightly frowning, he flicked back his raven black hair with a finger, and after staring up at her for a moment or two, looked away and began ascending the stairs again.
The girl pushed her self upright again, and turned. For some reason, she could not move more than a few inches. Looking down at her dress, she saw that a fold of cloth was wrapped tightly around a nail in the floorboards. Heart pounding, she desperately wrenched at her dress, but the stubborn metal nail firmly held her in place. Trapped. Any further tugging of the fabric would be purposeless. Amon had reached Robin's perch, and she was trapped.