A Watch In Time – Chapter 3, Part 1

A WATCH IN TIME

A Full Length Short Story by Golden Keyes Parsons

Chapter Three – Part 1

Click here to start with Chapter One

Lily closed the door of her mother’s bedroom after returning the watch to its hiding place in the trunk and leaving the family album closed on a small writing desk. Whether she really had been catapulted back to 1861 or not, she did not wish to experience that out-of-control, helpless situation ever again.

Days passed into months. Lily passed by the closed door of her mother’s room every day, but she left it closed, ignoring it. However, the tome and the trunk beckoned to her. What secrets did the watch hold? Did the message of aching devotion speak of a forbidden love? Perhaps the watch held the key to the family’s mysterious heritage.

Her brother, munching on a cookie, met her in the hallway. The evening setting sun sent beams of light through the stained glass transom at the end of the hall. “Been back to 1861 lately? Any news from the battlefront?” David whistled the first line of “Dixie,” and poked her playfully.

Lily rubbed her arm, and glared at him. “Ouch. That hurt. So do your remarks.”

“Sorry.” He leaned his tall angular frame against the wall. “Are you sticking with your story?”

“I know it sounds unbelievable, but I was there in 1861 watching you march with the Lone Star Guard to war. It was horrible.” She reached for his hand. “And you had that same gash on your hand that you got opening a box for me.” Turning his hand over, she smiled. “You’re going to have a scar.”

“Nah, it’s fine.” He rubbed the purple mark. “Don’t you think you simply experienced a vivid dream?”

“What about the clothes I had on?”

“You found them in the trunk.” David grasped the doorknob. “Come on. I’ll show you. There’s nothing to all of this nonsense.”

“Don’t go in there. Leave it be.”

He took her by the elbow. “I’m right here with you.” He flipped the overhead light switch. “Must be burned out.” Coaxing Lily into a chair in front of the desk, he turned on the lamp. A soft glow surrounded them from the candle bulb in the small fixture.

David bent over his sister’s shoulders and began to thumb through the pages of the book. “See, nothing to be frightened about … nothing at all … nothing … ” He grabbed the book and stared. “There’s nothing … on … these …”

The candle lamp transformed before their eyes into a candle flame. Lily stood sending the chair clattering to the floor. David threw the album on the bed and stepped backwards. Lily grabbed his hands. His mouth was moving, but a buzzing in her ears drowned out whatever he was saying. She clung to her brother’s hands.

Finally the buzzing stopped, and the siblings gawked at each other. Lily let go and touched the graying hair around his temples. She looked at her wrinkled hands with brown age spots. “I told you. I warned you. Look at us. Now we’re old.”

David took hold of the lapels of the frock coat he wore. “I … we … what is this?”Lily patted her dark thick hair to find it now in a soft French twist. She fingered the sweetheart neckline and large puffed sleeves of her dress. “We’re dressed for an evening out. I wonder what year it is.”

“You may be playing this game, but I’m not doing this, sis. Let’s get back to our century.” He grabbed the book from the bed and opened it.

“That won’t do any good until the time is right. Sit down…”

 

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Join us next Friday for part 2 of chapter 3.

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