Episode 3: The Clock Above Your Head
1067 Words
Muna didn’t go back to class.
He couldn’t.
How was he supposed to sit down and copy notes when he had just seen… that?
People.
Normal people.
Walking around like everything was fine.
But above their heads—
Clocks.
He stood near the school gate, gripping the pendant tightly in his hand.
His breathing was uneven.
“Okay… okay… calm down…”
He looked up again.
And froze.
The clocks were still there.
Above everyone.
A boy walking past him—laughing with his friends—had a bright, steady clock ticking above his head.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
A teacher across the road had a slower one.
Tick…
…Tick…
…Tick…
Muna turned sharply.
“No way…”
It wasn’t stopping.
“This is not normal,” he whispered.
“Of course it’s not.”
Muna spun around.
“You again?!”
The man leaned casually against the gate, like appearing out of nowhere was completely normal.
“You’re seeing them now,” he said.
Muna pointed at a random student. “There’s a clock above his head!”
“Yes.”
“And nobody else can see it?!”
“Yes.”
Muna ran a hand through his hair.
“I think I’m losing my mind.”
The man shook his head.
“No. You’re finally seeing the truth.”
Muna frowned. “What truth?”
The man stepped closer.
“That time isn’t just something you live in…”
He tapped Muna lightly on the chest.
“It’s something you carry.”
Muna looked back at the students.
“So those clocks… that’s their time?”
“Yes.”
“How much they have left?”
The man didn’t answer immediately.
Then—
“Yes.”
Muna’s stomach dropped.
“So… if it stops…”
“They die.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Muna’s voice came out low.
“That’s messed up.”
The man gave a small shrug.
“That’s reality.”
Muna clenched his fist.
“Then why can I see it?”
The man’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Because you touched the still clock.”
“The one that wasn’t ticking?”
“Yes.”
“What does that mean?”
The man exhaled slowly.
“It means your timeline… slipped.”
Muna blinked. “Slipped?”
“You’re no longer fully anchored to your own time,” the man explained. “You’re drifting between moments.”
Muna shook his head. “You keep saying things like that like it makes sense.”
“It will,” the man said. “Soon.”
Muna didn’t like the sound of that.
“Okay, forget all that,” he said quickly. “You said those things are coming for me. The Collectors.”
The man’s expression darkened.
“Yes.”
“Why me?”
A pause.
Then—
“Because you’re valuable.”
Muna stared at him.
“Valuable how?”
The man hesitated.
Then said quietly:
“You have more time than you should.”
Muna laughed nervously. “That doesn’t even make sense.”
“It doesn’t have to,” the man replied. “It just has to be true.”
Muna looked back at the people again.
Then something caught his eye.
A girl.
Standing near the roadside.
Scrolling through her phone.
Her clock—
It was glitching.
Tick—
Stop.
Tick—
Stop.
Muna frowned.
“Hey… what’s wrong with hers?”
The man followed his gaze.
And immediately stiffened.
“That’s not good.”
“What do you mean?”
Her clock flickered violently now.
Tick—Tick—Tick—
STOP.
Muna’s heart jumped.
“It stopped!”
The girl didn’t react.
She just stood there.
Alive.
Normal.
Muna looked back at the man.
“You said when it stops—”
“I know what I said.”
“Then why isn’t she—”
“Because it hasn’t been taken yet.”
Muna’s chest tightened.
“Taken?”
The man’s voice dropped.
“They don’t always let it stop naturally.”
A chill ran down Muna’s spine.
“You mean…”
“Yes.”
“They take it.”
Muna looked around frantically.
“Is one of those things here right now?!”
The man didn’t answer.
Which was worse than answering.
Muna looked back at the girl.
Her clock cracked slightly.
A thin line spreading across it.
“No…” Muna whispered.
Without thinking—
He started walking toward her.
“Stop,” the man warned.
Muna didn’t listen.
“Hey!” he called out.
The girl looked up.
Confused.
“Yeah?”
Muna froze.
What was he supposed to say?
“Uh… your… your—”
Tick.
The sound hit him hard.
Her clock—
It was breaking.
“Move!” Muna shouted suddenly.
“What?”
“JUST MOVE!”
Too late.
The air behind her twisted.
And the c***k appeared.
Not in the wall this time.
In the air itself.
Dark.
Jagged.
Alive.
Something began to push through.
Muna’s body moved before his mind could catch up.
He grabbed her arm—
And pulled.
The moment he did—
The pendant around his neck burned.
Tick—
Tick—
Tick—
The world slowed.
Not fully.
But enough.
The girl’s eyes widened.
“What’s happening—?”
“Run!” Muna yelled.
Behind them—
A hand burst through the c***k.
Long.
Distorted.
Hungry.
The Collector had arrived.
And this time—
Muna didn’t freeze.
He ran.
Pulling her with him.
Dodging people.
Ignoring screams.
The world felt stretched.
Bent.
Like time itself was struggling to keep up.
“Muna!”
He turned.
The man was there again.
“Don’t stop!” he shouted.
“It’s after us!”
“I know!”
The ground beneath them flickered.
Reality itself starting to tear.
“Why is this happening?!” Muna shouted.
“Because you interfered!” the man replied.
“You told me to leave it!”
“And you didn’t!”
The Collector shrieked behind them.
Closer.
Faster.
The girl stumbled.
“I can’t—!”
Muna tightened his grip.
“Yes, you can!”
Her clock—
It started ticking again.
Slow.
Weak.
But alive.
The man noticed.
His eyes widened.
“…Impossible.”
Muna didn’t hear him.
He just kept running.
Because now he understood one thing—
He wasn’t just seeing time.
He could change it.
To be continued…
- Writer
