The Time Travelers' Club: Chapter 31 -- Meetings

Chapter 31 – Meetings

Rose and Sam hurried down the narrow passage between the brick buildings leaving Mitre Square to another part of Whitechapel. They stopped. 

“I think we’re safe,” said Rose.  “I don’t see anyone.”

Sam had no idea where they were going.  Without Mrs. Steers or her map, he was completely lost.

"I know you," Sam huffed.

"Really? Odd, since we have not met."

Oops, Sam gave himself away.   "I mean… Well… I…"

"It is alright," said Rose.  "I know you are a little peeper."

"What?"

"We know about you and your friend at the back-parlor window on Halloween night."   Sam's face turned red with embarrassment.

"By the way, my name is Rose."

"Nice to meet you.  I'm Sam."  They shook hands.

"Yes, I already know.  It is my pleasure to meet you. So, you are the one."  Rose looked him over.  Sam didn't understand what she meant by that last sentence.

"What do you mean I'm the…"

"We have to go!" Rose grabbed his arm and rushed down the nearest alley. "We have to keep moving.  Mrs. Steers asked me to watch you.  I was supposed to be a decoy to make them think that you have the book.  They will be coming after me...  Well now us. Do not worry. You are with the best orb thrower in the world."

Once again, Sam was bewildered by her. Rose kept them going, down more dark streets.

"Where are we going?"  Sam was both confused and a bit scared.  "What do you mean by decoy?  What book?  What's an orb thrower?"

"No time. No time. Time will reveal all answers." Spotting an archway with closed stable doors, Rose pulled Sam into the corner, hiding in the shadows.   She pushed him against a brick and surveyed the street.

There was no one, only the flickering glow from a lamp's light on the other side of the street.

"Where are we going?" repeated Sam.

"Shhh... listen," said Rose, listening for any sounds.

Without warning, the flame in the streetlight across the street flared up. Rose stepped back, guarding Sam.  Xavier emerged from the shadows behind the streetlamp.  He dashed over to them.

"Hurry!  We have to keep moving!  Quince is dead.  Vincent is following me.  And the brute is with him… and he's their worst.   We must get Sam away from here."

A blast of air came from the back of their hiding place.  Sam turned around to see where it came from.  Out its darkness, Ari appeared in the other end of the archway.

"They're coming!" Ari announced hastily.

Rose grumbled.  “What did you do to him?”

“Maybe I taunted a little too much,” said Ari, looking apologetic. Towering above him, Sam felt extremely short next to Ari.

At that moment, Xavier spotted two dark shadows running towards them.

"There they are!"  A booming deep voice echoed.   Before they had the chance to move, a bright cobalt orb, the size of a grapefruit, whistled through the darkness towards them.

Kawhump!   It slammed into a nearby metal lamppost and exploded.   Sparks and flames sprayed the brick wall and the stone street.

Sam's eyes widened and, for the first time during this adventure, he feared for his life.  Ari picked him up and threw him over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes.  Ari ran with Sam bouncing on his shoulder.  Sam looked up and saw two pale blue orbs then another larger cobalt-colored orb flying towards him.

Wham!  Kawhump!  Wham! Two orbs hit a brick wall showering sparks, reminding Sam of Fourth of July fireworks.

Kwack!  The cobalt-colored one exploded when it bounced off the brick wall. 

As orbs exploded, Sam held onto Ari's shirt. "What are those?"  he shouted.  "Who are those guys?"

"Not now!" Ari shouted back.

Glowing lamps through windows provided some light.  Sam caught a glimpse of Rose and Xavier retaliate with their own different-colored orbs.  Astonished by what he saw, Sam attempted to watch, overwhelmed by the whole scene, but kept bouncing as Ari ran.

Kaboom!  Another orb hit another wall. Sam wanted to see what was going on, but Ari jostled Sam through streets, down alleys, and around corners.  Ari spotted a dark doorway and dropped Sam into it.   There were few streetlamps, making it even harder to see.  Sam thought the street looked like the one they had just left.

"Remain here.” Sam gazed up at Ari confused by what he had seen.  Ari took a folded paper out of his shirt pocket, whispered something, and it disappeared.

"What's going on? What..."  Sam wanted to ask questions, but Ari stopped him.

"Trust me."  Patting him on the shoulder, Ari ran back the same direction they had just come from.

Sam heard more explosions and shouting. 

Bam!  Whack!  

"Over here you big lug…"  Someone shouted.

Kaboom!  The sounds and voices began to fade away.

Standing in the doorway, Sam waited for Mrs. Steers.  His heart beat fast. “She must be somewhere,” Sam mumbled.  “She must be somewhere.”

A few streets over, Sam heard a constable whistle trill… then another… then another… The shrill sound echoed off the walls.  Catherine Eddowes had been found and now the hunt was on for her killer.   

Sam heard running footsteps.  Someone was racing down the street, getting closer to him.

Out of the gloom, a figure stumbled, grabbing the streetlamp.  The figure’s clothes were spattered with blood.  For one single moment, the figure's face, illuminated by the glowing gas flame, turned and looked right at him.

Without thinking, Sam stepped out from the doorway.  He recognized the face. 

"Your picture was on a website I looked at.  I can't believe it! You're Jack the Ripper! You must be.  That’s blood, isn’t it?" 

