The Watchmaker's Gift

by Charles Zitta

  “Oh yeah, right,” his brother replied.

  “Anyway, speaking of Frank, you two ready to take a spin on the cups?”

  “Sure, that’s why we’re here,” Charlie replied. “But let me ask my parents if it’s okay, first.”

  “Go right ahead, young man.”

  “Hey Mom”, Charlie called out. “Is it okay if we ride the teacups with the Mad Hatter?”

  “Sure honey, you go right ahead.” She was not worried in the least, since her boys were with an “official” Disney character.

  The Hatter smiled and waved, then bowed to their mother to show his respect.

  In return, their mother did a curtsey and smiled back at the Hatter. “Have fun boys.”

  “Very well then, a rhyme I have for you,” the Hatter giggled out.

  A rhyme?” Michael questioned.

  “Shh, Michael, shut your trap and listen,” Charlie snipped.

  The Hatter nodded to Charlie, thanking him for his help, then he spoke in rhyme.

  “Ride with me and you shall see this ride is quite the treat. I’ll spin you left, then spin you right, be sure to stay in your seat. A great un-birthday journey we’ll take, to a place unknown to most. Where you shall meet above Main Street, a friend, a Patron, your host.”

  Charlie and his brother looked at each other with smiles on their faces, impressed by the Hatter’s rhyme.

  “Come-come gentleman, it’s time to climb aboard.”

  “What about our parents?” Michael asked.

  “Not to worry young fellow. The tea cups will occupy their time during your absence.”

  “And how are they going to do that?” Charlie asked.”

  “Easy. I’ve set their cup for what we like to call an ‘animated spin’. Once they get going fast enough, the cup will take over—sending them into a spin so fast in the opposite direction of time, that time will literally stand still, as long as the teacup continues at a certain rate of rotation. Once you return, the cup will slow down, returning your parents to the present moment. Trust me, they won’t miss you at all—in fact, they’ll never know you were gone.”

  Charlie and Michael looked at their parents, who were seated in a blue teacup on the other side of the attraction, and waved with their best fake smiles. Charlie turned and looked at the Mad Hatter. “Are you sure they won’t know what happened?”

  “One hundred and twelve percent,” the Hatter replied, with a crazed expression of happiness on his face.

  As the tea party floor began to move, the boys instinctively reached for the wheel with both hands to spin their cup.

  “No-no-no,” the Hatter said, while he gently placed the tip of his index finger on the wheel. “One finger is all you’ll need.”

  The boys followed the Hatter’s lead—each placing a finger on the wheel. Their teacup began to spin, faster, and faster, and faster. The people in the other cups surrounding them turned to blurry swirls of color and sparkly gold dust. The surrounding sounds blended together into one harmonious jingle. The boys looked at the Hatter, who was sitting erect with his index finger still on the wheel and eyes closed, as if he were in a meditative state.

  The ceiling above became an inverted whirlpool of orange, yellow and red, as it began to pull their spinning teacup upwards. The cup was spinning, the ceiling was spinning, everything was spinning! Charlie and his brother lost all sense of orientation as they were pulled into the eye of the ceiling—screaming, hollering and waving their hands in the air. It was indeed a mad tea party!

  The spinning cup blast through the ceiling like a shooting star, leaving behind a trail of magical dust—only to come to an abrupt stop seconds later. With their heads still spinning, the boys tried to gather their bearings. It appeared they were no longer on the attraction, but rather, in the hub of the park. All the guests passing by were perfectly dressed, perfectly groomed, perky and happy. That’s when it dawned on Charlie, they were in WONDER. He turned to the Hatter and said, “So, my guess is, our host is Frank Wellington?”

  “Ahh, you are a very observant young man, just as Midnight had told me.” The Hatter pointed with his gloved hand to the window above the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor with a whimsical smirk on his face.

  Charlie looked, then grinned. “Of course, it’s Frank’s apartment.”

  “Well, go on,” the Hatter said. “Take your brother and go see your old friend. He’s been expecting you.”

