Chapter 1

Ting ran, with the faint light of faith beckoning him to hurry, he arrived gasping for air.

'You don't need to light his path now,' Mister Moses said, 'conserve the batteries. We still have to get home.'

'There she is, Ting,' the faint light of hope flickered over the body of the fallen Sound.

Ting had never seen a more miserable sight. Such a pretty Sound alone in the rain, collapsed on the broken tiles of the platform, holding a cello bow in her right hand.

'She is too weak to stand, too exhausted to call out.' The faint light of hope watched Ting kneel to pick up the precious Sound.

'Come now. It's time to get you somewhere safe,' Ting gently lifted Amanda into the helicopter.

'Something happened.' Ezra explained to Ting the sacrifice Mister Moses made to make the rescue of Amanda a success, as he secured her in the rear passenger seat. 'You don't have long to tell Mister Moses your story, his power supply is low, very low. So is ours.'

Ting pulled on his safety harness, contacted Fiona inside the Water Tower. 'How long do I have to tell the story?'

'Not very long, you can't drain all Mister Moses' energy he wants to see Edith.' Ezra shrugged his shoulders, 'make it quick. I'm not sure if he knows what we are and I'm not sure he realises I know it's not a computer generated image I've been talking to.'

From the moment Fiona pressed the button to end Ting's communication the Sounds gathered outside the Water Tower watching the dark sky and waiting for a sign.

'They're on the way back.'

'Look there,' cried Flakey, 'four bright lights in the sky.'

Ezra brought Mister Moses' helicopter down to the ground on a small square patch of cleared ground. He quickly turned all exterior and interior lights off. The door swung open, step...

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...ey believe they're not coming back at all.

'Nevertheless we have to get them ready to leave.' Metro clapped his hands together,' Come on, cheer up, form an orderly queue, go where Elizabeth is waiting, we intend to leave soon.'

The Sounds groaned.

Ting shepherded the weary souls out of the Water Tower into a less secure place underneath the iron water tank, 'Everyone here?' he called out.

'We're just waiting for George to lock up,' shouted Carole. 'Here he comes, we can go now.'

Carmen told the Sounds to stay in line. Not to wander off and trust Ting.

The Sounds formed a disorderly queue bemoaning their fate with every step.

'That's not very nice,' Flakey whispered to Ting, 'they don't seem very grateful.'

'Yes, they are, they're just frightened,' Ting breathed in deeply, 'but as soon as we are back to Bleecker Street.'

Flakey cut in, 'Bleecker Street, where's that?'