Jeff wasn't sure how her mother intended to take her all the way from America, to a holiday in Europe. As a giant clockwork girl, ageless, timeless... and likely so very heavy, she couldn't possibly get onto any plane. (though her weight didn't trouble her walking even though scientifically, it probably should... but that was hardly the strangest thing about being a clockwork girl) She half imagined they would take her like her father did all those years ago... in a truck, lying flat.. unable to move... in the dark... maybe in an unwound state so she didn't have to think much.
just thinking about it made her main spring tighten with unease.
Her father, Geoffrey Aurelius Senior, was a rich and wealthy man. Though amongst those who disappeared in the flight, Jeff was slow to forgive him even if he might be dead or God knows what. Being a child again just gave another excuse to hold a grudge for that much longer. She didn't see why she had to forgive him, for all the things he had done, even if he was sorry. Now that time has past and she could see how he just... moulded him- her- into... into a reflection of himself.
He had changed though...
The experience of the sunlight had changed her father in ways Jeff couldn't imagine. From what little she knew, he experienced a life time over and over, as a young dragon-fairy starting in the 19th century and beyond... taking the 'long way' back to their current time. Time was a weird thing to the Aurelius family... a lot of weird coincidences, and pre-destinations, and who knew what else. Not much was said of those experiences by her father, and in a way Jeff felt a little sad that he actually turned back to normal. Maybe turning into a dragon-fairy was a 'good' thing for her...
... but at the same time she had to wonder, did someone so evil deserve to be turned into something so wonderful? Turning into a fairy was a reward... a nice thing. To be so free, relaxed, and carefree...
Jeff however, felt she herself was undeniably being punished, and her sentence was for a life-time. Her crime's included how she treated Ricky, Belle... her teachers... she wasn't like that any more and they had forgiven her... but Jeff could never forgive herself. How many good deeds could she do to take away all the bad things? The only good thing about her transformation was that she was no longer that person, and now that she wasn't... there was no reason to be that person. But... was she just 'hiding' behind this? At her core... was 'he' still there? Even years later, Jeff was stuck mentally in the same place since those events passed.
Her mother insisted though, that she needed a break and be somewhere to 'unwind' (Jeff wasn't quite sure if that was a joke or not...)
Her mother was quite secretive and lead her down the country lanes. Jeff liked walking. Her waterfall blue hair, brushed the ground with every step, with such a curious sheen to it. It almost looked as a real waterfall, the way the light reflected off it. Jeff wasn't sure quite how she did it, but the clockwork-girl had some kind of strange 'awareness' of those around her too. It meant that she was unable to step on people. When she 'almost' did, her winding mechanisms took over on reflex, and her motions simply stopped half way correcting her balance. Jeff somehow knew that in order to really hurt someone, she would have to... really...absolutely, without hesitation want to.
... and she also knew, she would never want to. The very idea of it was not just beyond imagination, it didn't exist as a concept for her. Maybe it was being in the body of this 'little girl'... even as a giant one.. or maybe it was simply that she was now 'mechanical' and certain aspects of her emotions didn't work the same way as a normal human would. Humans always hurt each other, didn't they? If she wasn't human... she didn't have to hurt anyone. It made perfect sense to her child mind.
"Where are we going?" Asked Jeff in the end, after a long silence.
"To a friend I made," she smiled. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Just through these trees..."
Jeff had not realised they strayed from the path, and into the deep forest. Even as a giant, tree's were still so big. If she ignored the presence of her mother, she could almost imagine being regular size again.
She recalled that her father spent a long time here... The family fortune started here. In these woods, a long time ago...
Finally, they approached their destination. It looked to be a lake of water. It was so pristine, and beautiful, with a small waterfall overlooking a cliff. Standing 'on' the water, was a strange woman that seemed to be made of water herself. Not unlike the 'slime' girls she had seen a few times... but this one was blue.
The creature greeted them, and drifted onto land, with a strange single thread of water connecting her to the lake.
"Hello," smiled Jeff's mother. "I brought my daughter with me."
The elemental woman looked up to the giant clockwork girl and smiled. "You carry so much sadness little one," she said softly. "Why do you carry all these burdens?"
Jeff frowned a bit, her mainspring tightening. "I'm not little," she said, straining her voice. It was so obvious she wasn't...
The Elemental shook her head. "But you are... and so alone, despite the friends around you. Your mother... your friends Ricky, Belle... angels look out for you, and the magic girls..."
Jeff sighed. Yeah... everyone had to look out for her. "People have to do things for me," said Jeff getting annoyed. "I can't even go to Europe or anywhere any more." She said it as fact.. trying not to sound pitiable. She hated that feeling.
The elemental looked with no judgement. "I will help you in that," she said warmly. "My name is... Undine. I guard the passages of water..."
