Time Traveler to Next Door Read online

  I'd never danced w th anyone apart from Mum and Dad, so I d dn't have the f rst clue what to do. We stood for a few seconds a couple of feet apart, Rupert chew ng h s bottom l p as f try ng to f gure out an algebra c equat on.

  Eventually I closed the d stance between us and sa d, "I suppose we'll just have to go w th the flow." Rupert nodded. "R ghto. Great dea. I'll just place an arm about your wa st l ke so, and then you do the same and I'll hold your hand n the other."

  We stood frozen for a moment, there n the m ddle of a packed h gh school d sco, our faces scarlet w th shame, but then the song got to the part about t me be ng forever frozen and we began to move.

  There s someth ng heart-break ng about those fleet ng seconds of our l ves that go on to become our most cher shed memor es. They are better o unseen, sl pp ng through the cracks l ke gra ns of sand, because to real se n the exact moment that l fe w ll never be more perfect both def nes and destroys us.

  I stared nto h s eyes, and he stared nto m ne and I became acutely aware of every molecule of our bod es that touched, and t wasn't because Mum had d ed, and I had been depressed and now I felt al ve aga n. It wasn't that. It was because he was meant for me. Th s boy from another t me. We were meant for each other and we were star crossed n the most mposs ble way.

  The song ended and we awoke as f from a dream, h s face nches from m ne. But ne ther of us were embarrassed. We had transcended self-consc ousness n the space of a s ngle song.

  A song I would try my hardest to never l sten to ever aga n. Mr Deveron returned to the decks and Despactobegan to blast out of the speakers. Rupert and I went back to our seats and sat down, our knees touch ng.

  "There's someth ng I want to say," Rupert sa d, "and I want you to prom se that you'll let me f n sh."

  I nodded. "I prom se." "I've been do ng a lot of th nk ng these past few weeks, and one of the th ngs that has become clear s that I've behaved ncred bly self shly w th regards to your s tuat on."

  I frowned. Where was he go ng w th th s? "I haven't paused to th nk about anyth ng else other than gett ng home. But you see, I should have." He took my hands n h s and leaned close. "What f I don't travel home ton ght?"

  A wave of hope swelled n my chest. "What f you t me travel nstead. Back to the t me of your mother's acc dent. I've worked t out we could use her r ng and the necklace you sa d that she always wore. There m ght be a chance to save her."

  There t was. The very th ng I'd once wanted more than anyth ng, along w th the bonus g of gett ng to keep Rupert here too. But I had changed s nce that day I met Rupert at Port Haven House. Everyth ng was d erent now.

  I took a deep breath and squeezed h s hands. "Thank you. But I th nk th s s how my l fe s meant to be. It's sad and heart-break ng and I want her back so badly t somet mes takes my breath away, but I've real sed that I shouldn't mess w th the past. I won't l e to you, n the beg nn ng I hoped there would be a way to br ng her back. But now I know t wouldn't be r ght."

  H s shoulders dropped. "We all have a dest ny, don't we, Clem? Every s ngle one of us n th s room."

  A ch ll z pped through me as I remembered h s future acc dent. Would t change anyth ng f I told h m what would happen? "I m ss my parents," he went on, "I m ss my fr ends and school and not be ng stared at n the street. I know I belong back n the twent es and yet..."

  A lump formed n my throat. I knew what he would say before the words le h s l ps.

  "I'm just not sure how I'm go ng to cope w th never see ng you aga n."

  Chapter Seventeen

  Outs de, t had started to ra n. A f ne sheen of mo sture clung to our ha r l ke cobwebs as we le school to walk back to Port Haven House.

  "I hope you're not too cold," Rupert sa d. "There's an o lsk n n my trunk back n the secret room. I can fetch t for you before I..." He tra led nto s lence and I reached for h s hand n the darkness. "Don't worry about me. It's only a ten-m nute walk back to my house from yours."

  He squeezed my f ngers n return. "Do you th nk your father w ll worry? I mean, we have no dea what t me the path w ll open. It could stretch nto the early hours."

  "He th nks I'm go ng to Adele's a er the d sco. I can always say I've dec ded to sleep over. Honestly, t's sort of odd hav ng h m not ce what I get up to aga n. In the days a er Mum d ed, he wouldn't have not ced f I'd packed up and flown to the moon."

  "I'm glad he's cop ng better."

  I nodded. "I th nk he m ght even go back to work soon. He's back n touch w th h s old scr pt wr t ng budd es."

