The Clock Tower

By Sharon K Hajj and Kristyn Stickley

THE CLOCK TOWER is a whimsical middle-grade fantasy. It appeals to children who like FAERIES, UNICORNS, and MAGICAL ADVENTURES.

 

 Zula Blackburn never could decide what he wanted to do. His twin sister, Mala, on the other hand, always seemed to know what she wanted in life

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sharon K Hajj
• Release date: May 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781638775034

Sharon K Hajj

Sharon Hajj lives and writes in Douglassville, PA. Her work has been published in two anthologies as well as online at Literally Stories, Literary Heist, and other online magazines. She is a member of the Women's National Book Association - Greater Philadelphia Chapter. You can follow her on Twitter @sharonhajj. For links to her other work go to sharonhajj.com.

Book preview

The Clock Tower

By Sharon Hajj

Illustrated by Kristyn Stickley

Copyright © 2021 by Sharon Hajj

Cover design and illustrations by Kristyn Stickley

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-63877-502-7

eBook ISBN: 978-1-63877-503-4

First Copyright 2015

Contents

Prologue: Time of Awakening

Chapter 1: The Tickle

Chapter 2: Proska

Chapter 3: Planning for the Future

Chapter 4: Looking for Diamonds

Chapter 5: The Theft

Chapter 6: Chancellor Warsa

Chapter 7: Humphrey’s Loyalty

Chapter 8: The Disappearance

Chapter 9: Unexpected Help

Chapter 10: General Wicksey’s Army

Chapter 11: Timing Is Everything

Chapter 12: The Key to Freedom

Chapter 13: Home Sweet Home

Chapter 14: The Discovery

Chapter 15: The Special Visitor

Chapter 16: The Battle

Chapter 17: The Strong Bond

Chapter 18: Rising Sun Festival

Epilogue: The Plot

Prologue: Time of Awakening

Stars twinkled through dancing treetops as Sky and Earth celebrated a new beginning. Footsteps stirred the ground covering and filled the crisp clear night with the scent of pine needles. Bouquets of lavender hung from the branches within reach of the rock formations, marking the presence of the faeries.

Good evening, General Wicksey said, as he greeted the arrivals. Nice to see you.

General Wicksey stood tall to emphasize his powerful frog legs. He wore a sling, which carried his weapons, and a wide hat marked with badges for his rank. He saluted all the frogs and toads from his army as they passed through the entrance to the meeting.

The natural amphitheater was nestled among the rocks, outside the den where the faeries lived, with seats formed from water erosion. Mice scurried in front of the stage to find a good viewing spot. Tiny faeries filled the first row. They gathered together and allowed their wings to flutter at a rapid pace due to their anticipation of the meeting. Behind them, the frogs and toads entered in a systematic manner, walking in unison. They marched their way along the seats. Their height was not much bigger than the faeries, but their posture was firm and upright. Behind the row of frogs was a cluster of white cats known for their regal stance and lack of verbosity.

The faeries not only filled the first row, but they also floated among the rocks spread out to the edge of a large, flat rock in the center, which became the stage for concerts as well as meetings. On this special night, the Leadership Council stood facing the crowd. Their leader, the largest and most majestic of the unicorns, Uanna, waited as everyone calmed their restlessness.

Simpa, a dainty faerie with a pin button nose, thick eyelashes and wings tinted with gold, puzzled over why the meeting had been called. Next to her, her friend Poncie twisted her long hair with her fingers and scanned the area, looking for a hint of what was to come. Her pink sparkled wings glimmered. She wiggled in her seat.

I just gathered honeycomb and started making a healing salve. I don’t want to be bothered with a meeting, Poncie said. Her rosy cheeks became even more flushed from the agitation.

Be quiet, Poncie. We might miss something, Simpa said.

General Wicksey looked out from his post to scan the audience. Satisfied, he walked to the front of the stage, saluted Uanna, and spoke, Everyone has arrived. We may begin. He then turned and waved at the crowd to hush.

The noise level dropped and they turned their attention to the stage.

Good evening, Uanna said. Thank you for coming. I will not waste any time getting to the point. A very important situation has arisen that we must address in haste. Although we have lived in peace, minding our own affairs, the actions of the humans are debilitating our environment. This has reached a crescendo as pollution levels are rising and the water from the Serpent’s Stream is threatened. Some of you may not be aware that before the Time of Demise, the humans could see and talk to us. The division that came from that dark time must come to an end. In order to save us all, we must reconnect with the humans. It will be a slow and arduous process, so we must take it one step at a time. In the end, we will live in unison once again.

The faeries looked at each other with wide-eyed expressions. Simpa raised her hand to her mouth and tapped her index finger on her lips, while Poncie grabbed Simpa’s arm to steady herself.

