Shadows of the Past (BBC Sherlock) -1-

2. The Return

Damn it all! Why did Amanda know me so well?

I knew I was way in over my head on this. Most likely this trip would be a short one, and I'd be back in America in no time. Though I didn't know Sherlock personally, the news surrounding him was enough to tell me that there was no way on earth he was going to spend his time searching for my father. Still, I couldn't help but have a sliver of hope that maybe he'd take on the task after all, that maybe my stay in London would be longer than a day.

Darien, Amanda, Kendal, and Madison escorted me to the airport. They each hugged me in turn; Kendal and Madison made me swear to tell them what Sherlock Holmes was like when I met him. Amanda had pulled me to the side just before I left, telling me to be extra careful, and that if I was stressed out, I could always call her just so long as I didn't catch her at a bad time.

It was a pretty boring plane ride into London. Thankfully, the ride was quiet, which allowed my mind to wander. It was also a late night flight, as it would take about seven and a half hours to get there. I made sure to keep my mind away from the city that I was returning to. I would deal with the memories once I stepped foot on London ground.

Before long, I was in the place I never wanted to come back to. Like any airport, it was packed. I tried to calm myself down, telling myself that I wasn't the only tourist that arrived in London.

I didn't realize how ahead the time in London was compared to Maryland, not until I checked the clocks in the airport. I made sure to change the times on my phone and iPod temporarily so I didn't screw myself up. Here, the time was nearing 11 a.m.

With a large duffel bag slung across one shoulder and a heavy suitcase in the other hand, I tried flagging down a taxi, but it proved difficult. Many other travelers were mimicking me and being successful. Eventually, before I exploded, I managed to snag one.

I kept my eyes out the window, not on the driver in front of me. Like the first time I had come here, London reminded me of New York City, with its busy streets and sidewalks. But unlike London, New York City never slept. My hands clenched in my lap, memories of my last time here threatened to overtake me.

Even though I managed to push most of the chilling experiences out of my head, one slipped through.

~*~

I really should have invested in a map.

I looked like a lost dog, wandering the streets of London. I wasn't too keen on asking strangers for help, only because I wasn't sure who I would be talking to. I kept to myself, keeping my head low and avoiding contact with others as I walked.

I wished it hadn't taken until nightfall for my flight to get in. To me, night made things seem more difficult. Everything was dark, making finding places a tad bit harder. I kept looking for signs that I was heading in the right direction. So far, I wasn't having any luck. It didn't help that traffic distracted me.

This was a con to being an unprepared tourist.

London seemed to be England's equivalent of New York, with how busy the streets and sidewalks were. I'd been to New York a few times, once when my girlfriends surprised me for my birthday. We decided to take the trip up there for when we graduated too since we liked our first trip so much.

I kept myself towards the center of the sidewalk, away from the alleyways. The last thing I wanted was to get nabbed from one of those places. I knew how often it happened in novels, movies, and shows; I didn't want it to be real.