The Clock Keeper

The last clock was burned seventeen years before I was born. 

As a child, I marveled at the image of a clock in our historical texts. The little hand and big hand, going around and around with no other obligations. The Government workers modeled their lives around the clock. It told them what time to wake up, what time to kiss their children goodbye, how long their hands were going to toil until bleeding and blistered, how long until they would do it all over again. The world carried on this way until the people began to rebel. They were slaves of the system, and they longed for more. The factories were seeing declining production times. The workers were asking more questions than allowed. The people were taking their time back.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

It seemed to happen slowly. At least, that is what my parents tell me. The analog clocks were the first to be eliminated. The grandfathers. The pendulums. Then, there was nothing at all. Without a sense of time, there was nothing to look forward to and nothing to be disappointed in. You were never late for anything. Everyone was always on time. You could spend hours with your loved ones and feel as if no time had passed. However, with the loss of the clock became the loss of days, weeks, and years. We no longer kept a calendar to follow along with birthdays or holidays. Your day would begin and end whenever you decided. 

At this particular time, on an unknown day in an unknown year - I decided to wake up. The light shining outside of my window was my only hint to guide me. The house was silent, except for Seven purring next to me in the covers. My feet warmed as I placed them on the pristine granite and made my way into the bathroom. I brushed my long and frizzy auburn hair, my polished teeth, and dressed for the day without a care in the world. 

Every day followed the same routine. Wake up, dress, go to work, go to school, follow the rules, do your duty until you’re told to go home, and you’ll be rewarded. Break the rules, and suffer the consequences. In my seventeen years, I had never witnessed someone breaking the rules and I was puzzled at why anyone would. The Government built our homes to our liking, supplied us with food and clothing, and provided our every need. 

Grabbing my backpack and an apple, I left home and rode the fifteen minute Rail to the academy. I spotted Sira in the hallway and discovered that she was headed to her third class for the day. 

“Have you seen Mason? I’ve been trying to call him but he won’t answer”, I asked her as I glanced up and down the academy’s hallway. 

Mason and I had been dating for six seasons, and we had been friends since before I even started retaining memories. Things were changing between us and I wasn’t sure of his place in my life anymore. Things were comfortable, but I wondered if that was all that love was supposed to be. 

“No, sorry I haven’t. At least, not since the party. What class are you on? I’m going to do at least five more before I go home”, Sira explained. She clutched her historical texts and looked eager to reach her classroom.

Sira was the smartest person I had ever known, and I’m not just saying that because she is my best friend. Her father worked for the Government and was responsible for researching historical artifacts. What these artifacts were, no one would probably ever know. His work was of the highest security clearance, and even Sira was not privy to his knowledge. However, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Sira was fascinated by everything she could get her hands on, and she always had something new to tell me. Some music her father had found from the past or a novel she had managed to loot from his office. There was no doubt that Sira’s father loved her, but with great knowledge comes great expectations. It seemed that Sira could never learn enough or do enough to get the attention that she needed from him. 

“I’m actually on my first one, so I guess I should get going. I’m sure I’ll see him at some point. Call me when you get home and we can talk about that disaster of a party”, I told her with a quick hug before walking to class. 

The academy was constructed and designed just like every other school made by the Government. You could continue your education for as long or as little as you desired. There was no age requirement and no tests to reach another level. You could attend any classes that you chose in order to gain the knowledge that you desire. My dream is wildlife research, so my classes include “Nurturing Nature”, “Foraging Finds”, and “Wonderful Wildlife”. 

What I know about wildlife I learned from my parents. Before I was born, they were avid hikers, climbers, and backpackers. They fell in love during a mountain expedition when they were still attending the academy, and that reminiscent sparkle in their eyes is something that they lost along the way. After they were married, factories and neighborhoods grew at an exponential rate. Many of the forests were destroyed to accommodate the growing need for land. Pollution made it harder to breathe, most of the wildlife in our area died, and natural resources became harder to reach. 

After I was born, my mother and her coworkers began rehabilitation work on the nearby forests to reverse the damage that had been done. The forests, as she remembers them, sound like a fairy tale to me. However, she reminds me that all mistakes can be undone and that is why I want to learn everything I can about wildlife studies.