  Charlie and Michael took off running for Frank’s apartment—crossing the hub lawn, before running into the ice cream parlor where they searched for a stairway. The kind cast member working behind the counter looked at the boys and said as she pointed, “It’s right back there gentleman.”

  “Thanks”, Charlie replied, as he pondered how she knew what they were looking for. But then again, this was WONDER. They scurried up the narrow stairway, which opened up to a hallway of doors. One to the left and three to the right. It was clear to see which one to choose. The first of three doors on the right with the brass sign that simply read, FRANK.

  Charlie knocked on the vintage-styled wooden door and stepped back. There were clicks, clacks and a clunk—then the handle turned and the door opened up to a grinning man with wavy grey hair, bushy eyebrows, clear rimmed glasses and colorful clothes. “Hello Boys, so good to see you again. Won’t you come in. I have plenty to share with you.”

  The boys ran up and wrapped their arms around Frank, squeezing tightly.

  “Now-now, no need to get all sentimental when there’s work to be done. We can save that for later,” Frank said, patting the boys on their backs.

  “But Frank, I thought you were in trouble?” Charlie said, as he pulled away to look up at his friend.

  “Why would you think such a thing?” the Patron replied, closing the door behind them. “Please, have a seat. Would you or your brother like something to drink?”

  “I’m thirsty,” Michael shouted.

  “It was probably the video, Frank.”

  The boys turned to see who had spoken. It was Midnight—Frank’s oversized, and very sarcastic cat, who had just crawled out from underneath the bed and was stretching.

  “Hi ya Midnight,” Michael said.

  “Hello to you too, young man,” the cat replied with a yawn.

  “Yes, it was the video,” Charlie replied. “The way it ended, I thought you were in danger.”

  “Oh, right. I can see why you might think that,” Frank replied. “I did look a little nervous in the video, didn’t I. The truth is, we weren’t in any danger at that time, but that’s not to say danger wasn’t lurking near by. You see, ever since the lightning strike a few weeks back, things have been sort of shaky around here.”

  “What lightning?” Michael asked, as he sat down at the small wooden table near the kitchen area.

  “Your brother didn’t tell you?”

  “Ohhhh. That lightning strike, now I remember,” Michel replied.

  Charlie stopped petting Midnight, then walked over and sat next to his brother at the table, preparing himself for what the wise old Patron had to say.

  “So, he did tell you. Good,” Frank said. “As I’ve already explained, the watch was struck by a green bolt of lightning while being transported by the white rabbit during the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade. And because of this, the magical watch will not function properly—making it impossible for us to track down the second Kingdom Crystal. We need the two of you, Charlie and Michael, to pick up the watch later tonight at Uptown Jewelers on Main Street.”

  “So someone will be there to give it to us?” Charlie asked.

  “Well, something like that. You see, if somebody working there knew where it was, that would make them an easy target for the Thorns—who would work over the cast member until they found out where the watch was hidden. And we can not take a chance like that. Not in the least bit. That’s where Merlin’s magic looking glass comes into the picture. It will help you find the hidden Object of Magic.” Frank leaned down towards the boy
s, stressing the importance of what he was about to say. “This evening, shortly after your dinner, go to the jeweler’s shop on Main Street, but don’t go inside. Take out the magic looking glass and look closely at the shop sign out front. From there, you’ll know what to do.”

  “Oh really,” Michael said. “And how’s that going to happen. Is the sign going to tell us what to do?”

  Charlie gave his brother a smack on the arm.

  “Ow! That hurt,” Michael shouted.

  The wise Patron calmly held a finger to Charlie, encouraging him to be calm. “I thought you might ask that, Michael.”

  “And how come we have to let a stupid sign tell us where the watch is? Why can’t you just tell us now and we can go get it?”

  Frank remained calm, as if the young boy’s words were a mere pebble of sand between his toes. “The whereabouts of the watch is protected by magic in order to keep it out of Thorn hands. Only the chosen outsider possesses the power to seek it out. And that, young man, would be your brother and the magic looking glass he’s carrying in his pocket.”

