The Clockwork
Summary: The clock ticks, the time goes on but what if it tells more than what the time is?
"One hotdog please!," a boisterous shout came from the stall just behind her.
The shout made her distracted and made her stop what she was doing. She looked behind her to see the commotion and saw the girl's friends scolding her for being too loud.
The girl laughed embarrassingly and apologized to the salesperson then to the crowd she disturbed, The scenery made her smile. It made her reminisce of her juvenile days.
But the feeling quickly faded away as she tuck her hair behind her ear and crossed her legs. "I have no time for this. It is decades ago anyways," she reminded herself and focused her mind on the task in front of her.
Linda is on her late 30's. She works on a nice company with nice stable income--for a person living alone that is. She is a late bloomer or what she call herself "a person abandoned by time". Her friends, cousins and even her younger siblings already have a family. While she, on the other hand, is living alone with zero relationship whatsoever.
BUT that doesn't mean she is not contented with it. In fact this is the life she wanted, the life she always dreamed of.
Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock
Linda was writing a report about the business meeting she had earlier this month. It was her lunch break and as always she eats in a joint with a sandwich and coffee at her table.
She brought her work outside for a change of pace. Seeing people restless and walking on the streets out her mind at ease. It makes her think that she has a different time with everyone else. It makes her think that she is at her own pace. It makes her think that the world is going slow-mo around her.
Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock
That again. Linda put down her pen and looked around her. "Where is that noise coming from?," she thought and observed her surroundings very carefully.
Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock
"Could it be...." Linda paused and prayed for the worst to not happen. She bit her lip in frustration and slowly closed her eyes to calm herself.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
She tried to remember if there was something suspicious. Is there a bag left out in the open? Is there a person she felt suspicious with?
"Is there something wrong ma'am?," a waiter asked and approached her.
She opened her eyes and waved her hands dismissively. "I'm fine. Just a bit nauseous," she lied to shake off the waiter.
"You want some medicine ma'am?"
"No," she shook her head and went back on working on her report. "I'm fine."
"Okay ma'am. Just ask if you need any assistance," the waiter completely given up and went back to work.
Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock
"How could I hear a ticking of a bomb from my position anyways," she tried to convinced herself. "I'm not a dog. Maybe it was just my watch. Maybe the lie I told earlier was true."
Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock
"This is only happening because I was overexerting myself again. I'm just a little tired that is all."
Ticktockticktockticktockticktock
The ticks suddenly become faster. She tried to ignore it but her brain just can't. It drove her crazy. Her breathing began synchronizing with the ticks. She didn't even realize that she was sweating badly already.
"Enough!," she told to herself and slammed her paperwork and pen on the table. She took her bag on the side and shoved them in carelessly. She was breathing very deeply and her vision is blurring.
"I think this is enough fresh air for today," she stood up and called out to the waiter. She gave her payment for her food and head out of the joint. She was walking on the sidewalk, thinking of going back to her office. It was few steps away and a little calmer than the noisy streets she was eating with a little earlier.
Luckily, thew ticks have stopped and made her calm. She was about to cross the pedestrian when a traffic enforcer showed up and stopped her. He pointed above and alerted her that the light was red.
Tick...
The ticks started again. Linda became restless. She was looking at the stoplight like crazy. Every second she waste the more restless she becomes.
The ticks become faster and louder that Linda can't even hear her own thoughts anymore. She closed her eyes and tried to run away from it. She was panicking that she can't think straight anymore. The traffic enforcer tried to stop her but it was too late.
BEEP!BEEP!
She was halfway through the pedestrian when she opened her eyes and looked at her surroundings. IT was a bus alerting her to move away. Both the passengers of the bus and the onlookers where shouting, some even closed their eyes and looked away.
Linda finally understood what the ticks are for. She closed her eyes and readied herself. The ticks echoed so loudly to her brain that she just accepted the truth.
Tick......tock.........tick........tock.......
She opened her eyes one last time and thought, "I should have called my family instead."
Tick......tock.........tick........tock.......tick.....tock.......tick.........tock......tick......tock......
[The End]
