The Van Helsing Conjecture – Excerpt No. 253

“An unnecessary precaution, as I didn’t see or smell any other predators or scavengers, and traced the outer edges…”

Clara’s head snapped back. She already knew about pocket realities, but never realised they might be visible edges to them.

“Describe them?” Clara asked.

“Hmmmm,” Julia said while biting down on another piping hot piece.

They were too busy to eat their dinner earlier. To make up for it, Julia put the pan on the embers… just enough to make them hot again…

“Almost… like…” Julia struggled. “Ah! Like looking up at the surface while submerged in water.”

That described Clara’s time bubbles. Eleanor could do them without the effect, but Clara lacked the experience and power. That implied the world beyond the bubbles went on, oblivious to those within.

a cinematic photograph of a young adult brunette woman with a striking, heart-shaped face, rosy cheeks, and bright brown eyes, wearing fitted blue jeans, a worn, dark brown leather jacket with silver zippers, and a vibrant, fire engine red backpack with worn, faux-leather straps, eerily suspended in a translucent, crystal-clear bubble, its surface oscillating with an ethereal, iridescent glow, evoking the shimmering transition between air and water, as if time stands still for her, while the blurred, muted, metropolitan cityscape surrounding her – complete with blurred pedestrians, cars, and buildings – appears to move in fast motion, frozen in a whirlwind of activity, with soft, warm, golden lighting illuminating the entire scene, capturing the sense of disconnection and isolation, photography.

Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.