  Charlie looked at Frank and humbly smiled in appreciation.

  “OK then,” Michael replied. The expression on his face turned from anger to curiosity. “But how did you know when we were going to eat dinner? I mean, doesn’t the person we’re meeting at the jewelry shop need to know what time we’ll be arriving?”

  “They already do.”

  “But how?” Michael asked.

  “Let’s just say I know people who know people,” Frank replied with a grin, which then turned serious. “Now remember, this lighting strike—we don’t believe it was a natural occurrence, but rather some form of black magic created by either a Dark Thorn, or possibly even a shadow villain.”

  “Yeah, I remember you saying that in the video. What is a shadow villain?” Charlie asked.

  “Just like we use WONDER to grow and preserve all the good spirited things from Disney, the Dark Thorns and their Superior, whom is yet to be unveiled, use black magic to grow and preserve all the evil which lurks in the shadows of WONDER—where they can reimagine villains in any form they choose, and from the looks of things, may now be able to bring them into reality.

  “I don’t like the sound of that,” Michael hesitantly replied.

  “As you shouldn’t,” Frank answered back. “If the Dark Thorns have in fact started to summon shadow villains into reality, then our task of seeking out the five Kingdom Crystals will have become exponentially more difficult, and worse yet, more dangerous than we could have ever imagined.”

  “That sounds like one giant nightmare”, Charlie replied. “So Frank, why is the word ‘shadow’ used to describe these villains?”

  “Well, Charlie. Everything created by Disney is technically a concept until it is brought to finalization and released to the general public. There are endless concepts and dreams created durning the development of Disney movies, park attractions, resorts and more, which never reach the public audience. Through many years of hard work, the Partons have figured out how to secretly preserve many of these concepts in WONDER, where they are magically used to protect the five Kingdom Crystals and all other things sacred to Disney. Unfortunately though, many concepts also include villainous works of imagination. And over time, they have been taken by force and reimagined by FOTO in the ‘shadows’ of WONDER. It’s been an ever increasing problem for the Patrons to say the least. Sorry, I guess I forgot to mention that part when you were here last year?”

  “Oh great, so now we have Thorns and villains to worry about?” Michael replied sarcastically.

  “Shush, Michael,” Charlie snipped. “So Frank, everything that exists in WONDER is created from concepts and dreams—good or evil, and NOT from what we see in reality, such as Disney movies, and everything in the parks?”

  “Precisely, Charlie. And, they can also be combined, added to or reimagined without any limitations—like the WONDER version of Hollywood studios you and your brother experienced last year. Which was a combination of everything that has ever existed in Hollywood studios, but in a conceptual state. You could say, WONDER is a giant melting pot of all concepts ever created by Disney imagineers and animators. Some are good, while others are, well, evil.”

  “But why would they ever create anything evil for Disney?” Charlie asked.

  “You have to have balance, Charlie. Just imagine what it would be like if heroes had nothing or no-one to overcome, to defeat, to rise above and conquer. Without evil, good would struggle to define itself—to exist.”

  “So there’s a very good chance we may have to battle these shadow villains during our search for the second Kingdom Crystal?”

  “Precisely, young man. Which is why I initially hesitated to ask the two of you to come back and help us”, Frank reverted back to a positive note. “Uh, where was I? Oh, right. Yes.” He cleared his throat. “Uh-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm. However, we do have the watch in our possession and we know who can fix it. Which are both good things—very good things. Yes, very good, very good indeed. So the only question that still remains is, are you and your brother willing to help the Patrons, Charlie?” Frank asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

  Charlie and Michael looked at each other, then turned to their friend. “We’re here aren’t we, Charlie said.”

  The old man smiled. “Oh good, so glad to hear it. Welcome back, boys.”

  Charlie and his brother stood up from the table and gave Frank a group hug to show their support.

  “Very well then, I believe that’s all I need to tell you for now. Any questions before I send you back to your parents?”

  “No, I don’t think so. It seems pretty simple”, Charlie replied. “Eat dinner, go to the jewelry store, read the sign, and get the watch.”

