violent crimes

In a quiet town where nothing ever seemed to change, there lived an old clockmaker named Mr. Fenton. His shop was filled with clocks of every shape and size, each one ticking in perfect harmony. Yet, no one ever saw Mr. Fenton wind them up.

Lena, a curious girl from the neighborhood, would often peer through the window of the shop. She noticed that Mr. Fenton always wore a small, delicate watch around his neck. It looked far older than any other clock in the shop, but its hands never moved.

One rainy afternoon, Lena gathered the courage to ask about the watch. Mr. Fenton smiled kindly but said nothing, handing her a small, intricate key instead. He told her to visit the tallest clock in the shop, the one that stood like a guardian in the corner.

With trembling hands, Lena inserted the key into the clock. As soon as it clicked, the hands of every clock in the shop froze. The air felt heavy, as if time itself had stopped.

"Time is a gift," Mr. Fenton whispered, breaking the silence. "I’ve been its keeper for many years, but now, it’s time for someone new."

Lena turned to him, but he was no longer there. Only the small watch remained on the counter, its hands now moving for the first time. Lena picked it up, and as soon as she did, the clocks began to tick again.

From that day forward, Lena became the new clockmaker. She kept the town’s clocks running, never aging, never leaving. And though no one else knew, she understood the secret Mr. Fenton had passed on—that time doesn’t own you, unless you choose to be its keeper.