Time

Prologue

August 23, 2057. The day Time stopped his slow progression. The day He returned to reclaim his land. The day the world as we know it ended.

Chapter 1:

That which is given can be taken back.

                Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The faint ticking of the clock around my neck steadies me as I wrap a sweaty palm around the rusty bronze timepiece and stare down at the insufferable math test in front of me.

                “Five more minutes” My teacher calls, her voice loud above the eerie quiet of the room where everyone’s head is bent over their desks in concentration.

                Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Click. My watch stops its faithful ticking, something I never allow to happen. It’s an antique, one you still have to wind on a daily basis to make it work. Never have I forgotten my morning duty, nor did I forget my natural routine today. Only the end time itself could stop this clock from working.

                Puzzled, I look down and click it open, studying the smooth glass covering the little watch face with intense curiosity. Soft murmurs pass around the room and my head shoots up in sheer confusion. Someone’s eyes are always on the room’s clock at any given time, and when I glance at it myself, that clock has stopped as well.

                “Ladies and gentlemen please. This is a test. If I catch you talking I will take your paper and you’ll get a zero.”

                “It’s just a clock, what’s so special?” Sarah Pippin, your everyday typical teacher’s pet, pipes up, her tight ponytail bouncing on her head with each word.

                “You have…” Mrs. Thompson looks down at her watch and her face keys me into what everyone wants to know. “…two minutes.” Her watch has stopped too.