  "That s excellent news."

  By the t me we reached the road wh ch led to the sea, the dr zzle had turned to heavy ra n. I glanced up at the sky. There wasn't a star n s ght, just a mass of grey cloud that obl terated everyth ng from v ew.

  "Let's not walk along the cl ," I sa d. "I don't fancy t n these cond t ons." We cut o before the beach and took the footpath lead ng to the f elds beyond our house, jo n ng the overgrown track to Rupert's place through the gate that led down to the sea. The trampled path was waterlogged and muddy, but the canopy of trees sheltered us from the ra n. I tr ed not to th nk about the fact that n a short wh le I'd be walk ng back th s way alone; that I would never be w th Rupert aga n.

  We'd just passed through the gates when we heard the f rst rumble of thunder roll across the sky. Our startled eyes met n the darkness.

  "A storm," Rupert sa d. "Do you th nk t's a co nc dence?"

  I cons dered the poss b l ty for a moment. "I'm not sure anyth ng s a co nc dence." We emerged nto the clear ng at the front of the house and ran up the steps onto the porch, fall ng through the front door nto the hall. The house smelled musty and damp already, as f t knew n ts foundat ons that t was about to be abandoned once more.

  Rupert hurr ed o to the secret room for towels, wh lst I wa ted, tak ng n the red carpet and sh ny wooden floor for the last t me, know ng that I would never return.

  "Here," Rupert sa d, hand ng me a small wh te towel. Shall we go upsta rs to the study? I'll see f I can get the f re go ng." I gulped. I d dn't want to go to the study. Because then there would be noth ng stand ng between now and h m leav ng. But I couldn't tell h m that. I had to be brave.

  "Okay." I cast a glance back nto the den as we cl mbed the sta rs. The t ny crawl space that led to the h dden room was shut; the mahogany panels t ghtly sealed.

  "What w ll happen to your th ngs?" I asked. He flashed a sad sm le. "Before the tenn s racket I m ght have sa d to chuck them away, but perhaps some of t m ght be of value. Ult mately, t's up to you. I bequeath you all of my worldly possess ons."

  I tr ed to laugh but t d ed n my throat. Instead, tears sprang up n my eyes. "What about the house?"

  He laughed. "Would you l ke that too?"

  I smacked h m on the arm. "No. I mean, t can't go on forever, stand ng here empty."

  "Who knows what the future may br ng," he murmured, break ng my gaze. We walked the rest of the way n s lence. In the study, ra n pounded aga nst the casements as a flash of l ghtn ng l t up the n ght sky. Maybe t was because I knew what had happened w th n ts walls, but the room seemed al ve. As f t was wa t ng.

  I dr ed o as best I could wh le Rupert got the f re go ng, hang ng my jacket across the bann ster of the wrought ron sta rcase. The room was as empty as when I f rst saw t a few weeks ago, so we sat on the floor, our legs stretched out n front of us. The w nd howled through the hole n the w ndow, but the f re kept us warm.

  A er a t me, Rupert reached nto h s trouser pocket and pulled out h s s lver pocket watch, plac ng t on the bare floorboards between us.

  Wordlessly, I unfastened the gold cha n at the nape of my neck and removed my necklace. Earl er, I'd threaded t through Mum's wedd ng band, h d ng t beneath my dress for the durat on of the d sco. The gold gl nted n the flames of the f re as I placed the r ng atop the s lver watch.

  We stared at each other, a thousand unspoken emot ons sw rl ng n the a r between us. I nodded and Rupert p cked up the gold r ng and the watch, w nd ng the s lver cha n through t unt l t was secure.
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  "What's the t me?" I asked.

  He glanced at the vory face. "It's almost eleven o'clock."

  My gut tw sted. "I th nk I'd better try now," he sa d, clos ng the watch and shov ng t along w th the r ng nto h s sh rt pocket. "I don't want to m ss my chance."

  I tr ed to breathe deeply but I couldn't. My heart fluttered and my body began to tremble. I stood on wobbly legs and he opened h s arms and I went nto them, try ng to remember every second of h s embrace.

  When we parted, he tucked the ha r beh nd my ears, cradl ng my face n h s warm hands. "I know you're scared, Clem. But please try not to

  worry about me, about any of th s." He cast a glance around the

  shadowy room. "L fe works out, and death, well, t's everyone's

  dest ny n the end."

