After five minutes, I came across a funny fellow dressed like a sailor. “Hey, yeah you,” shouted the sailor. Taken aback, I uneasily strode over to him. “Can you tell me the time?” he asked.
“ Yes, of course, it’s three thirty,” I replied.
He gave me a smile and said, “Thanks mate, you know you’re alright with me. You should come with me and see Shadow! Oh, he would like you!” Before I could reply he took my arm, and we headed west. The expression on his face was like a child on Christmas Day. We went through bustling village, vendors everywhere, all selling odd delicacies of the unknown. He lead me into an empty shop. “ This is it!” I thought, “I’m going to die. He is going to kill me!” I resisted a little bit.
We were at the end of the corridor when the sailor turned a clock on the door counter clockwise. How strange.Why he would turn it that way? When he opened it, I was greeted with twenty children ready to hug the sailor. I was attacked by the kids at my feet, too. I was almost free when a hefty one took my wrist and looked at my watch. “Why is it going the wrong way?” he questioned me.
“Well, it’s not,” I corrected him. He gave me an odd look, and left me alone.
After the wave of children left me, I was greeted by a figure who was not yet man, nor ghost. He was, in fact...a shadow. He was only a black outline of a man, yet you could almost see what he might look like. He had almost a permanent sad look on his ashen face. The sailor prepped himself and said,” Shadow, this is-”

“John, John Callaway,” I cut the sailor off.
Shadow gave a reassuring nod and said, “Mr. Callaway, do you believe in revolution?”
“If it is for the right cause then, yes,”
“Well then, you will fit right in,” he nodded.
I was ushered into a different room. This one was darker with a single light in the center of the room above a small table. I could barely make out the faces around me, but someone came out of the darkness to greet me. She was petite, brown eyed, with brownish hair. To be honest she was quite plain.
“I’m John,” I said softly.
She smiled and whispered, “Hello, my name is Rosemarie. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but we are planning something very important.” She went back to the table with the others, while I watched. All I heard was a thing about taking down Roxanne, whoever she was.
When the meeting was finally over, I went up to Rosemarie. She was with another girl. Her hair, skin, and eyes a rich dark color, yet she barely looked fifteen. “Oh! um- what is your name again?” asked Rosmarie.
“John, my name is John,” I replied a little hurt that she didn’t remember my name.
“Hi John, I’m Ronnie,” the other girl chimed in.
“Hello,” I replied, “Rosemarie, can I ask you what all of this is?” I asked, waving my hands around representing the building.
She sighed and said, “We are clockworks. We are rebel fighters trying to take down the ruler of this world, Roxanne. She took control after her husband died. Some say she went mad with power. She outlawed all clocks and made the key the new symbol of our land. It is suppose to represent the future of her ruling, and shutting out anything that King Richard did. The king believed in the clockwork code; if the nation does not work together
everything stops, he believed that the future for the greater good of the nation was now. Thats what we are fighting for.”
“ Wow,” were the only words I could get out of my mouth.
“ Can I ask you one thing?” she said to me.
“Will you join us in our fight?,” Ronnie butted in.
I had to think for a while. What if I die? What if I ruin it? What if? What if? What if! But then I realized, it just had to be a risk I take.
“I’ll do it,” I said, my head held high. “So, what do I need to know?”
She gave me a smile and my revolution began.

For five days I had been learning all I could about this world and how to act in it. I even learned combat. The day after I agreed to fight I met Ronnie’s little brother, Michael. He was the spitting image of her. He was only twelve. I felt obligated to take on the role of the big brother. Most kids here were orphans or lost guardians in battles. Their older brother, Mark, vanished in battle. They found out that he was sent to a prison world created by Roxanne. Anyone who goes there does not get out. That’s what happened to Shadow, but some peoples’ strength is so strong, it can fight the vanishing. Mark was not strong enough, neither is Michael. That is why I have to protect him
We had to cross the Field of the Forgotten to get to the Capital. It was a barren desert that had scattered dreams, wants, and desires scattered across it, anything you forget ends up in the Field of the Forgotten. In King Richard’s time, he made it a public concern that we don’t forget our dreams and we keep the field clean of them. Now, that is the thing that Roxanne thrives on, she says that dreams open the realm of thinking, thought leads to uprising, and uprising would destroy her.
I could see the outline of the Capital ahead of me. It looked so peaceful from a distance. Who knew it would become a war zone in a matter of hours. I had not yet learned my role in this battle,so I went up to Sailor to ask. He stopped, gave me a look and said, “We need you to kill Roxanne - you aren't from here so she will never detect you.”
He was completely serious, and I had no idea how to handle her! I’m told that she gets you by playing mind tricks. That no one can tell if you are in the real world or not! I couldn't handle this! I was silent the rest of the walk there.

