Dangerous Mind

Clocks and Mirrors

I melt into nothingness.  What a peculiar feeling it is, to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Tick tock, tick tock, time...

My flurried thoughts coalesce in front of a tall, ornate Grandfather clock.  A large white face supported by deep mahogany, decorated with golden swirls along the edges.  Long ebony hands move precisely, methodically, seconds into minutes into hours as I stare.  I'm captivated by the hypnotizing movement.  Where is the pendulum?  No pendulum?  That is wrong.  I must make it right - everything must be right.

I reach down to the space where the pendulum should hang, and I touch a smooth, cool surface.  A mirror.  The pendulum must be behind it.  So everything is right after all!  There's nothing to worry about.  I can't see it though, can I?  Do I know it's really there?  I must see it.  I have to see it.

There is a keyhole - there!  Look, a keyhole!  Keyholes are good.  They bring me to the places where I cannot go.

I turn around - why, hello there!  You must be here for the same reason as me.  We shall open the mirror together!  I clap my hands in delight, the girl in front of me happily clapping along.  The tall Grandfather clock behind her ticks on, seconds into minutes into laughter.  You see?  He is enjoying himself as well!  I smile brightly.

I turn in circles - look how many clocks there are!  Mustn't forget the time!  Clocks are good - they tell you what time.  Clocks are right.  Clocks are always right.

Tick tock, tick tock, time.

All the clocks tick in harmony, or shall I say melody?  It is the same, after all!  I giggle, and it comes around and back around.  It wants to play!  Shall we play with it?  I ask the girl in front of me.  We shake our heads, and remind me that we must first open the mirror.  Of course!  How could I forget?  One should never forget what is important.  Forgetting is bad, and bad is not right.  Everything must be right.

But it is, of course!  Everything is right, because I have not forgotten!  The clocks are always right.

I reach up to my neck, and touch the key hanging there from a chain.  It was there all along!  A twinkling laugh escapes me and darts about the room, playing ring-around-the-rosie with the giggle.

Now we can open the mirror!  I declare.  The girl beside me smiles and nods.  Of course we can.  We have the key!

We look at the grinning Grandfather clock, inviting us to open the mirror.  Look, the key fits!  What fun!

The mirror swings open, and look!  The pendulum!  It was here after all.  I smile, and watch it tick tock, tick tock the time.

Clocks are always right.  Look, look at all the pendulums!  Look how they swing!  They all swing with the same rhythm, tick tocking to the beat of Time.

I think I shall come back here some time.  I had great fun!

My new friend laughs, and she will come back, too.  We can come back together!  We will come back when it's time to wind the clocks - because the clocks must be right, and the clocks are always right.  And we will do it together!

Goodbye! I smile, and she smiles back.

Tick tock, tick tock, time to go.

Goodbye.

~❤