Unaware of Sam, Jack the Ripper pushed away from the lamp pole and disappeared into the night.   The sound of running footsteps faded away into the dark.  

"I've seen Jack the Ripper.  I recognized..." Sam mumbled, working to memorize the face he had just seen. Sam stared blankly.  He had seen the face of one of history's most notorious killers.  He knew the answer to a hundred-year old mystery.

Sam mumbled.  "Must not forget…" Everything that had just happened was catching up with him.  He trembled and started to cry.

Across the street, the gas flame flared up for a split second, shooting out around the lamp's metal frame. Sam felt the air turn damp and a cold breeze sent a chill over him. Sam stopped crying and wrapped his arms around his chest. Goosebumps raised on his arms as the temperature dropped.   He could see his breath.  It was getting thicker with each exhale. The gas flame flared again, startling him this time.  Sam eyes widened.   Someone was nearing, yet he couldn't see anyone, only feel them.

Coming from nowhere, yet everywhere, Sam heard humming. Growing louder, he recognized the tune. It was a song.  "My Guy."  The song his dad used to sing to him.

Across the street, between the streetlamp and the wall, Sam saw a smoky swaying haze forming into the shape of a body.  The shape moved towards him and materialized into a transparent figure.  It studied Sam a moment before speaking in a soft tone.

"Sam?  Is that you?"  The ghostly figure moved closer.  Sam stepped back, frightened by the apparition.

A human face formed.  Two eyes then a nose and finally a mouth. Sam stared, wondering what this spirit might want with him since it knew his name and a song that meant a lot to him.

"Is that my guy?" said the spirit. "Sam. It is you."

Now, Sam recognized the voice.

"Dad?  Dad, is that you?"  Sam burst into tears as he looked at the face of his dad. He wanted to wrap his arms around his dad's waist, but he couldn’t.  George was only a spirit, looking down at Sam.  He wanted to hug Sam but couldn't.

"Hey.  Don't cry.  Aren't you glad to see me?  I was wondering why they told me to come here."

Sam looked up at his dad and dried his tears with his sweater sleeve.  "Here?  Someone told you to come here?  How did they know I was here?  I am dead, aren't I?"

George chuckled.  "No, you aren't dead. It's just someone I know.  A friend. She told me someone needed me here.  So, I came."

"Was it Mom?"  Sam kept edging toward him hoping he might become real.

"No, she's not where I am.   Someday, but not now.  Emily has a far more important job for a long while."  George paused.  "She's got to look after you.  I heard you learned to time travel. 

Mrs. Steers taught you.  I wondered if she would."

"What do you mean? Have you meet her?"

"Nope.  I dropped by one day and checked in on you.  I do that on an occasion."

Tears began to roll down Sam's cheeks again.   Through his sobbing, he managed to talk.

"So, you check in on me?"

"Sure do.  You, your Mom, Grandma and Grandpa Henry, and others.  I've even spied on Mrs. Steers to find out what she's teaching you.  Wow!  You two are going to have some great adventures."

Having no interest in Mrs. Steers now, Sam focused on his dad, wanting to stay with him.  To hug him and not let him go away again.

"Dad, I miss you a lot.  Since you are here, can you come back home?"  Sam sobbed.

George smiled.  "Sorry, Sam, but no."

Sam dropped his face into his sweater sleeve, crying harder.   He stood perfectly still.  His chest heaved up and down. "Then let me come with you..."

George floated down to Sam's height.  They were now face to face.

"Sam, you can't come with me.  It's not your turn.  Besides who'll look after Mom? Someday Sam, we'll be together.  Just not now.  You have a life to live."  George, unable to hug his son, tried to lighten the mood with a bit of jest.

"Hey.  Mrs. Steers has lots of plans for you. I think she wants you to be her traveling buddy.  I'm thinking she likes having a boy around to keep her company since her family is away." George did his best to comfort his son.

Sam wiped his face and runny nose with his sleeve. "Maybe this magic will work and bring you back?" 

George shook his head.  "Sam, you have to let me go. I check in on you every once in a while."   George looked up toward the sky, like he was listening to something or someone Sam couldn't hear.

"Sam. I have to go."  His words didn't help.  Sam stepped back, crying harder, then tried to hug his dad.  Sam went right through him landing face down on the brick street.  Sam got up.

"Be careful. Look at me.” Sam looked his dad in the eyes.  "You must keep going.   Let me go.  I'm fine.  I'll always be there for you. You may not see or hear me, but I'll be there when you need courage, strength, hope, whatever...  You must believe me.  It'll be alright.  We'll meet up again someday.  You'll have lots of stories to tell me.   Sam..."  Sam didn't stop looking into his dad's eyes.  "... I love ya.  You're my guy.  Nothing will ever change that."

With that, George floated up and away from Sam.   He smiled, looking at Sam.  "You're going to be fine.  Enjoy yourself.  Time flies and, believe me, you'll be havin' a great time...  Love ya, Sam."

The ghost of Sam's dad floated up, then faded away.  Sam could hear the familiar tune as he stood there watching.  Through his tears, Sam smiled.

"Bye, Dad..." Sam stepped back over to the doorway and cried.

A bell tolled three.