I began to think, about my parents, my new friends, even my aunt and uncle. Well, I'm finally making something of myself Uncle George! I shouted in my head. In a matter of minutes I was more likely to die. Would anyone remember me, or would I just fade away, never to be remembered?
The palace was made out of stone covered in iron keys. We had at least five hundred rebels with us. Sailor pushed his way to the front, gave a sly grin and screeched, “ATTACK!” We were off, all splitting up into our groups, some even going individually to attack something. The guards came with weapons. Cannons, swords, anything they could get ahold of they used. I couldn't watch people I knew get killed like that, so I ran. I ran into the palace. Again, my body somehow knowing more than I did like when to stop.
On the front of the door it read Reginae salutem, et agrestium cavete. The Queen’s salvation, peasants beware. This had to be where she was. I opened the large door and was engulfed in darkness.

It was dark, I was in a hospital, the same hospital that my parents were sent when they got into the car accident. My aunt was weeping in my Uncle George’s arms while I sat silent.
My mom didn’t make it and they were still trying to save my dad.
“You could have saved him,” a snake- like voiced echoed. “If you weren't a terrible brat, then they wouldn't have thrown themselves off the road,” she continued. “Why do you think they sent you to come and slay me? They all want you dead.”
A beautiful woman with raven hair and red lips appeared in front of me. She threw her hands up, and one hundred vines flew at me taking me in and cocooning me in a thorny engulfment.
“ You actually thought you could kill me,” she laughed. “I am the most powerful person in the world, more so than my late husband. Such a disgrace of a king. Weak, frail, he was putty in my hands. He practically tied a noose around his neck and gave me the crown,” she sneered, showing off her black teeth.
I tried to wiggle out of my confinements, but it was no use. I was stuck. I heard a crashing sound, then felt the vines loosen around me. Falling then crashing, I saw Michael, sword in hand. He gave me a smile.Then, my world came crashing down when a sword went through his stomach.
“No!” I yelled, but it was too late. I ran over to him, holding his head up so I could look at him. He wasn't dead yet, but I knew I couldn't save him.

“John, you're okay,” he smiled blood trickling down the corners of his mouth.
“Yeah buddy don't worry. We are going to get you somewhere safe, and it will all be okay,” I said, biting back tears. He shook his head and smiled.

“This is what I want. I will finally be with my family. It’s okay. Let me go.” He gave me one last look and shut his eyes.
“Oh how sweet,” Roxanne said.” I’m truly moved.”
“How could you!” I yelled, “Why are you so crazy! Does power mean that much to you to stay happy?! This boy, he’s somewhere now, happy as can be because this is all that he wanted! He did what was right and he finally got his reward.” I lost all self-control. “And so will you!” I plunged Michael’s sword into the devil herself. She began to shatter, small pieces of the Queen began to fly about the room, breaking her completely.
The room began to shake. It collapsed in front of me taking me down into a black hole of the unknown.

My eyes slowly opened, I was in a hospital, again. I was hooked into wires and whatnot, my aunt was in the bed right next to me.
“John!” she shrieked, “You’re awake! George, wake up. Come look at our hero!”
My uncle snorted himself awake and smiled. They embraced me in a hug and I quickly shrugged them off.
“What are you doing?” I asked,
“Do you not remember?”
I shook my head.“Well after you came back from your drive, the house caught fire. You and George got out, but I was still stuck in the house. You came in and got me out but passed out before you yourself got out, and then some stranger went in and saved you!” she said excitedly. In the midst of everything, a man stepped into the room and gave me a smile.
“Oh John! This is the man who saved you, K-”
“Kingsley Richardson, glad to properly meet you John,” he cut her off.
He was a tall man, mid- fifties. He wore a bowler hat and an odd frog brooch on his blazer.
“Your brooch, sir, how peculiar it is,” I whispered.
“But is it really? I find it quite coincidental,” he smiled.
He began to walk out of the room, but before he did he said, “ I’m glad to see you haven't given up on your revolution, John. Never ever give up on it. For if you do, what is there to fight for?” He left the room.
“Oh no!” My aunt gasped,” Mr. Richardson left his pocket watch.”
She handed it to me, so smooth. I noticed wording on the back that read, Futura est nunc.
Your future is now.