Jeff glanced strangely as the name was processed in her mind with an audible click of a cog. "D-Did... you say Undine?" her voice was almost vibrating with the shock of it.
"Yes... you know me?" asked the elemental innocently. "I admit, I am surprised so many do..."
Jeff looked to her mother with a look of almost sheer horror. Of course she knew who Undine was! But... she wasn't real! she was just someone made up... wasn't she?
The elemental almost grinned. "Now then... you wish to go to 'London', if I am correct? I do hope Roman rule didn't spoil it..."
"Yes," said both Jeff and her mother.
Undine regarded the giant clockwork girl with an air of curiosity. "I need payment... a lock of your lovely hair will do. Simply place it in my waters," explained Undine. "I will take you to any place near a body of water."
"H-How does this work?" Asked Jeff, the vibrations of her voice stammering.
"Simply step into my waters, and dive... go as deep as you can, and keep going. you will emerge upon the rivers of London after a few feet. Your mother might want to hold her breath..."
Her mother held out some scissors to cut a little of Jeff's blue hair. They gave it to Undine, who smiled once more in acceptance of the payment.
Jeff quietly stepped into the lake, not quite sure what will happen next. She was surprised to find herself 'wading' as there was no ground to support her. There was a momentary panic as she realised that she had never even found out if her body was capable of swimming! But before she could say anything, she was submerged in water, and she felt herself turn upside down. She saw her mother swimming 'upwards' (or downwards?) and gestured her to do the same. The giant clockwork girl pushed following with all her might, and was surprised to find that she could indeed swim... but her body lacked the natural buoyancy that came with a normal flesh and blood body. She had to keep pushing to prevent herself from sinking like a stone.
Eventually she emerged on the surface... Her giant head emerging out of the river, overlooking London Bridge. She carefully walked to the surface, carrying her mother. Their clothes and hair were instantly dried as soon as they touched land. A few onlookers gasped and cars stopped to stare at the emerging giant clockwork doll.
"Welcome to London," said Jeff's mother. "Time to go shopping!"
Looking around the new city, The giant clockwork girl did feel a little giddy. Maybe... her mother was right. She did just need to unwind. If Undine could let her see other cities maybe? New York.. Brazil... Japan.... it was all possible! Even if she couldn't get on a plane any more... there were now other means to travel! It actually excited her some. She could bring her friends-
... her friends...
Jeff never had friends before. People that liked her for who she was.
They did like her... now. Ricky visited her, was always concerned about her... even if she was always young and never grew up... Her teachers did like her too... even if she always felt like she was 'disappointing' them. She didn't know why she felt that way... it was a lingering thing in her mind. She was supposed to take what they learned and move on... but she couldn't. She never moved on.
Her mother had taken her to see the chimes of Big Ben. Walking around as a giant was not quite as out of place as she had imagined. The people in this city seemed more curious then anything else. Some asked to take pictures of her. Like most major cities, there had been a major population exodus into the countryside, but those in the city seemed generally happy. If Jeff were to guess, it looked like a fifty fifty split of changed and unchanged (or once changed.)
It looked to be almost mid-day. Of course! They had travelled across timezones. Jeff didn't realise it was so early here. They listened to the chimes of Big Ben... Nine... Ten... Elven... and...
...nothing.
Jeff felt something, a strange sickness... Something about the vibrations of the bell... of time itself... she wasn't quite sure how... or why... it affected her clockwork form in a weird way.
Time... had stopped.
"M-Mom?! Jeff screamed. Her mother was frozen in time too. She tried to touch her, but some kind of strange 'spark' reacted out of her. The giant clockwork girl looked around. She recalled this... she had felt this before. When she was a human boy, and somehow ended up at the end of reality... where nothing existed because nothing ever existed... except for her. This was a very familiar feeling, but with no shadows. It was just the Earth... frozen in time. Now, tomorrow didn't exist... but Jeff, the Clockwork girl... always existed. In some way or form...
... Jeff was not affected by time... she never grew up.
There was a rising panic even as that voice inside her chided her for being such a scared girl. It slowly dawned on her just how far apart she felt from everyone else and their lives. She felt tears well in her eyes... this was her nightmare... this was her Hell... to see everyone in a state of living their lives, yet she never could... she could never feel part of it. This is what it looked like to her, even when things were moving... and she was the one standing still, needing to be pushed by others.
Jeff looked at the clock of Big Ben... she wanted to be part of people's lives again! The clock had to start again. "... chime!" She stepped over the railings and climbed the tower getting a foothold at the windows, to touch the clockface. She had to reach up to do so... and was surprised to see a curious window open like a ripple in reality.
...a portal... with the sound of a tick, emanating from it. Time had gone there... and she had to get it back.
Given her options, Jeff knew she had to try and see what was there. Maybe she could help start time again...
