Prologue 

Leo stared out of the Firefly window as the northern lights spread across the sky. He watched as they grew closer to the window.  He saw all the glowing colours of emerald  green and azure blue. He heard his heartbeat thump in his chest . It was as loud as a bass drum. He smelled the toasting marshmallows from the deck below, it made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. Turning to his master, Leo purred “By all that ticks David, it is time for you to jump! Humans before mechanicals!”

Chapter One

Nudging the back door of Grand Prix Academy For Young Girls , Florence Williams glanced at the playground, no one was there so before anyone could say anything she sprinted. She wouldn’t stop, she couldn’t stop. All of a sudden she had made it to Crimson Lane. She stopped and leaned over a tree to try and catch her breath. Once again she opened the letter she had received and read through the terrible news that lay on the single piece of tattered paper. Her father, David Williams had disappeared while on his last ship to Britain. His last words were ‘Make sure you save time’. Many nights she lay awake in her bed thinking about what her father had said and didn’t quite understand what it meant, not quite.

At that moment she heard a very familiar voice from behind her “ Oh my chickens, you’ve taken a blimin long time to get out of that awful place ‘avnt you!” said Leo “Gimme a wind will ya! I’ve used all of my power to escape those scallywags” Florence grinned as she wound the key in his back. Leo gave a long purr satisfaction. His sunset orange fur somewhat got ruined from the boat’s shipwreck but otherwise he was in tip top shape.

That afternoon Freddie was surprised to see Florence and Leo Standing at Romerstoold Alley at the back of Steffys Horologists. “What’s that Flo?” asked Freddie “Of course, it’s your mothers decorated clock”  Florence bitterly nodded her head. She knew exactly what it was. The clock was one of her mothers prized possessions. She had put it next to Florances table. Many nights Florence lay awake watching the second hand steady as a heartbeat. On the clocks face her mother had painted a fox. It was bright orange and it reminded Florence of her mothers ginger locks. “I wonder where it is maybe we could go find it if you love it so much” “Sorry” muttered Freddie “I shouldn’t have said anything” “He’s right”

yapped Leo. “There’s no way we’ll get that clock if we’re just sitting here ,we have to catch the next train to Hollington Valley!”