I smiled at the clock that I had just finished putting up. The clock was round with roman numerals instead of numbers. It had a black rim that was carved with fancy designs. It fitted perfectly with my new house.
I sat down on my couch, finally getting to relax. That's when I heard my new clock strike 8. That's when things got weird.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake. The couch started to move. I could hear all my dishes and cups falling to the ground in the kitchen. I scrambled onto the floor and under my table just as my mom's vase would've landed where I was sitting. I tried to take out my phone and called my friend, Jamie. He lived nearby and I wanted to check on him. He answered.
"Nico! What's up man," Jamie asked. I took a deep breath. "Well, an earthquake is going on, duh," I laughed. Jamie looked at me, concerned. "Nico, there is no earthquake going on anywhere in the area. Are you feeling alright?" Just as he said that the earthquake stopped. "You didn't feel that," I asked. Jamie rolled his eyes. "Stop it, man. Your pranks are getting dumber by the day." I tried to defend myself but he hung up.
I got out from under the table and looked around. There was an earthquake. My house was wrecked. Why hadn't Jamie felt anything? I shrugged it off and began cleaning up my stuff.
9:00
Finally, I had finished cleaning up. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and closed the cabinet. I heard the clock strike again, meaning an hour had passed. I started walking to the living room again when I saw a spider.
Something you should know about me? I hate spiders. I quickly stomped on it. Luckily I had shoes on. I let out a breath and continued on my way. That's when a horde of those 8-legged monstrosities burst in, covering the floor. I screamed and jumped onto a chair.
I had never seen so many spiders. There must've been at least a thousand. I screamed so loud you would've thought someone was being murdered. I closed my eyes, hoping it would end. About 30 minutes later, they all were gone. I tried to control my breathing.
Okay, this was weird. Two incidents happening an hour apart from each other? It made no sense. Nothing like this had happened here before...before I put the clock up. I looked at the clock and almost laughed at myself. What was I thinking? The clock was magical? Seriously, I read too many books. I got off the chair and began to make myself some dinner.
10:00
I finished my dinner and put the plate in the sink. I was thinking of going to bed when I heard the clock strike 10. Then the oven turned on. I wasn't even near it. I turned and saw the fire. What the- I quickly got a cup of water and poured it on the fire. It wouldn't go out. I tried again. Nothing. It was like the fire was unstoppable. I ran out of the house and called 911. "911, what's your emergency?" "Fire," I said, panting. "Fire."
It took them almost 10 minutes to get here. When they did, they could put out the fire in 20 minutes. I thanked them and went inside. Only the kitchen had been burned. The whole place was burnt and now in terrible condition. Except for one thing. The clock. It was still in pristine condition.
Okay, it was official. There was something supernatural going on with the clock. Every time the clock struck a new hour, something new and exciting (and by that I mean terrible) would occur. But I had no idea how to stop it.
11:00
I was ready for whatever this clock would throw at me next. I had put on a coat, a scarf, and gloves, so I was sweating in the summer heat. I had bought a gas mask and a bat at a store that was open 24/7. No matter what happened I would fight it.
The clock struck.
Almost on cue, green gas began to flood through the vents. I began to cough and quickly put on the gas mask. I took deep breaths and looked around. It was poison. I heard it sizzle around, infecting the house. It smelled like porta-potties. I tried my best not to gag.
The green gas flew around the house. I ran to the windows and opened them all. The minute the gas went outside, it disappeared. Whether it became normal air or it went somewhere else, I had no clue. I just knew it was gone from my house.
I didn't want to try and get rid of the gas on my own. It was dangerous, and I didn't feel like dying today. Finally, the gas left the house. I took off the mask and took a deep breath. I looked at the clock. 20 minutes. 20 minutes until the following terrible "coincidental" incident. I tried to think of what it could be. That's when I looked at the clock more closely and realized the carvings weren't just fancy patterns. They were carvings of things. Things that had happened. I almost laughed at my obliviousness.
By the roman numeral eight, there were shaking movements. By roman numeral ten, there was a fire. The next thing was midnight. And at the top of the clock, there was a carving of a monster. It looked like pure evil.
"So, I'm guessing you control the clock, huh?" I suddenly heard laughter. Think of what a demon's laugh would sound like, and then multiply the evilness by twelve. Its laughter rattled my bones and made me shiver. "I'll take that as a yes then. Well, what happens if I kill you? Does all of this stop?" I got no reply, but I assumed that silence meant "yes, but you can't kill me! MWA-HA-HA!"
I grabbed my new bat. Well, hopefully, this would work.
12:00
I had to admit, fighting a monster seemed way more difficult to fight and stop than anything else that had come out of this hellish clock. But I had to try.
The clock struck 12 as I grabbed the bat. I heard a door creak open and ran towards the sound. There it was.
It was more terrifying than I had thought it would be. It was hard to see his face, which seemed to be covered in darkness. He had horns and spikes all over his body. His arms had lava on them. The worst part was his eyes, glowing red eyes. It was like I could see the screams inside them.
The monster looked at me. He smirked. I couldn't see it, but I knew he was. "I'm not afraid," I said. I wasn't sure whether I was trying to convince the monster or myself, but it didn't matter. I swung the bat at him but he caught it. He took it from my hands and snapped it like a twig. "Puny mortal, of course, you're afraid," the monster said wickedly.
The monster tried to grab me but I slid out of the way. I began to run towards the kitchen that he had tried to burn only 2 hours ago. He followed, laughing. I looked around for something to use. I grabbed some paper plates at him. The first few ones hit him but then he stopped them with his mind. Of course, he could do that.
He grabbed me by the throat and began to choke me out. I reached for something on the counter and almost cut myself with a knife. I grabbed the handle and plunged it inside the monster. He dropped me. My neck burned. The monster began to disintegrate and then he was gone. I took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. My neck looked a little burned, but I would be fine. I looked at the clock. Did it work? Was he gone?
The next day I sold the clock. Nothing like that would happen again. I never bought another clock. Call me superstitious, but I would never let that happen again.
10 years later...
Melanie looked at the clock. It was perfect. "I'll buy this one," she said. As she talked with the clerk, she didn't hear the monster of the clock's terrible laughter. She would soon. At 12 o clock that night. But by then it was too late.