text: My life is boring. You may think that is a bad thing, but for me it’s a dream come true. I come from the bustling streets of central Britain where everyone seemed to have somewhere to be every second of the day. So when I moved out far into the country to pursue my dream of becoming a florist, I was finally able to think clearly. My town is about as average as they come, the most notable thing that happened here was the time our next door neighbor won a lifetime supply of sunscreen from the local radio station. Seeing as we live in a rainy European town where the sun is a foreign concept, it was short lived fame to say the least. So as a whole life was calm, and living here was relatively simple. However, the one thing that never ceases to perplex me, is the lonely clock tower that stood tall in the town’s square. No one knows where it really came from, some elders say it was there before the town ever existed. But one thing was for sure, it wasn’t normal. You see, no matter where you were, no matter the time, no matter the weather, you could always hear that damn omnipresent ticking in the back of your mind. Sometimes it was a whisper, and sometimes it was a yell but no matter how loud it was, it was there. So you can imagine the panic when the ticking finally stopped... I awoke with a startle, and I immediately knew something was off. It took me a second before it broke through the power of my morning grogginess, and then it hit me. The clock, the ticking, it’s gone. At first I was overjoyed, true silence, something that was a stranger to me for many years now. That joy was quickly smothered when I looked out the window however. “Dark... it’s dark outside...” I said to no one in particular. A seemingly usual observation turned negative when I saw the alarm clock on the bedside table near me. It read 12:35pm, by this time our small town would be bustling with activity, stocking markets and going about their daily errands. However the streets stood as still as ice. I decided the best course of action would be to head outside and maybe figure out what the hell was going on. As I stepped out into the cold supposed nighttime air, I promptly realized that the time wasn’t the only thing to have stopped in its tracks. Leaves frozen mid fall, my friends and acquaintances stuck in whatever activity they were engaging in, and even the morning dew refused to loosen its clutch on the delicate blades of grass surrounding everything in our fair town. The only thing that moved... was me. My head spun with the possibilities of what was happening and thoughts began to flood my head. Why was this happening? How can I fix it? Why was I spared? My trance was promptly broken by a flickering in the corner of my eye. Upon focusing on it, I could tell it was being produced by some sort of candle in the towns square. Another one like me perhaps? Seemingly void of any other options at the time, I began to follow the old cobblestone path to the disturbance. Entering the square the first thing entering my sight was the looming clock tower in the center. It’s hands stood still as rock, almost as if they never had moved in the first place, but I knew better. As I scanned my surroundings for the odd light I had seen before, my eyes settled on a table that had seemingly appeared out of thin air at the base of the tower. At the table was the candle that had drawn my attention previously and perhaps the oddest thing ive seen all day, a man sitting calmly at the table with an empty chair across from him. Having no other words come to mind, I offered him greetings sheepishly and without a word he gestured to the chair across from him. Obviously asking for me to take a seat, I obliged and sat awkwardly across from the stranger. As I sat there with him, I began to notice some things about him that I failed to notice previously, most likely due to the absurdity of the situation. He obviously wasn’t from around here, he was groomed nicely with slicked back hair and wore a black suit with a flower that I failed to identify tucked into the front of it. Strangely enough however, he seemed to have a large brass gear ever turning in the back of his head. After a few moments of silence that felt as if they dragged on for eternities, the mysterious man began to speak. “As I assume you have already realized” he began softly, “things aren’t exactly normal around here are they?”. Angry at his perceived calmness with the situation, I lashed out “Normal?! My whole life has come to a stand still and you waltz in here as if some minor inconvenience has taken place?!” I stopped myself from going any further as I realized I was practically out of my seat at that point, “I just want to know what’s going on” I added. “And you will, in time” the man calmly responded “you may call me Princeton, and I’d appreciate it if you joined me for a walk”. And without another word he stood up and began to stroll towards the clock tower. Had I been a cautious person, I would’ve been skeptical to say the least, but I was too curious for my own good and I followed close behind Princeton. The door to the clock tower had never been opened, at least to the people of our town, no matter what efforts we tried, it stayed sealed. However, as me and my new company approached the entrance, it opened up for us on its own. I hesitated to follow inside, but my own wonder overtook me and I entered into the tower. The initial reveal was quite disappointing, “it’s really just a normal tower, what about the ticking?” I exclaimed, bewildered. But Princeton didn’t even hear me, or if he did, he made no sign of acknowledgment. He just continued up the stairs to the top of the clock's inner workings, presuming he wanted me to follow, I started my way up as well. Entering the main chamber, I was greeted with an odd sight, another table much like the one at the base of the tower outside. Only this time, resting upon the table were three things, a screwdriver, a gear (much like the one endowed upon Princeton), and an hourglass that had almost ran out. Before I could even get a word out, Princeton began to speak “When I created this world long ago, I needed to find a way to sustain its life and ensure the progress made by its inhabitants would continue ever more” he looked out the way window longingly before continuing “That’s when I had discovered the ability to harness a special characteristic of this universe... dark matter.” Seeing as I was obviously confused by the words he was saying, Princeton began to switch his focus to be a bit more simple. “You probably notice the manifestation of this dark matter as the concept of time, an everyday thing that dictates the very path of your life”. “Where is this going, Princeton? What is your point?!” The look on his face seemed almost annoyed at my impatience, but he regained his composure and passed over my rebuttal. “This, time, however was extremely unstable out of its natural state, and I needed something to anchor it to this land, thus this clock tower, modeled after others to blend in was created and for years I have protected this tower and its every corner to keep it safe...” he paused as if trying to think about how to word his thoughts “but my time is swiftly coming to an end, and I need a new disciple”. I was taken aback and almost couldn’t find the words to speak, after a brief moment I finally spoke “This is... a lot to take in I guess. I’m gonna need some time to think about it I guess”. This seemed to anger him, and this time he didn’t hold back “you dare defy me boy?! I have chosen you to take on the duty of a god and you choose to brush me off?!”. The hourglass approached its final grains of life as Princeton grabbed the gear that mimicked his own and the screwdriver next to it. “I should’ve done this the moment we came in here!”. And my world faded to black as something I couldn’t explain overtook me... My life is busy. You may think that is a bad thing, but for me, it’s a dream come true. I come each morning from the dark corners of a tower, for it is all I have ever known. And I’m happy, I’m very happy. My job is my life, and my life is my job. Keep the clock going. Tick tok tick tok tick tok. And the ticking never stops. -------------------------------------------------- Bit of a longer story this time for my second venture into writing, but I still finished it which surprised me. Again any advice good or bad would be greatly appreciated.