The Clock

Time wasted laughing, crying, staring or making errors is all part of life. Is it really a waste at all..?

A man opened his eyes to the ticking of a clock. 

The room was bleached in white, it delivered an almost painful jolt to his brain.

 

''...Do you know why you are here..?''

 

A voice asked, stoic and low. His husky tone did little to calm him.

The man turned his head to his left, then to his right, whomever this voice belonged to, he was not present in the room.

 

Tick, tick, tock.

He took note of the clock. It was set upon the ground before him. The only object in this hollow space.

Tick, tick, tock. 

 

''In an hour, your daughter will die. Go now, and you may still make it in time.'' 

The voice boomed once more, bathing the room in its presence. Almost as if it came from nowhere, and everywhere at once. A voice without an owner. Was his mind playing tricks on him?

 

Colors and sights blended into one, his feet could no longer reassure him that he was standing on solid ground. His temples ignited with searing, hot pain. Everything spun and turned into a mess. Was he about to throw up his lunch..?

-----------------------------------------------------------

 

''...Get outta the way! Damn it!'' 

The man's eyes shot open. It was not the ticking of a clock. He was awake from a slumber of a sort, yet he was standing on his feet.

''Are you freaking deaf?! Haul your a*s!'' 

It was a rather burly man, carrying luggage, trying to nudge him without actually shoving him. 

He... He was daydreaming..? Did he just fall asleep in the middle of this place..?

 

Shoving, yelling, a bustling airport. He had no time to waste. An Airport, he knew where he was. He remembered the signs from his last visit on thanksgiving. There was no time to waste. 

 

The man frantically fingered his pockets, there was no wallet there. He couldn't get a Taxi. His blood boiled and the veins throbbed within his arms and legs. The pounding in his chest became insufferable when his body acted without command from the mind. He started running. 

 

A man running within one of the busiest airports in the country was not going to go unattended, or without notice. Security guards sprung to the scene as if shot from a catapult. ''…Hey you! Stop right there! Why are you running..?!''

 

He didn't have time to explain.

And who would believe him..? What if this was all in his mind..?

Could he be daydreaming about all of this--- He ought to stop. The man planted his feet at the ground and spun around to meet the offended guards.

 

''..I'm sorry.. I don't know what came over me'' The bigger of the two tackled him to the ground with force, releasing the valve in his stomach and with it all of his oxygen. A groan of disagreement was not late to arrive. ''..I give.. I give, I'm sorry..!'' He pleaded but they already had him in cuffs.

 

Everything else was a blur. But there was something, all that while, tucked neatly at the back of his mind. He could almost swear that the ticking was still there. Weak, faded but maddeningly present. The Guards begun to rummage through his belongings, they removed his coat and emptied his pockets. The Wallet was there after all, how irresponsible of him. He could've avoided all of this.

 

''..What's that, pretty fancy.'' The smaller one croaked with surprise, examining a small object. It was round and golden, with a long chain linking it from one end to another in a loop meant to be wired around a coat's button. A clock.

 

The man's eyes nearly left their sockets. It wasn't a daydream. The clock was there all the time. And the ticking, what was a soft, nearly inconsequential background note was now an insufferable and blatant ticking.

Tick, tick, tock.

 

He leapt as if shot out of a cannon, with his hands cuffed behind his back, his mobility was not as hindered as it could've been. Instincts overwhelmed his mind, goading him into mad acts, and he crashed into the guard. The unsuspecting victim collapsed into the ground, the clock flipping in the air in what appeared to be slowed motion.

 

With the fervor of a madman, he clenched his teeth around the clock, catching it with skill not unlike that of a hound trying to fetch a stick. Once more the heart forced itself on the mind, and the thought of the 'Dream' being true, with all it's consequences followed drove him to run as fast as he could.

 

Tick, tick, tock.

His muscles were crying for rest, but the clock won't stop. Neither could he.

Tick, tick, tock.

Feet became numb, eyes weary and throat dry. But he kept going. Her house wasn't that far away.

Tick, tick, tock.

 

He was being followed; at least half a dozen guards trailed him while flailing their batons.

Tick, tick, tock.

 

He saw her. It was her back, but he knew it was her. She was carrying her newly born child, a beautiful son with cerulean eyes and wheat colored hair. The little one turned to him, waving his hand. 

Tick, tick, tock.

 

It was almost time, the pain was gone, the weariness was lost, all replaced with hesitant relief. 

He was there in time. He doubled over and took all the breath he could before shouting at her the top of his lungs.

 

''...Swe---'' 

Little attention did he pay to the blistering lights and the speeding truck as it blindsided him.

Tick, tick..... Tock.

