I don't own anything

Howl was wandering the streets just staring at all the objects around him. He had finally got some of his powers to work, it seemed that this world had magic slightly different from his own world and all he needed to do was to get on the right wavelength (so to speak) to allow him access.

The shops and gadgets in them left Howl very wide eyed, he had never seen such technology before. There were screens with tiny people in them, and small boxes which seemed to be playing music. There was also so many smells, Howl's mouth was watering. He was walking past a pizza shop and he got a smell of the delights inside. He was drawn to the shop like a moth to a flame. Howl managed to change the money he had for the currency in this world with a little bit of magic. The Pizza was so different from anything that he had ever tasted in his world.

"Why haven't we invented something like this in our world? It's so simple." He muttered to himself.

Howl carried on down the streets for a few more minutes and then decided it was time to catch up with Sophie. Maybe she could make sense of all the amazing things he had seen today. Her world didn't use the magic it had but boy did they know how to create things.

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It took Howl around half an hour to reach the Carter residence as he kept stopping to investigate new sights and sounds. Everything was new and different. Life seemed to Howl to be a lot faster here and very hectic. Everyone on the streets seemed to be in a rush to get places and the cars in this world looked far more advanced than the ones he was used to.

Following the trace he had on Sophie brought him to a modern looking semi detached with a small garden at the front and a driveway at the side. To Howl it looked pleasant but not really grand enough for his tastes. The front door looked like every other door on the street and had a small knocker which seemed a little inadequate for the size of the door. Regardless of this fact Howl used it and waited for whatever greeted him.

Mrs Carter answered the door and greeted Howl thinking her was a rather handsome door to door sales man. "I... I'm sorry but we are not interested in anything you have to offer at this time young man." Sophie's mum stated in a daze.

"Mrs Carter?"

"Yes?" answered Sophie's mum a little surprised that this man knew her name.

"My name Is Howl would it be possible to speak to your daughter? We have been through a lot together and I would like to make sure that she has returned safely to her family."

"You are the young man who returned our daughter home to us?"

"Yes"

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you." Sophie's mum launched herself at Howl and started weeping.

Howl was slightly uncomfortable about this. Having a 50 something year old woman crying on him really was not something he was used to. It would do nothing for his street cred at home, but he wasn't at home which he counted as a blessing.

"Mrs Carter it was a pleasure, Sophie is a good girl and doesn't deserve what she has been through."

"Louisa, who is at the door?" shouted Mr Carter from the kitchen.

"Please come in, my husband would love to meet you and thank you himself. We had given up hope of ever seeing her again." Mrs Carter grabbed Howl's hand while drying her eyes with the other.

Howl followed Mrs Carter through the small hallway into the kitchen at the back of the house.

"Darling, this is the young man that Sophie was talking about, this is Howl."

"Well it seems we have a lot to thank you for young man. Bringing our daughter back to us after a year. Can you tell us any of the story as we are in the dark as to where she has been."

Although Howl was shocked when Mr Carter divulged that it had been a year since Sophie had gone missing in this world he showed nothing on his face.

"Unfortunately sir I can only give you details from a few days ago, before that I have no idea what happened to your daughter?"

For the next 30 minutes Howl recounted how Sophie and he had met from his apprentice finding her in the woods close to where he lived to her journey home. It was quite difficult re telling a tale with all the magic left out but he had a feeling that her parents may have trouble accepting that their daughter had travelled to another world and had unfortunately been a victim of a different time continuum.

By the time Howl had finished his tale it was already very late and he didn't particularly want to spend the night on the streets so he subtly cast a spell on Sophie's parents to allow think the was a good idea for him to spend the night with them.

"Now my dear boy, where are you staying tonight? You are to stay here as I would like to show our appreciation for your help with our daughter, so phone whatever hotel you are supposed to be staying at and cancel all arrangements. You will be our guest for as long as you stay in the area"

"Thank you Mrs Carter, you are too kind. I will call my hotel straight away and make the arrangements."

"Please come this way, everything you need will be in the spare bedroom. I will leave you to get settled. Please call me if you need anything at all." Mrs Carter said batting her eyelids ever so slightly. Even with older married women Howl seemed to have an effect. He smirked to himself as he heard Mrs Carter muttering "Such a nice young man, and soo handsome, if I was 20 year younger. No Louisa don't think those thoughts!"

Howl lay on the bed and started to plan what was going to happen. He needed to remove Sophie from this world again as it was too far removed from her previous time line. Such large jumps would play havoc with the flow of magic in both worlds. He knew from his own learning that you cannot stay in a time frame so removed from your own without there being some dangerous consequences. A few days wouldn't hurt but too long and things start happening to your body which do not produce good results. Howl was too proud of his looks to let anything like that happen to him. As he lay down to sleep he decided that he would allow Sophie 3 days here at max and then whisk her away back to his world. This time her parents wouldn't be worried and there would be no need for her to return for a while.

I hope you like. I'm sorry it's taking me soo long between updates at the moment.