Episode 1: The Broken Clock

The attic smelled like dust, rain, and things that had been forgotten on purpose.

Mira pushed the creaky wooden door open, wincing as it groaned in protest. No one had come up here since her grandfather passed away. Her parents said it was better that way less painful.

Mira disagreed.

She stepped inside anyway.

The air felt heavier than the rest of the house, like it had secrets pressed into every corner. Old trunks lined the walls, covered in thin sheets. A single window let in gray evening light, just enough to make shadows look alive.

“Just find the documents and leave,” she muttered to herself.

But her feet didn’t listen.

Something some quiet, invisible pull guided her deeper into the attic. Past the boxes, past the broken chair, to a small wooden table tucked in the far corner.

And there it was.

A clock.

It didn’t look special at first glance. Just an antique desk clock, bronze with delicate carvings curling around its edges. But the glass was cracked, like it had been dropped… or shattered from the inside.

Mira frowned.

“I don’t remember seeing this before…”

She stepped closer. The clock wasn’t ticking.

In fact, it was completely silent.

Too silent.

Her fingers hovered over it for a second before she picked it up. It was colder than it should have been, sending a chill up her arm.

That’s when she noticed the engraving.

Tiny words, etched so faintly she almost missed them:

“What will you trade for another chance?”

Mira let out a small laugh. “Creepy.”

She turned it over, looking for a switch or battery compartment, but there was nothing. No brand. No markings. Just… that question.

Another chance at what?

Before she could think about it too much, thunder rolled outside. The room flickered as lightning flashed through the window.

Mira jumped slightly, nearly dropping the clock.

“Okay, that’s my sign to leave,” she said quickly.

She placed the clock into her bag without thinking.

That night, the storm didn’t stop.

Rain hammered against Mira’s window as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep wouldn’t come. It hadn’t for days—not since the funeral.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw her grandfather’s smile. Heard his voice.

“Time is strange, Mira,” he used to say. “It gives, and it takes. But never for free.”

She swallowed hard and turned over.

Her bag sat on the chair beside her desk.

For a moment, she thought she saw something glow inside it.

Mira sat up.

“...Okay, I’m definitely imagining things.”

But the glow came again.

Faint.

Flickering.

She got out of bed slowly, her heart beating faster with each step. The room felt colder than before.

When she opened her bag, the glow stopped.

Silence.

“See? Nothing,” she whispered, letting out a shaky breath.

Then,

Tick.

Mira froze.

She looked down.

The clock was running.

“That’s not possible…”

She picked it up again, her fingers trembling slightly. The hands were moving slow, steady, alive.

12:00 AM.

Exactly midnight.

The air in the room shifted.

The rain outside seemed to fade, like someone had turned down the volume of the world.

And then...

A voice.

Soft.

Close.

Right behind her ear.

“What will you trade… for another chance?”

Mira spun around.

“Nope. Nope, nope!”

No one was there.

Her breath came fast now, panic rising in her chest. “I’m just tired. This is just ,this is stress.”

But deep down, she knew.

This wasn’t normal.

This wasn’t stress.

This was something else.

Something waiting.

The clock in her hand suddenly felt heavier.

Warmer.

Alive.

The second hand stopped.

Everything stopped.

And in the silence, Mira heard her own voice

Not from her mouth.

From the clock.

“One hour.”

The world snapped.

Mira gasped.

The rain was gone.

Sunlight streamed through her window.

Birds chirped outside like nothing had ever happened.

She looked around, confused, her heart still racing.

“What…?”

Her eyes landed on her phone.

6:03 PM.

Hours earlier.

The storm hadn’t started yet.

Slowly, her gaze dropped to the clock in her hand.

It ticked softly.

Patiently.

Like it was waiting for her to understand.

Mira’s throat went dry.

“…I didn’t sleep.”

She backed away, shaking her head.

“This isn’t real.”

But even as she said it,

She couldn’t remember something.

Something small.

Something that had been there just a second ago.

A song.

Her favorite song.

She tried to hum it.

Nothing came out.

Mira’s breath hitched.

The clock ticked once more.

And this time,

It almost sounded like a heartbeat.

End of Episode 1

Tell me how it was ...

Hey everyone! 😊

This is my first time writing a story, so I’m really sorry if there are any mistakes. I’m still learning and trying my best. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed creating it!

Thank you for giving my story a chance 💙

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