temporal-displacement

Polly is trapped in a temporal drop in London during the Blitz and experiences a terrifying bombing raid that damages the drop, preventing her return to her own time. She discovers that the bombing that destroyed the area actually occurred two nights earlier, meaning she is temporally displaced and isolated from her retrieval team and familiar people, many of whom are now dead. The chapter explores Polly's growing realization of the tragic consequences of the bombing and her precarious situation in time and space.

In this chapter, Polly, injured and stranded during the London Blitz on 21 September 1940, is helped by Marjorie, who leads her through the darkened city to her boardinghouse in Bloomsbury. They discuss the dangers of the ongoing air raids, the psychological toll of living under constant threat, and the choices people make to find moments of happiness despite the war. The chapter captures the tension of survival amid bombings and the human need for connection and normalcy.