Timepiece

Chapter 47

The town stood unscathed.

The air smelled like rain, spicy mums, and the decomposing jack-o’-lanterns that lined the street, their decaying faces sinister and secretive.

“Where are they?” Lily’s voice shook as she scanned the sidewalk. “I don’t see them.”

I got to my feet, dusting off, and pulled her up with me. “Are you okay?”

Her jeans had ripped, and the open flap of denim exposed a bloody knee. She didn’t seem to notice. “Did they make it out? Or are they still in the rip?”

“Lily? Are you okay?” I repeated, taking her shoulders and looking into her eyes.

“We have to check the Phone Company. That’s where they were, maybe that’s where they landed.”

We ran down the street to the restaurant, reaching it just as Thomas stepped outside the door and began counting the number of people waiting in line to get in. “Hey, you two,” he said when he saw us. “Why are you covered in ashes?”

“Long story,” I said, trying to catch my breath. “Can you get Em and Michael for us?”

He looked at me strangely. “They’re at your house. I’d asked Em to fill in as hostess tonight because Dru is having a hard time with morning sickness. Em said she couldn’t because something was up with your dad.”

“Are you sure you haven’t seen them?” Lily asked. “Could you just stick your head inside and check again?”

“Okay.” Thomas pulled open the door and leaned back, calling to someone inside. “Clint? Have you seen my sister anywhere?”

Lily took my hand. I felt her hope while we waited, and her desolation when Thomas turned back to us. “No, they aren’t here. Is everything okay?”

“It’s fine. Must be a misunderstanding. Looks busy,” I said, gesturing to the crowd. “We’ll catch you later.”

Lily’s tears started to fall the second we turned away.

“Hold on. Let’s just get out of here and get back to your apartment.” I squeezed her hand. “We’ll come up with a plan.”

“We have to get back inside the rip. How do we do it?” She bit her bottom lip, staring at me and waiting for an answer. “Kaleb?”

“I don’t know.” I looked at the ground, avoiding her eyes. “I’ve never seen the same rip twice. The Jack that I grabbed was a rip. I… wasn’t thinking. Thank God you were holding on to my arm, or I would have left you behind, too.”

“Don’t tell me we can’t save them. We have to. We can’t just… we have to.” Her voice shook. “There has to be a way.”

“I can think of one.” I didn’t want to say it, but it was our only alternative. “There’s one thing that can repair the continuum without personal consequence.”

“The Infinityglass.”

I nodded. “We don’t have a choice, Lily. We have to find it. You have to find it.”