 

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A young woman opened her eyes to the ticking of a clock.

The room was bleached in white, it delivered an almost painful jolt to her brain.

 

''...Do you know why you are here..?''

 

Author's Note

Just another story.

Reviews

[Marianne Rose]

Very enjoyable read- it kept me engrossed in both the reality of the man's actions and the feeling of time running out. The chain of the ticking clock not being broken with his actions to reach his daughter was quite a twist. How many things do we inherit from our ancestors creating an unbroken chain like this? And how many times does the suritt of our belief drive us right to the brink of disaster? If only he had looked up sooner . . . I like the tone, the mystery and the writing of this piece, and it seems there may be more to tell. Most enjoyable and well done!

[LastMonth]

Oh, Kind of you to stop by. You're most welcome here.
I'm glad you enjoyed this.

read moreOh, Kind of you to stop by. You're most welcome here.
I'm glad you enjoyed this.

This style is actually a significantly recent 'Phase' in which I try to be more technical in my writing.

[LastMonth]

Ahhh.. comment was eaten. Long story short, Thank you!

[Marianne Rose]

You're welcome- I like the depth of your writing, and will try to get to more of your stories as time allows!

[Ananya]

O my...I wish to read more. I want to know what happened after this. I love such stories that make you think and wish for more. I want to write this way.

[LastMonth]

Thank you. :)
But sometimes it's best to end it on a high note.

[Jacob Clifford]

I very much like the ambiguity of this story. The flow and pacing are well and good. I liked some of the smaller details. There were a few technical errors in this story. They don't impede the story or comprehension at all. I don't know if you care to fix them. If you do, I can point them out to you.

[LastMonth]

Thank you for your review. If you could point them out, I'd appreciate it. I want to fix them.

[Lyn Anderson]

This is truly wonderful -- full of intrigue and suspense -- and a very clever ending. If you ever want help with minor edits, they are very minor, I'd be happy to help.

[LastMonth]

As is the case in the 'Devil in the Field', I strive to improve and perfect. I would appreciate it if you could help me iron out this one in terms of grammar.

[Lyn Anderson]

I shall send in a PM when I have a moment.

[Cobblestone Traveler]

Wow. Certainly got my blood pumping this morning! It makes me wonder if it's Death calling the listener and tricking them. As if he's bored and playing a game. Wonderful writing, keep it up!

[LastMonth]

Who knows :)
Thank you for reading and reviewing.

[12.09am]

LOVE LOVE LOVE !! this was amazing, If you have the chance to look at my short story " Games " , id really love some feedback from you !

[Woody]

wow original ending. good one, M. I like it. I see you've dropped the rhyme this time. but great pace and the suspense is good.
well done!!

[Stan Lee]

Now that story had my heart racing. Wow, you know you have talent right!? This was an amazing short story. I am very impressed. One of your best so far I feel. And yeah, the twist at the end..... lol. It was fabulous. I'm pretty jealous of this one! :) Stay inspired!

[LastMonth]

Thank you Andronicus. I appreciate you taking the time to read this. And I appreciate the compliments. Glad you figured out the twist :) Some of my Hebrew readers had some troubles with it.

[barleygirl]

This is the best thing of yours that I've read so far. This is brilliant in (1) intensely vivid description, and (2) suspenseful action compelling from start to finish. I'm not following the entire story (it's a little "out there" in places), but that doesn't matter, becuz it's just a startlingly refreshing read filled with imagery. The two paragraphs starting with "He leapt as if shot out of a cannon . . . " are especially filled with brilliant imagery & suspenseful action, but there are also many other spots just as compelling. Great job.

[LastMonth]

Barely! Would you be amused if I told you I'm currently reading some books in english just for that reason..? I'm trying to master the language. Mostly to make my writing more vivid, inspiring and absorbing. I have these silly practice drills of mine where I first write sentences in the most basic way possibe. Such as 'A Boy ate an apple.' And then I try to up them. 'The thick browed youngster eyed the succulent fruit. A generous bite would immediatly demand a chunk of the juicy and red apple.''

I'm happy to see the fruits of my labor in your reviews. Thank you.

[barleygirl]

Love hearing about your exercises in better mastering English. I never would've guessed that you speak English as a second language.

[Hyacinth]

Oh.my.god.The ending was so unexpected! And I love the plot, how it flows so perfecrtly. And again, the ending just left me goung like,
"Whaaat? Not expected." And that's why it's so good. Another one of your marvelous writings.

P.s- if you think I may be stalking your writing, I plead guilty ; )

[LastMonth]

There's nothing wrong with stalking.
Thank you for the review Hycinth, I'm pleased that you liked the flow, I was somewhat concerned that it was too fast.