Mushroom Management isn’t my favorite class, but it is one of the only classes available for me to take at the moment. Luckily, Mason is also in the class and I take this as my opportunity to talk to him about what happened at the party. The twelve of us in class are walking outside in the damp garden behind the academy, identifying mushrooms that we have planted along the way. Along with identification, we are also questioned on which ones are poisonous and which ones can be used for medicine. Mason is still avoiding me and won’t allow any opportunities for me to talk to him one-on-one. 

We stop at a cluster of white mushrooms that are guarded behind a red sign. My professor calls on me to identify this mushroom, and every pair of eyes are staring at me - except for one. 

“Amanita virosa. The destroying angels. They resemble other edible mushrooms, but these are highly toxic”, I answer, willing Mason to look at me and acknowledge that I still exist. My professor nods his head in approval and orders us continue along our path. I find a brief moment when Mason is alone and I walk faster to reach him.

“Mason. Mason!” I call, as I catch up to him and tap him on the shoulder. He slows and we allow the class to walk further away from us for privacy.

“Can we please talk? I understand that you’re mad but we need to talk about this. You’re one of my best friends”, I eagerly exclaim, sliding my hands into my pockets as the rain begins to fall around us. 

“Vivian, I’m not mad. I just thought that I knew everything about you and now I’m not so sure. It’s really messed with my head”, He replies. I didn’t expect things to go back to the way they were, but I saw this conversation going much differently in my head. 

“It’s just that - I mean I -”, I start, trying to form the words in my head that I know I have to say.

“I mean, you’re the only person I’ve ever dated and I’m the only girl you’ve ever known. Don’t you sometimes wonder if there is more out there? More that we don’t understand yet?” I ask, hoping that I didn’t just shatter his heart into a thousand pieces.

“Viv, I understand where you’re coming from”, He says, looking around like he would rather be anywhere else than here. “But, did it have to be my best friend?” 

His words catch me off guard. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. What he thinks he saw didn’t happen. My heart is racing. My hands are shaking. How did I end up in this mess and how the hell do I get out? 

Mason shakes his head and moves away from me so fast that I barely see him as he takes off into the nearby trees. Where is he going? Doesn’t he know that we’re not allowed to actually go into the wild until the Government deems us approved? 

“Damnit, Mason”, I mumble under my breath as I run after him into the woods. I pass tree after tree, keeping his yellow jacket and brown hair in my vision. He can only go so far, right? Eventually he’ll reach a lake or a clearing and he’ll have to talk to me. “Mason! Please stop and talk to me!” 

Right after the words leave my mouth, a giant root appears out of nowhere and I faceplant hard into the soil soaked muddy earth. There is nothing but silence around me, and it is the eeriest calm I have ever experienced. I no longer see Mason’s yellow jacket or his white tennis shoes that always look brand new. I don’t see anything except trees, sky and ground. 

With no sense of direction, I begin to walk. Just like Mason, I have to eventually reach something right? I shiver, as the cold of the rain sets into my bones. 

I pass a small creek and hop across rocks to continue my chosen path. The sound of the rushing water is a lulling calm. All other thoughts leave my mind and I’m back to being a child again. Learning about the great forests of the world that no longer exist in my lifetime. Yellowstone. Mount Rainier. Blue Ridge. They’re all gone. But this. This quiet patch of earth still exists and, at this moment, it belongs only to me. 

That is, until I hear a branch crack underneath a boot. I turn my head quickly and lay my eyes on a tall man in a brown raincoat. The hood is raised over his head and the falling rain makes it difficult for me to distinguish his age, race, or expression. I don’t know whether I should be happy that someone has found me or terrified of this stranger’s intentions. 

“Miss, I’m curious as to what you are doing this far into the woods. That uniform you’re wearing tells me that you aren’t approved by the Government to be here”, He states, barely loud for me to hear him over the falling rain. His tone is cold and matter-of-fact. 

“M-My name is Vivian. I go to the academy on the other side of these woods. I was following after my friend, but I fell and lost him,” I reply, looking around and praying that Mason hears my voice from somewhere nearby. There is something eerie about being miles away from the world, with no sense of direction, and only a stranger to save you. Not wanting to appear too desperate, I stand up straight and put my hands on my hips. “I could ask you the same question. Who are you and what are you doing out here in the woods by yourself?” 

