Nyssia led the group towards the river and told Jane to park. She then wiggled and fumbled out of her seat and started to walk towards the river. Jane and the others soon exited the car and proceeded to follow Nyssia.

“A bit surreal yet I am at ease.” Samantha said as she stared at the river.

“Well yeah. Our shit started here.” Evelyn said as she stood next to Samantha.

“Our shit!?” Samantha said as she turned to Evelyn. Evelyn could only give her a slight smile followed by a small laugh.

“Our journey...started here. Our adventure. Our meeting of the two.” Evelyn said as she put her index fingers next to each other. Samantha returned the comment with a laugh.

“I must say. I still have a lot to learn. And not in the academic sense.” Samantha said with a smile on her face. Evelyn stood in silence for a moment.

“Evelyn…” Samantha started. “Why did you decide to help me?” Evelyn looked back at her and blinked.

“Uh...I don’t know really. I mean it was going to be a typical day for me. I was going to leave work and go home to have a few drinks and fall asleep. I wasn’t planning on getting killed or going on an adventure. But before I left my work a sort of friendly co-worker spoke to me. And he asked me if I actually had any friends.”

“Do you have any?”

“Eh, not really. I looked back and recalled I was alone here. My job was mundane at best and my life outside was dull and sad. I didn’t have anything else. He told me then that I needed to take a chance. That I needed to meet people and make a few friends.” Evelyn said as she let out a scoff. “Guess I filled my quota for the year.”

Samantha let out a small genuine laugh.

“Marvelous then. I would say that I was rather lucky then to come across you at the exact moment in time that I arrived. Otherwise I would be lost.”

“Yeah that sounds about right.” Evelyn said as she placed her hands in her pocket. “You know your machine is gonna have to be destroyed after this; if we live.”

“I know,” Samantha said. “But I have already accomplished what I wanted from it. I wanted to get away from the life I had. I was alone. I lived in a wooden hut here over a hundred years ago. Little food. No family. It was not a life I wanted to live.”

“So instead of catching the next train out of Albany and going west like everyone else; you build a time machine.” Evelyn said with a laugh.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“It was not meant to be a ‘time machine’ It was merely to be a ship that would travel through the air like a bird.”

“Could have saved a lot more time with that train ticket though.” Evelyn said. Samantha turned back to Evelyn with a mischievous look on her face. She stepped near Evelyn and shoved her lightly.

“You would have loved my brother. He always said things like that. He would say, ‘Samclam if you keep having your nose in one of those books you’re going to lose that pretty nose and have to marry a scarecrow.`Always puckish he was. I miss him.”

Evelyn bursted out laughing. Samantha looked at her, worried and embarrassed.

“What did I say? Did I misuse a word or phrase?” Samantha asked.

“Fucking ‘Samclam’. He called you ‘Samclam’?” Evelyn said laughing. Samantha looked at Evelyn for a moment and then started to laugh as well.

“Really the story is nothing but absolute silliness. I was about five years old and went down to the river with Ridley to grab some clams. Father said he wanted sea food or something along those lines so I figured I would help out.” Samantha said. “I remember picking up this ugly looking clam and then this horrendous tongue came out and surprised me so much I dropped the poor thing and ran back home. And thus the name was created. Ridley came back with my bucket calling me ‘Samclam’ the whole way.” Evelyn kept on laughing and Samantha’s face turned red.

But now as she looked down at the river, standing next to Evelyn in the darkness she couldn’t help but laugh as well. It was one of the many fond memories of Ridley that she held onto. In that moment she realized that as long as she held onto those fond memories, Ridley wasn’t truly gone and she couldn’t help but smile as a tear rolled down the side of her cheek. The city was shrouded in darkness. They were about to run into certain danger and possible death. But in that moment, everything seemed like it was going to be alright.

“Hey lovebirds! Over here!” Io shouted from the river’s shoreline.

The entrance to the sewer was wide open with sewage water flowing into the river. There was a concrete path on both sides of the water leading further into the blackness. Dim red emergency lights could be seen barley lighting the way. The foul smell was the first thing everybody noticed. Horrid stench of old food, feces and other decaying matter. The pathway was lightly coated in a greenish brown sludge and a few rats could be heard scuffling about along with the squeaking noises of bats. Jane held up her cell phone and turned on the flashlight feature.

“We really should have brought our own torches for an excavation like this.” Jane said as she examined the entryway of the sewers.

“Yeah and a different outfit, Parker.” Evelyn said as she looked down at Jane’s long skirt and high heel shoes.

“Well I wasn’t expecting to wallow about in the sewers.” Jane said as she folded her arms.

“Alright kiddies,” Io said as she stepped forward. “Maybe we should have Red the wizard of the party in the center and tiny here can lead the way.” Io said as she gestured to Nyssia. Evelyn let out a little snicker. Jane looked at Io with a tired look.

“Wizard?” Nyssia said with excitement. “I wanna be a wizard too”

Io took the phone out of Jane’s hand and took it to Nyssia.

“Here you go, tiny. You cast light.” Io said with a smirk. Nyssia looked at the cell phone and back at Io, sticking her tongue out at her. “I’m a big kid you know. I’m not a little kid.” Nyssia felt a little insulted and upset. She really wanted to be a wizard and go on quests to find gold and defeat dragons. She looked at the cell phone and then back at the water flowing through. She could have thrown the phone in the water and went home. She didn’t understand why these people wanted her to show them her super secret hidey spots. It made her the best hider in the church. Not even the janitor could find her hiding in the walls. But she was promised candy and a deal is a deal.

“Sure, sure. I got ya.” Io said. Nyssia turned and faced the walkway. She had been down here plenty of times. She knew the way. She may have gotten lost down there a few times but she always made it home by sundown, just as Sister Mary requested. Be home by sundown. Nyssia stood up straight. She proclaimed she was a big kid to the adults in the room and now she was going to prove it. But in her own way. By going on a quest and being the wizard she wanted to be.

“Onwards, peasants!” Nyssia shouted as she started to march forward into the darkness of the sewers.