The In-between – Part 7 of 31

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Popsicle Periscopes.’

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.

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Popsicle periscopes

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6

I as scrambled to make sense of Plumdiff’s words, she was already back on her feet and beckoning me to follow her.  Her shoes clicked and clacked on the polished parquet flooring as she lead the way and we headed back out through the door of her office and into the in-between.

“Now Armitage, be a good chap and close the door and do keep up there is lots to do today.” She said.

I stuffed the watch and ring into my pocket, pulled the door closed and hurried after her.  She moved deceptively quickly for a woman of her advancing years.

“Where are we going” I asked still holding the wallet.

“There’s someone we need to go see” She replied.

“There is?”

“Yes, we need to go find Periscope.  He should be somewhere over down that way” she said pointing to precisely nowhere at all.

“I don’t see anything?” I said confused.

“The ring” she replied, not stopping.  “Put on the ring.”

I fumbled in my pocket and pulled out the ring.  I rolled it between my fingers and noticed a fine inscription ran around the outside carved deep into the silver in an unknown language and the inside showed faded traces of an inscription long worn away.

“Put it on Boy” Plumduff insisted.  “And do keep up.”

Still walking I slipped it slowly onto my finger and promptly tripped over the kerb falling face first onto the floor.

“Oh and watch the kerb” She said wryly, a note of laughter in her voice.

Looking up from where I lay everything before me was suddenly changed.  Judging by the tan tights and black shoes Plumduff had now stopped and was waiting but where previously there had been only the fog of the In-Between there a bustling city now lay before me.

I slowly got to my feet taking in the sights and sounds before me.   A long street stretched into the distance and high on either side there towered a mish mash of different buildings.  There was an explosion of colour and neon flashed and blinked wherever I looked.   High above clouds drifted in a blue sky and there was movement and noise everywhere.

“It only works wherever you look” Plumduff said quite matter of fact and I quite quickly realised what she meant.

To the edges of what I could see the grey nothingness of the In-between returned and the city blended away into nothing. Wherever I looked the city appeared and as I turned to looked elsewhere it was gone from sight.

“You only see what you’re looking for and if you’re not looking for it you don’t need to see it“ Plumduff continued, her face a broad smile.  “You’ll get used to it Armitage.”

“I see” I said.

Plumduff chuckled.

“Now let’s head over to Century Plaza” she said heading off purposefully once more.  “That’s where we’ll find him.”

 

Part 8 can be found here