He replies to my question with a smirk and a wave of his hand. “Who I am and questions of my business are none of your concern. You came into my woods illegally”, He states with a shake of his head. “However, standing in this rain helps no one. Follow me and we’ll see if we can find your dull-witted friend”. 

Many things have changed throughout centuries, but the rules for women stay the same. Don’t talk to strangers - especially tall ones in dark hoods. Certainly don’t follow them deep into the woods where no one can hear you scream. However, my options are limited. I’m cold and wet and the light in the sky is growing dimmer. 

Maintaining my distance, I follow behind him through the woods and look for a pointy stick that I can slide into my pocket - just in case. What else is a girl to do?

We walk and walk until the first stars appear in the sky. I start to wonder if this is the end for me. Where is this stranger taking me and where did Mason go? Will my family be looking for me? Will Sira ever feel accomplished and decide to leave the academy? Will I ever find out if Jacoby and Marina end up together in The Sunshine Coast? 

Eventually, the stranger stops and I see a cabin in the distance. It isn’t much to look at and it would be easy to walk past without even noticing it. He turns to look at me and, for the first time, I get a good look at his face.

It’s apparent that he is a few years older than me. Twenty, maybe twenty-two. He has medium length raven black hair that is messy from the hood hanging over his head. His height is even more noticeable up close, as he towers over me. His eyes, though, they’re the softest blue I’ve ever seen a person have. Like the oceans I’ve read about in our historical texts at the academy. 

“I’ve brought you here because I couldn’t just leave you out in the rain. But, there are rules and I’m trusting you to follow them. You can’t tell anyone about this place or what is inside. Can you do that?” He grumbles, as if I’ve ruined his entire day with my being. 

“I couldn’t find this place again if I tried, so you’re safe there. And I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” I reply, glancing around for any kind of landmark to remember how I came to this location. Everything looks the same, and I realize I’m completely at his mercy. So much for wildlife knowledge. 

He nods his head, as if my answer was enough to convince him of my agreement. We continue walking to the cabin and he opens the door ahead of me. I follow him inside and my eyes widen at what I see. I was prepared for just about anything in this cabin. A torture chamber. A slaughterhouse. Literally, anything that exists in your worst nightmares. But, not this.

It’s clocks. The walls are lined, no, filled with clocks. Clocks of every shape and size. A light blue clock with a little bird inside that pops out above the kitchen sink. A tall brown grandfather clock in another corner of the room. A silver pocket watch laying on a table beside the bed. This was the first time that I had ever seen a clock, much less hundreds of them. The ticking of these clocks was so loud, so consuming. What kind of cabin was this and who was this man? 

I followed him through the cabin as he showed me every room. In the back of the cabin was a door that led into a workshop, where clocks in varying degrees of repair were scattered across tables and benches. It was amazing to see and almost too much to take in. How did this cabin and collection of clocks exist outside of the Government’s knowledge?

“It’s going to be dark soon and it won’t be safe to travel back through the woods until the sun rises again. The bedroom down the hall is yours if you choose to stay and I can take you back to the academy at first light. You’re free to eat anything you find in the kitchen but I have a lot of work to do, so just try not to bother me.” He explained, as he began walking towards the workshop at the back of the cabin. 

I couldn’t help wondering about this man and his awkward personality. Was this his home? Did he ever enter the city and interact with anyone? How did he end up here and how did he find these clocks? My father would lose his mind if he knew I was here, surrounded by an older mysterious man and so many ticking clocks. 

“Wait!” I called after him. “You didn’t even tell me your name. I’m Vivian” 

The stranger stops walking and looks back at me, making eye contact for the first time. By the look in his eyes, it seems almost painful for him to be staring back at me. “I’m Ajax.”

“Well thank you for saving me from the rain, Ajax. What is all of this?” I ask curiously, hoping to learn more about this man and his life. The stress in his shoulders tells me that his guard is up and he does not like my questioning. “I’m sorry, it’s just amazing”

“I’m a Horologist. Well, my father was. And my grandfather before him. At this point, I like to say that I’m a clock keeper.” He explains quietly, as if the whole world can hear him. “Someone has to do it”

I nod and walk along the walls, touching the clock hands and the intricate markings within the wood designs. “Can you show me? I mean, if you don’t mind. I know you have a lot to do and I’m only here for the moment.”

He stares at me, almost scared to let me into his world. Terrified that I will report his secret. “Sure. We have all the time in the world”.