Slowly and surely, Alice entered the base of the clock tower. She can feel her heart racing with each and every step due to the risky feat she's about to execute. She peered out the double oak wooden doors checking if she's in the clear, safe from the possibility of Nick's sudden detour.
"So far so good—", she sighed, her hand to her chest while shutting the door.
Without further delay, she began ascending the spiral staircase. Her heart began to beat harder than before as every footstep sounds the whole tower with echoes as if a blacksmith was hammering a sword, it was obnoxious, but still, she continued. It was her first-time setting foot at the top of the tower ever since she can remember. By the time she reached the top, her sweat finally dripped down her face, relieved.
"Just as you'd expect from the inside of a clock", she examined the gears and all there is to see. Nothing was out of the ordinary except for the wooden hanging rack at the side of the staircase. "Hmmm—", she groaned as she took a closer look.
It was poorly made from a crooked branch of a tree, strips of cloth served as its rope, binding the branches together. Although it was normally a normal item, she questioned the fact that it's there. In a secluded place that probably no one ever goes to, thus, it raised her suspicion.
"Not quite the evidence that someone's living here though"
She spent the whole afternoon searching for a piece of evidence, up and down the stairs she did, until she felt tired. Her knees were already weak from the task and she's reaching the end of her patience and mental fortitude.
"Seriously, what am I doing?", she questioned herself as she caught her breath, standing beside a window while looking down at the busy streets below.
Having no leads and progress, the thought of going home grew stronger every minute as she stared at the people below. The sun is already turning orange as it prepared to dive into the sea, so she decided to head back.
Defeated as she tiredly scanned the place once again, she finally found something peculiar, "Are you kidding me?", her eyes focused on the wall.
Patched to the wall were two wooden boxes stacked above each other with a dark cloth covering them. "Who in the world hides something like this—", she smiled. "Never bothering to actually hide it, somehow it works, especially for an over thinker. Cheeky bastard."
She nudged the boxes out of the way and it revealed a crack in the wall. The wall conceals a room, not that spacious but big enough for a single person. On the far corner, a cloth topped with a single bag, open with no other protection. Remarkably, it was clean and not even a speck of dust or a cobweb could be found, but her attention was taken by what's inside the bag.
Debating whether she should step inside, Alice once again peered at the window, this time, towards the forest. "If he comes back now, I'm toast", she took a deep breath before finally examining the contents of the bag. Without giving it much of a thought, she grabbed the first item that she saw. A small wooden box decorated with an intricate design of flower etchings, expensive looking and authentic.
"A hair clip?", she wondered upon opening the box.
Like the box, the hair clip was beautiful, intricate, and well made. Something only nobles and royalties could possess. She did not know why but she felt as if she had already seen it before, or at least took a glance of something familiar from somewhere.
"Strange, I'm really getting a feeling that I have seen this before… mother", as she was about to stand up, a figure prevented the light from entering the hole.
"PUT THAT BACK", a voice thundered from behind her. There was no need for her to turn, for she was certain who it was. Startled, sweaty, and worried, she froze on the spot with nothing for an excuse to try and dismiss her crime.
"Put it back or I'll chop your arm together with it"
Terror climbed Alice's body as if feeling a sudden cold breeze on her nape. She just sat there as tears slowly built up at the side of her eyes.
"Chop my arm or do you mean kill me, just like those two poor innocent people"
Wha— what?"
"I know— I saw what you did there. With my own two eyes. The way you slaughtered that man while that lady dead and lifeless. Why did you do it, Nick"
She finally gained the courage to turn around only to come face to face with the knife Nicolas was pointing at her. With its sharp tip once again inches away from her face. The knife reflecting the light towards her sorry expression as her tears finally poured knowing that this time, it might really plunge her neck.
"Alice", he uttered in surprise. "S— sorry—", he lowered the knife as he got back to his senses. Stepping away from the crack to let the girl out, "You should not be accusing anyone with such heavy allegations."
"Accuse? I SAW YOU", Alice roared. "I thought you were a good person"
"No one told you to think like that", Nicolas shifted to a serious tone.
"You're a murderer"
"Yes I am", he projected a devilish smile. "But seriously, you should not be accusing—"
"It's not an accusation if it's true."
"Can't you shut your mouth until I'm done talking", Nicolas in irritation, kicked one of the boxes, shattering it to bits. Alice could only submit to the corner in terror as the boy started his advance. Her hands to her ears, trembling. "You should NOT go around town, accusing someone, with such heavy, allegations. ESPECIALLY, when you don't know the whole story."
"I saw it— I—", Alice whispered softly while slowly scouring for an escape, she knows that if she remained there, it might become her grave, among the cold cogs and cranking metals.