The magic clock

By: Grace Humphrey

The magic clock

Chapter 1:

“Max!” my mom yelled from the kitchen window “dinner’s ready!”

“Coming!” I yelled back.

I walk through the foot of Colorado snow into the warm welcoming home that awaits. I walk through the hallway filled with wood things that my grandpa made many years before… all of it just seems so magical.

“Lily, come to eat with your brother please,’’ My mom said, as she sat down the food on the table.

“No! I’m in the middle of something!” She replied back.

“Yep, eight is definitely her bratty age,” I said jokingly as I nudged my sister with my elbow, “Hey, I like your pretty pink sparkly dress too!” I laughed at my own joke.

“Don’t talk about your sister like that Maxwell,” mom said sternly, eyeing for me to sit down at the table.

I get the message. I sit down to eat at the table and enjoy the steak and mashed potatoes that were prepared earlier that night. The warm flavors fill my ice cold body and make me feel warm inside. “I’m going to the store, are you guys going to be ok alone together for a little?”

“Yeah we will be fine mom,” I said as she was walking out the door.

I look at my sister once mom was pulling out of the driveway. She was giving me the look… you know that one stare that you know you did something wrong. “Max why do you have to be so annoying all the time.”

“What do you mean?” I said. The look in her eyes started to get scary. Am I really that mean? Isn’t that what brothers are supposed to do, I Thought to myself.

“For example,” Lily started to exclaim, “you don’t have to call me a brat all the time,”

“Well… you kind of are most of the time,” I replied, THink back to all the times she’s ever been a brat and I can’t even count how many.

“Haha very funny,” Lily said as she stared me down. At this point, I knew I was gonna get it. I may be 12 and her older brother but she can sure put up a fight. I turn and walk into the living room hoping to escape her stare but as I did I feel her slap the back of my head.

“Wow you’re really short,” she said, “I can touch the top of your head!”

“Really?” I asked sarcastically, “I had no idea.” I pick up her scrawny body and toss her on the couch and laugh at her. She struggles to get up after being swallowed by the couch. She reaches her hand out on the end table to help herself up but as she slides her hand on the table she knocks grandpa’s clock off onto the floor and it shatters into many small pieces.”Wow, you really did it now,” I said happily knowing that she’s going to be in so much trouble. I was as happy as a clam!

“Me!” Lily was yelling at this point, “it never would have happened if you weren’t being mean!

“Will you young ones please keep it down,” A weird voice said. Me and Lily turn our heads toward the voice. The voice sounded elegant and soft but stern at the same time.

“Grandpa!” Lily said, “is that you?”

“Hi princess,” he replied back. I stare in awe at my grandpa that had died two years ago and then back to the spot on the floor where the clock once was. Maybe… the wood was magical. My grandpa was the kindest person I knew he had a heart of gold and was nice to everyone.

“Hey, come look at this new project I’ve been working on,” my grandpa said.

We walk into the workshop and look at the block of wood cedar wood that was placed on the table. It was the clock! “This is one of my favorites,” he continued “I’m very proud of it.”

“ That’s really nice grandpa,” Lily said.

“Hey, gramps can we cook your favorite dinner, chili, and corn?” I asked trying to get the conversation away from the clock.

“Yeah, I guess I should take a break,” I really need to get used to talking to my dead grandpa it’s kind of weird, I thought to myself as we were walking to the kitchen that grandma cooks in every night. “I’m gonna stay,” Lily said from the distance. My grandpa and I start to work on the food when my grandma walked in.

“Grandma!” I yelled as I hugged her.

“Hi sweetheart, is your sister here?” she asked. My grandma had always loved LIly more than anything, I learned to accept it though because it made me and gramps closer.

“Yeah, she’s in the other room,” I replied. Grandma started to walk into the workshop where lily was and I could hear their faint conversation of how much they missed each other.

Chapter 2:

“Maxwell!” I hear my grandpa yell from the workshop. I run through the door as soon as I heard him yell.

“What happened?” I said urgently.

“Did you take the clock? He asked. I could feel his tense anger through the air.

“No,” I said,” why would I do that?”

“The clock is gone,” he exclaimed,” Just before dinner it was right here and now it’s gone.”

“Maybe it was an accident,” I exclaimed. I walked out of the door and up the cold pinewood stairs to see Lily sitting in front of an old box house. She quickly shoved something into the house. “Did you take grandpa’s clock?”

“No!” She said, “why would I ever do that! Stop accusing me of things all the time!”

“Okay, chill,” I said. I walk back down the stairs wondering what happened to the clock and where it went. I start to help my grandpa look up and down, around the house, under tables through sleeves, and every little corner. I panted heavily as I say to my grandpa “I don’t think we are going to find it today gramps.”

I finally get the courage to go ask my grandma if she took the clock. I’m afraid that she would think that I was accusing her too. I walk up to the living room and immanently smell to chili that had been cooking before.

“Hey, Grandma did you take grandpa’s clock by chance?” I nervously ask.

“Oh heavens no,” she said, “I know how much he loves that thing, I would never.” Then who could it be I thought in my head. Maybe we should just wait and It will come to us. Even though that’s probably not the best idea in the world it’s better than stressing about it.

God, I miss mom already I said to myself as I heard my grandpa yell from the workshop

“My dolls are gone too!” oh no not again I thought.

“What do you mean grandpa?” I said.

“The dolls, The dolls I’ve been working on for months for the little kids at the shelter for Christmas!” He said. “Who would do such a thing!” I look down and see the pink sparkles from lily’s dress and that reminded me. My mind went to one person that would do such a thing… LIly.

I march up the stairs and open the door to the room where I find lily sitting in front of the box dollhouse playing with grandpa’s dolls! “LIly!” I yelled, “what are you doing! Why do you have grandpa’s dolls, do you have his clock too!”

“Yes,” she said sadly. Huh? Could this be… Lily is confessing to her problems?

“Wait actually? Where is the clock?” I asked

“Under the bed,” lily replied I pulled the small wooden clock from under the bed and blew the dust off that had been on it.

“Why did you take this lily?”

“I watched a movie a while ago where a clock broke and they ended up in the past and I figured thats what happened to us, and it was so much more peaceful here than at home I just wanted to stay here with grandma and grandpa so I hid it.”

“Oh, well that explains why there was glitter on the ground and why the dolls went missing because you thought we wouldn’t notice,” I said.

“Yeah, now I just wanna go back home to mom,” Lily said.

“Okay then, Do you remember how they got back home in the movie?” I asked

“Yeah, all you have to do is take the glass off and turn back the clock once!” Lily said. I take the clock and turn the glass off the clock.

“Are you ready?” I asked.

“For sure,’ Lily said. I turn the hand slowly toward the 7 on the clock and Poof Me and lily were sitting on the couch of our living room.”Woah that was cool!” I look over at the side table and there was the clock standing up straight with not a crack on the glass and at that second mom walks in the door

“Oh, look at you two being so nice to each other!” Mom said, What did you do when I was gone?”

“Oh, you have no idea,”