Travelling Towards the Present

Mary is born into the chilling darkness of the workhouse. To cope with the harsh and hostile environment, she develops inexplicable abilities. At night laying in the coffin-like bed, it is normal for her to hear the creaking floorboards, to see sinister spirits hiding in the shadows, vengeful phantoms, and demons. As a young adult Mary once again finds herself down on her luck and is forced to reenter this most dreaded of places but this time she is accompanied by her two children.

Mary hoping to leave the hardships and loneliness of her past behind embarks on a new life running a bar in a remote Australian town. The occupants are all driven by fear, striving to survive both mentally and physically in the harsh environment. She dreams of returning to England but that would require a small fortune. After a period of success, the news of a gold strike leaves the town and farms deserted except for old women and teetotallers. Mary’s business is in danger of collapse and what’s worse her son William has disappeared also overcome with gold fever.

Against a backdrop of activism and anarchy amongst those living in the squalor of Victorian London’s East End, Johnny’s cooperative is thriving. His main concern is for his 15-year-old son, Noah, who is showing signs of having inherited the family affliction. Noah is seeing beyond the surface world, and Johnny is anxious to prevent him from setting his eyes on evil. Meanwhile, William attempts to adapt to his new life in England and understand the deep mysteries of his family history. Mary is also hunting, but not for knowledge.

Johnny Webb, his family, and friends continue to weave their lives as jewellers and shopkeepers into the political and social fabric of the East End of London during the late Victorian era. However, their gifts continue to prevent them from following the common path, and they soon discover that once again they are stuck between worlds.

The stampede of hell into the heavens had been reversed and the balance restored. It was only Noah who sensed the dybbuk’s stirring and the softly and slowly growing shadows that others preferred to ignore. For the rest of the world, the emblazoned dawn of the Edwardian Era promised hope, color, and excitement. It was a time of peace where patient and passionate hearts could finally find love. However, the Webb family still struggled and all they had to help them escape the catastrophic events of their pasts and withstand the challenges ahead was the unseen link that bound them together.