  “Perfect,” the old man replied.

  “Oh, I do have one question,” Charlie added. “What do we do after we get the watch?”

  “Ah yes, good question. Chances are, I will be there when you pick it up to explain what is to be done next, OK?”

  “Got it,” Charlie replied.

  “But remember Charlie, and you too Michael, between now and then, trust no one except those you know well enough to ask a personal question that only they would know the answer to. Understand?”

  The boys nodded to confirm.

  “Alright then, you’ve both done this before. Each of you place a hand on the lamp and I’ll see you soon,” Frank noted. Charlie and his brother touched the lamp and vanished.

  Charlie and Michael appeared back in the cups with the Mad Hatter as the ride slowed and came to an end. They exited right behind their parents, who were unaware of what had just happened.

  “So, anyone up for a snack?” their dad asked. “They have lemonade slushes at The Friar’s Nook.”

  Everyone unanimously agreed that a nice cold slushy would hit the spot on a hot Florida day, such as the one they were experiencing. Within a few short minutes they had gathered around a small shade-covered table and were enjoying their ice cold lemonade slushes. It was an ideal time to plan out the remainder of their day.

  “It’s four o’clock,” their father said. “We have three hours until dinner time. So where would everyone like to go next?”

  “Well, we’re in Fantasyland, Ed, there’s plenty to do right here,” their mother replied.

  “Yeah Dad, Charlie added. “We have Dumbo, Small World, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight… like Mom said, plenty to do.”

  “I guess the two of you are right,” Mr. Z said while laughing.

  “Where are we eating tonight, Dad?” Charlie asked.

  “We are eating at the Plaza Restaurant. Should be a nice casual dinner. I didn’t want to overdo it on our first night. Besides, they have real tasty deserts from what I read.”

  “Awesome,” Charlie replied.

  “Hey Ed, what do you say we do a little Main Street browsing after dinner? I bet the boys wouldn’t mind a break from the ride lines. Especially if
they found something cool in one of the shops to buy.”

  Charlie chimed in, knowing the jewelry shop was located on Main Street. “Yeah Dad, I like Mom’s idea,” he said while kicking his brother in the ankle to agree.

  “Yeah Dad, I want to go shopping too,” Michael awkwardly added.

  “You see honey, the boys like my idea. Besides, I think Charlie mentioned something earlier about looking at watches. Right, Charlie?”

  “Watches?” Mr. Z questioned. “Since when do you like watches, Charlie?”

  “I don’t know,” Charlie replied while shrugging his shoulders.

  “Oh, leave him alone, Ed. After all, he is a middle schooler now. I’m sure lots of the kids in middle school wear watches, don’t they, Charlie?”

  “Yeah, they actually do,” he replied.

  “There, you see, Ed. Our little boy is becoming a young man.”

  “I guess you’re right honey,” her husband giggled, while observing the crowd.

  Charlie smiled, knowing inside he had won. The evening was now set up perfectly for what he and his brother needed to accomplish. They would be able to pick up the magic watch shortly after dinner. It was going to be a great night in the Kingdom…or so he thought.

  Just two tables over from where the Zastawits family were enjoying their lemonade slushes sat three spies with ears wide open. They were disguised as everyday, happy guests, thanks to the belt buckle cloaking devices all the Thorn spies wore. Their boss was Captain Plank, the scraggly looking leader of the low life Thorns in the Magic Kingdom.

  “Did you hear that matey’s?” One of the spies growled. “Sounds like the Patron’s little friend likes watches.”

  “Quite a coincidence, I’d say Robert,” replied Joe, the second of three spies.

  Martin, the third spy in the group, joined the conversation. “Yeah, and he wants to take a look at ‘em later on after dinner. Ha! But we knows what the little fella is really look’n for, and it ain’t no regular watch,” he said with a snarl.

  “Ok boys, I say we gets back and tells the Cap’n the good news,” Robert said.

  “Right you are Robert. The Cap’n will wanna be making plans for this evening once he hears the news,” Martin added.