Clockwork Forest

Chapter 2 - Escape to Reality

Chapter 2 – Escape to Reality

A few years had passed down the line since she lost her bear Ted to ASI, she couldn’t keep track of her age as she didn’t know how old she was, when she asked ASI about her age with a hiss of steam and creak of its neck followed by a long pause it said “sixteen”

Alinson sighed “do you know when i was born?”

ASI shook its head from left to right “no, i am going based on when you were first brought here Alinson”

Alinson nodded her head, she walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge looking out of the window each time and waiting for her prince to come, or a hero to come and slay the beast, she looked over at ASI with a smile and giggle at the thought that somebody would have to do battle with that machine, but that man comes by now and again, from what she could get out of ASI its called a year, one year has twelve months and each month has 30 days, once she worked this she was able to create her own tally chart, using the very short pencil she was given years ago and a very crumpled bit of paper.

Over the last ten years or so she had running arguments with ASI and battles aswell, each year once a year for the past ten years the stranger would come a give her presents and things she would need but she would sometimes leave certain things lying around, the only thing that saved her was that ASI would sleep of a night time to recharge, during the night time she took out her crumpled bit of paper and just managed to put on the last mark that would fit, tomorrow night is the night he would come, she had left a note in the basket from the night before say what she would like, more paper, another pencil and another book.

During the day Alinson had to sit down and eat her breakfast and dinner, the day seem to take longer for the sun to set and ASI kept an eye on her more so then before, it learned a bit about her and so was waiting for to make a wrong move or do something suspicious, instead she waited often staring up at the ceiling or looking out of the window watching the clouds float by in the distance, she waited and waited until the sun was down and looked over at ASI as she said “i feel tired ASI i’m going to sleep”

There was another long pause followed by another hiss of steam “ok, i need to move around so i don’t rust”

The metal clasp opend up and ASI took a few bounding steps forward, it stretched its arms and its bellow joints hissing as it went on its spring like feet, Alinson watched and waited, she knew if it carried on like this it would wear itself out and have to charge itself eventually, she could hear each step it made make a scrape, eventually ASI stopped and seemed to drop to its knee, Alinson had never seen this before, it was like it was getting old like a human.

As a human gets older some parts of its body tend to give way for no reason, this was the case, nobody was around to maintain it and so like most things in life it began to dwindle slowly, she got up and walked over to ASI “do you need help?”

ASI turned its head looking up allowing another puff of steam come from its neck, it took a long look at Alinson as it said “no, i don’t need help”

ASI stood up again and wobbled slighty, it stood on the spot and bent down forwards and twisted a few nuts and tightened a few bolts on it knee and leg, Alinson watched as it stood up and looked at her with cold dead eyes “i need to researched that fall took a lot of power from me”

Alinson nodded as she walked over to her bed and tucked herself in and waited, she watched ASI bounced off to its hobble hole, it faced ALinson and waited as the pips and other links connected up and the gate closed, she waited till the last possible moment until its eyes green glow flickered off and went dim, this was her chance, her night dress was a one piece item made of silk that stopped below her knees and cover her shoulders to her elbows.