Foston Slacks - Time's Flies

7

The Observation Deck wasn't as windy as she expected, although most of the wind would find itself directed away by the glass (plastic? She couldn't tell) jump barriers. Her hair hadn't moved in the hurricane, so she doubted it would now. People milled around, taking selfies and pointing out landmarks and recreating scenes from improbable romantic movies.

She was finally here, in New York. Something she had dreamed about for years and she hadn't had to suffer undignified explorations by TSA agents to get here. She wandered around, taking a few photographs, herself, while Foston disappeared doing whatever it was that lemurs did while visiting insanely tall buildings. And then she saw it.

She had taken everything, so far, in a strange calm. She'd had a few wobbles. A tiny amount of gibbering confusion, but still, she had remained relatively in control of herself during the strangest hour or so of her life. But, now, she saw something that really shook her.

There, in the distance, poking up above the other skyscrapers trying to wend their way to the heavens, were the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre. The old ones. It had become a memory, that terrible incident. But they were still here in this version of Earth and it made her cry. She hated crying. She never bought the make-up that was waterproof. She didn't trust it. So, she hoped that her eyeliner didn't run and also that no-one saw her crying as they would have no idea why the sight would affect her so much.

It really hit her. She was on a different world. This was not her Earth. It looked very much like it. The people looked like people. The buildings looked the same, but it wasn't. She turned away from the side of the building facing the Twin Towers, it was too much, and found Foston stood behind her with a huge grin on his lemur face.

"I have something for you." He held his hands behind his back and she really hoped that he hadn't got her one of those t-shirts that read 'I heart NY'.

"Is it a way back home? Because that would be the best birthday present." She glanced back the other way, still feeling sad. "The best."

"Better than a keyring!" He drew his hand out from behind his back to reveal an old trainer, or sneaker, as these wacky Americans called them. Like a Chucks, but with low slung ankles. Black and white. At least, mostly white but with dirty, yellowing on the white bits. "I saw you having trouble with your shoes and thought this would help until we get you home."

"That? That is disgusting. I'll just go barefoot, thank you very much." She felt the wobble of her heel and took her shoes off, slipping them into her handbag. "And besides, it's only one. What am I going to do with one shoe?"

"Which is where ..." With a dramatic flourish, he drew out his other hand, holding a single, yellow flip-flop. "... this comes in."

"You're taking the piss." She took the sneaker and the flip-flop, holding them up to Foston's face. "They're for the same foot! And where did you find them, anyway? I've had enough! I'm tired, my make-up is running, I don't think my hair is ever going to move again, ever, and I just want to go home and slip into bed, fully clothed and not move until Easter and ... and ..."

She began crying. Really crying. Not the kind where she would look up in the air and dab the corner of her eye pretending that she felt too emotional to listen to yet another rejection from a man that didn't want to pay for dinner. Real, rivers of tears and snot bubbling from her nose, crying. She ducked her head, once again regretting the hairspray that stopped her hair falling down over her face, her shoulders shaking, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her interview suit.

"Oh. Umm. There, there." Foston patted her head. "Would you like a 'I heart New York' t-shirt? That'll cheer you up."

"I don't want a bloody t-shirt!" She screamed into his stupid lemur face, causing every head on the Observation Deck to turn and stare. She grabbed his soft lapels again, gripping them tight, and shook him. "I just want to go home! Why can't you take me home? Please!"

"I am. That's why we're here." Foston gently pried her fingers from his jacket, one-by-one. "There's a stable Breach up here that leads directly to your Earth, your time. Not quite where I found you, but only a short Tube ride back. We just have a little further to go."

"Well ..." She sniffed loudly and brushed down his lapels. "Why didn't you say so? Let's go then."

She turned and headed towards the elevators, only stopping when Foston grabbed her hand and led her the other way.

"Now, one thing you have to remember is that, while on different Earths, you must not, ever, bring attention to yourself." He leaned in, speaking conspiratorially. "We must be like shadows, passing by, not disrupting the natural environment. No-one must ever know we are here, or that we are from a different Earth. The consequences could be catastrophic."

"Mr Slacks! Long time since you've been on this Earth! How's it going?" A middle-aged gentleman, with greying hair, an 'Empire State' uniform and a huge, unconvincing smile waved at Foston. "And is this lovely lady your current travelling companion?"

"There are, however, some exceptions." Foston scrunched his face up in apology. "Doug! Hi! How are you? You're looking good. Say, we need to reach the Upper Deck. Can you, you know, let us slip by?"

"Sure I can! Anything for you, Mr Slacks." 'Doug' gave a sloppy salute to Foston and winked at Clara. "This guy saved my life, you know. I was on the Upper Deck and the next thing you know I'm in London, UK. This guy, this guy found me and brought me home. After we took in the sights and a show, but straight home after that. I love this guy!"

"I suppose someone has to." Clara still felt miserable, but knowing that Foston had got Doug home in one piece gave her a little hope. Not a lot, but a little. At least.

Doug led them to the side of the central structure, where the gift shop resided, to a nondescript door. He took out a set of keys, looked around to see if anyone was looking, then opened it. He held the door open and Foston entered, patting Doug on the shoulder, and Clara followed.

"Hey, Mr Slacks!" Doug called before he closed the door. "Next time you're in town, the hot dogs are on me!"

"I cannot begin to say how much I will look forward to that, Doug." Foston grinned at Doug as the door closed and then pretended to retch. "As in, I will not be looking forward to that in the slightest."

"These hot dogs on this world?" Clara asked as they set foot on the first step. "Real dogs?"

"Real dogs." The very thought almost made Clara retch in sympathy with the lemur.

"You know when, earlier, I said I'd had enough?" Clara made one step after the other, as if making a meal of walking up stairs made her seem more determined. "Now. Now I've really had enough."

A few short flights of stairs took them up to the Upper Deck. Here the wind howled around them and Clara struggled to hold her skirt down, deciding that the next time she was going to be late for an interview, she'd be late in a nice pair of pants. It didn't matter that her backside didn't suit pants, she'd just get a longer jacket that covered her rapidly expanding bum.

It didn't matter that Bernie growled every time he saw her in anything even remotely bottom hugging, he was a newly inaugurated father. He'd probably lost that much sleep he'd find a traffic cone sexy. Plus, it wasn't that complimentary when his girlfriend would give Clara the evil eye because her boyfriend, and father to their child, didn't have the intelligence of a gnat and not keep his libido to himself.

That, however, was something that Clara would have to deal with when she finally returned home. She could see the shimmering, wobbling Breach before them. This was it. If Foston wasn't lying, this was the one. The Breach that would take her home. To her Earth. To her disaster of a life. To her haranguing mother and her ineffectual, but meaning well, father. To her friends. Her home. All it would take was one, final step.

She stopped before the Breach, remembering Foston's instructions. Then, with a little glance up at the smiling lemur face beside her, she picked up her foot and stepped forward.