  My heart clenched. D d he know that I looked h m up? I wanted to ask, to tell h m about the betrayal, but I couldn't. L ke us ng t me travel to br ng Mum back from the dead, t wouldn't be r ght. The cross was m ne to bear alone.

  He took my hand and led me to the w ndow. The warmth of the f re on the other s de of the room d d l ttle to quell the cold a r blow ng n through the broken glass. A l ghtn ng flash l t up the room, followed almost mmed ately by a deafen ng crack of thunder.

  Rupert let go of my hand and stepped backwards, h s eyes w de. "It's happen ng."

  "What's happen ng?" I asked frant cally. "When the l ghtn ng struck just then, the room changed. Just for a spl t second. The desk w th the papers and books strewn across t and the polar bear rug by the f re—they were back." He met my pan cked gaze. "But you were gone."

  A wave of nausea rose ns de me. I wanted to plead, to beg h m not to go. "I know you don't ever want to come back here, Clement ne. But prom se you'll check n from t me to t me. I wasn't go ng to tell you th s, but—"

  He was cut o m d-sentence by another flash of l ghtn ng. I screamed as the thunder rolled around the room, r cochet ng o the walls as f the whole place m ght tumble down around our ears.

  "But what?" Tears rolled down my cheeks. I wanted to hold onto h m but h s express on stopped me. H s blue eyes were f lled w th wonder as he stared around the room.

  "I th nk I have to reach out towards the w ndow," he sa d, "the way I d d that n ght. Everyth ng looks faded. L ke two p ctures of the same place overlapp ng. Even you're fad ng, Clem."

  I shook my head, b t ng my l p to keep from sobb ng. "I don't want you to go." He sm led sadly. "If I could be n both places I would. I meant what I sa d downsta rs n the hall, Clem. Nobody knows what the future may br ng. We could be on a stra ght l ne a er all."

  Another flash of l ghtn ng llum nated the room. He reached for the gap n the w ndow, but even before the crash of thunder sounded, rattl ng the glass panes n the rotten wood, he was gone.

  Frozen to the spot, I stared at the space where he'd van shed, expect ng h m to reappear. Ten seconds passed, a m nute, f ve. The ra n stopped and I could hear the sea aga n, pummell ng onto the rocks below.

  Then I saw them, ly ng n the place where he d sappeared. The s lver pocket watch and Mum's wedd ng r ng.

  I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

  *** I clasped the pocket watch and r ng t ghtly and wa ted. I wasn't sure f I expected h m to return or f I hoped the mag c that had taken h m

  m ght take me too. But noth ng happened. The room rema ned

  empty and damp unt l eventually even the f re n the hearth had

  petered out.

  "Rupert!" I shouted.

  But no jolly vo ce answered. I'd lost h m for good. Weep ng, I retr eved my den m jacket from the sp ral sta rcase and sl pped t on, push ng the watch and r ng nto the front pocket. I stared around the empty room for the last t me, and then headed down the sta rs and out of the house w thout turn ng back.

  I shut the tall gates beh nd me, wonder ng f I would ever fulf l Rupert's w sh that I return.

  I couldn't mag ne t happen ng anyt me soon. As I turned along the muddy track, I wondered how late t was. I pulled out the s lver watch and tw sted the catch to open t. At least an hour must've passed s nce I asked Rupert for the t me n h s uncle's study, and yet the hands hadn't sh ed past eleven o'clock. I held t to my ear. S lence. Hast ly, I removed my phone from my other pocket and pressed the on button. The d g tal clock flashed up; Eleven f y-e ght.

  "That's odd," I murmured.

  At home, Dad was st ll up.

  "Clem?" he called as soon as I walked nto the k tchen. "Why are you us ng the back door?" I must've looked a fr ght what w th gett ng ra ned on and the tears because as soon as he saw me he dropped the TV remote and crossed the k tchen towards me.

  I flung myself nto h s arms and started to cry aga n, great b g chok ng sobs that stole the breath from my body.

  "Clem," he sa d, strok ng my ha r. "What on earth has happened?"

  "Rupert le ," I sa d between sobs. "He's gone."

  "Where?"

  I tr ed to breathe deeply, w p ng my nose on my sleeve. Even n the m dst of d stress, I knew I could never tell h m the truth.

  "He's mov ng abroad w th h s father. For good th s t me. They're sell ng the house."

  "Ah," Dad sa d, gently. "I knew that old house was a m stake. I mean, I'm surpr sed t wasn't bulldozed years ago."

