Clockwork Maiden, Literally.

Clock Break

Isabella lets out a hearable breath. I can smell she’s gonna do something again. And would likely aim at me.

“Huwaaah… hey, Evie, I feel a bit weary today.” Bella said with a scrunched face. She looked at her watch briefly then proceeds to stare at me slowly. “Hey… Evie, would you mind if I go to your place today?”

“Uh…” I said with uneager. My dizziness wasn’t even fully recovered and she wanted to go to my place? Give me a break, please. I wanted to take a break. An armed guy nearly killed me and my apartment almost got burned even though it had happened somewhere in an alternate timeline.

Isabella wonders, “Huh? What’s with your reluctant voice? Oh, don’t say you’re still a lazy little girl that doesn’t like cleaning, fufufu… reminiscing about it is really funny, you know!”

“Erk! Y-You really like being frontal, huh?” I backlashed. What she said was right, I don’t really like doing the chores, although it was meant for my own good. I dislike it when granny suddenly comes to my room and find out that my room was all messy and she starts scolding me with all her might.

Also, Isabella had visited my place several times before, and she always found my room messy.

“What are you two young’uns talking about, ah?” Granny came with Mr. Archibald whose face looked like a kid that was nagged by his mother. I can understand that, getting scolded by granny is scary.

“Oh, it’s nothing importa—

“—WE’RE going to have a tea party at Evie’s place, granny.” She cut my line suddenly.

“Oh, my… after a hard work at your company, it must be tiring is it not, Isabella? Why not take a dinner together with us, my dear?” Granny said kindly.

“Indeed, it’s very tiring, but I don’t want to burden you, granny.” Bella said gracefully.

“My, how kind of you, dear, it’s not a big problem. You’ve helped us after all.”

“If that’s the case, then I will gladly accept your offer, granny.” Bella ended her words with a smile… with her hand lying on my head. GET. IT. OFF ME!

“B-Bella, get your hand off my head, please…” I said while holding myself not to stop the time for such trivial matters.

“Oh, oh, right, pardon me, tee-hee. Your short stature makes it nice for my hand to rest on your head,”

Have I mention this before? Isabella is taller than me, a bit taller than me to be precise.

“Yeah, I’m a midget,” I replied harshly. “You’re also a midget, but taller.” I added savagely.

“N-No need to say it out loud, r-right… Evie?” she sounded embarrassed. Isn’t it normal for a lady to be shorter than men? Isabella had a dream of growing high, but it doesn’t seem applicable in her age. To me, as well, that is.

…

…

--Helmington City, Empor Apartment, 1048 hours--

Everything is running quite nicely.

Isabella speaks like an elegant high class woman. As if she’s a noble, well it’s true, though. She told me that she was a noble. She dumped that title after seeing inhumane actions from the nobles toward the commoners.

I wonder, what does she mean by that? In Helmington, existence of nobleman is rare. Well, what kind of noble that wanted to live in a city with a bad air quality index? Anyway, since those aristocrats were rare, I couldn’t tell why she said they’re inhuman.

Granny and I listened to Bella’s story a lot when she visited us, even today, too.

“…And that’s why, it’s a very tiring work, even though it’s still morning. Oh? We ran out of tea,” said Bella while checking the teapot.

“Oh, you’re right, dear. How long have we been talking, anyway?” Granny stated.

“Might I guess it’s over twenty minutes…” she said elegantly.

“Aw… time sure does fly by, eh? I’ll refill this teapot back to its maximum size, hiyahahaha! You two young’uns stay here.” Granny stands up and walks to my tiny kitchen.

Just when Granny left the room to the kitchen, Bella melts into her real self.

“Huuh… What a grandchild are you, Evie? Having your grandma doing all the work, now I question your humanity. Tee-hee-hee,” Bella giggled mockingly.

“I don’t want to hear that from a faker like you, hmph!” I replied.

“Aw… don’t get so snippy, Evie. You’re so cute when you’re angry, though.”

“Yeah, yeah, stop your intoxicating mouth,”

“Ahahaha, how cute of you, Eva,”

We laughed to each other afterwards.

A few minutes later, Granny returned back with the teapot. As she puts the pot on the table, she realizes something.

“Oh, dear, I forgot the sugar cubes, please wait for a moment.”

“Ahh, no worries, granny, I’ll go get them,” I offered with a smile.

