Her curiosity could not bear it much longer and she started to tremble...

               "Don't be afraid" he said finally.  So Clarity turned to face the man timidly.

              He was a rather tall, young man with short black hair which reflected the electric blue light of the moon.  His eyes were large and dark brown.  What was more peculiar was his sense of dressing.  He wore a jacket with a tail and a top hat made if silky black.  Contradictingly, he wore black worn jeans (which looked as if it were about  to turn grey) and instead of woolly gloves, he wore fishnet finger gloves.  A cigar poked out of his breast pocket which added to this awkward appearance.

             "You appear to be lost, little girl" he said.  He spoke in the most proper English manner you'd think he was a gentleman.  His voice was unusually gruffy and alluring.

               "Yes, I do appear." replied Clarity, thinking precisely about her choice of diction, accent and timing all at the same time.  Her heart was beating so hard against her ribs, she was was surprised he couldn't see it.

                "what are you doing in the forbidden land, at this forbidden time?" enquired the man abruptly.

               "This is my garden....Sir" replied Clarity feeling uneasy.

                "Yes, you're quite right, well done!"  barked the man sarcastically "I just thought you wanted to play a little game..."

                 "Oh." Clarity was not quite sure about this request but understood that if she refused she would face terrible consequences, "Yes, of couse i will."

                 "Ok then, follow me" ordered the man with a smile,"I'll have to go and fetch something in my house first and you must come."

                 Clarity said nothing and followed the man.  They ambled towards the back of the garden where stood a wooden fence.  The gentleman fiddled in his jacket pocket for a moment.  Then he removed what appeared to be a doorknob out of his pocket.  At the end of the doorknob stuck out a small sharp knife.  Its blade reflected the sapphire light of the night sky.

                "This is a Doorknife," he said "not to be used by children", he used the Doorknife to stab the wooden pole of the fence. 

                  "My name is Mr. Time Turner by the way and what's your name?"

                  "Clarity-"

                 "Come Charity!" he shouted as he pushed the door open that used to be a fence.  He walked through jesturing her to follow.  Charity has expected to see the back of another garden but in fact she had stepped into a vast forest.               

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i got the title from 'heart in a cage' by the strokes.

updated Aug 22 by incesticide