  "I don't know what I'll do w thout h m." We pulled apart and Dad stared down at me, w p ng my tears away w th h s thumbs the way he used to when I was small. "It's not the end of the world. There's ema l and phones and Skype. The way you youngsters go on these days w th soc al med a, you probably won't even not ce he's gone."

  Desp te my gr ef, I managed an eye roll. "Yes, Dad I know. Th ngs were so much better n the n net es."

  "Well, they were actually. If we wanted to speak to our fr ends, we had to see them. No one talks face to face anymore."

  "That's why I l ked Rupert so much. We always spoke face to face."

  "He can v s t. He's welcome to stay here any t me he l kes. I doubt h s father w ll have a problem f nd ng the money to pay for a fl ght."

  Though t was hopeless, I managed to tw tch a sm le. "Thanks, Dad."

  He crouched down so that our faces were level. "I'm so sorry I haven't been here for you, Clem."

  "Dad, t's f ne, I—" "It's not f ne. I had no r ght to d sappear ns de a shell of gr ef the way I d d. I've put you and Grandma through hell w th my behav our, and I'm so sorry. W ll you ever forg ve me?"

  "Yes. I mean, I'm pretty sure I already have."

  He sm led. "Your mother was everyth ng to me. My soul tw n. When she d ed, I wanted to go w th her."

  I nodded. "I understand. Those types of people don't come along very o en."

  "Almost never. If you're very lucky once or tw ce. But usually almost never."

  "The trouble s that l fe goes on," I sa d. "Yes, and even though we don't want to adm t t at the t me, there are other people who need us, l ke fr ends and fam ly. I need you, Clem."

  A lump formed n my throat. "I need you too, Dad." We hugged and I sa d goodn ght. A part of me wanted to s t up and talk some more. I wanted to know how a person l ves w thout the r soulmate. How you're supposed to get up every day and pretend that you aren't rrevocably changed because of someone who can never be part of your l fe. But that conversat on would have to wa t unt l another day. Ton ght, I needed to go to my room and try to lock

  ns de my head all the wonderful th ngs that happened w th Rupert. I couldn't a ord to lose any of the memor es. Not even one. Upsta rs, I put Mum's wedd ng r ng back n the jewellery box where Dad stored t and padded along the hallway to my bedroom. It wasn't unt l I took o my wet th ngs that I real sed the gold necklace Mum had g ven me was m ss ng.

  I tr ed to remember what happened a er I gave Rupert the r ng. I was certa n I hadn't put t on the floor w th the other objects. I grabbed my jacket and checked the pockets. As de from the s lver watch, they were empty. My m nd wandered back to h s words before he le :Wecouldbeonastraghtlnea erall.

  He referred of course, to our d scuss on about a t me lo
op, back when I suggested that the f rst t me he travelled t me would be a stra ght l ne. But why would he br ng that up? I fl pped open the watch, gaz ng down at the hands st ll frozen on the beaut fully pa nted Roman numerals. I'mnotsureanythng saconcdence, I'd sa d to h m when the storm started, and as I ran a f nger over h s

  n t als engraved nto the l d, I wondered f our story m ght not be over yet.

  A er all, ne ther of us had sa d goodbye.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Every summer, I mag ned the loop we created beg nn ng aga n. A young g rl tak ng a walk on a hot summer's day and meet ng a boy from another t me n a crumbl ng old house by the sea.

  Perhaps that's why I've never been able to forget h m. Because I know that somewhere out there n the un verse, I meet and lose h m over and over aga n-a never-end ng cycle of hope and pa n.

  "Port Haven s the next stat on." The t cket nspector's vo ce broke nto my rever e.

  "Thank you."

  "You looked m les away there." I flashed a sm le as I p cked up my bag from the seat bes de me, open ng t to rummage ns de. "I was th nk ng about what to have for lunch," I l ed.

  The t cket nspector moved on to the next carr age and I breathed a s gh of rel ef as my f ngers closed around the smooth metal of the s lver pocket watch.

  I had t valued some years ago and almost had a heart attack when the expert told me how much t was worth. It should really be stored at the bank, but I could never br ng myself to let go. I wanted t w th me always.

  The pocket watch was partly why I was currently on a tra n from London to Port Haven, hurtl ng back towards my past. About f ve months ago, the clock hands, frozen s nce the hour Rupert travelled back to 1926, began to move aga n. Even now I could hear ts loud t ck, reverberat ng l ke a heartbeat through the leather of my bag. I m ght have wr tten t o f t wasn't for the other cur os t es that happened soon a er.