Death In A Mile

Chapter 4: The Horologist

The next day came fast. We were up all night which left me little time to sleep. I couldn't tell what time it was and it annoyed me, no clocks were on my wall to either.

I decided it was time to get a clock. At my own tired pace I rose out of bed and started to get ready. First was my clothes, shirt and pants, then finally my shoes. I was ready to start my day.

The walk was long and at the other side of the village. His home was next to Spark's families' blacksmith tower. His tower was 3 stories high, with furnaces visable from the bottom, and a single window at the top. He had a large family, hence why the 3 stories. The bottom story was obviosuly for blacksmithing, and the top 2 was where he and his 2 parents and 3 siblings lived.

After admiring Spark's glorious house I knocked on the hut made of wood: Mr. Wiu's. Only a select people knew his first name and I was not one of them. On the outside was poorly insulated wood with hay and grass as a roof. 1 window was on each side of the front door, and at the top of the door read a sign "The Horologist". Finally the bell mounted to the wall above my head rang, I assumed he didn't want to get up and answer the door, so I walked in.

"Welcome Lloyd to my clock shop!" He said broadly without turning around. Did I mention he had somewhat psychic powers? He can sense unease in people and could relatively could tell the future. I never believed it though; sometimes this village is so boring that people had to make up stories and gossip to keep entertained. My disbelief had me looking for a mirror or some sort of reflection on the wall he was facing towards. There was nothing but clocks.

His one roomed house was filled with nothing but clocks of all sorts, on all four walls and stacked in corners on the floor. Easily over 100 from where I could see.

There was a loft on the other side of the house where he slept. The stairs were on both sides and were 8 steps high. I could barely see his blue bed sheets but no doubt I could see more clocks. In front of the loft and in between the stairs on both sides was a coffee table between 2 couches facing each other. Obviously this was his place where he sat his customers down to negotiate clocks and their prices.

He got up from the couch facing the loft and turned around at me. "Well look around don't be shy, I have plenty of clocks to choose from and even some upstairs too," he said. He had a long white beard and squinted eyes. He wore a straw hat that was shaped like a cone and had a white robe draped over his body.

I looked around making sure I didn't miss a clock. I didn't mind the price because my egg farm was booming at the moment. I was there for about 15 minutes until I found the perfect clock. It had arms in almost a rustic metal, welded into beautiful floral-like patterns. The foot long brass pendulum could be seen through a glass covering swinging along with the seconds. The clocks shape was rectangular with sprouts of wood carved into symmetrical designs on the top and bottom. I felt it would look nice on my wall as I was picturing places to put it.

"I'll take this one," I said.

"You like that clock aye? You were looking at it for quite some time," Mr. Wiu said with a chuckle.

"Oh yes of course, how much is it?" I asked.

"Hmm, how about you give me 3 dozen eggs and a chicken in exchange."

"Deal," I said almost hesitant. That was a low price considering the time it took to make the clock. I don't even know if he made a profit. "Why such a low price?"

He looked at me then at the floor again. "Sit in this couch right here," he said as he pointed to the couch facing the loft. I complied, a serious talk was coming.

"Lloyd, feel bad for you. You farm eggs in such high amounts but get so little out of it. The price of a single egg is so low, and yet there is such a vast demand for them, why?"

"You see, I only farm eggs because everyone needs them and no one else does it," I responded.

"No Lloyd, that's a lie. You farm eggs because you don't have the heart to stop. You care about people and want the best for them. You also create irrational emotional connections to things you shouldn't have. I know this is true and there is no denying it," Mr. Wiu said to the point.

He was right, I would have stopped a long time ago but I needed a way to live.

"You need a new living Lloyd. You could hardly pay for this clock so I lowered the price drastically. Tell me, what do you really want from life?"

Immediately I responded, "Freedom."

"What kind of freedom?" He didn't expect that answer, and neither did I.

"I don't know, I hate having obligations that's for sure. All of this 'go to classes' and 'keep up the village report' is almost, kind of unnecessary. It is almost as if I don't want to be here anymore..." If you said this you were considered either misbehaved or disobedient. Consider me the devil.

"Hmph, you mean you don't like it here? What could be out there to see?" Mr. Wiu responded. I felt like he was a psychiatrist and I was a patient, laying insignificantly on a bright colored couch, just waiting and willing to give out all my secrets.

"I don't know, but wouldn't it be nice to just see it, if something were out there? Maybe we are not alone and there are people just like me wondering the same thing."

"Never thought of that before," Mr. Wiu said like he understood. Why is it a wise man like him has never even thought of what lies beyond this forest.

"I sense something in you Lloyd, something that has never crossed the aura of any other villager I have known. It's as if you are neon in a crowd of all black."

"Well what, what do you sense?" I asked eagerly.

"That is for you to figure out, it is in your future. Maybe you will find out tomorrow or at the end of your life. It will all depend on your ability to separate and realize what makes you different. Acquire this skill, then soon you will know," Mr. Wiu concluded.

I sat in silence thinking and thinking about what he might be saying as he stared and waited for me to pay. I didn't want to leave, I wanted to see what else he had to say to me but his time was his, I am in no place to cut into it. I guess he is used to ending conversations on a cliffhanger, like a wise man should.

The conversation switched moods and I went off to retrieve my eggs, then came back.

"Thank you for your service, take the clock of your choice off the wall," Mr. Wiu said after I finished paying.

"Thank you," I said back and went to get the clock. I tucked it between my arms and proceeded to head out the door, then Mr. Wiu mumbled, "One more thing."

I turned back, he was looking at me dead center in the eyes. "Escape," he whispered loudly. I acknowledged by nodding in seriousness and understanding as I turned my back for a farewell, shutting the door behind me.