“Oh, I see. What an unusual sight to see from you. Go ahead, then,”

“Okie-dokie, granny, I’ll be back in a jiffy, tee-hee-hee!”

As I walk to the kitchen while carrying the tray, I have a thought, to think about how many times I have used [Clockwork Phase One]… I’ve used it almost every time I see fit. I always use it when I want to turn the events that happened in front of me to my liking. I’m not doing it for evilness, though.

I use it a lot when I’m still a student at junior school and high school. It’s a lot of fun seeing change of actions from many people. It’s like answering a multiple choices answer, but I test every single choices to see which one is the right answer, or in my case, the best route!

*GUBRAK*

“Ouch,” I accidentally hit a wall amidst of my reminiscing, ouch. Fortunately, I managed to keep the tray safe… probably a bit of bent. Hope granny’s not angry about it, she bought it for me a month ago.

From the distance, I can hear granny laughing and insinuating about how I’m different from most girls in town. Yeah, well, not gonna deny that, I don’t want to be forced doing all those womanly chores and stuff while I couldn’t get to do what I like.

“Ow… my head hurts…” I ducked down and rubbed my pained forehead while sustaining the tray by my right hand.

Without me knowing, Isabella had appeared right next to me. I thought she’s gonna crank up the embarrassment I had, turns out she’s helping me out.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked kindly. “Why are you so clumsy, Eva?” she added while helping me get back up.

“T-Thanks, Bella, ehehehe…” I chuckled subtly.

“Dear me, your recklessness will become your downside, Evie. I couldn’t even tell if you’re going to get hurt…”

“Huh? Did you say something?”

“Huh, what? I didn’t say anything. D-D-Don’t start daydreaming again, Evie!”

I swear I heard something… but oh well. She said it’s just a small bump, it won’t damage me. Well, even without her telling I already knew.

“Let me take the tray,” she asked me to let her do the job. “I worry you might mess up again, so chop-chop, I’ll handle this. Or… maybe you wanna watch my elegancy in the kitchen, hm?”

“Hah… I suppose you’re right. I’m not skilled at this anyway.” I said accepting reality.

I thought by going back in time, I can get complimented by granny. Instead, I just made it worse—plus a lump on my forehead.

Sigh…

…

..

.

I decided to return back to the coach, forgetting all sort of problem and returned smilingly.

But amidst of that, I suddenly felt my body incredibly heavy as if I'm holding a ton of boxes on my head. It felt so heavy, I couldn’t hold my footings.

“What’s… g-g-going… on…?” my voice suddenly got lumped off. Suddenly, a distorted voice drills into my ear, no-wait, it feels like it's directly speaking to my mind.

...Eva...

...The Space And Time has shifted forth and back for over a thousand times...

…Altering your decided fate by going back in time is an unforgivable sin…

...You shall never find happiness nor shall you find ease…

...Be gone from this world… you and your grasp of time!

“___

__AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHRGH!”

What’s going on? My heart feels like being impaled, my lungs felt like being torn apart from my body. Most of my skin felt like being stabbed by thousands of needles. It’s excruciatingly painful.  It hurts! It HURTS! Make it stop! Aaagh… PLEASE!!!

“I can’t control my balance, ouoh… I’m gonna fa..ll… ov..er…”

*GUBRAK*

My body collapsed onto the floor.

Amidst of the intense pain crawling onto my body, I saw a weirdly white room…

It reminds me… of my childhood, but it hurts to remember it… it hurts… I’m going to lose my mind, someone please make it stop…!

Suddenly, a flow of liquid bursts out from my mouth.

“*COUGH* Ueugh… oh, god… is this… my blood…? UHAK! ACK!”

Unable to stop the relentless cough of blood, I begin to lose hope. I’m losing my sights slowly and finally into the eternal darkness.

I tried to press my chest hardly, trying to withstand the grave pain that pierced my heart. I can see two pair of foots in front of me… I can’t see who was it… my left hand reflectively move on its own and touched my face. It appears that my eyes were also blooded.

“P-Please… h-h-h-...h-...h-hel..p… m…e………………..” I cried out painfully… but alas.

My voice hoarsened, and finally ended. I lost control of my body. I feel numb, I can’t move at all, but the pain remains within. I decided to surrender to the void of nothingness, while trying to reel from the relentless torture to my heart and welcome the cold darkness.

…

Is this… what it feels to die…?