As you know, this den is separated from the village of Proska by the Serpent’s Stream, but this is the village you have been assigned to for the purpose of reconnecting. The first step in this process is to assign faeries to the inhabitants. Other dens will have the same requirement for their faeries and neighboring villages. The second step is to get your wards to notice signs you give them. It will be difficult, so you will be assigned in teams. Of course, General Wicksey and his army will always be here to help you, in addition to preventing any major calamity from befalling your community.

Excited whispers grew in the audience.

We on the Leadership Council are visiting each den to make the assignments. Please come forward to receive the name of your ward from General Wicksey.

Poncie looked excited as she spoke, I’m going to be good at this. I know already.

Simpa watched as the faeries moved forward. Some appeared to share Poncie’s enthusiasm while others looked hesitant.

Come on, Simpa, let’s find out who we’re getting, Poncie said with a big smile on her face.

They moved forward and saw Simpa’s longtime friend, Gorga. He had blonde wispy hair and deep dimples on his cheeks. He looked young, but his wings were dull and fragile, which revealed his age.

This is an interesting turn of events, isn’t it, Simpa? Gorga asked.

Yes, I’ve heard stories about how the faeries used to live in harmony with the humans, but I didn’t expect it to happen again.

Poncie reached General Wicksey, who held the scroll of names. He looked up at her and saw Simpa behind her, then said, Simpa, come up here with Poncie. You are both assigned to the same family. Poncie, you will be helping Mala Blackburn along with Brune and Lammett. The two of them have already been told. Simpa, you will be with Mala’s brother, Zula Blackburn. You will receive help from Gorga and Boola.

Gorga moved beside Simpa when he heard his name.

Gorga, you heard, I take it?

Yes, General Wicksey, thank you.

They flew to the side to let the others hear their matches.

Oh, this is wonderful! We get to see each other all the time! Poncie said.

I’m sure it will be fine, Poncie. Simpa turned to Gorga. Are you friendly with Boola? I don’t know him that well.

Are you talking about me? A deep voice came out of nowhere.

You must be Boola, Gorga said, You don’t seem familiar to me.

Yes, I am Boola. I’ve seen you before, Gorga, but you always seem to have your head in a book, so I’m not surprised you haven’t seen me.

Gorga reached to shake hands with Boola and he scrunched his eyes shut when he felt the squeeze Boola gave him. His muscular arm had to be at least twice the size of Gorga’s.

I’m Simpa. I know who you are. I’ve seen you in competitions with some of the other faeries.

Boola gave a small bow to her. I look forward to working with you, Boola said. He swept his silver hair away from his face. His strong jawline and fit body made his deep blue wings appear too small for him.

Poncie reappeared with two faeries that looked like twins. Brune and Lammett introduced themselves and they all exchanged pleasantries.

We look alike, but we're really just good friends, Brune said. He reached to Lammett and rubbed his head. He tries to be as good-looking as me, but I still beat him.

You wish, Lammett said. If you’d stop copying me, we wouldn’t look the same.

Their wide-set eyes and large grins added to their playfulness. They began wrestling in the air, and since both wore forest green, they were only distinguishable by their wings. Brune had green wings with a navy border and Lammett had deep red wings that turned to violet on the edges.

Uanna spoke from the stage, It is time for us to go. I trust that you are capable and will prove that we can be reunited with the humans. Thank you for your commitment. I bid you farewell.

Applause came from the crowd. Simpa spoke, Let’s get to work!

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Chapter 1: The Tickle

Zula Blackburn pedaled down the bike path as fast as his legs could turn. The exhilaration brought a smile to his face. His tires bounced and spun dirt out behind him. He veered to the edges to jump over small bumps and twisted his handlebars to avoid rocks in his way. Zula aimed for a puddle and splashed into the water, leaving mud sprinkled up his back. His long legs strained as he tried to jump higher and higher each time he went over a bump.

His newly assigned faeries, Simpa, Gorga, and Boola, fluttered around his head and attempted to get him to slow down. Simpa sent a squirrel scurrying across the path so Zula would put on the brakes, but he didn’t even notice. Boola grabbed the handlebars and pulled with all his might to make it too hard for Zula to pedal, but Zula's adrenaline gave him extra strength.

Gorga yelled, Zula, watch out!

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Zula went around a curve and hit a tree root that crossed over the path, and he and the bike went flying into the bushes. Zula sat up after he landed and took off his helmet. He laughed and wished someone had seen him. His bike’s chain had come off and the handlebars were bent.

Oh man, I guess I get to walk back, Zula said.

He stood and wiped off some of the dirt from his pants and fluffed up his curly hair, which had become matted under his helmet. He lifted the bike and started pushing it down the path.

Simpa’s hair was windblown and small pieces were sticking up in all directions. She looked disheveled, which matched her temperament at the moment. She just didn’t seem to be able to get Zula to pay attention.

Why do I have to be assigned to someone that’s so frustrating? Zula is a real challenge, Gorga said.

Boola pushed the bike with