Ticking Stories

The Christmas present ticked. It sat under the very front of the tree and attracted Smokey's attention. He sniffed at it, walked around it and poked at it with his paw. The glowing ornaments above the present shook, causing the light reflections to dance off the foil wrapping paper. As he prowled around the present, a whirring sound started. He backed away, but the sound continued. Soon, he could not contain his curiosity...

Sitting at my table, looking at the clock, its long finger pointing at the minutes, while the shorter finger holds the hours down like a thumb pushing in a tack to hold time still, but nothing stops the orbit of those fingers. Outside the wind is blowing and the trees bend and sway in the wildness of this cold, grey day, while I look at the clock, its fingers ignorant of the wind and the beating of my heart, or what is ha...