The Clock Stopped Working.

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It was a sunny Sunday afternoon, normal like always, that is until I glanced at the clock in time square. It had stopped working. There was no familiar ticking sound to fill the silence. You may think this isn't a big deal, it's just a clock, but I know it's much more than that. It's the key to our existence. Scanning my surroundings, everybody was frozen. Frozen in time. Except me. This doesn't make any sense, though. The clock controls all life in the neighbourhood, I shouldn't be able to walk, to breathe. Ironically, my breathing starting coming out in quick breaths, as I struggled for air. I collapse to the ground and fumble to shake the closest person, as if that would wake them.

The pressure of being the only one awake has me sobbing, questioning the universe why I didn't just freeze with everybody else. Frustrated and alone, I rush up to the clock and hit it with all my strength, so much that my hands end up bleeding from the harshness of it all. I do not want to be awake. Wincing from the pain, I push my hands into my pockets in an attempt to ignore the absolute absurdity of this situation. My hands brush up against something, an... object of sorts. Pulling the mystery item out, I'm left with a key in my hands.

The key wasn't there before. I've never seen it before in my life. My mind left with only insane ideas to try and fix my problem, I rush up the stairs of the clock tower. As soon as I enter, there is this loud ticking in my ears. Making my way up the final set of stairs I scan for something, anything, that would get the clock working again. Something that needs a key. A lock enters my eyesight and I fumble to get the key in, unlocking whatever it was connected to. I sigh as I look out the window and people, everyone, is moving again. Before I go to leave the clock tower I hear a voice, of sorts. It says, 'You are the Chosen One, Gatekeeper. I trust you will keep this world safe.' That sentence sticks with me as I head home, never letting the key in my pocket leave my sight.

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