Aesthetic Clock Novels & Stories

“Tell me what you see.” I ran my fingers over the smooth wood of the clock. While most of the antiques in here looked a bit old and unkempt, this clock was in near perfect condition. The grooves and arches in the wood were smooth to the touch and were all one solid color. I ran my fingers over the wood until I found a deep groove. At the top of the clock, right above the thick arch was what felt like a key hole. My hand flew to the nape of my neck as I traced my eyes over the crescent moon shaped groove.

”Or there? I licked my lips. “I suggest near the windows, so you don’t see it every time you look straight ahead, and it won’t distract you unless you need to check the time. But if I may also suggest, Alpha, a grandfather’s clock would look beautiful against that wall. I think it’ll complement your couch and the curtains if you can find one that’s the same tone as the rest of the furniture.” “I can order a custom one.” He said. I nodded and didn’t say anything. The room fell silent, and I had no idea what to do next. I knew I should excuse myself, but I also didn’t want to go. Besides, I had no idea what else I should be doing.

Confused, I opened the envelope to find a few documents that contained something about an antique clock that had been appraised two years ago by Sean Gallagher, my dead grandda. The clock was made of porcelain and covered in ormolu. At the top was a painting of a cherub with a laurel wreath adorning the miniature; below was another cherub, an acorn adorning it at the bottom. A sky was painted in the center of the clock face. Most tellingly, the appraisal price of this clock was listed at a staggering €25,000. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head seeing that. “Okay, somebody has a freaking expensive clock somewhere. What does this have to do with my da?”

The illusion broke only when my stomach growled again, I was hungry again. I blinked, startled. How long had I been here? I glanced toward the wall, where a beautiful analog clock hung near the dining area. It was massive, ornate. A thick wooden frame with brass roman numerals. The hands moved smoothly across a marble-patterned face. It looked expensive and deliberate, like something Storm had selected himself. It was 1:00 PM. I almost did not believe the clock, maybe it was wrong, but I knew better.

Its hands were carved from black crystal. Neither hand moved. Around the edge of the clock stood twelve stone archways. Eleven were sealed with enormous doors of polished granite. The twelfth stood open. Beyond it... Only brilliant golden light. The same light Adrian had seen beneath the roots moments earlier. He stepped toward the clock. Every footstep echoed unnaturally loud. Then he noticed something strange. The clock had no numbers. Instead... Twelve names were carved around its edge. Some had been erased by time. Others remained perfectly clear.

No wonder it went up to $5000 quickly. “I was the crazy woman!” I laughed. “I really wanted it.” Dominic’s eyes rounded, and the tips of his ears turned red. He didn’t know I was the other bidder. “Dominic, I love it! I was sad I hadn’t gotten the clock.” I let my fingers press on the glass upper door and then over the detailed wood of the overlay. When the clock moved a little, the carillon within chimed, and the sound it made was exactly like I had imagined—deep and rich like velvet.

This was my empire, my passion, my life—proof that I’d achieved the success and wealth I’d always strived for. As always, my eyes lingered on the impressive floor-to-ceiling antique clock against the wall. It was a lustrous deep brown, skillfully carved from black walnut wood into the shape of a wine bottle. It had cost me almost half as much as my car, as I had to commission it from one of the country’s most well-known custom furniture artists, Silvadore—or that was what he called himself—but it was also one of my proudest purchases.

’ Alex held the Sword of the Universe in one hand and the Requiem Clock in the other hand before rushing to Jade’s location from the tall building. Bong! The Requiem Clock made a loud, shocking sound. It contained a supreme intention that made people repent and be absolved of their crimes. Almost instantly, all of the people and demons who heard the bell lost their ability to move for a short while. However, to Aesop, whose cultivation level was really high, the pause was only for a brief moment. He got out of the dazed state very quickly. When he got a clearer look of Alex, he was not shocked but rejoiced. “Brat, it’s you! I’ve been looking for you for a long time now! You’re truly a man of

I would have preferred more to choose from, more time to choose, but right now, the important point is the message I need to send. I step inside to a world of long polished counters and locked display cases. Cheap bling fills most of the displays; those little crystal figurines that look expensive on the displays but turn into tasteless tat the moment they're taken away from the shop lighting. Clocks fill many of the walls, displaying enough polished hardwood to threaten a rain-forest, and sporting those revolving brass balls that for some reason, are considered restful.

he says, “a family whose influence shaped three generations of American banking.” Hester says, “marvelous.” “The clock itself, the Meridian Grand,” the auctioneer calls it, “a bracket clock in ebonized fruitwood with brass finials and an eight-day movement, is going for twenty thousand dollars.” Someone raises their paddle almost immediately and yells, “thirty thousand.” Then, “thirty-five.”